Idiots at work

Cottage Grove, Oregon: The mother of an elementary school student who says local police coerced her 10-year-old son into confessing to alleged sex offenses is suing the police department and the school district. She says in the lawsuit that she previously told the school district that her son was not allowed to be interviewed by police without her being present. http://ow.ly/hIVTr

Trenton, New Jersey: An officer will go before a grand jury to determine if he is to be indicted on an aggravated assault charge for his alleged role in a bar brawl. Prosecutors say that he beat a man with a flashlight outside of a bar while off-duty. http://ow.ly/hIxOB

Fort Lauderdale, Florida: An officer copped a plea for an alleged unlawful arrest outside a convenience store. More than three years after the incident, it cost him his badge. He will serve 12 months probation. ow.ly/hIu0r

Volusia County, Florida: A deputy has been suspended after being arrested on grand-theft charges. He is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a homeowner’s association. ow.ly/hHAIM

Knoxville, Tennessee: Administrators haven’t decided yet if an officer involved in a crash will face a citation for running a red light. ow.ly/hGWhW

Update: Schaumburg, Illinois: A lawsuit against the village of Schaumburg claims that two police officers recently accused of corruption improperly raided a man’s home as part of a pattern of illegal conduct allowed by the department. ow.ly/hIXDq

Boone County, Missouri: A $2.7 million dollar lawsuit was filed; the plaintiffs are citing constitutional violations regarding unreasonable searches, freedom of speech, privacy, wrongful seizure, right to bear arms, and due process. The officers deny all of their allegations. ow.ly/hIWjP

Memphis officer charged with harassment

Memphis police officer Darrell Malone is out of jail on bond after being charged with harassment stemming from an October 2012 incident.

A driver called police and said a motorcyclist was driving erratically down Germantown Parkway and I-240.

The complainant who called the Memphis police communications bureau advised that he pulled next to one of the motorcyclist and advised that he was going to contact the police if they continued driving in this manner. One of the motorcyclists allegedly showed the complainant a handgun that was in a holster on his waistband and advised the complainant that he was a police officer. The motorcyclists pulled into a parking lot off Germantown near Giacosa Place.

An officer was dispatched to the area concerning this complaint. The motorcyclist was located in the parking lot of Joe's Crab Shack. The motorcyclist was identified as an off-duty MPD Officer Malone. Malone advised that he was traveling northbound Germantown Parkway when he, and another motorcyclist, were cut off by a motorist that was occupying a SUV which was also traveling north bound Germantown Parkway.

Malone advised that he attempted to flag the motorist to alert the driver that the motorcyclists were in the lane next to him. Malone advised that he did have a weapon holstered on his side and that the driver may have seen his weapon while he was trying to flag the complainant.

Officer Malone and Radio Dispatcher Jenny Rice were relived of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Allegations against Rice's involvement in releasing inappropriate information to off-duty Officer Malone is also being reviewed by investigators.

Officer Malone was indicted in January and will face a judge in April.

10 local officers charged with helping drug dealers

ATLANTA -- Ten law enforcement officers are charged with assisting drug dealers around metro Atlanta.

The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia announced the charges after a year-long undercover investigation of gang related activity.

The overall undercover operation uncovered officers from the DeKalb County Police Department, Stone Mountain Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department, MARTA Police Department, Forest Park Police Department, DeKalb County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Protective Service. In addition, one man, Alexander Hill, falsely represented himself to be a Clayton County Police Officer.

US Attorney Sally Yates said, "This is a troubling day for law enforcement in our City. The law enforcement officers charged today sold their badges by taking payoffs from drug dealers that they should have been arresting. They not only betrayed the citizens they were sworn to protect, they also betrayed the thousands of honest, hard-working law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe. We will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to pursue this corruption wherever it lies."

According to the indictments, the drug deals didn't take place in dark alleys, but often in very public parking lots in broad daylight.

Investigators say the officers often used their patrol cars, wore their uniforms are carried a weapon as they observed the drug deals take place. Some would sit in their car, others would walk the parking lot around the deal as a backpacks with cocaine and money were exchanged.

But Yates says some did more than watch, some got involved in the process, counting the bags of cocaine, setting up signals to communicate, even discussing how and when deals should go down.

"Remarkably one of the police officers suggested that future drug deals be made in parking lot of a local high school so they could exchange backpacks there and that backpacks wouldn't be something that would cause suspicion," said Yates.

Perhaps even more frightening, was how far the US Attorney said some officers were willing to go to protect the dealers.

Dekalb county police officer Dorian Williams allegedly said if things didn't go well, he couldn't just shoot the buyer, he had to kill him.

Monyette McLaurin's, a former Dekalb Sheriff's deputy, also allegedly offered to shoot a buyer if necessary and discussed killing someone he feared might snitch.

Mark F. Giuliano, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, said, "In recognizing the need for the criminal justice system and those who work within that system to firmly have the public's trust, the FBI considers such public corruption investigations as being crucial. The FBI will continue to work with its various local, state, and other federal law enforcement agencies in ensuring that the public's trust in its law enforcement officers is well deserved."

The law enforcement officers arrested today were: Atlanta Police Department (APD) Officer Kelvin Allen, 42, of Atlanta; DeKalb County Police Department (DCPD) Officers Dennis Duren, 32, of Atlanta and Dorian Williams, 25, of Stone Mountain, Georgia; Forest Park Police Department (FPPD) Sergeants Victor Middlebrook, 44, of Jonesboro, Georgia and Andrew Monroe, 57, of Riverdale, Georgia; MARTA Police Department (MARTA) Officer Marquez Holmes, 45, of Jonesboro, Georgia; Stone Mountain Police Department (SMPD) Officer Denoris Carter, 42, of Lithonia, Georgia, and contract Federal Protective Services Officer Sharon Peters, 43, of Lithonia, Georgia. Agents also arrested two former law enforcement officers: former DeKalb County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) jail officers Monyette McLaurin, 37, of Atlanta, and Chase Valentine, 44, of Covington, Georgia.

Others arrested today were: Shannon Bass, 38, of Atlanta; Elizabeth Coss, 35, of Atlanta; Gregory Lee Harvey, 26, of Stone Mountain, Georgia; Alexander B. Hill, 22, of Ellenwood, Georgia; and Jerry B. Mannery, Jr., 38, of Tucker, Georgia.

The undercover operation arose out of an ATF investigation of an Atlanta area street gang in August 2011. ATF agents learned from an individual associated with the gang that police officers were involved in protecting the gang's criminal operations, including drug trafficking crimes. According to this cooperating individual, the officers-while wearing uniforms, driving police vehicles, or otherwise displaying badges-provided security to the gang members during drug deals.

In affidavits filed in support of the charges, an FBI agent described how drug traffickers sometimes recruit law enforcement officers to maintain a physical presence at drug deals. The traffickers hope that the officers' presence at the drug deals will prevent rival drug groups from intervening and stealing their drugs or money, and also keeps legitimate law enforcement officers away from the scene. In return for the corrupt officers' services, the drug dealers often pay the officers thousands of dollars, according to the affidavits.

Acting at the direction of FBI and ATF, the cooperator communicated to gang members and their associates that the cooperator sought police protection for upcoming drug deals.

Judge moves Bisard's crash trial to Allen County

INDIANAPOLIS — A judge moved the trial of an Indianapolis police officer accused of causing a fatal 2010 crash by driving drunk to Fort Wayne on Thursday.

David Bisard is charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless homicide and criminal recklessness in the 2010 crash that killed 30-year-old Eric Wells and injured two others. If convicted, Bisard could face 20 or more years in prison.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for March 8 before Allen County Superior Court Judge John Surbeck.

In an order issued Thursday, Judge Grant Hawkins said that even more than two years after the accident, the case was still generating too much ongoing publicity in central Indiana for Bisard to get a fair trial there.

"It appears clear this cause must be brought to trial a distance away from the Marion County media 'footprint,' " Hawkins wrote in the three-page order.

The case has drawn intense local media coverage as legal snarls caused it to drag on for months and police officers' handling of the crash scene and evidence stirred public distrust and led to disciplinary action against several high-ranking officers, including the demotion of the police chief.

"I don't think anyone who looked at this case objectively thought there could be a fair and impartial jury selected from Marion County," defense attorney John Kautzman told reporters following Thursday's hearing in Marion County Superior Court.

Kautzman said he was still concerned that even an Allen County jury might be tainted, but Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said that was unlikely because the case wasn't likely to attract as much interest in the community 100 miles from Indianapolis.

Robinson said prosecutors were comfortable with moving the case to Allen County in part because Fort Wayne is an urban area like Indianapolis, so potential jurors would be familiar with urban driving conditions, a key component of the case. Bisard's cruiser crashed into two motorcycles stopped at an intersection on the city's northeast side on the morning of Aug. 6, 2010.

Robinson said she hoped the trial could be held sometime this fall.

The case has undergone a series of delays over admission of blood tests which showed Bisard had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. The Indiana Supreme Court in ruled in December that the blood tests could be admitted into evidence.

However, Kautzman has said he can still challenge the blood evidence at trial in regards to its chain of custody and that the sample's credibility before a jury also remains in doubt.

Hawkins ruled that the blood drawn from Bisard after the crash was inadmissible because it was drawn by a medical assistant, a profession not included among those listed in Indiana law that are allowed to do so in drunken driving cases. But the state Court of Appeals overturned his decision, saying legislators clearly hadn't intended for such key evidence to be thrown out on a technicality.

Hawkins did allow prosecutors to test a second blood sample despite objections by Kautzman that it was mishandled by police technicians. The results of those tests haven't been released.

Former Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi stunned the victims and public when he dropped drunken driving charges against Bisard just days after they were filed, which he did because of the discrepancy. After taking office in 2011, Prosecutor Terry Curry refiled the charges against Bisard.

Mount Vernon Police Officer Charged With False Overtime

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. - Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore charged Mount Vernon Police Officer Joseph Russo on Wednesday with two counts of falsifying business records.

A news release from DiFiore's office said Russo submitted overtime reports and Westchester County Traffic Board STEP forms to the Mount Vernon Police Department stating that he worked two hours of overtime from Sept. 17, 2012 to Sept. 18, 2012, when he allegedly had not. Russo was paid $226.60 in overtime which he allegedly was not entitled to.

An investigation by the Mount Vernon Police Department Internal Affairs Unit led to Russo's suspension on Tuesday and arrest on Wednesday.

If convicted, Russo faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison. He is due in court next on March 27

Police Brutality Complaints Dip...Due To Busted Phone Line

New Yorkers seeking to report instances of police brutality by phone in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy had a more difficult time doing so, and the number of complaints dropped drastically as a result. Citizens who called 311 to report misconduct in November, December, and January weren't able to be transferred directly to the Civilian Complaint Review Board's hotline because the storm damaged the line. Callers were instead given a different number to reach the CCRB, adding an extra step to the process. According to Marcos Soler, the CCRB's deputy executive director for policy, the agency usually receives an average of 249 complaints by phone each month—for the last three months, the average dropped to 29.

"We completely understand as an agency the impact that this had on our ability to receive complaints," Soler said, adding that the usual 800-number was restored yesterday. "Any impact for the ability of the public to reach us is going to have an effect on complaint activity. We have learned our lesson." The CCRB's offices were severely damaged after the storm, and the agency wasn't able to return to 40 Rector Street until late last month.

Soler says that 50% of the total cases handled by the CCRB are taken by phone, but notes that citizens can file complaints on the agency's website, at a precinct, by mail, or in person. "For those people who weren't able to file a complaint over the last three months, they can still do so today. We can still address their issue—the statute of limitations is 18 months."

Ala. man acquitted at trial sues for false arrest

VERNON, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man is suing the city of Vernon and the local police department months after a jury acquitted him of attempted murder.

The Tuscaloosa News reports (http://bit.ly/YwatPY ) Jamison Carr filed a civil lawsuit last week in federal court saying he was falsely arrested and his civil rights were violated. He's seeking $1 million in compensation.

A jury found Carr not guilty of attempted murder and second-degree assault last October. Police had arrested him at a car wash in February 2012 after a confrontation with another man.

The lawsuit says a police officer wrote in an arrest report that Carr said of the man, "I tried to run over him because I wanted to kill him," but the officer later testified in court that wasn't true.

Lying Former Cop Convicted Of False Arrest Only Spends 1 Day In Jail

The former NYPD officer who was convicted of falsely arresting a Brooklyn man last year was given a slap on the wrist plea deal this week—and it turns out he was given a deal on THAT plea deal as well. Former officer Diego Palacio pleaded guilty to the false arrest on Tuesday in Brooklyn Supreme Court in exchange for his resignation from the NYPD and four days in prison. But he only spent one night in jail—because, according to the Post, state law mandates that inmates are to be released on Friday if their discharge date lands on a weekend. So the man Palacio falsely arrested had to spend three days in jail, and the officer who actually did something illegal only got a day.

Last year, Palacio accused MTA engineer John Hockenjos of trying to run him over with his car after Palacio had responded to an argument between Hockenjos and his neighbor. In his report, Palacio said he was forced "to jump out of the way to avoid being hit by defendant's vehicle." Hockenjos was charged with first-degree felony reckless endangerment, and was facing a maximum sentence of up to seven years. Thankfully, a surveillance camera captured footage of the incident, and clearly showed that Hockenjos slowly pulled into the driveway, while the responding cop calmly stood still.

"In my 20 years of legal experience, I've never seen this crystal clear example of a false arrest," defense attorney Craig Newman said outside court last year. Palacio, an eight year veteran of the NYPD, was facing charges of official misconduct, offering a false instrument for filing, falsifying business records, making an apparently sworn false statement, perjury and making a punishable false written statement before he took the deal.

NAACP calls for investigations into allegations of police brutality in Mardi Gras incident

The local branch of the NAACP on Thursday called for federal and state investigations into the actions of nine State Police troopers and one New Orleans police officer after a local TV station aired a video Wednesday night showing the plainclothes officers -- all of them white -- allegedly tackling two young black men in the French Quarter. The incident happened on Sunday in the 700 block of Conti Street amid Mardi Gras 2013 celebrations.

"The major issue is whether or not excessive force was used, and whether or not the civil rights of the young men were violated," said Danatus King, president of the New Orleans chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "There is a great concern that had those young men been white, they would not have been treated the same way."

The video, which was aired on WVUE-TV and lacks audio, shows 17-year-old Sidney Newman and 18-year-old Ferdinand Hunt standing against a wall. Suddenly, a group of plainclothes officers approaches. Some of the officers tackle the teenagers to the ground.

One of the officers is shown swinging Hunt around forcefully. That cop was a State Police trooper, according to a police source familiar with the incident.

Later on in the video, a uniformed NOPD officer approaches the group. She reportedly tells them she is Hunt's mother, and the officers shortly let both men go with her.

NOPD officials did not immediately release Hunt's mother's name.

State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson said he takes the allegations "very seriously," adding that he personally initiated an internal investigation into the incident on Monday morning. He said investigators would take statements from everyone involved and determine what happened within 60 days.

"We will get to the bottom of their actions," he said. He said he believes it is premature to comment on the extent of force used or the circumstances surrounding the incident because the investigation was ongoing.

Hazel Newman, Sidney Newman's mother, told WVUE that she thought the officers overreacted, and she wondered whether race was the reason.

"Why take a child or a young man that's 130 pounds and sling him across? Why not just walk up to him and say, 'What are you doing? What's your name or why are you here?' That's a human being," Hazel Newman told the station. "I would hate to think that it was because these boys were young black boys."

Edmonson denied that race was known to be a factor in the incident.

"What disturbs me is that immediately the race card issue comes out," he said. "I've been involved in law enforcement for 33 years. I look at things that are right or wrong. I don't look at things as the color of somebody's skin. Were the actions taken right or wrong? To immediately come out and automatically say it's profiling and it's a race issue -- that's disconcerting to make those assumptions when we don't know that to be accurate."

He said the undercover task force was largely enforcing juvenile curfew, weapons and drug laws.

Edmonson added he was "disturbed" by the mother's actions.

"She doesn't even know what they're doing at the time -- they're trying to identify these two kids because they appear to be underage," he said. "She just immediately pushes her way into it in a very loud voice and everything. Police are affecting an investigation and someone from complete outside comes in and grabs her son when theyre trying to ID and talk to her son. That's not something you just do. I think we need to find out why that happened."

New Orleans police are not investigating the actions of the NOPD officers -- the officer with the State Police group, or Hunt's mother -- because the department has not received any complaints about them, said spokeswoman Remi Braden.

Arrested officer suspended pending outcome of criminal case

Deron Manndel charged in NJ with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest

Arrested officer suspended pending outcome of criminal case

MOUNT PENN, Pa. -

A Central Berks Regional police officer has been placed on administrative leave with pay.

Deron Manndel was arrested Feb. 3 on disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges at a nightclub in Atlantic City, N.J.

Manndel is a 5-year veteran of the force. We're told his fate will be decided after a hearing on his arrest in New Jersey.

Torrington cop Charged With DUI

A city police officer has been charged with drunken driving, police said.

Matthew Gonska, 32, of Sharon Avenue in Torrington, was driving on New Harwinton Road around 1:27 a.m. Tuesday when he crashed into a snow bank, according to a release from Torrington Police. The vehicle was slightly damaged, but no one was injured.

Gonska, who has been a police officer in the city since August 2010, was off-duty at the time of the crash. He was charged with driving under the influence and traveling too fast, the release states.

Gonska initially placed on leave. He has returned to work on administrative duty.

A criminal and internal investigation continues, police said.

He is to be arraigned on Feb. 25.

Cop charged with DUI may apply for first-time offender program

A Fountain Hill police officer charged with drunken driving after a crash seemed to indicate at his hearing Thursday that he will apply for a first-time offender's program.

James Scoble, 35, of Allentown gave up his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday before District Judge Joseph Barner. Scoble will face trial in Northampton County court on charges of drunken driving and careless driving in the crash Dec. 16 in Bethlehem Township.

During the brief hearing, Scoble's attorney, Gary Asteak, asked Barner for a copy of an application for the first-time offender's program. Scoble declined to comment Thursday.

Scoble remains on paid administrative leave at Fountain Hill, police officials said.

The single-car crash happened in the 3900 block of Freemansburg Avenue. Police said Scoble's car ran into a pole, knocking it down, before hitting a concrete wall and becoming lodged on top of it.

According to the charges, Scoble had a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit.

Scoble was involved in the August traffic stop last year that led to drunken driving and domestic assault charges against former state Rep. Joseph Brennan.

Scoble is the second Fountain Hill officer at the department to recently come under scrutiny. A Fountain Hill police officer was fired this month after authorities say he hit a handcuffed prisoner and lied about it.

Chief Ed Bachert said Grady Cunningham Jr., who had worked full time for the department since 2010, hit the man June 4 in a cell and then falsified reports about it. At the time of his termination, Cunningham declined to comment on the allegations.

Mentally unstable cops

Sandwich police officer arrested Friday after highway incident

A veteran off-duty Sandwich police officer was arrested and suspended from duty early Friday morning after he was accused of ramming a relative’s vehicle on Route 6 east of Exit 2, forcing it from the highway.

Michael Hoadley, 46, faces four counts: assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (his vehicle), domestic assault and battery, operating to endanger and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Sandwich Police Chief Peter Wack suspended Hoadley from duty with pay and called Massachusetts State Police to investigate the incident.

Hoadley was arraigned later Friday morning at Barnstable District Court. He was last suspended from duty for three months in 2010, following an accident in Forestdale.

Police said the victim in the highway assault was not injured.

Hoadley is a 27-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department

Police face misconduct allegations over Carnival incident

New Orleans, La. - 17-year-old Sidney Newman and 18-year-old Ferdinand Hunt say they were hanging out together in the 700 block of Conti Sunday night after going to a parade.

Hunt's mother, an 8th District NOPD officer, was working nearby. The young men say Hunt's mother had gone to grab them something to eat.

Surveillance video obtained by FOX 8 shows Hunt leaning up against the building while Newman sat next to him.

"We were just sitting there laughing and out of nowhere, I saw two guys grab Ferd," says Newman.

"All of a sudden, I'm on the wall. A whole bunch of people just came up and threw me up against the wall," says Hunt.

Those people were plain clothes law enforcement officers, nine of them State Troopers and one NOPD officer. The two young men were taken down to the ground.

"I was scared. I didn't know what was happening. I thought they were trying to rob us," says Hunt.

"At that point another guy came up and grabbed me by my hair and he was on top of me. At the same time, I'm calling, 'Ferd.' I'm asking Ferd, 'Where's your mother?'" says Newman.

Hunt's mother does approach and the two young men are allowed to get up. Not long after releasing the two men, the plain clothes officers simply walked away.

"Why take a child or a young man that's 130 pounds and sling him across? Why not just walk up to him and say, 'What are you doing? What's your name or why are you here?' That's a human being" says Sidney's mother, Hazel Newman. "I would hate to think that it was because these boys were young black boys. I would hate to think that."

State Police say any allegations of racial profiling are absurd.

The troopers were part of the Mardi Gras plain clothes detail. They say they were looking for juvenile violations, illegal weapons and narcotic activity at the time.

While on patrol, State Police say they noticed two individuals who appeared to be juveniles and decided to ID them. The troopers say they had detained both of them when they were approached by an NOPD officer who was interfering with the investigation and claiming it was her son.

They say the troopers verified the identification of the two young men and turned them over to the NOPD officer. LSP spokeswoman Melissa Matey said Thursday that the agency continues to investigate the incident.

"This was Mardi Gras time, so you're going to sling a kid rather than walk up and talk to them? That is incredible," says Newman.

NOPD says the commander of the 8th District did see the video and, as it relates to the action of the NOPD officer, there were no obvious violations of misconduct.

The NAACP wants federal and state agencies to look into the case, claiming it shows racial profiling. And the two boys and their parents met with FBI officials Thursday, asking them to conduct a probe. The FBI hasn't said whether they'll do so, but did tell the families they would be back in touch.

Idiots at work

Greenville, South Carolina: The family of a man shot and killed by officers is filing a wrongful death suit. The family’s attorney said, “They didn’t fire any warning shots. There was no effort, apparently, on the part of the officers to ascertain whether he was, in fact, a threat to them.” He was shot seven times. ow.ly/hGBXI From Police Misconduct.Net

•Kettering, Ohio: A police officer remains on paid administrative leave after being found guilty of misdemeanor assault. ow.ly/hGn2m From Police Misconduct.Net

•Salem, Ohio: A police officer charged with drunk driving is on unpaid leave. Police charged the patrolman with operating a vehicle under the influence. ow.ly/hGf9s From Police Misconduct.Net

•Irvington, New Jersey: An officer was found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated assault, hindering apprehension, and official misconduct. He was sent to jail to await sentencing. http://ow.ly/hE4p7 From Police Misconduct.Net

 •Update: Boulder, Colorado: A police officer accused of stalking and plotting to kill a fellow officer pleaded guilty in a county courthouse. He faces one to three years in prison and remains free on a $500,000 bond. http://ow.ly/hE983 From Police Misconduct.Net

Former Rome police officer charged with drug possession, theft

Rn T.Com

A former Rome police officer fired in 2011 for having a relationship with a known felon was charged with drug possession and theft for stealing drugs from a local pharmacy, according to Rome Police and Floyd County Jail reports.

Ambar Monica Velasquez, 32, of 216 Park Ave., Lindale, is accused of stealing 500 Xanax pills from Rome Pharmacy, 501 E. Second Ave., on Jan. 28.

She is charged with felony possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and misdemeanor theft by taking.

Velasquez is on probation for another misdemeanor theft.

She was charged and convicted of theft after she failed to turn in her police uniforms and citation book.

10 metro police officers face corruption charges

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ten metro Atlanta law officers are in police custody, accused of using their guns, badges and authority to facilitate drug deals under orders of a street gang.

An FBI SWAT team arrested the current and former cops Tuesday for taking payoffs — some as low as $700 — to protect cocaine deals taking place in crowded shopping centers and school parking lots. Five alleged accomplices also were arrested.

“Obviously the breadth of the corruption is very troubling,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Yates. “It is certainly the most (officers) this office has charged in a long time.

“These are people they are supposed to be arresting, not taking money from,” she said.

The arrested officers came from wide swath of law agencies: Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Forest Park and the DeKalb County police and Sheriff’s Office. Officers from MARTA and a contract agent for the Federal Protective Service also were arrested.

Some were long-term veterans. Senior Atlanta police Officer Kelvin Allen had been with the department for 20 years. APD announced shortly after Allen’s arrest that he had been suspended.

DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown and Atlanta Police Chief George Turner joined Yates as she announced the arrests.

“The department has been and will continue to be cooperative with federal authorities to ensure that Atlanta police officers involved in any illegal activity are brought to justice,” the APD said in a statement.

At least some officers appeared willing to kill to protect their gang employers — although no violence was reported. Just before a deal with a new buyer Jan. 30, DeKalb police Officer Dorian Williams told confederate Shannon Bass that wounding was not an option. “I gotta (expletive) kill him, I just can’t shoot him,” Williams said in a secretly recorded conversation, according to the federal affidavit. Bass was among the accused accomplices arrested.

Williams recommended using a high school parking lot for the afternoon transactions because the activity and backpacks wouldn’t look suspicious, the affidavit said.

A former DeKalb County Jail officer, Monyette McLaurin, lied to his criminal colleagues by claiming he was an active duty deputy, the affidavit said, and he discussed with Gregory Lee Harvey, who also was arrested, the need to possibly kill someone.

Attempts to reach Allen, Williams and McLaurin for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Authorities haven’t released a lot of details but Yates said the investigation is ongoing. The accused officers were arrested quickly and without warning, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Giulano said. Some of the alleged illegal transactions took place last month, Giulano said.

The case began in August 2011 as a street gang investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, whose undercover agents learned the gang had officers on the payroll for protection, Yates said. The FBI took over the police corruption aspects of the case.

The cops were recruited by individuals who offered to provide police protection for a street gang’s drug deals — from both honest cops who might arrest them and crooks who would rob them. The officer and the broker divided payments that ranged as high $7,000 and as low as $2,200 — sometimes with the broker with getting a sweeter share, according to federal affidavits. A broker reported one officer received only a $700 share.

The officers were in full uniform and often driving patrol vehicles, and would stand stand guard as informants and drug traffickers swapped backpacks containing cash and what was supposed to be cocaine, the affidavit said. A DeKalb officer charged $800 extra for the use of the patrol car, the affidavit said.

The FBI and ATF set up a sting by having an informant tell gang members and their associates that he needed police protection for upcoming drug deals. Three people — Shannon Bass, 38, and Elizabeth Coss, 35, both of Atlanta, and Jeffry B. Mannery Jr, 38, of Tucker — provided the informant with names of officers who wanted to provide security, the affidavit said. Coss and Mannery also were among those arrested. The authorities used counterfeit cocaine in the sting.

The officers were engaged in repeated transactions that trafficked enough kilos of cocaine to be eligible for a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, Yates said. Williams, for instance, is accused of splitting $18,000, although his exact share wasn’t clear.

At least one man allegedly attempted to get in on the protection racket by falsely claiming to be a Clayton County police officer, federal authorities said. They charged Alexander B. Hill, 22, in the drug trafficking case for playing a role in what he thought were three cocaine deals involving multiple kilograms.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Scott Sweetow would not name the street gang involved, but he suggested the public corruption aspects would be far ranging.

“I can say this is probably not the last you will be hearing of this case,” he said

Suit: Officer Demoted After Reporting Supervisor Misconduct

Officer Anthony Hernandez says he was pulled from the street and relegated to a "penalty box" when he reported a sergeant's alleged wrong-doing

A Chicago police officer has filed suit against the department and three of his supervisors, complaining that one of those supervisors, his sergeant, falsified time records as compensation for rehab work he did on the sergeant’s Michigan summer home.

Officer Anthony Hernandez, an undercover narcotics officer, says he took time off to do the work in the summer of 2011. But when a dispute arose over payment, Hernandez says his sergeant, James Padar, told him he had falsified time records to make it appear he had been at work at his police job the entire time.

"He said that he held my slips, meaning that he carried me on the city payroll, while I was actually in Michigan working on his house," Hernandez explained.

In essence, the officer alleges his boss told him the taxpayers would be paying his bill. The officer’s attorney, Patrick Walsh, says he was warned to keep quiet.

"Officer Hernandez alleges that [Padar] said, 'I’ve done this before. I’ve done this for other officers. You better not say anything, because I could get in a lot of trouble for it,'" said Walsh.

Hernandez claims that when he complained about the matter, he was pulled from the street and relegated to an inside job at the police facility at Homan Square.

"Now he sits in the guard shack," Walsh said. "He was a high ranking undercover officer."

Hernandez's lawsuit against the police department, Padar, and two other supervisors, alleges his first amendment rights were violated when he raised the construction matter and was demoted. In the meantime, he says a separate complaint filed with the police department’s own Internal Affairs unit has gone nowhere.

"I was told by internal affairs investigators that I should have expected this to happen," said Hernandez.

Padar did not return a call seeking comment. The City Law Department said they had not been served with the suit and had no comment. Police department spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said the department was aware of the matter, but citing the ongoing internal affairs investigation, she said they had no comment on the latest allegations.

State's Attorney Looking into Police Misconduct Matter

The city of Chicago has quietly turned over to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office a case of alleged misconduct by a police supervisor, NBC Chicago has learned.
Officer Anthony Hernandez filed the suit against the Chicago Police Department and three of his supervisors, alleging that one of his superiors, a sergeant, falsified time records as compensation for rehab work he did on the sergeant's Michigan summer home.
Hernandez claimed that when he complained about the matter, he was pulled from the street and relegated to an inside job at the police facility at Homan Square.
In an effort to bolster his case, Hernandez obtained security video from a Home Depot store in Michigan showing he was there buying supplies for Sgt. James Padar's house and not working at his police job.

Salem Officer Suspended for Drunk Driving

A Salem police officer was suspended without pay on Tuesday after he was charged with driving with more than three times the legal amount of alcohol in his system Sunday in Canfield.

Patrolman Gary A. Poage, 47, was charged with drunk driving Sunday after what he called “a bad date.” He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Mahoning County Canfield Area Court.

Salem Police Chief J.T. Panezott said Tuesday Poage was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case.

Reports said an officer working with the Mahoning County OVI Task Force spotted Poage’s red 2000 Pontiac swerving and driving over the double-yellow lines at about 2:30 a.m. on Fairgrounds Boulevard.

Officers noted Poage smelled of alcohol and had glassy eyes when they first pulled him over on South Broad Street. Poage told officers he was on his way home from a “bad date,” and had just dropped off his date in Hubbard.

Poage told the officer several times he did not consume alcohol. Reports said officers found two red plastic cups with beer inside and two empty bottles of Miller Hi-Life beer inside his car. When asked about the cup with beer, Poage told officers he didn’t know what the liquid was or how the cup ended up between his feet.

He then told officers he had two margaritas, and later said his date bought a pitcher of margaritas.

Reports said Poage failed three sobriety tests and tested at a 0.26 blood-alcohol content. The legal limit in Ohio is .08.

Officers immediately placed his driver’s license on administrative suspension, reports said.

Cops step on teenagers face

19 year old Robert Jackson insists he did nothing wrong and can’t understand why police pummeled him to the ground, punched and kicked him on a Flatbush street.

The incident January 8th was captured on cellphone video shown to the media by Jackson’s lawyer. Jacques Leandre says his client was not resisting arrest, as police claim, but trying to move his arm that was pressed under his chest.

“He was pleading for help as poilice were pressing his face against the pavement. He kept screaming, ‘stop, stop.’” Jackson’s cries are clearly audible on the video. A couple of officers are seen holding the teen down. They are joined by others, one kicks him, while another appears to throw a punch.

At a news conference with members of the clergy and community leaders who voiced outrage and demanded answers from police, Jackson asked, “How could they do this to me? I didn’t do anything wrong.” Police have charged Jackson with resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and marijuana possession.

In response to the charge of brutality, a statement from NYPD says, “We are aware of the matter an d have turned it over to the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

The problem of mentally unstable cops in America.

•Springdale, Pennsylvania: A police officer is facing federal charges after he allegedly punched and used a taser on a man who was in handcuffs. http://ow.ly/hCaGX  From Police Misconduct.

•Orange County, California: A sheriff’s deputy was arrested and charged with accepting bribes, including some connected to businesses, from a murderer inmate. He faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison if he is convicted on all counts. ow.ly/hBVhC  From Police Misconduct.

•Update: Pasadena, California: A detective will be placed on administrative leave after a judge declared a mistrial in a homicide case because of the detective’s mishandling of evidence. ow.ly/hyCIF From Police Misconduct.

•East Chicago, Illinois: An 18-year veteran was indicted on 12 fraud charges relating to an alleged ghost payrolling scheme, federal court records state. “It is never good to see a police officer’s name on a federal indictment,” said the police chief. http://ow.ly/hCeBc From Police Misconduct.

•Twin Peaks, California: A sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty to a grand-theft charge stemming from a salary-boosting scheme involving seven former department employees. They allegedly falsified department records to increase their pay. ow.ly/hykKA From Police Misconduct.

•Meigs County, Tennessee: An officer was arrested after being indicted by a grand jury on charges stemming from a shooting incident. He allegedly shot at his stepfather twice, although he did not hit him. ow.ly/hxX9a  From Police Misconduct.

•Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A police officer has been ordered to serve six months in federal prison for his role in a multi-state steroid distribution ring orchestrated by a former police colleague. Both men were active-duty officers at the time of the activity but were later fired from the force. ow.ly/hxTE4  From Police Misconduct.

•Hendersonville, North Carolina: An officer was arrested for driving while under the influence. He was on-duty and in his highway patrol cruiser. ow.ly/hxRDU  From Police Misconduct.

•Los Angeles, California: Seven sheriff’s deputies have been notified that the department intends to fire them for belonging to a secret law enforcement clique that allegedly celebrated shootings and branded its members with matching tattoos. ow.ly/hxDPn From Police Misconduct.

•Memphis, Tennessee: A police officer who allegedly threatened a man has now been arrested on a charge of harassment. http://ow.ly/hysG3 From Police Misconduct.

•Mount Joy Borough, Pennsylvania: A police officer was suspended for two days without pay for unspecified misconduct. The discipline is the latest in several involving Mount Joy police. http://ow.ly/hysY0 From Police Misconduct.

•Cincinnati, Ohio: An officer admitted that he deposited money meant to avoid bank-reporting requirements in an alleged marijuana smuggling operation. http://ow.ly/hyuXR From Police Misconduct.

•Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: An officer has been suspended with pay amid a police investigation into an “alleged excessive force incident,” city officials have said. ow.ly/hxYoa From Police Misconduct.

•Hale County, Alabama: A deputy has been indicted on charges accusing him of keeping drugs he acquired during investigations. http://ow.ly/hyEaX From Police Misconduct.

Mentally unstable cops: Cop Charged After Standoff State Police

Charlotte Co, VA - A former Farmville Police Officer is behind bars, charged with four counts of attempted Capital murder of a police officer and four counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to Virginia State Police Spokesperson Corinne Geller.
Captain Howard Hobgood of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says T.J. Long of Keysville shot at Charlotte County Deputies and State Police Saturday Afternoon nearly a dozen times on farmland near the Charlotte / Prince Edward County line.
Hobgood said deputies from his office were responding to calls from Long's wife, who was trying to locate him Saturday, when the shooting started.
State police say they were able to set up a perimeter around the property and that no Deputies or State Police Officers were injured during the shooting.
Long eventually surrendered to State Police around 5:20 p.m. Saturday, Geller said.
Captain Hobgood says Long is also a suspect in the arson of a home that Long owned off of Route 40 before the shooting incident. Long's wife lived in the home, but was not home at the time of the fire, Hobgood said.
The fire remains under investigation, Hobgood said.
Long is being held in the Piedmont Regional Jail, Geller said. 

Cop with mental health issues commits suicide in FDR Park

A Lower Merion cop suffering from mental health issues committed suicide in his car in FDR Park this morning, according to police and Lower Merion officials.
When Lower Merion Township Ofc. Sean Quinn, 46, did not show up for work as scheduled at 7 a.m. today, Superintendent Michael McGrath issued an alert to all area law enforcement agencies "out of an abundance of caution," according to a news release.
The release did not detail why Quinn's supervisors felt it necessary to notify other police departments that the officer was missing, but a city police spokeswoman said Quinn was believed to suffer from mental health issues.
Lower Merion Township public information officer Thomas Walsh declined to go in to detail regarding Quinn's mental state. He did, however, say the officer was not fired but just failed to show up for work.
Walsh said Quinn left his house after a fight with his wife Sunday night and did not return.
Quinn was last seen around 5:30 a.m. in Ardmore and last had contact with his family around 6:30 a.m. while he was in the Columbus Boulevard area, according to Lower Merion officials.
After Quinn's personal vehicle, a 2012 gray Ford Focus, was found at FDR park this morning, city police set up a perimeter around the park at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia, according to police.
Quinn was found inside the vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to a news release from Lower Merion Township.
Lower Merion police called Quinn, who also worked as a D.A.R.E officer, "a respected veteran of the force." Walsh said he was the father of three adult children.
"He was just a very well liked and a well-respected officer here," Walsh said. "His fellow officers are trying to absorb this."
According to his LinkedIn profile, Quinn had 25 years experience in law enforcement and was nearing retirement. He was working on building an Internet shopping business, according to his profile.
In a statement, Lower Merion police Superintendent Michael McGrath said: "The Lower Merion Police Department wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to Officer Quinn's family and friends and asks that they be kept in your thoughts and prayers as we all try to come to terms with this tragic event."

Memphis police officer arrested on harassment charge

A Memphis police officer who allegedly threatened a Collierville man in October has now been arrested on a charge of harassment.
Darrell Malone, 26, was arrested Monday, but released on bail later that day.
The incident happened Oct. 24 near Germantown Parkway and Interstate 40. A motorist called police to report several motorcyclists driving recklessly. At that point, Malone, one of the motorcyclists, allegedly flashed a gun and said he was a cop. The motorist left, but said that Malone later contacted him on his cell phone.
Both Malone and dispatcher Jenny Rice, who was accused of providing Malone with the motorist's information, were suspended with pay.
It was unclear whether the harassment charge is related to this incident. No affidavit has been posted on Malone's arrest report, which is unusual. When contacted Thursday, Memphis Police spokesman Alyssa Macon-Moore was unaware that Malone had been arrested.

Memphis Police Officer Sentenced to 84 Months for Civil Rights Violations, Drug Conspiracy

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 01, 2013

Western District of Tennessee (901) 544-4231

MEMPHIS—Melvin Victor Robinson, 32, a former Memphis Police officer, was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to civil rights violations and attempting to possess 10 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III.
“This sentence should serve as an unequivocal warning that law enforcement officers who disgrace their badge and violate the public’s trust will ultimately be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “We will continue to hold accountable anyone who engages in such conduct—including those who take an oath to protect and serve.”
In July, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Section 846; one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 242; and conspiracy against rights, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 242.
On January 26, 2012, an informant contacted Robinson and contracted the sale and purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine. According to facts stated in court, Robinson met the informant while he was on duty and in his police car. The informant told Robinson that the cocaine was stored inside a trailer located at a trucking lot in south Memphis. The informant then provided Robinson with the key and location of the trailer. Approximately 10 minutes later, special agents and task force oOfficers of the FBI saw Robinson get out of his police car and enter the trailer. Robinson later exited the trailer and placed a black duffel bag containing what he believed to be cocaine inside his police car.
Robinson also pleaded guilty to stealing money from Jwan Boddie. On November 14, 2011, Boddie was detained by Robinson during an arrest while Robinson was working as a MPD officer. According to facts stated in court, Robinson and his partner responded to a narcotics call at the Colonial Inn, where they found Boddie in his hotel room. During that search Robinson admitted to stealing $700 and later sharing the money with his partner.
Robinson also pleaded guilty to striking Jeremy Pettis during an arrest in April 2011. According to facts stated in court, Robinson detained and punched Pettis in the face while he was sitting in his vehicle.
“The criminal behavior of a police officer harms the integrity of all of law enforcement,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The hard work by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute this case stands as a reminder that the majority of law enforcement officers serve and protect their communities honorably.”
“This is proof that the judicial system works,” said Memphis Police Department Director Toney Armstrong. “Regardless of what position you hold, you will be held accountable for your actions if you choose to break the law.”
This crime was investigated by the Tarnished Badge Task Force, which is composed of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Coleman on behalf of the government.