Fairfax County Police Watch: 11/11/11

Brought to you by the Fairfax County Police….preying on the people to turn an easy buck

This week’s child molestation charge. Run children, run! The police man IS NOT your friend

Denver CO deputy, already on probation for an unrelated stalking case, was sentenced to probation for the attempted sexual assault of a teenage relative. The judge insists that the light sentence had nothing to do with him being a cop. [0] bit.ly/tmZ7g9

2 Philadelphia PA school district cops are the subject of a lawsuit alleging they stuck their hands down female students’ shirts to search for weapons in an auditorium without any female officers present. [3] bit.ly/sLyJeE

Stupid 101

Philadelphia PA cop apparently critically injured a homeowner after mistaking him for burglar in his own home and shooting him. [1] bit.ly/skIcZZ

…but you don’t understand, we’re special

Florida State trooper hated by cops for pulling over Miami cop doing 120 mph finds her cruiser covered in human feces[3] bit.ly/sw2E7T

Using excessive force and then hiding behind the law to get away with it

Berkeley CA police accused of excessive force in a video, above, showing riot cops hitting students w/batons at a #OWS protest. [1] bit.ly/vep4hM

Fort Gaines GA police chief suspended on allegations he pistol whipped a man who was calmly talking to an officer inside the police station. [1] bit.ly/rPQEP7

2 Columbia MO cops are the subject of a lawsuit filed by 2 men claiming they were yanked from a car at gunpoint for suspiciously listening to rap at a ballpark parking lot. [3] bit.ly/t1slqu

Owasso OK police lieutenant was fired over an excessive force incident that was reported by a fellow cop and which resulted in a $1,500 settlement. [0] bit.ly/vnSEig

Prince Albert SK police officer pleads guilty to assaulting a detainee in his custody [0] bit.ly/ugSXpU

Mansfield OH police forced by arbitrator to rehire cop fired for abusing detainee & lying about it. The arbitrator claims he believes the cop accidentally punched a man in the face during a drug raid and didn’t lie about it afterward. [0] ohne.ws/uRxNgU

False arrest

Morgan Hill CA settles suit for $75k to residents claiming cops illegally entered their home without a warrant & falsely arrested them. [0] bit.ly/uvuo7m

Witness intimidation

Lynn MA cop sentenced to 90 days in jail for witness intimidation involving a road rage incident [0] http://b.globe.com/vXQdVx

Fabricating evidence

Lamesa TX cop arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence trying to blame vandalism of his motorcycle on gang [0] bit.ly/uQJX3Y

Cops and women…a strange, strange relationship

Arizona DPS trooper indicted on sexual abuse charge for allegedly groping woman from behind at bar [1] bit.ly/tlCs1E

RCMP accused of systemic sexual harassment from the highest ranks by former RCMP spokeswoman [3] bit.ly/v5eooY

Dope/drunk

Luzerne Co PA deputy arrested ‘on alleged role in methamphetamine dealing ring after 4mo investigation [0] bit.ly/rMMe5O

Fulton Co GA deputy pleads guilty to accepting bribes in return for smuggling drugs into jail [0] bit.ly/ujQX0o

Riviera Beach FL police sgt gets plea deal for discharging firearm while drunk, gets probation & community service [0] bit.ly/tAog0j

2 Shreveport LA cops suspended pending investigation into unspecified policy violations, officials won’t discuss [3] bit.ly/rMTUc7

Liberty OH cop charged with drunk driving after crashing into other car while off duty with .14 BAC [0] bit.ly/tYoyVF

Florissant MO police won’t say if alcohol was involved in the investigation into a police captain who was found passed out in his cruiser. [3] http://on.ksdk.com/vnAkxV

Just another common thief

Morehouse Parish LA deputy in false arrest suit resigns after probe into allegations he stole money from evidence [0] tnsne.ws/tqmjIS

Allen Co IN sheriff’s sergeant was arrested on felony theft charges for allegedly stealing someone’s tools while on duty [0] bit.ly/v8Wgni

League City TX police chief dismissed after closed-door council meeting following allegations of ticket quotas [2] bit.ly/uzBNjy

Just another lying cop

New York NY cop who claimed he was assaulted & had gunfight in two incidents investigated for possible false claims [0] bit.ly/vb5TSK

Obstruction

Delavan WI cop resigns after charged w/obstruction for misleading investigation into battery complaint [1] bit.ly/tl848K

Slapp’n the old wife around

Velda City MO cop arrested for kidnapping & domestic assault, was fired from other dept for infamous video incident [0] cbsloc.al/udlQQX

Cops hate evidence, ironic ain’t it?

Univ of Mass at Lowell MA cop gets unspecified disciplinary action after threatening student for recording police [1] bit.ly/tYSJTK

Creepy cop behavior

Austin TX cop gets deferred adjudication on official oppression charge for peeping into woman’s window while on duty [0] bit.ly/s5lg3u

Cops and animals…a strange strange relationship

Cedar Rapids IA cop found guilty of trespass for releasing man’s dog’s from homemade kennel in his backyard [0] bit.ly/tsk1iO

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.