Police Brutality Statistics In The United States Fell By 60 Percent When Cops Wear Video Cameras

     

Police brutality statistics apparently fell by 60 percent in one California town when all police officers were required to wear portable video cameras while on the job.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, a video of a CHP officer punching a fallen woman 11 times in the face went viral after it was filmed by a passing driver. But another video was even worse since it showed Albuquerque police shooting two suspects in the back, never mind when a homeless man was shot in the back.

The city of Rialto, California did a controlled study where the city’s 70 police officers were required to wear a video camera that recorded all of their interactions with the public. In 2012 alone complaints against Rialto police officers fell by 88 percent, while use of force by officers fell by almost 60 percent.

Rialto Police Chief William A. Farrar says it is not just his officers that behaved better when a camera was known to be watching:

“When you put a camera on a police officer, they tend to behave a little better, follow the rules a little better. And if a citizen knows the officer is wearing a camera, chances are the citizen will behave a little better.”

Cities like New York, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, and Oakland are considering implementing police cameras and even England is starting to adopt the practice with small-scale trial programs.

Of course, one huge negative to outfitting every cop with a camera is public privacy concerns. But even the American Civil Liberties Union, which is usually quick to protest anything that might infringe upon personal privacy, says that the notable drop in police brutality statistics is worth it:

“Although we generally take a dim view of the proliferation of surveillance cameras in American life, police on-body cameras are different because of their potential to serve as a check against the abuse of power by police officers.”

This is important because the Bureau of Justice Statistics once claimed the police brutality “rate was 6.6 complaints per 100 full-time sworn officers,” with 84 percent of these complaints targeting larger police departments. Out of the complaints that were officially investigated, “eight percent of the complaints were officially sustained, that is, there was sufficient evidence to justify disciplinary action against the officer or officers.” This means that for their report the police brutality statistics recorded a rate of 0.528 percent, mean that about one in 200 police officers actually did commit an action requiring discipline in that time frame.

Do you think cop should be required to wear video cameras at times in order to prevent police brutality, or do you consider the privacy concerns more important?

U.S. Naming a Monitor for the Police in Newark

By KATE ZERNIKE

NEWARK — The federal government will appoint a monitor to oversee this city’s Police Department as it moves to address longstanding allegations of brutality, discrimination and neglect of civilian complaints, officials said on Wednesday.

The monitor will be part of the response to an investigation begun by the Justice Department three years ago that has uncovered a pattern of constitutional violations by the police of New Jersey’s largest city. But accusations that the Newark Police Department abused residents and brushed aside their complaints predate, and ignited, the riots that tore apart the city 47 years ago this month.

While the Justice Department has stepped up investigations of police misconduct during the Obama administration, and while New Orleans and Seattle have been put under similar oversight in the past few years, the appointment of a monitor remains a relatively rare step. Civil liberties groups and some black leaders have periodically called for federal intervention since the riots.

Some, including the city’s new mayor, Ras J. Baraka, argue that mutual suspicion of Newark’s 270,000 residents and its police hurts the city as it struggles to deal with crime, including its highest murder rate in nearly 25 years.

Former Mayor Cory A. Booker, a fellow Democrat who is now a United States senator, resisted calls for a federal monitor. But at a news conference to announce his administration’s goals, Mr. Baraka, who as a councilman was an outspoken critic of police misconduct, seemed to welcome the coming appointment, saying the city would “cooperate fully and completely” with a monitor and with any plans to remedy failings identified by the investigation.

Mr. Baraka said the results of the investigation were to be announced at a news conference on Thursday. Officials later said it would be rescheduled, probably until later this month, but they confirmed the broad outlines of the plan for the monitor.

The United States attorney for New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman, began looking into Newark’s police practices in 2010 and announced a formal investigation the following May. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Mr. Fishman, Rebekah Carmichael, declined to discuss the findings, saying only that the investigation was nearly completed and that its results “and any necessary reforms” would be announced soon.

The New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union also formally petitioned the Justice Department to begin an investigation in 2010, alleging in a 96-page filing that the department failed to respond adequately to lawsuits and complaints that included wrongful arrest, unlawful stops and searches and physical abuse.

The department, the petition said, repeatedly brushed aside civilian complaints. In 2008 and 2009, there were a total of 261 complaints of excessive force, unlawful arrests or searches, and bias; the department sustained just one, involving an improper search.

More recently, the civil liberties union has criticized the department for its excessive reliance on stop-and-frisk tactics. From last July through December, the Newark police made an average of 2,093 stops a month, or 91 per 1,000 residents — compared with the New York Police Department’s rate of eight stops per 1,000 residents. The group said the tactics discriminated against black residents, who make up 52 percent of Newark’s population but accounted for 75 percent of the stops.

Mr. Baraka, unveiling the recommendations of his transition team on Wednesday, talked about the need to foster respect between those who serve Newark and those who live here.

Udi Ofer, the executive director of the civil liberties union in New Jersey, said the federal oversight fit into that ambition. “This is a historic moment for Newark, one that could bring about reforms to the Police Department that will last for decades,” Mr. Ofer said. “We hope that he will use this opportunity to build a police force that is respectful of civil rights and that is accountable to the people of Newark.”

Still, Mr. Ofer said that a federal monitor was just the first step, and that he hoped the federal plans would also include the creation of a permanent civilian complaint review board, with the power to issue subpoenas and to discipline police officers for misconduct.

Police misconduct should not be investigated internally but by an outside organization

By Ira B Robins and Salvatore E. Rastrelli

Why is “Archangels of Justice” necessary?

A California Highway Patrolman beats a woman. The report he wrote about the incident is false and misleading. The Deputy Chief states that no independent investigation is necessary and that their Internal Affairs Division has integrity and will do a thorough review of the case. Exactly who recognized their integrity? Yep! They did. The CHP could face a large civil lawsuit and the offending officer, who is one of them, could face criminal charges, but that probably won’t happen. Only independent investigations, from outside of the departments involved, will get to the truth of the matter.

•           A Milwaukee County Deputy Sheriff ran a stop sign and seriously injured the woman who had been driving the other car. The Deputy Sheriff claimed that the woman was at fault. Other deputies charged her with drunk driving.  In a few days The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department found that the woman was not drunk nor under the influence of drugs and videos of the accident clearly show that the Deputy had run the stop sign and was at fault. It took almost a year for the charges against the woman to be dropped. Now the Deputy has filed for complete disability claiming that he had been injured in the accident. It certainly looks as if he should be charged with perjury or filing a false report.  Sheriff David Clarke has been proactive in this cover-up.

•           The Albuquerque, New Mexico, Police Department has been actively involved in the wholesale slaughter of 26 people in the past four years.  The Crap Bag District Attorney has just buried her head in the toilet and allowed this to go on for more than 14 years. Now the United States Department of Justice is involved and working out a deal to oversee the Department. But if you think they will be charging any of these police officers you will probably be wrong.

As stain of police misconduct grows, Council should reopen Cariole Horne pension case

With all the disturbing news about Buffalo police lately, it’s good to be able to say something positive. It’s too bad it’s about a brave cop whom the Police Department apparently mistreated.

Cariol Horne, who is African-American, was fired in 2008 after she tried to stop a white officer she said was choking a suspect during an arrest two years earlier. Anyone who believes that couldn’t have happened hasn’t been following the harrowing tale of suspended officer Robert E. Eloff who, if reports are correct, was a one-man crime wave.

The Horne case and issues surrounding it are a mess, starting with the firing of Horne. Gregory Kwiatkowski, the officer she says was choking a suspect, won a defamation suit against Horne and also won a lawsuit filed by the man who was allegedly choked.

Recently, though, Kwiatkowski, now retired, was indicted on charges that he used unnecessary and excessive force in connection with a separate incident. That indictment has prompted the Buffalo Common Council to consider Horne’s request to be granted pension benefits.

This should be a no-brainer. There are problems in the Buffalo Police Department, as exemplified by the Eloff case, the bribing of officers by a tow-truck operator and, also associated with Eloff, the recently posted video of a gang of officers attacking and severely beating a man outside a bar on Chippewa Street. No charges were filed against that man, Christopher J. Kozak, who was not even arrested; indeed, Eloff later gave him a ride back to his hotel.

In the Horne case, there is reason to believe the department fired the wrong person. Indeed, commenting on the raft of brutality reports coming out of the Police Department, Horne noted that, “If the message they want to give is that an officer is going to be fired if they stop it, then that’s the wrong message.”

Buffalo needs cops who will stand up for the law. If Horne had seen a civilian attacking another person, it would have been her duty to intervene. Why does that change when it’s a police officer who has crossed a line? Did that happen? The evidence is conflicting, but Horne and her supporters haven’t wavered; meanwhile, evidence of police misconduct is mounting.

Horne was fired after 19 years of service, only one year short of what the state requires to obtain pension benefits. Without them, she says, she has faced a “really rough” time, financially, emotionally and physically.

The Common Council should do what it can to rectify this matter and it should insist that the Police Department take appropriate steps to deal with a culture that seems to have given a number of officers reason to believe that they can attack citizens when they want and for whatever reason they like.

Jury awards $250,000 to ATF agent over arrest

CAPE GIRARDEAU (SMNS) -- A federal jury Thursday awarded $250,000 to a federal agent who sued a state trooper, alleging false arrest and false imprisonment, the agent's attorney reported Friday.

Ryan Becker of Jackson, a special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, sued trooper D.W. Crank of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, claiming Crank violated his civil rights by arresting him without probable cause.

On March 6, 2012, Becker was driving on Interstate 55 in New Madrid County when he saw Crank's vehicle parked at the side of the road, said Becker's attorney, Stephen Walsh of Poplar Bluff.

As Becker was driving, a pair of tractor-trailers in front of him tried to move over, presumably to stay out of Crank's way, but one braked quickly in front of Becker, Walsh said.

Crank pulled Becker over, telling him he was following the truck too closely and had almost hit it, Walsh said.

He said Crank then told Becker, "You reek of alcohol."

But Walsh said in court that Crank testified he could not smell alcohol coming from Becker's mouth and that Becker did not appear physically or mentally impaired.

According to the lawsuit, Crank took Becker to his patrol car, where Becker declined to participate in field sobriety tests.

Walsh said an "incredulous" Becker told Crank he had just left work and asked Crank to call his supervisors and then to give him a portable breath test, which Crank refused to do, instead handcuffing Becker and taking him to the New Madrid County Jail.

About 30 minutes later, Becker was given a breath test, which returned a blood alcohol level of zero, the lawsuit stated.

In the suit, Becker alleged Crank arrested him without probable cause, violating his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

The suit also claimed Crank misused the handcuffs, causing pain to Becker's wrist and shoulder; caused emotional harm and distress; and damaged his professional reputation.

The jury verdict was not immediately available on the federal court website, pacer.gov.

Former Scranton area police officer charged with drug trafficking

Former Scranton area police officer charged with drug trafficking 0 comments

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced this week that Robert F. Evans, Jr., 38, Moosic, Pa., is charged with distributing oxycodone on numerous occasions between August 2012 and July 29, 2013. At the time of the offense, Evans was employed as a police officer with the Hughestown Borough Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Peter Smith stated that the charge is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gurganus.

Devils Lake jail officer charged with sex assault

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (AP) - Authorities have charged correctional officer with sexual assault for allegedly having sexual contact with an inmate at the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center in Devils Lake.

Jonathan Defoe has been charged with one count of sexual assault, a Class C felony.

Ramsey County State’s Attorney Lonnie Olson says Defoe allegedly had sexual contact with a female inmate. Court documents show the incident occurred on July 3.

The maximum penalty for Defoe’s charge is five years.

Springfield police officer charged with misdemeanor in panhandler shooting

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri — A Springfield police officer faces a misdemeanor assault charge after shooting a fleeing panhandler in early May near a grocery store.

Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson announced Thursday a charge of third-degree assault against Jason Shuck, 35. Shuck faces up to one year in jail if convicted.

A probable cause statement shows that Springfield resident Eric Butts, 27, was standing outside the store with a cardboard sign saying he had lost his job, had a pregnant wife and was "in need of help." Police were called because Butts had an outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on a parole violation.

Shuck told investigators he instead meant to shoot Butts with a stun gun, but the probable cause statement notes that the right-handed officer had to reach across his body for the much lighter Taser attached to the left side of his belt. Butts was wounded in the lower back and suffered serious intestinal injuries that require him to use a colostomy bag, the Springfield News-Leader (sgfnow.co/1kIOBwp) reported.

Police Chief Paul Williams that Shuck is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. He added that Shuck could keep his job even if convicted, subject to the department's own inquiry.

"The internal investigation is separate from the criminal investigation, and it is in process," he said.

Shuck's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Butts has hired a lawyer to pursue a possible civil lawsuit against the city.

The officer told a Springfield police detective that "the best explanation that I have is that my ... brain was saying Taser ... but my body moved faster than my brain," according to the probable cause statement.

Former Greene County prosecutor Darrell Moore said he can't recall another case in the past three decades where a police officer in the county was criminally charged for an officer-involved shooting.

"I think it sends a good message to the public that law enforcement and prosecutors believe that law enforcement officers should be held to the same standard as civilians when it comes to deadly force — that it should be justified," he said.

Patterson, the current prosecutor, said Shuck was charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony because the investigation pointed toward criminal negligence.

Police officer charged with murder out on bail

TAMPA, FLA. — A retired Florida police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of a fellow moviegoer during a dispute over texting was expected to go home last night after being released from jail on bond, his lawyer said.

Bail was set at $150,000 for Curtis Reeves, 71, who has been in jail without bond since the January shooting at a Tampa-area movie theater. A judge ordered Reeves under house arrest, and he is only to leave home to shop for groceries, seek medical care or attend religious services.

As a condition of his bond, Reeves must surrender any personal firearms.

Cleveland officer charged with unlawful sexual conduct with minor

CLEVELAND – Police Chief Calvin Williams said Internal Affairs Unit investigators arrested Cleveland Police Officer Charles Locke, 43, last night on two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and four counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material.

Locke was hired in October, 2007 and arrested at the Fourth District police station.

Internal Affairs investigators will seek additional charges at the grand jury.

Locke will be suspended from duty without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case against him.

He will be afforded a pre-disciplinary hearing in front of Director of Public Safety Michael McGrath.

Village's new cop fired in 1st week on job, then Arrested

By Dan Hinkel, Tribune reporter

In the days after he started work as a police officer in a small McHenry County village, Ryszard Kopacz was fired, investigated by the state police, arrested and charged with several felonies.

Kopacz had been on the job less than a week when a resident of Richmond, a village of about 2,000 near the Wisconsin border, complained to the department that the new hire went door to door in uniform on the night of July 4, asking people for prescription narcotics, authorities said. The part-time officer didn't show up for work the next day and he was fired July 6, the department said.

The department notified the Illinois State Police of the officer's alleged solicitation of prescription drugs, authorities said, but Kopacz now faces separate charges that he burglarized his previous employer, the nearby Hebron Police Department, and possessed two stolen rifles.

Kopacz, 30, of Wauconda, was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of official misconduct, burglary and possessing stolen guns. A judge set bond at $10,000 and Kopacz was freed Thursday.

The investigation into the prescription drug-related matter is ongoing, Richmond police Chief Ciro Cetrangolo said in a statement. Illinois State Police spokeswoman Monique Bond declined to comment, citing a pending investigation.

Kopacz's lawyer, Steven Goldman, declined to comment on the details of the allegations, though he said his client denies the accusations. Goldman said Kopacz served in the Army, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was honorably discharged.

Kopacz could not be reached for comment.

Before joining the Richmond department, Kopacz was a Hebron police officer for several years. That department is now conducting an internal investigation to determine whether anything else needs to be reported to state police, said Chief Scott Annen. Kopacz, the chief said, "had his hands in a lot of facets of the Police Department."

Annen acknowledged that Kopacz had disciplinary and performance-related issues at the department, though he declined to give details. Kopacz was fired in mid-June for budgetary reasons, the chief said.

Asked whether Kopacz had been a good officer during his time in Hebron, Annen said he "didn't expect anything like this."

After residents complained to the Richmond police about the alleged July 4 incident, the department started investigating and notified McHenry County prosecutors and state police, Richmond department officials wrote in a statement.

Officers undergo a psychological evaluation and background check, the chief said.

"I have a zero-tolerance policy towards officer misconduct when alleged," Cetrangolo said in the statement. "I credit the strong working relationship and bond we have built with the citizens of our community for bringing this to my attention so quickly."

The rifles Kopacz allegedly possessed had been removed from the Hebron police station, authorities said.

Federal court records suggest Kopacz has faced financial troubles recently. He filed for bankruptcy in April 2013, declaring about $21,000 in assets against almost $90,000 in liabilities, court records show. At the time, he listed his income from the Hebron Police Department as roughly $43,000 per year.

NOPD: Suspended Officer Faces Attempted Murder Charge

Friday, the NOPD announced ten-year veteran officer Robert Hurst had been placed on emergency suspension without pay.

According to a statement, the move was based on an investigation by the department’s Public Integrity Bureau involving allegations of domestic abuse.  The investigation began in April, according to the statement.

The department also says the district attorney’s office filed a bill of information including charges of attempted murder and battery.

PG officer suspended after assault charge in DC

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — The head of the Prince George's County Police Department says one of his officers has been suspended after being arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in Washington.

Prince George's County Police Chief Mark Magaw made the announcement Friday. Cpl. Michael Brown, a 12-year veteran assigned to the aviation unit, was arrested Thursday when he was off duty

Magaw did not detail the circumstances of Brown's arrest but said he has been suspended without pay pending an administrative hearing.

Brown is scheduled to return to court in Washington on July 23.

Security Officer Reportedly Fired For Reporting Shoplifter

A Target store security officer has reportedly been fired for reporting a shoplifter to police.

Dallas Northington, 29, was an assets-protection specialist at Target for nearly eight years.

At the Leesburg Target store in May he encountered what was a typical occurrence for his position in loss prevention: a shoplifting caught-on-camera.

Northington claims he did what he always had in the past. He contacted the Leesburg police, made a report, and provided videos of the two incidents where the suspect was found shoplifting, reports The Washington Post.

One small detail was unknown to Northington, and that small detail would be the cause of what happened next.

The shoplifter may have been a Fairfax County sheriff’s deputy.

Northington was allegedly fired from his position shortly after his report.

The alleged shoplifting deputy reportedly retired from the sheriff’s office around the same time.

According to Northington, Target officials told him he was fired for violating procedure. The company claims he did not fill out the proper paperwork before contacting the police. Target also reportedly cited him with insubordination, claiming he did not seek the proper approvals.

Northington claims he followed the same procedure as had always been done by his office and that standard practice was for him to “act as needed” in these matters.

“In my eight years, I’ve never had to call anyone to give out the video or to call police,” Northington said. “I have never seen any policy about contacting law enforcement.”

At this time, no arrest has been made against the alleged shoplifting deputy, even though Northington provided the man’s name and two color videos showing him shoplifting with his face clearly visible.

Northington says the man was recognized on video by a Leesburg police sergeant investigating the case, and store supervisor’s knew the man by name.

The investigation by the Leesburg police is ongoing, and a spokesman said they are still trying to confirm the suspect’s identity.

Legal action is being considered by Northington.

“I’m confused and don’t understand why,” Northington said. “I’ve been there for eight years, no issues. I’m just trying to provide for my family, and I just really want to get back to work.”

Target corporate spokeswoman, Molly Snyder, declined to comment on the shoplifting incident due to privacy reasons.

Snyder did make the following comment in regards to Northington’s case: “We have conducted a full investigation and don’t believe there is any merit to this individual’s claims.”

Declan Leonard, Northington’s attorney, said his client “intends to fight Target on this for as long as it takes.”

Former Fort Smith Cop Sentenced To Five Years For Sexual Assault

Billy Rowe

A former Fort Smith police officer was sentenced Monday to five years in prison on five counts of sexual assault. Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue said Billy W. Rowe Jr., 32, of Bonanza was sentenced to five years in the Arkansas Department of Correction with an additional suspension of 15 years on each count. Rowe faced five to 20 years on each count. Shue said Rowe also paid $2,500 in restitution for future counseling for the victim. Rowe was charged under a section of the sexual-assault statute that makes it unlawful for someone who is a mandated reporter and in a position of trust or authority to engage in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity with a minor, according to a report. Fort Smith Police Chief Kevin Lindsey ordered an investigation into Rowe on Sept. 11, after the department received multiple anonymous calls reporting Rowe had a relationship with a minor female. The girl said she met Rowe through church about a year previously, and they became close at church camp where Rowe was “somewhat of a youth leader.” They started communicating on Facebook, and they ended up exchanging text messages daily after he gave her his cell phone number, according to a police report. A Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office report alleges their first sexual encounter occurred when the girl went on a ride-along with Rowe. They stopped at her house where no one else was home and engaged in oral sex, according to the report. They subsequently had sexual intercourse three times at a pond near Bonanza and once at Rowe’s Bonanza home, and they exchanged nude pictures of themselves via cellphone before the relationship ended prior to the school year, according to a police report. Rowe told investigators, “I can’t answer any questions like that” when asked if he had sex with the girl. But he did say he did “bad things,” according to a police report. Rowe resigned from the police department shortly before he was arrested Sept. 17. After his arrest, investigators with the police department and sheriff’s office spoke with Rowe’s father, Billy Rowe Sr., his brother, Shane Rowe, and his pastor, who confirmed Rowe told them he had sex with the girl twice, according to police and sheriff’s office reports. Rowe began serving his sentence Monday, and was placed into custody at the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center to await transfer to the state, Shue said.

Billy Rowe

A former Fort Smith police officer was sentenced Monday to five years in prison on five counts of sexual assault. Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue said Billy W. Rowe Jr., 32, of Bonanza was sentenced to five years in the Arkansas Department of Correction with an additional suspension of 15 years on each count. Rowe faced five to 20 years on each count. Shue said Rowe also paid $2,500 in restitution for future counseling for the victim. Rowe was charged under a section of the sexual-assault statute that makes it unlawful for someone who is a mandated reporter and in a position of trust or authority to engage in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity with a minor, according to a report. Fort Smith Police Chief Kevin Lindsey ordered an investigation into Rowe on Sept. 11, after the department received multiple anonymous calls reporting Rowe had a relationship with a minor female. The girl said she met Rowe through church about a year previously, and they became close at church camp where Rowe was “somewhat of a youth leader.” They started communicating on Facebook, and they ended up exchanging text messages daily after he gave her his cell phone number, according to a police report. A Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office report alleges their first sexual encounter occurred when the girl went on a ride-along with Rowe. They stopped at her house where no one else was home and engaged in oral sex, according to the report. They subsequently had sexual intercourse three times at a pond near Bonanza and once at Rowe’s Bonanza home, and they exchanged nude pictures of themselves via cellphone before the relationship ended prior to the school year, according to a police report. Rowe told investigators, “I can’t answer any questions like that” when asked if he had sex with the girl. But he did say he did “bad things,” according to a police report. Rowe resigned from the police department shortly before he was arrested Sept. 17. After his arrest, investigators with the police department and sheriff’s office spoke with Rowe’s father, Billy Rowe Sr., his brother, Shane Rowe, and his pastor, who confirmed Rowe told them he had sex with the girl twice, according to police and sheriff’s office reports. Rowe began serving his sentence Monday, and was placed into custody at the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center to await transfer to the state, Shue said.

Cop Sentenced for Gun Incident

A retired NYPD officer residing in Brewster, who was found guilty of menacing for scuffling with a quadriplegic man while brandishing a handgun over loud music being played in his car, learns his fate July 22 in Southeast Town Court. Mario Zeoli, 50, was found guilty of menacing and harassment—two misdemeanors— following a trial in Southeast Town Court in May. 

Judge orders former New Hampshire cop in hit-and-run back to jail

BY TED SIEFER

 (Reuters) - A former New Hampshire police officer released from prison in June after serving only 72 days of a year-long sentence for a felony hit-and-run conviction was ordered back to jail on Thursday.

The officer, Stephen Coco, was accused of running down two teenagers while driving an unmarked police vehicle in March 2013, when he was a Manchester police detective. He was accused of leaving the pair in a snowbank and then misleading investigators about the incident. The teenagers sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Coco was sentenced to a year in jail earlier this year, after Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge Gillian Abramson rejected a plea deal that would have reduced the charges to misdemeanors.

Earlier this week, local media reported that the county jail superintendent had allowed Coco to return home a month ago on work release. The superintendent argued he had the authority do so under a 2013 state law.

That news prompted Governor Maggie Hassan and other officials to call for a review of the law.

County prosecutors petitioned Abramson to return Coco to jail, arguing that the jail superintendent had violated the statute by not informing them or the victims of his intent to release Coco.

Abramson agreed with the prosecutors in her ruling Thursday.

"This is a defendant who requires punishment and deterrence, goals not served or met by release after just 72 days in jail," she wrote. "His conduct merits nothing less than the original sentence imposed."

District judge sentences former Houston cop to probation, home confinement in drug case

HOUSTON — A former Houston police officer was sentenced Thursday for his role in protecting a load of cocaine for a drug trafficker.

The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1qoFPaC ) that former policeman Michael Miceli was spared prison time despite a request by a prosecutor that he serve about four years.

Miceli was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary Miller to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 100 hours of community service.

Court papers indicate that Miceli and an accomplice, who was also a Houston policeman, were arrested in uniform in 2013. They were set up by an informant working with a Drug Enforcement Agency task force.

The former officers were convicted of using their patrol car to protect a cocaine shipment for a drug trafficker. The newspaper reports that the men each accepted $500 for the escort.

Blue Island police officer arrested in child porn case

ROMEOVILLE – A part-time Blue Island police officer has been charged with distributing child pornography.

Miguel Luna, 63, was arrested Wednesday on one count of distributing child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography, according to a news release from the Will County State’s Attorney’s office. Luna faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.. Luna, of the 500 block of North Frieh Drive, was arrested by Romeoville police and the state’s attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit.

According to the release, Luna also has worked as a camp leader with Pathfinders, an organization that works with children between the ages of 10 and 15 for the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Luna’s computer was seized during a search of his residence. The state’s attorney’s office asked anyone with information about Luna to call 815-727-8453.

State’s Attorney James Glasgow said more than 40 people have been arrested on charges of trading child pornography or soliciting children online since the High Tech Crimes Unit was established in February 2012.

Rockford City Aldermen Say Police Chief Needs More Oversight

Christie Nicks

ROCKFORD -- Rockford city aldermen are caught up in the whirl wind of Police Chief Chet Epperson's battle with the police union. The  big question: Who does Chief Epperson have to answer to?

"Who should the police chief be held accountable to?" asked Christie Nicks, Eyewitness News.

"I think it's not a simple answer," replied Ald. Tom McNamara, 3rd Ward.

And the judge ruling in Chief Chet Epperson's restraining order hearing didn't think so either. He shot down Epperson's motion to keep the Police and Fire Commission from investigating him, and rejected the chief's claim he is only accountable to the mayor.

It stems from a complaint filed against him by the police union, alleging misconduct in an incident involving Rockford NAACP president,  Lloyd Johnston.

But the judge also wasn't clear on exactly who the chief should answer to. It's a problem now plaguing Rockford aldermen.

"I think he should be held accountable to the police and fire commission," said McNamara. "I think he should also be held accountable to the mayor and he should be held accountable to the city council."

Just to be hired as chief, Epperson had to be recommended by the Police and Fire Commission to the mayor, and then the council ultimately gave him the nod of approval.

But alderman Teena Newburg says he needs more oversight.

"I don't feel at this point he's being held accountable for his actions, I really don't" said Newburg, 9th Ward. "That's where I see a problem."

The problem she says lies in the fact that Chief Epperson doesn't feel he should have to answer to anyone but the mayor, a point made clear in his motion for a temporary restraining order against the commission.

"He's first and foremost a police office,r and every police officer is held accountable to the fire and police commission," said Newburg.

Now, Newburg says the aldermen will likely have to clarify legislatively as to how the accountability process works.

"I'm very sure that the council is going to insist that it be spelled out much clearer in the future so that we don't have this controversy again," said Newburg.

A controversy both Newburg and McNamara say needs to end one way or another.

"I don't necessarily care about this particular instance, I care about the larger picture," said McNamara. "We've had 8 years of controversy, that has to stop."

"I think Chief Epperson is not the person that should be our chief, I'm sorry."

Cop fired for watching porn fights for pension

By Quan Truong, 

A former Wheaton police officer fired for watching pornography in his cruiser is fighting to receive disability pension pay.

Thomas Sommerfield was terminated earlier this year after an internal investigation showed he had been watching pornography in his cruiser, according to records obtained by the Tribune. Sommerfield, a 23-year veteran patrol officer, was among the officers who were honored last year for arresting a man in a shooting incident.

Sommerfield is claiming a psychological disability, said Richard Reimer, attorney for the pension board. Reimer would not discuss specifics of the case or comment because it is pending. In general, he said, line-of-duty disability pension benefits offer 65 percent of the officer's salary and non-duty disability pension pays out 50 percent.

Sommerfield's last annual salary with the city was $87,339, according to Wheaton city officials.

His disability pension claim case is pending before the Wheaton Police Pension Fund Board. Messages left for Sommerfield and his pension attorney were not returned. The case was last heard by the board on July 1, when members ruled the city of Wheaton can participate in Sommerfield's hearing despite his objections. A date for the next hearing has not been set.

These types of claims typically can take from three to nine months, Reimer said.

Sommerfield was dismissed after a motorist told city officials in September that he was stopped at Main and Front streets behind a cruiser and saw the officer inside looking at pornography on his laptop. The citizen e-mailed the mayor, and an internal investigation was launched, according to city records.

"The city promptly and thoroughly investigated the underlying matter and based upon the investigation, the chief discharged the police officer," City Attorney Jim Knippen said. "We have no further comment at this time based on other pending legal matters." Other Wheaton city officials have declined to comment on the matter.

The computer from the cruiser that Sommerfield used was removed for forensics analysis, which later showed that the officer used it to access pornographic websites between May and October of 2013.

The analysis found 25 pictures on the computer depicting nudity and/or graphic sexual activity and four video fragments that had been deleted, according to reports. It also found that two websites were visited hundreds of times and a third was visited over 60 times. The website Craigslist had also been visited and, during a January interrogation, Sommerfield admitted to looking at escort services but said he never acted on them or made contact.

Sommerfield later admitted he had been accessing the websites for several years using the in-vehicle computer and deleting the browser's web history, according to documents provided by the city.

Sommerfield also admitted to falsifying department records using his in-car computer to show he was on other duties such as extra watches while using part of the time to look at escort sites and pornographic material on the computer, according to a transcript of a January interrogation.

The documents show he said he has been diagnosed by a doctor with conditions that could have affected the behavior, although medical details of the diagnosis were taken out of the interrogation transcript that was released to the Tribune. In the transcript, Sommerfield said he had been taking medication and that his doctor said any addictive traits would be intensified if those medications were out of balance.

Sommerfield was fired on Jan. 22.

"Your conduct included a pattern of intentional deceptions which are wholly inconsistent with the fundamental integrity required of a sworn officer by the public as well as the Department," a memo stated.

The city has filtering capacities on police computers but can't use the same blocking software that is on other city computers, Knippen said.

"The police have to have the ability to use the computers in the investigation of criminal activities, and placing those locks on police computers could interfere with police investigation," he said.

He added that any sort of monitoring has to be done in-house, and when there is some type of evidence indicating it is necessary.

"There's sensitive identifying information in those computers which should not be available to people outside the department," he said.

Off-Duty Georgia Officer Charged in Racial Road Rage Assault

The officer was arrested and placed on administrative leave after the incident during which he called a woman a “low life piece of [expletive] n**ger.”

By: Lynette Holloway

A police officer in Clayton County, Ga., has been arrested and placed on administrative leave after a road rage incident on June 29, during which he tailgated and hurled racial epithets at a woman, according to WSB-TV 2.

During the incident that recently came to light, officer Thomas Sheats allegedly tailgated Michele Griffith, 27, in her car before following her into a parking lot, where he called her a "low life piece of [expletive] n*gger," and then spit on her, the report says.

He was charged with simple battery, simple assault and disorderly conduct after after the incident during which he drove “for miles, blowing his horn, swerving from side to side, and bumping her vehicle from behind with his truck,” the report says.

Suspended Boston officer checks into rehab

BOSTON (AP) — A Boston police officer who's been on paid leave since September and is now charged with taking a police vehicle without authorization has checked into a substance abuse treatment program after being released on personal recognizance.

Patrick Donovan was arraigned Monday after he was taken into custody Friday.

Authorities say the 38-year-old Donovan took the marked police car from Dorchester and drove it to Revere.

His lawyer says his client is a decorated officer and Marine Corps veteran who has suffered injuries on the job. The attorney says Donovan has checked into a treatment program as a condition of his release.

Donovan has been on leave since allegedly placing a stolen license plate and stolen registration sticker on his personal vehicle.