Three New York Detectives Get Away With Murder

Sean Bell was killed just before dawn on his wedding day, November 25, 2006 by three detectives who fired over 50 rounds into his body. He and several friends were at an all-night bachelor party at the Kalua Club in Queens, a strip club that was under investigation by a NYPD undercover unit looking into complaints of guns, drugs, and prostitution.

Witnesses said around closing time, Bell and his friends left the club, and argument broke out. Believing that one of Bell’s friends, Joseph Guzman, was going to get a gun from Bell’s car, an undercover detective who was inside, followed the men and called for backup.

Bell, Guzman and Trent Benefield got into the car, with Bell at the wheel. The detectives drew their weapons, said Guzman and Benefield, who testified that they never heard the plainclothes detectives identify themselves as police.

Not knowing that the men were officers, Bell panicked to get away from the armed men, his friends testified. But the detectives thought Bell was trying to run down one of them, believed that their lives were in danger and started shooting, according to their lawyers. Not one shot to stop them, but over 50 bullets were fired by the NYPD officers.

After the verdict was read Nicole Paultre Bell bolted from the courtroom as a Judge acquitted the three New York City Detectives of all charges in the shooting death of her finance.

"I've got to get out of here," Paultre Bell said.

Justice Arthur Cooperman was announcing the verdict clearing Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Sean Bell.

Detective Marc Cooper was cleared of reckless endangerment.

"What we saw in court today was not a miscarriage of justice," the Rev. Al Sharpton said on his radio program. "Justice didn't miscarry," he said. "This was an abortion of justice. Justice was aborted."

Sharpton, who has been advising Bell's family, had called for calm Wednesday.

The three officers made brief statements more than four hours after the verdict.

"I want to say sorry to Bell family for the tragedy," Cooper said.

Isnora thanked the judge "for his fair and accurate decision today."

Oliver praised Cooperman "for a fair and just decision."

That's not how one community leader viewed it.

"This case was not about justice," declared Leroy Gadsden, chair of the police/community relations committee of the Jamaica Branch NAACP. "This case was about the police having a right to be above the law. If the law was in effect here, if the judge had followed the law truly, these officers would have been found guilty.

"This court, unfortunately, is bankrupt when it comes to justice for people of color."

Many people outside the courthouse saw it differently.

"You can't be proud of wearing that hat. You can't be proud of wearing that badge," a black woman shouted at a black police officer. "You must stop working for the masters! Stand down! Stop working for the masters!"

"Fifty shots is murder. I don't care what you say. That's what it is," another woman said.

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I have to agree 50 shots at anyone is murder.

Officer Raymond Eli Smith Arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine

Pineville Police Officer Patrolman Raymond Eli Smith has been arrested in an undercover drug operation at a Pineville elementary school. Officer Smith, 37, has been booked with conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine and malfeasance in office.

In a ‘spur of the moment’ decision the Sheriffs office allowed an undercover operation to take place on school grounds. (What if something had gone wrong, and gunfire was exchanged? This was an on-duty police officer carrying a weapon.) Sheriff Charles Wagner said, “It was something we had to act on to take care of it to make sure that cocaine did not make it into the school.” (Still, I don’t think it was a good idea to possibly put the lives of our children at risk.)

Rapides Parish Sheriff Charles Wagner said Smith met with a informant working for authorities around 2 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot at Lessie Moore Elementary School while Smith was on duty. The two talked of a trip to Detroit to sell and distribute cocaine, valued at $25,000, Wagner said. Because of a radio malfunction the conversation between Smith and the informant was broadcast on a police frequency.

“That could be an extremely serious problem,” Sheriff’s Assistant Chief Herman Walters said, referring to officer safety. “We need to sit down and talk with the officers involved and see if they did anything differently to try to determine what happened.”

Officer Smith was arrested Wednesday evening at the Pineville Police Department by Rapides Parish Metro Narcotics officers. According to acting Pineville Police Chief Terral Paul, Smith has been on the force for nearly nine years and a D.A.R.E. Officer for more than a year. Paul says Smith was placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal investigation by the Pineville Police department. RPSO is conducting a criminal investigation into the incident.

According to the Associated Press, Smith was released from the Rapides Parish Jail on a $12,500 bond.

A Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office corrections officer also has been arrested in connection with the undercover operation. Marcus Mandrell Taylor, 35, of Pineville, was booked with conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.

Sheriff Chuck Wagner says Taylor has been with the department for seven years and is on administrative suspension without pay.

Officer Juan McCoy Arrested for Statutory Sodomy

A Washington Park police officer was arrested today on a warrant for two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy issued after police investigated a complaint of sexual misconduct involving a 14-year-old boy in St. Louis.

Officer Juan McCoy, 35, was arrested without incident at the Illinois State Police headquarters in Collinsville, Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Jim Morrisey said.

A spokeswoman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Schron Jackson, said, "The Metropolitan Police Department was contacted by the Illinois State Police on April 16, regarding an incident involving a 14-year old male victim that occurred between June and August in the 3700 block of Winnebago."

After a police investigation, the warrant was issued against McCoy, Jackson said.

The juvenile is an Illinois resident, Morrisey said.

The felony charges against McCoy are unrelated to his position as a Washington Park officer, Morrisey said.

McCoy is a former East St. Louis police officer. He also worked as the chief of security for the East St. Louis Housing Authority.

Bill Wilkins, executive director of the housing authority, said McCoy worked for the housing authority for four years and five months. "During his tenure at the East St. Louis Housing Authority, he performed his duties appropriately and effectively," Wilkins said. "We did not receive any complaints from tenants."

Washington Park Mayor John Thornton said, "This news is shocking and disturbing."

"I hope the charges against him are not true. I have children and grandchildren. I knew he was a police officer, but I didn't know that much about him."

Thornton said McCoy worked for Washington Park for two or three years.

McCoy was being held at the Madison County Jail pending extradition. He was being held in lieu of $250,000 cash only bail.

Update: Tulsa, Oklahoma Judge has been Charged with Indecent Exposure

Tulsa County District Judge, Jesse Harris has been offically charged with two counts of indecent exposure. He has been accused of exposing himself to 2 women at an east Tulsa hotel parking lot.

Earlier today, prosecutors charged Judge Harris, who was then booked into the Tulsa County Jail around 5:30 pm. He was released just ten minutes later on a personal recognizance bond.

Tulsa Judge Under Investigation for Indecent Exposure

Tulsa County District Judge Jesse S. Harris is under investigation for allegations of indecent exposure.

Judge Harris is accused of exposing himself to two women at an east Tulsa hotel parking lot back on March ninth. The woman making the allegations is his ex-girlfriend.

The Judge had cleared his docket for the rest of this week, and the investigation has now been handed over to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office in Bartlesville. Tulsa County DA Tim Harris turned the case over due to conflict of interest.

Currently the allegations are just being investigated. No charges have been filed in the case and the Judge has not been arrested.

Officer in Training Arrested for Sexual Assault

A police officer in training from Parachute, Colorado was arrested on sexual assault charges . Kristopher Duncan, 25 has been charged with a class-four felony sexual assault stemming from an incident, on April 18, but details weren’t disclosed.

Officer Duncan was terminated last Friday for violation of the code of conduct. He is being held in the Pitkin County Jail on a $7,500 bond. Instead of being held in the Garfield County jail, where he was arrested, they moved him to the Pitkin County jail for his safety. (Guess he was afraid they would beat his ass at the other jail.)

Parachute Town Administrator Robert Knight said Duncan was hired Feb. 1 and was terminated April 18. "I released him from employment. An arrest of this nature is a violation of the code of conduct," said Knight. "We find the allegations very disturbing, and our hearts go out to all involved."

The town of Parachute has about 1,400 residents and eight police officers.

The charges carry a possible sentence range of two years to life in prison. Details of the alleged sexual assault were scarce yesterday but prosecutor Gail Nichols, who earlier in the day advised Duncan of the charge against him in the judge’s chambers, said it occurred sometime on April 18 and that the victim was an adult. She declined to provide details about the incident, such as the victim’s sex or age, adding that a heavily redacted arrest affidavit should be available for public inspection today.

Duncan is due in Garfield County District Court on April 30 at 1:30 p.m. He has been ordered to stay away from the purported victim should he post bond.

Military Police Officer Arrested For Allegedly Beating Stepson

It was at 117 Lynn Street in McRae where White County Sheriff Deputies say Patrick West beat his 5-month-old stepson. It happened Monday.

According to officers, the baby stopped breathing and that's when West called 911. After a series of tests, doctors learned the child suffered multiple skull fractures.

He's on life support at Arkansas Children's Hospital where doctors are remaining hopeful, but so far officers say the baby hasn't shown any signs of activity.

Police say this is the first time the mother left the child alone with West. And what's even more shocking is the couple was just married last Friday and she is eight weeks pregnant.

Detective Brandon Grimes says, "She says she has no clue. She acts fairly devastated about the whole situation of course."

Deputies arrested West, a military police officer, who also has served time in Iraq. He's charged with 1st Degree Battery and has since posted a $100,000 bond.

Grimes says, "Of course if the child passes the charges will be amended. You would think somebody in that position would be more cautious in things and taken care of a child when they have seen so much devastation."

Today's THV talked to West's base in Fort Campbell Kentucky. We're told they've launched an investigation under military procedures and military law.

"They're amazed really. I mean they didn't suspect it at all," Grimes explains.

The mother, who is also in the military, is not a suspect.

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WTF is wrong with people?!?! When my boys were little, I never once considered hitting them hard enough it could injury them in any way, no matter what they did. And my boys have done some really crazy, stupid things in their life. I just don't understand people who can do this kind of thing to a child. Yell at them, send them to their rooms, put them in a corner, whatever, but you don't have to hurt them. I've never once hit my boys in a way that could cause them harm. What a shame that this had to happen. Hopefully the little boy will recover.

Officer John Eagley Arrested for Sending Threatening Text Messages

Pennsylvania Officer John T. Eagley, a 34-year-old patrolman, sent a threatening text message to his friend, Art Sider, cell phone on March 13. Art Sider is the manager at Gabriel Brothers, a discount store.

Police said the first message threatened the manager at the store where Officer Eagley’s girlfriend, Susan Foley, had been suspended for poor job performance.

The text message said, “Tell Anthony he is done. If I pull him over, I’m dragging him out of the car and beating the fuck out of him. I’m dead serious.”

A second message arrived a moment later, just before noon on March 13, telling Art Sider to relay the message. Sider took the phone and showed it to the Millcreek police, who photographed the messages.

Officer Eagley was arrested Friday, after other officers reviewed telephone records. He was charged with official oppression and making terrorist threats. He was arraigned before District Judge Paul Manzi of Millcreek and was released after posting a $10,000 bond.

The Police Chief Richard E. Andrews would only say that Officer Eagley sent the messages while off duty, and that the matter was investigated by the department’s internal affairs unit. Officer Eagley has also been suspended.

Oklahoma City Police Officer Hangs Himself

A former Oklahoma City police officer hanged himself in a jail cell on Thursday, a day after being arrested on a murder-for-hire complaint.

Kenneth J. Griffin was found unresponsive in his Oklahoma County jail cell and was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m., according to jail spokeswoman Kelly Marshall.

Griffin is accused of hiring a hitman, but to kill whom is still unknown. The Oklahoma County district attorney said a sealed indictment against Griffin would be opened on Friday.

Griffin resigned from the police force in April 1996 amid a conviction for accepting money under false pretenses.

Authorities said he had taken money from charities under the pretense that he had been hurt in the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and that his insurance didn't cover all his costs.

Griffin served prison time on that conviction.