Jail
releases video of Toledo police lieutenant's arrest
Alexis Means
The Lucas County Jail has
released video of a Toledo police lieutenant being booked, and Toledo's police
chief is also speaking out. He says the arrest of one of his top lieutenants is
an isolated incident.
The police chief says, as soon
as the department learned one of their own was allegedly connected to the
shooting, he took action.
"This isn't a bad barrel
syndrome, it's a bad apple," says Toledo Police Chief George Kral.
Toledo's top cop wants the citizens
to know he won't tolerate dirty officers.
"Police officer or not a
police officer, the exact same steps are taken for each person, regardless of
what they did for a living," says the chief.
The department released video of Lt. Frank
Ramirez being booked in the jail. Ramirez is the third person arrested in a
shooting investigation. He allegedly helped to plot the shooting of a witness
who testified in two high profile murder trials.
Johnny Clarke and Lisa Straub
were killed in Springfield Township in 2011. Tiffany Williams testified in the
case. She was on the phone with Clarke when someone came in the house. Sources
tell 13abc Clarke's parents think Williams set up their son.
In December, police arrested Johnny's
parents Maytee and John Clarke for shooting at Tiffany Williams.
"Approximately at 10:48 pm
Tiffany William was walking in the 1300 block of Colburn street. John Clarke
chased and discharged a firearm at Ms. Williams," said Chief Kral. Toledo
police are tight-lipped about Ramirez's role.
Ramirez is charged with
obstructing justice, tampering with evidence and felonious assault. His lawyer says Ramirez plans to cooperate
with police.
The chief says the case will be presented to
the Lucas County grand jury next week.
Fresno police officer charged in stolen car investigation
By Corin Hoggard
FRESNO, Calif (KFSN) --
Criminal charges have been
filed for a crime allegedly committed by a Fresno police officer.
Action News reported about
Alfred Campos last year when his fellow officers served a search warrant at his
house. It was actually the second time Fresno police investigated him for a
crime, but this is the first time he's been charged, and he was arrested
Tuesday night.
For the second time in twelve
months, an Action News reporter found himself knocking on the door of Alfred
Campos' home. For the second time, someone was home, but nobody answered.
Campos served 15 years as a
Fresno police officer, but between our last visit and now, he lost his job. An
arrest warrant filed this week shows the stolen car investigation that brought
ABC30 to his door in 2014 led to criminal charges in 2015.
Fresno police arrested Campos
Tuesday night and the warrant details why. It all started when Campos took a
stolen pickup truck for repairs and mechanics noticed the vehicle
identification number (VIN) was bogus. Officers say Campos knew it was a fake
because he checked on it twice using the special access he had as a police
officer. Legal analyst Michael Aed says that evidence could really hurt.
"That's a really tough
hill for Campos to climb if that can be established," Aed said.
Investigators say Campos denied
knowing the truck was stolen, despite the fact that he checked the VIN, and he
owns an auto repair shop in Central Fresno. The warrant says he told officers
he bought the truck from Brian Cruz. Police arrested Cruz Sunday and he
admitted stealing the truck in Virginia. He said Campos knew it was stolen and
they were working together to buy and sell stolen vehicles. Cruz is also
charged with burglary in another case and Aed says Campos may use that as a
defense.
"When you're relying on a
witness who has some problems with their credibility, that always becomes a
problem," Aed explained. "It always raises suspicion as to whether
Brian Cruz is a credible witness."
When police served a warrant
and found four pounds of meth at Campos' home in 2006, he was not charged with
a crime. This time, he had to post a $25,000 bond to stay free. He's scheduled
to enter a plea in court next month.
Houston
Police Officer Charged With Shoplifting Ammo, Still Has a Job
Was only on the force two
months before being caught allegedly stealing ammo, and won't be disciplined
until the internal investigation's over.
Ed Krayewski|
DStephen Sargent, an officer
with the Houston Police Department (HPD) for less than three months and still
considered probationary, was arrested on charges of shoplifting. He's accused
of stealing $60 worth of ammunition from a sporting store. He's been "relieved of duty" but
remains employed by the HPD. In fact the department reportedly won't decide how
to discipline him until after the internal investigation is complete.
Police officers are entrusted
with the power of life and death; they're granted the privilege of using force
on behalf of the government and, through that status as government employees
granted protections for when they abuse their powers. Rarely are police officers held accountable
for their use of force in questionable circumstances. And even when victims of
police brutality win settlements from the police department or city government,
such settlements don't affect the police officers. Often they come with
specific denials of responsibility for any wrongdoing.
When a police officer has shot
and killed someone under questionable circumstances, even a fair and thorough investigation that
might lead to charges won't bring back the dead. Neither can any social
movement or hashtag do so, nor does it have the ability to definitively prevent
future killings. And the more the problem of police violence is personalized,
the harder it is to combat.
If he remains on the force will
Sargent ever kill someone in the line of duty? It's impossible to say. But
getting caught shoplifting ammo suggests an incredible defect of character, and
when the privilege to use deadly force with little accountability hangs in the
balance, a zero tolerance approach to bad behavior by cops saves lives and
helps ensure we can all get home safe at night.
Ed Krayewski is an associate
editor at Reason.com
Former NYPD officer sentenced to prison for fraud, ID theft
NEW YORK - A former officer with the New York City Police Department was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 28 months in prison for credit card fraud and identity theft. John Montanez, 28, of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty in August 2014 to one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to his prison term, he was sentenced to two years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $2,500, and pay a $200 special assessment.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “While a Police Officer, John Montanez engaged in credit card fraud and identity theft. As Montanez said on tape, ‘I am not the cop you think I am.’ For certain, he was not the cop the public deserved and not one who deserved to carry an NYPD badge. By breaking the law, John Montanez not only threatened the safety of others, but also undermined the position of law enforcement as a pursuer of justice. We will continue to actively prosecute cases of police corruption.”
DPD
investigator suspended, subject of TBI investigation
A member of the Dyersburg
Police Department has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome
of an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The officer, Sgt.
Cara Johnson-Peckenpaugh, was placed on administrative leave late on Friday,
Feb.13 after DPD Chief Steve Isbell was informed by the TBI a criminal
investigation was to be launched regarding theft.
"I was informed the TBI
was going to begin a criminal investigation into an incident regarding one of
our investigators. I placed Sgt. (Cara) Johnson-Peckenpaugh on administrative
leave on Friday night," said Chief Isbell. "She will remain on
administrative leave pending the outcome of their investigation. At this point,
I have to refer saying anything else to the TBI regarding this situation."
When contacted concerning the
possible investigation, the TBI did confirm to the State Gazette they were
asked to open a criminal investigation involving theft by Obion County District
Attorney General Thomas A. Thomas, but couldn't provide any other details.
Johnson-Peckenpaugh has been a
member of the DPD workforce since July 8, 2002.
Greensburg
police chief faces theft, misconduct counts
GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) —A former
Greensburg police chief who investigators say has a gambling problem was
arrested Tuesday after an audit found nearly $73,000 in cash missing from a
police department
Former Chief Stacey L. Chasteen
surrendered Tuesday at the Decatur County Jail in the community about 50 miles
southeast of Indianapolis, according to Indiana State Police. She faces one
charge of theft and one count of official misconduct.
Chasteen, 49, was released on
bond but could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A phone number listed in her
name was disconnected.
Citing personal reasons,
Chasteen resigned in November after three years as chief and 21 years on the
force.
According to a probable cause
affidavit, a police department employee noticed nearly $73,000 missing from the
property room a couple of weeks after Chasteen resigned. The money had been
placed into evidence in September 2012 as part of an investigation into an
illegal massage parlor.
An Indiana State Police audit
of the property room uncovered 13 property receipts indicating that money
stored in the evidence room was no longer there, including the $73,000 from the
massage parlor case, court documents show.
Investigators say Chasteen's
husband, Greensburg Fire Chief Scott Chasteen, told them his wife had a serious
gambling problem that had caused them to file for bankruptcy in 2010. He told
police his wife informed him in June 2013 that she had taken money from the
police department's evidence room and need $60,000 to $70,000 to repay it.
He said the couple borrowed
$57,000 from relatives and used personal funds to come up with $70,000 for his
wife to replace the missing money.
Stacey Chasteen told
investigators she didn't replace the money and instead gambled it away. She
also acknowledged taking the money from the massage parlor case, the court
documents show.
Decatur County Prosecutor
Nathan Harter has said previously that the missing money could impact 16 cases.
Harter said in a statement
Tuesday that his office has reached out to attorneys whose cases might be
impacted but will let the courts determine whether Chasteen's case affects
those outcomes.
