Fairfax County Police Watch: Idiots at work. Fairfax County Police

Un-fucking believable

Dallas TX cop is suing Taser Inc after he was badly injured by a taser when one was used on him during training. But, before you feel too bad for him, he says tasers are too dangerous to use on cops but they are just fine to use on you. [0] bit.ly/ulqVmo

This week’s Murder Charge

US Customs & Border Protection officer in Texas has been sentenced to 25 yrs in prison after convicted for murder when he shot a bar owner to death after he was kicked out of a bar. [0] bit.ly/vba2mD

Refugio County TX sheriff and 2 deputies are the subject of a lawsuit alleging a man with a seizure disorder died in jail due to a denial of medical care. [3] bit.ly/rOLsh5

Damn near murder

Lauderhill FL cop charged with attempted murder for shooting at an on-duty officer who apparently was his girlfriend that he was having a dispute with. He was later arrested by a SWAT team at a pizza shop. [1] bit.ly/uee6pz

Ontario County NY deputy shot an unarmed woman in the shoulder as she rushed to answer door when deputies knocked while looking for a suspect. [0] bit.ly/vsZ8ov

Drunk/ Drugs and drug dealing

Houston TX cop was convicted on federal corruption charges for using his police cruiser to escort what he believed was a shipment containing 7kg of cocaine [0] ow.ly/1ArgHU

Honolulu HI police major who is already facing extortion charges has now been charged with the distribution of meth after his home raided by the feds [0] ow.ly/1ArgW6

An audit into Utah Transit Authority’s handling of an investigation into a police sergeant who was allegedly drunk while working at the Obama inauguration in Washington DC reveals problems with the internal investigation practices of that department. [0] bit.ly/tjO3fG

Newark NJ reserve police officer resigns after he didn’t inform the department about his DUI arrest. He was was later convicted of a reduced failure to control charge. [0] ohne.ws/tcMnhD

1 Fort Wayne IN cop was suspended 180 days for showing up to work drunk while another was suspended 5 days after stopped for DUI. A captain may be disciplined for not telling officers to detain him and test him. [0] bit.ly/s7w7K1

Panama City FL cop who resigned on allegations he sought favoritism at DUI stop has charges dropped, no prosecutor [0] bit.ly/rC45UO

Lowell MA cop on leave while under investigation on allegations he showed up for work while intoxicated [0] bit.ly/sCkL6r

………….but we’re special

Fort Lauderdale FL police accountability methods are being questioned after that city’s toothless citizens review board canceled 5 monthly meetings in a row because the department didn’t bother to forward any police misconduct cases to them for review. [4] bit.ly/uTsJFY

Fraud

Abbotsford BC cop investigated for investment fraud in an alleged scheme that began before he retired & cost investors that included fellow officers over $6mil [0] ow.ly/1ArgbG

Toronto ON cop told his testimony was unreliable, possibly fabricated by judge dropping fraud charges against 4 men [3] bit.ly/ucLoTj

Sexual assault

Evansville WY is being sued by a woman claiming a cop sexually assaulted her and that her son was traumatized when he witnessed the attack. [3] bit.ly/tt3pij

Good, they should fire more of them

Oceanside CA sued by an ex-cop claiming that his being fired on sex harassment allegations was trumped up in an effort to cover up a recording he made that he says is evidence of an attempt to cover for a cop who was caught driving while intoxicated. [3] ow.ly/1ArhKQ

Actually…I don’t blame him

Perry County AR deputy resigns after cited for deer hunting out of season… while in uniform… on duty… from the side of a road. [0] bit.ly/snDgFI

Just another common thief

Joplin MO police officer pleads guilty to using a police database to perform identity theft in order to take out $13k in student loans [0] ow.ly/1Araad

US Treasury police office pleads guilty to receiving over $500k in unreported income while he was on disability leave [0] ow.ly/1AraES

La Marque ISD TX now-former police chief is the subject of a criminal investigation into theft allegations where there was allegedly some video involved [1] bit.ly/teRpoF

Because he was too stupid to graduate from High School

Cape Coral FL cop resigns after an internal investigation determined that his GED certificate was a fake [0] http://ow.ly/1ArKJp

Gun dealing

Camden Co NC deputy pleads to charges related to the illegal purchase of automatic weapons as an officer with the intent to deliver them to the former Blackwater group. [0] ow.ly/1Ar01Y

Sexual assault

Levy County FL sheriff’s lieutenant arrested on an armed sexual battery charge in an unspecified incident. He was apparently tasered while allegedly resisting arrest as well. [0] bit.ly/uB8I0o

Slappin the old wife around

Pittsburgh PA police sergeant was arrested on simple battery charge during domestic dispute with her husband over a laptop. [0] bit.ly/sZ95jI

Broward Co FL deputy charged w/domestic violence for allegedly head-butting then punching & choking girlfriend [0] bit.ly/udaDtt

Mail fraud

Cumberland Co NC deputy pleads guilty to mail fraud charges for bilking money from insurance companies under the guise of being donations to the police. [0] ow.ly/1Ar4F2

Cops are afraid of the evidence…ironic ain’t it?

So far the credible reports include allegations that the police forcibly removed press credentials from reporters in or near the park prior to the action and arrested at least one reporter. Additionally, there were also reports that police told protesters they could remove their belongings from the park but then apparently went back on their word and locked it down, then destroyed everything inside. There were also reports that a city councilman was injured by police but this hasn’t been confirmed by any credible sources. An LRAD was videotaped at the park but no indication it was used. The situation is ongoing and I’m trying to track as best I can, I only have one video found so far alleging excessive force but it’s difficult to make out exactly what’s happening in the one shown above… I’ll update with links as I find them… (pending links)

New York NY police arrested at least 7 journalists during the crackdown on Occupy Wall Street, Additionally, questions are being asked about why the press was kept away from documenting the police action so aggressively. [5] nyti.ms/uL6EPm (UPDATE: Make that 10, at least according to Carlos Miller’s count)

Accounts of police forcibly removing the press from the area appears to be true as several journalists are detailing rough treatment and detentions at the hands of police. One reporter alleges police told them they aren’t reporters tonight and another claims a journalist was put into a choke hold. (latest update indicates at least 4 reporters arrested) [5] http://t.co/XcvVlie6

Chapel Hill NC police SWAT team allegedly detained 2 journalists during a heavily armed raid on what was initially reported as #OccupyChapelHill squatters at an abandoned car dealership. 8 unarmed people were arrested on misdemeanor charges during that armed raid on people that police now say consisted of “dangerous anarchists”. [3] bit.ly/rrUutx

Denver CO police are accused of arresting a photojournalist who was not associated with the #OccupyDenver protests during their crackdown on that group. [3] bit.ly/sex4Ps

Civil Rights Violation

US 4th Distict Court of Appeals is trying to overturn a US Supreme Court precedent by allowing officers to raid homes without a warrant by claiming they suspect the residents were driving while intoxicated. The appeal was filed by an officer trying to save his job because he faced firing over the incident since it was the second civil rights case sustained against him. http://bit.ly/sfByvc

Morrogh finds cop he doesn’t love. In other news, hell freezes.

Probe of fatal police shooting goes to federal authorities

By Justin Jouvenal/Post

The Fairfax County prosecutor has turned over the investigation of a fatal police shooting of an unarmed Springfield man to federal authorities, citing complications with the five-month-old case.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh said the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia has agreed to continue the probe into the death of 46-year-old John Geer, who was shot during a standoff with Fairfax County police in August. No one has been charged in the incident.

“There is a conflict of interest that has arisen in the case,” Morrogh said Thursday. “And there is a second potential conflict of interest that has arisen out of my office. . . . This is the prudent thing to do.”

Morrogh declined to describe the nature of the conflicts because the investigation is ongoing. The U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday that it could not confirm or deny any investigation or comment on pending investigations.

Police went to Geer’s Pebble Brook Court home on Aug. 29 because of a report of a domestic disturbance. Geer’s father, Don Geer, said his son was upset because his girlfriend, the mother of his two children, had decided to leave him.

John Geer had thrown his girlfriend’s belongings in the front yard. She called police and told them that Geer had a firearm. Police said they tried for about 50 minutes to persuade Geer to leave the home, but he refused.

Don Geer said he watched the climax of the encounter. He said that he could not hear what officers were saying to his son but that he saw him standing with empty hands resting on top of a screen door at the home’s entrance.

At some point, John Geer began to slowly lower his hands and an officer opened fire, hitting Geer in the chest, his father said. Geer retreated inside and closed the door. A SWAT team eventually entered the home and found Geer dead.

Don Geer said detectives later told him that his son did not have a gun on him at the time of the shooting but that there was a holstered handgun a couple of steps from the front door.

Don Geer said it appeared to him that the shooting was unjustified, but he was unsure what to make of the probe being turned over to federal authorities.

“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad — if I had a better idea of why they are doing it, I could form an opinion,” he said.

Geer and friends of his son have been critical of how long the investigation has taken, but Morrogh said police and prosecutors were working to explore all the evidence. He did not think federal prosecutors would have to start from scratch.

“No one wants these things to linger on,” Morrogh said.

Our ink will outlast his career

Under the reign of former Chief of Police Rhorer the Fairfax County Police arrested a man for not wearing clothes in his house while he made coffee, set up an eye doctor on a gambling charge and then used the SWAT team to kill him. An investigation into the charge that the Doctor’s primary clients were cops has never been investigated. The police gunned down an emotionally unstable man because cop who shot him wrongly assumed the man was trying to escape. He wasn’t. The cops also shot dead four other citizens under highly questionable circumstances. The department under Rhorer was sued multiple times by citizens. So did they fire Rhorer? Naw they promoted him. According to news reports Rhorer draws a salary of $191,168 per year as Deputy Fairfax County Executive as well as a concurrent pension from the Fairfax County police of $173000 per year.

Occupation by force

According to the most recent U.S. Census figures, nearly one in five Fairfax residents (17.5 percent) is of Asian descent while Hispanics make up nearly 16 percent of Fairfax’s overall population. Those numbers drop considerably when applied to the Fairfax County Police Department, where only 4.3 percent of officers are Asian and 4.1 percent Hispanic. White officers make up 84 percent of Fairfax County’s 1,360-member police department, significantly higher than the county’s general population (54 percent white). Almost 90% of the force lives outside the county.