Prosecuting Police an Uphill Battle

Each time a police officer uses deadly force, wounding or killing a civilian, prosecutors gather facts and grand jurors weigh whether the actions may have been criminal, rarely returning indictments. Even less common, according to a Houston Chronicle review, are cases where an officer is convicted.

Last week’s indictment of Bellaire Police Sgt. Jeff Cotton, a white officer who shot a black man in his own driveway in an incident that raised allegations of racial profiling, marks the first time in more than three years that an officer in Harris County has been charged in such a shooting, the Chronicle found in a review of police prosecutions. In recent years, local officers have shot an average of 32 people.

Such incidents, ranging from a drunken off-duty officer’s 1989 shooting of Ida Lee Delaney in a traffic spat to the 2003 gunning down of two unarmed teens, have ignited community outrage. But, lawyers say, prosecutors in cases against those sworn to protect and serve have an uphill battle.

Only once in more than a decade has a Harris County jury found an officer criminally responsible for injuring or killing a citizen with a weapon.

The law is forgiving, lawyers said, and an officer can justify his use of deadly force by claiming he perceived grave peril to himself or others.

“Jurors will give police officers more credit because they put themselves in harm’s way to help others,” said Joe Owmby, who until December headed the police integrity division of the District Attorney’s Office and investigated numerous officers. “Jurors will bend over backward to hear it from the (officer’s) point of view, but if it appears an officer did not do what he was supposed to, they are more skeptical.”

Deadly force cases are emotionally charged, observed South Texas College of Law’s Geoffrey Corn. “These are hard cases,” he said. “I have a visceral reaction to those who say these cases aren’t fair, that juries don’t convict enough. … When we start saying that juries are incapable of trying this type of case or that, we kind of gut our concepts of justice. Juries are not always right, but if the process is fair, the outcome is respectable.”

Case in 2007 typical
Typical of many cases was Harris County’s most recent deadly force prosecution, that of two Pasadena policemen accused of killing Pedro Gonzales Jr. in July 2007.

Gonzales suffered eight broken ribs and a punctured lung as officers Jason Buckaloo and Christopher Jones used force to arrest him. They were indicted on charges of criminally negligent homicide.

Testimony in their trial revealed Gonzales was not intoxicated at the time of his arrest, as the officers suspected, but may have been suffering severe alcohol withdrawal.

Jurors acquitted the officers, who returned to work.

Owmby, who prosecuted the case, said jurors’ perceptions of Gonzales, a chronic alcoholic who often slept on the street, affected the outcome.

“The problem we had was that Mr. Gonzales was so ill, the jury just did not want to blame the police officers for what happened,” he said.

The only recent conviction of an officer in a fatal shooting came in a case with a sympathetic victim: a 14-year-old boy who had been playing video games minutes before an officer killed him.

On Nov. 21, 2003, Houston Police officer Arthur Carbonneau approached a group of youths, looking for two teens who had assaulted a 10-year-old boy. Eli Eloy Escobar, who had not been involved in the assault, tried to leave. Carbonneau detained him. During the scuffle, Carbonneau’s firearm discharged.

A grand jury indicted Carbonneau on a murder charge and he was convicted of criminally negligent homicide — the lightest conviction option — and got 10 years’ probation. The judge required him to serve 60 days in jail.

Owmby, who prosecuted Carbonneau, said he sees similarities between that case and the one against Cotton, 39, who is charged with aggravated assault by a public servant.

“It appears that in both cases we had an officer who overreacted, who never slowed down to evaluate what was happening and pulled the trigger when it was not necessary,” Owmby said.

Mistake on SUV’s plates
Cotton shot 23-year-old Robert Tolan, a former Bellaire High School baseball player, just after 2 a.m. on Dec, 31. Tolan and a cousin were returning to his parents’ house after getting off work at a restaurant.

An officer ran the plates on Tolan’s SUV but pulled up the wrong information, leading him to believe it was stolen.

Several officers approached as the men exited the SUV, ordering them to the ground. At one point, Tolan raised up to protest the treatment of his mother, who had come outside. Cotton fired several times, striking Tolan once in the chest.

Cotton’s lawyer said last week that he will prove Cotton’s actions were justified.

“When we get our day in court it will come out that the indictment against him was not warranted,” said David Donahue, a spokesman for Cotton’s lawyer, Paul Aman.

The case against Cotton will be prosecuted by Clint Greenwood, who joined the District Attorney’s Office in January after District Attorney Pat Lykos asked him to head the police integrity division. Greenwood, a peace officer who defended a number of policemen in his private practice, said he anticipates the Cotton case will be “a difficult case for both sides.”

He added, “Cases where a police officer is the defendant can be extremely difficult due to conceptions by the community at large. But, it is my job to advocate on behalf of the citizens of Harris County and I will do so vigorously.”

Another case involving police that resulted in a conviction was the 20-year-old fatal shooting of Delaney, a 51-year-old janitor killed in an encounter with three off-duty Houston officers after they had been out drinking.

The officers approached Delaney after a traffic altercation. One, Alex Gonzales, in civilian clothes and wearing no badge, charged her car with pistol drawn. She fired at the officer, striking him in the belly. He fired back.

Gonzales was tried twice and eventually convicted of voluntary manslaughter, receiving the minimum penalty — two years probation and a $5,000 fine. His light treatment prompted protest.

Former City Councilwoman Ada Edwards, who participated in those protests, called the outcome a “miscarriage of justice. I was not a jury member … but this was murder.”
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Search for Double Murder Suspect Deputy Derrick Yancey Continues

Acting on a tip, authorities searched three Greyhound buses in Dalton early Sunday morning for former DeKalb County deputy and double murder suspect Derrick Yancey but came up empty-handed.

The DeKalb Sheriff’s Department was called about 12:45 a.m. by someone who said they thought they saw Yancey standing in line to board a bus at the Greyhound bus station in downtown Atlanta, said Mikki Jones, spokeswoman for the DeKalb Sheriff’s Department.

DeKalb County news Authorities learned that three buses left the station at about that time headed for Dalton, with final destinations of Chicago and Cleveland, Ohio, Jones said. The buses were checked at a Pilot Travel Center by local authorities in Dalton, she said. Yancey was not found.

Yancey, 49, is accused of killing his 44-year-old wife, Linda Yancey, and a 20-year-old day laborer, Marcial Cax Puluc, last summer.

Officials said Yancey disappeared from his mother’s home last week after cutting off his electronic ankle bracelet. A judge had released Yancey on $150,000 bond under the condition that he wear the tracking device and remain under house arrest.

The Fugitive Squad can be reached at 404-298-8200.

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Officer Bobby Cole Faces Losing Job After he Failed to Protect and Serve

Officer Bobby Cole is facing losing his job next week on the Dallas police force after investigators found that he failed to protect and serve.

In one case, internal investigators found that he didn't arrest a robbery suspect. In another, he failed to charge a man with family violence, records show.

Cole, a nearly seven-year veteran, had a hearing Thursday in front of Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson, who recommended that he be fired. Police Chief David Kunkle is expected to make a final decision this coming Thursday.

In the first situation, Cole and another officer were working off duty security at a club on the North Central Expressway on Feb. 4, 2008, when they intervened to stop three robbers who were holding a man at gunpoint.

Two of the suspects fled. Cole and the other officer captured the third.

The victim, Josh Goad, told investigators that the suspected robber had told the officers that he could take them to his accomplices. He said the officers asked for his contact information and told him that they would be in contact.

After Goad left, the suspected robber was released. The officers did not file a police report, nor they notify did anyone that armed robbery suspects were on the loose.

In the meantime, two more robberies happened. Police captured the suspected robbers, including the one who the officers had released.

In his statement to investigators, Cole said the victim wasn't able to identify the third attacker, so he didn't think he had enough evidence to arrest him. He also told investigators that he didn't broadcast a suspect description over the radio was because his battery was dead.

"I was going to call in the Aggravated Robbery report when I got home and I forgot," Cole wrote in his statement to investigators.

The other officer, Irene Alanis, told internal investigators that Cole took charge at the scene and interviewed Goad. She said Cole was the lead officer at the scene and made the decision to release the suspect.

She has received a written reprimand over the incident.

"Thinking back, I should have done things differently," Cole told investigators. "I am truly sorry if (in) anyway the department's name was tarnished due to my actions."

The second incident occurred Feb. 11 when Cole and another officer responded to a report of a disturbance.

When Cole arrived, he said he spoke to the alleged victim who told him that a man had hit her and pulled her hair.

The man was taken into custody for outstanding warrants, but was not arrested on suspicion of family violence.

Cole didn't tell the other officer that the woman had claimed the man attacked her, investigators concluded.

In 2004, he also received a 15-day suspension for violating the department's sick leave policy, lying to a supervisor and making a false statement.

Officer Joseph Frugoli Bond Set at $500,000

Bond was set at $500,000 Sunday for an off-duty Chicago Police detective accused of killing two men when he allegedly plowed into a disabled car in a drunken-driving crash early Friday on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

After the hearing, a family member of one of the victims was taken into custody after a disturbance in the hallway that spilled out into the street, authorities said.

Joseph Frugoli, 41, of the Bridgeport area, was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, two counts of reckless homicide and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, said Sally Daly, spokeswoman for the Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Frugoli was ordered held on $500,000 bond at a Sunday hearing at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse at 3100 S. California Ave.

About 70 friends and family members of the two men killed in the crash became upset after bond was set and raised their voices in the courtroom hallway, Cook County Sheriff’s police spokesman Steve Patterson said.

Once outside the building, the group began telling strangers the bond was a travesty and Sheriff’s police took one of the family members into custody for his own safety, Patterson said. He was released without being charged.

Frugoli was taken into custody Friday after he drove his black Lexus into a red Dodge Intrepid that broke down in the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) near the 18th Street ramp, authorities said.

Frugoli, an 18-year-department veteran, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where tests indicated his blood-alcohol level was about triple the legal limit of .08, sources said.

The officer was walking away from the crash scene when he was apprehended, police said.

A bystander, Marcus Copeland, said he tried to pull the victims from the burning Intrepid shortly before 4 a.m., but the flames were overpowering. “I couldn’t do anything,” he said.

One of the victims was Andrew Cazares, 23, of Summit, who attended Argo Community High School. Cazares worked construction and continued to live with his family in the 7700 block of West 62nd Place. Friends said he was a talented skateboarder and graphic artist.

Alexander Myles, 14, said he and a buddy were skateboarding one day when Cazares noticed their lack of skill.

“He said, ‘You guys want to learn some tricks?’” and gave the younger boys some lessons, according to Myles.

The Illinois State Police identified the other victim as Fausto Manzera, 21, of Chicago.

Manzera was a student at DePaul University, according to his friends, who said he was artistic, too. He and Cazares may have been on the way to Manzera’s father’s home in Bridgeport where Manzera stayed.

“He was just a wonderful friend. He will be truly missed,” said a friend, Claudia Godinez.

The Chicago Police Department released a statement saying Frugoli has been relieved of his police powers. In addition to the traffic investigation being conducted by the State Police, the Chicago Police Department launched a probe by its Internal Affairs Division.

Frugoli has been involved in other serious wrecks, including one not far from the scene of Friday’s fatal collision and another that injured two police officers.

Just last week, Frugoli was ordered to pay $7,100 to Joseph Cairo after a jury trial involving a 2005 accident.

Frugoli was driving a new BMW sedan that rear-ended Cairo’s Jeep Cherokee on the in-bound Dan Ryan near 31st. Cairo, 65, struck a median and suffered neck and shoulder injuries, while Frugoli went to the hospital for a head injury, records show.

Cairo’s lawyer, Benjamin Kelly of the Vrdolyak Law Group, said Frugoli gave two stories about the accident: he told the State Police at the accident scene that he did not know what happened. But in a legal deposition, Frugoli said Cairo slammed on his brakes, causing the crash. Kelly denied that Cairo caused the collision.

Both men live in the Bridgeport neighborhood near the site of their collision.

Frugoli’s other accidents include a collision near the intersection of 37th and Wallace in Bridgeport when he allegedly ran a stop sign and struck a Chicago police car, injuring two officers, records show.
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http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/04/12/updates/breaking_news/doc49e252851f4b4251588990.txt

SWAT Tactics Examined after Oakland Cop Killings

Law enforcement experts call residential entryways the "fatal funnel" _and that is where two Oakland police officers met death when they confronted a barricaded gunman, who allegedly had already killed two other officers hours earlier. The SWAT team's decision to rush an apartment rather than wait out an armed man is expected to be the subject of Special Weapons and Tactics training classes across the country, experts said.

And the Oakland Police Department said Friday that its internal investigation of the March 21 killings will include a review by outside SWAT experts.

It was the deadliest incident involving California officers since 1970.

Lawyers, police trainers and others expect the examination to determine whether police followed departmental guidelines and whether they made tactical or procedural mistakes.

Police say parolee Lovelle Mixon shot motorcycle patrolmen Mark Dunakin and John Hege with a handgun during a traffic stop, then later killed SWAT team members Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai with an assault weapon. Another SWAT officer was injured, and Mixon was killed.

Police have not said why Dunakin and Hege stopped Mixon. The two patrolmen were killed without drawing their own weapons.

After that shooting, investigators said, Mixon fled a few blocks away to a sister's apartment. An anonymous tip exposed Mixon's hiding place- and about two hours after the traffic stop the SWAT team stormed through the apartment's front door, detonating flash-bang devices.

Much of the focus outside the Oakland department has been on the SWAT team because the highly trained officers were killed while in pursuit of someone they believed already had gunned down two of their colleagues.

The department's written guidelines for resolving such situations begins with "containment" but also includes "breach and entry of objective site" among 10 options.

"In any event, a resolution will be accomplished with the utmost consideration given to the safety of citizens, police personnel and all involved parties," states the department's general orders for SWAT operations.

Police officials have said the SWAT team entered the apartment to clear and search it, but precisely what prompted their decision is unclear.

The department turned down requests to interview a SWAT team commander and Police Chief Howard Jordan.

"The whole incident is still under investigation and OPD is not releasing any details or reports," police spokesman Jeff Thomason said in an April 2 e-mail. "This is to protect the integrity of the investigation until it can be completed."

Law enforcement experts said that without knowing more about the circumstances, it is difficult to second-guess the officers' actions.

Some speculated that the SWAT team decided to enter the apartment because they feared waiting for the gunman to give up could result in more violence and harm to building occupants.

They said the officers faced one of the most dangerous scenarios in law enforcement: a gunman holed up in a residence and presumably training his sights on the entryway.

"I don't see where it was necessarily prudent for the officers to go in when they went in," said Michael Lyman, a criminal justice professor at Columbia College in Missouri, who based his comments on publicly available information. "Unless there is compelling need to go through that fatal funnel, don't do it."

Ed Nowicki, executive director of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association based in Twin Lakes, Wis., said the people inside the building always have the advantage over those outside, simply because they have more knowledge.

"It's their turf, not your turf," he said.

Nowicki said SWAT officers should avoid storming a residence unless there are strong signals that a gunman is on the verge of more violence.

"You go in pretty much as a last resort," Nowicki said. "And if you don't have to, you don't. If you can wait them out, you wait them out."

Experts widely agree that the Oakland police shootings will be one of the most widely studied cases in law enforcement training.

It will certainly alter SWAT training in some way, said Robert Stresak, a spokesman for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

"It is a watershed law enforcement moment," Stresak said. "Obviously, when four heroes are killed, something didn't go right."

Officer Ray F. Robert Refuses to be Tasered as Part of his Training Exercise

Should a sheriff be able to reassign an officer to a different, less desirable position if the officer refuses to undergo a training exercise?

What if that training exercise required the officer to receive a shock from a Taser?

And what if that officer had a note from his doctor advising against it?

Those are among the provocative questions at the center of a lawsuit filed this week by Ray F. Robert against the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.

And how those questions are answered depends greatly on whom is being asked.

Robert, who spoke with The Indianapolis Star on Wednesday, said he can't fathom being fired for basically taking his doctor's advice.

"I'd been in law enforcement for more than 31 years, and (when I was terminated), it felt like it was all for nothing," Robert, 54, said. "Just because I can't be Tased doesn't mean I can't do my job."

Robert said two doctors -- including a physician chosen by the Sheriff's Department -- advised him against being Tased. He feared the electrical jolt and ensuing muscle spasms could further injure a damaged vertebra and a metal plate in his back.

"What happens if I become paralyzed? How long is the county going to pay me?" he asked. "What would I be able to do with my life if that happens?"

But Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Carter said other officers, including a 73-year-old employee and another officer with severe back problems, each received a two-second Taser jolt with no ill effects.

"Every single person who underwent the training found value in the exposure," Carter said. "I would never put one of my officers in danger. The vast majority of Taser injuries come from falls, which is why we have the training on a mat with people holding the person (getting Tased)."

Both sides agree that after Robert refused to be shocked in December, the department offered to create a position for him at the Hamilton County Jail.

But Robert's attorney, Daniel Lapointe Kent, called the gesture inadequate.

"They offered another position with a substantial reduction in the overall compensation package, with not as many benefits," he said. "He would have to work weekends and holidays and no longer have use of a squad car."

After Robert refused the position in the jail, Carter said he had no alternative but to fire him.

The issue drew divided reaction Wednesday.

Dalia Hashad, a policy director with human rights watchdog Amnesty International, praised Robert for his refusal and chastised the sheriff's decision.

"It seems they (the Sheriff's Department) lack a strong understanding how dangerous a Taser really is," Hashad said. "Given his medical history and the two doctor's notes, it's obvious he wasn't an appropriate person to be Tased. With that attitude, I'm curious how they're using the weapon on the street. Is there anyone they think shouldn't be Tased?"

Amnesty International is a longtime critic of Taser use. The organization attributes 335 deaths from July 2001 to August 2008 to the device.

But Noblesville Police Lt. Bruce Barnes said that if an officer can't be Tased, it may raise other questions.

"You have to question if someone is fit for duty if they say they can't train for a situation that might occur in real life," said Barnes, whose department is among several in Central Indiana, including Indianapolis police, that require such training. "What happens if you're wrestling with a suspect, and he grabs your Taser (and shoots you)? If you can't perform your duties, you're putting everyone else at risk."

Lapointe Kent said Robert didn't need a Taser because he had other weapons at his disposal, such as a nightstick and his firearm. Carter, however, said Tasers have become integral tools in police officers' nonlethal arsenals.

"The presence of Tasers has quickly de-escalated many violent situations," Carter said. "In five seconds, the situation is brought under control with no injury to the person or the officer. (If you were a suspect,) would you rather be hit in the head with a nightstick or stunned with a Taser with no injuries afterward?"

Tasers temporarily incapacitate suspects by delivering five seconds of 50,000 volts of low-amperage electricity through two barbs shot into the body from up to 21 feet away.

Most training programs give officers the choice of being shot with the barbs or receiving a shorter jolt through a pair of alligator clips attached to a pant leg.

Many agencies believe it is imperative for officers to understand what a Taser shock feels like, in part so they will show restraint before using the device.

In a written statement, Taser company spokesman Steve Tuttle said fewer than 100 injuries have occurred during more than 625,000 training exposures.

Greenwood Police Chief Joe Pitcher said he has had a couple of officers with heart issues who were cleared by their doctors to be Tased.

"Their doctors told them there was no evidence that it would be harmful, so to go ahead and do it," Pitcher said. The training "gives us a good lesson that if we do have to resort to these instruments, we know how painful they are to the people we have to use them on."

"Tasers are very painful but not lethal," he said. "They are subject to abuse if you are not familiar with how painful they are."

Robert's suit, filed in federal court, alleges his constitutional rights were violated and seeks reinstatement, back wages and punitive damages.
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http://www.indystar.com

A Bunny Tale...Officer Alvin Perez Maces the Rabbit

A Denver sheriff's deputy who pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty for using Mace on a rabbit continues to oversee inmates at the Denver County Jail.

Alvin Perez, 41, was suspended for two months without pay and then was reinstated, said people familiar with the case. The date of his reinstatement was not available Monday.

A criminal complaint says that on May 28, Perez saw a rabbit near where he was standing outside the Denver County Jail during his break.

He got a can of Mace and sprayed the rabbit for no apparent reason.

Perez pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty and was sentenced in December to one year of supervised probation, a one-year suspended jail sentence and a $500 fine.

Perez declined to comment.
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Retired Officer Cecil Ramsay Shoots Other Officer then Himself

A retired New York City police officer shot an off-duty officer he suspected was having an affair with his police officer wife, then killed himself in the driveway of his suburban home, authorities said Saturday. Cecil Ramsay confronted his wife and a friend, both off-duty New York Police Department officers, when the pair arrived at the family's home Saturday morning, Suffolk County police said.

He accused Officer Edwin Chittick "of seeing his wife," Dady Belfort, said Suffolk County police Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick.

"It's our understanding that that is not the case. They're just acquaintances," Fitzpatrick said.

Chittick told Ramsay "in effect, 'I'm not here to have an argument with you,' and walks out," getting into Belfort's sport utility vehicle with her, Fitzpatrick said. Ramsay fired at least three times at the departing SUV, hitting Chittick in the hand.

He then put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger in front of several construction workers doing work on his home, Fitzpatrick said. Other family members had also been at the home with him at the time of his wife's arrival, police said.

Chestean Howard said he called 911 after hearing several gunshots in the neighborhood, then looked out his window.

"He wasn't moving," Howard told Newsday Saturday. "I thought, 'That's it. He's dead.'"

Belfort, who was not injured, drove a short distance to a hospital emergency room, where Chittick was treated for wounds that were not life-threatening.

The SUV - its front passenger-side window shattered and driver and passenger seats smeared with blood - was on the grounds of the hospital for several hours Saturday.

Outside the home about 40 miles east of New York City, a body covered by a yellow tarp lay in the driveway for hours Saturday morning under a steady rain before it was removed on a gurney.

Ramsay, 51, had been ill with heart problems and was awaiting a heart transplant, Fitzpatrick said.

A 2007 article about Belfort in the Congressional Record said she has been an officer since 1989 and was promoted to detective in 2005. She was pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice at the time and has three children with Ramsay, according to the profile.

New York City police wouldn't comment on the shootings or give information about the officers, referring all questions to Long Island authorities.

Officer Joseph Frugoli Charged with Reckless Homicide

A veteran Chicago police officer charged in the drunk driving deaths of two men has been released from the hospital into police custody.

Joseph Frugoli has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. He also faces one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death.

The Chicago police detective is set to appear in bond court Sunday. Investigators say he caused the crash that claimed the lives of two promising young men: 21-year-old Fausto Manzera and Andrew Cazares, 23.

Detective Frugoli turned away from cameras Saturday as he was released from the hospital and into police custody, one day after investigators say he caused a fiery early morning crash that claimed the lives of the two men.

Frugoli's attorney. Greg Smith, accompanied by an unidentified man, left court Saturday afternoon after a bond hearing for his client was rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday because there was a delay in formally processing the 41-year-old veteran police officer.

Disappointed family and friends of one of the men killed also left court with little to say Saturday.

"We have no comments," said Manzera family spokesperson Michael Rihani said when asked if he was disappointed that justice had been delayed.

Relatives and friends continued to gather at the home of Manzera Saturday afternoon. The DePaul University marketing student was the passenger in the vehicle of his best friend when the accident happened.

Friend Patrick O'Malley has known Manzera since they graduated high school together in 2006.

"It was a shame what happened. He was a great kid. He was really artistic, outgoing, always happy and fun to be around," said O'Malley.

Investigators say Frugoli was off-duty and had a blood alcohol content three-times the legal limit when he slammed into the disabled Dodge intrepid driven by Andrew Cazares. Cazares's vehicle was stopped in the right lane on the outbound Dan Ryan expressway near 18th Street, possibly with a flat tire, when Frugoli's black Lexus SUV rear-ended the car, which then burst into flames.

Some who knew Cazares said, after some tough years as a teen, he was turning his life around.

"He told me he had been doing good for a whole year. He said he was picking himself up," said neighbor Sterling Pfizer.

While the two men died, officers say Frugoli fled, walking away from the crash. However, he was arrested a few blocks away.

Colleagues of the 18-year police officer describe him as a good cop who loved his job. Frugoli's neighbors remain shocked.

"He seems like a nice guy. His mom and dad just passed away. He's a good neighbor. I can't say anything bad about him," said one unidentified neighbor.

Published reports indicate the recent crash is the most serious traffic incident for Frugoli. The Chicago Tribune reports Frugoli was cited in at least three traffic incidents dating back to 1990, the most similar to Friday's crash being a January 2005 accident on the Ryan expressway. In that case, a civil court judge reportedly ordered Frugoli to pay $7,000 in damages, after he struck a 61-year-old man's car from behind and pushed it into a median wall.

In all the accidents, tickets issued to Frugoli were either dropped or thrown out.
Detective Frugoli has been stripped of his police powers.

Sgt. Jeff Cotton Indicted for Shooting Civilian

The Bellaire police sergeant charged in the shooting of a civilian that raised accusations of racial profiling was shocked by his indictment and maintains that he “in no way is a racist,” a spokesman for his lawyer said Tuesday.

A grand jury on Monday indicted Sgt. Jeff Cotton, who is white, in the Dec. 31 shooting of a black man in the driveway of his own home near a vehicle that Cotton mistakenly believed was stolen. The shooting prompted allegations that Cotton’s actions were racially motivated and ignited concerns about the treatment of minorities in Bellaire.

Cotton’s representatives, offering his perspective for the first time Tuesday, said race played no role in the encounter.

“Sgt. Cotton did what any prudent officer would have done in the same circumstances,” said David Donahue, an assistant to attorney Paul Aman. “This was a split-second decision and he is not a racial profiler.”

Cotton, 39, stands charged with first-degree aggravated assault by a public servant. He turned himself in Monday night and is free on a $20,000 bail.

Since 2004, five local officers have faced charges after incidents ranging from questionable use of a Taser to the fatal shooting of an unarmed teen. Prosecutors won a conviction against only one, Arthur Carbonneau, who killed 14-year-old Eli Escobar in November 2003.

Cotton’s case will be the first test of new District Attorney Pat Lykos’ police integrity division. The prosecutor who led investigations into law officers before Lykos’ arrival, Joe Owmby, left the office in December.

The incident that led to Cotton’s indictment began shortly after 2 a.m. Dec. 31. Robert Tolan, a 23-year-old former Bellaire High School baseball player who has tried to play professionally, drove toward his parents’ home after getting off of work at a restaurant.

An officer ran the plates on Tolan’s Nissan Xterra but pulled up the wrong information, leading him to believe the car was stolen. Several officers approached Tolan and his cousin as they got out of the SUV, ordering them to the ground.

Tolan’s family came outside and tried to convince officers of their mistake. During the exchange, Tolan’s mother was pushed against a wall. When Tolan rose to protest, Cotton fired several times, striking him once in the chest.

A grand jury began hearing testimony about the incident last week. Cotton spoke to them for two hours.

“He felt positive,” Donahue said of Cotton. “He was quite shocked the grand jury even came up with the conclusion to indict him.”

Cotton’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 17. The Bellaire Police Department’s own investigation is ongoing, and Cotton remains suspended with pay.

Phoenix Police Raid Bloggers Home

In what should send a frightening chill down the spine of every blogger, writer, journalist and First Amendment advocate in the United States, Phoenix police raided the home of a blogger who has been highly critical of the department.

Jeff Pataky, who runs Bad Phoenix Cops, said the officers confiscated three computers, routers, modems, hard drives, memory cards and everything necessary to continue blogging.

The 41-year-old software engineer said they also confiscated numerous personal files and documents relating to a pending lawsuit he has against the department alleging harassment - which he says makes it obvious the raid was an act of retaliation.

Maricopa County Judge Gary Donahoe signed the search warrant that allowed at least ten cops to raid his home in North Phoenix on March 12 while handcuffing his female roommate for three hours as they tore the place apart.

Pataky, who was out of town on a business trip during the raid, also believes police were retaliating against him for the content of his blog, much of it which comes from inside sources within the department.

“They broke into my safe and took the backups of my backups,” he said in a phone interview with Photography is Not a Crime on Wednesday.

“I can’t even file my taxes because all my business plans are gone. They took everything.”

The search warrant lists “petty theft” and “computer tampering with the intent to harass” as probable causes. He has yet to see an actual affidavit that lists in detail the probable cause and is skeptical that one even exists.

“They say everything has been sealed,” he said.

The conflict between Pataky and the Phoenix Police Department began two years ago during “a nasty divorce” after moving out of the house he had shared with his wife. His said she was not taking the divorce too well and began filing false allegations against him accusing him of stalking and harassing her.

Many of the reports she filed accused him of doing things when he was out of town, he said.

So he began filing complaints with everybody from Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon down to Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris to no avail. He was eventually indicted for harassing his ex-wife.

A month before the trial, he and a few friends launched the website as a rant against the police department. When he went to trial in May 2008, his charges were immediately dismissed because of lack of evidence, he said.

“We were going to shut down the website after that but then all of a sudden all these good cops started hitting the site and sending us tips,” he said.

He said they would also deliver all kinds of internal documents from within the department exposing everything from a cop with multiple DUIs to another cop whose son was a child molester and was trying to get on the force (and was eventually arrested).

“We have about 50 to 100 retired and active cops who provide us information,” he said.

Police apparently believe one of the tipsters is an officer named David Barnes, who fell out of favor with the department in 2007 when he was a detective and went public with claims of mismanaged evidence at the city crime lab.

Police also raided Barnes’ home and according to Pataky’s inside sources, plan to raid the homes of more cops.

Police have been extremely vague about the nature of the raids, according to the arizona republic.

Police officials said Wednesday that a Phoenix detective prompted the investigation after complaining about harassment, though they declined further comment…

Phoenix Assistant Chief Andy Anderson said the harassment case is unique because of the connection to an unaccredited grassroots Web site. He said the blog is one part of the case, though he did not provide specifics of the ongoing investigation.

“This isn’t about the blog,” Anderson said. “That’s just where the investigation led.”


The allegation of “petty theft” against Pataky stem from photos he posted on his blog of police name plates that appear to have been taken from within the department. He said he actually made the plates himself.

The allegation of “computer tampering with the intent to harass” obviously has to do with his no holds barred criticism of the department.

Pataky, who has since purchased a new laptop, is taking the raid in stride and has added it to the allegations in his pending lawsuit.

And he has not let it stop him from blogging.

“They thought they were going to scare us into a corner but they just made us stronger.”
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http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=26697

New School Occupation: What The Fuck Happened Friday Morning?

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED FRIDAY MORNING?

That's the question on just about every New School student's mind right now. Too make a long story short what happened was a peaceful act of civil disobedience and reclaimation of space was violently evicted by the NYPD in cooperation with the New School administration. But here's the full story:

5:00 AM: About 60 Students enter 65 5th Avenue. No property was destroyed in the process. Students begin to lock doors and barricade themselves in the building.

5:30: Two maintainence individuals in the building were asked to leave. One individual who the students believe was another maintainence employee attempted to open a door from the outside as the building was being barricaded, students pull the door shut and the individual's leg was momentarily accidently caught in the door in the process. His leg was not injured, he did not need to be hospitalized.

5:45: Police arrive

6:00: More police arrive and they work out their gameplan with New School security and Linda Reimer. Police use Fanton hall as a planning area.

6:30: A picket begins in front of the building, but is shut down by police move supporters from corner to corner. One officer is heard to say "get them as far back as possible." Media begins to arrive

7:00: More supporters are arriving only to be constantly dispersed by police.

7:30: Student representives of the "Advisory Committee on Free Speech Activities" set up to determine what should happen in just such an instance as this attempt to meet with Linda Reimer. Linda Reimer refuses to meet with them, saying that this is "the big time." Predictabally, this committee is revealed to be a sham. The administration calls the shots, not the students
The student occupiers appear on the roof and start giving speeches.

8:30: Supporters continue to be pushed away from 5th Avenue. Kerrey releases a statement that he "no longer considers [the protesters] students." This despite the statement in the University's 'Guidelines for Demonstrations at University Facilities' that states: "The Code of Conduct indicates that when members of the university community are alleged to have committed violations, 'they will be accorded the due process to which they are entitled. Members of the university community are granted a fair hearing: they are fully advised of any charges against them, they are afforded ample opportunity to respond to accusations, and they are given a clear explanation of the right to an appeal.'"

9:00: Many police are showing up now. It becomes clear there is going to be a raid. Police appear on the roof of the building.

10:30: The occupiers attempt to leave peacefully out of a door on 14th street. Cops slam the doors closed and spray pepper-spray at the students. This incredible incident was captured on video and can be viewed on the New York Times webpage. Supporters, including at least one New School student, apprently vocally shaming the police for their brutality, and beaten up, pepper-sprayed, and arrested.

11:00: There are hundreds of police now. The entire area is shut down. Helicopters circle in the sky. Confused spectators think this is some kind of bomb threat. Police throw tear gas into the building, presumably to move the students towards the first floor.

11:30: 19 are arrested from within the occupation. The rest presumably escaped safely sometime throughout the morning. Police begin to get rough with spectators outraged by the absurd excessive force and brutality they have witnessed.

12:00: The arrested students are brought to central booking. Shock begins to spread with the rumors of beatings and teargas.

12:40: Bob Kerrey releases a message wiping his hands clean of the situation and justifying the police intervention by fabricating an incident where a security guard had been injured. Upon talking to security guards, students discover that this a complete lie, no security guard has been involved in any physical altercation with protesters throughout the morning. It appears Kerrey purposefully twisted the incident at 5:30 AM to justify the use of violence.

After this, things begin to settle down. Legal aid goes to central booking, a support rally is called for Union Square at 10PM.

How can we make sense of what happened here? The president of the New School authorized the use of teargas and pepper-spray against his own students. When he realizes what a disgrace he has caused he invents a story to justify it. As word spreads from student to student rage about how this action was handled reaches a fury. Videos surface of the brutality. People's friends and classmates are in jail.

This has to be the last straw. Bob Kerrey, the students who were ambivlent towards you before certainly fucking hate you now. You gassed our friends, you locked them up. You will never be able to walk through your campus again. We need to get this violent fucker out of our school now in solidarity with the beaten and choked students sitting in jail. Write Bob Kerrey and tell him how disgusted you are, write the Free Press, write the board of trustees, student senators, deans, administrators, anyone you can. Kerrey needs to understand what a disgrace his handling of this event was for our university.
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http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2009/04/104645.shtml

Officer Jionta L Gary Arrested for Assaulting Girlfriend

Cleveland

A Cleveland Police Officer has been arrest for felonious assault after police say he assaulted and threatened his live-in girlfriend following an argument in the home they share.

According to Cleveland Police Lt. Thomas Stacho, internal affairs detectives arrested 23-year old Cleveland Police Officer Jionta L. Gary on Thursday.

Gary, who has been with Cleveland P.D. since October, 2007, was charged on Friday with one count of felonious assault. Prosecutors say Gary allegedly battered the victim so severely that she suffered a fractured orbital bone. The alleged victim is being treated at MetroHealth Medical Center.

According to the victim, Gary then threatened to kill her if she reported the assault to police. He was arrested after reporting for work at the 2nd District Police Headquarters yesterday afternoon and is being held in Cleveland City Jail.

Gary will be suspended from duty without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case against him.

Cpl Jason King Accused of Hitting Man laying on Ground

An internal police investigation alleges that a city officer should be suspended from the force after he repeatedly hit a man as he lay unresisting in the street.

Cpl. Jason King has been accused of conduct unbecoming of an officer because of the attack and allegations that he falsified a police report in an effort to cover up the incident.

According to a letter outlining the allegations, written by Police Chief Darryl Boykins and addressed to the Board of Public Safety, King is accused of attacking Skee Katlun after a high-speed car chase on the city’s southwest side on the evening of Feb. 14.

In King’s police report, he writes that Katlun left the car and took a defensive stance, forcing King to hit him. A video recorded at the scene from a police cruiser, however, allegedly shows Katlun dropping face down on the ground, with his arms and legs spread.

Boykins’ letter, written after an internal investigation, said King began to repeatedly hit Katlun, using his right fist to deliver blows to Katlun’s head and back.

King’s police report states that Katlun struggled with officers and attempted to kick them.

But Boykins said the video shows that Katlun, now handcuffed and held by Patrolman David Klein and Sgt. Joseph Leszczynski, showed no signs of aggression as King pinned his leg back toward his buttock.

Those allegations, which Boykins said violate the department’s duty manual and constitute “duty unbecoming of an officer,” will be heard Wednesday, when the Board of Public Safety holds a special meeting to discuss the charges.

Boykins has requested that King, who has been working on “light duty” for several weeks, be suspended from the force, without pay, for 30 days. He also recommended that King be demoted from corporal to patrolman for one year.

Capt. Phil Trent, South Bend police spokesman, said King has been on “light duty” because of a medical condition and not because of the allegations. Light duty typically requires officers to do work inside the police station that does not include contact with the public.

Katlun, who has a criminal history including time in prison for theft, resisting law enforcement and drug possession, remains in jail on charges stemming from the February incident.

Court and police records do not indicate the extent of Katlun’s injuries, if any, from the incident. A relative contacted by The Tribune said Katlun said he had been in the jail’s infirmary, but county officials were unavailable to provide confirmation of that or a jail mug shot of Katlun on Thursday.

The charges

Katlun has been charged with resisting law enforcement and criminal confinement.

According to court documents, King spotted Katlun driving in a stolen car about 6 p.m. Feb. 14.

King, with lights activated, pursued Katlun, who allegedly ran several red lights and stop signs before forcing a police car off the road and crashing his car against a curb.

The criminal confinement charge stems from the accusations of a woman in Katlun’s car, who says she begged him to stop.

Trent said the investigation into the incident didn’t begin with a complaint, but with the routine review of police video footage.

He said police routinely review footage from high-speed pursuits or uses of force, as a way to ensure that proper procedures are followed.

The other two officers involved are not under investigation, Trent said.

Other incidents

King — who won the Chief’s Award of Valor in 2005 for attempting to pull a man out of a burning vehicle — has had physical altercations with suspects before.

In June 2006, King was hospitalized with a broken hand and cuts to his face after fighting a man while reportedly breaking up an alleged drug exchange.

In November 2006, King shot and killed 25-year-old Joseph Hanrath in the yard of a home in the 1900 block of South Vernon Street.

King shot Hanrath in the chest after the two began fighting. Hanrath grabbed King in a “military hold,” authorities said, forcing the officer to shoot from close range.

An investigation by the St. Joseph County Homicide Unit later declared the shooting justifiable.

In December 2007, King was critically injured in a traffic accident after his patrol car collided with that of another officer while responding to a burglary alarm. King reportedly fractured two vertebra in his neck and spent several days in the hospital before returning to the force several weeks later.

Officer Brian Adams Arrested for Tasering his Brother

A South Carolina police officer has been fired and faces a criminal charge after authorities say he used his department-issued Taser to attack his older brother.

Kershaw County deputies say 35-year-old Brian Adams has been charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

Authorities say Adams' brother came to the officer's home in Lugoff to pick up his four kids Tuesday when the brothers started arguing and Adams fired his Taser while the children watched.

Forest Acres Police Chief Gene Sealy says Adams was fired Wednesday after working for the force since 2000.

A number for Adams was not published and a message left at the Kershaw County jail was not immediately returned.
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http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/04/09/20090409police-taser0409-ON.html

15-Year-Old Teen Dies After Being Tasered by Warren Police

A 15-year-old male who ran from police died after an officer used an electronic stun gun on him during a confrontation, Warren police said today.

The teen, whose name isn't being released because he is a minor, died about an hour after officers tried to pull over the vehicle he was riding in because of an expired license plate, said Deputy Commissioner Gere Green.

"For some unknown reason, he ran. He bolted across 8 Mile" into Detroit's east side, Green said.

Officers chased the teen south on Pelkey into an abandoned home, Green said. The teen resisted and got into a physical altercation with the officers, he said.

"He was Tasered once by one of our officers," Green said. "After that, he became unresponsive."

Officers administered CPR and the teen was rushed to Henry Ford Macomb Hospital's Warren campus, where he died at 10:17 a.m.

"It just turned bad, fast," Green said. "It's a sad situation."

Green said of the four officers at the scene, two have been placed on administrative leave because they are emotionally shaken by the incident.

Family members told police that the teen had some medical issues. An autopsy is being conducted by the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office this weekend to determine the exact cause of death.

Green said the teen had no outstanding warrants or other issues that explained why he ran when pulled over. Two other young adults in the car were reportedly cooperative.

Detroit Police spokesman James Tate earlier today said his department would handle the death investigation. Green said that investigation instead will be handled by Macomb officials.
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Other information: http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2009/4-8-09/Warren-teen-dies-Taser.asp
http://www.freep.com/article/20090410/NEWS01/90410046/1003/NEWS01/Teen+dies+after+Warren+police+use+Taser

Randy Huffman Files Brutality Lawsuit Against Bradley Police Department

Randy Huffman of Bourbonnais filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Bradley Police Department and an off-duty Bourbonnais police detective alleging he was the victim of police brutality.

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For the rest of the story please click on this link:

http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=438389

Lansing Officer Accused of Using Excessive Force

A Lansing police officer is accused of using excessive force. A Lansing couple filed a complaint with the police department about an incident that happened Sunday at the Richwood apartment complex in Lansing. Raymond Gee is a 62-year-old man who lives in the apartment complex. He says he was sitting Sunday when a police officer asked him to move his car.

I said yeah as soon as my friend comes out.

He says the officer asked him again, and again, but he refused to move, and he says that's when the officer crossed the line.

Raymond Gee, filed a complaint against officer: "Next thing I'm getting hit in the neck and then next thing I turn my head towards him I get sprayed."

So Raymond's wife, Maryann, says she came outside and started arguing with the officer.

Maryann Gee, filed a complaint against officer: "I started walking away, he comes behind me and grabs me, pulls me down to the ground, puts the cuffs on me and he maced me."

Noel Garcia, Lansing Police Department: "The officer struggled in trying to get both of the Gees under arrest. Pepper spray was used and a taser was deployed."

Police say the officer reported the need to use force during the arrest, but the Gees say he went too far. Maryann's arm is in a sling and Raymond has cuts on his wrist and face. They filed a complaint with the Lansing Police Department. The department is investigating the incident.

Noel Garcia: "That process is interviewing a number of people that were witnesses."

We spoke to two people who say they saw everything, but tell different stories.

Doris Williams, witness: "I think he acted appropriately and I think he done his job to the best of his ability."

David Bosse, witness: "The cop started it. I mean, Raymond didn't do nothing."

So who was in the wrong? It's now up to those investigating the incident to decide. The Gees are both charged with resisting arrest and obstructing an officer. They will be back in court next week.
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http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/42781942.html

Officer Vonquita Tobias Arrested for Shooting Acquaintance

An off-duty Jackson police officer reportedly shot an acquaintance this evening at an apartment complex on Ridgewood Road and was arrested.

Precinct 2 officer Vonquita Tobias “was allegedly defending herself from attack during the course of a domestic dispute when she shot 31-year-old Terry Kaho in the foot,” JPD spokesman Lt. Jeffery Scott said in a news release.

The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. at Parham Pointe Apartments.

Kaho was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His injury was not considered life-threatening.

Tobias was arrested and charged with domestic violence and taken to the Hinds County Detention Center, police said.

Kaho will also be arrested on a domestic violence charge on his release from the hospital, police said.

No further information was immediately available.

Detective Marcus Lemaire Arrested for Drunk Driving

A Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Detective who was arrested over the weekend on drunk driving charges is back on the job pending an internal affairs investigation.

Detective Marcus Lemaire was stopped Sunday Night after a State Trooper reportedly noticed he was swerving on Highway 167 South of the Mall of Acadiana.

Detective Lemaire, who was off duty at the time, reportedly refused the field sobriety test and was charged with DWI.

Lemaire has enjoyed a spotless reputation. In fact in April of last year Lamaire was named Deputy of the Year at the annual Crime Stoppers banquet.
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http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=10160572

Corrections Officer Matthew Hagen Arrested for Chasing Deer with His Truck

A Nebraska corrections officer was arrested Thursday after being found chasing a deer in his pickup truck through a cornfield in an Omaha park.

Matthew Hagen, 25, was found shortly after midnight in his truck at the Chalco Hills Recreation area, according to the Sarpy County Sheriff's Department.

Police responded to a call reporting a pickup truck crashing into the park's security gate, and police were also told the truck had been seen chasing a deer in the cornfield, KPTM.com reported.

A 10-minute high-speed chase ensued after a Nebraska State Patrol trooper tried to stop Hagen's pickup, but he refused. He resisted, but was arrested after a brief struggle, KPTM.com reported.

Hagen was arrested on several charges including: attempting to assault an officer, resisting arrest, flight to avoid arrest felony, willful reckless driving, driving while intoxicated and criminal mischief over $1,500.

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http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=10157883

Former Probation Officer Arrested for Cocaine Possession

A former juvenile probation officer has been arrested after Jasper County deputies say they discovered pieces of a crack cocaine 'cookie' in his pockets following a traffic stop.

Richard Lynn Donald, 65, was arrested after investigators say they found pieces of a crack cocaine cookie in his shirt and pants pockets, according to Chief Deputy Ralph Nichols.

Nichols tells KFDM News investigators stopped Donald for a traffic violation Monday night in Evadale.

They found the crack cocaine during the stop.

Nichols says the cocaine is worth as much as $2,000.

Donald was a juvenile probation officer in Hardin County. He was fired in 2006 after about one year on the job, according to the director of that department, Monica Kelley, told KFDM News she couldn't get into details about Donald's termination.

Donald is behind bars at the Jasper County Jail on $15,000 bond.
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http://www.kfdm.com/news/donald_31033___article.html/cocaine_crack.html

Officer Troy Guthman Accused of Sexual Misconduct with 16-year-old

The Ladysmith Police and Fire Commission will meet in closed session on Wednesday this week to review allegations that a 10-year veteran of the city's police department sent inappropriate text messages of a sexual nature to a 16-year-old high school girl.

Police Chief Dean Meyer said patrol officer Troy Guthman has been suspended with pay pending an investigation. Meyer added the allegations involve possible off-duty conduct and are not work-related.

"Troy is suspended pending the outcome of the internal investigation," Meyer said. "Nothing we found was on-duty conduct."

Guthman allegedly sent at least three text messages using his personal cell phone to the Ladysmith High School girl, according to Meyer. He said the girl reported the text messages to a school guidance counselor, who informed officials.

He declined to state what the messages said.

Meyer said the department has policies and procedures dictating both on and off-duty conduct for its officers. He also said possible discipline facing Guthman includes additional suspension without pay and termination.

The allegations against Guthman were included in a motion filed last week in Rusk County Circuit Court by the attorney for Peter J. Ollinger, who was scheduled for a jury trial April 21-23 on four counts of alleged sexual misconduct. Both Guthman and the girl he had text messaged were scheduled to testify as witnesses in the trial.

Ollinger's attorney Carol A. Conklin questioned Guthman's credibility as a witness in the trial. She filed a motion in circuit court last week alleging any testimony by Guthman "may be biased if allegations against him are valid.

Conklin also stated in the motion that "Guthman's credibility is at issue if the allegations against him are valid." She also requested access to Guthman's personnel file including any and all school records, notes, e-mails and memos.

In the motion, Conklin said "On April 1, 2009, Guthman is currently suspended due to allegations he has been sending text messages of a sexual nature to [the girl]."

The girl is identified only by her three initials in the motion.

A verbal motion made last Thursday by Rusk County District Attorney Kathy Pakes in circuit court to dismiss the charges against Ollinger, 29, was granted without prejudice. Charges could be filed against Ollinger again in the future, but currently all charges against Ollinger in this case have been dismissed, they have not been proven and he is presumed innocent.

Meyer, who will present evidence to the commission in closed session about Guthman's text message contacts with the girl, said the Ollinger case and the Guthman investigation are not connected other than the officer and the girl were both scheduled to testify during the Ollinger trial.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-textmessages-witn,0,1801948.story

Sgt. Glenn Alan Criswell Arrested for Battery

A Butler University police officer has been assigned to administrative duties after his arrest on battery charges.

Sgt. Glenn Alan Criswell was arrested by Henry County Sheriff's Department deputies on Saturday.

Criswell's ex-girlfriend told police that he had restrained her and that he took her cell phone when she tried to call 911. She said Criswell had been stalking her and had stolen her dog.

Criswell was preliminarily charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery and one count of interfering with reporting a crime.

Butler police officials said the department is conducting its own investigation into the incident.

Medina Officer Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman Asks to Dismiss Case

A Medina police officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman he arrested on a traffic stop sent three e-mails to city prosecutors asking them to dismiss the case against her, according to court documents.

Issaquah police are investigating whether the officer raped the woman after asking her on a date and taking her to his home a few weeks after the traffic stop on State Route 520. She was cited for a suspended license and small amount of marijuana.

The investigation is ongoing and the case had not been referred to the prosecutor's office, spokesman Dan Donohoe said Wednesday.

The officer is a 4-year veteran of the suburban police department, Police Chief Jeff Chen said. He has been placed on administrative leave.

The woman was pulled over Nov. 23. The officer handcuffed her and placed her in his patrol car while he searched her vehicle, where he found the marijuana, according to a search warrant affidavit.

He mentioned that she was attractive and told her not to worry about the charges. The next morning, the officer called her and asked her out. They agreed to meet the following Friday, court documents say.

The officer also sent three e-mails to the prosecutor, requesting the case be dismissed for evidence reasons.

"In almost 4 years, I don't think I've ever asked you guys to dismiss charges, and I don't plan on making a habit of it, but can we dismiss the charges in this case? I wouldn't even feel right going to court and testifying in this case," court documents say the officer wrote.

The case was dismissed on Feb. 9. The officer sent another e-mail to Medina's evidence custodian instructing her not to send the marijuana to the state crime lab because the case had been dropped, court documents say.

In March, a sheriff's detective was investigating a separate allegation that the woman's boyfriend had sexually assaulted her. The detective overheard on the phone as her boyfriend said "she didn't report that cop for raping her," according to court documents.

The detective questioned the woman, who named the Medina officer. The woman said she met him at Joker Pub and Grill in Issaquah, where he said he would provide her with a letter to give the court. The officer told her again that he was attracted to her and invited her back to his home in the Issaquah Highlands.

She said that she told him she wouldn't have sex on the first date, but that during a "tour" of his home, he pushed her onto his bed, held her hands above her head and raped her, according to court documents.

"She didn't know what to do because was a cop," an Issaquah police detective wrote in an affidavit.

During the date, he poured her a drink and told her people feared police officers because "they have power and authority, and a gun and a badge." He put his gun on the table, which she felt was intended to intimidate her, court documents say.

Police found nine phone calls from the officer's cell phone to the woman's phone between November and February, court documents say.

Medina, a wealthy Eastside suburb along Lake Washington, has seven officers, according to the city's Web site.

Chen, the police chief, fired a rookie officer in November 2007 after learning the officer had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl whom he met online. She had e-mailed him naked photos of herself. Sexually-explicit photos of anyone under 18 are illegal under child pornography laws.
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http://www.seattlepi.com/local/404984_Medina9.html

Chief Oly Ivy Arrested for Tasering His Wife

Just as soon as a small Leon County town hired its first police chief, the job was once again open. Chief Oly Ivy was placed behind bars on Monday.

It took some adjusting when Oakwood started its own police force; just ask around the Midway Service Station.

"The speed limit's 40 mph,” said Pat Brown. “Sit here and watch. Whoom! They drive like it's a freeway through here."

Chief Ivy, Oakwood's one-man police force, patrolled Highway 79.

The Buffalo Press photographed his swearing-in in February. Only one month later, the sheriff's office snapped his mug shot. They arrested the 30-year-old policeman on Monday for domestic violence.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office said Ivy allegedly Tasered his wife multiple times using his city-issued weapon on Sunday.

When the mayor and City Council found out about it Monday, they met in emergency session and voted unanimously to fire the chief — essentially the city's entire paid police force.

For Councilman David Neel, it was a no-brainer. "I know you're innocent until you're proven guilty, but with the circumstances that they are and the fact he was still under his 90-day probation, we felt like this was the best thing to do with the mitigating circumstances we've got here." he said.

A $100,000 bond was set for Ivy's felony charge of aggravated assault.

Besides sitting on city council and owning the local Chevrolet dealership, Neel now plans to patrol the town of 471 until a new chief is hired.

Two reserve officers have been asked to volunteer more.

But speeds on Highway 79 will likely go unchecked; Oakwood's only squad car is now locked up behind City Hall.
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More Information: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6364297.html
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090407_mo_chiefarrest.b28c3ad4.html

Veteran Officer Files Lawsuit Against Police Chief

A veteran Henrico County police officer has filed a lawsuit alleging that the county's police chief, top prosecutor and other law-enforcement officials conspired to ruin his reputation and intentionally damage his career and emotional well-being.

Filed in August, and volatile enough to prompt the recusal of eight circuit judges, the suit by demoted narcotics investigator William G. "Trip" Hueston III seeks $1.06 million in damages.

Hueston, a 13-year-veteran officer, could see a quick end to a case with a long history.

A specially appointed judge is scheduled to hear defense arguments next month that Hueston's lawyers waited too long to file the case and that it should be dismissed.

Hueston, 37, claims that Henrico Police Chief Henry W. Stanley Jr., Commonwealth's Attorney Wade A. Kizer and others falsely accused him of jury tampering and arranged to demote him after Hueston was reinstated after a grievance proceeding. He had been fired.

He has been assigned to the police department's property room since returning to work in August 2006 but has been stripped of his law-enforcement duties, including arrest powers and off-duty police work, the suit alleges.

Forbidden from wearing his police uniform in public, Hueston alleges that Kizer declined to prosecute any case in which Hueston was the chief complainant and arresting officer.

Hueston is described in the suit as a veteran officer decorated for bravery who had no prior history of disciplinary actions against him.

In defense motions scheduled for a hearing May 5, lawyers for Stanley, Kizer, two Henrico police captains and a sergeant argue that time set by law for Hueston to seek damages in the case had expired when the suit was filed in August. And Kizer's lawyer argues additionally that he is immune from civil actions that arise from his official acts as commonwealth's attorney.

Kizer said in a written statement that the role of the commonwealth's attorney "is to decide which cases are prosecuted and which are not.

"I believe the citizens of Henrico County expect the commonwealth's attorney to make decisions independently based upon all of the facts," he continued. "The pleadings filed to date in this lawsuit contain only the plaintiff's allegations. There are many important facts that are not mentioned in the plaintiff's pleadings."

Kizer would not elaborate or provide further detail.

Stanley and the three other defendants, either individually or through a police department spokesman, have referred questions about the case to their attorneys, who have declined to comment or did not return phone calls.

Even the Henrico Fraternal Order of Police declined to comment. "I may be called as a witness," explained Sgt. Shawn Maxwell.

The suit is being heard in Hanover County because Hueston lives there.

The Virginia Supreme Court's chief justice, Leroy R. Hassell Sr., in December ordered retired Judge Jay T. Swett of Albemarle County Circuit Court to hear the case because all eight circuit judges in the 15th Judicial Circuit, which includes Hanover, recused themselves without explanation. The circuit does not include Henrico courts.

Hueston, according to the suit, is being falsely accused of and improperly punished for attempting to influence a grand jury in a drug-related case four years ago. Hueston allegedly sought to interfere in efforts to have a defendant charged with a felony, preferring a misdemeanor charge.

Henrico court records and Hueston's suit identify the defendant as Curtis Armstead Sr. of the Fredericksburg area. He was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, a felony, and sentenced in April 2007 to five years in prison, according to court records. All but two months were suspended.

Armstead was arrested May 6, 2006, on a misdemeanor concealed weapon charge and a felony weapons possession charge.

The suit contains no explanation for why Hueston allegedly wanted to reduce the charge: He did not make the arrest, did not appear before a grand jury, and apparently did not testify in court.

Joseph P. Smith III, one of Hueston's lawyers, declined to answer questions about specifics in the case except to say, "The pleadings speak for themselves."

. . .

Allegations in the 14-page lawsuit lay out actions that Hueston says were aimed at him -- from what he claimed were "sham" polygraph examinations he was directed to take, to a failure to recognize internal investigations that found no wrongdoing by Hueston, and finally to Hueston's demotion to a clerk in the police property room.

A central allegation is that Kizer, in May 2006, sent Stanley a letter "maliciously and falsely accusing Hueston of improperly trying to influence the grand jury" in the Armstead case and accusing Hueston of "attempting to have [another police officer] lie under oath."

Kizer, according to the suit, has declined to withdraw the letter in the face of findings exonerating Hueston and has refused to prosecute any crime in which Hueston was the complaining witness.

Hueston alleges in the suit that after his conduct was cleared by an internal investigation, a criminal investigation began, prompted by Kizer and Stanley.

The criminal investigation was carried out by an officer known to have a long-standing acrimonious relationship with Hueston, according to the suit.

Two fellow officers close to Hueston secretly recorded their interviews with the criminal investigator, defendant Sgt. George S. Russell Jr., and can show through the recordings that Russell falsified his report about Hueston, according to the suit. Russell's negative findings, although known to be false, were forwarded to Kizer in March 2006, the suit alleges.

Hueston was terminated from his job in June 2006 but contested it through the county's grievance procedure. On July 31, 2006, County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett ordered Hueston returned to duty.

Stanley, though, "arbitrarily and maliciously assigned him to a low-level clerical job," according to the lawsuit. Hazelett, in a subsequent grievance action, upheld the police chief regarding the job shift.

Hueston is alleging a long list of emotional and physical problems and says he has lost income and opportunities for advancement.

Deputy Joel Arnold Arrested for Domestic Violence

A Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Deputy arrested after allegedly choking and threatening to kill his girlfriend, then damaging the cruiser of a police officer who responded to the woman's call for help, has been suspended from his job with pay, county Sheriff Mike Lewis said Monday.

Joel Arnold also was hospitalized for treatment of an unknown injury, although a Salisbury Police Department report on a domestic dispute early Sunday said Arnold accidentally fell down a flight of steps during an altercation at the couple's residence on Canvasback Court.

The 32-year-old Arnold also cracked or bent a visor on the passenger side of a police cruiser that had arrived at the scene about 6 a.m., according to the SPD report.

The Salisbury Police Department is investigating the criminal case that charges Arnold with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment and malicious destruction of property at or over $500, according to the SPD.

The county Sheriff's Office also is conducting an internal probe of the alleged incident, Lewis said.

"We are working cooperatively with the Salisbury Police Department in the criminal investigation," the Sheriff said late Monday, "and we are conducting a concurrent internal investigation, as it is also a personnel matter."

A telephone conversation between Arnold and his estranged wife triggered an argument between him and his girlfriend, Joy Powell, with whom the suspect shared the Canvasback Court residence, according to the SPD. The argument preceded the alleged assault and verbal threat on Powell, reports said.

According to police accounts, Powell awakened at about 4 a.m. Sunday to overhear Arnold on the phone "yelling and arguing" with a person he told his girlfriend was his wife. Moments later, Powell and Arnold began arguing, and when he "became extremely angry," she reached for a cell phone to call police, the victim told authorities.

"As she was dialing the number, Arnold grabbed her by the neck with two hands and began choking her while pressing her up against the wall," according to a summary of a statement Powell gave police.

The victim said that Arnold then pressed something against her throat, "cutting off the airway and yelling, 'I'm going to kill you,' " according to a police report.

The victim told police that she escaped, but was unsuccessful in an attempt to flee through the front door, saying Arnold "ran past her and prevented her from leaving ... by shutting the door and locking it, utilizing the deadbolt."

Arnold then grabbed Powell by the right wrist and left arm, pinning her against a wall, and police investigators said in a report that she had bruising in those areas of her body.

Powell told police that during a moment Arnold was distracted, she fled again to the front door, and he "tripped and fell down the entire flight of stairs and landed at the bottom."

A neighbor called authorities, she told police.

Powell refused medical attention or assistance by a crisis agency, according to police.

Arnold, meanwhile, sitting inside a police cruiser, "began damaging the interior of the marked Salisbury Police vehicle," according to a report.

The suspect then was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center, police said.

It was unclear whether the charge of malicious destruction of property also included items allegedly broken inside the residence during the confrontation between Arnold and Powell. Police said it was determined that those items belonged to the suspect.
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http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090407/NEWS01/904070326

Medina Officer Accused of Raping Woman

MEDINA, Wash.

A Medina police officer is accused of raping a woman he pulled over on a routine traffic stop.

The officer is a 30-year-old man and a four-year veteran of the department, according to court documents. We are not naming the officer because he has not yet been charged.

According to the court documents, the rape was the result of a traffic stop by the Medina police officer made last November. He cited the driver, a woman from Renton, for driving with a suspended license.

She told investigators that while she was handcuffed in the back seat of his patrol car, he searched her vehicle and found a bag of marijuana. When he returned he looked back at her repeatedly, she said, telling her she was "attractive and beautiful." Then he "reached over to fix her scarf and put his hand on her," documents stated.

At that point, she said she told him she had taken care of the suspended license charge and asked him not to cite her for the marijuana. He allegedly told her not to "worry," that the "charges would go away," documents said.

According to the documents, the rape happened the very next day. The woman said the officer called her that morning to ask her on a date. She said she agreed but told him she would not have sex on a first date.

When he took her to his home in the Issaquah Highlands, he allegedly ignored her protests -- "took her hands and put them above her head, then raped her." The allegations came to light just last month -- after the victim accused her boyfriend of sexual assault.

Medina's Police Chief Jeff Chen said he took action against the officer as soon as he learned about the Issaquah investigation.

“Upon my realizing what some of the allegations were, I immediately placed the officer, he is a four year officer, on paid administrative leave,” Chen said.

The chief said that means the officer has not been on duty for the last two weeks.

According to the documents, the officer did urge the King County prosecutor to drop the charges against the woman.
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009006340_apwamedinaofficerrape.html

Former Deputy Steve Romero Charged with 10 Counts of Child Exploitation

CACHE COUNTY, Utah

A former Cache County Sheriff's deputy is in jail with charges of 10 counts of child exploitation. The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force says Steve Romero was arrested in Las Vegas without incident. Investigators say they got a tip in January that Romero had child pornography on his home computer. They interviewed him, searched the computer and allegedly found what they were looking for.

"It does impact me personally that a law enforcement officer would be engaged in this kind of behavior, just as it would a teacher or a minister, anybody who works with young kids," said Ken Wallentine of the Utah Attorney General's Office.

Romero will be brought back to Cache County to face charges.
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http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-cache-county-sheriffs-deputy-arrested-on,0,2300042.story

Deputy Murray Campbell Arrested for DWI

A Harris County Sheriff’s deputy arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Montgomery County remains on desk duty during the investigation.

He was in his uniform and driving his patrol car at the time of the incident.

Deputy Murray Campbell, an HCSO veteran since 1992, was arrested around 9:53 p.m. Saturday on Honea Egypt Road, south of FM 2854, near the Montgomery Trace subdivision, Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Binger said.

Campbell’s address is listed in Montgomery Trace, according to Public Data.

A DPS trooper saw Campbell’s marked patrol car northbound on Interstate 45 in Montgomery County, Binger said.

“The trooper observed the unit driving at excessive speed and erratically,” Binger said. “My understanding is he (Campbell) was headed home.”

The trooper followed Campbell onto FM 2854 and eventually to Honea Egypt Road, where a constable’s deputy had pulled someone over, Binger said.

“The deputy (Campbell) did stop briefly on Honea Egypt Road,” Binger said. “What his purpose was, I’m not sure. He was getting back into his car, and that’s when the trooper pulled up.”

Binger could not say whether Campbell had stopped to assist the constable’s deputy.

But Precinct 2 Constable Gene DeForest said one of his deputies had initiated a separate traffic stop on Honea Egypt Road.

“He had heard bits and pieces (of the DPS pursuit of Campbell) over the radio but knew it was on I-45 and didn’t think anything of it until he heard them say they were turning onto 2854,” DeForest said. “The next thing he knew, the deputy’s car pulls up next to him, and he’s (Campbell) asking him if he’s OK and needs help.”

About that time, DeForest said, the DPS trooper, along with an unmarked DPS car, pulled up and the trooper got out.

“That’s when they could smell the alcohol (on Campbell’s breath),” DeForest said.

The trooper asked Campbell to take a field sobriety test, which Campbell refused, and the trooper took him to the Montgomery County Jail, Binger said. There, he refused a breathalyzer test.

The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office obtained a search warrant for a sample of Campbell’s blood and he was arrested for DWI based on the test results, Binger said.

He was released that same night on a $1,000 bond, according to officials with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon, who served as legal counsel for the Houston Police Officers Union before taking office as DA in January, only represented officers with the Houston Police Department and not with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Assistant District Attorney Warren Diepraam said.

“If he had at any time represented Deputy Campbell, that would disqualify this office (from prosecuting him),” Diepraam said. “However, we have no reason to suspect he ever represented him.”

Campbell had worked two shifts beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday, HCSO Maj. Robert Doguim said. The deputy remains on administrative duty, or a desk job, until the “situation is resolved,” he said.

“We’ve got to wait until the blood tests come back,” he said. “It could be up to 30 days.”

In addition to the DPS investigation, the HCSO’s Office of Inspector General is investigating the incident, Doguim said.

Campbell, who patrols parks in Harris County, had been asked to work an extra shift at a park after his normal shift ended, Doguim said. He was off duty but still in his uniform and driving his patrol car when he was stopped.

The sample of Campbell’s blood was sent to the Houston DPS lab, said Capt. Patrick Mulligan, of the DPS district office in Conroe.

“It could be a few months (to get results back) because of the backlog of blood tests,” he said.

Campbell was shot in 1996 while working as an off-duty security guard at a Houston restaurant, according to information on www.the100club.com. He and HCSO Deputy Randy Eng were attempting to intervene in a disturbance at the restaurant. Eng was shot in the head, and Campbell was shot in the arm.

Eng died from his injuries, according to information on the website.

Officer Travis Rector Arrested for Domestic Violence

Hendersonville Police Officer Travis Rector was arrested over the weekend and charged with assaulting his wife.

Rector, 29, was arrested Saturday and charged with hitting Kelli Rector in the eye, according to court records.

The police officer turned himself in to authorities Saturday, according to Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Charlie McDonald.

Rector was released from jail on Saturday on a $500 unsecured bond.

State law allows law enforcement to keep anyone arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in jail for 48 hours. Rector was not required to serve the 48-hour sentence after Judge David Fox waived that requirement by telephone Saturday night, according to court records.

Fox said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon that he treated Rector as he would have any other defendant with these charges.

“I received a call from Mr. Rector’s attorney on Saturday,” he said. “He gave me his version of the incident. I told him if he would have the magistrate judge call me, I would act accordingly. The magistrate indicated there was the charge, the woman had been poked in the eye and that she was not keen on taking out charges, but once the officers saw the mark they took out charges.”

Fox said because Rector had no prior record, the couple were not living together at the time and due to the nature of the incident, he waived the 48-hour provision.

Rector has been suspended from the police department with pay while an investigation is conducted, Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake said.

Rector is slated to appear in court on April 16.

He started working with the Hendersonville Police Department on May 3, 2003, according to city Human Resource Manager David Sapp.

Rector’s current salary is $37,078. He has been placed on a non-disciplinary suspension.

Former Officer Katherine Leese Charged with Theft found Dead

DOYLESTOWN, Pa.

A former suburban Philadelphia police officer charged with stealing more than $87,000 from a police group she helped run has been found dead at her home.

Authorities say 42-year-old Katherine Leese, of Langhorne, was found by her mother on Monday.

The former Falls Township officer had pleaded no contest to theft charges and was to have been sentenced Tuesday for diverting funds from Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 53 while she was its treasurer.

The group's past president, 66-year-old Gerald Conaway of Southampton, embezzled another $5,500. Conaway is retired from the Upper Southampton force. He was sentenced in January to 23 months in prison.

An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of Leese's death.

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http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20090407_ap_expapoliceofficerchargedwiththeftisdead.html

Officer Silvio Filipovich Arrested for Sexual Assault

An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was arrested Friday in Austin and charged with criminal attempted sexual assault, according to court documents.

Silvio Filipovich, 43, is accused of attempting to assault a woman who works at the Mountain Star Lodge motel on FM 620, according to his arrest affidavit. About 10:30 p.m. Friday, Filipovich asked the woman for a crib for his 3-month-old child, then pushed her inside a closet and forced his hand under her shirt and inside her pants, the affidavit said.

She fought to get away from him and called a co-worker for help, the affidavit said. The affidavit says it’s been confirmed that Filipovich is a Los Angeles police officer, but he was not on duty at the time and did not identify himself as an officer to the victim. He is no longer in custody at the Travis County Jail, records show. His bail was set at $20,000.

Los Angeles police officials have not yet returned calls for comment.
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/04/more-details-emerged-today-in-the-case-of-a-los-angeles-police-officer-who-was-arrested-over-the-weekend-in-travis-county-t.html