The killing of a Prince George’s County police officer and the homicide of his suspected killer two days later in his jail cell have sparked questions about the county’s reputation for excessive force — and has county leaders scrambling to quell concerns.
‘‘We should all wait to see what the results of the investigation are before we start indicting the reputation of the entire public safety department,” said Vernon Herron, county director of public safety.
Cpl. Richard Findley, 39, was killed June 27 after he approached a pickup truck that was believed to have been stolen. The truck hit him, injuring him fatally.
The same day, Ronnie L. White, 19, of North Laurel was arrested and charged in Findley’s death. On Sunday morning, White, alone in a maximum security cell in the county’s correctional center, was found dead. An autopsy showed White died of asphyxiation. The FBI and Maryland State Police have taken over the investigation.
Prince George’s has a history of problems with the way it treats suspects. Since 2004, the county police department has been monitored by the U.S. Department of Justice to curb ‘‘patterns of excessive force,” most notably among the department’s police canine unit. Claims of police abuse swirled in the 1990s and, in 1999, 12 people were shot by officers and two others died while in police custody.
‘‘There are a number of questions that go into this from the past,” Ronald Walters, a political expert and professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, said of revived concerns from the community about law enforcement officers. ‘‘You have to look at the number of things that were countenanced in this county.”
On Monday night, County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) stressed that White’s death occurred at the correctional center and appeared ‘‘unrelated to any acts of the Prince George’s County Police Department.”
Other officials also walked a fine line between mourning Findley’s death and acknowledging White’s homicide. County Council Chairman Samuel H. Dean (D-Dist. 6) of Mitchellville expressed sympathy at Tuesday’s council meeting for the officer’s family, and an hour later, a spokeswoman released an e-mail amending his condolences.
‘‘We also extend our sympathy to the family of Ronnie White,” the statement read. ‘‘We will keep all those affected by these tragic events in our thoughts and prayers.”
County officials have noted repeatedly that White’s death does not involve the police department, but the Department of Corrections, which has had its own share of strife over the past year.
Last month, corrections chief Alfred McMurray was fired after a string of security failures, including the disappearance of four guns from the prison armory. Earlier in the year, a corrections officer was accused of smuggling cell phones to gang members; two prisoners were discovered with handcuff keys; and two female correctional officers were suspended for allegedly having sexual relations with male prisoners.
Further concerns were sparked when county officials rejected calls to suspend the jail officers who had access to White’s cell, some of whom refused to cooperate with the homicide investigation.
‘‘There are nine individuals that have been identified already, and all of them, we find, are still employed and still on duty,” said June White-Dillard, president of the county NAACP. ‘‘We feel it is imperative that they are placed on administrative leave until a complete and thorough has been completed into the homicide of Ronnie White.”
Johnson, the county’s former prosecutor, defended the decision to keep the officers on duty.
‘‘No one is a suspect yet,” Johnson said. ‘‘We have standard procedures that have worked for many years. When [White] came in, he was given a physical, he was processed ... there is nothing to indicate that the standards [were not met].”
Others urged people to remember Findley’s service and the loss to his family, frien.ds and the police department, where he worked for 10 years, and the fire department, where he was a longtime volunteer.
‘‘Unfortunately, public attention has shifted away from remembering the heroic sacrifices of Cpl. Richard Findley,” said Mel Franklin, president of the Greater Marlboro Democratic Club.
Funeral services held July 3 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Beltsville were attended by more than 1,000 people and 500 police and firefighters. Dignitaries included Johnson and County Police Chief Melvin C. High, who announced Findley’s posthumous promotion to sergeant.
‘‘He made all of our lives so much richer,” High said during the service. ‘‘He lived his life the way God would have him live it. He’s at peace. Take comfort in that.”
Findley, who lived in Westminster, was buried in Davidsonville.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Officer Victor Greenhouse Arrested on Drug Charges
A Marksville police officer is one of two people facing charges following a drug investigation, authorities said Wednesday.
Officer Victor Greenhouse, 40, who's been with the Marksville Police Department for about five years, was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and malfeasance in office, Marksville police Chief Newman Greenhouse said.
The chief and the officer are distantly related, the chief said.
Also charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute was Monica Hampton, 29, of 159 Little California Road, Marksville, authorities reported.
The investigation of Victor Greenhouse, of 1474 La. Highway 453, Marksville, and Hampton came after a package coming across the U.S.-Mexico border was flagged for containing drugs, Newman Greenhouse said.
The Marksville Police Department worked in conjunction with State Police and the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office on the investigation and conducted a search warrant on Hampton's home, where Victor Greenhouse often stayed.
There, officers found a little more than seven pounds of marijuana -- with a street value of $10,000 to $20,000 -- and other suspected narcotics-related paraphernalia, the Sheriff's Office said.
Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson said information received from the Houston Police Department and further investigation led officers from the three agencies to Hampton's home.
Victor Greenhouse was immediately placed on administrative leave without pay after the arrest pending the outcome of his charges, Newman Greenhouse said. His role at the department was as patrol officer responding to calls and handling traffic incidents.
Victor Greenhouse and Hampton remained in the Avoyelles Parish Jail on Wednesday night pending a bond hearing, jail officials said.
Officer Victor Greenhouse, 40, who's been with the Marksville Police Department for about five years, was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and malfeasance in office, Marksville police Chief Newman Greenhouse said.
The chief and the officer are distantly related, the chief said.
Also charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute was Monica Hampton, 29, of 159 Little California Road, Marksville, authorities reported.
The investigation of Victor Greenhouse, of 1474 La. Highway 453, Marksville, and Hampton came after a package coming across the U.S.-Mexico border was flagged for containing drugs, Newman Greenhouse said.
The Marksville Police Department worked in conjunction with State Police and the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office on the investigation and conducted a search warrant on Hampton's home, where Victor Greenhouse often stayed.
There, officers found a little more than seven pounds of marijuana -- with a street value of $10,000 to $20,000 -- and other suspected narcotics-related paraphernalia, the Sheriff's Office said.
Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson said information received from the Houston Police Department and further investigation led officers from the three agencies to Hampton's home.
Victor Greenhouse was immediately placed on administrative leave without pay after the arrest pending the outcome of his charges, Newman Greenhouse said. His role at the department was as patrol officer responding to calls and handling traffic incidents.
Victor Greenhouse and Hampton remained in the Avoyelles Parish Jail on Wednesday night pending a bond hearing, jail officials said.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Correctional Officer Andrew Ravelo Accused of Sexual Assault
Andrew Ravelo, a former Correctional Officer at the Wyoming Women’s Center, has been charged with sexual assault in the second degree by infliction of sexual intrusion on a victim while he was a state employee at a penal institution and the victim was known by him to be a resident of such facility. If convicted of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, which is a felony, Ravelo faces a maximum penalty of not less than two nor more than twenty years imprisonment.
Ravelo has also been charged with taking contraband into a correctional facility. Between the dates of Dec. 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008 Ravelo did intentionally convey a compact disc or other items, possession of which are prohibited under certain circumstances by a person confined to a penal institution or correctional facility. If convicted of Taking Contraband into Penal Institution or Correctional Facility, a misdemeanor, Ravelo faces one year imprisonment and/or a $2,000 fine.
When contacted, Capt. Haltor of the Wyoming Women’s Center stated that Officer Ravelo was employed as a correctional officer at the Wyoming Women’s Center, but they are unable to make any comments at this time.
In addition to the above charges Ravelo is charged with Driving Under Suspension. If convicted of Driving Under Suspension, a misdemeanor, Ravelo faces a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a $750 fine.
A $5,000 cash bond was posted and Ravelo is not to leave the State of Wyoming.
Ravelo has also been charged with taking contraband into a correctional facility. Between the dates of Dec. 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008 Ravelo did intentionally convey a compact disc or other items, possession of which are prohibited under certain circumstances by a person confined to a penal institution or correctional facility. If convicted of Taking Contraband into Penal Institution or Correctional Facility, a misdemeanor, Ravelo faces one year imprisonment and/or a $2,000 fine.
When contacted, Capt. Haltor of the Wyoming Women’s Center stated that Officer Ravelo was employed as a correctional officer at the Wyoming Women’s Center, but they are unable to make any comments at this time.
In addition to the above charges Ravelo is charged with Driving Under Suspension. If convicted of Driving Under Suspension, a misdemeanor, Ravelo faces a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a $750 fine.
A $5,000 cash bond was posted and Ravelo is not to leave the State of Wyoming.
Police Finally Admitt they were Wrong about the Ramsey's
The Boulder district attorney's office announced today that new DNA evidence discovered in the clothing worn by JonBenét Ramsey identifies "the perpetrator of the homicide" and excludes all members of the murdered girl's family.
District Attorney Mary Lacy said in a letter posted on the DA's website that the Ramsey family should "be treated only as victims," and she apologized to them.
Six-year-old JonBenét was discovered with a garrote around her neck in the basement of her parents' Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996.
No one has ever been charged in her death. Boulder police once said "an umbrella of suspicion" was over her parents, Patsy and John Ramsey.
Tabloids pointed the finger at their son, Burke, who was 9 when his sister was killed.
But today, in a letter to John Ramsey, Lacy said her office wanted "to state that we do not consider your immediate family — including you, your wife, Patsy, and your son, Burke — to be under any suspicion in the commission of this crime.
"I wish we could have done so before Mrs. Ramsey died."
Patsy Ramsey died June 26, 2006, of ovarian cancer at age 49.Lacy's office took over the investigation into JonBenét's death in December 2002.
One of the clues they inherited was male DNA found in JonBenet's underwear that did not match that of anyone in her family.
Last year, Lacy attended a National Institute of Justice program on forensic biology and DNA that introduced her to a new technology called "touch DNA," she said in the release.
"Forensic scientists scrape a surface where there is no observable stain or other indication of possible DNA in an effort to recover for analysis any genetic material that might nonetheless be present. This methodology was not well-known in this country until recently and is still used infrequently," she said.
At the end of last year, her office opted to work with Bode Technology
Matching DNA was found in JonBenét Ramsey's underwear and the long johns she was wearing when her body was found in 1996. It did not match DNA of anyone in her family.
The lab scraped both sides of the waist of the long johns JonBenét was wearing over her underwear the night she was killed.
This area was chosen, the release said, because it was assumed that her killer took off JonBenét's clothing and then redressed her and would have handled the long johns.
The lab notified the DA on March 24 that DNA was found on both sides of the waist of the long johns.
That DNA matched the DNA found years ago in JonBenét's underwear.
Lacy's office had the Colorado Bureau of Investigation analyze other samples to make sure the DNA profile could not have been left during the autopsy, when JonBenét's clothes were removed.
That was not the case, the CBI reported on June 27.
Lacy called the DNA found on JonBenét's clothing "very significant and powerful evidence."
She said in the release, "It is very unlikely that there would be an innocent explanation for DNA found at three different locations on two separate items. It is, therefore, the position of the Boulder district attorney's office that this profile belongs to the perpetrator of the homicide."
And "the most reliable forensic evidence we can hope to find" excludes all members of the Ramsey family, the release concluded.
Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner issued a statement this afternoon on the new DNA findings:
"The discovery of additional matching DNA in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case is important information that raises more questions in the search for JonBenet's killer. The Boulder Police Department concurs with the Boulder District Attorney's Office that this is a significant finding. We remain committed to bringing JonBenet's killer to justice. That is, and always will be, our goal."
In the letter Lacy sent to John Ramsey dated July 9, she explained how the new DNA was found.
She apologized to him and his family, saying: "To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you may have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry."
She told him "solving this crime remains our goal."
When asked what receiving the letter means to him, Ramsey replied, "The most significant thing to me was the fact that we now have pretty irrefutable DNA evidence we now have very, very solid evidence and that's always been my hope, at least in the recent past, that that would lead us to the killer eventually as the DNA database grows and is populated."
A Little Sweet Revenge?
A Watauga teen accused of delivering drug-tainted cookies and candy to area police departments denied to investigators any involvement, but he told authorities that friends may have been using marijuana while he baked the cookies, police said Wednesday.
The 18-year-old was carrying the names of 25 departments with 12 of them checked off when he was arrested Tuesday at the Lake Worth police station.
Christian Phillips of Watauga was arraigned Wednesday on a charge of tampering with a consumer product. He remained in the Lake Worth Jail with bail set at $75,000.
If convicted, Phillips faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
“He’s claiming that there was no criminal intent or that he was not trying to hurt someone,” Lake Worth Police Chief Brett McGuire said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, seven Fort Worth police officers and department employees have been tested for drugs after eating some of the cookies, police said. Blood has been taken from the officers and employees to test for any drugs, Fort Worth police Lt. Paul Henderson said Wednesday.
“This is an eye opener for not just our agency, but any government agency. Our officers and employees ate these food items believing them to be safe and from a good person,” Henderson said. “The truth of the matter is though, there are evil people out there intent on doing us harm.”
Watauga police received cookies and all of them were eaten.
Watauga police said Wednesday that they would be sending three to four officers and employees to be tested for drugs.
“The city has made arrangements to take them to a medical clinic,” Watauga Officer Sean Romer said Wednesday.
Investigators believe the teen may have started dropping off the baskets with candy and cookies about a week ago. The baskets included a logo indicating that they were from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD.
But Lake Worth police were ready for Phillips. MADD officials had called the Lake Worth department Tuesday morning after they learned that someone had been delivering the baskets to area police departments, claiming to be from that agency.
MADD officials said they had nothing to do with the baskets.
Phillips was arrested about 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Lake Worth police station when he attempted to drop off a basket of cookies and peppermint candy, saying they came from MADD. Cookies in that basket tested positive for LSD, police said.
Lake Worth police also confiscated additional cookies from Phillips’ car which was parked at the Lake Worth police station. Tests on those goodies had not been completed.
After Phillips’ arrest, Lake Worth police on Tuesday sent out bulletins to area police departments concerning the gift baskets.
Police in Blue Mound received a basket filled with candy and cookies just before 8 p.m. Monday.
When a Blue Mound officer picked up one of the cookies, it smelled like marijuana, police said. A field test proved that the cookie contained marijuana, police said.
Hurst, Euless and Richland Hills police also reported receiving the gift baskets last week.
In Hurst, the basket contained only Dum Dum Pops, but no officer or employees have reported being ill, Hurst police Sgt. Craig Teague said Wednesday.
Richland Hills police said Wednesday they received a basket with wrapped candy and cookies and no one reported being sick.
At Euless, police Lt. John Williams said that a kid came to the department last week and dropped off some cookies.
“An officer picked up a cookie and it smelled,” Williams said. “We tested it but it didn’t test positive for anything. We still threw the cookies away.”
According to Watauga police reports, Phillips has a criminal history in that city.
A loud party was reported to Watauga police on July 21, 2007, and Phillips opened the door when police arrived, police said.
Phillips tried to shut the door on officers and when an officer propped the door open with his arm, Phillips swatted it away, according to police reports. About 20 or 30 people were at the party.
When Watauga officers made their way through the blocked door, Phillips tried to punch an officer, missed and was immediately taken down with force.
A Tarrant County court reduced the charge of assault on a public servant to assault with bodily injury.
Phillips is still fulfilling community service for the assault charge.
Woman Testifies She had Secret Affair with Offiicer Accused of Murder
GRAND HAVEN
At the same time Ken DeKleine claimed his estranged wife was having an affair with her therapist, he was romantically involved with another woman, court testimony today revealed.
Richelle VanderWal, once married to a Holland police officer, was in the midst of a divorce in 2006 when she said she met Ken DeKleine and began a relationship that lasted until his arrest for allegedly killing his wife.
VanderWal testified today at Ken DeKleine's murder trial, describing how she met DeKleine in July 2006 and began a sexual relationship that fall, before her December 2006 divorce. DeKleine still was living at the Calvin Street address with Lori DeKleine until she filed a personal protection order in January 2007.
They kept the relationship a secret, she said.
VanderWal testified DeKleine was fixated on doing something about suspicions his wife was having a relationship with her therapist and planned to report the man to a state board. She acknowledged DeKleine was upset and frustrated with the constant rescheduling of court dates for his divorce.
VanderWal said she never came to police after DeKleine's arrest this past January to tell about their relationship. They eventually contacted her.
"I know how police think. I was afraid of being accused of her murder," she said.
In other testimony, police testified they asked DeKleine the same day of his wife's death if he killed her. He denied any involvement.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 11, in an interview room at the Zeeland Police Department, Ottawa County sheriff's Detective Tom Knapp told DeKleine they had found clothes in the garage attic with apparent blood stains. During that interview, DeKleine claimed he left items in the attic while fixing a vent pipe in 2006 and had cut himself.
When Knapp directly accused DeKleine of being responsible for his wife's death, DeKleine replied: "I don't know how to respond to that, Tom."
At the same time Ken DeKleine claimed his estranged wife was having an affair with her therapist, he was romantically involved with another woman, court testimony today revealed.
Richelle VanderWal, once married to a Holland police officer, was in the midst of a divorce in 2006 when she said she met Ken DeKleine and began a relationship that lasted until his arrest for allegedly killing his wife.
VanderWal testified today at Ken DeKleine's murder trial, describing how she met DeKleine in July 2006 and began a sexual relationship that fall, before her December 2006 divorce. DeKleine still was living at the Calvin Street address with Lori DeKleine until she filed a personal protection order in January 2007.
They kept the relationship a secret, she said.
VanderWal testified DeKleine was fixated on doing something about suspicions his wife was having a relationship with her therapist and planned to report the man to a state board. She acknowledged DeKleine was upset and frustrated with the constant rescheduling of court dates for his divorce.
VanderWal said she never came to police after DeKleine's arrest this past January to tell about their relationship. They eventually contacted her.
"I know how police think. I was afraid of being accused of her murder," she said.
In other testimony, police testified they asked DeKleine the same day of his wife's death if he killed her. He denied any involvement.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 11, in an interview room at the Zeeland Police Department, Ottawa County sheriff's Detective Tom Knapp told DeKleine they had found clothes in the garage attic with apparent blood stains. During that interview, DeKleine claimed he left items in the attic while fixing a vent pipe in 2006 and had cut himself.
When Knapp directly accused DeKleine of being responsible for his wife's death, DeKleine replied: "I don't know how to respond to that, Tom."
Are Police Giving Other Officers Special Treatment?
UPDATE on Officer Donyell Sanchell
For the second time in recent weeks, a traffic stop raises the question, are police giving some people special treatment?
First, it was the Causeway incident involving Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price. Now Crescent City Connection Police say they will ask the Orleans Parish District Attorney if their handling of an incident involving a New Orleans Police officer was appropriate.
A spokesman says the Crescent City Connection Police will ask the Orleans District Attorney's Office to look at a squad car video and other evidence in the incident involving NOPD Officer Donyell Sanchell.
Spokesman Mark Lambert says the bridge police will ask the District Attorney’s Office if the charges against Sanchell are appropriate.
Criminologist Peter Scharf of Tulane University says the question's clear: Did officer Sanchell get special treatment? ****(Why of course he did!! All officers get this special treatment from their buddies!!!)****
“We have a culture where people think that they’re above the law and they’re entitled to some kind of deferential, special treatment,” Scharf said.
The incident took place Saturday evening.
According to the bridge police report, they gave chase with lights flashing when they see a black pickup doing up to 90 mph, weaving around traffic on the Crescent City Connection.
The truck driver speeds over the bridge, gets on I-10 east and doesn't pull over until he gets off at Basin Street.
The police report says the driver in the pickup, Officer Sanchell of the NOPD, was "irate" because he was late for work, then Sanchell drives off again -- his truck allegedly grazing the forearm of bridge police Officer Jeremy Wright.
When Sanchell finally stopped at First District police headquarters, an altercation takes place off camera, and Officer Wright says Sanchell slapped him.
“It seems incredible that a police officer would for whatever reason not respect the authority of another officer,” said John Penny of SUNO’s Criminal Justice Department.
What happened next raised even more questions. The bridge police gave Sanchell a summons for two counts of battery and traffic tickets for hit and run and careless operation.
“If that had happened to anyone else, what would have happened? Jail, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault,” said Scharf.
“This officer should have been arrested and been placed in jail until he made bond,” Penny said. People across the community are saying the same thing.
In one viewer's words, “If I would have sped away, refused to stop, left after stopping and slapped an officer, I should have been arrested and brought to lockup.”
Dr. Scharf says Officer Sanchell's behavior may be troubling, but the message the response by bridge police sends is even more disturbing. “It's devastating. It's that if you’re in the entitled group that you’re above the law.”
The NOPD has launched an administrative review and suspended Sanchell without pay.
Dr. John Penny says the NOPD should send a message that makes it clear to other officers behavior like Sanchell's won't tolerated.
“Given what we see and if any of this is proven true, I think the officer should no doubt be fired,” Penny said. “He's unfit to be a police officer.”
For the second time in recent weeks, a traffic stop raises the question, are police giving some people special treatment?
First, it was the Causeway incident involving Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price. Now Crescent City Connection Police say they will ask the Orleans Parish District Attorney if their handling of an incident involving a New Orleans Police officer was appropriate.
A spokesman says the Crescent City Connection Police will ask the Orleans District Attorney's Office to look at a squad car video and other evidence in the incident involving NOPD Officer Donyell Sanchell.
Spokesman Mark Lambert says the bridge police will ask the District Attorney’s Office if the charges against Sanchell are appropriate.
Criminologist Peter Scharf of Tulane University says the question's clear: Did officer Sanchell get special treatment? ****(Why of course he did!! All officers get this special treatment from their buddies!!!)****
“We have a culture where people think that they’re above the law and they’re entitled to some kind of deferential, special treatment,” Scharf said.
The incident took place Saturday evening.
According to the bridge police report, they gave chase with lights flashing when they see a black pickup doing up to 90 mph, weaving around traffic on the Crescent City Connection.
The truck driver speeds over the bridge, gets on I-10 east and doesn't pull over until he gets off at Basin Street.
The police report says the driver in the pickup, Officer Sanchell of the NOPD, was "irate" because he was late for work, then Sanchell drives off again -- his truck allegedly grazing the forearm of bridge police Officer Jeremy Wright.
When Sanchell finally stopped at First District police headquarters, an altercation takes place off camera, and Officer Wright says Sanchell slapped him.
“It seems incredible that a police officer would for whatever reason not respect the authority of another officer,” said John Penny of SUNO’s Criminal Justice Department.
What happened next raised even more questions. The bridge police gave Sanchell a summons for two counts of battery and traffic tickets for hit and run and careless operation.
“If that had happened to anyone else, what would have happened? Jail, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault,” said Scharf.
“This officer should have been arrested and been placed in jail until he made bond,” Penny said. People across the community are saying the same thing.
In one viewer's words, “If I would have sped away, refused to stop, left after stopping and slapped an officer, I should have been arrested and brought to lockup.”
Dr. Scharf says Officer Sanchell's behavior may be troubling, but the message the response by bridge police sends is even more disturbing. “It's devastating. It's that if you’re in the entitled group that you’re above the law.”
The NOPD has launched an administrative review and suspended Sanchell without pay.
Dr. John Penny says the NOPD should send a message that makes it clear to other officers behavior like Sanchell's won't tolerated.
“Given what we see and if any of this is proven true, I think the officer should no doubt be fired,” Penny said. “He's unfit to be a police officer.”
Police Officer Charged With Stalking
Officer Rob Vargas was arrested in Jackson County and charged with stalking.
Here is a statement from the Lansing Dept:
On July 1, 2008 the Jackson County Prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Lansing Police Officer Rob Vargas. On July 3, 2008 Officer Vargas was arraigned on charges of Felony Aggravated Stalking and Misdemeanor Malicious Use of Telecommunications.
Officer Vargas was hired on August 22, 1997 and was most recently assigned to the uniform patrol division. Officer Vargas was placed on paid administrative leave on May 23, 2007 due to a criminal investigation in Jackson County. Since that time Officer Vargas has applied for a duty disability pension. The Pension Board is currently reviewing his request.
Lansing Police Chief Mark Alley said today that the Lansing Police Department does not tolerate criminal misconduct by any of its members and that allegations of wrongdoing by any member of the agency are thoroughly investigated.
"We have and will continue to hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of integrity and professional conduct in law enforcement," Chief Alley said. "We will not compromise our core values and will assure that those values are applied to all our personnel on or off duty. The Lansing Police Department will maintain the integrity of our disciplinary process by following the policies, procedures and union contract, which details the disciplinary process."
Chief Alley noted that Officer Vargas's situation remains in the criminal justice system and therefore it would be inappropriate to discuss the details of his case.
Here is a statement from the Lansing Dept:
On July 1, 2008 the Jackson County Prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Lansing Police Officer Rob Vargas. On July 3, 2008 Officer Vargas was arraigned on charges of Felony Aggravated Stalking and Misdemeanor Malicious Use of Telecommunications.
Officer Vargas was hired on August 22, 1997 and was most recently assigned to the uniform patrol division. Officer Vargas was placed on paid administrative leave on May 23, 2007 due to a criminal investigation in Jackson County. Since that time Officer Vargas has applied for a duty disability pension. The Pension Board is currently reviewing his request.
Lansing Police Chief Mark Alley said today that the Lansing Police Department does not tolerate criminal misconduct by any of its members and that allegations of wrongdoing by any member of the agency are thoroughly investigated.
"We have and will continue to hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of integrity and professional conduct in law enforcement," Chief Alley said. "We will not compromise our core values and will assure that those values are applied to all our personnel on or off duty. The Lansing Police Department will maintain the integrity of our disciplinary process by following the policies, procedures and union contract, which details the disciplinary process."
Chief Alley noted that Officer Vargas's situation remains in the criminal justice system and therefore it would be inappropriate to discuss the details of his case.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Lawsuit Filed In Mount Juliet Officer Incident
Alleged Victim Seeks $1 Million In Damages
MOUNT JULIET, Tenn.
Video of a Mount Juliet police officer accused of choking a driver in April could cost the city quite a bit of cash after a lawsuit was filed on Monday.
A lawsuit filed in district court accuses the Mount Juliet Police Department of being negligent in hiring the officer and should be liable for his actions. The traffic stop in early April violated James Anders constitutional rights, according to his attorney.
Police video shows that for nearly two minutes, police officer William Cosby had his hands around Anders' neck until he passed out.
Cosby said he was doing the choke move to keep Anders from swallowing marijuana, but his attorney said an independent drug test found no drugs in Anders system and all charges against him have been dropped
"We have alleged Officer Cosby violated 42 USC 1983, what is commonly known as police brutality statute," said attorney Gary Vandever.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court on behalf of Anders, his attorney said the incident caused Anders physical pain and suffering extreme emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
"He has lost respect for the police. He's having nightmares about this," said Vandever.
The lawsuit said both Cosby and Officer James Crosslin should be held responsible personally along with the city of Mount Juliet Police Department.
They are asking for $1 million in punitive damages as punishment and $500,000 to compensate Anders.
The lawsuit alleges the police department is liable for failing to control and discipline the officers and was negligent in ever hiring Cosby because he had been accused of abuse when he worked as a police officer for the city of Lebanon.
"They had knowledge of his prior problems, and it's like the old adage every dog gets it's first bite free. Well, apparently he had several bites," said Vandever.
Cosby remains a police officer in Mount Juliet and received only a written reprimand. Because of this, the lawsuit said Mount Juliet police created an atmosphere of lawlessness and had a policy of inaction.
MOUNT JULIET, Tenn.
Video of a Mount Juliet police officer accused of choking a driver in April could cost the city quite a bit of cash after a lawsuit was filed on Monday.
A lawsuit filed in district court accuses the Mount Juliet Police Department of being negligent in hiring the officer and should be liable for his actions. The traffic stop in early April violated James Anders constitutional rights, according to his attorney.
Police video shows that for nearly two minutes, police officer William Cosby had his hands around Anders' neck until he passed out.
Cosby said he was doing the choke move to keep Anders from swallowing marijuana, but his attorney said an independent drug test found no drugs in Anders system and all charges against him have been dropped
"We have alleged Officer Cosby violated 42 USC 1983, what is commonly known as police brutality statute," said attorney Gary Vandever.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court on behalf of Anders, his attorney said the incident caused Anders physical pain and suffering extreme emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
"He has lost respect for the police. He's having nightmares about this," said Vandever.
The lawsuit said both Cosby and Officer James Crosslin should be held responsible personally along with the city of Mount Juliet Police Department.
They are asking for $1 million in punitive damages as punishment and $500,000 to compensate Anders.
The lawsuit alleges the police department is liable for failing to control and discipline the officers and was negligent in ever hiring Cosby because he had been accused of abuse when he worked as a police officer for the city of Lebanon.
"They had knowledge of his prior problems, and it's like the old adage every dog gets it's first bite free. Well, apparently he had several bites," said Vandever.
Cosby remains a police officer in Mount Juliet and received only a written reprimand. Because of this, the lawsuit said Mount Juliet police created an atmosphere of lawlessness and had a policy of inaction.
UPDATE: Officer Arrested for Murder
Grand Haven
Testimony in the trial of a Holland police officer accused of killing his wife began Tuesday afternoon with the first police officer to arrive at the murder scene.
Sgt. Jeff Belthouse is on the stand as the trial's first witness. He is testifying on what he saw at the murder scene when he arrived. The jury is also hearing the 911 call from the DeKleine home reporting the murder.
Ken DeKleine is accused of killing his wife, Lori DeKleine on January 10, 2008 at her home on Calvin Avenue in Holland. Police believe Ken DeKleine snuck into the house, hiding until his children left for school, then strangled his wife.
Lori DeKleine had a protection order against her estranged husband for almost a year before her death. Investigators say DeKleine tried to make Lori's death look like a suicide.
Ken DeKleine spent time in Iraq training police officers there about a year before his wife's murder. After his return, he said the hardest part of going to Iraq was being away from his family.
Waterbury officer fired, accused of warning friend
WATERBURY, Conn.
A Waterbury police officer accused of warning a friend about a drug investigation has been fired.
Twenty-nine-year-old Israel Lugo had been accused last month of illegally disclosing information about a state police drug investigation that netted 20 pounds of marijuana.
Lugo was arrested June 23 after police said he illegally used a police computer to check the license plate of a state police vehicle that was tailing the target of a drug investigation.
Police say that Lugo was lifelong friends with 29-year-old Shaun Ducham who was arrested June 20 after state police raided his home and seized guns, 20 pounds of marijuana and about $1,000 in cash.
Lugo was with the department for three years.
A Waterbury police officer accused of warning a friend about a drug investigation has been fired.
Twenty-nine-year-old Israel Lugo had been accused last month of illegally disclosing information about a state police drug investigation that netted 20 pounds of marijuana.
Lugo was arrested June 23 after police said he illegally used a police computer to check the license plate of a state police vehicle that was tailing the target of a drug investigation.
Police say that Lugo was lifelong friends with 29-year-old Shaun Ducham who was arrested June 20 after state police raided his home and seized guns, 20 pounds of marijuana and about $1,000 in cash.
Lugo was with the department for three years.
Officer Drives Drunk and Flips Truck
Chamblee police have arrested DeKalb County police officer Jose Vizcaino-Caro, 22, Sunday morning for driving drunk and crashing into another car has quit the force.
Officials said around 5:30 am, the officer’s truck crossed the center line on Clairmont Road, hit another car and flipped. Investigators said Officer Vizcaino-Caro tried to then run from the scene, but was quickly captured.
The victim in the other car was slightly injured.
Besides the DUI charge, Caro has also been charged with failure to stop and render aid. A judge released Caro after he posted a $2,000 bond.
Officials said around 5:30 am, the officer’s truck crossed the center line on Clairmont Road, hit another car and flipped. Investigators said Officer Vizcaino-Caro tried to then run from the scene, but was quickly captured.
The victim in the other car was slightly injured.
Besides the DUI charge, Caro has also been charged with failure to stop and render aid. A judge released Caro after he posted a $2,000 bond.
UPDATE: Officer Christopher Paciorkowski Arrested for Domestic Battery
ELKHART
An Elkhart police officer accused of domestic battery is being placed on administrative leave without pay.
Christopher Paciorkowski was arrested on June 25 for felony domestic battery after his fiancée told police he pushed her. Paciorkowski is also accused of interfering with reporting a crime.
The Elkhart Safety Board decided Tuesday morning to stop paying Paciorkowski until the case against him is resolved.
If convicted, Packorkowski would not be able to carry a firearm so he could not be a police officer. Paciorkowski is a five-year veteran of the department.
An Elkhart police officer accused of domestic battery is being placed on administrative leave without pay.
Christopher Paciorkowski was arrested on June 25 for felony domestic battery after his fiancée told police he pushed her. Paciorkowski is also accused of interfering with reporting a crime.
The Elkhart Safety Board decided Tuesday morning to stop paying Paciorkowski until the case against him is resolved.
If convicted, Packorkowski would not be able to carry a firearm so he could not be a police officer. Paciorkowski is a five-year veteran of the department.
UPDATE: Officer Accused of Gas Theft Has Been Fired
MINDEN
A suspended Minden police officer accused in May of felony theft was fired Monday night by the Minden City Council.
The vote was unanimous to fire Craigburke Bucknor, effective on the date of his May 2 suspension. Bucknor’s suspension has been without pay.
Bucknor, 30, was arrested by Minden police detectives after an investigation indicated he had accessed another officer’s gas card to charge $400 in fuel for personal use.
Bucknor confessed to detectives after being confronted. He had been employed with the department since 2005 and had no prior disciplinary problems.
In other police-related matters Monday, the City Council:
* Accepted the resignation of police officer David Bradshaw, effective Sunday. Bradshaw had been recommended for termination by the Personnel Committee.
* Confirmed the employment of Heath Humble as a Minden police officer, subject to his successfully passing all applicable tests.
* Reappointed firefighter Tom Guy Mandino and police officer Julie Harmon to the Minden Municipal Fire & Police Civil Service Board. Both will serve three-year terms.
A suspended Minden police officer accused in May of felony theft was fired Monday night by the Minden City Council.
The vote was unanimous to fire Craigburke Bucknor, effective on the date of his May 2 suspension. Bucknor’s suspension has been without pay.
Bucknor, 30, was arrested by Minden police detectives after an investigation indicated he had accessed another officer’s gas card to charge $400 in fuel for personal use.
Bucknor confessed to detectives after being confronted. He had been employed with the department since 2005 and had no prior disciplinary problems.
In other police-related matters Monday, the City Council:
* Accepted the resignation of police officer David Bradshaw, effective Sunday. Bradshaw had been recommended for termination by the Personnel Committee.
* Confirmed the employment of Heath Humble as a Minden police officer, subject to his successfully passing all applicable tests.
* Reappointed firefighter Tom Guy Mandino and police officer Julie Harmon to the Minden Municipal Fire & Police Civil Service Board. Both will serve three-year terms.
Officer Charged with Multiple Traffic Offenses
A New Orleans Police officer has been suspended without pay from the force after being charged with multiple traffic offenses, including hit and run.
The high speed chase was caught by the dashboard camera of a Crescent City Connection police cruiser.
It was almost 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, when two Crescent City police officers noticed a black pickup truck traveling east across the Crescent City Connection.
The officers reported that the truck was going in excess of 90 mph in a 50-mph-zone and switched lanes erratically.
The driver of the truck was identified as New Orleans police officer Donyell Sanchell, a four-year veteran of the department.
The police report states that despite having their lights and siren on the pickup truck didn’t pull over and continued east until taking the Vieux Carre exit and coming to a stop at the bottom of the exit.
The report states Officer Sanchell was irate and he said that was not going to stop because he was late for work, and, as the Crescent City officers were questioning Sanchell, he sped off hitting CCC Officer Jeremy Wright in the left forearm with his truck.
The officers began pursuit again and it ended a short distance later when the pickup truck pulled into First District headquarters on North Rampart Street.
The report states that Officer Sanchell got out of the truck and hit Officer Wright in the face with an open hand and went inside – that was not captured by the cruiser’s dashboard camera because of other vehicles in between.
Officer Sanchell was not arrested and was given a municipal summons for two counts of battery and traffic citations for hit and run and careless operation.
The high speed chase was caught by the dashboard camera of a Crescent City Connection police cruiser.
It was almost 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, when two Crescent City police officers noticed a black pickup truck traveling east across the Crescent City Connection.
The officers reported that the truck was going in excess of 90 mph in a 50-mph-zone and switched lanes erratically.
The driver of the truck was identified as New Orleans police officer Donyell Sanchell, a four-year veteran of the department.
The police report states that despite having their lights and siren on the pickup truck didn’t pull over and continued east until taking the Vieux Carre exit and coming to a stop at the bottom of the exit.
The report states Officer Sanchell was irate and he said that was not going to stop because he was late for work, and, as the Crescent City officers were questioning Sanchell, he sped off hitting CCC Officer Jeremy Wright in the left forearm with his truck.
The officers began pursuit again and it ended a short distance later when the pickup truck pulled into First District headquarters on North Rampart Street.
The report states that Officer Sanchell got out of the truck and hit Officer Wright in the face with an open hand and went inside – that was not captured by the cruiser’s dashboard camera because of other vehicles in between.
Officer Sanchell was not arrested and was given a municipal summons for two counts of battery and traffic citations for hit and run and careless operation.
Officer Daniel Venegas Charged With Beating His Wife
Merrillville police officer Daniel Venegas, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, is on administrative leave without pay after being charged with battering his wife.
The 25-year-old was expected to be released Monday afternoon from the Porter County Jail where he has been held since the Wednesday incident at his Portage home.
Venegas is charged with a felony count of strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery with injury, according to police.
Anyone convicted of domestic battery is prohibited by federal law from having a firearm -- so a battery conviction for Venegas could spell the end of his career in law enforcement.
The incident involved an argument over finances and his wife's use of Internet, said Portage police spokesman Sgt. Keith Hughes.
Police removed five weapons from the home and turned three over to the Merrillville police department, according to a report.
The Merrillville police department is conducting an internal investigation, according to Chief Joseph Petruch.
Venegas has been with the department since Feb. 27, 2007 and currently serves as a patrolman, Petruch said.
He has been on disability for several weeks as a result of a motorcycle injury, said defense attorney Larry Rogers.
Venegas was to be placed on pretrial supervision, which requires he receive counseling from the Veteran's Administration for post traumatic stress disorder and report to a probation officer, Rogers said.
Rogers believes PTSD is behind his client's actions. Venegas was wounded twice while in Iraq, Rogers said.
PTSD is brought on when an individual experiences a severe threat and then suffers a repeated fear as a result, said Sandy Carlson, vice president of clinical services at Porter-Starke Services.
The disorder can cause reoccurring bad dreams, loss of sleep and flashbacks of the initial threat, she said. It can also result in hyper vigilance, irritability and angry outbursts.
The goal of therapy is to desensitize the person to the trauma and the sooner the better, she said.
"To wait it out and hope it goes away is a huge mistake," Carlson said.
The 25-year-old was expected to be released Monday afternoon from the Porter County Jail where he has been held since the Wednesday incident at his Portage home.
Venegas is charged with a felony count of strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery with injury, according to police.
Anyone convicted of domestic battery is prohibited by federal law from having a firearm -- so a battery conviction for Venegas could spell the end of his career in law enforcement.
The incident involved an argument over finances and his wife's use of Internet, said Portage police spokesman Sgt. Keith Hughes.
Police removed five weapons from the home and turned three over to the Merrillville police department, according to a report.
The Merrillville police department is conducting an internal investigation, according to Chief Joseph Petruch.
Venegas has been with the department since Feb. 27, 2007 and currently serves as a patrolman, Petruch said.
He has been on disability for several weeks as a result of a motorcycle injury, said defense attorney Larry Rogers.
Venegas was to be placed on pretrial supervision, which requires he receive counseling from the Veteran's Administration for post traumatic stress disorder and report to a probation officer, Rogers said.
Rogers believes PTSD is behind his client's actions. Venegas was wounded twice while in Iraq, Rogers said.
PTSD is brought on when an individual experiences a severe threat and then suffers a repeated fear as a result, said Sandy Carlson, vice president of clinical services at Porter-Starke Services.
The disorder can cause reoccurring bad dreams, loss of sleep and flashbacks of the initial threat, she said. It can also result in hyper vigilance, irritability and angry outbursts.
The goal of therapy is to desensitize the person to the trauma and the sooner the better, she said.
"To wait it out and hope it goes away is a huge mistake," Carlson said.
Officer Arrested in Sex Sting
Pennsylvania police officer posed as 14-year-old girl in Internet fetish room.
"Chancemaycome" and "Jess" met during an online chat on Yahoo Messenger last year.
Chancemaycome claimed to be a 56-year-old man from Canada. Jess said she was a teenage girl, but was actually an undercover police officer in Pennsylvania.
Their conversations became sexual. The man masturbated and said what he'd like to do to the teen. He sent photographs of children having sex. They eventually agreed to meet up.
Now, a 57-year-old former Ottawa police officer is accused of driving more than nine hours to the U.S. to have sex with a minor.
Paul Maher, who was an officer with the former City of Ottawa police force between 1974 and 1988, is accused of knowingly travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and distributing child pornography, according to an affidavit for a criminal complaint filed in a U.S. District Court.
Mr. Maher was arrested in New York state at the end of last month. He has allegedly made several admissions, a document filed in court shows.
Based on information from U.S. officials, Ottawa police executed a search warrant at a home in Richmond last week and seized computer equipment and two firearms.
Yesterday, they issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Maher on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, child luring and seven firearms offences including unsafe storage and possession of prohibited weapons.
Ottawa police are awaiting the outcome of Mr. Maher's U.S. proceedings before determining whether an extradition order will be necessary to have him answer to their charges.
A document filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania states that on Oct. 14, 2007, a police officer from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, posed as a 14-year-old girl in an online fetish room and chatted with a person identified as "chancemaycome."
When the pair exchanged photographs, the officer sent a photo of a girl.
Chat between them became sexual and took place over multiple days. The man could be seen masturbating on his webcam and transmitted images of his penis, the affidavit for a criminal complaint states.
As early as Oct. 17, the man raised the issue of travelling to Pennsylvania to meet and engage in sex with the undercover officer, explaining that it would take nine hours and 13 minutes to drive to the Pittsburgh area from his home, according to the affidavit.
In November, the man told the officer that he worked for the Canadian government, but that his passport was expired and needed to be renewed before he could travel to the U.S.
The man, who also used the name "Pablo Mendez," also allegedly sent the officer about 227 images and 37 videos, many of which depict children engaged in sexual conduct.
He said he had a desire to have the gift of the girl's virginity, the affidavit states.
The man and the undercover officer arranged to meet at a Mount Pleasant convenience store at about 10 a.m. on June 27.
After 8 a.m. that day, officers conducting surveillance saw a black Dodge SUV with Ontario licence plates in the area and recognized the man from the photos and images seen during the online chats.
The man failed to show up to the scheduled meeting, but later that morning confirmed during a telephone call to a "civilian decoy" who was helping with the investigation that he had travelled to Mount Pleasant to meet the girl, but became nervous and left the area after he saw two people talking on radios and a red pickup truck following him, the affidavit states.
The FBI sent out law enforcement bulletins and Mr. Maher was arrested in his vehicle in New York State.
He has made statements that he had a webcam in his vehicle that he had brought for "Jess" and admitted that he sent photographs of his penis, according to the affidavit.
He also "acknowledges that he could have sent child pornography and probably sent it," the document states. Mr. Maher admitted to travelling to Mount Pleasant but claimed he did not believe the undercover officer was 14 years old, the affidavit states.
Mr. Maher was in Binghamton, New York, yesterday, awaiting transfer to Pittsburgh, according to a spokeswoman from the U.S. Attorney's office in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
"Chancemaycome" and "Jess" met during an online chat on Yahoo Messenger last year.
Chancemaycome claimed to be a 56-year-old man from Canada. Jess said she was a teenage girl, but was actually an undercover police officer in Pennsylvania.
Their conversations became sexual. The man masturbated and said what he'd like to do to the teen. He sent photographs of children having sex. They eventually agreed to meet up.
Now, a 57-year-old former Ottawa police officer is accused of driving more than nine hours to the U.S. to have sex with a minor.
Paul Maher, who was an officer with the former City of Ottawa police force between 1974 and 1988, is accused of knowingly travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and distributing child pornography, according to an affidavit for a criminal complaint filed in a U.S. District Court.
Mr. Maher was arrested in New York state at the end of last month. He has allegedly made several admissions, a document filed in court shows.
Based on information from U.S. officials, Ottawa police executed a search warrant at a home in Richmond last week and seized computer equipment and two firearms.
Yesterday, they issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Maher on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, child luring and seven firearms offences including unsafe storage and possession of prohibited weapons.
Ottawa police are awaiting the outcome of Mr. Maher's U.S. proceedings before determining whether an extradition order will be necessary to have him answer to their charges.
A document filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania states that on Oct. 14, 2007, a police officer from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, posed as a 14-year-old girl in an online fetish room and chatted with a person identified as "chancemaycome."
When the pair exchanged photographs, the officer sent a photo of a girl.
Chat between them became sexual and took place over multiple days. The man could be seen masturbating on his webcam and transmitted images of his penis, the affidavit for a criminal complaint states.
As early as Oct. 17, the man raised the issue of travelling to Pennsylvania to meet and engage in sex with the undercover officer, explaining that it would take nine hours and 13 minutes to drive to the Pittsburgh area from his home, according to the affidavit.
In November, the man told the officer that he worked for the Canadian government, but that his passport was expired and needed to be renewed before he could travel to the U.S.
The man, who also used the name "Pablo Mendez," also allegedly sent the officer about 227 images and 37 videos, many of which depict children engaged in sexual conduct.
He said he had a desire to have the gift of the girl's virginity, the affidavit states.
The man and the undercover officer arranged to meet at a Mount Pleasant convenience store at about 10 a.m. on June 27.
After 8 a.m. that day, officers conducting surveillance saw a black Dodge SUV with Ontario licence plates in the area and recognized the man from the photos and images seen during the online chats.
The man failed to show up to the scheduled meeting, but later that morning confirmed during a telephone call to a "civilian decoy" who was helping with the investigation that he had travelled to Mount Pleasant to meet the girl, but became nervous and left the area after he saw two people talking on radios and a red pickup truck following him, the affidavit states.
The FBI sent out law enforcement bulletins and Mr. Maher was arrested in his vehicle in New York State.
He has made statements that he had a webcam in his vehicle that he had brought for "Jess" and admitted that he sent photographs of his penis, according to the affidavit.
He also "acknowledges that he could have sent child pornography and probably sent it," the document states. Mr. Maher admitted to travelling to Mount Pleasant but claimed he did not believe the undercover officer was 14 years old, the affidavit states.
Mr. Maher was in Binghamton, New York, yesterday, awaiting transfer to Pittsburgh, according to a spokeswoman from the U.S. Attorney's office in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Officer Xavier Herrera Arrested for Attempting to Purchase Cocaine
A man prosecutors identify as a Northwest Indiana police officer is facing federal drug charges.
The Drug Enforcement Agency arrested Officer Xavier Herrera and two other men in a Burger King parking lot. The 47-year old East Chicago police officer had been set-up in a sting operation. A paid government source offered to sell him cocaine for 19-thousand dollars a kilogram.
According to the criminal complaint, Herrera told arresting officers he was the deal's middle-man, and stood to make only $500. He's been detained since his arrest last week, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning.
The police chief and mayor of East Chicago did not return calls for comment
The Drug Enforcement Agency arrested Officer Xavier Herrera and two other men in a Burger King parking lot. The 47-year old East Chicago police officer had been set-up in a sting operation. A paid government source offered to sell him cocaine for 19-thousand dollars a kilogram.
According to the criminal complaint, Herrera told arresting officers he was the deal's middle-man, and stood to make only $500. He's been detained since his arrest last week, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning.
The police chief and mayor of East Chicago did not return calls for comment
No Mug Shot Taken of Officer Christopher Vesey Arrested for Drunk Driving
Waukee police officers forgot to take a mug shot of an off-duty undercover police officer arrested last week, officials said Monday.
Officer Christopher Vesey, a Waukee resident and member of the West Des Moines narcotics task force, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated at 2:20 a.m. July 2. Waukee police took his fingerprints and impounded his car.
Waukee Police Chief L.J. Phillips said that it is department policy to take a booking photo but that each of the two officers involved in Vesey's booking thought the other had taken one. It's not the first time it has happened, Phillips said: "It was not done deliberately."
Ben Stone, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the incident should be investigated. "Circumstances would certainly raise strong suspicions that there was favorable treatment," he said.
West Des Moines police have so far refused to release a photo of Vesey, 33, who joined the department in 1999. Authorities said because of his undercover work, releasing a photo of Vesey could jeopardize cases he has pending.
Waukee police found Vesey after another motorist spotted his car being driven in an irregular manner. Officers found Vesey in his car, stopped near the intersection of Hickman Road and North 10th Street. Vesey refused to take a breath analysis test.
Iowa law suspends the licenses of drivers who refuse to take a breath test.
Vesey is on paid administrative leave from the West Des Moines Police Department. The department said it will conduct an investigation to determine whether he violated department policy and whether any action will be taken on his employment.
Officer Christopher Vesey, a Waukee resident and member of the West Des Moines narcotics task force, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated at 2:20 a.m. July 2. Waukee police took his fingerprints and impounded his car.
Waukee Police Chief L.J. Phillips said that it is department policy to take a booking photo but that each of the two officers involved in Vesey's booking thought the other had taken one. It's not the first time it has happened, Phillips said: "It was not done deliberately."
Ben Stone, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the incident should be investigated. "Circumstances would certainly raise strong suspicions that there was favorable treatment," he said.
West Des Moines police have so far refused to release a photo of Vesey, 33, who joined the department in 1999. Authorities said because of his undercover work, releasing a photo of Vesey could jeopardize cases he has pending.
Waukee police found Vesey after another motorist spotted his car being driven in an irregular manner. Officers found Vesey in his car, stopped near the intersection of Hickman Road and North 10th Street. Vesey refused to take a breath analysis test.
Iowa law suspends the licenses of drivers who refuse to take a breath test.
Vesey is on paid administrative leave from the West Des Moines Police Department. The department said it will conduct an investigation to determine whether he violated department policy and whether any action will be taken on his employment.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Several Officers Arrested on Drug Charges
TORONTO
Two Toronto police officers and three correctional officers were among 20 people arrested in a sweep of area houses used to grow marijuana, police said.
Early Thursday, police executed 63 search warrants in the York region, north of the city and Peel region to the west, the Toronto Sun reported.
Professional Standards Superintendent Jim Ramer told reporters police seized three homes, five vehicles, $60,000 in cash, 16 pounds of marijuana, drug-making equipment and small amounts of ecstasy and steroids.
Police allege the group arrested used a real estate agent to buy and sell properties they converted to hydroponic marijuana farms known in Canada as "grow-ops," the Toronto Star said.
Police Chief Bill Blair was obviously upset about the two officers' arrests, saying at a news conference it was "more than merely a betrayal of their oath of office," but a slap in the face to every honest officer.
Asked about the officers' employment, Blair was terse, the Star said.
"They'll get full salary until we can deal with employment status," the chief said.
Two Toronto police officers and three correctional officers were among 20 people arrested in a sweep of area houses used to grow marijuana, police said.
Early Thursday, police executed 63 search warrants in the York region, north of the city and Peel region to the west, the Toronto Sun reported.
Professional Standards Superintendent Jim Ramer told reporters police seized three homes, five vehicles, $60,000 in cash, 16 pounds of marijuana, drug-making equipment and small amounts of ecstasy and steroids.
Police allege the group arrested used a real estate agent to buy and sell properties they converted to hydroponic marijuana farms known in Canada as "grow-ops," the Toronto Star said.
Police Chief Bill Blair was obviously upset about the two officers' arrests, saying at a news conference it was "more than merely a betrayal of their oath of office," but a slap in the face to every honest officer.
Asked about the officers' employment, Blair was terse, the Star said.
"They'll get full salary until we can deal with employment status," the chief said.
Former Fremont Officer Nick Maureer Charged with Assault
SAN FRANCISCO
A 26-year-old former Fremont police officer Nick Maurer, is expected to be arraigned today on seven misdemeanor counts stemming from an assault on a Richmond firefighter last month after a country music concert at AT&T Park.
Nick Maurer, who at the time of the June 8 incident was employed by the Fremont Police Department, was cited by BART police and released from custody after a fight with a 41-year-old firefighter at the Embarcadero BART station.
Maurer, who is out of custody, is expected to be arraigned on three counts of assault with force possibly causing great bodily injury, three counts of battery on a transportation passenger and a single count of public intoxication.
Prosecutors announced the charges Friday afternoon, nearly a month after the incident happened. Fremont authorities wouldn't comment on the case Friday, stating only that Maurer is no longer employed by the city.
"It's a personnel matter, and we cannot comment," said Fremont police Detective Bill Veteran. All he would say is that "(Maurer) is separated from service with the department."
The facts of the case have not been fully disclosed by police or prosecutors, but the incident apparently started on a MUNI train that took concertgoers from AT&T Park to the Embarcadero BART station.
According to BART Police Chief Gary Gee — who spoke briefly with The Argus about the case a few days after it happened but has since refused comment — the firefighter's wife warned Maurer's friend, Vince Bedolla, also a Fremont police officer attending the Kenny Chesney concert, about Maurer leaning against the door of the train.
At some point, someone hit Bedolla in the face, which apparently sparked a skirmish minutes later at the BART station, Gee said.
The altercation did not take place on the platform near any moving trains, the chief said.
No one was seriously hurt, although one published report indicated that Bedolla may have suffered a broken nose, and the firefighter suffered cuts and bruises to his face.
Maurer was placed under citizen's arrest at the station, but later was released with a citation to appear in court.
San Francisco prosecutors received the case from investigators about a week after the incident and said they had 30 days to make a decision about charges. Their intention to charge Maurer was not publicized until Friday afternoon.
Bedolla was questioned after the incident but not arrested. It remained unclear Thursday if he was still employed by the city of Fremont. Veteran said he could not comment on Bedolla's status. However, his name is no longer listed on the department's roster of employees.
A 26-year-old former Fremont police officer Nick Maurer, is expected to be arraigned today on seven misdemeanor counts stemming from an assault on a Richmond firefighter last month after a country music concert at AT&T Park.
Nick Maurer, who at the time of the June 8 incident was employed by the Fremont Police Department, was cited by BART police and released from custody after a fight with a 41-year-old firefighter at the Embarcadero BART station.
Maurer, who is out of custody, is expected to be arraigned on three counts of assault with force possibly causing great bodily injury, three counts of battery on a transportation passenger and a single count of public intoxication.
Prosecutors announced the charges Friday afternoon, nearly a month after the incident happened. Fremont authorities wouldn't comment on the case Friday, stating only that Maurer is no longer employed by the city.
"It's a personnel matter, and we cannot comment," said Fremont police Detective Bill Veteran. All he would say is that "(Maurer) is separated from service with the department."
The facts of the case have not been fully disclosed by police or prosecutors, but the incident apparently started on a MUNI train that took concertgoers from AT&T Park to the Embarcadero BART station.
According to BART Police Chief Gary Gee — who spoke briefly with The Argus about the case a few days after it happened but has since refused comment — the firefighter's wife warned Maurer's friend, Vince Bedolla, also a Fremont police officer attending the Kenny Chesney concert, about Maurer leaning against the door of the train.
At some point, someone hit Bedolla in the face, which apparently sparked a skirmish minutes later at the BART station, Gee said.
The altercation did not take place on the platform near any moving trains, the chief said.
No one was seriously hurt, although one published report indicated that Bedolla may have suffered a broken nose, and the firefighter suffered cuts and bruises to his face.
Maurer was placed under citizen's arrest at the station, but later was released with a citation to appear in court.
San Francisco prosecutors received the case from investigators about a week after the incident and said they had 30 days to make a decision about charges. Their intention to charge Maurer was not publicized until Friday afternoon.
Bedolla was questioned after the incident but not arrested. It remained unclear Thursday if he was still employed by the city of Fremont. Veteran said he could not comment on Bedolla's status. However, his name is no longer listed on the department's roster of employees.
Multiple Complaints Received Against Lieutenant Arnson
AZ
Buckeye Police Lieutenant Derek Arnson, favored by some Town Council members as the next police chief is on paid leave after the town received "multiple complaints" against him, documents show.
Lt. Arnson was notified June 5 of a formal investigation into complaints of intimidation and inappropriate comments.
The notice of investigation indicates the probe is exploring "multiple complaints of ongoing intimidation of employees coupled with threats of job loss; intimidation regarding hiring practices; inappropriate comments regarding an employee's sexual orientation, and inappropriate comments regarding employee employment status."
The document is a preliminary form to notify employees of an investigation. Details of the allegations were unavailable.
Arnson's attorney, Edmundo Robaina, said he was unable to comment because Arnson is prohibited from discussing the investigation.
Former mayoral candidate Michael Todd said Buckeye Vice Mayor Elaine May and Councilman David Hardesty advocated for Arnson to be picked as chief during talks around the time of the town's March 11 council primary.
May ran as an unopposed incumbent. Hardesty was not up for re-election.
"Arnson had two council members lobbying for him, telling me, 'We want this guy,' " Todd said, referring to May and Hardesty.
Arnson's promotion to commander "was a push by two council members to make Arnson chief," Todd added.
Arnson rose to the rank of sergeant during his 16-year tenure with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He served last year as operational supervisor for DPS' Gang and Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission, the state gang task force, which received a 2007 Director's Unit Citation.
Arnson joined Buckeye as a lieutenant in December under then-Police Chief Dan Saban and briefly served as an acting commander under Assistant Town Manager Scott Rounds. Rounds later reassigned Arnson to lieutenant when he named Mark Mann interim chief.
Arnson has confirmed he applied for chief after Saban decided to retire to run for Maricopa County sheriff. A list of four finalists released last week did not include him or any other internal candidates.
"You don't go that low and pull people up and then bump them back down," Todd said. "It's part of a good ol' boy deal. I can't believe we would have council members so blind to say, 'This is the guy we need,' without ever seeing what's out there. I was a little troubled by that."
Because he was the subject of an active inquiry, May said she would decline to talk about claims that she favored Arnson. Buckeye Human Resources Director Nancy Love expects Arnson's investigation to be completed this week.
Todd lost his mayoral bid to Jackie Meck by 49 votes in the May 20 general election and remains closely involved in town politics.
Buckeye Police Lieutenant Derek Arnson, favored by some Town Council members as the next police chief is on paid leave after the town received "multiple complaints" against him, documents show.
Lt. Arnson was notified June 5 of a formal investigation into complaints of intimidation and inappropriate comments.
The notice of investigation indicates the probe is exploring "multiple complaints of ongoing intimidation of employees coupled with threats of job loss; intimidation regarding hiring practices; inappropriate comments regarding an employee's sexual orientation, and inappropriate comments regarding employee employment status."
The document is a preliminary form to notify employees of an investigation. Details of the allegations were unavailable.
Arnson's attorney, Edmundo Robaina, said he was unable to comment because Arnson is prohibited from discussing the investigation.
Former mayoral candidate Michael Todd said Buckeye Vice Mayor Elaine May and Councilman David Hardesty advocated for Arnson to be picked as chief during talks around the time of the town's March 11 council primary.
May ran as an unopposed incumbent. Hardesty was not up for re-election.
"Arnson had two council members lobbying for him, telling me, 'We want this guy,' " Todd said, referring to May and Hardesty.
Arnson's promotion to commander "was a push by two council members to make Arnson chief," Todd added.
Arnson rose to the rank of sergeant during his 16-year tenure with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He served last year as operational supervisor for DPS' Gang and Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission, the state gang task force, which received a 2007 Director's Unit Citation.
Arnson joined Buckeye as a lieutenant in December under then-Police Chief Dan Saban and briefly served as an acting commander under Assistant Town Manager Scott Rounds. Rounds later reassigned Arnson to lieutenant when he named Mark Mann interim chief.
Arnson has confirmed he applied for chief after Saban decided to retire to run for Maricopa County sheriff. A list of four finalists released last week did not include him or any other internal candidates.
"You don't go that low and pull people up and then bump them back down," Todd said. "It's part of a good ol' boy deal. I can't believe we would have council members so blind to say, 'This is the guy we need,' without ever seeing what's out there. I was a little troubled by that."
Because he was the subject of an active inquiry, May said she would decline to talk about claims that she favored Arnson. Buckeye Human Resources Director Nancy Love expects Arnson's investigation to be completed this week.
Todd lost his mayoral bid to Jackie Meck by 49 votes in the May 20 general election and remains closely involved in town politics.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Officer Charged in Security Guard Shooting
MARIETTA, GA
After seven years on the force, Atlanta police officer John Freeman is being charged with murder.
Investigators say he shot and killed an unarmed security guard at the apartment complex where Freeman lives with his wife and two children. It happened at 4:28am Saturday at the Ivy Ridge Apartments on Bentley Road.
Cobb County police say 37-year-old Xavier Mallet of Marietta, Georgia, who provides security at the apartments, was banging on Freeman's front door. Freeman's wife answered the door and Mallet reportedly forced his way in. Authorities will not elaborate on what happened inside the home, but say Freeman's wife ran from the home followed by Mallet and Freeman. There was some sort of physical altercation and investigators say Freeman went back into his apartment, got his gun and shot and killed Mallet as he was leaving.
Freeman made his first court appearance Saturday night, but had his attorney, Bruce Harvey, represent him in front of the judge. Two of Freeman's fellow officers watched the appearance and afterward Harvey insisted that once all the facts the charges should be dropped against his client.
"You know Georgia has a 'stand your ground law' meaning that you can defend not just yourself, but your wife, your children, or even your property," said Harvey.
Harvey says Freeman has been placed on paid administrative leave and the Atlanta Police Department says it is cooperating fully with Cobb County investigators and, at the same time, is conducting it's own internal investigation.
Former Officer Jake Shirley Charged with Murder
LOVINGTON, N.M.
A former Lovington police officer has been charged with an open count of murder in the shooting death of his father.
State police say 23-year-old Jake Shirley is being held at the Lea County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash only bond.
State police say Lovington officers responded to the home of 48-year-old Jimmy Shirley last night after getting multiple 911 calls regarding a domestic violence incident.
Police found the elder Shirley with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Lea County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators say Jake Shirley allegedly shot his father after the elder Shirley struck his wife, Brenda, in the face. The couple had been arguing earlier at their son's home.
A former Lovington police officer has been charged with an open count of murder in the shooting death of his father.
State police say 23-year-old Jake Shirley is being held at the Lea County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash only bond.
State police say Lovington officers responded to the home of 48-year-old Jimmy Shirley last night after getting multiple 911 calls regarding a domestic violence incident.
Police found the elder Shirley with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Lea County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators say Jake Shirley allegedly shot his father after the elder Shirley struck his wife, Brenda, in the face. The couple had been arguing earlier at their son's home.
Officer Jason Sandilands Charged with Theft
Canada
On the heels of the shocking news that Toronto Police had discovered two allegedly dirty cops in their ranks, Peel police admit one of their officers is also facing charges on an un related matter.
The officer was actually arrested May 16 following an investigation by their Internal Affairs Bureau, but Peel police only announced the arrest yesterday.
Const. Jason Sandilands, who has been on the force for four years, is charged with theft under $5,000 and breach of trust, Acting Staff-Sgt. Taufic Saliba said.
SUSPENDED WITH PAY
He said the charges stem from the accused's involvement in an investigation that took place while he was assigned to the Tactical and Rescue Unit.
"The property involved ... was money," Saliba said, refusing to elaborate.
Like Toronto Consts. Patrick Lee and Kevin Bourne, who are accused of operating dozens of mari juana grow-ops, Sandilands has been suspended with pay.
He is to appear in a Brampton court on July 9.
Sandilands was in the news in 2005 when he was the first officer to arrive at the scene of a stabbing and ended up in an altercation with two Mississauga men -- one of whom is in a wheelchair -- who were helping the stabbed man.
'ABHORRENT'
Stephen Miller, 20, and his pal Garrett Mannings, 24, who is paralyzed from the waist down, ended up charged with causing a disturbance. Both were found not guilty in 2006.
At their trial, Miller claimed he pleaded unsuccessfully with Sandilands to help him as he tried to stop his friend's bleeding.
Lawyer Jason Bogle, who defended the pair, said something should have alerted Peel police a long time ago. "They were asking him to assist a dying man and officer Sandilands would not," Bogle alleged. "That was abhorrent."
On the heels of the shocking news that Toronto Police had discovered two allegedly dirty cops in their ranks, Peel police admit one of their officers is also facing charges on an un related matter.
The officer was actually arrested May 16 following an investigation by their Internal Affairs Bureau, but Peel police only announced the arrest yesterday.
Const. Jason Sandilands, who has been on the force for four years, is charged with theft under $5,000 and breach of trust, Acting Staff-Sgt. Taufic Saliba said.
SUSPENDED WITH PAY
He said the charges stem from the accused's involvement in an investigation that took place while he was assigned to the Tactical and Rescue Unit.
"The property involved ... was money," Saliba said, refusing to elaborate.
Like Toronto Consts. Patrick Lee and Kevin Bourne, who are accused of operating dozens of mari juana grow-ops, Sandilands has been suspended with pay.
He is to appear in a Brampton court on July 9.
Sandilands was in the news in 2005 when he was the first officer to arrive at the scene of a stabbing and ended up in an altercation with two Mississauga men -- one of whom is in a wheelchair -- who were helping the stabbed man.
'ABHORRENT'
Stephen Miller, 20, and his pal Garrett Mannings, 24, who is paralyzed from the waist down, ended up charged with causing a disturbance. Both were found not guilty in 2006.
At their trial, Miller claimed he pleaded unsuccessfully with Sandilands to help him as he tried to stop his friend's bleeding.
Lawyer Jason Bogle, who defended the pair, said something should have alerted Peel police a long time ago. "They were asking him to assist a dying man and officer Sandilands would not," Bogle alleged. "That was abhorrent."
Demotion Recommended for Officer Chuck Johnson
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
An officer accused of making a questionable arrest during Speed Street in May has been recommended for demotion.
Major Chuck Johnson, a 26-year veteran, is being investigated for alleged misconduct.
On Thursday Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Rodney Monroe has recommended that Johnson be demoted to captain and receive a 30-day suspension.
The matter must now go before the Civil Service Board.
An officer accused of making a questionable arrest during Speed Street in May has been recommended for demotion.
Major Chuck Johnson, a 26-year veteran, is being investigated for alleged misconduct.
On Thursday Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Rodney Monroe has recommended that Johnson be demoted to captain and receive a 30-day suspension.
The matter must now go before the Civil Service Board.
Officer Fernando Trinidad Pushes Woman Down Stairs
ORLANDO, Fla.
An Orlando police officer seen on video apparently pushing a woman down some stairs for no apparent reason could face criminal charges, Chief Val Demings said.
Jessica Asprilla, 27, was seen on video apparently being pushed down some steps by Officer Fernando Trinidad, who was working off duty at the now-defunct Club Paris in downtown Orlando.
The incident resulted in a battery charge against the woman. However, when prosecutors saw the tape, they immediately dropped the charges.
Asprilla filed a complaint after the incident that led to an Orlando police investigation of Trinidad.
Now, the department has found enough evidence of possible criminal behavior to forward it to the state attorney's office for review.
"When one is accused of doing something that is totally outside of our rules and regulations then we have to deal with it," Demings said. "We've relieved Officer (Fernando) Trinidad of duty, which means we suspended his police powers."
While the state attorney's office decides if it will move forward with criminal charges against Trinidad, he will take on administrative duties.
"He's still getting to work and getting paid for it," Aspirlla said. "So, really there hasn't been a change as far as I'm concerned."
Demings did not speculate about Trinidad's future with the department.
"We will just have to deal with that once the state attorney has an opportunity to review the case," Demings said.
It is not known how long the state attorney's office will review the case.
An Orlando police officer seen on video apparently pushing a woman down some stairs for no apparent reason could face criminal charges, Chief Val Demings said.
Jessica Asprilla, 27, was seen on video apparently being pushed down some steps by Officer Fernando Trinidad, who was working off duty at the now-defunct Club Paris in downtown Orlando.
The incident resulted in a battery charge against the woman. However, when prosecutors saw the tape, they immediately dropped the charges.
Asprilla filed a complaint after the incident that led to an Orlando police investigation of Trinidad.
Now, the department has found enough evidence of possible criminal behavior to forward it to the state attorney's office for review.
"When one is accused of doing something that is totally outside of our rules and regulations then we have to deal with it," Demings said. "We've relieved Officer (Fernando) Trinidad of duty, which means we suspended his police powers."
While the state attorney's office decides if it will move forward with criminal charges against Trinidad, he will take on administrative duties.
"He's still getting to work and getting paid for it," Aspirlla said. "So, really there hasn't been a change as far as I'm concerned."
Demings did not speculate about Trinidad's future with the department.
"We will just have to deal with that once the state attorney has an opportunity to review the case," Demings said.
It is not known how long the state attorney's office will review the case.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Was Drunk Officer given Favorable Treatment?
More than three months after San Jose police failed to test a former cop for intoxication or cite her after a serious multi-car accident, the state Attorney General has charged Sandra Woodall with felony drunken driving.
Woodall, 39, now an investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office, is expected in court July 10.
The charge begs a larger and so far unanswered question: Did police officers at the scene of the March 25 nighttime accident intentionally do an incomplete job while trying to protect Woodall from criminal charges?
Soon after realizing one of their own was involved, both police and the district attorney's office agreed to ask the state prosecutor to look into the case, realizing there was a potential conflict of interest.
And there were private worries by officials about whether Woodall was given favorable treatment by fellow cops.
Woodall's husband, Jason, is a sergeant at the department; her father-in-law is Jack Woodall, a former lieutenant at the police department and also a district attorney's investigator.
Officers did not conduct either a field sobriety test or take Woodall's blood, although they had a statement from a witness who claimed to have overheard Woodall talking about drinking. In car crashes, it is common practice to ask for a blood sample if there is probable cause that the driver may be intoxicated.
When asked if state investigators had determined if there was any misconduct on the part of the police, Attorney General spokesman Abraham Arredondo said that he did not know and was not sure it was an issue that was investigated.
"We were asked by the DA's office to look at the DUI because this woman is an employee of the DAs' office and a former police officer," Arredondo said. "When they had that conflict they sent it to us."
"So our people looked at it, reviewed the police report and we decided to file felony DUI charges, there is nothing else that I know of."
A copy of the charges were unavailable today.
Police Sgt. Michael Sullivan said from the moment command staff learned of the case through a citizen complaint they have been "extremely concerned" that the incident may not have been handled properly.
"This why the police department immediately reached out the District Attorney's office and the Attorney General," said Sullivan.
Police confirmed they were investigating what happened that night to determine if the officers acted inappropriately.
Nick Muyo, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, declined comment, other than to say that Woodall has has been put on administrative leave.
On March 25, Woodall was driving a black 2006 Cadillac Escalade eastbound on Branham Lane, police said, when she rear-ended a 1987 Ford Escort driving in the same direction.
The Escalade drove over the median and hit an oncoming 1995 Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta hit a parked car and the Escalade ended up partially on the sidewalk. All three drivers - including Woodall - complained of minor injuries and were eventually taken to a local hospital, police said.
The case might simply have disappeared had not an outraged victim called top police officials to complain that nothing was being done.
The officials then reviewed the case and recognized the name of the former officer.
They called the DA's office, which - fearing a conflict of interest - forwarded the matter to the state attorney general's office.
If the officers are found to have botched their response to the crash or to have attempted to cover up the Woodall's potential culpability, they could face discipline ranging from extra training to termination.
The officers who responded to the crash, who have not been identified publicly, remain on active duty.
Woodall, 39, now an investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office, is expected in court July 10.
The charge begs a larger and so far unanswered question: Did police officers at the scene of the March 25 nighttime accident intentionally do an incomplete job while trying to protect Woodall from criminal charges?
Soon after realizing one of their own was involved, both police and the district attorney's office agreed to ask the state prosecutor to look into the case, realizing there was a potential conflict of interest.
And there were private worries by officials about whether Woodall was given favorable treatment by fellow cops.
Woodall's husband, Jason, is a sergeant at the department; her father-in-law is Jack Woodall, a former lieutenant at the police department and also a district attorney's investigator.
Officers did not conduct either a field sobriety test or take Woodall's blood, although they had a statement from a witness who claimed to have overheard Woodall talking about drinking. In car crashes, it is common practice to ask for a blood sample if there is probable cause that the driver may be intoxicated.
When asked if state investigators had determined if there was any misconduct on the part of the police, Attorney General spokesman Abraham Arredondo said that he did not know and was not sure it was an issue that was investigated.
"We were asked by the DA's office to look at the DUI because this woman is an employee of the DAs' office and a former police officer," Arredondo said. "When they had that conflict they sent it to us."
"So our people looked at it, reviewed the police report and we decided to file felony DUI charges, there is nothing else that I know of."
A copy of the charges were unavailable today.
Police Sgt. Michael Sullivan said from the moment command staff learned of the case through a citizen complaint they have been "extremely concerned" that the incident may not have been handled properly.
"This why the police department immediately reached out the District Attorney's office and the Attorney General," said Sullivan.
Police confirmed they were investigating what happened that night to determine if the officers acted inappropriately.
Nick Muyo, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, declined comment, other than to say that Woodall has has been put on administrative leave.
On March 25, Woodall was driving a black 2006 Cadillac Escalade eastbound on Branham Lane, police said, when she rear-ended a 1987 Ford Escort driving in the same direction.
The Escalade drove over the median and hit an oncoming 1995 Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta hit a parked car and the Escalade ended up partially on the sidewalk. All three drivers - including Woodall - complained of minor injuries and were eventually taken to a local hospital, police said.
The case might simply have disappeared had not an outraged victim called top police officials to complain that nothing was being done.
The officials then reviewed the case and recognized the name of the former officer.
They called the DA's office, which - fearing a conflict of interest - forwarded the matter to the state attorney general's office.
If the officers are found to have botched their response to the crash or to have attempted to cover up the Woodall's potential culpability, they could face discipline ranging from extra training to termination.
The officers who responded to the crash, who have not been identified publicly, remain on active duty.
UPDATE: More Details about Officer accused of Sexual Battery
A woman has claimed that a former Gainesville Police officer coerced and intimidated her into having sex with him.
Gainesville Police received the complaint on May 7, and John Robert Bostick, 34, resigned May 9 from the department at the start of the internal investigation.
The woman wrote in a “victim statement” that Bostick was making her have sex with him to keep him from “messing with” her family and allowing her to drive with an invalid driver’s license, according to the police supplement report.
The woman said that Bostick had called her multiple times, though she did not answer the phone.
The woman told police that she met Bostick at a downtown nightclub where she works.
While on patrol, he complimented her on her looks and asked for her personal information, the report stated.
Bostick also shared confidential police information with the woman regarding her father’s arrest.
In a separate incident, Bostick told the woman that her friend shouldn’t worry about his charges because Bostick forgot to write the citation, according to the report.
The alleged sexual battery occurred outside of Gainesville Police jurisdiction, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Spencer Mann, State Attorney’s Office spokesman, said the attorney’s office is still deciding whether Bostick could be prosecuted for a sexual battery charge.
Gainesville Police received the complaint on May 7, and John Robert Bostick, 34, resigned May 9 from the department at the start of the internal investigation.
The woman wrote in a “victim statement” that Bostick was making her have sex with him to keep him from “messing with” her family and allowing her to drive with an invalid driver’s license, according to the police supplement report.
The woman said that Bostick had called her multiple times, though she did not answer the phone.
The woman told police that she met Bostick at a downtown nightclub where she works.
While on patrol, he complimented her on her looks and asked for her personal information, the report stated.
Bostick also shared confidential police information with the woman regarding her father’s arrest.
In a separate incident, Bostick told the woman that her friend shouldn’t worry about his charges because Bostick forgot to write the citation, according to the report.
The alleged sexual battery occurred outside of Gainesville Police jurisdiction, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Spencer Mann, State Attorney’s Office spokesman, said the attorney’s office is still deciding whether Bostick could be prosecuted for a sexual battery charge.
UPDATE: Detective Jason Barber Free on Bond
INDIANAPOLIS
An Indianapolis narcotics detective facing charges of selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct was released on bond today.
Detective Jason Barber was released after a Marion Superior Court judge reduced his bond from $100,000 to $5,000.
Barber is accused of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted burglar during a police sting. He is the fourth Indianapolis police officer arrested in two weeks and the third narcotics detective. He has been suspended without pay.
Barber's attorney, Terrance Kinnard, says Barber denies the charges.
As a condition of his release, Judge William Young required Barber to report weekly, surrender his passport and be subject to random drug tests while awaiting his trial in September.
An Indianapolis narcotics detective facing charges of selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct was released on bond today.
Detective Jason Barber was released after a Marion Superior Court judge reduced his bond from $100,000 to $5,000.
Barber is accused of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted burglar during a police sting. He is the fourth Indianapolis police officer arrested in two weeks and the third narcotics detective. He has been suspended without pay.
Barber's attorney, Terrance Kinnard, says Barber denies the charges.
As a condition of his release, Judge William Young required Barber to report weekly, surrender his passport and be subject to random drug tests while awaiting his trial in September.
D.C. Officer Arrested for Assault, Abduction, and Rape
A Metropolitan Police Department officer is in jail facing charges of attempted rape, assault and abduction after police said they caught him going after his former girlfriend.
Officer Kelvin Barksdale, a tremendously popular patrol officer on Capitol Hill, is held without bond in the Prince William County jail. Many people expressed shock at the news of his arrest, while others who witnesses the attack, including a Virginia police officer who helped stop it, said it could have been worse.
"I had pulled up at that intersection, Williamstown Drive and Old Triangle and heard all the commotion, all the screaming and yelling." A woman was fighting for her life when Dumfries police detective Mark McCoy jumped out to help. He saw a man, allegedly Barksdale, who is accused of trying to abduct his former girlfriend at gunpoint, possibly using his service weapon.
"Take her to the wooded area over here where he made the threats to kill her and her family, her children." Neighbors credited detective McCoy and others for interrupting the attack and perhaps saving the woman's life. She reportedly had ended a personal relationship with Barksdale a few days earlier.
"I mean, come on. He is a police officer. He should know better than that.," neighbor Dorothy Dye said.
44-year-old Barksdale is a much decorated, veteran officer based out of the First District Police Station. He's well-known and well-liked as a beat cop in Capitol Hill neighborhoods. It was his own department who helped Dumfries Police take him into custody. "They contacted him and at some point encouraged him to come down and turn himself in," McCoy said.
Witnesses said there was such rage involved in the assault, at first they thought the man was a stranger, not someone who could have ever cared about the person he was attacking. "There are crazy people out there in the world who don't have their head on straight. They're in law enforcement and politics and school and everywhere," neighbor Lakisha Ferguson said.
Officer Barksdale will stay behind bars until his hearing at the end of August. Meantime, he's on administrative leave from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Officer Kelvin Barksdale, a tremendously popular patrol officer on Capitol Hill, is held without bond in the Prince William County jail. Many people expressed shock at the news of his arrest, while others who witnesses the attack, including a Virginia police officer who helped stop it, said it could have been worse.
"I had pulled up at that intersection, Williamstown Drive and Old Triangle and heard all the commotion, all the screaming and yelling." A woman was fighting for her life when Dumfries police detective Mark McCoy jumped out to help. He saw a man, allegedly Barksdale, who is accused of trying to abduct his former girlfriend at gunpoint, possibly using his service weapon.
"Take her to the wooded area over here where he made the threats to kill her and her family, her children." Neighbors credited detective McCoy and others for interrupting the attack and perhaps saving the woman's life. She reportedly had ended a personal relationship with Barksdale a few days earlier.
"I mean, come on. He is a police officer. He should know better than that.," neighbor Dorothy Dye said.
44-year-old Barksdale is a much decorated, veteran officer based out of the First District Police Station. He's well-known and well-liked as a beat cop in Capitol Hill neighborhoods. It was his own department who helped Dumfries Police take him into custody. "They contacted him and at some point encouraged him to come down and turn himself in," McCoy said.
Witnesses said there was such rage involved in the assault, at first they thought the man was a stranger, not someone who could have ever cared about the person he was attacking. "There are crazy people out there in the world who don't have their head on straight. They're in law enforcement and politics and school and everywhere," neighbor Lakisha Ferguson said.
Officer Barksdale will stay behind bars until his hearing at the end of August. Meantime, he's on administrative leave from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Indianapolis Officer and his Wife accused Running Prostitution Ring
An Indianapolis police officer and his wife were accused Wednesday of running a prostitution ring out of their Greenwood home, and a former top criminal justice agency official was arrested and charged with patronizing a prostitute.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Patrolman Jeremy Lee, 30, was fired after Johnson County prosecutors filed a felony charge against him of aiding in promoting prostitution. His wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, 36, faces five felony counts of promoting prostitution.
Jerry McCory, 56, who most recently served as a Marion County sheriff's liaison at Jail II and Liberty Hall, is charged with patronizing a prostitute, a misdemeanor.
McCory, former director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, a Merrillville police chief and a public safety adviser to Mayor Bart Peterson, resigned from the Sheriff's Department on June 25 without explanation.
Lee was a probationary officer who joined the department in October. His arrest marks the fifth of an IMPD officer in the past 16 days.
"We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," IMPD Chief Michael Spears said. "The thing the public needs to know is this investigation (was made) by the members of our own agency. . . . We're going to be a stronger agency for the removal of individuals like Mr. Lee."
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said the charges followed an IMPD investigation submitted to his office early Wednesday. He said a prostitution case involving law enforcement is unprecedented in the community south of Indianapolis.
"That's unusual anywhere," Hamner said. "But we've never seen it here."
According to a probable cause affidavit, Lori Vernon-Lee solicited women to work for her escort service and advertised their services through a local weekly newspaper. Vernon-Lee would arrange for escorts to meet with clients at the escorts' homes or in hotels, where they would perform acts ranging from massage to sexual intercourse, according to interviews with clients and escorts cited in the affidavit. Vernon-Lee would take a portion of the fee for their services.
According to an affidavit, Jeremy Lee told police he answered phones for his wife's service, acted as a bodyguard for women while they were with clients and helped collect money from the escorts while wearing his police uniform.
He said he assisted his wife with her business as far back as 1998, when she ran an escort service in New Hampshire, the affidavit says.
As part of the IMPD investigation, detectives randomly selected six names of clients who patronized Vernon-Lee's service from her log books. Among the names was McCory, whose name was listed under April 24, according to the affidavit.
McCory is accused of hiring an escort to perform oral sex. He was hired by the Sheriff's Department in December to monitor oversight and compliance in the department's work with private-facilities operators. His salary was $69,866 a year. He was not subject to disciplinary action or investigation by the Marion County department during his tenure, said Julio Fernandez, a spokesman for the department.
Since Lee had not completed probation, Spears said he could fire Lee without going through formal procedures that could include a hearing before the department's merit board.
No other police officers or public officials are suspected in the case, said Capt. Chris Boomershine of the IMPD strategic investigations branch.
Lee joins four officers facing charges filed in the past three weeks. Narcotics officer Jason S. Barber, 32, was charged last week with selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct. He was released from jail Wednesday after a judge granted his request for reduced bond.
The previous week, narcotics officers Robert B. Long and Jason P. Edwards and patrol officer James Davis were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of marijuana. They resigned June 19.
"It's not fair to indict any other part of the Police Department other than to indict the personal decisions to commit intentional actions, which were criminal on the part of these ex-officers," Spears said in reference to the recent police arrests.
McCory turned himself in Wednesday, Hamner said, but paid his bond, which was set at $2,000. He did not return phone calls Wednesday evening seeking comment.
Vernon-Lee was arrested Wednesday and was in Johnson County Jail on Wednesday night on $40,000 bond.
Lee, who was out of town on military training in Massachusetts, received the news of the charges and the warrant in a cell phone call Wednesday afternoon.
If convicted, the Lees each could face a maximum of eight years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 apiece, Hamner said. McCory could face up to a year and a maximum $5,000 fine.
Boston Officers were Previously Disciplined
A lawyer for David Woodman's family voiced outrage yesterday after learning that two of the nine officers who were with the 22-year-old Brookline man when he stopped breathing as he was being taken into custody during the Celtics championship celebration on June 18 had previously been disciplined, one for domestic violence and the other for a lack of judgment in dealing with a shooting suspect.
The prior complaints against the officers "could indicate they have anger management problems," said Howard Friedman, who represents the parents of Woodman, a former Emmanuel College student who died in the hospital 11 days after his encounter with the officers.
Friedman said there are unanswered questions about who started the encounter with Woodman.
"We're still in the dark," Friedman said. "But if one of these officers were involved or were the lead, that would be a sign of a more serious problem. That would shed new light on the entire incident."
Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said that neither of the two officers initiated Woodman's arrest, and that one had no physical contact with him, while the other helped push Woodman's arm behind his back while he was resisting arrest.
"There was a violent resistance to an arrest, and the incident was over very, very quickly," Davis said in a telephone interview.
He said yesterday that he asked Donald K. Stern, the former US attorney and now a lawyer in private practice, to review the circumstances around Woodman's death.
The Woodmans have called on the FBI and US Attorney's office to investigate their son's death.
Stern - who now works at Cooley, Godward, Kronish - was head of a panel that reviewed the death of Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old Emerson College student who died in 2004 during a Red Sox celebration after a police officer fired a pepper pellet that struck her in the eye.
"I've worked very closely with Don Stern in the past, and I think he's the perfect person to help with this situation," Davis said, adding that Stern would "really make sure people are satisfied we are being completely transparent on this."
Stern said last night that it is unlikely he would convene a commission as he did in the Snelgrove case, where the facts were more technical and complex. That case involved a review of department weapons and crowd control tactics.
"This seems to me more manageable to get my arms around without forming a commission," Stern said, adding that he will probably serve as an independent investigator and call on specialists to aid in the review.
Yesterday Boston police released the names of the eight officers and one sergeant involved in arresting Woodman, along with their department histories, in response to a request from the Globe under the Freedom of Information Act.
One of the officers, Henderson Parker, 41, a 14-year veteran of the force, was suspended for 30 days in 2002 following "a physical confrontation of a domestic nature that resulted in injuries," according to a police record. The record did not provide any more details, but Davis said the confrontation did not happen while Parker was at work.
Another officer, Dowayne Lewis, 34, who has been with the department for seven years, was suspended two days in October 2005 for acting unprofessionally during an arrest. In that case, a man who shot a gun outside Lewis's house was arrested and placed in the back of a cruiser. Lewis, who was not on duty, approached the cruiser to identify the suspect and opened the door, in violation of department rules. The suspect tried to hit Lewis, who shoved back, Davis said.
Lewis, who has not been disciplined since the incident, was the officer who pushed Woodman's arm while he was being arrested, Davis said. "That's the sum of the contact," he said.
Officer Steven Borne, a 24-year-old former emergency medical technician who joined the department last year, was the officer who administered CPR when Woodman stopped breathing, Davis said. Borne is the subject of a pending internal affairs investigation spurred by a motorist's complaint that he was disrespectful while issuing her a ticket last month, Davis said.
None of the other officers involved in Woodman's arrest have ever been disciplined, police said. The officers are Sergeant James Blake, 42, who joined the department in 2001; Steven Collette, 26, who joined the department in 2006; Michael Condon, 30, who joined in 2006; Carina Acosta, 31, who joined in 2005; and Michael McManus, 30, and Brian Morse, 28, who both joined last year. McManus, Morse, and Borne are all on probation because they are new officers.
Parker, Blake, and Morse had no physical contact with Woodman, Davis said.
The night of Woodman's arrest, he and four friends had left a Kenmore Square bar after the Celtics victory and were walking home when they passed the officers at the corner of the Fenway and Brookline Avenue.
According to one of Woodman's friends, Woodman said, "Wow, it seems like there's a lot of crime on this corner," prompting officers to confront Woodman, who was holding a plastic cup of beer.
The friend said police slammed Woodman to the ground, then ordered them to leave the scene or face arrest. Davis said Woodman tried to flee and resisted arrest. He was charged with public drinking and resisting arrest.
Woodman's parents, Cathy and Jeffrey Woodman of Southwick, have accused police of failing to get prompt medical attention for their son. They said doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told them their son suffered significant brain damage from a lack of oxygen. He died Sunday. Officials are awaiting final autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Woodman had a preexisting heart condition, but led an active life, his parents have said.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, who is conducting an investigation with police homicide detectives into Woodman's death, yesterday defended his decision to allow city police to investigate the incident.
"The decision on whether anyone is criminally responsible for anything that may have occurred here is exclusively mine to make," Conley said. "The fact that I'm using Boston police homicide investigators really reflects the faith I have in their integrity and professionalism."
The prior complaints against the officers "could indicate they have anger management problems," said Howard Friedman, who represents the parents of Woodman, a former Emmanuel College student who died in the hospital 11 days after his encounter with the officers.
Friedman said there are unanswered questions about who started the encounter with Woodman.
"We're still in the dark," Friedman said. "But if one of these officers were involved or were the lead, that would be a sign of a more serious problem. That would shed new light on the entire incident."
Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said that neither of the two officers initiated Woodman's arrest, and that one had no physical contact with him, while the other helped push Woodman's arm behind his back while he was resisting arrest.
"There was a violent resistance to an arrest, and the incident was over very, very quickly," Davis said in a telephone interview.
He said yesterday that he asked Donald K. Stern, the former US attorney and now a lawyer in private practice, to review the circumstances around Woodman's death.
The Woodmans have called on the FBI and US Attorney's office to investigate their son's death.
Stern - who now works at Cooley, Godward, Kronish - was head of a panel that reviewed the death of Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old Emerson College student who died in 2004 during a Red Sox celebration after a police officer fired a pepper pellet that struck her in the eye.
"I've worked very closely with Don Stern in the past, and I think he's the perfect person to help with this situation," Davis said, adding that Stern would "really make sure people are satisfied we are being completely transparent on this."
Stern said last night that it is unlikely he would convene a commission as he did in the Snelgrove case, where the facts were more technical and complex. That case involved a review of department weapons and crowd control tactics.
"This seems to me more manageable to get my arms around without forming a commission," Stern said, adding that he will probably serve as an independent investigator and call on specialists to aid in the review.
Yesterday Boston police released the names of the eight officers and one sergeant involved in arresting Woodman, along with their department histories, in response to a request from the Globe under the Freedom of Information Act.
One of the officers, Henderson Parker, 41, a 14-year veteran of the force, was suspended for 30 days in 2002 following "a physical confrontation of a domestic nature that resulted in injuries," according to a police record. The record did not provide any more details, but Davis said the confrontation did not happen while Parker was at work.
Another officer, Dowayne Lewis, 34, who has been with the department for seven years, was suspended two days in October 2005 for acting unprofessionally during an arrest. In that case, a man who shot a gun outside Lewis's house was arrested and placed in the back of a cruiser. Lewis, who was not on duty, approached the cruiser to identify the suspect and opened the door, in violation of department rules. The suspect tried to hit Lewis, who shoved back, Davis said.
Lewis, who has not been disciplined since the incident, was the officer who pushed Woodman's arm while he was being arrested, Davis said. "That's the sum of the contact," he said.
Officer Steven Borne, a 24-year-old former emergency medical technician who joined the department last year, was the officer who administered CPR when Woodman stopped breathing, Davis said. Borne is the subject of a pending internal affairs investigation spurred by a motorist's complaint that he was disrespectful while issuing her a ticket last month, Davis said.
None of the other officers involved in Woodman's arrest have ever been disciplined, police said. The officers are Sergeant James Blake, 42, who joined the department in 2001; Steven Collette, 26, who joined the department in 2006; Michael Condon, 30, who joined in 2006; Carina Acosta, 31, who joined in 2005; and Michael McManus, 30, and Brian Morse, 28, who both joined last year. McManus, Morse, and Borne are all on probation because they are new officers.
Parker, Blake, and Morse had no physical contact with Woodman, Davis said.
The night of Woodman's arrest, he and four friends had left a Kenmore Square bar after the Celtics victory and were walking home when they passed the officers at the corner of the Fenway and Brookline Avenue.
According to one of Woodman's friends, Woodman said, "Wow, it seems like there's a lot of crime on this corner," prompting officers to confront Woodman, who was holding a plastic cup of beer.
The friend said police slammed Woodman to the ground, then ordered them to leave the scene or face arrest. Davis said Woodman tried to flee and resisted arrest. He was charged with public drinking and resisting arrest.
Woodman's parents, Cathy and Jeffrey Woodman of Southwick, have accused police of failing to get prompt medical attention for their son. They said doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told them their son suffered significant brain damage from a lack of oxygen. He died Sunday. Officials are awaiting final autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Woodman had a preexisting heart condition, but led an active life, his parents have said.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, who is conducting an investigation with police homicide detectives into Woodman's death, yesterday defended his decision to allow city police to investigate the incident.
"The decision on whether anyone is criminally responsible for anything that may have occurred here is exclusively mine to make," Conley said. "The fact that I'm using Boston police homicide investigators really reflects the faith I have in their integrity and professionalism."
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Officer Monte Montalvo Accused of Sexual Assault Pleads Not Guilty
Buffalo police officer Monte Montalvo pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday afternoon. His case moved from city court to state supreme court where he faces a single felony count of Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree.
Montalvo had no comment as he left court with his attorney.
Prosecutors allege that the 37-year-old officer was working as a security guard at a college fraternity party in December, when he met a 19-year-old female college student. The two apparently went to Montalvo's west side home, where the woman says Montalvo allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Montalvo is free on his own recognizance. He returns to court on July 23. He faces one and a third to four years in prison if convicted.
Lower Bond Denied for Officer Accused of Rape
WAUKEGAN
A Lake County judge denied a motion to lower the bond of the former Waukegan police officer accused of raping a woman while on duty.
Judge Raymond Collins said today he saw nothing in the defense’s motion to justify lowering Delatwon Haynes $2 million bond, despite arguments that his accuser is an admitted drug addict.
“I don’t find anything that would change my mind,” Collins told defense attorney Joel Brodsky and prosecutor Patricia Fix, as Haynes stood by quietly. Bail was set at $2 million by Judge Daniel Shanes last week.
Brodsky had argued that Haynes’ clean record should be enough to lower his bond to something more manageable.
“There is nothing (in his past) that would say he would not obey all court orders or he would not show up for court,” Brodsky said.
Fix countered that, saying that the charges against Haynes are serious, and testimony Shanes heard last week warranted a high bond amount. Fix also said that there is precedent for a police officer being held on high bond. Last month a judge rejected a motion to lower a $1.5 million bond on for Gurnee police officer Jay Simon, who has been jailed on charges that he sexually assaulted two young girls.
Haynes, 32, of Zion, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in January while he worked the midnight shift. He resigned from the Waukegan Police Department a few days after allegations of rape were brought against him by the then-Waukegan resident.
Last week the State’s Attorneys Office approved charges for four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, one count of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and eight counts of misconduct.
Brodsky argued Wednesday, and has said in the past, that the allegations are unreliable, because the accuser admitted to police that she was a heroin addict.
Fix dismissed Brodsky’s claims, saying the State wasn’t going to try Haynes in the press, or reveal information about the case before discovery was due. Fix did however reveal that a used condom gathered by Haynes’ accuser at the scene contained Haynes’ DNA.
“That’s pretty strong physical evidence your honor,” Fix told Collins.
Officer and His Wife Accused in Prostitution Ring
GREENWOOD, Ind.
A former police officer and his wife have been accused of running a prostitution ring out of their home, where he allegedly collected cash from the prostitutes while in uniform.
Former Indianapolis police officer Jeremy Lee faces a charge of aiding in promoting prostitution.
Lee was fired Wednesday after the charge was filed against him in Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis.
"We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," said Indianapolis Police Chief Michael Spears, who added that the investigation was started by his department.
Lee, 30, would collect money from prostitutes hired by his wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, while wearing his police uniform, according to court documents.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for the couple and Jerry L. McCory, 56, a Marion County Sheriff's Department employee who faces a misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute.
Vernon-Lee, 36, is charged with five felony counts of promoting prostitution for allegedly operating the illegal escort service from home in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, according to an affidavit.
Vernon-Lee was being held in Johnson County Jail late Wednesday night on $40,000 bond, said a jail officer. McCory was released earlier on $2,000 bond. Lee was not in custody, the officer said. WTHR TV reported that Lee was in Massachusetts and had been contacted and told to surrender to authorities there.
Vernon-Lee allegedly recruited women to serve as escorts and then advertised their services in a weekly Indianapolis newspaper.
When clients called Vernon-Lee's escort service, she allegedly would arrange for a meeting between client and one of the escorts during which money was exchanged for various sex acts.
Each escort would turn over part of the money she collected -- typically about half -- to Vernon-Lee, whose husband would collect the cash while in his police uniform, the affidavit states.
A former police officer and his wife have been accused of running a prostitution ring out of their home, where he allegedly collected cash from the prostitutes while in uniform.
Former Indianapolis police officer Jeremy Lee faces a charge of aiding in promoting prostitution.
Lee was fired Wednesday after the charge was filed against him in Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis.
"We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," said Indianapolis Police Chief Michael Spears, who added that the investigation was started by his department.
Lee, 30, would collect money from prostitutes hired by his wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, while wearing his police uniform, according to court documents.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for the couple and Jerry L. McCory, 56, a Marion County Sheriff's Department employee who faces a misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute.
Vernon-Lee, 36, is charged with five felony counts of promoting prostitution for allegedly operating the illegal escort service from home in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, according to an affidavit.
Vernon-Lee was being held in Johnson County Jail late Wednesday night on $40,000 bond, said a jail officer. McCory was released earlier on $2,000 bond. Lee was not in custody, the officer said. WTHR TV reported that Lee was in Massachusetts and had been contacted and told to surrender to authorities there.
Vernon-Lee allegedly recruited women to serve as escorts and then advertised their services in a weekly Indianapolis newspaper.
When clients called Vernon-Lee's escort service, she allegedly would arrange for a meeting between client and one of the escorts during which money was exchanged for various sex acts.
Each escort would turn over part of the money she collected -- typically about half -- to Vernon-Lee, whose husband would collect the cash while in his police uniform, the affidavit states.
Jail Officers Investigated for Inmate's Death
UPPER MARLBORO, Md.
A black man arrested in the hit-and-run death of a police officer was found strangled in his cell, and investigators focused Tuesday on guards at the suburban Maryland jail, which has a history of security lapses.
As state police took over the investigation, an attorney for inmate Ronnie L. White's family said the young man's attackers "took it upon themselves to be both the judge, the jury and the executioner."
White's death shocked and angered officials in Prince George's County, including County Executive Jack Johnson, who likened it to "vigilante justice."
Investigators from the FBI and state police joined the case Monday after the state medical examiner concluded that White had been strangled Sunday morning.
White, 19, was arrested early Saturday on charges of ramming a stolen pickup truck into police Cpl. Richard Findley. Findley had gotten out of his police cruiser Friday while trying to conduct a traffic stop on the truck. White allegedly struck him and dragged him for a short distance in the community of Laurel.
Johnson immediately moved to curb speculation that White's death was the result of police officers seeking revenge, saying the slaying was "unrelated to any act" by police.
Attorney Bobby G. Henry Jr., who represented White's family, urged the U.S. Department of Justice to join the investigation.
"Something is dreadfully wrong with our system," he said.
County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey said his office would convene a grand jury to review evidence in the case. He said investigators were scrutinizing seven correctional officers who had access to White, who was being held separately from other inmates. Ivey also said other workers at the county jail and inmates would be questioned.
"We'll follow the evidence wherever it leads," he said.
Rich Wolf, an FBI spokesman in Baltimore, confirmed that the agency had opened a civil rights case, but he would not comment on the investigation. Calls to state police were not immediately returned.
White's death is the latest in a series of security lapses at the jail, which is 20 miles outside Washington in one of Maryland's largest counties. Last month, the county's corrections director was fired after guns vanished from the armory. In February, a former police official convicted of second-degree murder was found with a handcuffs key.
A corrections officer suspected of being a gang member was charged in March with bringing cell phones to inmates who were members of the Bloods street gang. And earlier this year, two female officers were suspended for allegedly having sexual contact with inmates.
More than 450 guards work at the 20-year-old facility, which had an average daily population of 1,489 prisoners during the 2007 fiscal year. White was being held in a cell by himself, to protect him from other prisoners, because of the high profile of his alleged crime.
"This shouldn't happen," Johnson said Monday night. "Every citizen we bring into our custody should be protected."
Curtis Knowles, head of the county's correctional officers union, said Tuesday that union lawyers advised him not to comment on the case because of the investigation. On Monday, he urged people not to reach any conclusions before the investigation had run its course.
Corrections officials have said White had no visible signs of trauma on his body when guards bringing him a meal found him slumped on the floor next to his bed about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. He had been checked 15 minutes earlier and appeared to be well. A preliminary autopsy by the state medical examiner in Baltimore ruled the death a homicide and found two broken bones in his neck.
None of the seven guards or an unspecified number of supervisors who could have had contact with White have been suspended or placed on leave during the investigation, according to Vicki Duncan, spokeswoman for the corrections division.
White had a prior criminal record that included serving time for drug charges.
Members of his family did not attend a news conference Tuesday held by their attorney, and they could not be immediately reached.
Findley, 39, was a 10-year veteran of the county police force. A funeral was scheduled for Thursday, and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff until then.
Corrections Officer Arrested in Jail Sex Case
A corrections officer from the Saline County Sheriff's Office was arrested Monday in connection with a sex case involving three inmates at the Saline County Jail.
Sheriff Glen Kochanowski says that 27-year-old Eric Taylor was fired, and arrested, on Monday. He is accused of inappropriately touching three female inmates at the Saline County Jail on June 24th.
According to Kochanowski, Taylor was arrested following a simultaneous criminal and internal affairs investigation. Investigators believe that this was a one time event, and had not been on-going.
Taylor had been employed since June of 2006 as a corrections officer at the sheriff's office. He could face felony charges that include three counts of unlawful sexual relations by a law enforcement officer with an inmate over the age of sixteen.
Sheriff Glen Kochanowski says that 27-year-old Eric Taylor was fired, and arrested, on Monday. He is accused of inappropriately touching three female inmates at the Saline County Jail on June 24th.
According to Kochanowski, Taylor was arrested following a simultaneous criminal and internal affairs investigation. Investigators believe that this was a one time event, and had not been on-going.
Taylor had been employed since June of 2006 as a corrections officer at the sheriff's office. He could face felony charges that include three counts of unlawful sexual relations by a law enforcement officer with an inmate over the age of sixteen.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Officer accused of battery and leaking information
A Gainesville Police Department internal investigation found that a former officer violated GPD policies by sharing confidential police information with a woman he was having sex with.
In addition, the State Attorney’s Office is looking into the woman’s accusation that the officer committed sexual battery on her.
Bostick was found in violation of the following Gainesville Police Department policies:
"Immoral, unlawful, or improper conduct or indecency, whether on or off the job, which would tend to affect the employee's relationship to his/her job, fellow workers' reputations or goodwill in the community."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Conduct unbecoming
Criminal conduct
Association with known offenders / person of questionable reputation
Investigative information
"Productivity or workmanship not up to required standard of performance."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Department-owned property
In-car audio/Video system procedures
Property and evidence control
Bostick failed to turn in certain department items, such as a clip-on GPD ID and removable laptop floppy drive after his resignation with GPD. GPD also found evidence items in his assigned patrol vehicle that he had failed to turn in as evidence. He also failed to set the correct date for his in-car videotapes, according to the GPD Internal Affairs report.
John Robert Bostick voluntarily resigned May 9 from GPD while the investigation was ongoing.
On May 8, GPD received a complaint alleging that Bostick committed sexual battery on a woman with an extensive criminal history, according to a GPD Internal Affairs report dated June 18.
The woman recorded the sexual battery on her video recorder and had numerous voicemail messages from Bostick on her cell phone, the report stated.
The only audible phone message that was recovered by GPD’s Computer Forensics Unit was of Bostick saying, “All right, girl. That’s the last straw there. I am declaring war, and that will be it. It’s JB. Later.”
The complaint also alleged that Bostick provided confidential information to the woman regarding ongoing criminal investigations, the report stated.
The woman refused to have sex with Bostick until he agreed to “look the other way” if he observed any illegal activity involving the woman and another person, according to the report.
Because the alleged sexual battery occurred outside of GPD’s jurisdiction, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was notified, according to the report.
Spencer Mann, spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office, said it will take about a week to decide whether Bostick will be prosecuted for the alleged sexual battery charge.
In addition, the State Attorney’s Office is looking into the woman’s accusation that the officer committed sexual battery on her.
Bostick was found in violation of the following Gainesville Police Department policies:
"Immoral, unlawful, or improper conduct or indecency, whether on or off the job, which would tend to affect the employee's relationship to his/her job, fellow workers' reputations or goodwill in the community."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Conduct unbecoming
Criminal conduct
Association with known offenders / person of questionable reputation
Investigative information
"Productivity or workmanship not up to required standard of performance."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Department-owned property
In-car audio/Video system procedures
Property and evidence control
Bostick failed to turn in certain department items, such as a clip-on GPD ID and removable laptop floppy drive after his resignation with GPD. GPD also found evidence items in his assigned patrol vehicle that he had failed to turn in as evidence. He also failed to set the correct date for his in-car videotapes, according to the GPD Internal Affairs report.
John Robert Bostick voluntarily resigned May 9 from GPD while the investigation was ongoing.
On May 8, GPD received a complaint alleging that Bostick committed sexual battery on a woman with an extensive criminal history, according to a GPD Internal Affairs report dated June 18.
The woman recorded the sexual battery on her video recorder and had numerous voicemail messages from Bostick on her cell phone, the report stated.
The only audible phone message that was recovered by GPD’s Computer Forensics Unit was of Bostick saying, “All right, girl. That’s the last straw there. I am declaring war, and that will be it. It’s JB. Later.”
The complaint also alleged that Bostick provided confidential information to the woman regarding ongoing criminal investigations, the report stated.
The woman refused to have sex with Bostick until he agreed to “look the other way” if he observed any illegal activity involving the woman and another person, according to the report.
Because the alleged sexual battery occurred outside of GPD’s jurisdiction, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was notified, according to the report.
Spencer Mann, spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office, said it will take about a week to decide whether Bostick will be prosecuted for the alleged sexual battery charge.
Gay Riot Police Officer Accused of Sexual Assault
Lee Gye-deok, a riot policeman who recently asked for a transfer to the military over frustration against the police' s violent suppression of candlelit protests, has been accused of sexually harassing his fellows in the camp.
Yongsan Police Station recently filed for a warrant for his arrest after reports he tried to touch the body parts of 13 colleagues without their permission. The alleged victims include his seniors and juniors.
The station said Lee has seven months to finish his term and they fear he will commit such offenses again. However, a court rejected the request for his arrest.
Lee drew public attention when he came out of the closet earlier this year. He recently filed for a transfer saying the environment did not fit his work and political ethics. The Ministry of Defense has reportedly turned down his request.
He was put behind bars late last month for neglecting his duty.
Some believe the allegations are a backlash due to his request, combined with homophobia in the society.
``This is how a smart man gets bullied for speaking the truth,'' one of Lee's friends said. ``If you really harassed a colleague during service you wouldn't be alive, especially if he is your senior!'' he added.
Yongsan Police Station recently filed for a warrant for his arrest after reports he tried to touch the body parts of 13 colleagues without their permission. The alleged victims include his seniors and juniors.
The station said Lee has seven months to finish his term and they fear he will commit such offenses again. However, a court rejected the request for his arrest.
Lee drew public attention when he came out of the closet earlier this year. He recently filed for a transfer saying the environment did not fit his work and political ethics. The Ministry of Defense has reportedly turned down his request.
He was put behind bars late last month for neglecting his duty.
Some believe the allegations are a backlash due to his request, combined with homophobia in the society.
``This is how a smart man gets bullied for speaking the truth,'' one of Lee's friends said. ``If you really harassed a colleague during service you wouldn't be alive, especially if he is your senior!'' he added.
Corrections officer accused of touching female inmates
KS
A corrections officer who worked in the Saline County Jail was fired and arrested Monday after he was accused of touching three female inmates.
Eric A. Taylor, 27, Bridgeport, had worked for the Sheriff’s Office for two years, but Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said he did not believe this had been a pattern of behavior.
“As far as we know, this was a one-time event,” he said. “It’s something that should never happen, but it happens.”
Kochanowski said the three inmates were housed together. Taylor allegedly touched them in a sexual way on June 24. When the sheriff’s office received information about the allegations, an internal affairs investigation and a sheriff’s office criminal investigation were launched simultaneously.
Taylor turned himself in and bonded out immediately, Kochanowski said.
A corrections officer who worked in the Saline County Jail was fired and arrested Monday after he was accused of touching three female inmates.
Eric A. Taylor, 27, Bridgeport, had worked for the Sheriff’s Office for two years, but Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said he did not believe this had been a pattern of behavior.
“As far as we know, this was a one-time event,” he said. “It’s something that should never happen, but it happens.”
Kochanowski said the three inmates were housed together. Taylor allegedly touched them in a sexual way on June 24. When the sheriff’s office received information about the allegations, an internal affairs investigation and a sheriff’s office criminal investigation were launched simultaneously.
Taylor turned himself in and bonded out immediately, Kochanowski said.
TBI investigating officer accused of choking man
MOUNT JULIET, Tenn.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a traffic stop involving a Mt. Juliet police officer accused of performing "vascular restraint" on a man suspected of trying to swallow drugs.
Jason Holleman, a lawyer for the city, said Thursday the TBI is looking into the April 4 incident in which Cpl. William Cosby stopped a vehicle driven by James Lawrence Anders Jr.
Interim Mt. Juliet police chief James Hambrick said Cosby performed "vascular restraint" on Anders when he suspected he was going to swallow drugs, and that Anders temporarily blacked out.
WTVF-TV in Nashville reports the incident was caught on Cosby's patrol car video camera and shows him putting his hands around Anders' neck and applying pressure before he loses consciousness.
Anders was charged with possessing marijuana, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. But his attorney said the charges were dropped last week by a local judge at the request of the state attorney general.
Hambrick said Cosby was still on the job and given a written reprimand for the incident.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a traffic stop involving a Mt. Juliet police officer accused of performing "vascular restraint" on a man suspected of trying to swallow drugs.
Jason Holleman, a lawyer for the city, said Thursday the TBI is looking into the April 4 incident in which Cpl. William Cosby stopped a vehicle driven by James Lawrence Anders Jr.
Interim Mt. Juliet police chief James Hambrick said Cosby performed "vascular restraint" on Anders when he suspected he was going to swallow drugs, and that Anders temporarily blacked out.
WTVF-TV in Nashville reports the incident was caught on Cosby's patrol car video camera and shows him putting his hands around Anders' neck and applying pressure before he loses consciousness.
Anders was charged with possessing marijuana, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. But his attorney said the charges were dropped last week by a local judge at the request of the state attorney general.
Hambrick said Cosby was still on the job and given a written reprimand for the incident.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Second Mission police officer arrested for driving while intoxicated
A second city police officer was suspended Sunday after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated over the weekend.
Mission police Lt. Gabriel Zuniga was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on South Padre Island about 10 p.m. Saturday, said Trooper Johnny Hernandez, a local spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Zuniga was pulled over for a traffic violation along Texas Highway 100, north of the Island's main strip, Hernandez said.
The off-duty police officer failed a sobriety test at the scene and was transported to the Port Isabel Police Department, where he refused to give a breath sample, Hernandez said. Zuniga was then taken to the Cameron County Jail in Brownsville.
Zuniga's arrest marks the second intoxicated driving incident involving a Mission police officer this weekend.
Also Saturday, Officer Martin Flores Villarreal, 40, of Mission, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in an unmarked Mission police vehicle. A DPS trooper arrested Flores along U.S. Expressway 83 in San Juan.
Both officers were indefinitely suspended without pay, said Mission police spokesman Lt. Martin Garza. The accused officers have the right to appeal the suspension, Garza said.
"We are embarrassed and certainly apologize to the public for their actions," he said of the accused officers.
"The acts of these couple of officers doesn't reflect on the actions of other officers from the police department."
Mission police Lt. Gabriel Zuniga was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on South Padre Island about 10 p.m. Saturday, said Trooper Johnny Hernandez, a local spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Zuniga was pulled over for a traffic violation along Texas Highway 100, north of the Island's main strip, Hernandez said.
The off-duty police officer failed a sobriety test at the scene and was transported to the Port Isabel Police Department, where he refused to give a breath sample, Hernandez said. Zuniga was then taken to the Cameron County Jail in Brownsville.
Zuniga's arrest marks the second intoxicated driving incident involving a Mission police officer this weekend.
Also Saturday, Officer Martin Flores Villarreal, 40, of Mission, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in an unmarked Mission police vehicle. A DPS trooper arrested Flores along U.S. Expressway 83 in San Juan.
Both officers were indefinitely suspended without pay, said Mission police spokesman Lt. Martin Garza. The accused officers have the right to appeal the suspension, Garza said.
"We are embarrassed and certainly apologize to the public for their actions," he said of the accused officers.
"The acts of these couple of officers doesn't reflect on the actions of other officers from the police department."
Officer Clay Blanchard Charged in Domestic Fight
A Des Moines senior police officer has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted his wife Friday evening.
Clay Blanchard, 56, of Des Moines, was arrested this morning, according to police.
He was charged with domestic assault causing injury, second-degree harassment and obstructing an emergency phone call and taken to the Polk County Jail. Blanchard’s wife, Angela, 40, was not seriously injured, police said.
Angela Blanchard came back to the couple’s residence Friday evening after having dinner with a man, and her husband reportedly began yelling at her and demanded her cell phone, a police report said.
When Angela refused, the two wrestled for the phone and she threatened to call police. Blanchard then took her cell phone and his wife called police from their home phone.
Angela Blanchard told officers she didn’t want to make a report about the incident, but one was made for documentation, police said.
Angela said the couple has an open marriage, the police report said. The man she had seen earlier the night of the assault was a relationship her husband knew about, she told police.
“We investigated this like we would with any other criminal case,” said Sgt. Vince Valdez. “As far as his employment, that is yet to be determined.”
Clay Blanchard, 56, of Des Moines, was arrested this morning, according to police.
He was charged with domestic assault causing injury, second-degree harassment and obstructing an emergency phone call and taken to the Polk County Jail. Blanchard’s wife, Angela, 40, was not seriously injured, police said.
Angela Blanchard came back to the couple’s residence Friday evening after having dinner with a man, and her husband reportedly began yelling at her and demanded her cell phone, a police report said.
When Angela refused, the two wrestled for the phone and she threatened to call police. Blanchard then took her cell phone and his wife called police from their home phone.
Angela Blanchard told officers she didn’t want to make a report about the incident, but one was made for documentation, police said.
Angela said the couple has an open marriage, the police report said. The man she had seen earlier the night of the assault was a relationship her husband knew about, she told police.
“We investigated this like we would with any other criminal case,” said Sgt. Vince Valdez. “As far as his employment, that is yet to be determined.”
Officer Andre Calhoun Arrested for Plotting to Commit Robbery
PELHAM, GA
A south Georgia police officer was arrested on the job after investigators say he plotted to steal.
Pelham police officer Andre Calhoun is out of jail on bond now, after he was taken into custody as he worked early Saturday morning.
Pelham investigators say while Calhoun was on the job, he plotted to commit robbery and burglary. Calhoun is charged with four felonies, two counts of conspiracy and one each of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and violation of his oath of office.
A south Georgia police officer was arrested on the job after investigators say he plotted to steal.
Pelham police officer Andre Calhoun is out of jail on bond now, after he was taken into custody as he worked early Saturday morning.
Pelham investigators say while Calhoun was on the job, he plotted to commit robbery and burglary. Calhoun is charged with four felonies, two counts of conspiracy and one each of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and violation of his oath of office.
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