Thank you FCPD, for trying to hirfe this clown back.......
-
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Gay marriage coming to Virginia
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.......in other news the chief of police and friend fuck around with ribbons on our dime
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Dallas Police Critics Hold Conference to Address Alleged Department Misconduct
By Randy McIIwain
|
Critics of the Dallas Police
Department want answers about alleged cover-ups in police misconduct
investigations.
Members of the community,
ranging from civil rights leaders and local attorneys to military members, held
a news conference Thursday about the continued department misconduct.
The group specifically
addressed recent officer-involved shootings.
"We’re going to file a
complaint against the Dallas Police Department as well as the internal affairs
division,” said Rev. Ronald Wright of Justice Seekers Texas.
Wright’s criticism comes after
the city of Dallas paid a $900,000 settlement to the family of Tobias Mackey.
Mackey was shot to death in
2010 by then Dallas police officer Matthew Tate during a police sweep of a
crime-ridden apartment.
Mackey had committed no crime
and was unarmed when he was shot nine times.
Attorney Susan Hutchinson
represented the Mackey family. She said Tate’s supervisor witnessed the
shooting and testified that Mackey’s death was not justified and that he posed
no threat.
"Because of that
deposition and because of his statements, they are now investigating him,” said
Hutchinson, referring to the Dallas Police Department’s Internal Affairs
Division. “I think it’s absolutely retaliatory. If you violate the unwritten
code and say something against your fellow officer you are going to be the
target,” said Hutchinson.
Since 2002, Justice Seekers
Texas estimates there have been 68 officer-involved shootings in Dallas that
resulted in paid settlements of about $7 million. Two current pending cases
have resulted in officers' criminal indictments for shooting unarmed citizens.
Wright said he also wants to
see mandatory random drug tests for officers. He believes that steroid use is
occurring within the rank and file of Dallas police patrol and that the
hormones can impact decision-making in critical calls.
The Dallas Police Department
did not offer any comment on the calls for federal oversight.
SDPD Encouraged "Unwritten Policy" of Misconduct: Lawsuit
The lawsuit is filed against
the city of San Diego and former Officer Christopher Hays
By Andie Adams
The San Diego Police Department
enforced an “unwritten policy” that encouraged police misconduct and led to
scandals involving former officers Anthony Arevalos and Christopher Hays, a new
lawsuit against the department alleges.
The suit was filed Wednesday by
three of Hays’ alleged victims against the former officer and the city of San
Diego.
In the 21-page document,
attorneys outline the allegations against Hays, including forced oral
copulation, masturbating in front of a woman and a suspicious traffic stop.
The lawsuit also tries to
establish a pattern of misconduct by listing sexual assault accusations levied
at Arevalos since 1999.
“That’s why we went back so
far, to show the City of San Diego created this mess,” said attorney Dan
Gilleon, who represents the alleged victims in the lawsuit.
Arevalos was convicted of eight
counts of sexual battery, assault and asking for bribes in 2011, though a judge
later threw out two of the convictions.
The lawsuit claims officers
felt they could get away with such inappropriate behavior after former SDPD
Chief William Lansdowne and other officials disbanded the anti-corruption unit
called the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) around 2003.
“The elimination of the PSU,
this specialized unit, was a signal and affirmation to the SDPD, its police
officers and its supervisory officials that those police officers who chose to
exploit their positions of power, authority and trust by victimizing members of
the very community they had sworn to protect would not be investigated,
prosecuted, pursued or punished for their actions,” the lawsuit reads.
As an example, the court
document claims another officer reported to his supervisors that Arevalos had
taken Polaroid pictures of a nude, mentally disabled woman, taunting her to
pose in a lewd manner with his baton.
Instead of punishing Arevalos
or reporting the incident up the chain of command, the lawsuit claims his
superiors instead destroyed the pictures and evidence of the incident and
intimidated the officer who had reported it.
The lawsuit says the alleged
cover-up is part of a “long-standing, unwritten SDPD policy that encouraged a
two-tiered system of justice.”
That system includes laws that
apply to ordinary citizens and a set of privileges and immunities that apply to
SDPD officers and other members of the law enforcement community, according to
the suit.
Additionally, the SDPD is
accused of instituting a process that prevented the public from lodging
complaints against officers directly with the internal affairs unit.
Despite Lansdowne’s promises
for reform directly after Arevalos’ conviction, the suit says things remained
unchanged at the SDPD.
Gilleon said that compared to
Arevalos, Hays was more of a sexual predator. The lawsuit claims Hays went
through the police academy and a field training officer determined he "was
unfit to be a SDPD police officer and he should be 'washed out' and not hired."
Still, Hays went on to join the
department. Hays’ father-in-law is SDPD Captain and now Assistant Chief Mark
Jones. Gilleon claims Jones made sure Hays passed the academy by getting “a
favor from the person in charge.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the
city, though the attorney for the alleged victims says two of his clients’
claims are worth more than $1 million.
In response to NBC 7’s request
for comment, SDPD Lt. Kevin Mayer released the following statement:
"It would be inappropriate
for me to provide comments as there is pending civil litigation and a federal
investigation. In addition, PERF is conducting an independent review of the
Department as previously discussed at a press conference by Chief Zimmerman.”
NBC 7 has reached out to the
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and the FBI to see if there iss any new
information on their independent investigations into the department. Calls have
not been returned.
Altercation on Elmwood in ’13 sheds new light on cop misconduct
Citizen cites roughing-up
outside bar, intimidation
Leonard F. Jacuzzo is convinced
that when Buffalo police would moonlight as bar security, they served the bar,
not the community. He learned this the hard way about a year ago and wishes now
that he had complained loudly and publicly.
Jacuzzo says that if he had
raised a ruckus, maybe the State Liquor Authority would have spoken up at the
time to tell the Buffalo Police Department it was violating state law by
allowing its sworn officers to work off-duty for bar owners. Maybe Buffalo
would have banned the practice in 2013.
Then, Jacuzzo wonders, would a
bar manager in University Heights still have shoved a patron down a flight of
stairs on Mother’s Day 2014?
Would William C. Sager Jr.’s
attacker have been so bold without his own force of two off-duty cops there to
back him up?
“The saddest part of this whole
thing, for me, is that I did not successfully pursue justice in my case,” said
Jacuzzo, an adjunct professor who teaches courses in ethics and logic at SUNY
Fredonia. “Had I done so, and had the laws regarding police as bouncers come to
public attention, the Molly’s incident may not have occurred.”
Days after bar manager Jeffrey
J. Basil was charged in that assault in Molly’s Pub, which was witnessed by two
off-duty officers working security for the bar, Buffalo Police Commissioner
FOP, LP Police release statements on former officer Mark Bishop, charged with embezzlement
Jun 13th, 2014 0 Comment
LaPorte FOP Lodge 54 and the
LaPorte Police Department have issued separate press releases regarding the
case of Mark Bishop, a former LaPorte officer who recently resigned after being
charged with embezzling $7,000 from the FOP Lodge.
FOP Lodge 54 statement
“On 04/09/14 LaPorte FOP Lodge
54 President Robert Metcalf discovered a large discrepancy with the lodge’s
account. It was found that then-secretary/treasurer, Mark Bishop, had made many
unauthorized transactions using FOP monies from the account. President Metcalf
immediately notified the lodge officers and started the proper proceedings.
After meeting with the FOP board of Trustees, President Metcalf along with the
board of trustees met with LaPorte Police Chief Adam Klimczak. Mark Bishop
resigned as FOP secretary/treasurer, and later resigned from the LaPorte Police
Department. As a membership of police officers it was determined that the moral
and ethical thing was to have the matter investigated. With the recommendation
of Chief Klimczak the matter was turned over to the Indiana State Police for
investigation.
“President Metcalf stated, ‘It
is unfortunate that a fellow police officer and FOP member would commit such a
selfish and foolish act when considering he is technically stealing from not
only his brothers and sisters, but from the community organizations that the
FOP donates the money to.’ The FOP membership understands that police officers
are held to a higher standard within the community and Mark Bishop was no
exception. From this point FOP Lodge 54 is hoping to recoup the embezzled money
to be able to forward the monies for disbursement to the organizations and
charities that it has had a longstanding relationship with. As for Mark Bishop,
he will have to answer for his actions in a court of law.
“Metcalf said, ‘The mission of
the FOP is one that not only promotes and fosters the enforcement of law and
order, but to encourage, educate, charitable and social activities within the
respective communities they serve. It is important for the community to
understand that the actions of one police officer do not reflect those of
others who put their life on the line to serve and protect every day, and the
FOP is committed to maintaining the high level of standards in which to do so.’
”
LaPorte Police chief statement
“On 4/14/14 Chief Adam Klimczak
met with FOP President Robert Metcalf and the FOP Board of Trustees in regards
to an alleged theft by a lodge member that they had discovered. The FOP
Leadership reported that Mark Bishop had been using the FOP funds for personal
reasons and that several thousand dollars was unaccounted for. After this meeting
Chief Klimczak met with Officer Mark Bishop, who resigned his position with the
LaPorte City Police Department. Chief Klimczak ordered the criminal
investigation of this matter turned over to the Indiana State Police.
“Chief Klimczak stated, ‘’In
cases where criminal activity by a member of this agency is alleged, it is
standard operating procedure to turn that investigation over to the Indiana
State Police. This allows total transparency throughout the investigative
process and allows for a complete investigation from an outside agency. The
department as a whole was very disappointed in the decisions made by one of our
own. It is our hope that the outcome of this unfortunate incident will serve as
a reminder that no one is above the laws that the members of this department
have sworn to enforce.’ ”
LaPorte police officer to face charge he stole $7,462 from fraternal order of police
LAPORTE, Indiana — A former
LaPorte police officer who was treasurer/secretary of the local fraternal order
of police is due in court Wednesday for an initial hearing on charges he stole
$7,462.
The LaPorte County Herald-Argus
reports (http://bit.ly/1jsL5ph ) 32-year-old Mark Bishop is charged with theft.
He could not be reached for comment because there was no telephone listing for
him. Bishop resigned from the police department on April 15.
State police allege he used the
money for Chicago Cubs tickets, at a Kokomo strip club, casinos and hotels. In
resigning as FOP treasurer/secretary Bishop admitted to using its bank card for
personal use and said he intends to repay the money.
Testimony
Ends In Suspended Police Officer's Hearing
Testimony is over in the
administrative hearing for suspended Gouverneur Police Officer Steve Young, who
the village accused of stealing gas from village pumps.
Young again took the stand in
his own defense before being questioned by Village Attorney Henry Leader
Tuesday.
Young was allowed to get free
gas from the village gas tank as chief of the fire department under contract
with the village.
The village claims Young used a
different key than the one given to the fire department to get his gas and
charged with official misconduct among other things.
Both sides have until July 31
to submit written closing statements to hearing officer Marlinda LaValley, who
will then review the evidence and render a decision on whether Young should be
reinstated or not.
Young remains suspended with
pay.
Record payout to Occupy over false arrests
New York City has agreed to pay
members of the so-called Occupy movement more than half a million dollars for
false arrest over demonstrations.
John Stempin
New York City has agreed to pay members of the
so-called Occupy movement more than half a million dollars for false arrest
over demonstrations back in 2011 and '12.
The payout is the largest so
far in a series of payments for police misdeeds during the protests in
Manhattan's financial district against social and economic inequality.
In NJ, Cops Sue Own Departments More Than Civilians
By Chris Glorioso
Police brutality cases and
false arrest lawsuits make headlines, but an investigation by WNYC Radio found
that New Jersey police officers are more likely than the citizens they police
to bring civil litigation against their departments.
The analysis of litigation
between 2009 and 2012 found that 148 settlements between New Jersey police
officers against their departments cost taxpayers $29 million. That is 45
percent more than the $20 million paid in settlements and legal fees associated
with 117 lawsuits filed by civilians.
“It has become such a ping-pong
of litigation," said Antonio Hernandez, the president of the National
Coalition of Latino Officers. "I’ve seen lieutenants suing lieutenants,
captains suing captains. Chiefs being sued by everyone.”
Hernandez said the problem is
that New Jersey police departments often have politically appointed chiefs who
sometimes play favorites -- and sometimes have bitter feuds with cops they
dislike.
In her radio report, WNYC
reporter Sally Herships tells the story of a $165,000 settlement paid by the
Camden Police Department after a 20-year veteran cop accused her bosses of
planting drugs in her police car.
Like most cop-on-cop lawsuits,
the facts in the Camden case are disputed. Camden’s former chief denies any
knowledge of how the cocaine made it into the vehicle. The case was settled without an admission of
wrongdoing by both parties.
Regardless of whether there is
merit to a case, Herships found lawsuits filed by officers often spawn appeals
and counter-suits that become money pits for taxpayer dollars.
Mitchell Sklar, the executive
director of the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police, said it shouldn't
be a surprise that lots of police officers sue their departments. Lots of
employees in every industry sue their employers.
"I think it is a trend in
society. I don’t think it is specific to law enforcement, " Sklar said.
Sklar noted that in New Jersey,
county prosecutors have oversight of police departments and can investigate
when cops have serious complaints against their chiefs.
But critics, such as Hernandez,
say prosecutors too often side with police brass, leaving jilted cops with no
other option than suing in court.
Hernandez also said internal
affairs units are generally controlled by police chiefs so they are considered
biased by many rank-and-file officers.
“There is currently no system
in place where an officer can file a complaint against his police chief, if the
police chief is the issue -- and he’s controlling internal affairs,” Hernandez
said.
cop charged in deadly police chase seeks gag order
By Ed Gallek
The deadly police chase
happened in 2012 but the investigation continues.
Lawyers for Michael Brelo, the
Cleveland police officer charged with manslaughter after a chase turned deadly,
want a gag order on the Cuyahoga County prosecutor.
The lawyers filed a motion
writing they are unhappy with the prosecutor discussing the case in public, and
they disagree with his portrayal of the facts. They are concerned about a
"fair trial."
Also, lawyers for two police
supervisors charged with dereliction of duty have filed papers demanding jury
trials and the evidence to be used in the case.
It all revolves around a long
police chase in November 2012 that ended with 13 Cleveland police officers
firing 137 shots and killing two suspects.
police officer charged in Benson bank robbery
BENSON, N.C. — A former police
officer was arrested Saturday after police say he robbed a bank in Benson.
According to police, Gregory
Corbett walked into the First Federal Bank Thursday, displayed a gun, and
demanded money.
Corbett was changed with
robbery and kidnapping, according to police. He was placed in the Johnston
County jail under a $500,000 bond.
Corbett is a former local law
enforcement officer, and he was previously charged with a bank robbery in the
mid 1990’s.
Officer suspended after gun incident
Officer suspended after gun
incident
WYALUSING - A Laceyville police
officer who tried to sell a semi-automatic rifle out of his patrol car while on
duty has been suspended without pay and could lose his job, the borough's mayor
said.
Officer Matt Chamberlain pulled
the weapon from the trunk of his cruiser at a gas station Thursday morning in
Wyalusing, which is also covered by the Laceyville Police Department, Mayor
Phillip Brewer said.
The gas station also happened
to be across the street from the Rocket-Courier newspaper, which snapped photos
and sent them to borough officials.
While Officer Chamberlain may
not have broken any laws, he violated borough policy and its ethics code, Mayor
Brewer said.
The borough council met Friday
night to decide the fate of the officer, who has worked for the department for
approximately two years.
drunk cops
Brian Wilson,
The supervisor of a former
Metro officer accused of showing up to work drunk on Friday night was given a
15-day suspension by Metro Police.
Sgt. Terrence Bradley was one
of three officers initially decommissioned after Officer Nathan Silvers was
charged with driving and possessing a firearm under the influence hours after
the officer had recorded blood-alcohol levels three times the legal limit.
Of the three personnel, Bradley
is the only officer to not resign or retire after the incident.
When Silvers arrived at the
South Precinct, Bradley, his supervisor, smelled alcohol on his breath and
noticed bloodshot, watery eyes, according to a release from the Metro Nashville
Police Department. After Silvers said he had consumed six longneck beers the
afternoon before his shift started, police said, Bradley disarmed Silvers and
notified Capt. Ken Dyer, who was the overnight field supervisor at the time.
Police said that Silvers was
directed to take two “reasonable suspicion” breath alcohol tests while he was
at the South Precinct. Silvers allegedly had blood-alcohol content levels of
.31 and .25 — both three times the legal limit in Tennessee.
After the tests, the decision
was made to decommission Silvers and have him driven to his Hendersonville home
without being arrested. Chief Steve Anderson was not informed about the
decision, police said, and immediately ordered an investigation into the matter
when he was told hours later.
On Monday, Silver submitted his
resignation effective at the end of his 30-day suspension, while Dyer announced
his retirement after the end of his 30-day suspension.
drunk cops
Cop charged with DUI
By Tom Flannery,
HONESDALE - A former Carbondale
patrolman, who is currently with the Honesdale police force, was arrested last
week for suspicion of DUI.
This is the third time David
Matthew Clark, 40, of Lake Ariel, has been arrested over the past several years
while working as a police officer.
Carbondale Police Captain Brian
Bognatz told The Carbondale News that the latest incident took place at 1:20
a.m. on Wednesday, June 11, when Clark was driving down Salem Mountain in a
2006 Hyundai and struck three parked vehicles.
“It was a four-car crash and
three of them were totaled,” Bognatz related.
“We believe that two of the
parked vehicles were totaled, as was the car that Mr. Clark was driving.”
He said Carbondale police
officers arrived at the scene and took Clark into custody for suspicion of DUI.
“Charges were filed the very
next day,” Bognatz noted.
Clark has been charged with
suspicion of drunk driving as well as with reckless driving.
Bognatz pointed out that this
is Clark’s third arrest in the past eight years, which includes a previous DUI
charge.
The first incident occurred at
about 2 a.m. on July 30, 2006, when Clark was employed as a patrolmen with the
Carbondale Police Department.
On the night in question, he
was attending a bachelor party for Patrolman Kyle Miller while the two officers
were off-duty.
They ended up beating a
73-year-old Simpson man in front of the Belmont Hotel on Belmont Street over a
minor traffic accident, after which both officers were suspended from the
force.
Just over a year later, the two
were terminated.
“Mr. Clark was involved in
beating up a very elderly gentleman in that case,” Bognatz recalled.
Honesdale Borough Police Chief
Rick Southerton said Clark has been suspended.
“He's not on the schedule and
isn't working,” he said. “He won't return until we find out the outcome or
whether or not he's convicted.”
Southerton said that from what
he understands, Clark refused to have blood drawn, which is a mandatory loss of
his driver's license for a year.
“If he's convicted, I find it
hard to believe the Municipal Police Officer Education and Training Commission
(MPOETC) would let him keep his certification,” he stated. “If he loses that,
he can't get hired anywhere.”
If Clark is convicted he could
face further disciplinary action that could include termination.
Drunk cops
police
officer arrested for OWI
A part-time police officer in
Lake Hallie has pleaded not guilty to citations for OWI first offense and
refusing a test for intoxication in Chippewa Falls on Tuesday, June 17.
Luke R. Gehweiler, 34, 18685
52nd Ave., entered the not guilty pleas Friday in Chippewa County Court.
Gary Spilde, chairman of the
Lake Hallie Police Commission, on Friday said he believed Chief Cal Smokowicz
has suspended Gehweiler.
“He was waiting for what the
report (by Chippewa Falls Police) has to say,” Spilde said of an email he
received from Smokowicz regarding the issue.
Smokowicz can suspend an
officer. The matter then goes to the village’s Police Commission, which decides
if further action is needed.
Lake Hallie officers are
represented by the Wisconsin Police Professionals Association, Spilde said.
Smokowicz wasn’t available for
comment on Friday. Chippewa Falls Police were not available to provide details
of the citations.
A refusal to submit to an intoxication
test can result in an automatic revocation of a driver’s license, unless the
accused schedules a hearing within a set time. Gehweiler has requested that
hearing.
Gehweiler’s initial appearance
in Chippewa County Court before Judge Roderick Cameron is set for 9 a.m. on
Tuesday, July 22.
drunk cops
Pascagoula
police officer will serve one year in jail in teen's death
By MARGARET BAKER
PASCAGOULA -- Pascagoula police
officer Daniel Snyder was sentenced Friday to six years in prison, with five
years suspended and one year to serve for leaving the scene of an accident that
left an Ocean Springs teen dead.
In addition, Circuit Judge Dale
Harkey ordered Snyder to pay $2,000 in fines, courts courts and burial expenses
to the family of 16-year-old Kaytlynn Brann, who died a a day after the Feb.
22, 2013, accident. He will also undergo an evaluation for alcohol abuse.
"I've seldom seen a more
tragic or more heartbreaking case," Harkey said. "Nothing but fate
brought you two together and it's ruined two lives."
Harkey expressed sympathy for
the victim's family and told Snyder that he, as a law enforcement officer,
should have known better than to drink and drive. He said nothing could explain
his decision to leave the scene other than him trying to hide the fact that he
had been drinking and driving.
"You were seeking to
minimize what you had done," Harkey said.
Prior to sentencing, District
Attorney Tony Lawrence asked for jail time for Snyder, noting he was veteran
law enforcement officer who knew better than to flee the scene of any accident.
"Everyone has to be held
accountable for the choices they make," Lawrence said. "He chose to
drink, he chose to drive and he chose to leave the scene."
Kaytlynn's father, Keith Brann,
said he never understood why Snyder wasn't arrested on a more serious
DUI-related offense.
"The one thing I wanted in
this case was for Mr. Snyder to never be a police officer again," he said.
"This conviction takes care of that. Since the accident, he has spent one
night in jail. One night. I have spent a year without my daughter."
A jury convicted Snyder in May
but he was released on bond pending sentencing in the case.
Snyder had consumed several
beers at his home in the hours leading up to the accident in which his pickup
truck struck Kaytlynn on Port Aux Chenes Road in Gulf Park Estates.
Snyder was off-duty and on
personal leave at the time to attend a family member's funeral.
A blood test taken at 11:45
p.m. showed Snyder had a blood-alcohol level of .06, State law prohibits
drivers from operating a motor vehicle if they have a blood-alcohol level of
.08 percent or above. Snyder was not arrested on a drunken driving offense in
the case.
Several witnesses said Snyder
stopped initially, but left the scene for up to 15 minutes before he returned.
Snyder was also heard saying he should have "done like everybody else in
Mississippi and just left the scene."
Other witnesses said Snyder
appeared to be in shock at the scene.
Snyder twice dialed 911 to
report that a person had been struck, but did not identify himself.
Snyder was not cited for
causing the accident. Instead, a deputy investigating the case said Brann was
at fault because she was walking in the road when the accident occurred. The
road has no sidewalks.
Snyder left the scene after the
accident and initially denied drinking alcohol prior to the crash to sheriff's
deputies. Deputies later found a Budlight beer cap in the console of his truck.
Several Pascagoula police
officers also spoke on Snyder's behalf Friday, noting he was good man who would
offer help to others and often went out of his way to help children in need.
Drunk cops
Metro
Sergeant Suspended For Failure To Arrest Drunk Officer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A
Metropolitan Nashville Police sergeant has been suspended without pay after his
part in a decision to drive another officer home when he turned up drunk at
work, instead of making an immediate arrest.
Officials said South Precinct
Sergeant Terrence Bradley was given a 15-day suspension without pay.
The officer who admitted to
drinking and two of his supervisors were decommissioned because of the
incident.
Police said 33-year-old Officer
Nathan Silvers reported to work in his personal vehicle at 10:45 p.m. Friday
night for his midnight shift. He was supposed to arrive at work by 10:30 p.m.
but reportedly called and said he would be late.
When he arrived, Sergeant
Bradley noticed the smelled of alcohol, and that Silvers' eyes were bloodshot
and watery. Bradley disarmed Silvers and relieved him from duty.
Two breath alcohol tests were
administered. Officials said the first test came back with a 0.31 percent blood
alcohol result. The second test showed 0.25 percent. Both results were much
higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Silvers apparently admitted to
drinking six longneck bottles of beer between 4 and 7 p.m. before reporting for
duty.
Officials said Bradley
consulted with Field Supervising Captain Kenny Dyer regarding the incident.
They decommissioned Silvers and drove him to his Hendersonville home with the
understanding that he was to report to police headquarters Monday morning.
Chief Steve Anderson and the
deputy chiefs were not made aware of that decision. Once Chief Anderson learned
of the incident early Saturday, he ordered a criminal investigation into the
incident to be conducted by the DUI Unit.
Both Dyer and Bradley were
immediately decommissioned.
Silvers was then charged with
driving under the influence, unlawful gun possession while under the influence
of alcohol, and violation of the implied consent law for refusing to submit to
a blood alcohol test.
He submitted his resignation
Monday, which will be effective following a 30-day suspension.
Captain Dyer submitted his
notice of retirement Monday, which will also be effective following a 30-day
suspension.
The disciplinary action against
Bradley was issued Tuesday afternoon.
Silvers had just graduated from
the police academy in April. Dyer, a 26-year Metro Police veteran, had been
promoted to captain on March 1.
Officials said Bradley has been
with the police department for 14 years.
Drunk cops
Opa-Locka
Officer Charged with DUI After Crash
Lieutenant Edward Law was
arrested Friday night after he rear-ended a car with his
n Opa-Locka police lieutenant
is facing drunken driving charges after crashing into another vehicle.
According to the Florida
Highway Patrol, Lieutenant Edward Law was arrested Friday night after he
rear-ended a car with his unmarked police vehicle in the Golden Glades
interchange.
The officer who responded to
the scene said Lt. Law's speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and there
was an odor of alcohol. FHP said he failed the field sobriety test and refused
to submit to a breath test.
Troopers placed Lt. Law under
arrest for DUI and transported him to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional
Center. He is facing careless driving and DUI with property damage charges.
There were no injuries reported
in the crash. It is unclear if Lt. Law currently has an attorney.
Drunk cops
Suspended
Midland Park cop trying to regain his job
BY EMILY MASTERS
MIDLAND PARK - A borough police
officer who was suspended after he crashed an all-terrain vehicle on a Wyckoff
street and was charged with driving while intoxicated is trying to be
reinstated to his patrol duties.
Officer Joseph B. Gaeta pleaded
guilty to driving an all-terrain vehicle down Godwin Avenue while intoxicated
in 2011 and was suspended without pay.
Gaeta’s attorney, Joseph P.
Rem, said his client is challenging the suspension on the grounds that it was
too harsh.
“His position is that the
offense did not warrant the drastic remedy,” said Rem.
A hearing last week began the
appeal process, which is expected to continue for several weeks before a
hearing officer makes a decision in August. At that point, the Midland Park
Council can vote on the reinstatement. Gaeta or the Police Department can appeal
the hearing officer’s recommendation.
Gaeta was arrested a few hours
after he had participated in DWI enforcement training at the Bergen County
Police Academy on Dec. 15, 2011. He drank alcohol at the training as part of an
exercise that allowed other officers to perform sobriety tests on him. While
off duty a few hours later, Gaeta drove his all-terrain vehicle down Godwin
Avenue in Wyckoff. He overturned and crashed the ATV when he turned onto
Greenhaven Road. His blood alcohol content was measured as 0.135 percent, Rem
said. The state limit for driving is 0.08.
After the 2011 incident, the
Wyckoff police investigated the case and issued summons, which included a DWI
charge. Gaeta was fined $306 and court costs, his driver’s license was
suspended and he was sentenced to participate in the Intoxicated Driver
Resource Center’s driver safety program. On appeal he argued that because he
was driving an ATV, the maximum sentence he could receive was a $200 fine under
state law. He won the appeal and was resentenced to lesser charges and a $150
fine in July 2013.
“Until the officer had his full
day in court on his DWI appeal, [Midland Park] agreed to hold any disciplinary
charges in abeyance,” said Borough Attorney Raymond Wiss.
Gaeta was injured in the
accident and was on paid medical leave from the police force for
four-and-a-half months. During that time, Detective Sgt. John Gibbons, the
department’s internal affairs officer, investigated the incident to see if
Gaeta had violated department rules and regulations. Gibbons made a
disciplinary recommendation to acting Chief John Casson that he suspend Gaeta
without pay. In 2012, Casson retired and Michael Marra, as the new chief,
upheld the disciplinary action, said Wiss.
“An officer is allowed to
request a hearing to contest charges that are factually or legally erroneous or
recommend that the discipline is too harsh,” Wiss said. Gaeta “focuses on the
latter,” Wiss said.
The hearing officer, Matthew S.
Mahoney, was selected because he has legal experience as a captain in the Army
Judge Advocate General’s Corps and as a special assistant U.S. attorney, said
Wiss.
Mayor Patrick O’Hagan said that
because Gaeta is the son of late Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Gaeta, the
borough wanted “someone unbiased.”
At the closed-session hearing,
Marra and Gibbons “testified for the disciplinary actions they took against
Gaeta,” said Wiss. They were cross-examined by Rem, who did not call witnesses.
“An officer is allowed to
request a hearing to contest charges that are factually or legally erroneous or
recommend that the discipline is too harsh,” Wiss said. Gaeta “focuses on the
latter,” Wiss said.
Marra said he had “no comment.”
Gaeta did not respond to requests for comment and Rem declined to have his
client comment.
Drunk cops
Cop
arrested for second DUI
BY PETER CAMERON
A police officer who works for
departments in Jessup and Honesdale was arrested after officers said he crashed
into several parked cars in Carbondale last week.
Officer David Matthew Clark
refused to submit to a blood test, according to officers, and was charged with
DUI and reckless driving.
At the scene of the wreck
Friday on Wayne Street, officers asked if he had been drinking. Officer Clark
responded “Yes, I’m abliviated (sic),” according to the report.
Officer Clark, 40, 145 Father
John Drive, Lake Ariel, was charged with DUI in 2009, when his blood-alcohol
content tested at 0.16 percent.
He previously worked for the
Carbondale Police Department but was fired in 2007 after he assaulted a
73-year-old man. Charges from that incident were expunged when he completed the
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, commonly called ARD.
On Wednesday, he directed
questions to his attorney, Bernard Brown.
“We’re just asking that, at
this time, the community reserves their judgment until they get all the facts,”
Mr. Brown said.
A preliminary hearing is
scheduled for July 10. The conditions of his bail were not available Wednesday.
The police officer has not been
suspended from his part-time job at either department, but the chiefs said he
has been removed from both schedules.
A guilty verdict for the DUI
will likely result in Mr. Clark losing his job, at least in Honesdale.
“If he did what they say he did
and he gets convicted of it, then we probably will let him go,” Honesdale
Police Chief Richard Southerton said. “But I think it’s only fair to give the
system a chance to work.”
Jessup Police Chief Joseph
Walsh had a similar stance.
“Until the case is adjudicated,
I can’t say that he is or is not guilty
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