Arrested officer suspended pending outcome of criminal case

Deron Manndel charged in NJ with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest

Arrested officer suspended pending outcome of criminal case

MOUNT PENN, Pa. -

A Central Berks Regional police officer has been placed on administrative leave with pay.

Deron Manndel was arrested Feb. 3 on disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges at a nightclub in Atlantic City, N.J.

Manndel is a 5-year veteran of the force. We're told his fate will be decided after a hearing on his arrest in New Jersey.

Torrington cop Charged With DUI

A city police officer has been charged with drunken driving, police said.

Matthew Gonska, 32, of Sharon Avenue in Torrington, was driving on New Harwinton Road around 1:27 a.m. Tuesday when he crashed into a snow bank, according to a release from Torrington Police. The vehicle was slightly damaged, but no one was injured.

Gonska, who has been a police officer in the city since August 2010, was off-duty at the time of the crash. He was charged with driving under the influence and traveling too fast, the release states.

Gonska initially placed on leave. He has returned to work on administrative duty.

A criminal and internal investigation continues, police said.

He is to be arraigned on Feb. 25.

Cop charged with DUI may apply for first-time offender program

A Fountain Hill police officer charged with drunken driving after a crash seemed to indicate at his hearing Thursday that he will apply for a first-time offender's program.

James Scoble, 35, of Allentown gave up his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday before District Judge Joseph Barner. Scoble will face trial in Northampton County court on charges of drunken driving and careless driving in the crash Dec. 16 in Bethlehem Township.

During the brief hearing, Scoble's attorney, Gary Asteak, asked Barner for a copy of an application for the first-time offender's program. Scoble declined to comment Thursday.

Scoble remains on paid administrative leave at Fountain Hill, police officials said.

The single-car crash happened in the 3900 block of Freemansburg Avenue. Police said Scoble's car ran into a pole, knocking it down, before hitting a concrete wall and becoming lodged on top of it.

According to the charges, Scoble had a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit.

Scoble was involved in the August traffic stop last year that led to drunken driving and domestic assault charges against former state Rep. Joseph Brennan.

Scoble is the second Fountain Hill officer at the department to recently come under scrutiny. A Fountain Hill police officer was fired this month after authorities say he hit a handcuffed prisoner and lied about it.

Chief Ed Bachert said Grady Cunningham Jr., who had worked full time for the department since 2010, hit the man June 4 in a cell and then falsified reports about it. At the time of his termination, Cunningham declined to comment on the allegations.

Mentally unstable cops

Sandwich police officer arrested Friday after highway incident

A veteran off-duty Sandwich police officer was arrested and suspended from duty early Friday morning after he was accused of ramming a relative’s vehicle on Route 6 east of Exit 2, forcing it from the highway.

Michael Hoadley, 46, faces four counts: assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (his vehicle), domestic assault and battery, operating to endanger and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Sandwich Police Chief Peter Wack suspended Hoadley from duty with pay and called Massachusetts State Police to investigate the incident.

Hoadley was arraigned later Friday morning at Barnstable District Court. He was last suspended from duty for three months in 2010, following an accident in Forestdale.

Police said the victim in the highway assault was not injured.

Hoadley is a 27-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department

Police face misconduct allegations over Carnival incident

New Orleans, La. - 17-year-old Sidney Newman and 18-year-old Ferdinand Hunt say they were hanging out together in the 700 block of Conti Sunday night after going to a parade.

Hunt's mother, an 8th District NOPD officer, was working nearby. The young men say Hunt's mother had gone to grab them something to eat.

Surveillance video obtained by FOX 8 shows Hunt leaning up against the building while Newman sat next to him.

"We were just sitting there laughing and out of nowhere, I saw two guys grab Ferd," says Newman.

"All of a sudden, I'm on the wall. A whole bunch of people just came up and threw me up against the wall," says Hunt.

Those people were plain clothes law enforcement officers, nine of them State Troopers and one NOPD officer. The two young men were taken down to the ground.

"I was scared. I didn't know what was happening. I thought they were trying to rob us," says Hunt.

"At that point another guy came up and grabbed me by my hair and he was on top of me. At the same time, I'm calling, 'Ferd.' I'm asking Ferd, 'Where's your mother?'" says Newman.

Hunt's mother does approach and the two young men are allowed to get up. Not long after releasing the two men, the plain clothes officers simply walked away.

"Why take a child or a young man that's 130 pounds and sling him across? Why not just walk up to him and say, 'What are you doing? What's your name or why are you here?' That's a human being" says Sidney's mother, Hazel Newman. "I would hate to think that it was because these boys were young black boys. I would hate to think that."

State Police say any allegations of racial profiling are absurd.

The troopers were part of the Mardi Gras plain clothes detail. They say they were looking for juvenile violations, illegal weapons and narcotic activity at the time.

While on patrol, State Police say they noticed two individuals who appeared to be juveniles and decided to ID them. The troopers say they had detained both of them when they were approached by an NOPD officer who was interfering with the investigation and claiming it was her son.

They say the troopers verified the identification of the two young men and turned them over to the NOPD officer. LSP spokeswoman Melissa Matey said Thursday that the agency continues to investigate the incident.

"This was Mardi Gras time, so you're going to sling a kid rather than walk up and talk to them? That is incredible," says Newman.

NOPD says the commander of the 8th District did see the video and, as it relates to the action of the NOPD officer, there were no obvious violations of misconduct.

The NAACP wants federal and state agencies to look into the case, claiming it shows racial profiling. And the two boys and their parents met with FBI officials Thursday, asking them to conduct a probe. The FBI hasn't said whether they'll do so, but did tell the families they would be back in touch.

Idiots at work

Greenville, South Carolina: The family of a man shot and killed by officers is filing a wrongful death suit. The family’s attorney said, “They didn’t fire any warning shots. There was no effort, apparently, on the part of the officers to ascertain whether he was, in fact, a threat to them.” He was shot seven times. ow.ly/hGBXI From Police Misconduct.Net

•Kettering, Ohio: A police officer remains on paid administrative leave after being found guilty of misdemeanor assault. ow.ly/hGn2m From Police Misconduct.Net

•Salem, Ohio: A police officer charged with drunk driving is on unpaid leave. Police charged the patrolman with operating a vehicle under the influence. ow.ly/hGf9s From Police Misconduct.Net

•Irvington, New Jersey: An officer was found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated assault, hindering apprehension, and official misconduct. He was sent to jail to await sentencing. http://ow.ly/hE4p7 From Police Misconduct.Net

 •Update: Boulder, Colorado: A police officer accused of stalking and plotting to kill a fellow officer pleaded guilty in a county courthouse. He faces one to three years in prison and remains free on a $500,000 bond. http://ow.ly/hE983 From Police Misconduct.Net

Former Rome police officer charged with drug possession, theft

Rn T.Com

A former Rome police officer fired in 2011 for having a relationship with a known felon was charged with drug possession and theft for stealing drugs from a local pharmacy, according to Rome Police and Floyd County Jail reports.

Ambar Monica Velasquez, 32, of 216 Park Ave., Lindale, is accused of stealing 500 Xanax pills from Rome Pharmacy, 501 E. Second Ave., on Jan. 28.

She is charged with felony possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and misdemeanor theft by taking.

Velasquez is on probation for another misdemeanor theft.

She was charged and convicted of theft after she failed to turn in her police uniforms and citation book.

10 metro police officers face corruption charges

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ten metro Atlanta law officers are in police custody, accused of using their guns, badges and authority to facilitate drug deals under orders of a street gang.

An FBI SWAT team arrested the current and former cops Tuesday for taking payoffs — some as low as $700 — to protect cocaine deals taking place in crowded shopping centers and school parking lots. Five alleged accomplices also were arrested.

“Obviously the breadth of the corruption is very troubling,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Yates. “It is certainly the most (officers) this office has charged in a long time.

“These are people they are supposed to be arresting, not taking money from,” she said.

The arrested officers came from wide swath of law agencies: Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Forest Park and the DeKalb County police and Sheriff’s Office. Officers from MARTA and a contract agent for the Federal Protective Service also were arrested.

Some were long-term veterans. Senior Atlanta police Officer Kelvin Allen had been with the department for 20 years. APD announced shortly after Allen’s arrest that he had been suspended.

DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown and Atlanta Police Chief George Turner joined Yates as she announced the arrests.

“The department has been and will continue to be cooperative with federal authorities to ensure that Atlanta police officers involved in any illegal activity are brought to justice,” the APD said in a statement.

At least some officers appeared willing to kill to protect their gang employers — although no violence was reported. Just before a deal with a new buyer Jan. 30, DeKalb police Officer Dorian Williams told confederate Shannon Bass that wounding was not an option. “I gotta (expletive) kill him, I just can’t shoot him,” Williams said in a secretly recorded conversation, according to the federal affidavit. Bass was among the accused accomplices arrested.

Williams recommended using a high school parking lot for the afternoon transactions because the activity and backpacks wouldn’t look suspicious, the affidavit said.

A former DeKalb County Jail officer, Monyette McLaurin, lied to his criminal colleagues by claiming he was an active duty deputy, the affidavit said, and he discussed with Gregory Lee Harvey, who also was arrested, the need to possibly kill someone.

Attempts to reach Allen, Williams and McLaurin for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Authorities haven’t released a lot of details but Yates said the investigation is ongoing. The accused officers were arrested quickly and without warning, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Giulano said. Some of the alleged illegal transactions took place last month, Giulano said.

The case began in August 2011 as a street gang investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, whose undercover agents learned the gang had officers on the payroll for protection, Yates said. The FBI took over the police corruption aspects of the case.

The cops were recruited by individuals who offered to provide police protection for a street gang’s drug deals — from both honest cops who might arrest them and crooks who would rob them. The officer and the broker divided payments that ranged as high $7,000 and as low as $2,200 — sometimes with the broker with getting a sweeter share, according to federal affidavits. A broker reported one officer received only a $700 share.

The officers were in full uniform and often driving patrol vehicles, and would stand stand guard as informants and drug traffickers swapped backpacks containing cash and what was supposed to be cocaine, the affidavit said. A DeKalb officer charged $800 extra for the use of the patrol car, the affidavit said.

The FBI and ATF set up a sting by having an informant tell gang members and their associates that he needed police protection for upcoming drug deals. Three people — Shannon Bass, 38, and Elizabeth Coss, 35, both of Atlanta, and Jeffry B. Mannery Jr, 38, of Tucker — provided the informant with names of officers who wanted to provide security, the affidavit said. Coss and Mannery also were among those arrested. The authorities used counterfeit cocaine in the sting.

The officers were engaged in repeated transactions that trafficked enough kilos of cocaine to be eligible for a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, Yates said. Williams, for instance, is accused of splitting $18,000, although his exact share wasn’t clear.

At least one man allegedly attempted to get in on the protection racket by falsely claiming to be a Clayton County police officer, federal authorities said. They charged Alexander B. Hill, 22, in the drug trafficking case for playing a role in what he thought were three cocaine deals involving multiple kilograms.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Scott Sweetow would not name the street gang involved, but he suggested the public corruption aspects would be far ranging.

“I can say this is probably not the last you will be hearing of this case,” he said

Suit: Officer Demoted After Reporting Supervisor Misconduct

Officer Anthony Hernandez says he was pulled from the street and relegated to a "penalty box" when he reported a sergeant's alleged wrong-doing

A Chicago police officer has filed suit against the department and three of his supervisors, complaining that one of those supervisors, his sergeant, falsified time records as compensation for rehab work he did on the sergeant’s Michigan summer home.

Officer Anthony Hernandez, an undercover narcotics officer, says he took time off to do the work in the summer of 2011. But when a dispute arose over payment, Hernandez says his sergeant, James Padar, told him he had falsified time records to make it appear he had been at work at his police job the entire time.

"He said that he held my slips, meaning that he carried me on the city payroll, while I was actually in Michigan working on his house," Hernandez explained.

In essence, the officer alleges his boss told him the taxpayers would be paying his bill. The officer’s attorney, Patrick Walsh, says he was warned to keep quiet.

"Officer Hernandez alleges that [Padar] said, 'I’ve done this before. I’ve done this for other officers. You better not say anything, because I could get in a lot of trouble for it,'" said Walsh.

Hernandez claims that when he complained about the matter, he was pulled from the street and relegated to an inside job at the police facility at Homan Square.

"Now he sits in the guard shack," Walsh said. "He was a high ranking undercover officer."

Hernandez's lawsuit against the police department, Padar, and two other supervisors, alleges his first amendment rights were violated when he raised the construction matter and was demoted. In the meantime, he says a separate complaint filed with the police department’s own Internal Affairs unit has gone nowhere.

"I was told by internal affairs investigators that I should have expected this to happen," said Hernandez.

Padar did not return a call seeking comment. The City Law Department said they had not been served with the suit and had no comment. Police department spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said the department was aware of the matter, but citing the ongoing internal affairs investigation, she said they had no comment on the latest allegations.

State's Attorney Looking into Police Misconduct Matter

The city of Chicago has quietly turned over to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office a case of alleged misconduct by a police supervisor, NBC Chicago has learned.
Officer Anthony Hernandez filed the suit against the Chicago Police Department and three of his supervisors, alleging that one of his superiors, a sergeant, falsified time records as compensation for rehab work he did on the sergeant's Michigan summer home.
Hernandez claimed that when he complained about the matter, he was pulled from the street and relegated to an inside job at the police facility at Homan Square.
In an effort to bolster his case, Hernandez obtained security video from a Home Depot store in Michigan showing he was there buying supplies for Sgt. James Padar's house and not working at his police job.

Salem Officer Suspended for Drunk Driving

A Salem police officer was suspended without pay on Tuesday after he was charged with driving with more than three times the legal amount of alcohol in his system Sunday in Canfield.

Patrolman Gary A. Poage, 47, was charged with drunk driving Sunday after what he called “a bad date.” He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Mahoning County Canfield Area Court.

Salem Police Chief J.T. Panezott said Tuesday Poage was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case.

Reports said an officer working with the Mahoning County OVI Task Force spotted Poage’s red 2000 Pontiac swerving and driving over the double-yellow lines at about 2:30 a.m. on Fairgrounds Boulevard.

Officers noted Poage smelled of alcohol and had glassy eyes when they first pulled him over on South Broad Street. Poage told officers he was on his way home from a “bad date,” and had just dropped off his date in Hubbard.

Poage told the officer several times he did not consume alcohol. Reports said officers found two red plastic cups with beer inside and two empty bottles of Miller Hi-Life beer inside his car. When asked about the cup with beer, Poage told officers he didn’t know what the liquid was or how the cup ended up between his feet.

He then told officers he had two margaritas, and later said his date bought a pitcher of margaritas.

Reports said Poage failed three sobriety tests and tested at a 0.26 blood-alcohol content. The legal limit in Ohio is .08.

Officers immediately placed his driver’s license on administrative suspension, reports said.

Cops step on teenagers face

19 year old Robert Jackson insists he did nothing wrong and can’t understand why police pummeled him to the ground, punched and kicked him on a Flatbush street.

The incident January 8th was captured on cellphone video shown to the media by Jackson’s lawyer. Jacques Leandre says his client was not resisting arrest, as police claim, but trying to move his arm that was pressed under his chest.

“He was pleading for help as poilice were pressing his face against the pavement. He kept screaming, ‘stop, stop.’” Jackson’s cries are clearly audible on the video. A couple of officers are seen holding the teen down. They are joined by others, one kicks him, while another appears to throw a punch.

At a news conference with members of the clergy and community leaders who voiced outrage and demanded answers from police, Jackson asked, “How could they do this to me? I didn’t do anything wrong.” Police have charged Jackson with resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and marijuana possession.

In response to the charge of brutality, a statement from NYPD says, “We are aware of the matter an d have turned it over to the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

The problem of mentally unstable cops in America.

•Springdale, Pennsylvania: A police officer is facing federal charges after he allegedly punched and used a taser on a man who was in handcuffs. http://ow.ly/hCaGX  From Police Misconduct.

•Orange County, California: A sheriff’s deputy was arrested and charged with accepting bribes, including some connected to businesses, from a murderer inmate. He faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison if he is convicted on all counts. ow.ly/hBVhC  From Police Misconduct.

•Update: Pasadena, California: A detective will be placed on administrative leave after a judge declared a mistrial in a homicide case because of the detective’s mishandling of evidence. ow.ly/hyCIF From Police Misconduct.

•East Chicago, Illinois: An 18-year veteran was indicted on 12 fraud charges relating to an alleged ghost payrolling scheme, federal court records state. “It is never good to see a police officer’s name on a federal indictment,” said the police chief. http://ow.ly/hCeBc From Police Misconduct.

•Twin Peaks, California: A sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty to a grand-theft charge stemming from a salary-boosting scheme involving seven former department employees. They allegedly falsified department records to increase their pay. ow.ly/hykKA From Police Misconduct.

•Meigs County, Tennessee: An officer was arrested after being indicted by a grand jury on charges stemming from a shooting incident. He allegedly shot at his stepfather twice, although he did not hit him. ow.ly/hxX9a  From Police Misconduct.

•Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A police officer has been ordered to serve six months in federal prison for his role in a multi-state steroid distribution ring orchestrated by a former police colleague. Both men were active-duty officers at the time of the activity but were later fired from the force. ow.ly/hxTE4  From Police Misconduct.

•Hendersonville, North Carolina: An officer was arrested for driving while under the influence. He was on-duty and in his highway patrol cruiser. ow.ly/hxRDU  From Police Misconduct.

•Los Angeles, California: Seven sheriff’s deputies have been notified that the department intends to fire them for belonging to a secret law enforcement clique that allegedly celebrated shootings and branded its members with matching tattoos. ow.ly/hxDPn From Police Misconduct.

•Memphis, Tennessee: A police officer who allegedly threatened a man has now been arrested on a charge of harassment. http://ow.ly/hysG3 From Police Misconduct.

•Mount Joy Borough, Pennsylvania: A police officer was suspended for two days without pay for unspecified misconduct. The discipline is the latest in several involving Mount Joy police. http://ow.ly/hysY0 From Police Misconduct.

•Cincinnati, Ohio: An officer admitted that he deposited money meant to avoid bank-reporting requirements in an alleged marijuana smuggling operation. http://ow.ly/hyuXR From Police Misconduct.

•Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: An officer has been suspended with pay amid a police investigation into an “alleged excessive force incident,” city officials have said. ow.ly/hxYoa From Police Misconduct.

•Hale County, Alabama: A deputy has been indicted on charges accusing him of keeping drugs he acquired during investigations. http://ow.ly/hyEaX From Police Misconduct.

Mentally unstable cops: Cop Charged After Standoff State Police

Charlotte Co, VA - A former Farmville Police Officer is behind bars, charged with four counts of attempted Capital murder of a police officer and four counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to Virginia State Police Spokesperson Corinne Geller.
Captain Howard Hobgood of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says T.J. Long of Keysville shot at Charlotte County Deputies and State Police Saturday Afternoon nearly a dozen times on farmland near the Charlotte / Prince Edward County line.
Hobgood said deputies from his office were responding to calls from Long's wife, who was trying to locate him Saturday, when the shooting started.
State police say they were able to set up a perimeter around the property and that no Deputies or State Police Officers were injured during the shooting.
Long eventually surrendered to State Police around 5:20 p.m. Saturday, Geller said.
Captain Hobgood says Long is also a suspect in the arson of a home that Long owned off of Route 40 before the shooting incident. Long's wife lived in the home, but was not home at the time of the fire, Hobgood said.
The fire remains under investigation, Hobgood said.
Long is being held in the Piedmont Regional Jail, Geller said. 

Cop with mental health issues commits suicide in FDR Park

A Lower Merion cop suffering from mental health issues committed suicide in his car in FDR Park this morning, according to police and Lower Merion officials.
When Lower Merion Township Ofc. Sean Quinn, 46, did not show up for work as scheduled at 7 a.m. today, Superintendent Michael McGrath issued an alert to all area law enforcement agencies "out of an abundance of caution," according to a news release.
The release did not detail why Quinn's supervisors felt it necessary to notify other police departments that the officer was missing, but a city police spokeswoman said Quinn was believed to suffer from mental health issues.
Lower Merion Township public information officer Thomas Walsh declined to go in to detail regarding Quinn's mental state. He did, however, say the officer was not fired but just failed to show up for work.
Walsh said Quinn left his house after a fight with his wife Sunday night and did not return.
Quinn was last seen around 5:30 a.m. in Ardmore and last had contact with his family around 6:30 a.m. while he was in the Columbus Boulevard area, according to Lower Merion officials.
After Quinn's personal vehicle, a 2012 gray Ford Focus, was found at FDR park this morning, city police set up a perimeter around the park at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia, according to police.
Quinn was found inside the vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to a news release from Lower Merion Township.
Lower Merion police called Quinn, who also worked as a D.A.R.E officer, "a respected veteran of the force." Walsh said he was the father of three adult children.
"He was just a very well liked and a well-respected officer here," Walsh said. "His fellow officers are trying to absorb this."
According to his LinkedIn profile, Quinn had 25 years experience in law enforcement and was nearing retirement. He was working on building an Internet shopping business, according to his profile.
In a statement, Lower Merion police Superintendent Michael McGrath said: "The Lower Merion Police Department wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to Officer Quinn's family and friends and asks that they be kept in your thoughts and prayers as we all try to come to terms with this tragic event."

Memphis police officer arrested on harassment charge

A Memphis police officer who allegedly threatened a Collierville man in October has now been arrested on a charge of harassment.
Darrell Malone, 26, was arrested Monday, but released on bail later that day.
The incident happened Oct. 24 near Germantown Parkway and Interstate 40. A motorist called police to report several motorcyclists driving recklessly. At that point, Malone, one of the motorcyclists, allegedly flashed a gun and said he was a cop. The motorist left, but said that Malone later contacted him on his cell phone.
Both Malone and dispatcher Jenny Rice, who was accused of providing Malone with the motorist's information, were suspended with pay.
It was unclear whether the harassment charge is related to this incident. No affidavit has been posted on Malone's arrest report, which is unusual. When contacted Thursday, Memphis Police spokesman Alyssa Macon-Moore was unaware that Malone had been arrested.

Memphis Police Officer Sentenced to 84 Months for Civil Rights Violations, Drug Conspiracy

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 01, 2013

Western District of Tennessee (901) 544-4231

MEMPHIS—Melvin Victor Robinson, 32, a former Memphis Police officer, was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to civil rights violations and attempting to possess 10 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III.
“This sentence should serve as an unequivocal warning that law enforcement officers who disgrace their badge and violate the public’s trust will ultimately be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “We will continue to hold accountable anyone who engages in such conduct—including those who take an oath to protect and serve.”
In July, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Section 846; one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 242; and conspiracy against rights, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 242.
On January 26, 2012, an informant contacted Robinson and contracted the sale and purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine. According to facts stated in court, Robinson met the informant while he was on duty and in his police car. The informant told Robinson that the cocaine was stored inside a trailer located at a trucking lot in south Memphis. The informant then provided Robinson with the key and location of the trailer. Approximately 10 minutes later, special agents and task force oOfficers of the FBI saw Robinson get out of his police car and enter the trailer. Robinson later exited the trailer and placed a black duffel bag containing what he believed to be cocaine inside his police car.
Robinson also pleaded guilty to stealing money from Jwan Boddie. On November 14, 2011, Boddie was detained by Robinson during an arrest while Robinson was working as a MPD officer. According to facts stated in court, Robinson and his partner responded to a narcotics call at the Colonial Inn, where they found Boddie in his hotel room. During that search Robinson admitted to stealing $700 and later sharing the money with his partner.
Robinson also pleaded guilty to striking Jeremy Pettis during an arrest in April 2011. According to facts stated in court, Robinson detained and punched Pettis in the face while he was sitting in his vehicle.
“The criminal behavior of a police officer harms the integrity of all of law enforcement,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The hard work by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute this case stands as a reminder that the majority of law enforcement officers serve and protect their communities honorably.”
“This is proof that the judicial system works,” said Memphis Police Department Director Toney Armstrong. “Regardless of what position you hold, you will be held accountable for your actions if you choose to break the law.”
This crime was investigated by the Tarnished Badge Task Force, which is composed of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Coleman on behalf of the government.

Mateo Falconi, Florida Motorcyclist, Allegedly Beaten By Police After High-Speed Chase

Did Collier County (Fla.) Sheriff's officers go too far in subduing high-speed motorcyclist Mateo Falconi?
The 22-year-old released police video of the incident to the News-Press through his lawyers. The clip, which is now gaining attention on the Internet , appears to show the Fort Myers, Fla., resident surrendering to officers, and then getting punched, shocked and sworn at as he lays on the ground.
Falconi held a press conference Monday (watch below), claiming police used "excessive force." He announced that he planned to file a civil suit, WFTX reports. He has hired separate attorneys to handle the suit and to provide defense for his charges, which include fleeing the law, marijuana possession and resisting arrest without violence, according to the Fox affiliate.
According to the police report filed by arresting officer Robert Lewis III, Falconi reached speeds of 110 mph after Lewis spotted him going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone on Oct. 18. Falconi ran red lights in leading a five-minute chase, in which Lewis determined the traffic was light enough to pursue, the report states.
The edited video shows an unarmed Falconi stopping and putting his hands in the air before the confrontation started. He sustained bruises to most of his upper-body and had a head injury, the News-Press notes.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office declined comment to media outlets, but ABC-7 did publish a police statement that asks why Falconi was traveling at 110 mph and points out, in part: "Law enforcement officers are permitted to respond to resistance, whether it be verbal, passive, active or aggressive, for the safety of the public, the officer and the subject."

Chicago Police Department Brutality Costs Taxpayers Millions in Settlements

In December, I wrote an article for Truthout, "Federal Jury Finds City of Chicago Responsible for 'Code of Silence' in Chicago Police Department (CPD)."

"The jury for the first time in anyone's memory specifically found there is a policy of employing a code of silence," Locke Bowman, Professor of Law and Director of the Roderick MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University School of Law told Truthout. "It's terribly important."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel agreed to the $850,000 jury award to the plaintiff, a petite female bartender who had been pummeled and kicked by a drunken off-duty cop, but – in an unusual move – asked Federal Judge Amy St. Eve to vacate the finding of the existence of a "blue curtain" in the CPD.

The city lost its effort to make the finding of a "code of silence" disappear from the court record, in large part because Judge St. Eve had earlier found compelling evidence that the jury had acted with due prudence:

St. Eve also noted testimony from Steven Whitman, a statistician hired as an expert by Obrycka’s attorneys. Whitman found the rate of complaints of police brutality sustained by the police department was far lower in Chicago than in other cities.

Whitman found Chicago sustained as few as 0.5 percent of complaints in 2004, compared to a national average of 8 percent, according to a 2006 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In the Grand-Central District, where the incident took place, not one of the 147 excessive force complaints filed between January 2005 and February 2007 was upheld.

Emanuel tried to draw a line between past police department abuse and current behavior, even though there is little data to show any significant improvement in breaking through the "code of silence."

On February 9, The Chicago Tribune reported:

In the latest hit to Chicago taxpayers for police misconduct, the city is expected to pay $4.1 million to the family of an unarmed man who was fatally shot by a patrol officer.

The proposed settlement on Monday's City Council Finance Committee agenda would end a legal battle over a controversial police shooting that was caught on video in 2011 and raised questions about the officer's fitness for duty. Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration is also seeking approval for a $145,000 payout to a man who alleged he was handcuffed and held captive by police when he was 13.

The execution-style shooting was caught on videotape.

In January, The Tribune ran an article revealing that Chicago had also agreed "to pay $33 million to settle 2 cases of police misconduct."

Emanuel argues that most of the CPD misconduct was under his predecessor, Mayor Richard M. Daley.  But according to law professor Bowman, little has changed: "I have yet to see a case where one Chicago Police Officer testifies that another Chicago Police Officer did something wrong, unless compelled by a grand jury or other legal means to do so. I continue to believe today that the 'code of silence' is alive and well inside the Chicago Police Department."

The Chicago Police Department's history of "blue curtain" abuse extends back decades.  The most notorious case – which took years to result in conviction – involved Commander Jon Burge, who was belatedly convicted of torturing perhaps more than 200 arrested individuals, most of them black.  It was only in 2011 that he was found guilty for abuse that goes years back into the last century.  The city paid out nearly $20 million dollars to a plaintiff in one Burge settlement alone.  (More settlements are in the offing.) Moreover, Burge's brutally forced confessions were a contributing factor to then Illinois Governor George Ryan declaring a moratorium in 2000 on executions in the state.

In April of 2012, Truthout ran an article, "Unarmed Black Woman Shot and Killed by Chicago Police Officer Less Than a Month After Trayvon Martin Shooting." It was about the "collateral damage" gun death of 22-year-old Rekia Boyd, shot by a Chicago Police Officer who was upset about loud music in the city park across from his house.

A January 9 Chicago ABC News report indicates that the CPD is not providing any answers about the "investigation" of Boyd's death.

More than eight months later, ABC reports:

What has perplexed and angered Rekia Boyd's family is that they have not heard an official version of what happened, nor has there been an apology or a decision on discipline.

"I was looking at the paper yesterday and the talk about how the streets have a code of silence. What about the code of silence inside the police department?" said Sutton [Boyd's brother]. "You expect people on the street to speak, but you're not speaking when you take unlawful actions against us?"

Meanwhile, it appears it will be business as usual as the taxpayers pay for the "blue curtain" and lack of rigorous accountability in the CPD. As the ABC online article concludes: "An attorney for Rekia Boyd's family and a spokesman for the city's law department confirm that settlement discussions are underway in the Boyd lawsuit against the city."

Chickens come home to roost: Chris Dormer & Los Angeles police brutality

Los Angeles — To protect and serve? For a growing number of Los Angeles residents, that motto is now in question. This stems from recent incidents involving Chris Dorner, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer and veteran, incidents which have apparently made it acceptable for police to target with deadly force those whom they deem suspicious.
Dorner has been in the national news due to his alleged online targeting of LAPD officers. His “manifesto” details his eyewitness accounts of fellow police officers’ acts of racist violence. Administrators covered them up from 2005 to 2008, when Dorner was fired for supposedly lying about a training officer’s racist police brutality. Those officers and their co-conspirators allegedly are on his hit list, and their families targeted.
Police say that a named cop’s daughter and her fiancé, who were killed, may have been his first victims. Dorner allegedly shot two Riverside, Calif., cops, not on the list; one died. The LAPD police chief, Charlie Beck, is offering a million dollar bounty on Dorner for his capture.
Giving details in a sometimes meandering “manifesto,” Dorner explains the rage built up by experiencing racism since childhood. He discusses an incident that turned him towards violence: When he was with two other cops, one repeatedly used the “n” word. Dorner asked him to stop. When the officer refused, he choked him. The other officer, siding with the racist cop, attacked Dorner. The cops were reprimanded.
Dorner was fired in 2008 after he witnessed his white training officer, Sgt. Teresa Evans, kick an unarmed and handcuffed nonwhite man, Christopher Gettler, in the stomach and face. An LAPD Board of Rights hearing found Dorner guilty of filing a false report about this. Then, he was dismissed. Dorner said that Gettler and Gettler’s father testified in court that Evans kicked Gettler. Those claims were ignored.
Dorner’s post reveals that he is severely depressed and unconcerned about death. The police are using his meandering on topics as a reason to dismiss his in-depth allegations against the police. The cops insist they are right about their decision exonerating Evans of misconduct.
Are Dorner’s claims legitimate?
Former Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, Robin Sax, who is now Fox 11 News’ legal analyst, told the local TV station Feb. 7 that she uncovered the LAPD’s video interview of Gettler and 21 legal documents relating to incidents during Dorner’s LAPD employment, which Dorner had detailed.
Sax compared Dorner’s allegations against documents and said, “There were certain aspects that had this overwhelming feeling of truth to them.” She mentioned Dorner’s appeal of the Board of Rights’ decision to the Superior Court of California. The court stated that they couldn’t decide Evans’ guilt or innocence.
The LAPD ignored the court and protected Evans, reiterating that Dorner had filed a false report.
Dorner’s purported statements about police brutality resonate, especially in communities of color. He alleged, “I saw some of the most vile things humans can inflict on others as a police officer in Los Angeles … in … police stations and shops (cruisers). The enemy combatants in LA are not the citizens and suspects, it’s the police officers. …
“This department has not changed from the Daryl Gates and Mark Fuhrman days. Those officers are still employed and have all [been] promoted to Command staff and supervisory positions. … An officer … seen on … videotape striking [Rodney] King multiple times with a baton on 3/3/91 is … now a Captain. … Evans has since [been] promoted to Sergeant after kicking Mr. Gettler in the face. … Same as LAPD did with the officers … involved in the May Day melee at MacArthur Park. They promoted them to Sergeant.” (myfoxla.com)
The contradictions in Dorner’s political views and admission of mental health challenges in his alleged posts do not negate the legitimate rage he expresses surrounding incidents familiar to many.
One example confirming Dorner’s view of the LAPD arose during the police search for him, where public safety was their last concern.
On Feb. 7, police shot more than 40 bullets at 71-year-old Emma Hernandez and her daughter, Margie Carranza, 47, while they were delivering newspapers in their car. They didn’t have any connection to Dorner, but the police opened fire on them — without warning — because they wrongly perceived that their vehicle was the same type as Dorner’s. The cops were put on paid administrative leave for shooting the women, while Hernandez, who was shot twice in the back, is in intensive care.
Perhaps the racist injustice here is the reason why readers’ comments following online news stories and at progressive media websites reflect an overwhelming amount of empathy for Dorner, if not support. Despite all the pro-police TV shows and news, and justifications of police brutality, many people are unsympathetic to the police in this case. Many are openly showing their disdain for the police or sharing their experiences of racism and brutality.
Sax stated: “[Dorner] is shining a light on this. We’re getting [many] calls from people who want to share their experiences of potential racism, corruption and the code of silence.” She said that law enforcement individuals are reporting their experiences facing racism.
Perhaps this heat on the LAPD inspired Los Angeles Police Chief Beck to reverse his initial dismissive attitude towards Dorner’s allegations. On Feb. 8, he announced that he was reopening Dorner’s termination.
The violence of rage and war, and the loss of lives of noncombatants that are affected by this are unfortunate and tragic for the families involved. However, in evaluating any situation, an equal sign cannot be drawn between the victims of systemic racism and the overwhelming violence carried out by the LAPD and police forces countrywide that brutalize, terrorize and kill members of working-class communities, especially those of color.
The lack of health care for veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and depression, who are discarded after their deployments abroad, must be addressed. The violent system that represses its population to maintain the status quo of haves and have nots must be addressed. History shows that the more people suffer unemployment, homelessness and an inability to attain basic needs, the more the state increases repression to squash protest.
What caused Dorner’s rage to build? This racist system, which he saw from inside the institution that’s designed to proliferate racism, sexism and homophobia, instill fear and promote violence.
If we want the violence to stop, it must be continually exposed. The police need to be disarmed not just in Los Angeles, but in Baltimore, New York City, Houston, Chicago and every city, large and small. U.S. wars at home and abroad must stop.

San Luis Obispo Police Officer Arrested on Federal Bribery Charges

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 05, 2013

Central District of California (213) 894-2434

LOS ANGELES—A detective with the San Luis Obispo Police Department was arrested this morning after being charged in a bribery scheme in which he allegedly took cash and narcotics from two individuals. In return, the police officer allegedly provided these “cooperating witnesses” with narcotics for their own use, as well as fake drugs to sell to drug dealers.
Cory Pierce, 39, of Arroyo Grande, was taken into custody this morning without incident by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Pierce was charged with one count of bribery in a criminal complaint filed yesterday in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Pierce is a six-year veteran of the San Luis Obispo Police Department who was most recently assigned to a narcotics task force with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint describes how Pierce cultivated two sources—identified in the complaint only as “CW1” and “CW2”—who have since cooperated with the FBI’s investigation.
After CW2 was arrested for heroin possession in 2011, CW2 and his girlfriend, CW1, agreed to cooperate with Pierce. But soon after they agreed to work with the police officer, Pierce made unusual requests for the informants to bring him narcotics. As the requests continued, Pierce allegedly provided placebo pain pills and real narcotics to CW1 and CW2. Pierce exchanged those pills and drugs for cash and various narcotics brought to him by the CWs, including oxycodone, heroin, and drugs that treat opiate addition, according to the complaint, which goes on to state that Pierce on several occasions provided CW1 with methamphetamine that was still in police evidence bags. The complaint alleges that CW1 obtained prescriptions for pain pills from her doctor and from emergency rooms to give to Pierce and that Pierce would provide her with money to purchase the prescriptions.
The complaint alleges that Pierce used his position as a police officer to influence CW2’s probation officer to perform little or no supervision of CW2 and informed CW2 that he could “work off” his heroin possession charge by cooperating with Pierce. The complaint goes on to allege that Pierce informed the CWs about ongoing police investigations, including where best to purchase narcotics and which drug houses to stay away from, so that they would not be caught purchasing drugs.
Pierce allegedly had the CWs set up a meeting with a drug dealer, and, following the meeting, Pierce pulled over the dealer’s vehicle over at gunpoint, seized morphine pills, and let the dealer go without making an arrest.
When the CWs advised Pierce that the drug dealers to whom they had sold the placebo pills realized they had received a deceptive product and wanted revenge, Pierce asked for their identities and indicated he would “take care of it.”
Last month, CW2 began cooperating with a federal investigation and recorded multiple conversations with Pierce. During those recorded conversations, Pierce allegedly instructed CW2 to sell placebo pills to a drug dealer for $11,000, money that was to be split between Pierce and CW2. On multiple occasions, Pierce asked CW2 for Suboxone, which is used treat opiate addictions, indicating that he was personally using the drug, according to the complaint affidavit.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Pierce will have an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge later this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
If convicted of the bribery charge alleged in the criminal complaint, Pierce would face a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
This ongoing investigation was conducted by the FBI with the assistance of the San Luis Obispo Police Department and the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department.

No surprise Denver police officers not charged in Landau beating case, experts say

Alexander Landau, pictured in May 2011, said he is disappointed but not defeated by a Justice Department decision that three Denver police officers who beat him in 2009 won't be charged with civil-rights violations. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

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Alexander Landau was shocked that the Justice Department opted not to charge three Denver police officers with civil-rights violations in his 2009 beating case. But Friday's news didn't surprise experts at all.

Taking police officers to court is a tough call for prosecutors, who must prove charges beyond a reasonable doubt in the face of politics, polarized perceptions of police and evidence that different people view differently.

Proving officers violated someone's civil rights is even more challenging because "they have to show not just overreaching and callousness, but did they mean to deprive someone of their civil rights?" said Eugene O'Donnell, a former police officer and prosecutor who is now a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

"People will be viscerally outraged, but prosecutors learn and know that the visceral outrage often will not see them through to a guilty verdict," O'Donnell said.

With the Justice Department's decision not to prosecute — and having already reached a $795,000 settlement with the city in a federal lawsuit — Landau and his supporters said Saturday that Manager of Public Safety Alex Martinez's pending discipline decision is essentially their last hope that the officers will be punished.

Landau's lawsuit said that Cpl. Randy Murr and Officers Ricky Nixon and Tiffany Middleton tried to cover up the Jan. 19, 2009, beating that left him scarred and suffering neurological damage. He said the officers hit him with their fists, flashlights and a radio and called him a racial epithet during the incident that started as a traffic stop.

Police, however, said Landau had reached for Middleton's gun.

The Police Department's internal-affairs bureau has completed its own investigation into the allegations, but leaders were awaiting the results of the Justice Department's probe before making a discipline decision.

Martinez said after a previously scheduled community meeting Saturday that he hoped to obtain information from the federal agency about its investigation "that may or may not add to the view we currently have of the situation."

He would not elaborate or offer a time for when he might issue his order.

Mu Son Chi, racial-justice and civil-rights director for the Colorado Progressive Coalition, said there is no reason to wait.

"These are different processes for different purposes," he said.

Chief Robert White declined to comment, as did Mayor Michael Hancock, who said he had been notified of the decision but had not had a chance to read it. Both were at the community meeting, which was not related to the Landau case.

The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.

The decision not to prosecute has made many in the community feel that civil lawsuits are their only recourse when they believe police have violated their rights, said Landau's attorney, Anna Holland Edwards.

"The public cannot rely on government prosecutors or internal audits to end these types of government abuses," she wrote in an e-mail Saturday. "Citizens must continue to demand that their elected representatives act and take their cases to court where juries can decide whether this kind of conduct is acceptable."

Cases against on-duty officers are easier to prove in civil court, where the standards of proof are lower, said Karen Steinhauser, former chief deputy district attorney in Denver who now has a criminal-defense practice.

"Police cases are just difficult to prove," she said. "Though jurors are instructed to look at every witness the same, we tend to look at law enforcement officers as being just that: officers who enforce the law and not break it. There's still a tendency of most people to look at officers and say, 'I can't believe they would do something like that.' It's the intangible that comes into play as far as proving these cases."

Sometimes the only witnesses are other officers, who are reluctant to testify against their own. And while evidence alone should determine whether charges are filed, O'Donnell said cases also rise and fall on a victim's credibility, officers' disciplinary records, politics, police-community relations and even a prosecutor's personality.

"No matter what they want to do, they have to say, 'Can this case be proven?' And most of the time, it's not proving the use of force," O'Donnell said. "It's disproving the cops' claim that it was legitimate. ... Proof beyond a reasonable doubt looks like an awfully big mountain to climb."

Landau, meanwhile, said he is disappointed but not defeated. He said he will continue to encourage others to come forward if they feel they have been wronged by police.

"There's got to be a way to make (the department) take these cases more seriously," he said

Morris County Man, Former Police Officer Charged with Attempting to Collect Debts by Extortion

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 08, 2013

District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888

NEWARK—A former Passaic Police officer and organized crime associate from Morris County, New Jersey, appeared in Newark federal court today on charges he attempted to collect a debt by extortion, U S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Stefano Mazzola, 68, of Rockaway, is charged in a complaint with one count of using extortion to collect or attempt to collect a debt and to punish a person for non-repayment of a debt. Mazzola appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo and was detained.

According to the criminal complaint:

In 2012, the victim obtained a loan of $30,000 from an individual, who subsequently transferred the loan to Mazzola. The victim periodically made payments on the loan to Mazzola. In late 2012, Mazzola began to threaten that if the victim did not repay the loan, he would physically harm the victim.

The victim made a number of consensually recorded phone calls to Mazzola, during which Mazzola threatened the victim. During a phone call on January 17, 2013, Mazzola acknowledged that an individual had transferred the loan to him, stating, “He gave me that debt; I’ve paid out $20-something-thousand, if not more, for him.”

Later in the conversation, Mazzola threatened the victim. “Let me explain something to ya, and I really mean this, and I don’t care who is listening to my phone or not, if I want to do something to ya, I don’t give a f—k if you give me a million dollars. If I’m looking to hurt ya; I’ll take the money and still hurt ya. It has nothing to do with it,” Mazzola said.

On another call that occurred on January 23, 2013, the victim told Mazzola, “You know you’re gonna get paid.” In response, Mazzola said, “You say you know I’m gonna get paid, I don’t believe nothing....If I write it off in my head, it doesn’t matter. Because I’m a firm believer in time....But listen, I know what I’m gonna do. ’Cause it doesn’t matter to me. It don’t matter whether it’s now or 10 years from now. It don’t matter. You don’t understand. You just don’t know me. I don’t give a f—k if an agent is listening.”

The charge of extortionate collection of a debt is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge David Velazquez in Newark, and the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, under the direction of Commissioner Jan Gilhooly, with the investigation that led to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Colone of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Aurora settles police brutality lawsuit;

AURORA - After a year-and-a-half of legal wrangling, the City of Aurora decided to settle a lawsuit accusing the police of brutality.

On December 18, 2010, officers handcuffed Ricky Burrell while he was in the middle of a seizure.

Burrell died in December of an unrelated illness.

As part of the settlement, the city will pay his estate $100,000 and officers are getting new training.

9Wants to Know obtained the 911 tape during which Burrell's wife Evelyn King tells dispatch repeatedly Burrell is fighting her.

From Aurora 911:

King: "He's had three seizures, he's a recovering alcoholic, but he's incoherent like he's having another one."
King: "He's fighting me."

Aurora police found Burrell unconscious and lying face down on the bed.

Burrell described his recollection of the incident in an interview with 9Wants to Know in May of 2012.

"To me I felt like I went to sleep. The next thing I remember I was being attacked by the police," Burrell said.

Burrell died of cancer in December of 2012.

A lawsuit filed before his death says officers mistook Burrell's seizure for resisting arrest.

Assistant Aurora City Attorney Peter Morales says the city still disputes some of the lawsuit's claims, including that officers broke Burrell's wrist while handcuffing him.

Morales says the decision to pay Burrell's estate $100,000 prevented the possibility of a more expensive trial.

"The fact of settlement does not mean any admission of guilt on the part of the city," Morales said.

Morales says seizure training for officers has been in the works since August of 2012.

"If we can teach them about those subtle signs to at least start asking maybe one more question will prevent an unfortunate situation," Morales said.

Jennifer Houston with the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado is training all 650 Aurora police officers.

Aurora police are learning someone in the middle of a seizure is basically unconscious with their eyes open.

They might be confused, appear drunk or high, or even lash out unintentionally.

The foundation gets at least 15 reports a year from people across Colorado who have been falsely arrested for having a seizure.

"Knowledge is power. People can be very combative and it can be looked at as drug or alcohol intoxication," Houston said.

The foundation says more than 50,000 Coloradoans are living with epilepsy and 1 in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime.

Attorney Mari Newman sued the city of Aurora on behalf of Burrell and his family.

"Rickey and Evelyn's goal was always to make this world safer for people who suffer seizures like he does. To make sure this didn't happen to anybody else and they've succeeded in making that happen. So this is an incredible legacy for Rickey to leave behind," Newman said,

Training for officers will continue in Aurora through the end of the February.