Police brutality case: Charges dropped against Syracuse man left bloodied during arrest

By Douglass Dowty  

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man who claims police brutality had all charges against him dropped today by the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office.

Alonzo Grant, 53, complains that Syracuse police left him bloodied after arresting him on false charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and harassment in a June 28 confrontation at his 105 Hudson St. residence.

After reviewing the case, the DA's office concluded that Grant had done nothing wrong.

"Witnesses at the scene, both related and unrelated to Mr. Grant, did not report any conduct by him that could reasonably be considered resisting arrest," prosecutors said in a news release. The law did not support the disorderly conduct charge, either.

"It appears that Mr. Grant has an unblemished record and is well-established in the community," the DA's office continued. "Based upon all of the foregoing factors, this office has moved to dismiss these charges in the interest of justice."

Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler declined Wednesday to discuss the decision by the DA's office to drop the charges against Grant.

"That's not something that's appropriate for me to comment on," he said.

Fowler confirmed that an internal police department investigation into the matter is underway, but would not provide specifics.

One of Grant's lawyers, Jesse Ryder, said the DA's office vindicated his client's version of what happened.

"Our client is innocent. He was innocent from day one. We're happy the DA's office has recognized that," Ryder said, stressing Grant's spotless criminal record.

Grant has filed a complaint against officers with the city's Citizen Review Board and plans to file a federal lawsuit, said another attorney, Charles Bonner, of San Francisco.

"I want to applaud Chief Assistant DA Alison Fineberg and DA Fitzpatrick," Bonner said. "They felt the injustice in this case and they wanted to be on the right side of justice. And they did the right thing. I think this is going to have a unifying effect on the Syracuse community."

The confrontation started after Grant called for police help one Saturday evening to report an argument between his daughter and a neighbor in the front yard. By the time officers arrived, the dispute was over.

Instead, police charged Grant with acting aggressively around his wife and other officers. The DA's office described what happened:

"It was Mr. Grant who made the call to police in an attempt to prevent the verbal dispute from escalating further. He was not suspected as the perpetrator of any crime. When an officer entered the residence to assess the situation he eventually asked Mr. Grant to exit his home and speak to SPD Officer Paul Montalto. As he was walking out the door, Mr. Grant punched his screen door, causing the door to slam against the side of his house. Almost immediately following Mr. Grant's action, the police decided to arrest for him Disorderly Conduct.

SPD Officer Damon Lockett reached for Mr. Grant and both parties went over the side of railing and fell to the ground. At this point, Officers Lockett and Montalto struck Mr. Grant about the face and head several times. Mr. Grant suffered injuries which required medical attention.

Those findings came after Fitzpatrick assigned Fineberg and two investigators to review the case. They interviewed six witnesses and three police officers, and read all related police reports, affidavits and partial video of the incident, the release stated. Fineberg declined to comment beyond what was stated in the news release.

The prosecutors' version of events is starkly different from what the two responding officers claimed happened.

An account from Officer Montalto described it this way: "The defendant violently punched the front door of the house causing it to fly open,in the presence of police officers, and continued to annoy and alarm all parties involved with his violent, tumultuous, threatening behavior."

The police then accused Grant of grabbing an officer around the waist and attempting to tackle him.

Grant "refused to comply with several commands to place his hands behind his back so that he could be placed into handcuffs. In order to effect this authorized arrest the defendant's hand (sic) were physically led behind his back," Montalto wrote.

Grant was due in City Court today to face the charges. But instead, Fineberg publicly announced the DA's office intention to drop the charges.

Grant is a 30-year employee of St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center who works seven days a week and has been married for the past 28 years.

His case is one of two recent accusations of police brutality that led to a review of the city's use of force policy by Common Councilors.

Bonner, his lawyer, said this case will be a beacon for those victimized by "rogue officers."

A federal lawsuit will be filed Thursday accusing Syracuse police of false arrest, falsified police reports and conspiracy to deprive Grant of his federal and state Constitutional rights, the lawyer said.

Memphis Cop raped 14 year old

 Lisa Fogarty, Fri, September 12, 2014

Fourteen years after a young woman was reportedly raped, the suspect behind the crime has finally been arrested thanks to DNA evidence – and it’s someone few people probably believed could

Fourteen years after a young woman was reportedly raped, the suspect behind the crime has finally been arrested thanks to DNA evidence – and it’s someone few people probably believed could have been responsible for it. Bridges Randle, 40, is a former Memphis police officer who now works as an administrator at the Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta. He’s also the same man police say may have raped a 23-year-old woman back in June 2000, reports Raw Story. Investigators say the young woman called police to report a domestic violence incidence 14 years ago. One of the officers who reportedly responded to the call was Randle, and the victim claims he returned to her home later that day to question her. That was when she says he forced her by gunpoint into the bedroom, where he allegedly raped her. Despite the fact that DNA evidence was collected at the time, it took more than a decade for the untested rape kit to make it into the national crime database, reports WMC. Randle, meanwhile, reportedly quit the police department in 2001, moved to Atlanta, and changed his name. It is not known how he was eventually caught, but the Boys and Girls Club released this statement following his arrest: “Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta has learned that a staff member has been accused of rape and is being held on bond in the Shelby County Jail in Tennessee. We are deeply concerned and alarmed by this allegation, and have taken immediate action. The employee has been terminated and we have prohibited this individual’s access to our organization and any of our operations.” Randle has been indicted for aggravated rape and is being held in lieu of $250,000 bond. Sources: Raw Story, WMC 

The epidemic of drugged and drunk cops

LMPD officer charged with DUI, leaving scene of an accident

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A Louisville Metro Police Department officer has been placed on administrative reassignment after he was pulled over by officers in Bullitt County.

Officer James Hemmer Jr., 43, was arrested by Mt. Washington Police on Sept. 11 and charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

The LMPD's Public Integrity Unit and Professional Standards Unit are investigating the case.

Hemmer has been an officer with LMPD since Feb. of 1999.

Today’s other child porn charges against your local police

Retired Phoenix police sergeant arrested on child porn charges

PHOENIX -- A retired Phoenix police sergeant was arrested after authorities reportedly found child pornography inside his Chandler home Friday.

Detectives from the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant at 61-year-old Robert Carrillo's home near Kyrene and Ray roads.

"Police showed up in my backyard ... asking if they could get on my roof and survey a house across the street," Doug Grounds said.

"A couple of snipers wanted to climb up because they were getting ready to arrest the neighbor across the street," Holly Grounds added.

Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Steve Martos said detectives located a large number of images depicting child pornography.

Carrillo declined to answer questions but was ultimately booked into jail on suspicion of 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

"I think it's horrible," Doug Grounds said. "Taking advantage of young people is just the worst thing that can be."

Neighbors were shocked, saying Carrillo kept to himself but that they never saw anything suspicious.

"It's kind of scary to think that something like that can happen right across the street and you don't know it," Doug Grounds said.

He said he knew Carrillo had worked for the Phoenix Police Department and felt more secure living close to an officer.

"For this to happen, it just makes you think a little bit," he added.

"They're supposed to uphold the law," Holly Grounds said.

Martos confirmed that Carrillo retired earlier this year after 37 years with the department.

Carrillo was one of two officers shot while responding to a shots fired call in Phoenix in 1999.

Martos said the investigation is ongoing.

Today’s child porn charges against your local police

Reserve Officer Arrested For Possession Of Child Porn

By: Jamie Burch - Email

WIXON VALLEY – A sergeant with the Bryan Police Department’s reserve unit is arrested on child porn charges because of what a friend found while installing an app on the suspect’s smart phone.

According to the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, the friend ran across pornographic images of two female children, under the age of 17.

Tuesday, a Sheriff's Investigator and Texas Ranger served Dennis Fraley, 61 of Wixon Valley, with a warrant to search his phone. The Sheriff’s Office says they found pornographic images that had been taken with the phone’s camera.

Fraley was arrested shortly after 5:00 p.m. Tuesday at his home in Wixon Valley.

When deputies arrived, Frayley said he knows he messed up and that "he had arrested people like him."

Fraley was a Reserve Officer with the Bryan Police Department. A spokesperson says Fraley has resigned.

Statement from Chief Eric Buske

"The Bryan Police Department expects the highest standards from our officers. The men and women of our department support this stance. We have a rigorous hiring process for our full time officers as well as for our Reserve Officers. Dennis Fraley joined the department in 1983 as a Reserve Officer. There was nothing in his hiring process or in his years of service with the Bryan Police Department that indicated he was involved in any type of criminal activity. When we became aware of this investigation, Sgt. Fraley was asked to resign and he complied with that request. None of the crimes that Fraley is charged with appear to be related to his activities while serving as a Reserve Officer. This case is a Texas Rangers and Brazos County Sheriff investigation and we fully support their investigation." Fraley is charged with three counts of Possession of Child Pornography, a 3rd degree felony.

Today’s almost child molestation assault by your local police

Iota officer charged with sexual battery

By Anne Robicheaux

IOTA, LA (KPLC) - An off-shore worker and part-time officer with the Iota Police Department has been charged with sexual battery, following an investigation by the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office received a complaint earlier this week regarding an incident involving a 19-year-old victim that occurred about two years ago.

Harold James Doucet Jr., 44, was arrested and charged with sexual battery. He was booked into the Acadia Parish Jail, with his bond set at $25,000 by District Judge John Trahan.

Doucet worked for the Iota Police Department on and off for many years. Although it is unknown if he was employed as an officer at the time of the alleged incident, he is currently employed by the department and is expected to resign, said Maxine Trahan, Public Information Officer with the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office

The cop crime wwave continues: No Delay In Trial Of Cop Who Killed 7-Year-Old Girl

 By ED WHITE

DETROIT (AP) — A lawyer for a Detroit police officer who accidentally killed a girl during a raid fears that widespread media coverage of a police shooting in Missouri could harm his client's right to a fair trial.

Steven Fishman sought a delay in Officer Joseph Weekley's trial, which starts Monday. But Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway turned down the request last Friday.

Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter. He admits shooting 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones during a 2010 raid but says the shooting happened when the girl's grandmother grabbed his gun. Mertilla Jones denies any interference.

A trial last year ended without a verdict.

Fishman says police in general have been vilified in news coverage of the recent shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. He wanted to postpone Weekley's trial until 2015.

Another cop compensates for small penis: Idaho cop not justified in shooting of Arfee the dog: officials

Officer David Kelley said he ‘was scared’ when shot and killed a black Labrador that poked his head out the window of a white van while the cop was investigating a man possibly luring children. External and internal investigators agree that Kelley violated the Coeur d’Alene Police Department's deadly force policy in shooting the dog.

BY NICOLE HENSLEY

An Idaho cop who shot and killed Arfee the dog feared the black Labrador was going to bite his face.

But both an internal and external review found that Officer David Kelley violated Coeur d’Alene Police Department’s deadly force policies when he shot the dog while investigating a suspicious vehicle July 9.

At a Friday morning press conference, Police Chief Lee White would not confirm if Kelley was still employed by the city and declined to elaborate on any disciplinary action the officer might face.

The seven-year veteran of the Coeur d’Alene force and his partner were dispatched to a parking lot behind the Java coffee shop to look for a man in a white van allegedy enticing children.

Kelley approached the van matching the caller's description with his gun drawn because he wanted the “element of surprise,” but the van was empty of offenders. It was only Arfee that spooked him.

“The dog was aggressively barking and growling and its mouth was within inches of my face,” Kelley wrote in a police report. “I had the split second thought that this dog is going to ... bite me immediately.”

The officer admits he “was scared,” but before he could alert his partner on the other side of the van, he fired one shot at the dog as it tried to leap out of a partially open window on the driver’s side.

Instead, Arfee died with a whimper after scampering toward the back of the van as its owner, Craig Jones, of Colorado, was having breakfast inside the restaurant.

The shooting was never caught on the officer’s body camera.

 “I saw insufficient reasons why Officer Kelley chose not to announce his presence or knock on the van to elicit a response in order to clear the van,” wrote Robert Bragg Jr., of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center.

Kelley claims he stayed at the van for a half-hour waiting for the dog’s owner to come back. But when Jones wrapped up his meal, he found his window shot out, a note on his windshield and a lot of blood, but no Arfee.

The shooting also sparked controversy that the police department mistakenly identified the dog as a vicious pit bull in initial reports to the media.

In another police report, the dog was described as a “black male dog, possibly Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix dog.”

It took nearly two months to complete the internal and external investigation, to the community’s dismay. In the meantime, a Facebook page called “Justice for Arfee” was created to document the progress.

“I think everyone was frustrated on the amount of time for the investigation to get out, including the officer,” White said at the press conference. “But frankly, commenting on this case before it was completely vetted out would have been premature.”

Jones sought legal counsel after the shooting, but the city of Coeur d’Alene has not offered any compensation in Arfee’s death. They have, however, offered to buy the white van that his dog died in once the police investigation is over.

The dog’s remains have since been returned to Jones.

We need national IQ standards for cops: Cop Fires Gun Inside A Target Bathroom

An off-duty Honolulu police officer alleges he accidentally fired his gun while he was in the bathroom of a Target store on Saturday.

According to KHON, the officer took the Glock out of the holster, put it on the toilet paper dispenser, and accidentally shot it when he went to pick it up.

No one was injured, but the bullet ricocheted off the stall and into the wall of another stall. It’s unknown if anyone else was in the bathroom at the time, but the noise startled shoppers in the store.

The Honolulu Police Department is investigating the incident. This is the third time in the past month that a Honolulu police officer has accidentally fired his gun. In August, an officer died after an accidental shooting during a barbecue. The other incident occurred during an arrest, but no one was hurt

We need national IQ standards for cops: The Duplin County sheriff  kills dog.

The Duplin County sheriff says Deputy Kevin Williams was on duty when he got a call that his child was sick and needed to be picked up from school.

When Williams arrived home, he fed the dog, but forgot to take “Kela” out of the cruiser.

The dog was found dead the next morning, according to authorities.

Kela was a Belgian Shepherd trained to track down people and narcotics.

The deputy has been reassigned to courthouse baliff.

The sheriff says the district attorney’s office did not bring charges against Williams because there was no criminal intent.

We need minimum IQ standards for cops and here's why: The Duplin County sheriff kills dog.

The Duplin County sheriff says Deputy Kevin Williams was on duty when he got a call that his child was sick and needed to be picked up from school.

When Williams arrived home, he fed the dog, but forgot to take “Kela” out of the cruiser.

The dog was found dead the next morning, according to authorities.

Kela was a Belgian Shepherd trained to track down people and narcotics.

The deputy has been reassigned to courthouse baliff.

The sheriff says the district attorney’s office did not bring charges against Williams because there was no criminal intent.

The cop crime wave continues. This week’s rape by cop report

Rape kit testing helps indict former MPD officer in a 2000 rape

By Jason Miles

MEMPHIS, TN -

(WMC) - A former Memphis police officer was indicted on aggravated rape charges. A back-logged rape kit finally got tested and helped lead to the indictment which stems from an attack that happened 14 years ago.

Bridges Randle, 40, is accused of raping a woman in her apartment on June 24, 2000. He changed his name, but Memphis investigators still tracked him down to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked for The Boys & Girls Club.

"We've been working very hard to get through this backlog and to make sure all of these kits get tested and get the results we have today," District Attorney Amy Weirich said.

Randle remains locked up at the Shelby County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

He is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman at gunpoint in 2000. Investigators say it happened at a Fox Meadows area apartment.

Police had been there earlier in the day on June 24, 2000 responding to a domestic violence call. The alleged victim told investigators that a man acting like a police officer later returned to ask more questions.

The woman says that man pulled a gun on her, forced her into a bedroom, and raped her.

DNA evidence from an previously untested rape kit identified the suspect as Randle. At the time, he was an officer with Memphis police.

Randle left MPD in 2001 and was most recently an administrator with The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, where he went by another name.

"It's a good day for the victim and the community," Amy Weirich said.

Randle will be arraigned in criminal court on Friday.

The Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta released the following statement:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta has learned that a staff member has been accused of rape and is being held on bond in the Shelby County Jail in Tennessee. The staff member was stationed at our central office downtown and was not an employee of a specific Club location. To our knowledge, the alleged activity took place more than 10 years ago in Tennessee and does not in any way involve anyone in Georgia or any minors.

We are deeply concerned and alarmed by this allegation, and have taken immediate action. The employee has been terminated and we have prohibited this individual's access to our organization and any of our operations.

The safety and protection of the children we serve is the number one priority of the Boys & Girls Clubs. Our organization is committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity, and does not tolerate inappropriate or illegal activity on the part of any Club staff, volunteer or youth member. As part our commitment to safety, we conduct criminal background checks on all staff. Each background check must verify the person's identity and search all 50-state criminal databases and sex offender registries.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta will continue its full cooperation with the authorities on this matter.

Chilling video: Man ‘assaulted,’ arrested by bully cops for recording militarized neighborhood raid

by Michele Kirk

An Oregon man’s life changed the moment he took out his iPad to record local police officers plowing through his girlfriend’s neighborhood at 4 a.m. with armored vehicles, blasting flash grenades into a home and shaking up the whole block.

Within moments of filming the military tanks and officers in GI Joe gear, YouTube user Skylow Production said that the Gresham Police Department homed in on him, according to Photography is not a Crime (PINAC).

After refusing to stop recording and go inside (he knew his rights), the cops “assaulted” and arrested him, according to his description of the video.

Gresham OR 9/2/14 4:00am I was laying in my apartment sleeping an I heard multiple bombs blasting and glass breaking and my entire apartment shook repeatedly. I grabbed my Ipad and ran outside as fast as I could to see what was going on There were 5 or more Tank/Military Trucks just cruising through my neighborhood. 503 Gresham/Portland Oregon right across the street from Mt.Hood Community College. I was assaulted multiple times and I feel like it was Gresham Police Abuse and my rights were violated. I now owe $5000 and i am charged with 2 crimes. 2 CRIMES! At first I was scared to post this video but now I dont care because the Gresham Police Department has already made a copy of it as proof of my crimes. I feel more like this is proof of their crimes or am i crazy?

I was charged $5,000 for two different crimes $2,500 each. The first one i was charged was interfering and the second one I was charged with was Resisting. I did not resist and I was not angry or aggressive at all I simply was woken by bombs going off and my apartment rattling so I ran down the street with my tablet from my house as fast as I could to film whatever what happening. Yes I submitted video evidence they told met it is proof of my crime but I do not see a crime. I am INNOCENT!

Three Cop Watchers Get Arrested for Videotaping Arlington Police

By Sky Chadde

Cop-watchers and Arlington police officers at a traffic stop in August, as the tension between them increased.

Three people on a "cop watch" were arrested while videotaping a traffic stop by an Arlington police officer late Saturday night. The people are part of organizations Texas Cop Block and the Tarrant County Peaceful Streets Project, whose members tape police in a effort to hold them accountable for their actions. Until recently, that mostly meant gathering a small group to drive around Arlington in search of traffic stops (not anything else), parking nearby and pointing a camera. In the past several months, they've done this without incident.

There was a usual script: These people would record, and the cops would do their thing, or the watchers would cause the cops to stop doing what they were doing. At a recent cop watch, I was in the car when we pulled up to one traffic stop. The man was on the ground with had his hands behind his back. As soon as cop-watcher Joseph Tye got out of his car, the two officers let the man go. He got in his truck and drove away, and so did the officers. However, as the group has gotten more publicity, notably a Fox 4 report that got the word out and garnered them their largest attendance yet, the interactions between officers of the Arlington Police Department and the cop watchers have grown heated.

On the past three cop watches before the one Saturday night, several Arlington officers have formed perimeters around each traffic stop the cop watchers attended. But Saturday was when the tension seemed to boil over. As about 20 cop watchers gathered around a traffic stop in a parking lot on Cooper Street, a busy six-lane road, about 10 police cars and more than 20 officers joined them.

The first cop watcher arrested was Joseph Tye. He was standing in the parking lot filming at his usual distance, but apparently that was too close now. As the others filmed, Tye was arrested. Then, three cop watchers -- Jacob Cordova, Kory Watkins, who is also the head of Tarrant County Open Carry, and Watkins' wife -- attempted to walk down the sidewalk to record, which they did normally at traffic stops before this one.

An officer told them to stop, but the watchers continued to walk, getting within about 30 feet of the traffic stop. A squad car drove up behind the three watchers, who were standing in the area where vehicles drive into the parking lot. The car, moving at a slow speed and trying to get in the lot, almost hit Watkins' wife, and Watkins yelled at the officer driving. He and his wife were then arrested.

All three were out of the city jail by 2 a.m. after being bailed out by the other watchers. They were charged with interfering with police duty and obstructing a highway. Their phones and cameras were confiscated and they haven't got them back yet. They all have court dates.

"They probably did that to kill our cop watch," Cordova said.

Although the Supreme Court has never ruled on recording the police, filming public officials in a public space doing their public duty, as long as you don't interfere with their job, seems to fall under the First Amendment. In July, an Austin judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by Antonio Buehler, who films the Austin police and allegedly was arrested for it, could continue for that very reason.

Ron Pinkston, the president of the Dallas Police Association, told us in July that Dallas officers don't mind being filmed, as long as those filming do not get in the way.

Cop Block is a national, decentralized organization. The Peaceful Streets Project was started by Buehler.

The cop crime waves continues: Harbor Police officer charged with 27 counts of fraud

BY TANYA SINKOVITS

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) - A 12-year veteran of the Harbor Police Department is accused of misusing fuel cards.

Terry Javery had been charged with 1 count of malfeasance in office; 18 counts of access device fraud, 8 counts of attempted access device fraud, 18 counts of theft, 8 counts of attempted theft, and 2 counts of possession of stolen property (two fuel cards).

Officer Javery has been placed on suspension pending the outcome of the administrative investigation.

The spokesman for the Port of New Orleans, Matt Gresham, said NOPD and JPSO were notified because the alleged fraud spanned into other parishes.

Javery was arrested Monday evening.

The epidemic of mentlaly unstable cops in America. Princeton officer charged with domestic violence

PRINCETON, W.Va.

– The Princeton Police Department has placed an officer on administrative leave following his arrest on a domestic violence charge.Police chief J.W. Howell tells the Bluefield Daily Telegraph that West Virginia State Police arrested officer Charles Mullins last week.Howell says Mullins will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. The police department is conducting an independent internal investigation.State police Sgt. D.W. Miller tells the newspaper that Mullins was arrested after his wife obtained a domestic violence petition. - 

The epidemic of mentlaly unstable cops in America. Walnut Creek police officer charged with beating woman with baseball bat

MARTINEZ, Calif. —

A Walnut Creek police officer has been charged for allegedly donning a mask and beating a woman with a baseball bat in Richmond last month, a Contra Costa County prosecutor said Monday.

Gregory Thompson, a 54-year-old Martinez resident and 30-year Walnut Creek police veteran, was charged with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury, felony vandalism and being armed in the commission of a felony, Deputy District Attorney Barry Grove said.

Thompson's arraignment on the charges was scheduled in Contra Costa County Superior Court Monday afternoon.

Richmond police said officers arrested Thompson in the early morning hours of Aug. 16 after several residents called around 2 a.m. to report a woman screaming and a man with a bat in the 4000 block of Clinton Avenue in Richmond.

As officers arrived on the scene, witnesses pointed out Thompson, who was sitting nearby in his parked car. He wasn't wearing his police uniform or in a patrol car at the time, police said.

Officers approached the suspect and noticed a mask lying on the car's floorboard. A search of the car turned up a baseball bat, two guns and zip ties, police said.

Police said the victim was taken to a hospital for injuries suffered in the beating and was expected to recover.

Officers learned the woman had been walking in the area looking for assistance after her car ran out of gas when she was attacked.

Police last month were also attempting to locate a second woman who was also apparently wounded when she stepped in to try to stop the attack.

Thompson, who identified himself as a police officer, was arrested and taken to county jail in Richmond and released on bail the following day.

He has remained out on bail but is expected to surrender at the county jail in Martinez Monday afternoon, Grove said.

Walnut Creek police have said Thompson was placed on administrative leave soon after his arrest and that the department is conducting its own investigation.

He was working most recently as a patrol officer, according to Walnut Creek police Capt. Mark Perlite.

The epidemic of mentlaly unstable cops in America. Detroit officer arrested in pistol-whipping

George Hunter

Detroit— An off-duty Detroit Police officer was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly went to his estranged wife’s home in Ferndale and pistol-whipped a man who was with her.

The officer, whom The Detroit News is not identifying because he’s not been formally charged, has been suspended with pay, pending the outcome of an investigation, Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody said.

 “Michigan State Police made the arrest,” Woody said.

The victim’s condition was unclear.

According to the police contract, officers accused of wrongdoing are placed on paid suspension pending an investigation. The police chief can petition the Board of Police Commissioners to suspend the officer without pay and the board hears arguments before rendering a decision.

The epidemic of mentlaly unstable cops in America. Radnor Police Officer Commits Suicide Outside Police Station

BY VICTOR FIORILLO  

In the early evening hours on Tuesday, tragedy stuck at the Radnor Township Police Station when a young Radnor cop committed suicide in his personal car.

According to a witness who arrived outside the police station at 6:45 p.m., emergency vehicles were on the scene at that time, and police had cordoned off the officer’s pickup truck in the employee parking lot with crime scene tape.

Multiple sources indicate that the Radnor police officer has died. His name has not been released at this time.

The Radnor cop's suicide comes less than two weeks after a police officer committed suicide in his vehicle outside of the Lower Providence police station in Montgomery County.

Troopers suspect Slidell cop was drunk when he caused fatal crash The cop crime wave in America continues

Dave Cohen Reporting

The Slidell Police Department is reacting to the deadly crash involving an off-duty policeman who troopers suspect was drunk and not wearing a seat belt when he flipped his Jeep and a passenger died.

"This situation has devastated the entire Slidell Police Department," Detective Daniel Seuzeneau said in a news release.  "All we can ask for, at this time, are prayers for the friends and families of those involved with this tragic accident."

The officer, 31-year-old John Cole, was driving on LA 433 east of I-10 in St. Tammany Parish around 4:30am Sunday.

Louisiana State Police Trooper Greg Marchand said, "The preliminary investigation revealed that Cole, an off-duty Slidell Police Officer... failed to maneuver a left curve in the roadway causing the Jeep to run off road to the right.  Upon leaving the roadway, Cole overcorrected to the left and lost control of the vehicle resulting in the Jeep entering a ditch and overturning. "

He says Cole's passenger, 31-year-old Daniel Hanlon, was pronounced dead on the scene

"Cole was not properly restrained at the time of the crash and was transported to the Interim LSU Hospital in New Orleans with serious injuries,"  according to the trooper.

Seuzeneau said that Cole is currently listed in critical condition.

"Impairment is suspected on Cole's part and a blood sample was collected for a toxicological analysis.  Those results and charges are pending as this crash remains under investigation," Marchand said.  "Making poor decisions in a vehicle such as driving impaired, driving while distracted, or not wearing a seat belt leads to serious injuries and deaths every day across the state.  Making the responsible decision can mean the difference between life and death.  And remember, the only designated driver is the person who has had NO ALCOHOL."

Suspended Waldo Police Chief Steps Down: The cop crime wave in America continues

By AREK SARKISSIAN

HALIFAX MEDIA SERVICES

WALDO | Waldo Police Chief Mike Szabo resigned Friday evening after two weeks of controversy that began with a criminal investigation over a secret record¬ing.

"The following comes with a heavy heart," Szabo wrote in his resignation letter. "Due to the current situation and the current state of the police department, I, as the chief, feel that at this point in time it is in the best interest in the City of Waldo for me to tender my request to resign/retire as your police chief effective this date at 5 p.m."

It was too early to ponder his permanent replacement, Waldo City Manager Kim Wor¬ley said.

On Wednesday, Worley signed a 30-day contract with Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell to provide a temporary commander for Waldo police. For $2,421 a week, Darnell provided the city of about 1,000 residents with the services of Alachua County sheriff's Capt. Steve May¬nard.

Worley said the contract would give her time to find a permanent candidate who does not work for the depart¬ment.

"We would definitely need to bring in a professional from the outside," Worley said.

Szabo was suspended from his job with pay on Aug. 12 after FDLE agents began to investigate an allegation that he secretly recorded an in-office conversation with another officer.

About a week after Szabo's suspension, five Waldo police officers told the Waldo City Council they were under an unlawful ticket quota.

Szabo's interim replacement, Cpl. Kenneth Smith, also was suspended after officers alleged that he enforced the ticket quota and used city-owned video cameras to secure the parking lot of his Waldo apartment.

Szabo was hired by the Waldo Police Department in 2000 and was appointed to lead the agency seven years ago.

Bradenton police deputy chief suspended with pay amid investigation of allegations

By AMARIS CASTILLO

BRADENTON -- The Bradenton Police Department's No. 2 officer was suspended Monday amid criminal allegations and is now at the center of an investigation by Manatee County Sheriff's Office internal affairs investigators.

Deputy Chief Warren Merriman III was placed on administrative leave with pay Monday, Police Chief Michael Radzilowski confirmed.

"Legally, all I can do is acknowledge that there is an investigation," Radzilowski said Monday. "There were some allegations made and I thought it was best to make sure that it was a fair and impartial review of the allegations. The sheriff's office is taking a look to see if there's any validity to the allegations."

Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dave Bristow was unable to provide many details on Monday. He said he could only confirm that the sheriff's office was asked by the Bradenton Police Department to conduct an investigation.

As for the allegations surrounding his department's second-highest ranking officer, Radzilowski said he was "caught off guard."

"I was surprised by the allegations because the deputy chief, for me, has done an outstanding job as the deputy chief," he said. "I'm reserving any judgement until the sheriff's office gets done with its investigation."

Radzilowski emphasized that he wants an unbiased look to be fair to both Merriman and the city of Bradenton.

Merriman, who is a U.S. Navy veteran, has worked for the Bradenton Police Department since 1997. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, holds an associate of applied science degree from the State College of Florida and a bachelor of arts degree from Saint Leo University.

According to the Leadership Manatee Alumni Association's website, Merriman serves on its 2014-2015 Board of Directors. In his biography, he's described as having a "reputation of being a problem-solver by working with citizens, local non-profits, and business owners to make the city of Bradenton a safer place to live, work, and visit."

Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. You can follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.

2 Covington police officers suspended after investigation into use of confidential informant funds

By Heather Nolan, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 

Two Covington police officers will be suspended without pay after an investigation into the use of confidential informant funds found they violated several department policies, Chief Tim Lentz said Monday. No criminal acts were committed, Lentz said.

Effective Sept. 10, Lt. Stephen Culotta will be suspended without pay for 28 consecutive days, equivalent to two pay periods totaling 160 hours. Officer Bart Ownby will be suspended without pay for 14 consecutive days, equivalent to one pay period totaling 80 hours.

Lentz launched a surprise audit of the confidential informant fund in May, after hearing officers might not have been using the funds in the way they were intended.

He said he found the money was being used to buy things like big-screen televisions and iPads for the office. Confidential informant funds are supposed to be used to purchase narcotics and information, he said.

Lentz also said the "documentation was horrendous," noting officers who signed money out from the account could not provide documentation for their expenses.

Culotta and Ownby were the only two officers that received confidential informant funds in 2013, the year Lentz conducted his audit, he said.

Information on how much money was involved was not immediately available Monday evening.

Lentz asked the Mandeville Police Department to conduct the investigation to remain impartial.

Mandeville police found Culotta and Ownby were in violation of several department policies, including accountability, fund management and case file management to the payment of informants.

Lentz said both officers were cooperative and admitted their faults during the investigation. Culotta and Ownby said they had not read the department's policy on confidential informant funds, Lentz said.

Lentz said when deciding their punishment, he took into account the validity of the charges, the seriousness of the violations, and investigative reports among other things.

"I appreciate the assistance of the Mandeville Police Department with this investigation," Lentz said. "The Covington Police Department holds our officers accountable for their actions and will continue to work everyday to create a professional environment for our employees, while continuing to earn the public's trust and respect."