NOPD officer charged with malfeasance after investigators say she harassed romantic rival

By Naomi Martin,  The Times-Picayune

A New Orleans police officer has been suspended and charged with malfeasance in office after investigators determined she used an official police database to look up a woman's address for personal reasons, according to a department news release.

Internal investigators found that Officer Carolyn Dalton, a 16-year veteran, used the computer in her patrol car to look up the home and business addresses of a woman who was dating a man Dalton was also dating. Dalton used the database without having been assigned an investigation that would require such a search, police spokeswoman Remi Braden said. 

She is also accused of going to the woman's Chalmette home, following her around in her car, demanding she stop dating the man and threatening she would "get her," Braden said, noting Dalton is believed to have used profanity. 

The woman filed a complaint with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office on Jan. 8, 2013, and the NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau reassigned Dalton to desk duty that day. The woman secured a restraining order against Dalton in St. Bernard Parish.

Dalton declined to provide a statement April 23 during the department's internal criminal investigation, police said. She was read her Miranda rights but not booked, records show. The investigation at that point was handed over to the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, police said.

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office notified the Public Integrity Bureau on Jan. 6 that it had determined Dalton violated state law by using the mobile computer system for unofficial business. The office charged Dalton Jan. 16 in a bill of information for malfeasance in office, a felony.

Public Integrity Bureau Chief Arlinda Westbrook said in an interview Friday officers chose not to book Dalton immediately in April because investigators were consulting with federal and state prosecutors to make sure charges "would stick," and did not want to "barrel in" only to end up with a weak case.

"My goal is to have a larger hammer and make sure if I really have a criminal here or somebody who has serious issues that I, on top of terminate them, I put them away and for a long time, if I can," Westbrook said.  

Criminal District Court Judge Benedict Willard set Dalton's arraignment for Thursday (Jan. 30), but records show she did not attend, so it was re-set for Feb. 13. 

Westbrook placed Dalton on emergency suspension without pay Thursday. Dalton was most recently assigned to the NOPD's 3rd District, which covers Gentilly, Lakeview, Lakeshore and parts of Mid-City. 

Dalton's attorney, Eric Hessler, of the Police Association of New Orleans, said the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office investigated the matter and did not find sufficient evidence of a crime to arrest her. "I don't know if they didn't find (the woman) credible, or what happened," he said.

Hessler said he could not comment further because he was not sure what prosecutors are alleging Dalton has done. He said Dalton's bill of information contained no details on the allegations other than the malfeasance in office charge and the date the crime was believed to have been committed.

"It's supposed to give you enough notice on what you're being held accountable for," Hessler said. "It can't just say 'armed robbery' it has to say with a gun or knife. If it's theft, you have to say the amount. This says literally nothing. ... I don't feel comfortable commenting until I know what the DA's Office is actually alleging."

Chandler detective suspended for misusing records

Chandler detective suspended for misusing records

By Jim WalshThe Republic | azcentral.comFri Jan 31, 2014 11:33 PM

A Chandler police detective who violated policy by looking up information about his wife’s lover in a police databank was suspended without pay for four days, or one workweek, records show.

Garrett Dever told police investigating his actions that he suspected “something was going on” between his wife, former Tempe Detective Jessica Dever-Jakusz, and the man he looked up in the Arizona Criminal Justice Information system databank.

Officers are not allowed under law to access the system for personal use, but Dever admitted that’s exactly what he did.

“Dever said he kind of went into a ‘panic’ and ‘his world got flipped’ ” as he attempted to learn more about the man, according to a Chandler police internal investigation.

Dever-Jakusz, once a highly respected officer, resigned after a suspect who was the target of a drug investigation revealed that he had an affair with her.

The drug suspect — who was under investigation for selling “Molly,” a street drug similar to Ecstasy, at Mill Avenue clubs — said he was stunned when Dever-Jakusz told him she was an undercover officer and identified two other undercover officers. Police halted the investigation for fear that the officers’ safety was compromised.

Dever-Jakusz was indicted Nov. 30 on charges of hindering prosecution and conflict of interest as a public official. Prosecutors have filed notice that they intend to use her employment as a police officer as an aggravating factor in sentencing if she is convicted, according to court records.

“At the time of the commission of the offense(s), the defendant was a public servant and the offense(s) involved conduct directly related to the defendant’s office or employment,” according to a court document filed by prosecutor Kalon Metz.

A judge granted her defense attorney additional time to file a motion to remand the case to the grand jury for reconsideration of charges, according to the court records.

Garrett Dever told Chandler police that he wanted to “see what he looked like,” according to the internal investigation, and that he was distraught and in a “cloud.”

Police concluded Dever accessed the drug suspect’s driver’s-license photo and performed a warrant check from a computer on his desk on Sept. 12. He said he did not use the information for any purpose and deleted it.

A suspension notice said the investigation sustained two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer. One related to violating a criminal statute of the state or the U.S. The second was for using police electronic systems for personal benefit.

Lyle Mann, executive director of the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board, said that it’s not uncommon for officers to abuse the system for personal reasons and that he has no problem with Dever’s discipline.

“It certainly makes sense,” Mann said. “It sounds like it’s in the parameters of normal discipline in such circumstances.”

Sgt. Joe Favazzo, a Chandler police spokesman, said that Dever was emotionally overwhelmed and that the key to the case was that he took no actions against the drug suspect.

“If they do something with the information, we will terminate them and possibly prosecute,” Favazzo said.

Convicted ex-Flagler Beach cop will be on close watch in prison

Convicted ex-Flagler Beach cop will be on close watch in prison

Nathaniel Juratovac glances around the room during testimony in Judge James R. Clayton’s DeLand courtroom on Tuesday May 20, 2008.

By Tony Holt

PALM COAST — It was the long hours of isolation that shook Nathaniel David Juratovac.

At one point he was rushed to a hospital, according to court records.

Administrators at the Clay County Jail made sure to keep Juratovac away from the general population because he is a former police officer married to an active St. Johns County sheriff’s deputy. They did so to ensure his safety, according to jail officials.

Juratovac, a former Flagler Beach police officer, was convicted Jan. 24 after pleading no contest to one count of attempted manslaughter. He was sentenced to 51 months behind bars. Soon it will be up to state prison officials to ensure his protection.

Because of his law enforcement background, Juratovac is expected to be under close watch while he serves his time in a state facility, said Misty Cash, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Corrections.

“They will house him in an area that is (closely) watched by the officers,” Cash said. “They will put him where the institution feels he will be the most secure.”

The protective management protocols vary when it comes to former police officers going to prison and those decisions are made by administrators at the institution, and sometimes at the highest levels in the agency in Tallahassee, Cash said.

For starters, protective measures have to be requested by the inmate. On occasion, they don’t ask for it. When they do ask for it, their situations are carefully evaluated before a decision is made.

“It can sort of vary and run the gamut,” Cash said of the possibilities. “If necessary, they could be in a solitary cell where they’re not co-mingling with other inmates.”

The state has 55 correctional institutions ranging from high-security facilities to prison camps.

‘COURTESY HOLD’ took Juratovac to different jail

Originally charged with first-degree attempted murder, Juratovac was held without bail. He was arrested for shooting Flagler County firefighter Jared Parkey during a March 29, 2013, road rage incident in St. Augustine Shores. He was arrested in St. Johns County, but was transferred to the Clay County Jail as a “courtesy hold,” said Clay County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Mary Justino.

Some regional sheriff’s agencies have an understanding with each other to step up and allow for such arrangements when law enforcement officers are arrested.

“It’s not unusual for St. Johns to ask us to do that,” said Justino.

The courts typically don’t get involved with out-of-county courtesy holds, said Ludi Lelis, a spokeswoman with the 7th Judicial Circuit.

“Those kinds of security matters are dealt with at the jail level,” she said.

Dave Byron, a Volusia County spokesman, said the inmate facility in Daytona Beach rarely receives requests for courtesy holds and each one is weighed carefully. He also said he doesn’t recall Volusia ever making a request to a neighboring county to house one of its inmates.

“The more you move an inmate, the greater the chance of a problem of security,” Byron said. “It’s also expensive to hold an inmate. We have rarely, if ever, requested a courtesy hold. If we were to do that, security and safety would be the reason to do that.”

County officials in Volusia make a point not to allow for special treatment, said Byron. He recalled an incident in 2010 involving rape suspect Adam Silver, a Daytona Beach firefighter who was released from the jail and allowed to use a different exit of the facility to avoid being seen by the media, who were waiting outside the front door. A shift commander at the jail made the decision to let Silva use a different exit.

When word got out about what happened, there were consequences.

“County Manager (Jim Dinneen) was very upset about it,” Byron said.

Dinneen wrote a letter to the media apologizing for the gaffe.

The incident also led to a change in policy.

“All inmates are treated the same way from the time they come in to the jail to the time they are released,” said Byron.

wife: Jail treatment was ‘less than humane’

About four weeks after he was arrested last spring, Juratovac wrote a six-page letter to the judge begging for bail.

“Your honor, I am housed in a 10x10 enclosed cell for 23 hours and 40 minutes a day,” Juratovac wrote. “I receive 30 minutes a week for exercise.”

In a letter to the same judge, Juratovac’s wife also pleaded for his release, stating his treatment at the jail was “less than humane.”

In the same letter, she disclosed her husband had been admitted to Orange Park Medical Center after suffering a medical condition.

Details were removed from the public record, but his wife stated that the physician who treated her husband concluded he had a pre-existing condition that required future follow-up visits with a doctor.

In June, the judge in the case set bail at $300,000, which was soon posted. Juratovac returned home and wore a tracking device. Nine days ago, he was sentenced and back in jail.

As of Friday, Juratovac still had not been transferred to a state prison. The date of his transfer could not be released for security reasons, said Cash.

He will be credited with 84 days he served in jail last year. With good behavior, Juratovac is expected to serve less than three years.

Fairfax County: $375,000,000 million dollar police budget. One teacher per 65 students. Not enough roads to support the population.

Six cops at an average salary of $52,000 plus benefits and this is what we get for money....get your ass to work

Fairfax County Police cruise the Potomac, you know, because of all the crime there and the Coast Guard can't handle the work

Shocking news! Fairfax County Police give each other awards!

Fairfax County Cop said to be dating his car. More at 11,

"I said I think that dog has a gun"

Okay, let's go over this ONE MORE TIME. It is NOT a star trek phaser, it is a radar detector,,,,it will NOT make people disappear

and if I find a picture of me on here I'm gonnna accidentally drop the camera 72 times

The 9th Annual Taxpayer Funded shake hands with the maitre d award

lets all four of us stand around here for another hour and then break for lunch... ain't our money, you know

John Geer death: Friends, family question investigation

By Jeff Goldberg

(WJLA) - Almost six months after a Fairfax County man was shot and killed by police during a standoff, there’s still no progress on the investigation into what happened.
Continue reading
Friends and family of 46-year-old John Geer have been trying for months to get information about why Geer was shot during the standoff and now his best friend is speaking out about the lack of progress in the investigation.
Jeff Stewart knew Geer for 25 years and had plans to go golfing with him the day the standoff happened, Aug. 29, 2013. Geer and his common law wife Maura had been having problems and that morning Maura said she was leaving him.
Geer grew angry and Maura called police, leading to the standoff. Over the course of 20 to 30 minutes, Stewart says Geer acknowleged to police he had been drinking and that he did have a gun in the home, but not on him. At one point an officer shot Geer, who later died inside the home.
“I don’t understand the process taking place at this point. I don’t understand why the family, most of all, can’t get answers to what happened, to what was said, to why this officer did what he did.”
In response to the story, a Fairfax Police spokesperson said, “It would be inappropriate for our agency to comment or answer specific questions pertaining to this matter at this time. It is being fully investigated and it is an extensive, comprehensive process.”

DC police officer arrested on theft charge

WASHINGTON — District of Columbia police say an officer who worked in the evidence control branch has been charged with theft.

Police said Friday that Rodney Williams, who has been with the department since 1990, was arrested while on duty Thursday. He faces a charge of second-degree theft.

Police say the arrest stemmed from a tip from a police department employee to the department’s internal affairs division.

It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier appeared at a D.C. Council hearing last week to discuss the recent high-profile arrests of several officers, including on charges involving child pornography. She also spoke about the department’s efforts to weed out problematic officers.

MARTINEZ, Calif. -- A San Francisco police officer pleaded not guilty Monday morning in Contra Costa Superior Court to 10 felony counts of child molestation and possession of child pornography.

Officer Richard Hastings, 38, of Concord, is accused of molesting a 15-year-old boy on several different occasions between June and August.

Deputy District Attorney Alison Chandler said Hastings was arrested in August after the boy was caught sneaking out of his own home to meet with the officer.

Defense attorney Eileen Burke said the pair had met on an online dating site and the boy had claimed he was of legal age.

Burke argued for Hastings' $910,000 bail to be lowered because he "is no more danger than anyone who signs up for an online dating service."

Chandler, however, said the boy was clearly underage and was stopped by police that night in August on suspicion of a curfew violation.

When police contacted Hastings, he allegedly said, "Don't worry, I'm a police officer," Chandler said.

"He was using his police status to get out of the trouble he was about to be in," she said.

Chandler said prosecutors did not immediately charge him after his Aug. 21 arrest because further investigation was needed, including into the contents of his electronic devices.

She said the FBI reviewed those contents and found child pornography involving an 8-year-old boy.

Chandler said Hastings told investigators that after he was involved in a police shooting a few years ago, he began "doing riskier things."

"He is reckless, he is cavalier," she told Judge Bruce Mills.

Burke, the defense attorney, told Mills that her client "has been completely cooperative" and has not had any problems since his August arrest.

The judge decided to reduce Hastings' bail to $100,000 and ordered him to return to court on March 7 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

Hastings, a 13-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department, was suspended without pay after his arrest.

Hastings is named in a federal civil rights lawsuit stemming from the 2011 death of Kenneth Harding, who police say accidentally shot himself during a shootout with Hastings and another officer after police tried to stop Harding for alleged fare evasion in San Francisco's Bayview District.

At the time of the shooting, Harding was on parole in Washington after serving time for pimping a 14-year-old girl.

Advocates for Harding have questioned the Police Department's version of events leading to his death, as well as whether it was necessary to use force against him.

Tracey Bell-Borden, a friend of Harding's mother, attended this morning's hearing and criticized Hastings.

"This is someone who was supposed to serve and protect," Bell-Borden said. "This man, something is wrong with him."

Convicted Miami police officer gets seven years in prison

BY JAY WEAVER

JWEAVER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Vital Frederick, a young Miami cop convicted of pocketing bribes, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on Thursday.

At trial in October, Frederick never disputed the undercover evidence revealing he accepted dirty money from two fellow police officers working with the FBI in a pair of sting operations.

But Frederick, 27, testified his colleagues threatened that unless he took the cash they would expose his “secret” — that he was gay and had a 10-year relationship with a boyfriend from high school.

Frederick's surprise defense did not convince a Miami federal jury, which found him guilty on four charges of extortion and three of stealing identification records for tax-refund scams.

U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore found that Frederick perjured himself on the witness stand before sentencing him to 81 months.

Frederick’s case, defended by lawyer Stuart Adelstein, was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Robin Waugh and Michael Davis.

Frederick is one of a dozen Miami cops who were convicted, fired or resigned over the past year as a result of the crackdown on protection rackets and ID scams run out of the North District station in Liberty City.

The two officers who flipped on Frederick, Nathaniel Dauphin and Malinsky Bazile, have been convicted as well. Dauphin, who pleaded guilty, got a probationary sentence with no jail time; Bazile, found guilty at trial, is awaiting sentence in February.

Omaha Police Oversight Board Created

There’s a new plan on the table to address the ongoing question of who polices the police in Omaha. A Citizen Review Board will be tasked with sorting through complaints.

Mayor Jean Stothert, police management and the police union have worked for months to structure the board that will serve as the go-to location for citizen complaints against police.

The board itself will consist of five members, one from each precinct plus one at-large member. There will also be an alternate. Then there will be three non-voting advisers to the board: someone from Omaha Police command; someone from the Human Rights and Relations Department and someone from the City Law Department.

The board members will not be paid. They will not have subpoena powers and they will not conduct their own investigations. They will review only what police investigate after the complaint is made.

The mayor said, “We've had a Citizens Review Board in the past. We had an auditor in the past. In my opinion, neither worked extremely well. This is a different approach. Like I said, got a lot of input. Basically I feel there is the ability with a board for broader citizen oversight.”

The mayor's executive order is not playing well in some parts of North Omaha. While some see it as a step in the right direction, others see it as political sideshow.

The intent is to build trust between police and the citizens of Omaha.

Robert Wagner reviews the mayor's executive order that creates the board. Wagner has filed a complaint against the police for a rough arrest in the past and he said Friday action doesn't go far enough. He said the board will have no power to create change in a police force that needs change.

"This is just a patchwork,” he said. “Just put together almost like a campaign promise. She just threw something out here and I don't believe it has any merit at all. As far as being a help in terms of that trust between the community and police, it's not going to do anything for that."

Community leader Willie Hamilton actually laughed at the mayor's proposal. He said people in the minority community are outraged at the idea of the weak panel with no power.

Hamilton said, “Not all police officers are bad but history speaks for itself. We can go back to Robert Ammons, George Bibbins, just recently Robert Wagner. You got the Johnson family, then the filing of an ACLU lawsuit and the best we can do is a citizen review board with a bunch of volunteers with no subpoena power? That's ridiculous."

Stothert unveiled the plan at a news conference where she was joined by Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and Omaha Police Union President John Wells. Stothert said she wants to have the board operating within a matter of weeks.

Anaheim mayor announces police-oversight board coming in March

By ART MARROQUIN

A panel of nine residents from across Anaheim will soon be able to scrutinize the city’s police and fire departments under a pilot program expected to launch by March, Mayor Tom Tait announced Tuesday during his State of the City address.

Members of the new Citizen Public Safety Board will review policies and allegations of misconduct by police officers and firefighters, Tait said. City Manager Marcie Edwards, who spent the past several months creating the commission at the City Council’s direction.

Disturbing K-9 Attack Case Won't Get Muzzled

By ROSE BOUBOUSHIAN

                 (CN) - Police officers videotaped beating and having a K-9 unit maul a subdued 20-year-old cannot stay false arrest and excessive force claims, a federal judge ruled.

     David Connor Castellani said in his complaint that the Tropicana Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J., had just thrown him out during the wee hours of June 15, 2013, for drinking underage.

     On the sidewalk Castellani soon encountered some police officers, who had him pull his pockets inside-out, patted him down, and let him walk away, according to the complaint and backed up by video surveillance posted on CNN.

     The video shows Castellani yelling at the officers from across the street.

     Castellani says he was asking them to help him find his ride home, but that they allegedly "mocked and ridiculed" him, and a "heated verbal exchange" ensued.

     Castellani said he did not threaten the officers, but that they suddenly "bum-rushed the plaintiff, tackled him to the ground, and began to viciously assault" him.

     Indeed the video shows four officers run toward Castellani and tackle him to the ground.

     "I am not resisting," Castellani allegedly cried out, as the officers punched, kneed, kicked and clubbed him.

     A fifth officer arrived, joining the group in kneeing Castellani and striking him with batons as they get him on his stomach to put him in handcuffs.

     Castellani said one of his hands was cuffed at this point when Officer Stearling Wheaten arrived in a K-9 unit vehicle.

     Wheaten immediately ordered the dog to attack "the completely subdued and helpless" Castellani, according to the complaint.

     "The vicious dog mauled the back of plaintiff's neck and head as several of the officers, including defendant Wheaten, continued to punch and kick the plaintiff," the complaint states.

     This account matches the video CNN posted.

     Castellani said the officers even stepped aside - "several of them laughing and smiling" - to let the dog maul his "lifeless body."

     Accompanied by graphic images of Castellani's injuries, CNN reported that the young man needed 200 stitches.

     He was nonetheless charged with disorderly conduct, aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest by using physical force and violence, and assault of a police animal.

     Wheaten was allegedly never disciplined for 21 civilian complaints of misconduct filed against him between 2008 and 2011- including 15 for excessive force or assault.

     Castellani sued the officers in October, alleging false arrest and excessive force in violation of his Fourth, Eighth and 14th Amendment rights; conspiracy; and several tort law violations. He further claims that the violations stemmed from an Atlantic City custom or policy.

     The officers asked to stay Castellani's suit pending resolution of his criminal charges.

     U.S. District Judge Renee Bumb denied the motion on Jan. 15, tossing aside the defendants' claim that the court would have to "guess" whether a ruling in the civil suit would invalidate a future conviction.

     "As there have been no indictments in this matter and there is no indication that the criminal trial against plaintiff will soon commence, any stay would be indefinite and, thus, prejudicial to plaintiff," Bumb wrote.

     Castellani's interest in "proceeding expeditiously" also weighs in favor of denying the motion, the unpublished ruling states.

     "Finally, this court finds that if plaintiff's allegations are true, they certainly raise issues of significant public concern, and, certainly, this matter has garnered significant attention from the public," Bumb wrote.  

Instagram-Linked Arrest May Have Been Libelous

By DESHAYLA STRACHAN

           

     MIAMI (CN) - Accusing a Florida man of threatening police after he posted "Diary of a Cop Killa" on Instagram may amount to defamation, a federal judge ruled.

     Daniel Larosa said the controversy stemmed from some comments he posted on his Instagram account next to album art for the song titled "Diary of a Cop Killa."

     Larosa allegedly wrote "It's sweetwater pd that's gotta die!!! Lol."

     Police in Sweetwater, Fla., soon arrested Larosa at his job, a school for the disabled. He was charged with threatening a public servant with the intent to influence the public servant's performance of official duties.

     Larosa sued the city, the arresting officers, mayor Manuel Morono and Police Chief Roberto Fulgueira for falsely arresting him and violating his rights.

     Sweetwater countered that it is an immune sovereign, and that a negligence claim against a police department is not an actionable cause of action under Florida law.

     U.S. District Judge Robert Scola found neither argument persuasive.

     "The city seems to fundamentally misunderstand the law regarding bringing a negligence suit against a municipality," Scola wrote. "In this lawsuit, Larosa is not a crime victim claiming that the police were negligent in stopping his assailant. Larosa has plainly alleged that City of Sweetwater police officers unlawfully restrained him against his will and that the detention was unreasonable and unwarranted under the circumstances. Even when alleged against law enforcement officials, these allegations are enough to make out a claim for false arrest."

     Sweetwater also failed to challenge Larosa's complaint as a "shotgun" pleading, which is a pleading that points at several defendants where the plaintiff is imprecise in asserting which actions are attributable to which defendants.

     Scola said the complaint details a precise set of facts, and then alleges several theories of liability against the several defendants.

     Larosa cannot, however, allege that the city failed to train and supervise its officers.

     "Larosa has not adequately asserted the connection between the constitutional violation that he allegedly suffered and the deficiencies in the City of Sweetwater's training or supervision policies that are attributable to Fulgueira and Marono," Scola said.

     Though he dismissed the claims against Morono and Fulgueira, Scola denied motions to dismiss Laronsa's claims of defamation and false arrest.   

Muskogee officer accused of kidnapping, sex assault

By DYLAN GOFORTH

MUSKOGEE -— A Muskogee police officer was arrested on accusations of assaulting, kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman at his home in Oktaha.

Mark Vernon Ridley was arrested late Wednesday, Muskogee County Chief Deputy Brandon Caster said. Ridley, 39, is a 17-year veteran of the Muskogee Police Department and had recently moved to the Patrol Division after spending time in investigations, Cpl. Mike Mahan said.

Ridley is jailed on complaints of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, kidnapping and sexual assault, Caster said.

Ridley had been placed on administrative leave in December after allegations were raised that he assaulted the same woman then, Mahan said. A protective order was filed against him Dec. 18, then dismissed Jan. 14, according to court records.

Another protective order was filed against him on Wednesday, records show.

Mahan said Ridley remains on administrative leave.

The protective order filed in December alleged that he sexually assaulted the same woman. Mahan said the Muskogee Police Department asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation handle that case, and the OSBI submitted its findings to the Muskogee County District Attorney's Office, which in turn called in a special prosecutor from Delaware County to ensure an impartial investigation.

Alleged rape victim sues accused police officer, city

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman allegedly raped by a San Antonio police officer in his patrol car is now suing him, the city, and Chief William McManus for $10 million.The federal lawsuit was filed Thursday against Officer Jackie Neal, who was arrested back in November. The 19-year-old woman claims Officer Neal should have been fired after he was caught in a relationship with a high school student in the Explorer program. Neal was the program supervisor at the time. He was suspended for three days. Just 72 days after the suspension, he allegedly raped the 19-year-old woman who has now filed the lawsuit.San Antonio Police did not comment on the suit and referred us to the city attorney.

Cop accused of forcing woman to perform sex acts in patrol car

By Michelle Kapusta

A Dallas police officer has been accused of forcing a woman to perform sex acts in the back of his squad car in exchange for her freedom.

According to The Dallas Morning Star, an arrest affidavit alleges that on Sept. 9, Officer La’Cori Johnson stopped the woman, had her get in the back of his patrol car, parked in a remote location and sexually assaulted her.

Johnson allegedly had the woman perform sexual acts on him before he forced himself onto her, all while he was on duty. He let her go after he was done.

The incident was reported and Johnson was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. On Tuesday, he was questioned and arrested.

Attorney Kimberly Priest Johnson, no relation, told WFAA that "With any sexual assault, the victim is going to have lasting damage from that attack; but in this particular case, the damage extends beyond the victim, and it impacts the entire public."

Authorities say the 28-year-old officer was charged with the assault and taken to the Dallas County jail.

Florida cop investigated for misconduct in Justin Bieber arrest

MIAMI A police officer is under investigation for attempting to take a photograph of Justin Bieber while he was in custody on driving under the influence and other charges.

Miami Beach police Sgt. Bobby Hernandez confirmed Friday that a female officer is being investigated for possible conduct unbecoming an officer. Punishments can range from a verbal reprimand to termination. The officer's name wasn't released.

Bieber was arrested Jan. 23 during what police describe as an illegal street drag race. In addition to driving under the influence, the 19-year-old pop singer was charged with resisting arrest and having an invalid driver's license. He has pleaded not guilty.

Police say the officer attempted to photograph Bieber while he was in a temporary holding cell, and a higher-ranking officer intervened to stop the attempt.

Warren Cop Cuts Hair of Arrested Woman

Update: Thursday, 10:15 p.m.: The incident  happened in November, WXYZ reports. Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green says the officer who cut the hair, Bernadette Najor, had initially been placed on leave and was eventually fired. Charges against the victim, Chadra Gregory, who had been arrested for trashing a motel room, were dropped.

Other officers may be disciplined, Fox 2's Ron Savage reports, but no other firings are expected.

This is almost incomprehensible.

WXYZ's Heather Catallo reports that a Warren police officer put a young mother under arrest in a restraining chair and hacked off her weave.

WXYZ posted a video that shows officers restraining Charda Gregory. Then one officer uses scissors to cut off her artificial hair that was sewn into a braid on her scalp.

“I was confused.  I didn’t know what happened and what was going on,” Gregory said, according to WXYZ.

Catallo reports that Warren police say they do ask prisoners to remove clipped-in long hair extensions so they can’t be used as a weapon or to commit suicide.

WXYZ's website says:

But a weave is different, and Police Commissioner Jere Green says what Officer Bernadette Najor did was not a proper use of force.

“There’s a real simple thing:  it’s called right and wrong.  And to me this is something that I won’t tolerate, I don’t think the citizens of Warren will tolerate it,” said Green.

-- Allan Lengel

DA: Suffolk officer targeted Latinos and stole from them

By CHAU LAM AND ELLEN YAN

A Suffolk County police sergeant accused of "targeting" Latinos in traffic stops and stealing cash from them is facing official misconduct and petty larceny charges.

Sixth Precinct Sgt. Scott A. Greene was arrested during a sting operation after stealing a $100 bill from a car driven by an undercover Latino officer, Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota said Friday.

Greene, a 25-year veteran, pulled over the vehicle and ordered the driver out, authorities said.

Moments later, the uniformed patrol officer was caught on videotape taking the money from an envelope on the passenger seat, then folding the bill and stuffing it in his left sleeve.

Greene, 50, of Shirley, who earned $147,200 in 2012, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday and was released without bail.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Edward Webber said he was shocked at the arrest.

"I am particularly outraged by his conduct -- of one who is sworn to protect the community and instead targeted those he perceived to be vulnerable," he said.

So far, investigators are looking into three cases in which Latino men claim a police officer stole money from them after he pulled them over for traffic infractions.

Spota said he expects to file additional charges against Greene, including possible hate crimes.

"We strongly feel that this has occurred on a number of other occasions," the district attorney said.

Greene's attorney, Tim Mazzei of Blue Point, said he has known the sergeant and his wife for many years and does not believe the officer targeted Latinos.

"I know he's a decorated police officer and needless to say, these allegations are very startling and very upsetting," Mazzei said.

Attempts to reach Greene at his home were unsuccessful Friday.

Greene's arrest comes after a December agreement among the U.S. Department of Justice, Suffolk County and its police department to address allegations of discriminatory policing against Latino immigrants. The deal came out of a federal probe spurred by the 2008 killing in Patchogue of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in a hate incident.

Investigators from Spota's office set up the Thursday night sting to catch Greene after two Latino men complained to the Suffolk police Internal Affairs Bureau several months ago about being stopped in the Farmingville-Medford area -- part of Greene's beat.

Friday, investigators were interviewing a third potential victim, Spota said.

The sting featured an undercover officer driving a car with an intentionally dangling rear license plate, Spota said.

Greene followed the car on Granny Road in Coram and then pulled alongside at a red light. Spota said the sergeant peered at the undercover officer before deciding to pull the vehicle over.

"In my view, he was looking at the driver because he was targeting Hispanics," Spota said.

During the stop, Greene ordered the driver to stand behind his car, Spota said. Authorities didn't say what reason Greene gave, if any, for stopping the vehicle.

A video camera hidden inside the undercover vehicle then caught Greene removing the $100 bill from an envelope filled with $1,200 in marked bills.

Authorities believe Greene singled out Latino drivers because some may be undocumented immigrants who are reluctant to complain.

Spota and Webber said they plan to meet with leaders in the Latino community and ask them to reach out to residents who may have also been victimized.

A spokesman for a coalition of Suffolk community advocates said the case underscores the need for police reforms.

"If this incident is true it lends credence to the complaints that Latinos are targeted by the police for traffic stops and suggests that deliberate action has to be taken" to strengthen ties with the community and correct those practices, said Luis Valenzuela, director of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, an Amityville group.

More Police Brutality?! Wisconsin Police Slam Woman Into Car, Viciously Punch Her

By Christina Coleman

New video of a chaotic Jan. 5 arrest has emerged, backing up the story of a woman who claimed she was a victim of police brutality during the incident outside a Superior, Wisconsin bar.

The incident, captured on video by a dash camera, shows police grabbing Natasha Lancour after engaging in a verbal altercation. Police were called to the scene for a disturbance taking place in the parking lot after the Green Bay Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

What happens next is shocking. The officer slams Lancour into the police vehicle and starts viciously punching her in the head. They fall out of view — the rest of the attack cannot be seen on camera.

Now, Superior police are asking bystanders to come forward with cell phone video to determine if Lancour was resisting arrest or if the officer acted with excessive force.