The never ending litany of drunk and drugged up cops


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.