Seattle visitors that the ACLU is asking people who have experienced misconduct at the hands of Seattle Washington police officers to call the DOJ and tell them their story while the DOJ is in town performing a pattern or practice investigation for excessive force and racial profiling.
Lebanon TN police are being sued by the family of a man who was fatally shot by a police officer when he mistakenly thought he fired at them when his partner’s gun discharged when he tripped & fell instead. [0] http://bit.ly/kBYo76
A Humboldt TN police officer has been sentenced to 2 years in prison after convicted of reckless homicide for fatally shooting a man in the back during a chase.[0] http://bit.ly/l3S45c
Lindenwold NJ police are being sued by a man who suffered a stroke when he claims he was assaulted by a police officer and that officer’s K9 partner. Several witnesses back his allegations that he was attacked when he question the officer about why he had detained his wife. [3] http://bit.ly/koT6nn
Phoenix AZ cop under investigation after video surfaces of him shoving woman to ground while responding to call [0] http://bit.ly/lrDBKj
Yonkers NY cop sentenced to 8 weekends in jail for assaulting 2 people then falsely arresting one to cover for it [0] http://bit.ly/mRRNin
Los Angeles Co CA sheriff’s dept accused of encouraging violent behavior in suit by 2 deputies assaulted at party [0] http://lat.ms/igctOj
2 Prince Albert SK cops suspended & charged w/assault over two seperate alleged excessive force incidents [1] http://bit.ly/kqUQwF
Sioux Falls SD police sued by man claiming a flash-bang grenade thrown during SWAT/ICE raid tore a 3 inch hole in his foot, wasn’t arrested [0] http://bit.ly/jjGraT
York Regional ON police officer faces sexual assault charges involving woman in police cruiser after arrest [0] http://bit.ly/kSclkv
Nassau Co NY cop suspended after caught on video pulling gun at bar & pointing it at employee while drunk [0] http://bit.ly/lvmfzm
Panama City FL police officer resigns after cited for battery, allegedly slapped man at bar then kicked him in head [0] http://bit.ly/kNhsq6
Galva IL police officer fired after charged w/5 misdemeanors & 3 felonies in alleged domestic violence incident [0] http://bit.ly/jQ3WkY
Norfolk VA police officer convicted of misd reckless driving for fatally hitting bicyclist w/patrol car [0] http://bit.ly/mdY7IV
Dallas TX police officer sentenced to probation after convicted for masterminding robbery of store he worked at [0] http://bit.ly/jmuOCx
Houston TX cop arrested on theft charges for allegedly using his status as a cop to steal money from someone [1] http://bit.ly/ifGEzy
Fife WA police lt suspended 3days w/o pay for failing to start investigation into sexual harassment complaints [0] http://bit.ly/j1KMbU
San Ramon CA cop arrested on several charges including grand theft in widening CA Narc team (CNET) scandal [0] http://bit.ly/itG2b9
Davenport IA police sgt investigated after stand-off sparked by suicidal behavior after demotion for unknown reason [1] http://bit.ly/kkP8mJ
Black Mountain NC cop fired after arrested for leading police on chase in attempt to elude after hit & run crash [0] http://bit.ly/l6nztg
Raleigh NC police officer charged w/DUI after stopped for speeding with a BAC 2x limit [0] http://bit.ly/mHEScB
Denver CO police say they’ve reopened an investigation into an excessive force case after the city settled a lawsuit over the incident involving three officers for $795,000. [1] http://bit.ly/kyOBs6
Oakland CA settled two lawsuits, the first for $550,000 to a 15-year-old who was shot in the back while being chased by officers and the second for $350,000 for an alleged unlawful raid on a home where marijuana was allegedly being grown. [0] http://bit.ly/lQasM9
A San Diego CA police officer is under investigation after cellphone video came out showing him repeatedly punch a man who was being restrained by two other cops. [1] http://bit.ly/l5yA0P
2 Hattiesburg MS police officers are under investigation, one over an alleged excessive force incident that was caught on video and the other on allegations that he fired a gun in the air to break up a dispute during a party at his home. [1] http://bit.ly/mGFKPP
A Long Beach CA detective in the youth services section has bee charged with lewd acts and for having sex with a 15-year-old family member. [0] http://bit.ly/k6UPpG
A Cashion OK reserve police officer was arrested on a charge of lewd or indecent acts with a child under 16. Apparently reserve officers are certified and have the same authority as a regular officer. [0] http://bit.ly/jPzCJJ
An Ada County ID sheriff’s sergeant resigned over sexual misconduct allegations but won’t face charges over those allegations. Meanwhile the alleged victim has filed a lawsuit over the incident. [0] http://bit.ly/l51LDe
A Houston TX police officer has been sentenced to 6 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a prostitute twice. He may still face charges involving a second prostitute and for allegedly attempting to do the same to an undercover officer posing as a prostitute as well. [0] http://bit.ly/jD3OV4
A Cleveland OH police officer was suspended without pay after arrested on a menacing by stalking charge apparently involving an ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. [0] http://bit.ly/imcqeI
A Dallas TX police officer was found guilty of masterminding an armed robbery of a Sam’s Club where he worked as a security guard while off duty. [0] http://bit.ly/mt9kUg
A New Orleans LA police lieutenant was fired for his role in the Henry Glover case where he allegedla, claims retaliation for cooperating w/federal investigation [3] http://bit.ly/lmsPwK
Charlotte-Mecklenburg NC cop sentenced to 30days for contempt after dashcam contradicted testimony in DUI case [0] http://bit.ly/kmKfSF
Tinley Park IL cop suspended after allegedly leaving scene of crash w/injuries after rear-ending vehicle off-duty [0]http://bit.ly/jNI9pF
Houston TX police refuse to pay vet bill for pet lab shot in face inside fenced-in lawn by cop looking for burglar [0] http://bit.ly/mEZkZp
Pine Lawn MO undercover cop arrested, but not charged, for driving a police car while under the influence [0] http://bit.ly/j419TK
Stanislaus Co CA detective charged w/murder for shooting woman during dispute, also faces other unrelated charges [0] http://bit.ly/jYpJhZ
San Diego CA 74yr-old homeless activist awarded $3,925 by jury that found cop used unreasonable force during arrest [3] http://bit.ly/mD0tFZ
2 New York NY (Bronx) cops convicted on official misconduct charges for pistol whipping & beating man over dispute [0] http://nydn.us/iZAZMs
San Bernardino CA police accused of using excessive force on mentally handicapped man in YouTube video [3] http://bit.ly/mAgZWc
Kansas City KS cop indicted on 3 felonies including 1st degree assault for shooting bouncer while drunk at bar [0] http://bit.ly/kNrwPl
2 Baltimore MD police officers found guilty of misconduct for interrogating teens in van then leaving them stranded [3] http://bit.ly/mp51UD
US Border Patrol officer pleads guilty to sexual assaulting a young girl repeatedly for several years [0] http://bit.ly/lNLmiO
St Tammany Parish LA deputy sentenced to 10yrs after found guilty of incest involving unspecified female relative [0] http://bit.ly/iKm6Iu
Macomb IL police accused of indiscriminately pepperspraying students watching block party melee from their porches [3] http://bit.ly/kGvJlx
Inkster MI cop sentenced to 90days for willful neglect of duty for lying during drug trial, 2nd cop sentenced [0] http://bit.ly/kWQSuv
Middlesex County MA deputy arrested on cocaine trafficking charges after undercover sting operation based on tip [0] http://bit.ly/mpdxzl
Marion County IN deputy charged w/3 counts theft on allegations of ghost employment & theft of donated equipment [0] http://bit.ly/mcjVgZ
New Orleans LA several police officers accused of possible payroll fraud & double dipping by official report [1] http://bit.ly/jNybkK
New Orleans LA police cmdr accused of downgrading crimes for stats & a conflict of interests in traffic cam company [0] http://bit.ly/isAZwL
Bremerton WA police narcotics officer indicted on federal charges for illegaly selling firearms before he retired [0] http://bit.ly/mss9XU
Franklin Co VA sheriff sued by 2 deputies claiming they were fired for reports that led to sheriff’s indictment [3] http://bit.ly/mAh2v2
New York NY (Bronx) police officer sues dept claiming she was fired for failing to meet illegal quotas [3] http://nydn.us/lmdEr2
New York NY police detective arrested on DUI charge after found passed out in running car parked in middle of road [0] http://nyp.st/jw2TL1
Philadelphia PA police officer arrested on drunk driving charges after minor off-duty accident [0] http://bit.ly/lDVwmA
San Bernardino CA Police Accused of Using Excessive Force Against Mentally Handicapped Man
Posted: 02 May 2011 06:58 PM PDT
In a video taken by two young and posted to YouTube claims to show San Bernardino California police officers using excessive force on a mentally handicapped man who the girls insist wasn’t doing anything wrong.
The video is unclear as it appears to have been taken after dusk and the young woman who took the video wasn’t able to zoom in. Also, as you can hear on the video, the woman wasn’t sure whether videotaping police was legal. However, you can hear the young women describing the taser hits and the officers chasing the man. They also claim that, while not shown on video, the man’s face was bloody from being struck with batons when they passed by at the end of the video where they were ordered to leave after telling officers the man did nothing wrong.
Police reportedly told the pair that the man was being arrested on allegations that he tried to pull a woman from a car and break into a home. However, the girls counter that they also witnessed the entire incident and that the man was actually trying to get out of the way after a woman backing out of a driveway had almost hit him and that, from what they witnessed, he didn’t try to pull anyone from a car or break into anyone’s home.
Here’s the video that the 20-year-old woman took.
The video is poor quality so it’s very difficult to substantiate the claims being made, however the responses to what’s alleged to have occurred made by the two witnesses as recorded on the video seem to be genuine. Meanwhile, we’re waiting to find out what the official police response to the video and allegations will be.
Rahm’s Choice?
Posted: 02 May 2011 01:30 PM PDT
Chicago Illinois mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel picked Newark New Jersey police director Garry McCarthy to be Chicago’s new police chief. The soon to be chief declared that “I’ll have cops’ backs” in response to the announcement. But what exactly does that mean?
Mr McCarthy will be leaving behind a Newark Police Department that ranked the 13th worst in the US for police misconduct in 2010 per our NPMSRP statistical report for departments of it’s size. The array of allegations against that department which led up to this ranking were so numerous and, interestingly, so rarely sustained that the ACLU formally requested a federal investigation to determine if the department could be subjected to federal oversight to deal with an apparent pattern and practice of excessive force and lack of accountability.
Among the 21 individual reports against Newark NJ police that we tracked in 2010 were cases that alleged a lack of accountability including allegations that police were covering for a detective involved in a fatal DUI accident when that detective remained on the job and wasn’t criminally charged over the incident and a narcotics detective who was returned to duty despite being arrested by the FBI for obstruction on allegations he coached a man to lie about how he paid for sexual encounters with minors and robbing alleged drug dealers.
By declaring up front that he will have the “cops’ backs” is Mr. McCarthy letting the Chicago police union, which protested against the current chief when they blamed him for an officer being sentenced to prison over a video of that officer hitting a man cuffed to a wheelchair, that he’ll run the Chicago PD in the same fashion as the Newark NJ police department? Is this a thinly veiled statement that there will be less accountability and transparency in a Chicago police department which already has been plagued with misconduct and accountability scandals that continue to this day?
One thing is clear, the people of Chicago, with the second largest police force in the US, should watch their police department carefully under Rahm Emanuel and Garry McCarthy’s leadership. Lest that city face the same problems that McCarthy is leaving behind in Newark which has a tenth of the number of officers employed by Chicago. Especially considering that, since 2008, Newark NJ has spent $1,700,000 settling lawsuit filed by officers mostly on discrimination complaints and over $766,000 in 18 of the 23 settlements offered to citizens in false arrest and other misconduct complaints.
With 10 times the officers as what he managed in Newark soon to be under his command, it should be concerning what that might cost Chicago if he uses a similar management style there, not only in litigation, but in civil rights and reputation as well.
