Fairfax County Police Watch: 05/27/11

Fairfax Prosecutor Unsure About Charges in 'Serial Burglar' Case...IE, the Fairfax County Police fucked this one up too

The man whom Fairfax police believe burglarized 100 homes probably won’t face even one charge because Fairfax County's chief prosecutor said he was unsure there was enough evidence to charge Brad Edmonds, the man police believe is the one who burglarized more than 100 homes in Northern Virginia last year.

"I'm not sure if there's enough evidence in any of the Fairfax cases," said Raymond F. Morrogh, the commonwealth attorney for Fairfax County.

In an email, Fairfax County Police spokes…um….person… Lucy Caldwell said charges against Edmonds are pending.

In November, Fairfax County insisted that Edmonds was directly linked to several burglaries if not all of the more than 100 100 homes were burglarized in Northern Virginia between August and November.

Northside ISD TX police officer investigated after fatally shooting unarmed 14yr-old under disputed circumstances [2] http://bit.ly/mnKaLQ

Tempe AZ sued by college student claiming cops injured him in “party patrol” raid & harassed pals after complaint [5] http://bit.ly/iePewm

Stamford CT settles suit for $30k to couple alleging excessive force & false arrest in botched raid on their home [3] http://bit.ly/kMx3zm

Barnstable County MA K9 officer sued by 2 women claiming they were bystanders when police dog attacked them [1] http://bit.ly/iRnWrT

Pittsburgh PA settled suit for $170k to man who’s knee was fractured by baton-wielding cop at G20 protest (update) [0] http://bit.ly/ijCozZ

Wayne State Univ MI police officer suspended while under investigation over sexual assault allegations [1] http://bit.ly/iEstb8

Dakota Ojibway MB police officer charged w/assault w/weapon, sexual assault & other charges involving 16yr-old girl [1] http://bit.ly/m0UXzn

Chicago IL police sued by woman allegedly raped by 2 cops claiming pattern of ignoring sexual misconduct by cops as evidenced by the fact that one of the cops was already accused of another sexual assault but was still on duty when the second assault allegedly occurred. [3] http://bit.ly/lg7n16

Clark Co NV court cop back on job while on probation for pulling gun on motorist he claims he stopped for speeding while he was off duty, conviction not reported to POST [2] http://bit.ly/kiDExa

Las Vegas NV cop arrested alleging he bashed ex’s head against wall while choking her then fired gun into ceiling [0] http://bit.ly/iQWbyx

Cincinnati OH cop back at work after sentenced to 1day in jail for assaulting fellow officer at bar during dispute [0] http://bit.ly/k6bu69

Prince George’s Co MD police sgt pleads to conspiracy to commit extortion & firearms charge in corruption sting [0] http://wapo.st/mkFyXT

Bridgeport CT deputy police chief suspended while the subject of an unspecified criminal investigation [2] http://cour.at/mFEzbM

New Orleans LA police capt fired after testimony showed he failed to disclose what he knew about Glover case while it was under investigation. He claims he couldn’t talk about it because he was cooperating with feds at the time. [0] http://bit.ly/mE6uYE

6 Lake County IN cops suspended while subject of investigation by 4 federal agencies into gun running allegations [0] http://bit.ly/kQsN69

Cody WY police officer fired after investigation into unspecified allegations, officials refuse to release any info [3] http://bit.ly/kfPLQJ

2 New Orleans LA cops, a sgt & her son, arrested on simple battery charges involving fight with security guard at a nightclub. [1] http://bit.ly/kLrfB6

Vernonia OR cop loses police certification due to his lack of credibility & judge’s strongly worded request which included him stating that he never wanted to see that officer in his court again. [0] http://bit.ly/lp82YX

Seattle WA police ordered by arbitrator to stop naming cops who have been disciplined after police union complains. [4] http://bit.ly/mMJsNB

Fort Worth TX cop indicted on records tampering & theft charges for writing false time on traffic tickets to get OT [0] http://bit.ly/lKzl5v

San Antonio TX cop sentenced to conditional probation w/3 days jail for flipping unmarked cruiser while drunk [0] http://bit.ly/iFAHnQ

Fort Wayne IN cop w/history of 32 suspensions & reprimands investigated for hitting on woman during traffic stop [0] http://bit.ly/kcVHqJ

Denver CO female sheriff’s deputy charged with misdemeanor assault & harassment after slapping a female DUI suspect [0] http://bit.ly/iH4ixY

Seattle WA settles lawsuit for $650k to man injured in head-on crash with police cruiser [0] http://bit.ly/js8ffI

Pennsylvania State trooper sentenced to probation for evidence tampering in effort to cover up trooper’s DUI crash [0] http://bit.ly/jyhlMk

US Park Ranger accused of forcing man to leave park because he had a Ron Paul sticker on car (h/t Rutherford Inst) [3] http://bit.ly/mRNZxx

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.