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This Week In New Orleans Louisiana: Police Officer Led Bridge Police On High Speed Chase, Almost Ran Over An Officer, And Slapped Another - Officer Ashely Terry Suspended After Drawing Gun On Woman And Children In Road Rage Incident At Day Cap Pickup Line, And Another Disciplined Over Unapproved Uniform Shirt
July 18th, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - After a string of cops in trouble this week, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley and his assistant chiefs said Friday that they were going to each of the NOPD districts to address the force at roll call meetings.
He says they will “encourage and demand professionalism.”
Speaking about all the recent controversy, Riley told WWL First news, “It’s a major embarrassment for this police department.”
In the past week there have been three New Orleans Police officers disciplined for alleged inappropriate activity.
One NOPD officer allegedly led bridge police on a high speed chase, almost ran over an officer and allegedly slapped a cop.
Another cop was steeped in controversy for wearing an unapproved uniform.
Read MoreMilwaukee Wisconsin Police Sergeant Suspended After Shooting Suicidal Police Officer, Who Then Finished The Job Himself
July 18th, 2008
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - A Milwaukee police officer from District 3 shot and killed himself late Thursday night.
A police sergeant tried to prevent the suicide by shooting the other officer in the leg.
Police said the sergeant and another officer went to the 29-year-old off-duty officer’s home late Thursday after receiving a report that he may be suicidal.
The off-duty officer eventually put a gun to his head, causing the sergeant to shoot him in the leg. But, as the off-duty officer fell to the ground, he took his own life. He was pronounced dead at his home.
The sergeant, 35, is on administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure.
The shooting is being reviewed by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office. Appeared Here
Philadelphia Pennsylvania Police Officer George Marko Admits Killing Innocent Bystander Protecting A Child - Hit 5 Times As The Officer Shot Up A Home
July 18th, 2008
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - In what appears to be his first public response to allegations into a fatal New Year’s shooting, Police Officer George Marko has admitted that a 33-year-old man died as a result of gunshots he fired.
But Marko has denied, in a federal court filing, that he knew the man and other innocent bystanders were in danger when he fired his gun, and says that the discharging of his weapon “was justified.”
Marko, through attorney Jeffrey M. Scott, filed a response last week in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia to allegations made in a civil lawsuit by the family of Abebe Isaac, who died a week after being shot five times inside an East Germantown house.
In the July 10 response, Marko says that when he discharged his weapon, his intended target was Dontate Mitchell, another reveler, who was said to have first been outside the house. He denies that he was firing into the house, but rather at Mitchell.
Read MoreNew Orleans Louisiana Police Officer David Ellis Suspended After Doing Nothing When Police Officer Ashely Terry Threatened Woman And Children At Day Cam With A Gun In Road Rage Incident
July 18th, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley on Friday suspended Officer David Ellis, who responded to a complaint against another officer accused of waving a gun and screaming expletives at a woman picking up children from a community center.
Ellis, a five year police veteran, is the second officer suspended in connection with Tuesday’s incident involving Officer Ashely Terry.
Riley said officers responded to the Treme Community Center but no report was filed. A police statement on Friday said an investigation determined that Ellis may not have taken the appropriate action when he arrived on scene.
The department says Ellis was suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the investigation and a final review by Riley.
Terry, who has been on the force for 15 months, also was suspended without pay while the department investigates her alleged actions. Appeared Here
Former Dallas County Iowa Sheriff Brian Gilbert Received A Tiny Slap On The Wrist After Conviction For Robbing Motorists Of $120,000 In Drug Money - Nutcase May Have Now Violated His Probation By Calling Former Wife’s Mother And Threatening To Shoot Ex And Friend In The Head, And Calling Ex To Intimidate Her. Also Threatened To “Hurt Himself”
July 18th, 2008
DALLAS COUNTY, IOWA - Former Dallas County Sheriff Brian Gilbert might have violated his probation from a felony theft conviction when he allegedly threatened to kill his ex-wife and mother-in-law in a telephone call last month from his Arizona home.
Gilbert avoided a 10-year suspended prison sentence when he was given five years of supervised probation in June 2007 for stealing more than $120,000 in suspected drug money seized in a 2006 traffic stop.
A warrant for Gilbert’s arrest was issued in Dallas County last month after he allegedly called ex-wife Tina Gilbert’s mother and threatened to shoot Tina and her friend in the head, according to a complaint filed June 17.
Gilbert allegedly called his ex-wife several times last month to “intimidate her about her personal life,” court papers allege. The complaint also said Gilbert threatened to hurt himself.
Gilbert, reached Thursday by telephone at his home in Surprise, Ariz., declined to comment.
Dallas County Attorney Wayne Reisetter declined to say when Gilbert will return to Iowa to face the harassment charges.
Bob Brammer, a spokesman for the Iowa Attorney General’s office, said an appeal in Gilbert’s theft case must be decided before Gilbert is under the jurisdiction of the Iowa Department of Corrections for his probation term.
If Gilbert is convicted on the harassment charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison for violating probation.
Read MoreKent UK Police And Store Security Guards Terrorize A 12 Year Old Girl Who Sampled Nail Polish
July 18th, 2008
KENT, UK - Millions of schoolgirls - and plenty of grown women - have tried out cosmetics on themselves in shops before deciding whether to buy.
So when grammar school girl Hannah Gilbert, 12, popped into Boots on only her second trip into town by herself, she thought nothing of painting a single thumb with nail polish to see how it looked.
But her shopping expedition turned into a nightmare when a security guard suddenly appeared and told her that if she failed to buy the product she would be guilty of theft.
Tearful Hannah, a member of a Christian youth fellowship group, did not have enough money to pay for the £6.29 peach-coloured Revlon polish - so was ordered into an office to wait for the police.
An hour later, three officers arrived to interrogate her, even though a check on her lawabiding family’s records revealed no evidence of any criminal history.
Read MoreMore Discipline Possible After Crazed New Orleans Police Officer Ashley Terry Pulled Gun On A Woman And Children In Road Rage Incident At Children’s Day Camp - Officer Responding To 911 Call Didn’t Bother With Report Or Talk To Victims Or Witnesses
July 17th, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - New Orleans Police Chief Warren Riley says investigators are not done with the case of a cop allegely screaming and waving a gun at chidren in a day camp pick-up line.
He says they are investigation claims that an officer tried to sweep allegations of another cop’s misconduct under the rug.
Riley told WWL First News, “We don’t cover up anyting. If that officer went out and covered up something, he’s going to suffer the consequences. Clearly!”
Riley already suspended officer Ashley Terry (pictured) for allegedly waving her gun at a driver and some children in a fit of rage at the day camp pick up line.
The officer who responded to the ensuing 911 call didn’t file a report on the incident and witnesses says he didn’t even talk to the people who saw what happened.
Silverton Oregon Police Officer Tony Gonzalez, Who Recently Shot Irishman, And Who Is Charged With Child Molestation, Is A Former Cagefighter And Tattoo Covered Freak
July 17th, 2008
SILVERTON, OREGON - New pictures of the police officer accused of shooting Irishman Andrew Hanlon in the US reveal his other life as a cagefighter and martial arts enthusiast.
When Mr Hanlon was killed in Oregon last month the media focus, both in the US and here, was predominantly on the 20-year-old Irishman.
Tony Gonzalez remained something of a mystery, with authorities in the small town of Silverton only confirming that he had been a certified, full-time officer for little over a year.
The mystery deepened earlier this week when Mr Gonzalez was charged with sexually abusing a teenage girl over several years. Those charges also ensured that the media spotlight swung towards Mr Gonzalez, and local papers in Oregon have this week been piecing together a complicated portrait of the 35-year-old.
Mr Gonzalez is an ex-marine, cancer survivor, martial arts specialist, married father of one, a man who always wanted to be a police officer — and a cagefighter.
Read MoreNutcase Retired Front Royal Virginia Police Officer And Former Sheriff’s Candidate James Douglas “J.D.” Striker Arrested, Jailed Without Bond, Charged After Shooting At Son
July 17th, 2008
FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA - A retired town police officer is being held without bond in the Warren County Jail after being arrested on charges related to shooting at his son.
James Douglas “J.D.” Striker, 51, of 4437 Remount Road, Front Royal, is scheduled for a bond hearing in Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court at 1:15 p.m., today. Striker is charged with feloniously discharging a firearm within a dwelling house and misdemeanors of reckless handling of a firearm and brandishing a firearm.
Warren Deputy Brad Pugh was seen on Tuesday night carrying an arm-load of long guns from the cedar-sided residence near Chester Gap that Striker shares with his wife and three other children. A former candidate for sheriff, Striker retired from the Front Royal Police Department within the last few years. He also gained notoriety during the 2003 race won by Sheriff Daniel T. McEathron when Striker claimed that he could have information on the 1983 slaying of Front Royal Police Sgt. Dennis Smedley in 1983.
Read MoreDayton Ohio Police Officers Shot Blind Woman Suffering From Cancer With Taser Weapon After She Refused To Talk To Them
July 17th, 2008
DAYTON, OHIO - Dayton police said they went to an apartment building on Fernwood Avenue looking for a robbery suspect and ended up tazing the man’s mother who is legally blind.
The incident happened on Fernwood Avenue Thursday.
Police said 49-year-old Denise Harris refused to talk with them and became combative, striking out at an officer. According to officers, when they tried to arrest her, she resisted and they tased her.
Neighors said the officers used unnecessary force on the blind woman, who is also suffering from diabetes and cancer.
Sgt. Charles Anderson said Harris will be charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest, but the incident is under investigation.
Harris was taken to the hospital by an ambulance to be checked out. Appeared Here
Veteran Daytona Beach Florida Police Officer Lt. Major Garvin Fired After He Threatened Starbucks If He Didn’t Receive Free Coffee, Lying About It - Visited Store 6 Times A Day, Intimidated Some Employees
July 17th, 2008
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - A police lieutenant in Daytona Beach was fired over accusations that he threatened slower emergency response times if he was not given complimentary specialty Starbucks coffee drinks.
An internal police investigation found that Daytona Lt. Major Garvin received free coffee for about two years from a city Starbucks coffee store.
However, when recently denied free coffee from new management, Garvin allegedly told managers that he could change the police department’s response time if they refuse to give him complimentary drinks.
Garvin is accused of saying, “If something happens, either we can respond really fast or we could respond really slow. I’ve been coming here for years and I’ve been getting whatever I want. I’m the difference between you getting a two-minute response time, if you needed a little help, or a 15 minutes response time.”
However, when confronted about the comments, police said Garvin agreed to take a polygraph test.
Read MoreWashington DC Police To Seize Guns Amid Legal Owner’s Registration Efforts
July 17th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - D.C. police will start the gun registration process at 7 a.m. tomorrow, when it opens an office at police headquarters at 300 Indiana Ave. NW.
It is the start of the 180-day amnesty period in which residents may register handguns they have had illegally, or guns from other states.
An officer from the gun unit will meet the applicant at the door and take temporary possession of the gun to ensure safety at headquarters.
Officers will tag the gun and run ballistics tests before returning it to the owner. Paperwork indicating that registration is in process will be provided.
About 14 days later, after an FBI background check, the gun will be officially registered.
Appeals Court Upholds Firing Of Warren County New York Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Clarke For Shooting At Car 14 Times
July 17th, 2008
WARREN COUNTY, NEW YORK - A state appeals court has upheld the firing of a former Warren County sheriff’s officer who fired his gun at a car that police were chasing.
The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court found that former Warren County Sheriff Larry Cleveland acted properly when he dismissed Jeffrey Clarke after Clarke fired 14 shots at a fleeing sports car Aug. 12, 2006.
“Given the circumstances presented here and considering the seriousness of petitioner’s misconduct, we do not find that the penalty of dismissal was so disproportionate to the offenses as to shock our sense of fairness,” Appellate Division Justice Bernard Malone wrote.
Clarke was fired for shooting at a car that drove toward him on Finkle Farm Road in Lake George at the tail-end of a high-speed chase. The driver was not hit, but the Subaru hatchback was hit several times.
Read MoreJudge Tosses Charges After 94 Year Old Man Was Entraped By Manatee County Sheriff’s Detective During Prostitution Sting
July 16th, 2008
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - A 94-year-old man whose arrest in a prostitution sting here caused an international buzz will not be prosecuted. A judge ruled Tuesday that Frank Milio was a victim of entrapment.
Milio, who has dementia, was unable to get into a care facility while his case was pending.
The undercover Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detective on the street corner that afternoon in November took 30 steps to go chat with Milio, who authorities say had honked his car horn at the woman to get her attention.
Milio, who turned 94 this month, stopped his car in a parking lot about 60 feet away from the woman, who was standing in an area where authorities regularly set up stings to nab johns. Milio did not flash his lights or say anything to lure the woman over. The woman opened his passenger side door and leaned inside.
Read MoreLawsuit Charges Fulton County Illinois Sheriff Jeff Standard And Deputy Karl Williams After They Took High School Teacher’s Backhoe, Implying It Was Stolen And That He Was A Drug Dealer - Threatened With False Arrest And Imprisonment On Fabricated Evidence
July 15th, 2008
PEORIA, ILLINOIS - A Lewistown High School teacher is suing the Fulton County sheriff and one of his deputies for allegedly taking his backhoe last summer and implying he is a drug dealer.
Kendall Tucker, 53, filed the suit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Peoria against Fulton County, Sheriff Jeff Standard and Deputy Karl Williams. The suit seeks more than $350,000 in damages and alleges constitutional violations.
In his suit, Tucker alleges Williams went to his friend’s property and took his backhoe on Aug. 27, 2007, without stating why. Williams later implied Tucker had stolen property and was a drug dealer, the suit states.
“The conduct of Deputy Williams … has deprived Tucker of his liberty interest in freedom from extortion by state actors by threatening Kendall Tucker with false arrest and imprisonment on fabricated evidence guaranteed him by the substantive component of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” the suit states.
Read MoreHouston Texas Paid $1.5 Million Settlement After Crazed Rookie Police Officer Arthur Carbonneau Shot And Killed Innocent 14 Year Old Boy Who Was Playing Computer Games
July 15th, 2008
HOUSTON, TEXAS - The city of Houston has paid $1.5 million to the parents of a 14-year-old boy who was shot to death in 2003 by a rookie police officer, as part of an unprecedented settlement of their lawsuit.
In a one-page condolence letter, Mayor Bill White officially acknowledged the loss and grief of Eli Escobar II’s parents, who filed a federal lawsuit faulting the Houston Police Department’s training for the death of their only child.
“We share in your grief, and you have my deepest sympathy,” White wrote to Eli and Lydia Escobar.
The officer who shot the teenager said his gun fired accidentally as he tried to detain him.
“The circumstances surrounding your son’s death were considered in the development and implementation of enhanced police training in crisis intervention and the training and deployment of non-lethal alternatives … and prompted in substantial part an expanded emphasis on proper gun handling,” White wrote on behalf of the city and HPD.
Read MoreLos Angeles California Police Defend Killing Of 2 Innocent Bystanders During Hollywood Chase On Busy City Streets Over Traffic Violations
July 15th, 2008
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – A police officer who chased a car that slammed into and killed two people on a crosswalk in a congested Hollywood area acted properly when he initiated the pursuit, a senior police official said Monday.
Police Deputy Chief Terry Hara called the deaths a tragedy but said the officer did not appear to violate any department policy when he started the chase that ended at about 8:45 p.m. on Hollywood Boulevard.
Sergio Rogelio Delgado, 29, of Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of murder after he tried to run away from the scene of the crash. Police said he was drunk at the time.
“There are times when you have to make a decision and weigh the balance and the risk,” Hara said at a news conference. “In this case Mr. Delgado was clear in his disregard for public safety. I think it was the right decision.”
Read MoreUpdate: Woman Awarded $115,000 After Beating By Seattle Washington Police Officer Aaron Parker For Giving Legal Advice To A Friend
July 15th, 2008
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - The city of Seattle will pay a University of Washington graduate student $115,000 to settle the lawsuit she filed after her cheekbone was broken when a Seattle police officer slammed her to the ground, according to her lawyer.
Brittany Beaulieu claimed in her federal lawsuit that the officer used excessive force in the 2006 episode near KeyArena. Beaulieu later underwent extensive surgery for a complex fracture of her facial bone.
On the evening of the incident, Beaulieu had been at a bar with friends. After they left, police arrested one of the friends on suspicion of drunken driving after he backed his truck down a one-way street.
Beaulieu shouted at the friend not to submit to a breath test without a lawyer.
Read MoreThree Witnesses To Eugene Oregon Police Officer Sgt. Bill Solesbee And Jud Warden’s Attack On Peaceful Anti-Pesticide Protester Want Them Prosecuted For Assault
July 14th, 2008
EUGENE, OREGON - Three witnesses to the controversial stun-gun arrest of anti-pesticide protester Ian Van Ornum say a pair of Eugene police officers should face assault charges for roughing up the University of Oregon student after breaking up a downtown rally.
Eugene residents Josh Schlossberg, Samantha Chirillo and Amy Pincus Merwin announced Wednesday that they had filed a formal criminal complaint alleging that police Sgt. Bill Solesbee and officer Jud Warden assaulted Van Ornum on May 30 near Kesey Square.
Brian Michaels, a Eugene attorney representing the three residents, said he hopes the complaint spurs investigators toscrutinize the actions of Solesbee and Warden.
“These police officers need to be held accountable,” Michaels said during a news conference held at City Hall to announce the complaint’s filing. “We’re hoping this keeps the light shining on these officers … for assaulting and nearly killing” Van Ornum.
Read MoreSuspended Veteran Springfield Illionis Police Commander Cliff Buscher Gets A Special Plea Deal And Slap On The Wrist After Drunken Shooting Incident - 2 Articles
July 14th, 2008
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS - No one was injured in the March incident in Taney County, Mo.
Prosecuting attorney Jeff Merrill told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register on Wednesday that Cliff Buscher pleaded guilty on Monday to disturbing the peace.
Buscher must pay a $500 fine, serve two years probation, perform 100 hours of community service and undergo a substance abuse evaluation.
A Springfield Police Department spokesman says the 19-year veteran is on paid leave pending a review by the department’s internal affairs division.
Buscher’s attorney declined to comment.
Elsewhere:
Police commander pleads guilty
Fired service weapon at Missouri lake while under the influence
Springfield Police Commander Cliff Buscher has pleaded guilty in Missouri to a misdemeanor stemming from an incident in March during which he fired his service weapon at a lake while intoxicated.
Read MoreDallas Texas Police Officer Daniel Hageman Arrested, Charged After Road Rage Shooting
July 14th, 2008
DALLAS, TEXAS - Garland police on Wednesday arrested a Dallas police officer for allegedly shooting at a vehicle during a road rage incident.
According to Dallas police, Sr. Cpl. Daniel Hageman turned himself in to Garland police at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The incident happened on Interstate 635 at Centerville Road on May 9, police said.
They said Hageman was off duty when he opened fire at a vehicle, hitting its right rear tire.
A woman and passenger who were in the vehicle said a man drove up behind them, started yelling and then fired several shots.
Police said they were able to provide investigators with a detailed description of the vehicle, including a license plate. The car, police said, was registered to Hageman’s wife.
The victims were later able to identify Hageman in a photo lineup.
Read MoreArrest Warrant Finally Issued For Colorado Negress After Her Long Distance Prank Phone Call Duped Dumb-As-Dirt Texas Police And State Agents To Illegally Remove 460+ Children From Their Homes - Cost Of Bogus Raid And Aftermath, Before Lawsuits, Already In The Millions
July 14th, 2008
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO - An arrest warrant has been issued for a woman considered a person of interest in phone calls that may have sparked a raid on a polygamist group in Texas after she didn’t show up in court on the charges of violating probation.
Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs failed to show up for a hearing in Douglas County District Court on Monday afternoon for one of two false-reporting cases against her in Colorado.
Court administrator Lori McKager says an arrest warrant has been issued for Swinton.
Read MoreCook County Illinois Judge Says Chicago Illinois Police Officer William Cozzi Can’t Be Fired After Beating Elderly Handcuffed Man In A Wheelchair - Caught On Video
July 14th, 2008
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - The Chicago Police Board made the correct decision in suspending — and not firing — an officer who was videotaped beating a 60-year-old man handcuffed and shackled to a wheelchair, a Cook County judge has ruled.
Officer William Cozzi still faces criminal charges in federal court in the beating of Randle Miles on Aug. 2, 2005 at Norwegian American Hospital in Humboldt Park.
A hospital surveillance tape shows Cozzi hitting Randle Miles about 10 times, prosecutors said. Miles does not appear to resist, but he was charged with resisting arrest — a charge that was later dropped.
On Friday, Cook County Circuit Judge William Maki upheld the Chicago Police Board’s two-year, unpaid suspension of Cozzi, 51. In November, the Chicago Police Department had appealed the board’s suspension, asking the court to fire Cozzi.
Read MoreWoman Awarded $100,000 After Being Beaten By A Seattle Washington Police Officer For Offering Legal Advice
July 14th, 2008
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - The City of Seattle will pay more than $100,000 to settle a complaint of excessive police force.
A young woman sued the city, saying an officer kicked her legs out from under her during an arrest and sent her face-first to the ground.
Before Brittany Beaulieu’s first run in with the law, she was working in marketing and excited about the next phase of her life.
Her encounter with Seattle Police left her face swollen, her cheekbone broken in three places.
“She was seriously injured, she was emotionally injured,” said Allen Ressler, Beaulieu’s attorney.
Ressler says the 30-year-old was with friends on Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood on April 21, 2006. They had just left a bar when Beaulieu saw one of her friends get pulled over for DUI. Trying to help, she walked up to her friend and offered legal advice.
Read MoreSydney Australia Police Officer Charged After Attacking Business Owner With Her Handbag
July 14th, 2008
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - An off-duty police officer has been accused of assaulting a man with a handbag during an argument at a car yard.
A couple, including the female senior constable, was charged over the altercation in Sydney’s north shore on July 6, police said today.
It was alleged a 32-year-old man pushed the business owner into a wall and tore his shirt before he was hit with a handbag by the 31-year-old officer.
The pair were charged with common assault and will appear in Hornsby Local Court on August 20. Appeared Here
Sarasota Florida Police Botch Drug Raid - Storm A Crowded McDonalds And Terrorize Customers After Forgotten Milk Shake
July 14th, 2008
SARASOTA, FLORIDA — Undercover police officers stormed a McDonald’s restaurant and ordered diners and employees to the ground as they tried to catch a suspected cocaine dealer Thursday.
The Sarasota police officers were dressed in black, carried rifles and wore masks when they ran into the restaurant on the corner of Beneva and Fruitville roads. They burst through the door at dinner time, yelled for patrons to hide under tables and chased a 24-year-old man who hid in a bathroom.
It was a drug sting that went bad because of a milkshake.
Police say the arrest would have gone smoother if the suspect, Juan T. Dixon, had not stopped at the door of the restaurant to go back and grab his shake from the counter.
It was supposed to work like this:
A confidential informant and an undercover detective waited inside the restaurant to sell Dixon an ounce of cocaine and 100 Ecstasy pills for $950.
Read MoreTwo “False Alarms” Over Lorain Ohio County Community College Leave Real Concern Over Their Timing - As Police Terrorize Innocent Civilians
July 14th, 2008
ELYRIA, OHIO - For the second time in recent weeks, an Elyria police training exercise, complete with simulated gunshot sounds, at Lorain County Community College has alarmed unsuspecting citizens, despite planners extensive efforts to avoid such undue alarm.
By now, authorities need to realize that however valuable the training, however careful the preparation and however much public notice is provided, not everybody will get the message, and some public alarm is almost inevitable.
The resulting confusion and potential for bad unintended consequences needs to be noted, even though the police guns are unloaded and gunfire sounds are simulated. These drills, training police to respond to gunmen on the campus, should be moved to a time before dawn or whenever else the general public will not encounter them.
Read MoreHero To Zero: Jefferson County Arkansas Deputy Sheriff David Wheeler
July 14th, 2008
JEFFERSON COUNTY, ARKANSAS - David Wheeler began 2007 winning a share of the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association Medal of Honor and a slew of glowing notices from Jefferson County Sheriff Gerald Robinson, culminating in a promotion to sergeant. He had what appeared to be a wonderful family life with his wife and three sons.
By the end of the year, Wheeler, 30, was fired, getting divorced and had spent time in jail on charges of assault, making terroristic threats and endangering one of his children.
Records show that he repeatedly threatened to kill himself, his wife and deputies from his own agency who arrested him. Deputies arrested him again June 25 on a charge of violating a protection order by reportedly parking just outside his wife’s property line and watching the house. The former sergeant is free on a $ 100, 000 bond, though Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Rik Ramsey has filed to revoke it.
Read MoreOver One Million Suspected And Known “Terrorists” Appear On So-Called DHS Terror Watch List - Including Senator Ted Kennedy
July 14th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - A watch list of suspected and known terrorists, compiled by the US authorities, has ballooned and contains more than one million names, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday.
The ACLU said it derived that figure from a Justice Department report on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, which consolidates terrorist watch list information.
The Center “had over 700,000 names in its database as of April 2007 and that the list was growing by an average of over 20,000 records per month,” according to a report by the Justice Department Inspector General, the rights group said.
“By those numbers, the list now has over one million names on it,” the ACLU said in a statement.
Among those on the watch list are deceased people, such as former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was hanged in 2005, decorated war veterans, and US Senator Ted Kennedy, the ACLU said.
Read MoreCrazed Staffordshire UK Police Send Car Theft Victim A Bill For Repairs To Police Car That Stopped His Stolen Car
July 13th, 2008
STAFFORDSHIRE, UK - When Jason West’s Golf GTI was stolen, the 22-year-old was grateful to the police for quickly locating the vehicle and apprehending the thief.
He spent £200 on repairs without claiming on his insurance policy to avoid paying an excess and compromising his no-claims bonus. He thought that would be the end of the matter.
But five months later, Mr West was astonished to receive an insurance claim from Staffordshire Police for the £1,000 of damage caused to their vehicle when they stopped the stolen Golf.
Jason West and his VW Golf
Victim: Jason West received an insurance claim from police for the £1,000 of damage caused to their vehicle when they stopped the stolen Golf GTI
The force says an unmarked police car was rammed as the thief tried to escape.
Yesterday Mr West told how the claim leaves him facing the prospect of paying out twice over the same incident.
Read MoreWar On Photographers: Moron Johnson County Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Arrests Man For Taking His Picture, Whining That He “Feared For His Life”
July 12th, 2008
JOHNSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE - Nearly everyone carries a cell phone and it’s hard to find one without that camera feature. It’s convenient when you want to take that impromptu photo, but a Tri-Cities area man ended up behind bars after snapping a shot of a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop.
* Comment from site: “Somebody needs to kick the deputy’s ass. He’s apparently one who thinks his gun and badge makes him God. I hope this guy sues them and wins. I can’t stand Redneck cops.”
The cell phone photographer says the arrest was intimidation, but the deputy says he feared for his life.
“Here’s a guy who takes me out of the car and arrests me in front of my kids. For what? To take a picture of a police officer?” said Scott Conover.
A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy arrested Scott Conover for unlawful photography.
Read MoreBradenton Florida Police Officers Chase Down And Beat Man Who Rode A Bicycle Without A Light - Our Tax Dollars At Work
July 11th, 2008
BRADENTON, FLORIDA — Authorities have charged a 56-year-old Bradenton man with battery on a law enforcement officer.
Robert Smith, who was stopped for riding a bike without a light at night, is accused of biting the leg of an officer who chased and confronted him.
Smith said he was scared the night in May when he ran from the officer in the 800 block of 28th Street Circle East in Bradenton. Police said Smith was riding his bike about 1:20 a.m.
Smith reportedly punched the officer several times during the struggle. An officer said the bite on his leg caused a “pinching sensation.”
Read MoreFired Nutcase Little Rock Arkansas Police Officer Leroy Kendall Arrested, Charged With Stabbing And Attempted Murder Of His Wife - Previously Convicted Of Trying To Kill Former Wife By Putting Explosives Under Her Bed
July 11th, 2008
CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA - A former Little Rock police officer faces charges again for allegedly trying to kill his wife.
Police in California City, California arrested Leroy Kendall Tuesday for stabbing his wife. He’s charged with battery and attempted murder.
In 1994, he was convicted of putting explosives under the bed of his former wife to try and kill her.
It happened a year after he was fired from the Little Rock Police Department for getting into a scuffle and threatening fellow officers.
Former Towns County Georgia Sheriff Rudy Eller And Deputy Sheriff Eddie Osborn To Be Sentenced For Shooting And Coverup - Deputy Jessie Gibson Committed Suicide After Incident
July 11th, 2008
HIAWASSEE, GEORGIA - Former Towns County Chief Deputy Eddie Osborn, along with former Towns County Sheriff Rudy Eller, will be sentenced next month for his part in a shooting last July.
Osborn was convicted last week on 7 of 11 charges he faced in connection with the July 9, 2007 incident at the home of Gary Dean of Hiawassee. Osborn and another deputy, Jessie Gibson, were accused of firing shots at Dean’s home. Dean apparently had been involved in a romantic relationship with Osborn’s wife.
Gibson was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound August 8, 2007 in what authorities said was a suicide.
Former Towns County Sheriff Rudy Eller admitted his part in the scheme August 21, 2007, pleading guilty to hindering a state investigation involving his deputies. Eller also resigned from office.
Read More