Salem
Police officer charged with harassment, DUI tried
Alisha Roemeling and Alexa Armstrong
A trial for a Salem Police
officer charged with harassment and DUII
in connection with an altercation that took place in August began Tuesday
morning at the Marion County Courthouse.
Brandon Hanes, 41, was charged
with a misdemeanor harassment charge in August following an altercation with a
17-year-old male that Hanes knows, in
which Hanes allegedly grabbed the boy by the throat and pinned him to the
ground.
An
additional driving under the influence of intoxicants charge
was filed and tacked onto the case in December which alleged that he drove on a
public highway while under the influence around the same time that physical
harassment took place at a Salem residence Aug. 9.
During opening statements, the
altercation was described by Hanes' attorney Julio Vidrio as a result of
tension in the home because of marital problems between Hanes and his wife,
Angela Hanes.
According to Vidrio, Hanes was
at his house, arguing with is wife over a flooring project when the
conversation became heated and Hanes ended up arguing with two minors known to
him. An altercation then took place with one of the minors and they fled the home.
The
minors ran to a house just a couple of blocks away and Hanes followed. After attempting to get into the home, the
owner, who knows Hanes and the minors called 911.
Several of Hanes' family
members, and witnesses to the case were called to the stand throughout the day
Tuesday in Judge Jamese Rhoades courtroom at the Marion County Courthouse.
Following opening statements,
Hanes' mother-in-law Phyllis Zeller, was called to the stand. After Deputy
District Attorney Katie Suver asked Zeller a series of questions, the attorney
played a 911 recording of the call that was made the evening of the alleged
incident.
Officers that were dispatched
to the scene in August both from the Salem Police Department and the Marion
County Sheriff's Office made appearances at the trial.
Salem Police officers Brossard
and Gordon, two of the first to arrive on scene, recalled the night and their
interactions with Hanes.
Brossard described Hanes as
angry. He said that the moment he set foot on the scene Hanes was trying to take
control of the situation, and demanded that he call a supervisor.
Though Brossard said that Hanes
appeared to be intoxicated, he never asked Hanes to do a blood alcohol level
test.
Officer Gordon who was on the
scene with Brossard said he was greeted by Hanes similarly, telling Gordon to
leave and saying the situation was under control.
Gordan noted that he could
smell alcohol on Hanes.
Without being asked Hanes
started performing a field sobriety test, doing nine heel-toe steps, turning
around and doing nine more towards Gordan.
Gordan said he had asked him to
stop several times but Hanes continued the test.
Salem Sgt. Ryan Demmer was
dispatched to the scene by Brossard at the request of Hanes. The night of the
incident Demmer requested that the Marion County Sheriff's office do the
investigation. He stayed with Hanes until the Marion County deputies arrived.
He recalled Hanes drinking and asking him advice on how to respond to the
sheriff department's investigation.
Marc Rettig, Marion County
Sherrif's deputy, said when he arrived on the scene he started his
investigation by interviewing Hanes' wife and the two minors involved in the
incident. Then he went to the Hanes' residence. He said that Hanes was
non-responsive when he tried to ask questions and Hanes eventually asked the
deputies to leave.
A warrant for his arrest was
subsequently issued on Aug. 14. Hanes was arrested, booked into the jail and
released that same day.
A former Salem police officer
as well as a close friend of the two minors involved spoke at the trial
Tuesday.
The trial will continue
Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. at the Marion County Courthouse.
Cop sentenced in DUI crash
By The Associated Press
BAKERSFIELD — A former
Bakersfield police officer has been sentenced to seven years and four months in
prison for a drunken driving crash that left a woman paralyzed.
KBAK-TV reports Kristofer
Randall Carter apologized to the victim, Leann Katherine Harris, before his
sentencing on Wednesday.
Carter crashed his car into a
Bakersfield gas station in April 2014. He plowed over gas pumps and severely
injured the 20-year-old Harris, who was pumping gas at the time.
Harris, who can no longer walk,
says she’s satisfied by the seven-year sentence.
Carter pleaded guilty in
January to a single charge – driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
causing bodily injury. Four other charges were dismissed.
He served as a Bakersfield
police officer from July 2006 to March 2012.
Iowa
City police officer charged with drunken driving
Iowa City police officer charged with drunken
driving
IOWA CITY (AP) — An Iowa City
police officer is on paid administrative leave after accusations that he was
drunk while driving a vehicle earlier this month.
North Liberty police arrested
Carlos Trevino Jr., 39, after receiving a report of a person appearing to be
passed out in a driver’s seat at an intersection on Feb. 10.
Thank you for reading and
relying on Omaha.com for your news and information. You have now viewed your 30
day allowance of 15 free articles.Officers say Trevino had blood-shot and
watery eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. A police complaint says
Trevino had a blood-alcohol content of 0.197. The legal driving limit is 0.08.
Trevino has been charged with
first-offense drunken driving. Iowa City Police Sgt. Scott Gaarde says Trevino
will be on leave until an internal investigation is completed.
Embattled
county officer enters not guilty pleas
David Britton faces termination
as Lake County officer
A high-ranking Lake County
police official facing termination after he was charged with drunken driving
earlier this month pleaded not guilty Thursday to the four disciplinary charges
filed against him by Sheriff John Buncich.
Lt. David Britton, 46, of Cedar
Lake, appeared before the Lake County Sheriff Department's Merit Board where
his attorney, Adam Sedia, entered the not guilty pleas in the four counts
against him. Sedia also asked for and received 28 days of discovery and the
continuance of the hearing until the March 19 Merit Board meeting.
Buncich through his attorney,
John Bushemi, agreed to the continuance contingent on the proceedings moving
forward March 19.
"I am instructing my
attorney to avoid any further delays," Buncich said.The sheriff filed disciplinary
charges Feb. 4 with the Merit Board seeking to have Britton fired after he
learned the officer was charged Feb. 1 by Crown Point Police with operating a
vehicle while intoxicated, operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a
person, operating with a breath content of at least .15 grams and failure of
duty accident resulting in injuries, all misdemeanors, following a Super Bowl
Sunday hit-and-run crash in Crown Point.
Britton, 46, of Cedar Lake, was
commander of the sheriff department's Gang Intelligence Unit at the time of the
crash. Buncich demoted him to the rank of lieutenant and placed him on paid
administrative leave Feb. 4. State law requires police and fire officials
facing misdemeanor charges to be paid while on administrative leave, Bushemi
said.
Charges with the Merit Board
accuse Britton of going against merit board rules by violating state,
committing conduct unbecoming an officer, violating department rules and
regulations and by committing acts which bring or tend to bring the individual
and the sheriff's department into disrepute.
Britton allegedly struck two
vehicles at the intersection of 97th Place and Main Street Feb. 1 at about 11
p.m. Two people in other vehicles were injured in the crash. Britton was
arrested in the Walgreens parking lot down the street.
A breath test by police showed
Britton had at BAC of .24, three times the legal limit, at the time of his
arrest.
This is the second time action
has been taken against Britton by the department. He was suspended for 10 days
in 2012 and his take-home county vehicle privileges were suspended for 15 days
after he failed to report an accident in that vehicle for two months. The
failure was a violation of department policy and state law, which requires
motorists to report accidents to the state within 10 days of the incident.
Britton had crashed the car
near the entrance to the Havenswood subdivision, damaging the landscaping and
guardhouse. At the time Buncich said there was no evidence alcohol was
involved.
In October 2002, Britton was
involved in a fatal car crash in Griffith near the intersection of Wirth Road
and Broad Street while he was in police uniform and in his county vehicle.
Marga Gniffke, 75, of Griffth, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Alcohol was not believed to be involved.
Off-duty
Athens-Clarke police officer charged with DUI in Gwinnett County
By JOE JOHNSON
An Athens-Clarke County police
officer has been placed on paid administrative leave following his recent
arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated, Police Chief Carter Greene said
Friday.
The leave was ordered while an
internal investigation into Senior Police Officer Brian Borders’ arrest is
conducted, Carter said.
Borders was arrested in Duluth
shortly after midnight last Saturday by a Gwinnett County police officer who
saw the car being driven by the off-duty Athens-Clarke officer failing to
maintain its lane, according to a police report.
“Manifestations were observed
indicating the driver to be under the influence,” the Gwinnett County officer
wrote in the report. “Further investigation led to the arrest of the driver for
DUI.”
When Borders refused to submit
to a breath test, his car was released to “a sober friend” and he was taken to
a police precinct where the arresting officer obtained a warrant to obtain
blood samples.
Borders has been an
Athens-Clarke County police officer since 2009.
Carter said the arrest marked
the officer’s first offense, and that even if Borders is convicted of DUI he
may still hold onto his job.
“We have worked with officers
in the past and have helped them to retain their employment,” the police chief
said.
Before making any decision
regarding Borders, Greene added, “we’re going to look at the totality of the
circumstances.”
In one incident several years
ago, an Athens-Clarke officer pleaded guilty to DUI and was suspended without
pay for 30 days, in addition to being required to complete an alcohol awareness
program before being allowed to come back to work.
Officer Charged with DUI after
Police Chase
Brittany Marshall
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. - The
Washington County Sheriff's Office are reporting that Benjamin Whitmore led
them on a high speed chase that came to a crashing halt at Northern Avenue and
Hamilton Boulevard.
The former Frederick Police
Officer is now charged with fleeing and eluding, driving under the influence
and other charges.
On Thursday morning, Whitmore's
Kia Optima crashed into two utility poles, after officers said he led police on
a high speed chase, from Eastern Boulevard. Reports indicate he was traveling
more than 90 miles per hour.
"There were two additional
passengers in the vehicle in addition to the driver," said Deputy Carly
Hose, Washington County Sheriff's Office. "The two passengers were
transported to Meritus Medical Center for treatment of injuries."
Whitmore was taken to the
hospital, and later arrested.
The Frederick Police Department
confirmed Whitmore joined the department in 2008 and was released in July 2014.
The former officer was later
released on bond.
Fremont
officer charged with drunken driving
Officer George Dorsey at center
of probe; placed on paid leave
Andy Ouriel
Updated 5 p.m. — Wiersma
provided the Register with the full Ohio State Highway Patrol, attached here
and below.
Among the most noteworthy
details:
• Dorsey was involved in a
two-vehicle crash just before 2 a.m. Tuesday and allegedly left the scene of
the accident.
• A trooper found a broken off
bumper with a license plate belonging to Dorsey.
• Troopers later went to
Dorsey's home, where they found him in the garage, sitting in a rocking chair,
hunched over and not responding.
• From the report: "The
defendant had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and
blood shot glassy eyes." Dorsey told troopers "I ran through the
intersection at White Avenue, and I hit a vehicle and came home."
• Dorsey then told troopers:
"After the crash happened, I came home because I was nervous and rank five
to six beers." Dorsey said he threw the bottles out in a trash can,
however, did not locate any empty bottles.
• Troopers then charged Dorsey
with operating a vehicle for under the influence and failure to yield for a
posted stop sign.
Update 3:55 p.m. — Wiersma is sending more
documentation to fulfill the Register's request, including the actual incident
report of the Ohio State Highway Patrol arresting Dorsey and charging him with
drunk driving.
Earlier this month, the
Register profiled two other problematic city officers, one of which who was
stopped for drunk driving but let go.
Stay tuned and check back as
this story continues to develop.
Update: 3:50 p.m. — Fremont
police Chief Tim Wiersma confirmed to the Register that Dorsey was charged with
operating a vehicle under the influence.
Wiersma said the judge dismissed
himself, and a special prosecutor will be appointed to this case.
"It's a tough thing for
all of us, this is unexpected, and we'll have to work through this,"
Wiersma said.
Original story: 3:35 p.m. —
Fremont police commanders placed K-9 Officer George Dorsey on paid
administrative leave after he is suspected of drunk driving and leaving the
scene of an accident.
The Register placed a public
records request to get all related documentation involving this incident on
Tuesday afternoon.
Dorsey pleaded not guilty to
the charges Wednesday in Fremont Municipal Court, according to the Fremont
News-Messenger.
Complaint:
Ex-cop charged with impersonating police officer, meth possession
Libor Jany
A former longtime Minneapolis
police officer was arrested this week and charged with impersonating an officer
and methamphetamine possession, according to a criminal complaint filed in
Hennepin County District Court.
Bloomington authorities said
that Lee Meili, 49, who retired in 2013 after 20 years on the force, is being
held on $3,000 bail. His first court appearance is set for Thursday.
Meili allegedly used his police
identification to book a room at the Northwood Hotel, 1225 W. 78th St. in
Bloomington, where staff members alerted police after he started exhibiting
“suspicious behavior,” according to the complaint. Officials say that when
officers searched the room, they found a hypodermic needle and a small amount
of meth. According to the charging document, Meili admitted the drugs were his
and that he "was no longer a police officer, but that he used his police
identification to rent the room," in violation of department policy.
Meili was part of one of the
largest police brutality settlements in the Minneapolis’ history, in which the
city agreed to pay nearly $1 million to a man who lost his colon and part of
his small intestine after what he claimed was a beating administered by Meili
and his partner.
