Fairfax County Police Watch: 08/12/11

Idiots at work

University of Cincinnati OH police version of fatal taser incident contradicted by witness alleging teen was kneeling in an attempt to follow commands given by police at the time. [3] http://ow.ly/1vtRqQ

20 Hamilton ON cops sued by refugee claiming cops beat him while he was cuffed during wrong-door drug raid [3] http://bit.ly/qU23o5

15 Gloucester Twp NJ cops are accused of excessive force on 2 teen boys who claim they were beaten & hit with batons while arrested. Police maintain they attacked the officers who were called by a store owner claiming the teens threatened him but witnesses and the store owner appear to be contradicting that version of events. [3] http://bit.ly/orBdgp

4 Cleveland OH cops are the subject of a suit filed by a man alleging excessive force was used after a New Years chase that was captured on helicopter video and is still the subject of a federal investigation. [1] http://ow.ly/1vtRLA

US ICE agents are being sued over a series of predawn raids where 1 woman alleges an agent groped her, her sister claims the officer remained in the room when they were allowed to change, and a couple claims the agents lacked a warrant during the raids. [3] http://ow.ly/1vuD57

New York NY cop sentenced to 1yr after jury convicted him of official misconduct in case where he was accused of sexually assaulting a drunk woman while his partner, scheduled for sentencing Wednesday, stood lookout. [0] http://is.gd/wbCOsq

Denver Co CO deputy was sentenced to 24yrs after pleading to child abuse & attempt sexual assault charges involving 8 & 12-year-old boys [0] http://bit.ly/qFKDZj

Another Denver Co CO deputy pleads guilty to a reduced attempted sexual assault on a child charge involving a teen girl [0] http://ow.ly/1vuJQn

Burlington NC cop gets 5mo jail in plea deal to indecent liberties with a minor involving a 14yr-old girl in the police explorer’s program [0] http://ow.ly/1vuqM5

Orleans Parish LA deputy investigated for leaving post while inmate on suicide watch killed self w/toilet paper [0] http://bit.ly/rpFQYM

Romulus MI police dept fires officer who filed a racial discrimination complaint alleging he was referred to as “monkey” that launched a 3 year-long state probe [4] http://bit.ly/q3FlQV

Eudora KS police officer arrested on misd battery charge after woman suffered minor injuries claims he struck her [1] http://bit.ly/nU9Vr7

Hudson Co NJ retired capt now serving as director of narcotics div investigated for possible pension violations [0] http://ow.ly/1vu155

Idiots at work

Spokane WA police official who previously stated that the beating & tasering death of a mentally ill man named Otto Zehm was not a case of excessive force apparently changed his mind and is now willing to testif to policy violations by the officer involved in that incident three years ago. [0] http://ow.ly/1vyajk

Plano TX settles suit for $245k to the family of man who was fatally shot by an officer claiming it was a misfire caused when he adjusted his gun-mounted light during a drug sting [0] http://ow.ly/1vy6LS

Gretna LA police sued by man alleging cops released K9 that bit off his penis and lied to justify the use of force. The police report claims the dog was released because officers feared the victim was attempting to flee out a back door or window when the victim’s apartment didn’t have any. [3] http://ow.ly/1vyKku

3 Providence RI cops sued by man for excessive force after surveillance video apparently contradicted cops claims that he slammed himself into a traffic officer’s car before beating him with flashlights [4] http://ow.ly/1vzaRw

Portland OR transit cops sued for tasering a man who has an IQ of 55 for not leaving bus that a driver let him sit in because it was cold out then mistook his seizure medication for ecstasy when they arrested him. [0] http://ow.ly/1vyL2s

Westport MA settles suit for $50k to man alleging off-duty cop used excessive force during false arrest [0] http://ow.ly/1vxL7B

Laurel MD cop sentenced to 4yrs for secretly videotaping a 15yr-old girl undressing, the sentence is to be served concurrent to his 7 year sentence on federal child porn charges [0] http://ow.ly/1vyAEq

Hawaii Co HI police accused of excessive force by blogger claiming he was tackled & arrested for videotaping cops [1] http://ow.ly/1vy78U

Houston TX police audit reveals more than 3000 more untested rape kits linger in evidence in addition to 4220 known [0] http://ow.ly/1vzbFe

Shillington PA cop gets 6-23mo in plea deal for stalking & harassing woman, broke into her home & planted GPS device [0] http://ow.ly/1vyRM0

Hileah Gardens FL cop arrested on allegations he was part of gang that robbed trucks of millions in cargo [0] http://ow.ly/1vyRig

US Border Patrol agent in AZ arrested after caught on surveillance video stealing woman’s purse from car off duty [0] http://ow.ly/1vyRNT

Nicholas Co KY sheriff pleads guilty to theft & abuse of trust for personal use of $43k in forfeiture money [0] http://ow.ly/1vyMP4

Onandaga Co NY deputy pleads guilty to falsifying time record in swipe card forgery scheme, was head of union [0] http://ow.ly/1vyNPQ

Fair Oaks TX cop pleads guilty to lying about his citizenship to feds in effort to join the FBI [0] http://ow.ly/1vyRKQ

Idiots at work

2 Manitou Springs CO cops sued by man for allegedly breaking his ribs by tasering him in the face & jumping on his chest when he was startled by the officers who followed him home to give him a traffic ticket [3] http://ow.ly/1vBjFL

Springfield MA cop who was one of 4 who were disciplined for their roles in a videotaped beating has filed wiretapping charges against the person who taped it [5] http://ow.ly/1vBhCi

Selma CA cop pleads guilty to possession of child porn charges for over 600 pics & vids, some violent in nature [0] http://ow.ly/1vAXGW

New York NY cop sentenced to 2mo for official misconduct, accused of being look out as partner raped drunk woman [0] http://ow.ly/1vA6CH

Chattanooga TN cop suspended while subject of internal & criminal investigation on allegations he assaulted teen [2] http://ow.ly/1vBcFs

RCMP officer in N Vancouver BC accused of falsely arresting man after recognizing him as man who sued RCMP before [3] http://ow.ly/1vA54d

Chicago IL more potential police torture victims get help from political figures to file new rounds of appeals [0] http://ow.ly/1vzZOQ

Gilbert AZ pays $37k to settle suit to teen falsely accused of theft by cop in alleged school psych experiment [1] http://ow.ly/1vBEqO

Pasco Co FL deputy suspended after arrested for resisting while his friend was arrested for drug paraphernalia [0] http://ow.ly/1vBphW

RCMP cop in BC given written reprimand for leaving 10mo-old police dog in hot car for 3hrs while boating [0] http://ow.ly/1vAXLD

Hamlin TX cop files grievance after fired for taser misuse, claims friend asked to be tasered [0] http://ow.ly/1vAXJ4

3 Hartford CT cops suspected of double-dipping after audit of private duty assignments show potential abuses [0] http://ow.ly/1vA5Oe

Idiots at work

Fullerton CA police still insist that they will not release a video showing their officers beat and taser Kelly Thomas, who died days later from his injuries, because they don’t want to influence any potential witnesses. However, they have now admitted that they let the officers involved in that incident review that unreleased video as they wrote their reports about the incident. Not only is this against commonly accepted police practices by giving officers a chance to fix their stories to match the video instead of their own perspectives, it also contradicts the stated reason for not releasing the video since the officers involved are also witnesses. [5] http://ow.ly/1vDUOD

2 Toronto ON cops were charged with assault after a man suffered facial fractures while in their custody after he was arrested over a dispute he had with a parking cop [1] http://ow.ly/1vCvyf

Palo Alto CA settles suit for $35k to a transient who was tasered after officers tricked into leaving his van that he was legally living in by telling him they were towing it. [0] http://ow.ly/1vDSxv

Hackensack NJ cop charged w/witness tampering & obstruction for his alleged interference into an assault investigation against a fellow officer [0] http://ow.ly/1vDBNN

A Toronto ON judge ruled that the only aggression at a G20 protest was perpetrated by police when he dismissed charges against one of several protesters who were tackled and arrested during that protest [0] http://ow.ly/1vDAVS

Monrovia CA police sued by woman claiming she lost job & was left homeless after a cop tackled & falsely arrested her for asking an officer who pulled her over if they could hurry up because she had to deliver blood that she had in her car as part of her job [3] http://ow.ly/1vCS64

Philadelphia PA cop is under investigation on allegations that he sexually assaulted a teen girl in his patrol car, while specifics aren’t being released there appears to be DNA evidence involved. [1] http://ow.ly/1vCRRJ

Lake Charles LA police officer arrested on child pornography charges after a multi-agency search was conducted at his home [0] http://ow.ly/1vDyno

Greenwood IN cop accused of cuffing & threatening man while off duty resigns before his disciplinary hearing [0] http://ow.ly/1vD12p

Cheyenne WY cop found guilty of false imprisonment but cleared of more serious charges involving domestic dispute [0] http://ow.ly/1vCvZ9

Marblehead MA cop arrested after allegedly threatening to kill himself, his wife & daughter over pending divorce [0] http://ow.ly/1vCvOu

Dallas TX cop suspended 15days over domestic incident where wife accused him of choking & kicking her then recanted [0] http://ow.ly/1vDC0S

2 Raleigh NC cops suspended while investigated for their statements to internal affairs about cop’s sex w/prostitute [0] http://ow.ly/1vCPM3

US Treasury police officer at mint charged w/fraud for collecting $173k in disability while making $300k on side job [0] http://ow.ly/1vCPHH

Harahan LA cop sentenced to probation in plea to timesheet fraud to get $20k extra pay from crime victim grant [0] http://ow.ly/1vDxUK

6 Miami-Dade FL cops & a sgt have been suspended for a month while subject of unspecified probe into on-duty conduct, all of the 6 are in the same unit [3] http://ow.ly/1vDy9a

Finally, 2 Aurora CO cops were charged while driving a patrol car through Wyoming on the way to a fallen officer’s funeral in South Dakota. One was charged with driving under the influence and the other was cited for littering after they were stopped for speeding. [0] http://ow.ly/1vD0XM

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.