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Archive for the ‘ARIZONA’ Category
Red Light And Speed Cameras Catch Tucson Arizona Police Officers Too
June 30th, 2008
TUCSON, ARIZONA - Cameras set up to catch Tucson motorists running red lights or speeding also are nabbing some of the city’s higher-ranking cops.
An assistant police chief and a division commander were among a dozen police employees who have triggered photo-enforcement citations in their city-owned vehicles since the Tucson Police Department began using the automated, round-the-clock cameras.
Half of the 12 officers avoided being cited in court when an internal investigation showed they were justified in responding quickly to an emergency, said Lt. John Stamatopoulos, an executive officer in the police chief’s office.
“I was taken by surprise when I saw the camera flash,” Capt. David Neri recalled. “I thought the car behind me must have run a red light. I looked in my rearview mirror, and there was nobody there.”
Read MoreArizona State Rep. Mark DeSimone Arrested, Charged With Domestic Violence After Attack On His Wife
June 30th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - Phoenix police say they arrested an Arizona legislator on suspicion of domestic violence late Thursday.
Dispatchers received a 911 call from Democratic Rep. Mark DeSimone’s west Phoenix home just before midnight, Sgt. Joel Tranter said.
Arriving officers found DeSimone in front of the house. Tranter said after speaking to his wife, they learned there had been a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation.
DeSimone’s wife was struck at least once and had cuts to the inside of her mouth, Tranter said. Officers developed probable cause to make a domestic violence arrest, Tranter said.
Police policy is to always make an arrest and book the suspect into jail in such cases, Tranter said.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said the 45-year-old was still in jail as of noon Friday.
DeSimone’s legislative office staff didn’t know if he had a lawyer. Appeared Here
Third World Mexican Army Soldiers Arrested, Charged With Home Invasion And Murder In Phoenix Arizona
June 26th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - Police reports show that three men arrested in a Phoenix home invasion and homicide Monday may have been active members of the Mexican Army.
While on the J.D. Hayworth show, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association President Mark Spencer said that the men involved were hired by drug cartels to perform home invasions and assassinations.
The Monday morning incident at 8329 W. Cypress St. resulted in the death of the homeowner. Between 50 and 100 rounds were fired at the house.
Spencer said a police officer told him that one of the men captured said they were completely prepared to ambush Phoenix police, but ran out of ammunition.
He added that all were all dressed in military tactical gear and were armed with AR-15 assault rifles. Three other men involved in the invasion escaped.
However, Phoenix Police have not confirmed the men were Mexican Army members.
Read MoreShaquille O’Neal Loses Special Deputy’s Badge Because Nutcase Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Doesn’t Like Rap Video (For Some Reason This Is News…)
June 26th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -Shaquille O’Neal will lose his special deputy’s badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center’s use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year.
“I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.”
Shaq was seen in a video posted on the celebrity news and gossip Web site TMZ.com rapping that “Kobe couldn’t do without me.” O’Neal skewers the Lakers’ star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles, for not being able to win a championship without him.
Read MoreVictim Of U.S. Government’s Witness Protection Program Has Had Enough, Wants His Old Identity Back - Government Never Came Up With Simple Documents, Like A Birth Certificate Or Social Security Number, So He Hasn’t Been Able To Register A Car Or File Taxes In Past 13 Years
June 26th, 2008
NEW YORK - Pappy Andrews wants his identity back. He gave it up more than a decade ago after helping federal agents break up a right-wing militia in Phoenix. Because he had put his life on the line and there were fears the militia or its friends might harm him, the federal government gave him a new identity.
But now, Andrews, 49, is tired of hiding and wants his old life back.
“I’ve done nothing illegal, and I’ve lost more than 13 years. I’m so far below zero that a newly arriving immigrant has more rights than me,” Andrews said. “I walked away from my children in order to keep them safe. The militia movement and its friends have a code for dealing with spies: kill them.”
Patrick “Pappy” Andrews is the name he took while on the run.
Read MoreLawsuit Will Charge Memphis Tennessee Police Officer With Brutally Beating Transsexual Prostitute At Shelby County Criminal Justice Center - Caught On Video - Previously Beat Man In Mother’s Driveway
June 24th, 2008
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - A local family claims they had a violent run-in with the same officer involved in the jailhouse beat down case, though their lawsuits were later dismissed.
Action News 5 was the first to show you video of a violent encounter between a Memphis police officer and a transgendered woman in the intake area of the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. It was last February when surveillance cameras rolled as Memphis Police Officer Bridges McRae repeatedly struck suspected transgendered prostitute Duanna Johnson.
Last week, Johnson’s lawyers said they plan to file a lawsuit over the incident. Action News 5 has learned it won’t be the first lawsuit against McRae.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, on December 19, 2005, a truck driver named Kirby Lloyd arrived home and parked his tractor trailer in his mother’s back yard on East Brooks. Lloyd started his other car, a 1994 Mazda, and went inside to greet his mother.
Read More9 Illegal Alien Invaders Working At Mesa And Phoenix Arizona Amusement Parks Indicted FOr Using False Documents To Get Jobs
June 23rd, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - A grand jury indicted nine illegal immigrants on allegations they used false documents to get jobs at two amusement parks now being investigated for possible employer sanction violations.
Prosecutors said Monday that no employer sanctions allegations have been filed against the Golfland Entertainment locations in Mesa and north Phoenix where the nine people worked.
The investigation of the company continues, and the business maintains it was following the law.
Arizona’s employer sanctions prohibits businesses from knowingly hiring illegal immigrations.
The nine were being held without bond because a voter-approved law denies bail to illegal immigrants accused of committing serious felonies.
All nine were charged with forgery.
Six also were charged with taking the identity of another person. Appeared Here
Dozens Protest Maricopa County Arizona Nutcase Sheriff Joe Arpaio Booksigning
June 22nd, 2008
NORTH SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio signed copies of his new book Saturday at Barnes & Noble in North Scottsdale, attracting both protesters and supporters. Arpaio was promoting the book, “Joe’s Law.”
Activists gathered with signs in front of Barnes and Noble.
They said they wanted to draw attention to what they called racial profiling and abuse of power by the Sheriff.
“We think the money could be better spent,” said Sean Reed, holding a sign.
The protesters said they opposed the Sheriff’s recent immigration sweeps.
Inside, the Sheriff vowed to continue the enforcement.
“If you cross the border illegally, you violated the law,” Arpaio told the crowd.
109 Degree Heat Proves To Be Nearly As Effective As A Fence Or Snipers On The Border
June 22nd, 2008
ARIZONA - Fifteen people suffering from dehydration flagged down drivers along State Route 85 near Gila Bend on Sunday and are being treated at local hospitals.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Mario Escalante said it’s unclear whether the people are illegal immigrants.
He said they’ll be treated first, and the agency will determine their legal status afterward.
Escalante says the people began trying to flag down cars around noon, when the temperature was around 109 degrees.
He says most of the people were in bad shape and that three in the group had severe dehydration. Those three were flown by helicopters to hospitals.
Others were taken by ambulance.
Lawsuit Charges Chandler Arizona Police With Mistakenly Labeling Man’s House As Sex Offender’s Home
June 20th, 2008
CHANDLER, ARIZONA - Chad Tow is embarrassed his neighbors thought he was a sex offender.
After all, Chandler police passed out fliers warning his neighbors a sex offender lived at his home.
The offender looked similar to Tow and was about the same age and description.
Tow said after the fliers were handed out, his neighbors started acting differently towards him.
He said children, who once came to visit him to see his car collection, were kept away from his home.
Police later learned the sex offender, Kurtis Hamady, lied to investigators about living at Tow’s Chandler home.
Hamady was then charged with failing to register as a sex offender.
Tow said he met Hamady through a friend 15 years ago. He has had sporadic contact with Hamady in recent years.
In 1993, Hamady was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl when he was 19.
Read MoreScottsdale Arizona Police Officer Chong Kim Quits Amid Second Complaint Of Improper Searches Of Women
June 20th, 2008
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - Former Scottsdale police officer Chong Kim, who resigned this week after allegations of an inappropriate search of a 19-year-old woman, had a similar allegation made against him last year, Scottsdale police said Friday.
Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell, in a written statement, said that in September 2007 the allegation was made against Kim by a different woman, but the investigation was inconclusive because of a lack of evidence at the time.
“We are now in the process of putting our documentation together to forward onto the FBI for a formal investigation,” Rodbell’s statement says. “At this point, details of the investigation, including both the September and this current allegation, cannot be divulged to protect the integrity of the case.”
Read MoreCitizen Group Demands That Maricopa County Board Of Supervisors Hold Crazed Sheriff Joe Arpaio Accountable After $40 Million Goes To Pay Lawsuits And 70,000 Criminal Warrants Remain Unserved
June 19th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - A citizens’ group says it wants the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to hold Sheriff Joe Arpaio accountable for his use of tax dollars.
The Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability plans to attend the supervisors’ meeting Thursday as it finalizes its 2008-09 budget.
The group says Maricopa County taxpayers have paid $40 million for lawsuits because of the sheriff’s “recklessness.” Meanwhile, the group says 70,000 criminal warrants remain unserved.
The group says it will have about 200 members at the supervisors’ meeting.
South Tucson Arizona Police Officer Lt. Richard Garcia Fired After FBI And IRS Investigation Into Check Cashing Scheme
June 19th, 2008
SOUTH TUCSON, ARIZONA - A South Tucson police officer has been fired after becoming the focus of an FBI and IRS probe for suspicion of cashing checks intended for the city and its police department, authorities said.
Lt. Richard Garcia, who was the second-highest ranking officer in the department, was fired last week, according to court documents.
City manager Enrique Serna said South Tucson officials became aware of the federal investigation about a month ago.
Because the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed, Serna declined to elaborate, saying only that he believed the investigation involved anti-racketeering funds.
However, Serna said the city’s investigation found enough wrong-doing to warrant the firing.
Representatives for the IRS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
Garcia was promoted to lieutenant in May and would have marked his 13th year with the department later this month, city officials said. Appeared Here
Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman Hid Error From City Officials And Taxpayers That Resulted In Unsuccessful Recall Effort Against Him
June 18th, 2008
GILBERT, ARIZONA - The mayor of Gilbert, who was the target of an unsuccessful recall effort, said he knew that the number of signatures needed for putting his proposed ouster on the ballot was too low, but he didn’t tell a city official about it.
The town clerk rejected recall petitions last week against Mayor Steve Berman bearing 1,208 signatures.
Organizers of the effort had been told they needed 981 signatures to force Berman into a recall election. But after the petitions had been filed, Town Clerk Cathy Templeton said she erred in her calculations, and that the recall organizers needed 1,963 signatures.
Berman said it would have been inappropriate for him to correct Templeton because state law requires municipal clerks to be independent of city or town councils on election matters, even though in Gilbert the clerk reports directly to the council.
Read MorePhoenix Arizona Police Officer Shoots Young Boy Who Had A Pellet Gun
June 18th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - A Phoenix police officer shot a teenage boy Tuesday night after he reportedly pointed a gun at them.
Police now confirm that gun was a pellet gun that appeared to be a 45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
At about 5:45 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex near I-17 and Dunlap Road.
The caller described a man, armed with a handgun, chasing a female through the complex.
When officers arrived, they were directed to an upstairs apartment. When they got close, they heard a commotion inside the apartment.
Officers identified themselves as police and moved into positions near an open door of the unit.
According to police, the 16-year-old suspect then lunged out the door and pointed a gun at one of the officers. That officer, Dwayne Susuras, then shot the teen once in the leg.
Read MoreArizona Department Of Public Safety Director Quits, Sort Of. Exploits Loophole To Double-Dip, Take Taxpayer’s Cash
June 16th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - After 37 years, DPS Deputy Director David Felix is calling it quits.
“I want someone to tell me I haven’t earned that retirement,” Felix said.
Well, not really.
“I’m starting as a new employee,” Felix said, a new employee right back at the Department of Public Safety.
He said he’s taking a $37,000 pay cut and a reduced rank, but he will actually be making more than before his retirement.
That’s because Felix is collecting his $70,000 a year pension plus a $100,000 salary for his new position.
“When the officer reaches that mark, he retires, and he should move on, ” said Bryan Soller, President of the Arizona State Fraternal Order of Police.
“It looks like you want your cake and eat it too,” Soller said.
What Felix is doing is completely legal.
Read MoreFormer Chandler Arizona Police Officer Bradley Forward Faces Jail Time For Computer Tampering
June 16th, 2008
CHANDLER, ARIZONA - State prosecutors want to put a former Chandler police officer behind bars for his role in obstructing a criminal investigation, according to a Monday report.
Prosecutors accuse former officer Bradley Forward of helping an old college buddy access police databases.
By doing so, Forward helped his buddy get information that they believed would help fight an investigation into his buddy’s business by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Forward pleaded guilty last year to computer tampering. He is to be sentenced July 30. Appeared Here
Arizona State University Police Turn School Employee’s Cut Finger Into A Campus Stabbing Call
June 16th, 2008
TEMPE, ARIZONA - Arizona State University police responded to a report of a stabbing in the physical sciences building on the Tempe campus Monday morning.
Once on site, police said they discovered an ASU employee had cut his finger on broken glass while cleaning up a lab.
The victim treated himself with a Band-Aid and is expected to make a full recovery, ASU police Commander James Hardina said. Hardina said he wasn’t sure how the initial report came to be so blown out of proportion. Appeared Here
Phoenix Arizona Police Officer Didn’t Pull Over Drunk Driver, Ends Up Involved In 3 Vehicle Wreck With Car Being Followed
June 15th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - Phoenix police continue to investigate a multi-vehicle accident involving one of their own patrol cars.
Sunday night, the patrol car was following a four-door sedan traveling on Thomas Road because the officer suspected the driver was impaired.
The driver of the car tried to make a left turn on 7th Avenue right in front of an oncoming pickup truck that slammed into the sedan before hitting the patrol car behind it.
No one was hurt.
Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Investigators did not say whether there would be an arrest.
Read MoreMaricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Thug Deputies Refuse To Identify Themselves And Threaten To Arrest Phoenix New Times News Reporter For Looking At Public Records. They Call For Backup And Capt. Jim Miller Arrives To Threaten Reporter Some More
June 14th, 2008
MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA - How close did I come to getting arrested by Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies today? As Maxwell Smart would say, “Missed it by that much.”
The problem: I had the nerve to want to look at the same public records that sheriff’s deputies were scouring at the City of Phoenix public records counter.
First, a little background.
You’ll recall that Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has been putting a lot of political heat on Sheriff Joe Arpaio in recent months, ripping Arpaio for conducting “crime-supression sweeps” that are really intended to find illegal immigrants. At a luncheon in March to honor Cesar Chavez, Gordon said the Sheriff’s Office was doing little more than locking up “brown people with broken tail lights.” He reiterated the theme in a May 2008 Latino Perspectives Magazine article, writing that Arpaio has “created a ‘Sanctuary County for Felons’ with his reckless priorities–that target brown skin and cracked tail lights– instead of killers and drug dealers.”
Pretty harsh words, and when the sheriff gets attacked, he bites back. In late April, the Sheriff’s Office put in a public records request for every e-mail obtained or received from the mayor and a bunch of his staff members, including City Manager Frank Fairbanks. Arpaio also wants to see the mayor’s meeting calendar and cell phone records. As New Times columnist Sarah Fenske wrote last month, the request appears to be a fishing expedition for any records that could harm the mayor politically.
It should go without saying that this request is another example of how Arpaio abuses the police powers of his office to try to intimidate and quiet his critics.
But it’s also proving that Arpaio and his deputies are hypocrites, for two reasons:
Because the sheriff’s public information officials often complain when the news media attempts the same kind of fishing expedition that his office is now conducting. And because the MCSO is taking advantage of a liberal public-records policy at the City of Phoenix that allows the public to scan in or photograph public records for free to avoid copying fees.
Read MoreAnti-Corruption Group’s Petition To Recall Gilbert Arizona Mayor Steve Berman Fails
June 13th, 2008
GILBERT, ARIZONA - Gilbert’s town clerk has rejected a petition turned in Thursday to force a recall election of Mayor Steve Berman.
Town Clerk Cathy Templeton told End Corruption in Gilbert organizer Fred Phillis in a letter that she miscalculated the number of signatures required.
Instead of the 981 signatures the group thought they needed, Templeton said they really needed 1,963 signatures.
On Thursday, they turned in petitions with 1,208 signatures.
Templeton wrote, “I alone am fully responsible for the error in this calculation. My error does not allow me to accept your petitions as the number of signatures does not comply with provisions contained in the Arizona Constitution and Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 19.”
The group will have to start over collecting signatures if they want to continue pursuing a recall.
Phillis told ABC15 his group won’t have anything definitive to say until they can meet with our attorney on Monday.
Read MoreMaricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio To Give Statement After Chandler Police Officer Tom Lovejoy Kills K9 In Hot Patrol Car
June 10th, 2008
CHANDLER, ARIZONA - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been told to give a deposition in the case of a Chandler police officer accused of leaving a police dog in a hot car last August.
Lawyers for Sergeant Tom Lovejoy filed a motion in March asking Arpaio to answer questions under oath.
Deputies arrested Lovejoy on September 5th on suspicion of animal abuse after he left his police dog in a patrol car for more than 12 hours.
The dog was later found dead.
Judge Samuel Goodman of the San Tan Justice Court ruled May 29th that Arpaio had two weeks to give the deposition.
Lovejoy’s attorneys accuse the Sheriff’s Office of selective enforcement.
The defense also maintains three Sheriff’s Office dogs have died since 2000 and no charges were ever filed.
Arpaio has argued it wasn’t his decision to arrest Lovejoy, although he held a news conference to answer questions. Appeared Here
Downtown Phoenix Arizona Area Evacuated For “Suspicious” Backpack In Maricopa County Jail
June 10th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - An area in downtown Phoenix had to be evacuated around lunchtime Tuesday after a suspicious bag was found inside the Maricopa County 4th Avenue jail.
Someone found the bag at about 11:30 a.m. in a jail bathroom at 4th Avenue and Madison Street.
Sheriff’s deputies evacuated an area around the immediate area and a bomb squad went in to check it out.
They were able to x-ray the bag, which turned out to be a backpack, and decided there was no explosive inside.
Employees were allowed back to work as the bomb squad removed the suspicious bag.
No injuries were reported and so far there is no word on how the bag was left there. Appeared Here
Gilbert Arizona Konnie Bonini And James Clark Quit Amide Drug Allegations
June 9th, 2008
GILBERT, ARIZONA - When Gilbert officer Konnie Bonini went to supervisors in January, she said she only wanted to get a fellow officer help.
But after revealing she knew an officer who drank before work and abused muscle relaxers without a prescription, she was involved in a two-month criminal investigation that implicated her and officer James Clark, eventually leading both to resign, records recently released to the Tribune show.
Clark and Bonini had just ended a five-month relationship days before Bonini went to her supervisors. She admitted that despite her claims of watching Clark consume the pills and drink before work, she did nothing and that she once provided him with several leftover prescription pills, records show.
The investigation also revealed Clark had been driving a police car with a canceled driver’s license and had been busted in the past for sneaking prescription drugs from Mexico.
Read MoreYuma Arizona Federal Customs Agent Jose Magana Indicted, Charged With Human Smuggling
June 8th, 2008
YUMA, ARIZONA - A federal Customs agent has been indicted for allegedly conducting a human smuggling operation in the Yuma area.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix announced charges against 44-year-old Jose Magana of Yuma, and three others.
Prosecutors say a federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment alleging Magana and others conspired to bring illegal immigrants into the U.S.
The arrests occurred last month in the Yuma area. Appeared Here
Maricopa County Arizona Judge Roland Steinle Allows Evidence From Illegal Wiretaps In Trial
June 3rd, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - When accused serial killer Dale Hausner faces multiple murder charges later this year, jurors will be able to hear recordings in which he and his accomplice say they wanted to “kill 500.”
Defense lawyers had tried to ban the police wiretaps, saying investigators didn’t get the proper approval.
But Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle disagreed and ruled Monday to allow them as evidence.
Investigators recorded Hausner in August 2006, just before arresting him with his roommate, Samuel Dieteman.
Dieteman has since pleaded guilty to two murder counts.
Trial is set to begin in Sept. 3. Appeared Here
White Powder Turns Up In Envelope In Chandler Arizona Bank’s Night Deposit - Just Aspirin
June 3rd, 2008
CHANDLER, ARIZONA - A Chandler bank employee found an envelope with white powder Monday morning and a fire department hazardous materials team was called in to determine what it was.
The employee found the envelope at about 9:30 a.m. in the night deposit box at the Compass Bank near Chandler Boulevard and Price Road.
Paramedics evaluated a couple more employees because they were also within a few feet of the envelope.
A fire department hazardous materials team determined the powder was ground-up aspirin, according to officials.
There were no traffic problems at the bank, which is at the edge of the Chandler Fashion Center mall.
Nutcase Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Running For Sheriff Again
June 1st, 2008
MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA - Joe Arpaio has filed thousands of signatures to qualify for the November ballot as he seeks a fifth term as Maricopa County sheriff.
The self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff in America” turned in more than 12,000 signatures from registered voters with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office since last week.
Only 3,165 signatures are required to run.
County elections officials say the sheriff originally filed the bulk of his signatures May 22 and has only been adding to that number.
Candidates typically turn in more signatures than necessary because some are usually disqualified when election officials are unable to verify if they are legitimate.
Dan Saban, a Democrat, is expected to run against Arpaio in November. Appeared Here
Maricopa County Deputy Sheriff Makes U-Turn, Hits Pickup Truck
June 1st, 2008
GILBERT, ARIZONA - An accident involving a Maricopa County sheriff’s deputy shut down Bush Highway, sheriff’s investigators said.
The unidentified deputy was on radar patrol on the side of the road just north of where Power Road turns into the Bush Highway, investigators said.
He tried to make a U-turn to catch a speeding car and hit a pick-up truck, deputies said.
The driver, Anne Middents, 20, and the deputy, who suffered a shoulder injury, were taken to the hospital.
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Both are expected to be okay.
Bush Highway was closed from Redmont Drive to Usery Pass during the investigation. Appeared Here
Animal Cruelty Charge Upheld Against Chandler Arizona Police Officer Sgt. Tom Lovejoy - K9 Died After Officer Left Him In A Hot Car
May 31st, 2008
CHANDLER, ARIZONA - A motion that would have dismissed an animal cruelty charge against a Chandler Police officer whose dog died in his custody last year has been denied.
A Justice Court judge ruled the case will go ahead to trial on Friday.
Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was working as a canine officer when he left his dog “Bandit” in a hot car last summer.
The dog died as a result of Lovejoy’s actions.
Prosecutors said Lovejoy acted “recklessly”, where defense attorneys called it a “horrible mistake.”
A trial date has been set for June 27th.
As part of the case, the defense is asking the court to depose Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio under oath. Appeared Here
Phoenix Arizona FBI Agent Joe Gordwin Indicted After Affair With Wife Of Man Under Investigation - Hid Relationship So He Wouldn’t Lose His Job
May 31st, 2008
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — An FBI agent from Phoenix was indicted in Los Angeles on 18 charges that accuse him of having an affair with the wife of a man he was investigating on two separate occasions.
Joe Gordwin, 39, was arrested Thursday morning at the FBI office in Phoenix and was placed on administrative leave.
The indictment returned Wednesday said over a three-year period Gordwin hid his relationship from his superiors and other law enforcement agencies so he wouldn’t lose his job.
Gordwin was charged with six counts of wire fraud, five counts of making false statements and seven counts of witness tampering. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 285 years in prison.
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During a court hearing in Phoenix on Thursday, Craig Mehrens, Gordwin’s attorney, said his client passed a polygraph test on the allegations against him. He presented results of the examination to authorities.
Read MorePatients Die In Care Of Lake Havasu City Arizona Fire Department Paramedics - Five Accused Of Dereliction Of Duty And Falsifying Official Documents
May 31st, 2008
LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA - Five members of the fire department in Lake Havasu City have been accused of dereliction of duty and falsifying official documents.
That’s according to an investigator’s report distributed last night to Lake Havasu City Council members.
Today’s News-Herald newspaper optained a copy, and says the report alleges that three paramedics improperly handled two medical emergency calls in October.
It says the trio allegedly failed to follow established medical protocols and incorrectly administered treatment.
In both cases, the patients died.
The paramedics also are accused of altering medical records to obscure errors in treatment. Fire department officials are accused of failing to properly investigate the misconduct.
The report has been sent to the state attorney general’s office for possible criminal charges. Appeared Here
Call From Nosey Businesman Steven Ceballes Gets Phoenix Arizona Police To Charge Non-Drunk Woman With Felony Drunk Driving And Two Other Felony Charges - Blood Alcohol Level Was 0.02 (Very Low) - Our Tax Dollars At Work
May 26th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - The businessman was meeting with clients for lunch at Mimi’s Café when he noticed the woman. Sitting a few tables over with her 4-year-old boy, she seemed groggy — yet she was drinking a mimosa.
It got worse. The woman ordered a glass of white wine, then another. She was so out of it, the businessman would later write in a statement to police, that she looked ready to fall asleep at the table.
When the woman paid her bill and left the restaurant, the businessman was right behind her, cell phone in hand. When she ran a stop sign in the parking lot, he called the police.
By the time the cops showed up a few minutes later, the woman already had parked at the Chandler Mall, less than a mile from Mimi’s. She was buying bath salts when the businessman pointed her out to the cops.
Read MorePhoenix Arizona Police Officers Demand To Be Paid For Getting Dressed
May 24th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA — Nearly 600 Phoenix police officers have filed suit in an attempt to force the city to pay them for the time they spend getting in uniform each day.
Attorney John Commerford, representing the officers, said they spend considerable time getting dressed for each shift.
“It’s the way officers have to get dressed and have to maintain and care for all that equipment,” Commerford said. “And the list of equipment is something like 30 pieces long. All of that has to be maintained, and no officer is being paid for it. And the city of Phoenix will tell you flat out, they don’t believe they need to.”
The officers are seeking $18 million, which includes back pay, damages, attorneys’ fees and court costs. Commerford said the suit could go to trial by November.
Read MoreVeteran Phoenix Arizona Police Officer Det. Mike Polk Indicted For Child Molestation After Child Pornography Arrest
May 24th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA — A Phoenix police homicide detective arrested by his own department on child pornography charges has been indicted, the Maricopa County attorney’s office said.
Detective Mike Polk, 50, a 26-year-veteran of the police department, has been indicted on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a class two felony and dangerous crime against children.
A search of Polk’s Surprise home uncovered evidence of child pornography on his home computer and numerous thumb drives that contained video files that fit the criteria for the crime of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Phoenix Police Department probable cause statement.
Polk was arrested after Immigrations and Customs Enforcement made Phoenix police aware that he was the subject of two Internet child pornography investigations.
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In one of the cases, Polk was accused of purchasing child porn images using an online banking service. According to court paperwork, Polk registered with the banking service using his real name, address, and personal e-mail account.
Read MoreArizona State Prison Corrections Officer Noe Ruiz Arrested In Major Drug Bust
May 24th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA — A major drug bust Tuesday netted the arrests of six family members, one of whom worked as a corrections officer at a state prison, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.
The bust followed a months-long investigation that began in November after MCSO received a tip reporting illegal drug activity. Investigators said they placed five west Valley houses under surveillance.
On Tuesday, deputies conducted a traffic stop on the alleged head of the drug ring, 55-year-old Domingo Ruiz. In his car, detectives said they found four pounds of pure methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
Ruiz, an illegal immigrant, was arrested on seven felony counts including conspiracy, money laundering and possession of dangerous drugs for sale.
Detectives said Ruiz lived in a $400,000 Tonopah home that had been fully paid off, despite his claim that he lived on a $45,000 yearly income.
Read MoreGuadalupe Arizona Citizens Panel Wants To Get Maricopa County Deputies Out Of Their Town
May 24th, 2008
TEMPE, ARIZONA - A citizens panel in the Town of Guadalupe recommends dropping police protection from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
A report released Wednesday night by the Guadalupe Public Safety Committee describes sheriff’s deputies as disinterested in protecting the town.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio has repeatedly defended his deputies as responsive and inexpensive.
The panel says its findings are largely based on residents’ opinions about how well the sheriff’s office has served Guadalupe.
Ultimately, the committee says the town should re-establish its own police department.
But in the near term, the Town Council should contract with the Department of Public Safety or Phoenix police.
Arpaio notified Guadalupe town officials his agency was terminating its contract and will pull its deputies out in October. Appeared Here
Buckeye Arizona Town Councilman Brian McAchran’s Past As A Very Disgraced Farmington New Mexico Police Officer Raises Questions
May 23rd, 2008
BUCKEYE, ARIZONA - Former police Officer Brian McAchran, who joins the Buckeye Town Council next month, admitted in federal court in 2004 to having an affair with a police informant while serving in Farmington, N.M., documents obtained by The Arizona Republic show.
McAchran, who was demoted and later resigned, landed a job with the Buckeye Police Department four weeks later. A former Farmington colleague and Buckeye sergeant was instrumental in his hiring.
When he takes office June 3, McAchran will help lead one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation as it transitions from a farming town to a regional economic player. In the past three years, the town has weathered several scandals involving a previous mayor and two town managers and is vigorously trying to shed a good-old-boy image. Some question whether the revelations about McAchran’s past will hurt that cause.
Read MoreTucson Arizona Judge Tosses Alcohol Breath Tests In 49 DUI Cases Based On Secret Machine
May 19th, 2008
City Court Judge Thomas Berning’s ruling says the breath tests are inadmissible because the company that makes the machine hasn’t made its inner workings available to the defense.
James Nesci, one of the defense attorneys involved in the cases, says there are 50 to 70 pending cases before other judges that were waiting for Berning’s ruling.
The ruling doesn’t dismiss the cases entirely, just the breath tests.
The Tucson Citizen reports on its Web site that the ruling also could potentially affect every alcohol breath test conducted in the state since Dec. 1, 2006. That’s when Arizona adopted the Intoxilizer 8000 machine made by CMI.
Deputy City Attorney Laura Brynwood says prosecutors will appeal Berning’s ruling within the next 14 days. Appeared Here
Veteran Phoenix Arizona Police Officer Donnie Coury Charged After Attacking And Choking Neighbor
May 15th, 2008
Donnie Coury, 42, a 16-year member of the Phoenix force, has been charged in the Glendale City Court with assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanor violations.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were filed April 18, and a pretrial conference is set for June 9.
Coury declined to discuss the case when contacted earlier this week, but Sgt. Joel Tranter, a Phoenix police spokesman, said the alleged incident is the subject of an ongoing internal investigation.
In the meantime, Coury remains on active duty, he said.
The alleged victim, Jimi Fullmer, 30, said the incident occurred Nov. 6 while he was skateboarding through the neighborhood and was being pulled by his large dog, River, a black Labrador retriever.
Maricopia County Arizona Deputies Target Guadalupe Mayor Critical Of Crazed Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Department
May 15th, 2008
GUADALUPE, ARIZONA — The mayor who has accused sheriff’s deputies of racially profiling Hispanics in her town was pulled over by an officer for having a broken headlight, officials said Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office says Mayor Rebecca Jimenez was cited for the broken headlight and for not having proof of insurance and registration on Tuesday night.
According to a police report, the mayor told the deputy that she was wrong in thinking that Sheriff Joe Arpaio wouldn’t retaliate against her for opposing his early April crackdowns in her town.
The report said the mayor asked the deputy how he liked working for a guy who racially profiles people of color and that she refused to sign the ticket and told the officer that he didn’t need to explain the citation to her.
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“I’ll just have to go to Judge Melton and take care of it, I don’t need you to explain it,” the report quoted Jimenez as saying.
Read MorePinal County Arizona Sheriff Chris Vasquez Plagiarized Others Dozens Of Times For His Monthly Newsletter, Says He’s Just Providing A Public Service
May 14th, 2008
PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA - Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez has plagiarized more than a dozen times in his monthly letters since taking office three years ago, lifting text from numerous Web sites, journalists, lawmakers and even President Bush.
The plagiarism is extensive. And in many cases, the text is copied verbatim and unattributed with copied material that ranges in size from a few sentences to entire speeches.
Vasquez admitted that he directly “copies and pastes” material from outside sources into many of his letters without attribution.
He added that he doesn’t think it’s wrong.
“You can call it plagiarism if you want,” Vasquez said. “I’m just providing a public service.”
The letters are distributed to newspapers across the county that print them each month. They also were posted on Vasquez’s campaign Web site. However, they were removed Wednesday afternoon after the Tribune inquired about them.
Read MoreTaxpayer Funds Pissed Away On Pinal County Arizona’s Losing Battle To Violate Citizens Rights And Ban Outdoor Dancing
May 10th, 2008
PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA - They were dancing outdoors and celebrating in Queen Creek, Friday night.
That’s after the San Tan Flat Restaurant won a legal fight against Pinal County.
Last week, a judge ended an outdoor dancing ban. Friday night, employees took down their “Dance Police” signs.
Owner Dale Bell says he’s grateful a long fight with the county is over. He says he hopes his victory will encourage others to take on the government, when they think their rights are violated.
Nutcases At Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff’s Department Put Taxpayers On The Hook For Another $38K - Failed To Provide Newspaper With Press Releases After Articles Critical Of Department - Our Tax Dollars At Work
May 9th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA — Taxpayers will have to pay nearly $38,000 to cover a newspaper’s court costs in a lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department over the release of public records.
The West Valley View successfully sued the sheriff’s department for failing to respond to a public records request for routine press releases given to all other media.
The sheriff’s office stopped sending press releases to the paper in the summer of 2005 because it was unhappy with its coverage of the department.
In August, the Arizona Court of Appeals ordered the sheriff to give the paper copies of any release it also sends to other media outlets.
The sheriff’s office said it made the records available but required reporters to pick them up at a substation, rather then e-mailing them as the agency did with other media.
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