Officer Benjamin Miles Cordova Arrested for Fraud

A North Las Vegas police officer has been arrested on charges of fraud after allegedly misusing a department credit card.

North Las Vegas police spent the past week investigating one of their own, 39-year-old Benjamin Miles Cordova. They determined he'd been using a department credit card for personal use.

Police said he used the card for personal gain on three separate occasions and has been booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center on suspicion of three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and three counts of receiving property obtained by unlawful use of a credit card.

The investigation began a week ago when investigators learned a card was missing.

“There are two things in law enforcement that can’t be tolerated – dishonesty, and the other is theft,” said NLVPD spokeswoman Chrissie Coon. “Those are things that administration takes very seriously, and I think all officers know they’re all held to the same standard.”

Cordova was a patrol officer who had served 6 1/2 years with the NLVPD.

Police said they have the necessary checks and balances in place to make sure police officers do not get away with this.

Cordoba is on paid administrative leave, as Nevada state law requires.

Previous Stories:
July 21, 2009: North Las Vegas Police Officer Arrested
July 16, 2009: 2 Fired NLV Officers Bound Over For Trial

Oklahoma Paramedic Sues Trooper Over Scuffle Caught on Video

A paramedic has sued an Oklahoma highway police officer over a scuffle that occurred while a patient waited inside the paramedic's ambulance, FOX News has learned.

Paramedic Maurice White is seeking punitive and compensatory damages against Trooper Daniel Martin in a case that rose to national prominence this summer after a cell phone video of the conflict appeared on YouTube — showing Martin at one point grabbing White by the neck.

The suit claims that Martin used unreasonable force while seizing White and criticizes the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for failing to take action on the matter over the course of the past two months.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is preparing this week to announce how it will deal with Trooper Martin, who has been on administrative leave since June 1, FOX News has learned.

Click here for a squad video excerpt.

Martin stopped the ambulance May 24 for failing to yield to his squad car.

White says he got out of the ambulance to tell the trooper they were taking a patient to the hospital. The argument quickly escalated into a scuffle and Martin put White in an apparent choke hold.

Martin's attorney says the trooper either didn't hear that there was a patient in the ambulance or it didn't register. He says White failed to comply with the trooper's orders.

Click here for the YouTube video.

Officer Philip Spaman Arrested for Forcible Touching Child

An Ilion police officer Monday became the fifth law enforcement officer this year to face criminal charges in the Mohawk Valley.

Ilion Officer Philip Spaman, 47, of Herkimer, was arraigned in Herkimer County Court on Monday on misdemeanor charges involving the touching of a child.

He faces one count each of forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors said.

Assistant District Attorney Jeff Carpenter said the two misdemeanor charges against Spaman were handed up in a sealed indictment from a grand jury.

The charges stem from alleged events involving a child under the age of 17 that occurred between September 2007 and October 2008, Carpenter said.

Because of the nature of the case, no information on the victim or his or her relationship to Spaman is being released, prosecutors said.

Ilion police Chief Timothy Parisi said Monday evening that Spaman had been suspended from duty with pay while internal and criminal proceedings against him move forward. Spaman has been a member of the department for almost 8 years.

“The criminal justice system must now take its course,” Parisi said in released statement that directed additional questions to the District Attorney’s Office. “I ask that you respect the judicial process and seek no further comment from the Ilion Police Department.”

Spaman was processed by the Herkimer village police department Monday morning prior to his arraignment, Herkimer police said.

He was represented at the arraignment by attorney George Aney and pleaded not guilty to both charges, Carpenter said. Aney did not return calls Monday.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Earlier this year, two members of the state police and two other local police officers were charged with crimes. None of those cases has been resolved:

*State police Investigator Matthew Sullivan, who is suspended without pay, was indicted in April on 10 misdemeanor charges and traffic violations stemming from a Feb. 6 traffic stop in Trenton. The charges include driving while intoxicated, speeding, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, passing a red light, failure to keep right and failure to comply with a police officer.

*Trooper David Volz, who is assigned to the Herkimer state police barracks, was charged April 23 with misdemeanor petit larceny in connection with the alleged mulch theft in Rome. He was suspended without pay.

*Then-Dolgeville Officer Greg Malta Jr. was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal mischief, after police said he drove his patrol car around the school's baseball field. Malta was fired from the force.

*Herkimer Village Police Investigator Robert Risi, an 18-year veteran, stole $9,600 from an evidence locker, prosecutors. Risi faces a felony charge of third-degree larceny. He has been suspended without pay.

Trial Begins for Former Deputy Milton Pruitt Accused of Having Child Porn

The Federal Court trial of a former Forsyth County sheriff’s deputy accused of receiving and possessing child pornography began Monday in U.S. District Court in Gainesville.

Prosecutor Brent Gray in his opening argument told the jury the reason they are in court is because former Deputy Sergeant Milton Scott Pruitt said he was 'just curious'; the problem is, he was just curious two years ago about child pornography.

Gray said Pruitt is accused of opening and viewing images of unclothed children from criminal investigative files he should not have opened using a sheriff’s laptop computer in his patrol car.

Investigators later found hundreds of child porn images on his home computer.
Gray invited the jury of eight women and six men to study the evidence, use their common sense and find Pruitt guilty.

Defense attorney Ann Fitz urged the jury to find Pruitt innocent, saying this is not the case of a pedophile with a fetish.

Fitz said there is no evidence that Pruitt purchased, solicited or produced child porn and that only 20 of the 328 images were clearly identified as child pornography. Fitz added that there is no evidence Pruitt made repeat visits to the porno sites and that he did not 'knowingly' receive the images.

The prosecution's first witness as the trial opened was Forsyth County's Information Technology Director John David Rusk.

Rusk testified he found child pornography images linked to Pruitt while investigating unusual activity on the county's computer system.

Officer Derrick Saunders Points Weapon on McDonalds Employee

A Denver police officer faces felony menacing and weapons charges based on an allegation he pointed a pistol to speed up his order at an Aurora McDonald's in May.

An employee at the McDonald's at 18181 E. Hampden Ave. told investigators two Denver police officers were waiting for their order at the drive-through window in the early-morning hours when Derrick Curtis Saunders, 29, grew impatient and pulled a weapon.

In addition to the menacing and weapons charges, Saunders is also charged with prohibited use of a weapon, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, the Aurora Police Department said Monday.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said Saunders has been suspended with pay during the investigation, but would be put on unpaid leave once the department is formally notified of the charges.

Jackson said neither he nor Police Chief Gerald Whitman would comment on the case.

"It would be inappropriate for us to make any comment about another department's case, especially an ongoing, active investigation," Jackson said.

Saunders was most recently assigned to Denver International Airport. His booking photograph was not available from Aurora police Monday.

Family Sues After Police Taser 12-year-old

A federal right lawsuit has been filed against a southern Illinois sheriff's deputy who used a stun gun on three children at an emergency shelter.

The children's guardian is suing the Jefferson County deputies, the county and Sheriff Roger Mulch, reports Associated Press.

According to the lawsuit, the deputies responded to a call from a shelter near Mount Vernon last summer to handle a situation that was labeled out of control, in which, two 12-year olds and an 11-year-old were involved and later stunned with a taser gun. After the children were shocked, they were allegedly forced into a closet along with another child. Other children who tried to intervene prompted the call.

No criminal charges have been filed, and Mulch confirmed the investigations are underway and believes the deputies acted appropriately.

FBI Investigate Several DC Officers for Gambling Connected to Homicides

Federal investigators are looking into allegations that several D.C.-area law enforcement officers were involved in a Maryland gambling ring that may also be connected to homicides, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

The probe has targeted five Prince George’s County police officers, a District police official and a former D.C. Housing Authority officer, the report said. The officers allegedly helped protect illegal gambling sites that rotated around Southern Maryland. Sometimes the officers reportedly wore uniforms while providing security for high-stakes craps games with pots as high as $100,000.

Prince George’s County Police Chief Roberto Hylton said he turned over the entire probe to the FBI after he took over the department earlier this year. Three of the suspected officers have retired or are on leave. The probe has been under way since 2007.

Sgt. Brenda Stevenson Arrested for Using Excessive Force & Lying to FBI

A 45-year-old Highland Park Police Sergeant Brenda Stevenson finds herself on the wrong side of the law, indicted on federal charges for using excessive force and lying to FBI investigators.

The court documents against her indicate she struck and assaulted a victim identified as only V. B. and violated her constitutional rights.

According to the indictment, the woman suffered injuries in a November 2007 incident when Sgt. Stevenson punched her in the face.

The city of Highland Park's Web site still lists Sgt. Stevenson as one of the officers in charge on afternoons. We asked at the police department and mayor's office whether she's still on the job and our questions are not being answered.

"This officer just needs to go. She's in the wrong profession and she needs to be charged and she needs to be sentenced," said Ron Scott of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality. He applauds the victim for going forward with the case.

In addition to the assault charges, Stevenson is accused of making false statements to the FBI, telling investigators the victim struggled, kicked and fought with officers. The FBI says that never happened.

Stevenson faces up to 15 years in prison and a half a million dollar fine if convicted.

Officer Robert Sizemore Threatens Suicide After Reported Sexual Assault

A Chattahoochee Florida Police Officer was arrested after a reported sexual assault and later threatening suicide on Saturday.

Robert Sizemore, 50, was arrested late Saturday afternoon after Decatur County Sheriff's deployed their Strategic Response Team to the Jameson Inn on Tallahassee Highway.

Sheriff's Major Wendell Cofer stated that Robert Sizemore was in a hotel room and had threatened suicide. Being a Chattahoochee Policeman, his weapon's training created a tenuous situation for Sheriff's Deputies and the Sheriff's SRT were called in.

Major Cofer stated they were able to make contact with Sizemore by telephone and talk him out peaceably.

The situation began in the early hours Saturday morning when a sexual assault was reported. A family member reported to her mother that she had been assaulted by Robert Sizemore. Sizemore was reported to have checked into the Jameson Inn at approximately 3 am Saturday morning.

The Chattahoochee Police Chief also responded to the scene after a request by Sheriff's Deputies in case he was needed to talk with his officer.

The specific charges against Sizemore were being developed as of early Saturday evening.
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More Information: http://www.panhandleparade.com/index.php/mbb/article/chattahoochee_police_officer_arrested_in_georgia/mbb7717807/

Lawsuit Filed Against Duputies Who Tasered Boy Multiple Times

A state agency is actually suing the deputies, who work in Jefferson County. The Post-Dispatch quotes the lawsuit:

The suit says that without any physical provocation, Bowers used a Taser on one boy multiple times, including at least once on his neck. Bowers pushed another boy down on his bunk and threatened to sodomize him before shocking him multiple times and causing him to urinate and defecate, the suit says.

Lawler then handcuffed another boy before Bowers shocked him multiple times with the Taser. A 17-year-old girl who was pleading with the deputies to stop was then handcuffed by Lawler, choked and threatened by Bowers and then tossed into a closet, the suit says.
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http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/laworder/story/D8F2946CFAEB63A6862575F70007D1E5?OpenDocument

New Details On Officer Donnie Breeden Accused of Hit and Run

New details are emerging in the case of a Crafton police officer accused of hitting and killing a pedestrian near Station Square and then fleeing the scene.

Donnie Breeden, 38, is charged with the July 2007 death of David Hall on West Carson Street, in Pittsburgh.

Hall, 24, was struck in the 1500 block of West Carson Street after stopping to talk to a bus driver, according to Pittsburgh police.

"Clearly, when there's allegations that a police officer is involved, he's violated the crimes code, that's cause for sadness in the law enforcement community. It's a tragic situation," said assistant district attorney Mark Tranquilli.

"He's very upset, obviously, extremely upset. His world is turned upside down. But I'll think he'll get through it," said Breeden's attorney, William Difenderfer."

According to the criminal complaint, a witness told police that on the night of the hit-and-run, Breeden was with a group of friends at a restaurant when they decided to go to the South Side.

The witness told police that Breeden drove separately from the rest of the group.

Investigators said the witness told them that one of the people in the group got a call from Breeden saying he had hit a person with his vehicle on West Carson Street.

The witness went on to say that when the rest of the group arrived at the accident scene, they saw a Port Authority bus and several other vehicles, including Breeden's, stopped in the road near the victim.

In the criminal complaint, the witness told police that Breeden told his friends that he couldn't stay at the accident scene because "I'm a cop. I can't go to jail. If I go to jail, I will kill myself. I'm getting out of here. No one knows I did this, so I am getting out of here." The witness said Breeden left the scene.

A few days after the incident, the witness told police he went to Breeden's house to fix the damage to the SUV involved in the crash. The witness also said Breeden is still driving the same vehicle.

Breeden had been with the Crafton police force since 1994. He was released from the Allegheny County Jail on bail and faces two charges of involuntary manslaughter and accidents involving death.

At a hearing on Friday, Breeden's case was waived to trial. His next court date is Aug. 17.

Slideshow - Photos From The Case

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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/07/officer-donnie-breeden-arrested-for-hit.html
Other Information:
July 9, 2009: Paid Suspension For Cop Charged In Hit-And-Run Death
July 5, 2009: Crafton Police Officer Charged In Fatal Hit-And-Run

Former Officer David Dietz Will Plead Insantity to Kidnapping

A former South Carolina police officer who authorities say kidnapped and held his estranged wife and infant son hostage in Georgia says he intends to enter an insanity plea.

An attorney for David Dietz said in court documents filed this week he intends to introduce evidence that his client was suffering from a mental disease or defect at the time of his alleged crimes.

Dietz has pleaded not guilty to several federal charges in South Carolina, including kidnapping and carjacking. The results of his mental evaluation have been sealed.

Dietz and a teenager accused of helping him surrendered on Jan. 5 after a 13-hour standoff at a motel in Madison, Ga. The two had been holed up with Dietz’s estranged wife and their infant son.
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http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/20086365/detail.html

Former Officer Robert Flanagan Wants His Sentence Reduced

The attorney for a former Baltimore police officer who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for taking nearly $380,000 from a Howard County bank in December 2007 asked a three-judge panel in Circuit Court on Thursday to have his jail term cut in half.

Debra Saltz said that her client, Robert Flanagan of Dallastown, Pa., was "extremely desperate" and still suffering from the effects of the illness that forced him to leave a nine-year law enforcement career when he took the money from a Bank of America branch.

Calling the sentence imposed by Judge Richard S. Bernhardt excessive to the point of cruel and unusual punishment, Saltz said at one point during the hearing, "In my mind, he would have been better getting drunk, driving down the road and killing someone. He would only get 18 months."

Judge Lenore R. Gelfman immediately disagreed, saying that someone guilty of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol could receive up to 15 years.

Flanagan, then 38, had worked for a year as a guard for Dunbar Armored Security after leaving the Baltimore police force because of post traumatic stress disorder. Assistant State's attorney Lynn Marshall said that Flanagan was dismissed from Dunbar because of discrepancies in the money he collected and what he turned in.

Dressed in his old uniform but lacking proper credentials, Flanagan persuaded an employee at the Bank of America branch on Baltimore National Pike to turn over $379,000 in cash. Flanagan and his wife, Robin, were arrested later that day. About $200,000 has never been recovered.

The employee who gave Flanagan the money as well as the branch manager were later fired, which Judge Bernhardt later cited as one of the reasons for the 10-year sentence. Since it was a first offense, Flanagan could have received as little as six months of probation.

Charges against Robin Flanagan were later dropped when she cooperated with police.

"We don't know what happened to that money, and we'll never know," Saltz said.

But Marshall contends that Flanagan still knows where the money can be found.

"He stashed that money somewhere," Marshall said. "He will do jail time so he can have a nice nest egg when he gets out."

Flanagan, who is being jailed in Cumberland and is receiving treatment for PTSD, according to his lawyer, declined to speak on his own behalf.

At the time of his arrest, Flanagan was out on bond after being arrested in Baltimore County on a similar charge. Flanagan pleaded guilty to taking $70,000 from a Target store in Towson while dressed as an armored guard, and was given five years in jail to run concurrent with his sentence in Howard County.

Saltz said that he should have been given the same length term in Howard County, but Marshall argued that the Baltimore County judge who sentenced Flanagan was aware of his 10-year sentence in Howard County.

Gelfman, along with Judge Louis A. Becker and Judge Diane O. Leasure, will make their decision later.

Former Officer Marvin Thompson Arrested for Child Porn

A former Hillsborough Sheriff's corporal was arrested by U.S. Marshals Thursday on two counts of attempting to access child pornography with a computer and one count of possession of child pornography.

Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway confirmed Friday that Marvin Thompson, 58, worked at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office from 1982 to 2003.

Thompson was indicted in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, and booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday.

The indictment says that in October 2008 Thompson knowingly tried to see a minor involved in "sexually explicit conduct" on his computer in Thonotosassa, and in November he had some shipped to him. Officials confiscated his Dell computer and external hard drive.

Taser Death of Jarrel Gray Will Go to Court

A federal judge ruled today that the wrongful death case against Frederick County, its sheriff's office and one of its deputies for the use of a Taser is going to trial.

On Nov. 18, 2007, Jarrel Gray died, hours after being tasered twice by Cpl. Rudy Torres.

The family of the 20-year-old Frederick man is seeking $145 million in damages.

"The family is elated that they will have their day in court," said Ted Williams, one of the lawyers representing Gray's parents.

A pretrial conference is set for September, at which time U.S. District Court Judge William Quarles will set court dates.

Williams anticipates the trial to get under way in early 2010.

Officer Christopher Sullivan Arrested for Domestic Violence

An off-duty Hartford police officer was arrested early Friday by Vernon police on domestic violence charges.

Christopher Sullivan, 34, of Old Town Road, was arraigned Friday in Superior Court in Rockville on charges of first-degree burglary, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, breach of peace and unlawful restraint.

Vernon police said they were called at 2:33 a.m. to an apartment on South Street on a report of a domestic violence assault. The woman they met told them that she and Sullivan had been in an argument that escalated into an assault. She told officers that Sullivan held her down and threatened her.

The woman told police that she asked Sullivan to leave several times. He finally did, and she locked the door behind him, she told police. Sullivan then broke the door open and assaulted her again, police said.

Police found Sullivan at his apartment and took him into custody. His bail was set at $250,000.

Hartford Assistant Police Chief Neil Dryfe said Friday afternoon that Sullivan, according to department policy, has been suspended from his duties without pay. Sullivan has been a Hartford police officer for seven years.

Former Officer Feliciano Sanchez Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault

A former California police officer accused of sexually assaulting a motorist during a traffic stop pleaded guilty in federal court, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Federal prosecutors charged Feliciano Sanchez with deprivation of rights under color of law.

Feliciano Sanchez, 34, admitted in court Thursday that while on duty on May 16, 2007, he pulled over a female driver in a traffic stop and forced her to perform oral sex on him, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien, who heads the office for the Central District.

Sanchez, then of Los Angeles County's Bell Police Department, stopped the woman for speeding or weaving down the road, said central California U.S. attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek, citing court documents.

After learning the woman, identified as R.H. in court documents, did not have a driver's license with her, Sanchez told her he suspected her of drinking and her car would be towed, Mrozek said.

Sanchez offered to drive R.H. to her job, but instead drove her to the parking lot of an auto repair outlet in Bell, Mrozek said.

Sanchez placed his hand on his gun and forced her to perform sex on him in his patrol car, Mrozek said. Afterward, Sanchez drove R.H. to her work place, Mrozek said.

"Officer Sanchez brutalized a person he had sworn to serve," O'Brien said in the release. "As a result of his criminal conduct, Mr. Sanchez now faces a substantial amount of time in federal prison. His conduct eroded public confidence in law enforcement and cast a pall over his former colleagues who obey the law, proudly working to preserve public safety."

Federal prosecutors charged Sanchez with a civil rights violation, according to the release.

The crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison upon sentencing. Sanchez has been held without bond since his arrest in May 2007, Mrozek said. Sanchez's sentencing is scheduled for November 18.

Sanchez resigned as an officer after his indictment, Bell Police Department Capt. Anthony Miranda said. Miranda said Sanchez's case was a first for the department.

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Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/06/former-bell-police-officer-arrested-on.html

Officer Bernard Hall Jr Arrested for Corruption

A second Benton Harbor police officer was arrested on Friday on similar corruption charges that sent a narcotics officer to prison earlier this year.

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Michigan said narcotics supervisor Bernard Hall Jr., 33, of Benton Harbor, faces a three count indictment.

Hall supervised officer Andrew Thomas Collins, who was convicted of planting drug evidence and falsifying search warrants on Jan. 26.

He is serving a 37-month prison sentence.

Hall supervised Collins and other officers in the Benton Harbor Police Department’s narcotics unit, the FBI said.

Hall is accused of working with Collins in falsifying search warrants and planting drug evidence on suspected drug dealers and executing search warrants without proper probable cause.

He also is accused of unlawfully seizing personal property during drug raids and keeping money and property for his own use, Brian Delaney, criminal chief with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said.

Count two of Hall’s indictment alleges that he made false statements during the federal grand jury investigating Collins.

"In particular the indictment alleges that Hall lied when he testified under oath that ‘I’ve never seen him (Collins) take money from anybody" and "I’ve never witnessed him (Collins) do anything illegal," Delaney said.

The third count alleges that Hall made false statements to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office when he claimed he had overseen a drug deal by a confidential informant on Feb. 20, 2007 at 849 LaVette St., Delaney said.

"In truth and in fact" there was no drug purchase made at that time at that location, Delaney said.

Hall resigned from the police department and is scheduled for a hearing Friday in federal court in Grand Rapids.

Benton Harbor Police Chief Al Mingo and officials from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the charges during a press conference Friday morning.

More than 100 drug cases and convictions that the two officers handled are being reviewed by the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office and by federal prosecutors for possible dismissal.

Officer Joshua Gutierrez Arrested for Fighting Outside Bar

A school district police officer was arrested after a bachelor party got out of control at a South Side bar.

The officer, 29-year-old Joshua Gutierrez, was arrested at The Steer bar off of Southeast Military Drive. San Antonio Police arrested Gutierrez, who is Northside Independent School District police officer, after he allegedly got into a scuffle with a San Antonio police officer outside the bar as the bachelor party was ending.

According to police, Gutierrez and two of his brothers were asked to leave when the bar closed. The three men then allegedly started yelling at the bouncer as they moved into the parking lot.

San Antonio Police say when their officers arrived, they tried to arrest one of Gutierrez's brothers. According to the officers, Gutierrez then pulled one of the SAPD officers by the shoulder.

"At this point, he's been relieved of duty with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation," explained Captain Brad Mills of the Northside Independent School District Police Department.

Gutierrez has been with NISD as a police officer for nearly five years. Before that, he was a jailer for Bexar County.

"He's been a good officer during that period," Captain Mills told News 4 WOAI. "We haven't had any discipline problems during that period."

Gutierrez was jailed for interfering with the duties of a police officer. He was released on a $800 bond.

Officer Mike Trio Arrested for Sexual Battery

A Clifton Forge Police Officer is off the job, charged in a sexual abuse case.

Mike Gary Trio was indicted by the Alleghany County grand jury Wednesday.

Trio is charged with sexual battery and another sexually related offense.

Court documents show the woman Trio is accused of abusing is 18 years old. Trio is 51 years old.

Police Chief Barry Balser tells WSLS Trio has been on the force for about a year and a half. Balser says when the initial complaint was made in February, the case was immediately turned over to State Police and the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Trio has been moved to a position in the town’s public works department, while the case is resolved.

Trio was released from jail on $10,000 bond.

Officer Cleveland Reynolds Arrested for Rape and Sodomy

A West Precinct officer has been charged with rape and sodomy, Birmingham police announced this evening.

A 23-year-old woman told police that Officer Cleveland Reynolds, who has been with the department for a year, sexually assaulted her while he was on duty.

Reynolds, who works the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on bonds totaling $120,000.

Police said the assault happened on July 9 in the western part of the city. Police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams declined to provide additional information about the incident.

Williams said he did not know if Reynolds has an attorney.

Reynolds is on paid administrative leave.
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http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/birmingham_police_officer_arrested_for_rape_and_sodomy/83586/

Howard Goldstein Arrested on Child Sex Charges

A 10-year-veteran advanced medical technician at the Nassau County Police Department tried to seduce an investigator posing as a 13-year-old girl through chats over the Internet, Nassau police said, adding that he sent explicit pictures and sexually graphic language during the exchanges.

Howard Goldstein, 38, is charged with eight counts of first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to a minor and 11 counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child.

He was being held on $82,500 cash bail or bond after he was arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead Thursday.

He pleaded not guilty. He was represented by the Legal Aid Society and is due back in court Monday.

Investigators said Goldstein thought he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl, but was actually corresponding with an officer.

The exchanges began in July last year with a New York State Police investigator in Albany. Nassau police arrested Goldstein Wednesday night.

"They were posing as a 13-year-old female and they got hits on this person," said Nassau police spokesman Det. Lt. Kevin Smith. "This particular unit scans the Internet for child predators. . . . That individual made sexually explicit comments via the Internet."

Goldstein, police said, eventually tried to arrange for the girl to take a Greyhound bus to Penn Station and then a Long Island Rail Road train to Rockville Centre.

He never followed through on the plan to meet the girl Tuesday, police said, but officers arrested him the next day.

"Subsequently that individual was locked up" after his ambulance bureau shift was finished and while he was on his way home from work, Smith said.
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http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-licop1712978469jul16,0,6766362.story

Deputy Christopher Pierce Arrested for Online Sexual Conversations

A former Onondaga County Sheriff's Deputy has been arrested in Ulster County. Police there say Christopher Pierce had numerous sexual online conversations over the last few months with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. That person was actually an undercover sheriff's deputy.

Pierce is now charged with one count of attempted disseminating indecent materials to a minor. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Department helping in the investigation by seizing three computers and other computer related evidence from Pierce's home in Clay.

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Department tells Action News Pierce resigned from his job on Wednesday, before he was arrested. Pierce worked in the Jail Division.

Probation Officer Armando Mora Arrested for Cocaine Trafficking

A federal probation officer is expected to a face a judge after being arrested in a cocaine trafficking and bribery case.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Armando Mora on Wednesday.

Authorities said the 36-year-old Edinburg man worked as a federal probation officer in Rio Grande City.

Federal prosecutors told Action 4 News that Mora is accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes to conduct background checks on truck drivers for a local drug trafficking organization.

Investigators believe that Mora told drug traffickers not to hire two drivers because they were undercover agents.

A third truck driver was not hired because he was an FBI informant who was on probation and supervised by Mora.

Investigators believe Mora worked for the drug trafficking organization between February and June 2009 allowing them to move 738 pounds of cocaine.

The 36-year-old man remains in custody where he is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Peter Ormsby on Thursday morning.

If convicted, Mora could 10 years up to life in prison and millions of dollars in fines for the drug trafficking charge.

The bribery charge is punishable up to 15 years in prison and thousands in fines.

Officer David Kass Arrested for Trying to Lure 14-year-old

An Omaha police officer has been arrested and accused of using the Internet to lure what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Twenty-5-year-old David Kass was arrested at his Omaha home Wednesday on suspicion of online enticement.

La Vista detectives say on Tuesday Kass initiated an online conversation with an undercover investigator posing as a 14-year-old girl. Detectives say the conversation was of a graphic, sexual nature.

Kass has been placed on administrative leave. He has been with the department since 2006.

Online enticement carries a felony charge.
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Information from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com

Officer Donald Greer Arrested on Weapons Charge

A veteran Stamford police officer was arrested Tuesday by the Chief State's Attorney's Office on weapons charges related to pending criminal charges from a domestic dispute.

Donald Greer, 46, of Stratford, was charged with one count of illegally transferring a pistol or revolver, a felony that carries a maximum prison term of five years, the Chief State's Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Greer was arrested by Stamford police in March on threatening and disorderly conduct charges stemming from a domestic dispute. He was a police officer at the Stamford Police Department for 24 years before being arrested in March.

The department suspended Greer, and he turned in his badge and gun. He was put on administrative leave pending the domestic dispute charges.

John Whalen, an assistant state's attorney who works in the Statewide Prosecution Bureau, said investigators learned about the alleged firearms violations while looking into the domestic dispute.

In February 2007, Greer allegedly transferred a pistol to an acquaintance for their protection, the Chief State's Attorney's Office said in a statement. A warrant says the transfer was illegal because Greer did not submit the proper written statement to the State Police Special Firearms and Licensing Unit before the transfer.

Whalen would not offer more details about the arrest or how it was related to the domestic dispute.

Greer was arrested Tuesday by an inspector from the Chief State's Attorney's Office at state Superior Court in Stamford. He was released on a promise to appear in court and will be arraigned July 28.

Prosecutors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau at the Chief State's Attorney's Office will handle the case, the office said in a statement.

Stamford Police Lt. Sean Cooney, a department spokesman, said Greer will remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the criminal charges against him.

An internal police investigation will follow once the court case gets resolved, he said.

Officer Anthony Rollins Arrested for Sexually Aaaaulting Woman While on Duty

A decorated Anchorage police officer has been accused of sexually assaulting multiple women while he was on duty.

Anthony Rollins, a 13-year veteran and former department spokesman, was indicted by a grand jury and arrested Wednesday. He's being held on a $100,000 bond.

"Let me stress that Rollins' alleged actions are aberrant and detestable," Police Chief Rob Heun said at a press conference. "Officers are compelled to function independently within the confines of the laws they are sworn to uphold and have the authority to enforce. They are and should be trusted to protect life, to protect property and maintain order."

Rollin, 41, is charged with four counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of second-degree sexual assault, four counts of criminal use of a computer and six counts of official misconduct.

A local group that supports victims of sexual assault — Standing Together Against Rape — brought one woman's allegations to the police department's attention in April.

Authorities said that police, with assistance from the FBI, then began investigation Rollins' past contact with women, and found five more alleged victims as far back as March 2006. Heun would not elaborate on how Rollins met the women, saying only that Rollins encountered them during field interviews.

Details of the assaults were sketchy in the indictment documents. Police and prosecutors also gave few details, saying the investigation is ongoing.

Rollins, who is married, has been honored by police several times. Last year, he received the department's Medal of Valor for rescuing a man from a burning building. In 2004, he received the department's Meritorious Conduct award for his role in an anti-bullying program in local schools.

Nancy Haag, executive director of Standing Together Against Rape, said the group does not comment on specific individuals or cases.

"Any sexual assault is traumatic and I'm sure an authority figure only compounds that trauma, fear and hopelessness," she said. "In general the issues that need to be recognized here is those who perpetrate these crimes need to be held accountable and the survivors need deserve to be heard, believed and offered support."

Rollins is set for a court appearance on Friday.
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http://www.ktva.com/ci_12845450

Officer Michael Smith Arrested for Stealing Beer

Vicksburg police have arrested one of their own. Officer Michael Smith, 27, is accused of breaking in to a tour boat and stealing beer from inside.

Deputy Chief Richard O'Bannon says Smith was one of several other people charged with burglarizing the Sweet Olive tour boat, which was docked at Vicksburg, around 5:00 Sunday evening.

Smith has been on the Vicksburg police force for about a year. He was released on $10,000 dollars bond.

Former Deputy Stephen Thomas Sentenced to 210 Months for Receiving Child Porn

FT. PIERCE, FL

A former deputy with the Indian River Sheriff's Office will spend 210 months in federal prison followed by life time supervision.

Stephen Guy Thomas was sentenced in federal court in Ft. Pierce for receiving child pornography.

Federal investigators say that Thomas, who worked for IRCSO, was living on the grounds of the Rosewood Magnet Elementary School in Vero Beach.

An investigation found over 100 video clips and over 50 pictures of children on a laptop that he had in his residence as well as on a computer that he had in his assigned sheriff's vehicle.

Thomas' arrest, according to prosecutors, is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide crackdown on child predators.

The Indian River County Sheriff's Office assisted the U.S. Attorney's Office in the case.

Stephen Guy Thomas will also be registered as a sex offender.

Former Officer Gary Cahoon Arrested for Attempted Murder

A former Redding Police officer was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder late Sunday afternoon after police said he shot a man with a shotgun.

Gary Cahoon, 60, of Anderson, fired one round from a shotgun at Brandon Rhodes, who is in his 30s, at about 5:14 p.m. on the 21900 block of Reading Drive, said Detective Wes Collette of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

The two men had been involved in an earlier argument about visitors to Cahoon’s home at about 3 p.m. and Rhodes came back to confront Cahoon at his house, Collette said.

Redding Police Chief Peter Hansen said Cahoon was a Redding Police officer about 30 years ago, resigning in the late 1970s. He said he didn’t know why he resigned.

“He was a police officer for a short period of time,” Hansen said.

Cahoon was an officer for seven years, Collette said. Cahoon and Rhodes were “long-time acquaintances,” he said.

Several pellets from the shotgun blast hit Rhodes and his pickup, Collette said. Rhodes has been treated for his injuries and released.

Cahoon admitted to the shooting, Collette said. He was being held this morning at the Shasta County Jail on $500,000 bail.

Man Dies of Broken Neck After Deputy Chris Sturdivant Pulls Him Over

A 42-year-old Louisiana man has died, apparently of a broken neck, after being pulled over by a police deputy.

A dash cam video shows Deputy Chris Sturdivant of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office with his arms around Adam Stogner’s neck after the officer suspected the man of putting a small quantity of drugs into his mouth.

Stogner died along Interstate 12. Preliminary results from the coroner show that Stogner died from “severe coronary artery disease, an enlarged heart, and a fracture of the hyoid bone in his neck.”

According to CBS affiliate WAFB, the sheriff’s office says Stogner did not put his truck in park when he was pulled over. This may have led the officer to believe Stogner was planning to flee the scene. And the deputy believed Stogner was impaired.

A substantial portion of the dash cam video can be seen here.

Sgt. Robert Trowbridge Arrested for Giving False Report

Greece police Sgt. Robert Trowbridge, who was suspended by town officials last week, was arraigned today after being arrested by State Police.

Trowbridge has been charged with the felony of offering a false instrument in the first degree.

Trowbridge was arraigned in Riga Town Court this afternoon and pleaded not guilty.

Read the felony complaint

A felony complaint filed in Riga Town Court alleges that in April 2002, Trowbridge falsified information in a background check of former Officer Gary Pignato, who was convicted this year of coercing a woman into sex. The complaint says he attributed the information to several Rochester Police Department command officers, including Chief Robert Duffy, now the Rochester mayor, and former deputy chiefs Vincent Faggiano and James Sheppard.

The filing of a false report by a police officer can be the basis of a criminal charge.

Faggiano and Sheppard declined to comment today. Duffy said that he has talked recently with investigators about the Pignato background report. Duffy said he did not provide any information to Trowbridge or Greece police for a check into Pignato’s background in 2002.

“There was no way I would ever give a positive job recommendation (for Pignato),” said Duffy, who noted that Pignato unsuccessfully sued the city in 1997 over his firing from Rochester police.

Prosecutors say Trowbridge admitted falsifying the background report, and said he did so at the direction of now-suspended Police Chief Merritt Rahn.

“We believe he was acting at the direction of someone else,” DA Green said today.
Green said the ongoing investigation into the Greece police continues to grow.

“This investigation unfortunately seems to expand every time we turn a corner,” he said. ” … In my mind, my estimation, it is a large investigation, a very serious investigation.”

The disciplinary charges that led to Trowbridge’s suspension stem from an ongoing internal probe of the Greece Police Department by acting Director of Public Safety Joseph Loszynski.

Loszynski said the investigation does not end with Trowbridge’s arrest.

“This will end when I make the determination there are no more viable leads to follow.”

He said he is looking into any role that Rahn may have played in Pignato’s background check.

Town Supervisor John Auberger said the allegedly falsified report “has had very serious implications” for the town and residents.

“If an accurate background had been provided, Mr. Pignato would not have been hired,” he said.
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http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1529816/WXXI.Top.Stories/Felong.Charge.Filed.Against.Greece.Police.Officer

Officer Charles Dean & David Gaither Terminated for Exposing Themselves

MYRTLE BEACH

Two local officers are no longer with their respective police forces after witnesses said they were intoxicated and exposed themselves in front of families on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Officer Charles Henry Dean, 30, of the Horry County Police Department resigned on Monday, according to Sgt. Robert Kegler. Dean recently was involved in a videotaped beating of a Longs man during an arrest on Bellamy Road in Little River.

Officer David Gaither, 50, was terminated from his position Monday with the Myrtle Beach Police Department as of Monday, according to Capt. David Knipes.

Both police departments conducted their own internal investigations before it was announced the officers were no longer on the job.

It is not known whether charges will be filed against Dean or Gaither in connection with the incident, Kegler said.

Sarah Delosantos of Conway said Tuesday that she saw Dean ``shaking his butt and mooning everybody'' on July 5 near The Boathouse, located Hard Rock Parkway in Horry County.

Delosantos said she was with four children _ ages 7, 10, 12 and 14 _ who witnessed the acts. One of Delosantos' friends took photos of Dean and about 15 other people near him who were ``shotgunning alcohol,'' she said.

``We didn't even know Charles Dean was a cop until we showed the officer the photos and he said `I think he's an officer,''' Delosantos said. ``We know Gaither was a cop.''

Delosantos said one of her friends confronted Gaither at the time of the incident and asked him to stop what he was doing.

On May 18, a video from an officer's dashboard-mounted camera shows Dean punching Krishmer Shamar Bessent, 30, several times in the face and kicking him once in the abdomen, just minutes after the man had taken the officer's Taser and fired it. An internal investigation cleared Dean of wrongdoing.

Dean, a patrol officer, was hired by Horry County police in October, 2006.

Gaither, a traffic officer, was hired by Myrtle Beach police in September, 2000, according to city records.

Officer Anthony Hebert Arrested for 7 Counts of False Imprisonment & Other Charges

From the Sulphur Police Department:

According to Chief of Police Chris Abrahams, on Monday, July 13, 2009 at approximately 9:09 PM, officers of the Sulphur Police Department were dispatched to North Stanford Street in reference to a man with a gun.

Upon arriving, officers were advised that a male subject, later identified as Anthony J. Hebert, 31, an off-duty Lake Charles Police Officer, went to the residence to see a subject concerning a child custody dispute.

After a confrontation in the yard with the subject, Hebert allegedly entered the residence with a handgun. Officers were advised that Hebert then pointed the gun at everyone inside the residence and refused to allow anyone to leave the residence or call 911 and struck one of the victims on the side of the head with the handgun. Hebert later left the residence and was notified that the Sulphur Police were at his home looking for him.

Hebert went home where he was arrested for aggravated burglary, seven counts of false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon, aggravated battery and six counts of aggravated assault.

Hebert was booked into the Sulphur City Jail and later released on $140,000 bond per Judge Mike Canaday.

The Sulphur Police Detective Division is still investigating this incident.

Deputy Barry Taylor Charged with Obstruction of Justice

Lincoln County's second-highest ranking law officer was indicted Monday and charged with helping an acquaintance get out of a drunken driving arrest in 2007.

Sheriff's Chief Deputy Barry Eugene Taylor, 38, is charged with felony obstruction of justice. The alleged incident was investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation, said Gwynn Radeker, senior assistant district attorney for Lincoln and Cleveland counties.

“Regardless of what you do or who you are, we cannot operate under the good ol' boy framework like we did 50 years ago,” Radeker told The Observer on Monday.

District Attorney Rick Shaffer scheduled a news conference for 8 a.m. today at the Lincoln County commissioners' chamber in Lincolnton, Radeker said.

Taylor is accused of intervening on Feb 25, 2007, when Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Dombrowski arrested a man on suspicion of drunken driving and brought him to the detention center for sobriety tests and booking, Radeker said. The driver's name has not been released by investigators.

If convicted, Taylor could be sentenced to probation or up to 10 months in jail, Radeker said.

Taylor couldn't be reached Monday. Sheriff Tim Daugherty didn't have a comment for The Observer on Monday, said spokesman Jon Mayhew. As of Monday evening, Taylor was not suspended and was scheduled for regular duty, Mayhew said.

Daugherty is a first-term sheriff who won election by a slim margin as a Democrat in the heavily Republican county.

The months-old SBI investigation has become well-known in the community with details covered by newspapers and a controversial blog, called the Lake Norman Bath. The blog has pilloried the sheriff and his office with accusations of impropriety.

The blog has posted comments from the sheriff responding to allegations not related to the Taylor case.

Radeker said information from the blog served as tips and was instrumental in the state's investigation and the grand jury indictment.

The news@norman, a weekly newspaper with an online edition, said the SBI investigation involved off-site interviews with deputies who feared for their jobs.

According to Observer interviews and the news@norman, the unidentified driver is a Lincolnton doctor who was arrested in Denver, N.C., by Dombrowski. On his way to jail, he allegedly called his wife who then contacted a third party who knew Taylor.

According to the news@norman, Taylor then met Dombrowski and the doctor at the jail and released the doctor. Taylor later said the doctor wasn't impaired.

Officer Martin Montogomery Accused of Misconduct

A hearing date has been set in the case of an Evansville police officer accused of misconduct.

Officer Martin Montgomery, 28, has been suspended after an investigation.

He's accused of neglect of duty and improper conduct.

Monday, the Police Merit Commission spent an hour and a half discussing the case.

A disciplinary hearing open to the public will take place August 3.

No charges have been filed, but the criminal case has been turned over to a grand jury, which will hear it a week from Monday.

Former Officer Ted Smith Wanted for Domestic Dispute

The Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office is on the hunt for a former Quincy police officer, according to Lt. Jim Corder.

This morning at 1:40 a.m. the Qunicy Police Department responded to reports of a domestic dispute.

According to GCSO, Ted Smith drove his van into the bedroom section of his and his wife's home in the Lake Laurie area.

Smith then went inside and chased his wife down the hall, grabbed her and then attempted to strangle her, Corder said.

He then fled the scene in another vehicle.

Corder said that once found, Smith will be arrested on charges of burglary with persons assaulted or injured, domestic battery and felony criminal mischief.
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Update: http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/50622127.html

Trooper Derek Loop Arrested for Drunk Driving

The Alaska Department of Public Safety says a 36-year-old Alaska state trooper has been arrested in Soldotna for investigation of drunken driving and weapons misconduct.

Soldotna police say a local officer arrested Derek T. Loop on Sunday. Police declined to discuss details of the arrest.

Public Safety spokesperson Megan Peters confirmed that Loop is a state trooper.

KTUU reports that according to a newsletter on the troopers' Web site, Loop has served as a trooper for nearly seven years.

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Information from: KTUU-TV, http://www.ktuu.com
More Information: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10727907

Officer Kevin Osborne Arrested for Cocaine & Marijuana

A Denver police officer has resigned from the force after he was investigated on suspicion of using cocaine and marijuana.

Kevin Osborne, who was assigned to the police information desk, became a target of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which believed Osborne was getting drugs while frequenting a house in Lakewood. Osborne learned the FBI was at the house one night last month and visited to find out what was going on, driving an unmarked Denver police car there, a person familiar with the investigation said.

Federal authorities confronted him at the house, and Osborne fled in the vehicle, prompting authorities to chase him.

He resigned from the Denver police force June 24 after federal authorities told him that if he did not do so, they would pursue criminal charges, people close to the investigation confirm.

Kathy Wright, a spokeswoman with the FBI, and Jeff Dorschner, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Denver, declined comment. Osborne's lawyer, Michael Lowe, also declined comment.

Denver Safety Manager Al LaCabe said he was not aware of the details that led to a decision not to criminally charge Osborne. He said that the Police Department brought an end to an internal affairs investigation into Osborne's activities after Osborne resigned.

It was not the first time Osborne had been in trouble at the Police Department. In 2004, LaCabe suspended Osborne for 18 days and ordered him to work four days without pay for false reporting, failing to obey an order and "departing from the truth" in connection with an affair with an intern.

Former Chief Timothy Boyer Arrested for Sexually Molesting Young Girl

In a shocking case, a former police chief is in jail after confessing to sexually abusing a child for the last eight years--since she was eight years old.

Timothy Boyer was police chief of tiny Wynona from March 17 to June 16, when he resigned. Reports say that during his short tenure, Boyer wasn't popular with the town.

As it turns out, he had a secret: eight years of sexually molesting a young girl, now 16 years old. Boyer voluntarily turned himself in to the Sand Springs police department and admitted the years of abuse. He's in the Tulsa County jail with bond set at $200,000.

He's been charged with rape by instrumentation and lewd molestation of a child under 16. Boyer reportedly told officers that he performed "everything but intercourse" in his sexual acts with the child.

Boyer previously worked in two other Oklahoma police departments, as well as working as a registered nurse.

Officer Wade Langer Arrested for Sexual Assault Against Child

Former Center police officer Wade Langer, 36, was arrested at his home, July 2, by Center Police on a warrant issued out of Mesa County alleging nine counts of sex assault against a child and one count of first-degree sex assault.

After his arrest last Thursday, Langer was taken to the Saguache County Jail. He was handed over to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Friday, the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office reported. He is being held without bond.

Later it was determined that the investigation into Langer’s activities is being conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, (CBI). A CBI spokesperson stated that the warrant in Langer’s case has been sealed until the investigation is concluded.

When asked what circumstances might lead to a sealed warrant, Denver press information officer Lance Clem commented that this often is done to protect the identity of a minor or when the case is still under investigation.

Mesa County records indicate that Langer also was charged with a sexually related offense in 2001 that was later judged to be unfounded.

Background

Langer came to Center from Grand Junction. He resided in Center with his wife and three step-children where he served as a Center Police Officer for two years. Langer resigned last summer after contesting a speeding ticket issued by the Colorado State Patrol. He said he submitted his resignation to accept another position as a police officer.

Charges from Langer’s speeding ticket were successfully contested and later dropped. He was able to prove that he had been called to a family emergency that could have involved a life or death situation.

Langer also is named in a suit filed Dec. 4, 2008 by Maria J. Cisneros. Cisneros alleges that Langer and two fellow officers at that time searched her home without a proper search warrant. The civil action filed in U.S. District Court on Cisneros’ behalf states that, “On May 15, 2008, a notice of claim was submitted to the Town of Center, via registered mail, pursuant to requirements of C.R.S. § 24-10-109, Exhibit E. There was no response to the notice of claim from any of the Defendants or their agents.”

Langer denies that events unfolded as Cisneros states in her complaint. Cisneros cites violations of the fourth and fourteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution and is seeking damages for emotional injury and the use of excessive force.

In the course of protesting the search, Cisneros says she was treated roughly while being arrested and later sought treatment at San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center. At the time she was recovering from breast cancer surgery.

Deputy Ian Quick Arrested for Burglary

The following is a press release from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office:

On July 10, 2009 Pinal County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ian Quick for charges relating to residential burglary and theft of property in the Florence area reported to the Sheriff’s Office on July 08, 2009.

On June 10, 2009 at approximately 10:00 p.m. deputies were called to the 27000 block of North Aladdin Road in Florence regarding a possible burglary in progress.

When deputies arrived on scene they were approached by a male subject who they immediately recognized as Deputy Ian Quick. Deputy Quick told responding deputies he had permission to be on the property and was picking up some corral panels. Responding deputies inquired as to why Deputy Quick was on the property so late in the evening and he informed them it was his day off and that he had a sick family member at home and was not able to leave the residence any earlier. Deputies reported they had no reason to believe Deputy Quick’s story was not legitimate and cleared the scene.

On July 08, 2009 the victim contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report that several corral panels had been stolen from the residence. The victim reported the panels were valued at more than $2,000. The victim told investigators that Deputy Quick did not have permission to be on her property nor did he have permission to retrieve the panels. She advised she and her husband spoke with Dep. Quick, who denied taking the panels.

After receiving the report from the former resident of the property, Sheriff’s Office Property Crimes investigators opened a criminal investigation into the burglary and theft of the corral panels and Deputy Quick was placed on paid administrative leave.

“Nobody is above the law. I want the public to understand I will not tolerate nor give special treatment to anyone, including my own deputies,” said Sheriff Paul Babeu. “I am confident we have handled this investigation well and justice will be served.”

After conducting their investigation including several interviews, Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Deputy Ian Quick. Deputy Quick was booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Facility on charges of burglary and theft. Deputy Quick was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear in front of Judge Lusk in Apache Junction at the end of July.

Sheriff Paul Babeu commented, “Though it troubles me that a deputy would commit these crimes, we cannot allow his actions to bring discredit to the dedication and commitment of the many men and women of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office who are honorable servants and protectors.”
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Other Information: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20345136&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=222089&rfi=6

Feds Arrest 2 Deputies for Trafficking Methanphetamines

Federal agents arrested two Hockley County Sheriff's Deputies in a drug raid Friday.

They charged 28 defendents, including the deputies, in a 110-count federal indictment for trafficking methanphetamines since 2003 in West Texas, California, and Arizona.

"What in the world is going on? There was a loud boom," said Deedria Ellis who lives across the street from a house federal agents searched Friday. The boom was a flash bomb used when the agents forced their way into the Levelland house, belonging to Bobby Froman. It was the culmination of a multi-agency investigation lasting several months.

Friday, federal, state and local law enforcement arrested 23 of the 28 defendants involved in methanmphtamines trafficking. Froman's house stands across the street from a day care as well as Ellis' home where she lives with a 6-year-old son. Ellis said, "I was expecting something like this to happen. I knew it was going on."

During the investigation Friday morning, ATF called Hockley County Sheriff's Department's Chief Deputy Gordon Bohannon to help with the raid, but when he got there they arrested him instead and searched his car.

Ellis said the officer's involvement didn't surprise her either. "I knew Bohannon was crooked from the day I met him," she said.

It did surprise the Hockley County Sheriff, David Kinney, that two of his officers were involved. "I got a call this morning from an FBI agent about 7:30 a.m., and he advised me that he had my chief deputy in custody," said Kinney.

Chief Deputy Bohannon and narcotics officer Jesse Quintanilla were among those arrested. Kinney knew the two officers were involved with Froman, but thought their relationship was professional because they used Froman as an informant.

Kinney says the FBI contacted him about these two officers involvement with Froman about a month ago, but told him there was nothing for him to worry about. He does not know of any other officers involved in the drug trafficking. "If my guys are guilty of this, then they need to be under the jailhouse because they know better," said Kinney.
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Video:
Two Hockley County Sheriff's Deputies arrested in large, federal drug raid

Officer Eddie Smith Jr Waives Right to Hearing for Attempted Bank Robbery

A Fort Washington police officer who allegedly tried to burglarize a Temple Hills bank June 10 waived his right Thursday to a preliminary hearing in his upcoming trial.

After being arrested by his coworkers in police District 4, Eddie Smith Jr., 41, was suspended without pay.

His attorney, John McKenna of Upper Marlboro, did not immediately return calls for comment.

Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for the Prince George's County's state's attorney's office, said the office and the defense are working together to come up with a possible plea bargain.

Smith's next court date had not yet been determined, he said.

A 16-year veteran of the force, Smith was not on duty at the time of the incident but was carrying his department-issued handgun and was wearing his uniform.

Smith remained outside the SunTrust Bank at 4625 Old Branch Ave. during the attempted burglary while codefendant Earl Blake Sr., 52, of Capitol Heights tried to break into the bank's vault, police said.

The two men were found with burglars' tools, such as crowbars, an electrical cord, a cut-off saw and saw blades after fleeing from the scene.

Police picked up Blake on a nearby road and later picked up Smith after identifying him as a suspect.

Smith was charged with burglary, malicious destruction of property, for the damage to the vault, and with using a handgun in the commission of a felony. He was also charged with possessing and permitting the use of burglars' tools with intent to use in the commission of a burglary.

The criminal investigation has been turned over to the FBI. Richard Wolf, a spokesman for the bureau's Baltimore field office, said Friday the investigation is ongoing. After the criminal investigation and prosecution are completed, county police will begin an internal investigation.

Smith's next court date had not been determined, Korionoff said Thursday.

Blake was charged with burglary, malicious destruction of property and possessing burglars' tools with intent to use in the commission of a burglary.

Blake is being represented by public defenders Dent Lynch and Anne Gold-Rand.
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Previous Story: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/06/cpl-eddie-smith-jr-charged-with-trying.html

Trial Date Set for Officer Kachina McAlexander Accused of Shooting at Deputies

A trial date has been set for a Denver police officer accused of shooting at Custer County deputies and a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper.

A trail for 31-year-old Kachina McAlexander, who faces three counts of aggravated assault, has been set for Oct. 6-8.

McAlexander was arrested March 24 at a Super 8 Motel after law enforcement officers were called to her room. That's when McAlexander allegedly shot at the deputies and trooper.

McAlexander, who is out on bond, has pleaded not guilty.

Last month, a judge dropped attempted murder charges against McAlexander, of Aurora, Colo.
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http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=87112

Trooper Whitney Elizabeth Small Pleads Guilty to DUI

Kentucky State Police Trooper Whitney Elizabeth Small pleaded guilty to DUI Monday and remains on administrative leave from her position at Post 8 in Morehead while an internal investigation is conducted.

Small, 27, was arrested June 19, just after midnight, following a non-injury accident at the intersection of KY 32 and US 60, where she allegedly drove her vehicle into the opposite lane, striking another car, said Morehead Police Chief Mike Adams.

The driver of the other car, 19-year-old Alyssa Dulen of West Liberty, was not injured in the crash. Also in the vehicle with Dulen were four passengers who escaped injury, as well.

“Officer Phillip Blackburn responded to the accident and was able to determine that Small was allegedly DUI,” Adams commented following the arrest. “Apparently, Small was turning onto KY 32 at Rodburn Elementary when she turned too wide and went into the other lane.”

Small appeared in Rowan District Court Monday where she entered a guilty plea before Judge Don Blair. This was her first offense. Small’s driver’s license was revoked for 45 days and she was fined $200. Blair also ordered Small to attend the ADE (Alcohol and Drug Education) Program.

Small, of Georgetown, was among 62 troopers to graduate Feb.25, 2008 from the Kentucky State Police Academy.

Trooper Eric Schonfarber Arrested for Assaulting Judge

A state trooper was booked today for allegedly roughing up a Red River Parish district judge during a traffic stop June 29 in the courthouse parking lot.

Trooper Eric Schonfarber, a 14-year state police veteran, was arrested this morning after turning himself into Red River Parish sheriff’s authorities on three warrants signed late Thursday afternoon by a New Orleans district judge. The warrants charge Schonfarber with aggravated assault, simple battery and false imprisonment.

Schonfarber was working this morning when he was called to the Troop G headquarters in Bossier City. An internal investigation had been ongoing since the incident involving District Judge Lewis Sams took place.

“We don’t know precisely what happened after our trooper stopped the judge for not wearing a seat belt, but we’re going to find out. As soon as we learned that a confrontation between the trooper and the judge had occurred, we began an internal administrative inquiry. We hope to wrap that investigation soon and will share our findings. If those findings deem further action on our part, we’ll do what is necessary and appropriate,” state police Col. Mike Edmonson said in a news release.

Schonfarber initiated the traffic stop after spotting Sams without his seat belt on. Sams had just left the courthouse and was making a quick return trip when Schonfarber pulled into the courthouse parking lot behind him.

Schonfarber asked for Sams’ identification and he complied. The trooper informed him of the violation and Sams admitted he was not wearing a seat belt. Sams told the trooper to write the ticket.

During the discussion, Sams identified himself as a district judge and Schonfarber asked to see a badge that was in Sams’ wallet. Sams refused, saying he wasn’t going to use his position to get out of a ticket.

That’s when the confrontation allegedly became physical. Schonfarber pulled out his Taser and threatened the judge, and also threw him onto the hood of his patrol car. A Red River Parish constable and occupants of the courthouse witnessed the events.

Schonfarber released the judge and issued the seat belt violation.

While all personally assigned state police vehicles are equipped with in-car video recording systems, Schonfarber was using a pool unit while his vehicle was out of service. Pool vehicles do not have the recording equipment, so there is no video of the incident, Edmonson said in the news release.

“We know that nothing is more important than public confidence in this agency, and I intend to maintain that confidence. Neither our troopers nor those they come in contact with are above the law,” Edmonson said.

Deputy Michael Nix Arrested for Molesting 3-year-old

GAINESVILLE

A 20-year veteran with the Hall County Sheriff's Office has been arrested for molesting a 3-year-old girl.

Hall County Sheriff's Col. Jeff Strickland said 42-year-old Michael D. Nix was arrested Thursday afternoon following an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

"The preliminary investigation revealed an allegation of aggravated child molestation involving a 3-year-old female that Nix's wife had been babysitting in their Clermont home," said Strickland.

He said Nix was put on administrative leave Monday when the allegations surfaced and was then terminated following his arrest.

Strickland said Nix served as an investigator in the internal affairs unit.

"It is unfortunate to have a veteran officer arrested on such serious charges, we take this very serious, therefore as a result of today's arrest the officer has been terminated and jailed," he said.

Nix is being held in the Hall County Jail without bond.

Officers Donald Clark & Nicky Bryant Accused of Giving Teens Liquor Then Enticed them to do Striptease

The two Knoxville Police Department officers who resigned this week are the same ones under a criminal investigation, the lawyer for one officer said this afternoon.

Gregory P. Isaacs, one of East Tennessee’s best-known defense lawyers, said he represents Donald Scott Clark, who turned in his resignation Tuesday along with former officer Nicky R. Bryant.

“Our firm has been retained to represent Scott Clark regarding his former employment with KPD,” Isaacs said. “Our firm has notified Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols and Police Chief Sterling Owen this afternoon.

“We are in the process of conducting our own parallel investigation and would strongly caution anyone against jumping to conclusions as it relates to unsubstantiated allegations involving Mr. Clark.”

The officers, suspended last week, resigned Tuesday after being faced with the accusation that they plied two teenage girls with liquor and enticed them to perform a striptease, according to sources.

KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk has refused to identify the two officers under investigation. He said the KPD has launched criminal and internal probes into the alleged misconduct of two officers.

Isaacs wouldn’t discuss the accusations against his client but asked the public and authorities to keep an open mind.

“We’re confident at the end of the day that there will be favorable information that comes forward as relates to Scott Clark,” Isaacs said. “We want to ensure my client is treated as an individual as this process goes forward and is not painted with a broad brush regarding any other individual’s culpability.”

Bryant, the other officer, hasn’t responded to attempts to contact him.

Both officers had been suspended with pay July 3, records show.

“When they were placed on administrative leave, their police powers were suspended at that time,” DeBusk.

Sources with knowledge of the probes said the officers provided liquor to two girls, ages 13 and 14, at the residence of one of the officers.

After providing the alcohol, the officers are accused of enticing the girls to perform a striptease for them. The allegations include that the naked girls then danced for the men.

DeBusk has refused to disclose the nature of the allegations against the officers. He noted the state Department of Children’s Services was involved in investigating the allegations, but he declined to say the DCS probe indicated juveniles were involved.

DCS spokesman Rob Johnson said his agency joined the case only to assist.

“Our role is to help children who are abused or neglected,” he said.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office also is investigating the officers, according to Martha Dooley, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.

“We’re investigating, and that’s all I can say,” Dooley said Thursday.

Clark has been with the Police Department for five years. Bryant has been with the department six years. Both officers had multiple reprimands in their personnel files and also commendations from the public for their professional demeanor.

Records show Bryant was suspended for two days in 2005 for not following policy in working an extra job. In 2004 he was suspended for one day for “a preventable crash,” according to records.

Clark was suspended for one day last year after he drove his cruiser out of state, records show. He was reprimanded this year for providing sensitive information to a civilian from the National Crime Information Center and in 2007 for having a dirty and unloaded firearm.

Both men continue to hold police certifications from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. The POST Commission certifies officers across the state.

DeBusk said KPD will alert the POST Commission that the officers “resigned under internal investigation.” If warranted, DeBusk said, KPD would ask POST to decertify the officers at the conclusion of the probe.

The commission hasn’t yet received that alert, said Christopher Garrett, spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works with the POST Commission.

Garrett said any other police agency would be expected to conduct a background check, which would turn up the circumstances of the former officers’ resignations, and to notify the POST Commission, which would ask whether the agency knew how the applicants left their jobs.

Most agencies would at least hesitate to hire someone who left under such a cloud, Garrett said.

“It’s certainly discouraged, but it does happen occasionally,” he said.
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More Information: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=92898&catid=2

Officer Bryan Womble Now Being Charged with Hit and Run

A Virginia Beach police officer accused of drunk driving is now also being charged with hit and run.

All of the charges stem from accident officer Bryan Womble had in June.

Virginia Beach police say Womble hit another car -- but drove two blocks away before police pulled him over.

He failed a sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level of .15.

The hit and run charge is only a misdemeanor because the crash caused less than one thousand dollars in damage.
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Previous Post:
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/06/officer-bryan-womble-arrested-for-dui.html
Information:
http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_071009_womble_hit_and_run_.2935e1b2.html