City mulls paying $525,000 to settle cop misconduct cases

One cop stripped of police powers but still works for department

The City Council Finance Committee on Monday recommended paying out $525,000 to settle two cases of alleged police misconduct, one involving an officer stripped of his police powers who still works for the department.
If approved by the full council Wednesday, the city would pay $325,000 to settle a case involving Officer John Haleas, who was considered the department's top enforcer of drunken driving laws before prosecutors accused him of falsifying police reports.
In the case, Julio Martinez Jr. accused Haleas of beating him and falsely accusing him of driving under the influence after handcuffing him to a bar in March 2006, said Leslie Darling, a top city attorney. Martinez, a hemophiliac, suffered a head injury that required medical treatment that cost $106,000, Darling said.
In 2008, Haleas was stripped of his police powers. Last year, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice, years after a felony case against him fell apart. He served a one-day suspension and now works in the police records department earning nearly $81,000 a year, which Ald. Willie Cochran, 20th, called "unacceptable."
Aldermen also recommended paying $200,000 to settle a case filed by a man who was run over by a police squad car chasing him in May 2009. Officers at first said RL Johnson fell, but that was inconsistent with his injuries, Darling said. A video recording of the incident is missing, she added.

Deputy Chief John Hunter pleads guilty in police misconduct case

Nassau County police commander pleaded guilty Wednesday to official misconduct for trying to help derail burglary charges against the son of a man who donated money to police causes.
Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, former deputy patrol chief John Hunter avoided jail time. He was sentenced instead to 3 years of probation and 500 hours of community service.

Valley Falls Outraged Over Reported Auxiliary Police Misconduct

VALLEY FALLS, Kan. (WIBW) -- Disgruntled citizens in Valley Falls gathered to voice their opinions on what they're calling auxiliary police misconduct.
The reason why many of them are so heated has them wondering how their council is running their city.
Residents describe last Saturday night in downtown Valley Falls as total mayhem, and it had Wednesday's council meeting in mayhem as well.
Saturday night, residents reported teenagers drag-racing and speeding up and down the city's main street. The icing on the cake for them was finding out an auxiliary police officer and councilman, Todd Harrington, was part of it.
 Another auxiliary member, Doug Wildeman was reported to have been driving around town with a young girl in his lap.
"He was turning the siren on and off, the headlights on an off, the flashers on and off, hit the airhorn a couple times," said witness Lee Kahn of Valley Falls. "He floored it and he gunned it at maximum speed. I assumed it was a police officer so I came in to City Hall to file a written complaint, only to find out it wasn't even a police officer driving the car, that it was a civilian."
Valley Falls city council approved its auxiliary police program April 25. It gives civilians the right to drive in police cars and patrol the city. The council said having a civilian on patrol will make kids feel comfortable with hanging out downtown. Harrington said in the meeting that the city council's goal was to have the kids all in once place so they would be easier to watch. He also said he wanted the atmosphere to be similar to when he was a teen, hanging out downtown.
"They are afraid to be uptown when the cops are up there. They get run off," Harrington said.
Many Valley Falls residents and parents are outraged that civilians were patrolling that Saturday when the situation got out of control. One trained patrolman was reported to have been filling out paperwork while two auxiliary members were out in police cars.
"We pay officers to do their job. I don't think people who aren't qualified should be doing something like that," resident Pat Reyley said. "As taxpayers, if something was to happen to the patrol car, who's going to pay for that? Us."
Residents say the auxiliary program test-run did nothing but encourage reckless behavior in the town's youth.
"This is the night to come and tear up our community. This is the town to be in at that night because they know there's no police around to do anything about it. That concerns me," Julie Trower said.
13 News received information from an anonymous source that the mayor, Charles Stutesman was going to fire the chief of police Josh Pence about the whole situation, but decided against it and reappointed him.
As it stands, the auxiliary program was tabled at Wednesday's meeting and will no longer be in effect for the time being.
No arrests, citations or tickets were given out on Saturday night. Two Jefferson County police officers were called to downtown Valley Falls when the teenagers were there.

6 Police Misconduct Settlements Worth Millions

When police abuse their authority everyone loses. Victims may get hurt or even lose their life, police damage their credibility and taxpayers end up shouldering huge payouts to victims and their families.

Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department settled a lawsuit brought against it by two women officers mistakenly shot at during the Dorner manhunt in February. The settlement will cost the city $4.2 million and attorneys called it "a bargain."

Parents of Dancer Shot and Killed by Police After Jumping Ship Settle for $2.5 Million

Paul Hirschfield, 37, was one of the dancers on a boat chartered for a gay pride party in San Diego on July 19, 2010.
At about 11 p.m., he jumped into the San Diego Bay and was shot and killed by Harbor Police during an altercation as they were trying to get him out of the water.
Police said he fought with an officer and tried to grab his gun. Hirshfield's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit, pointing out that he was unarmed and shot in the back.
The victims parents settled the case for $2.5 million

Women Shot at During Dorner Manhunt Settle for $4.2 Million

Two women mistakenly shot at by Los Angeles police during the manhunt for Christopher Dorner earlier this year reached a $4.2 million settlement.
Emma Hernandez, 71, and her daughter Margie Carranza, 47, where delivering newspapers when police officers fired about 100 bullets at their pickup truck on February 7, 2013.
Dorner reportedly drove a pickup truck, but the women's vehicle did not match the make, model or color of Dorner's.
Los Angeles city attorney Carmen Trutanich said the agreement was a "no brainer because costs were going to skyrocket."
"We got out of this thing pretty cheaply all things considered," he said according to the Los Angeles Times.

$3.5 Million Settlement After Police Kill man Inside Connecticut House

Heavily armed police charged into a home in Easton, Conn. with guns drawn and flash grenades exploding when they shot and killed Gonzalo Guizan, who was "quietly watching porn" on TV at the time.
According to reports, the raid took place because police were under pressure to "do something" about Ronald Terebesi, the home owner. Terebesi would entertain exotic dancers in his home and was "considered a blot on an otherwise pristine neighborhood." He was also reportedly using drugs and his house had been shot at by the boyfriend of one of the dancers.
The Guizan family settled their lawsuit $3.5 million in February 2013.

Homeless Man's Mother Settles for $1 Million

On July 5, 2011, Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia, was stopped by two officers for allegedly trying to break into cars at a bus depot in Fullerton, Calif.
The officers beat him and used a Taser several times, eventually leaving him unconscious. Thomas was treated by paramedics and was taken to the hospital, but died five days later after being taken off life support.
The City of Fullerton gave a $1 million settlement to Cathy Thomas, the victim's mother.

Family of Deceased Beer-Drinking Celtics Fan Settles for $3 Million

David Woodman died after sustaining injuries during an arrest while celebrating the Boston Celtics 2008 NBA championships. His family settled a lawsuit with the city of Boston for $3 million.
Police apprehended Woodman who was drinking beer near the Fenway area with a group of fans. Woodman collapsed, according to reports, and was taken to a hospital where he died 11 days later.
An investigator's report concluded he died of a pre-existing heart condition. However, his family said they believed police lied about what happened during their son's arrest. Woodman had more than a dozen abrasions, bruises, cuts or lacerations that were not mentioned in the investigator's report.

Chicago's Surpasses $27 Million Set Aside for Settlements in Less Than a Month

The city of Chicago has already surpassed the $27 Million it set aside for settlements in 2013.
The city reached settlements in two cases of police misconduct in January reaching $33 million. The first case settled for just over $10 million was for a man who had been wrongfully convicted for murder. A second $22.5 million settlement was reached for a woman with a bipolar disorder who was attacked, raped and injured when she fell from a 7th floor window after police released her in one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods.
In March, Boston officials agreed to settle three lawsuits totaling $7 million. The largest of the three was for $4.5 million for the wrongful death of Rekia Boyd, who was shot by an off-duty cop. Boyd was walking on the street, when the policeman shot his weapon blindly over his shoulder at a group of men.

City to pay $325,000 to hemophiliac beaten by cop, falsely charged with DUI

Officer John Haleas indicted on four counts each of official misconduct and perjury and two counts of obstruction of justice as he leaves the Criminal Court House at 26th & California after his arraignment

Chicago taxpayers will spend $325,000 to compensate a hemophiliac falsely charged with DUI, then beaten by a Chicago Police officer while handcuffed to a metal bar in a holding room.

Julio Martinez was treated for a possible skull fracture after a May 2009 beating administered by Chicago Police Officer John Haleas, who was once Chicago’s most prolific officer in making DUI arrests, only to be stripped of his police powers after being accused of falsifying drunken driving arrests. 

Haleas wracked up 718 arrests in 2005 and 2006, only to have 156 of those cases dismissed after his arrest. Two Cook County prosecutors were the original witnesses to the officer’s alleged failure to give a DUI suspect a field sobriety test or tell the man he could refuse to take a Breathalyzer test.

He was indicted and relieved of his police powers in 2008 and pleaded guilty four years later to misdemeanor attempted obstruction of justice.

Haleas received a five-day suspension subsequently reduced to a one-day suspension by the Police Board. He is now assigned to the Records Division.

The $325,000 settlement was approved Monday by the City Council’s Finance Committee, but not before aldermen demanded to know why Haleas was still being paid by Chicago taxpayers. 

“The exposure that we’re seeing from people like Mr. Haleas — it’s just compounded more and more when a decision is not made” to fire him, said Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd).

Ald. Willie Cochran (20th), a former Chicago Police officer, added, “We didn’t hire him to work in the Records Division without any sworn [powers]...Here we are again in the same situation with an officer who committed a criminal act. Other officers…can testify and represent the city well. This person cannot, but he’s been given continuing employment status after admitting to this wrongdoing? . . . That we would support a person like this continuing to get a payroll check? I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

Terry Ekl, an attorney representing Martinez, was equally incensed.

Ekl also represented a diminutive bartender beaten by former Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate in a case that culminated in a $850,000 damage award and a precedent-setting finding that a “code of silence” in the Chicago Police Department played a role in the videotaped beating.

“The city is still paying him the same amount of money to sit in an office to answer a telephone when police officers should be on the street protecting citizens,” Ekl said.

“It’s reprehensible. It’s part of the failure of the Chicago Police Department to appropriately investigate and discipline police officers engaging in misconduct, which is a part of the code of silence.”

The Finance Committee also approved a $200,000 settlement to an alleged robbery suspect who suffered a severe leg injury after being run over by a Chicago Police officer in May, 2009.

The officer initially denied running over plaintiff R.L. Johnson, then admitted hitting Johnson, but inisisted it was an accident. Video from the squad car camera in the lead pursuit vehicle is “missing” and has not been located, Deputy Corporation Counsel Leslie Darling said.

The injured man was “found with drugs on his person,” but had no weapon and the robbery victim declined to press charges.

“The court has ruled that it will allow argument that the missing video was deliberately destroyed, although we have no evidence of such destruction,” Darling said.

Cop charged with destroying evidence

Former Nebraska police officer James Kinsella has been charged with felony tampering with evidence, misdemeanour obstruction and theft over the arrest of Octavious Johnson last month, KPTM reports.
As Juaquez Johnson filmed his brother being beaten in the street in front of their home, officer Matthew Worm warned him he would be arrested if he stepped onto the street again.
After ignoring the directive the officer chased Mr Johnson, who ran into his home and hid behind the wheelchair of a disabled relative.
As more officers followed him into the home a third brother, Demetrious Johnson, began to film the unfolding incident on his mobile phone.
Police allege that a short time later Kinsella took the memory card from Mr Johnson's phone and destroyed it.
Sergeant Aaron Von Behren has also been charged with misdemeanour accessory to a felony and obstructing government operations over the incident.
A police investigation found the arresting officers' use of force had been within acceptable limits but the men were fired over the incident.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said police would cooperate fully with the investigation.

More idiots at work

Center City, Pennsylvania: Three men and one woman have filed a federal lawsuit against the police claiming that they were mistreated by an officer. The encounter was recorded by one of the men. ow.ly/kGoua

Idiots at work

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Allegations have surfaced that police officers are abusing their power, making arrests for trespassing when people have done nothing wrong and no one’s asked them to leave. A lawsuit has been filed against the GRPD by the ACLU. http://ow.ly/kGsEw

Nassau County, New York (First reported 02-21-13): A former police chief has pleaded guilty to official misconduct and conspiracy charges. He was one of the three police officials who prevented the arrest of a teenager whose father was a police benefactor. http://ow.ly/kGBUs

Cops sued

New York, New York: Three men have said that police officers confronted them, sometimes violently, searched their clothing, and discovered small amounts of marijuana, according to a civil rights lawsuit. The suit contends that the officers routinely stop black and Latino men without cause and then falsely claimed the marijuana was in public view, making it a low-level misdemeanor, which allows for sentences of up to three months in jail. ow.ly/kGpb5

Investigates dozens of lawsuits against OPD

ORLANDO, Fla. —

9 Investigates discovered nearly three dozen lawsuits have been filed against Orlando police accusing them of excessive force or false arrest in recent years, costing taxpayers more than $1 million.

That total doesn't include a $90,000 federal jury award handed down just last week. That jury ruled in favor of a woman who said she was falsely arrested by Orlando police.

Channel 9's Ryan Hughes also learned Louis Cabeza, a man an OPD officer shot with a Taser and struck with a baton, plans to file a lawsuit against the department soon.

The incident with Cabeza happened at Blue Martini at the Mall at Millenia after, an officer said, Cabeza hit him in the chest and refused to be handcuffed.

Rough scenes like the video showing Cabeza getting hit with a baton have played out time and again in Orlando.

Hughes asked Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney about the incidents, some of which have led to costly lawsuits.

"Do you think, at times, some officers can be too forceful?" Hughes asked.

"I think, at times, we're human," Rooney responded. "And I'm not going to make any excuses."

Eyewitness News has reported on scores of lawsuits filed against the Orlando Police Department. City records show 32 citizens hit OPD with false arrest or excessive force lawsuits since 2009. And a total of $1.3 million in taxpayer money went to settlements or jury awards for 18 of those cases.

"Do you think that number says something about the police force here?" Hughes asked one local lawyer.

"It says they make a lot of false arrests," said attorney Howard Marks, who has represented some of those suing OPD. "I think they use force that's unnecessary."

Heather Hull sued OPD after she was shot with a Taser by an OPD officer at the Citrus Bowl in 2003. She won $80,000 in her case. Marks received two times that amount for attorney's costs.

In 2010, Daniel Daley's neck was broken by an OPD officer. A federal jury later awarded the elderly man $880,000.

Hughes learned that if a suit gets filed against a police department in state court, there is a $200,000 cap. But in federal court, a victim can be awarded any amount of money.

Orlando police are not alone when it comes to having these kinds of claims filed against its officers.

In Fort Lauderdale, which has 80,000 fewer residents than Orlando, there have been even more lawsuits filed against the city police: at least 50 in the past few years.

Back in Orlando, Rooney sees the lawsuits as a blip when compared to the 18,000 arrests made by his officers each year.

"When you look at 32 lawsuits over four or five years," Rooney said, "that's one-tenth of 1 percent."

He told Hughes that the department spends $120,000 on additional training each year.

"Computer-based training. We do training bulletins. We have our legal staff come in and do updates," Rooney explained.

Local attorneys agree that extra training is a must in order to lower the number of claims against the department.

"If you don't interfere with the behavior, it's not going to change, whether negative or positive," said Thomas Luka, another attorney who has sued the department in excessive force or false arrest cases.

Hughes reached out to several people who filed suits against OPD, but they didn't want to talk.

As for the officers involved in the cases 9 Investigates highlighted, they couldn't comment on the story. Many are still on the force after receiving little or no discipline.

Police officer charged in bogus arrest of NJ politician

WOODBURY, N.J. - May 2, 2013 (WPVI) -- It sounded like an excuse from a politician who had been caught doing something wrong: When New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Moriarty was accused of driving drunk last year, he said he had been set up by a rogue police officer.

But a Gloucester County grand jury believed him, and now it's the officer who's facing charges.
The Washington Township officer, Joseph DiBuonaventura, was indicted Wednesday on 14 counts, all accusing him of making a bogus arrest of Moriarty on July 31 and lying to support his claims.If the officer is convicted on all charges, including false swearing and falsifying evidence, he could be sentenced to decades in prison.

DiBuonaventura's lawyer, James Lynch, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press on Thursday after the indictment was made public.
The officer was suspended without pay and charged by prosecutors last year. But Moriarty said in a statement Thursday that it's the indictment that validates him.
"I did nothing wrong that day. I was falsely arrested. My property was seized. My good name was tarnished," the Democratic lawmaker said. "I hope now that true justice can take place and my good name restored."
Moriarty says he did not have anything to drink the day he was arrested. Last year, he showed reporters a squad-car video of his arrest that he said showed he had done nothing wrong.
Before he entered politics, Moriarty was a Philadelphia television personality known for a consumer-affairs segment called "Can You Believe It?" He later became mayor of Washington Township.
His drunken-driving case has been put on hold while the case against DiBuonaventura moves ahead. 

Drugged and drunk cops, a national issue

A Williamson WVA Police officer is suspended without pay after State Police charged him with driving under the influence.Jefferson Taylor III, 23, was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after troopers in Pike County, Kentucky say he crashed his cruiser before 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to court documents. Williamson Police Chief Dave Rockel told us his department is conducting an internal investigation into the matter which will coincide with the Kentucky State Police investigation. 

The epidemic of mentally unstable cops in America: excessive force during an arrest.

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Do cops really need gun? Maybe we should rethink that policy

Las Vegas, Nevada: The police department’s Use of Force Board is recommending the firing of a police officer for shooting a man in the leg. He will have the opportunity to appeal the decision. ow.ly/kBX1p

Update: Portland, Oregon (First reported 04-12-13): The city will pay $2.3 million to settle a federal lawsuit filed after a police officer wounded a man when he mistakenly fired lethal rounds at him from a beanbag shotgun. The victim is now permanently disabled and narrowly escaped death only because there was a hospital nearby. ow.ly/kBtvx

Mitchell County, Iowa: A police officer has been put on administrative leave for an accidental shooting. The police chief says the officer was off duty while showing another man a personal weapon. ow.ly/kCeLh

 Colorado Springs, Colorado: A police department supervisor was arrested and is suspected of clocking in and accepting pay for hours he did not work. One of his reporting officers is said to have reported the discrepancies, triggering an investigation. ow.ly/kBSKt

Harford County, Maryland: A deputy who fired his weapon at a suspect who was fleeing the scene of an accident has been charged with reckless endangerment. ow.ly/kBvJm

Officer Suspended After Shooting

Osage, IA – An Osage officer has been put on paid suspension, after he accidentally shot a weapon.

One person was injured.

Officer Brad Evans, from the Osage Police Department, was off duty on Saturday morning when one of his weapons discharged.

A friend of Evans’ was shot in the hand when the weapon went off.

Mayor Steve Cooper says it’s an unfortunate event.

“Our main concern right now is number one he is a fine employee we don’t want to lose him as an employee but at the same time people need to understand there are ramifications for what they do on duty and off duty,” said Cooper.

The Chief of Police and City Council met tonight to discuss what disciplinary action should be taken against the officer.

Evans is now on un-paid suspension, and will have to be re-trained on handling a revolver.

He will also have to re-qualify for his marksmanship certification.

Evans is expected to return to work Friday evening.

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Your average cop is a common thief

Sacramento, California (First reported 03-25-13): A police officer was sentenced to one year in jail for falsifying drunken driving reports and lying at a State Department of Motor Vehicles administrative hearing. The judge said that he was particularly disturbed by how the officer’s actions threatened the integrity of the criminal justice system and violated due process of the accused. http://ow.ly/kjg2H

New York, New York: A veteran police officer is accused of filing phony tax returns for himself and others. He was charged with filing fraudulent tax returns over 5 years. http://ow.ly/kipd8

Beaverton, Oregon: A police officer was arrested on accusations that he lied to obtain public assistance, including food stamps. http://ow.ly/kiA6U

Prince George’s County, Maryland: A now-former police officer was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but will serve only seven, for allegedly selling seized guns. He had been assigned to a task force that seized guns from people unqualified to own them. Prosecutors say he then sold some of those guns to known criminals over the course of up to three years. http://ow.ly/kiGRZ

Cop sentenced in N.Y. for steroid exports to Canada

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A Niagara Region police officer has been sentenced in Buffalo, N.Y. to one year plus a day in jail. Const. Geoff Purdie also received two years-probation for exporting anabolic steroids from Buffalo into Canada.He was arrested in April 2012. Immediately after sentencing, Purdie was suspended without pay. Niagara Regional police say Purdie's future employment status will be addressed "pursuant to the discipline process according to the Police Services Act." Niagara police chief Jeff McGuire, who was in court during sentencing, said his force will work to "restore the trust that has been damaged."

Arrest of Texas Soldier Raises 2nd Amendment and Police Misconduct Issues

An incident involving a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Temple, Texas, police has started a row over the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and accusations of police misconduct.

Texas vet arrested for "rudely display weapon"

According to an interview in the National Review, C.J. Grisham, an army veteran, was hiking with his teenage son in rural Texas, helping him earn a hiking merit badge that would earn him the status of Eagle Scout. Grisham was carrying an AR 15 for protection, he says, against feral hogs, cougars, and other predators as well as a concealed handgun that he had a permit for. He and his son were stopped by a Temple policeman and, while the meeting began cordially, it soon spiraled out of control. According to Grisham's account, partly disputed by the police but supported by an accompanying video of the incident, the police office had an issue with Grisham's carrying a firearm, which he had a legal right to do. The police office and Grisham had an altercation that involved, Grisham says, the officer suddenly grabbing at his rifle then pulling his own weapon. The police claim that the officer asked for Grisham's weapon, but was refused. The incident ended with Grisham being relieved of both of his weapons and his concealed carry permit and being placed under arrest. Grisham maintains that the police officer's actions were contrary to the law.

An anti-gun prosecutor

The remarkable incident, considering the popularity of firearms in rural Texas, might be explained by a local prosecutor named Ken Kalafut, according to a story about the incident in the Daily Caller. Kalafut is described as an Obama supporter and is suspected as being the "bandleader of gun control efforts" in the local community. Kalafut was involved in a similar incident involving a Fort Hood soldier named Nathaniel Sampson who was arrested for taking a concealed handgun into a hospital where his wife had been taken for treatment. The Sampson case was finally dropped after a 10-month process because the hospital, contrary to Texas law, failed to post signs that concealed handguns were prohibited on hospital property. Kalafut is reported to have considered charging Sampson with intoxication, but that gambit fell apart thanks to a recording of a 911 call made by Sampson at the time that showed him to be "stone-cold sober."

Grisham has a legal defense fund

In the meantime, Grisham has set up a legal defense fund that as of this writing has raised more than $25,000. Grisham's charges have been reduced from resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor, to interrupting, disrupting, impeding and interfering with a peace officer while performing a duty, a Class B misdemeanor. The police also retain possession of Grisham's rifle and pistol, which he would like to be returned. Grisham is characterizing his legal fight as a battle for his Second Amendment rights.

DC Officer's Stepson Charged With Killing Him

 UPPER MARLBORO, Md. April 23, 2013 (AP)

Police in Maryland said Tuesday that a 27-year-old man accused in the fatal shooting of his stepfather, a District of Columbia police detective, has surrendered to authorities.

Prince George's County police said Tuesday evening that Antwan James surrendered and was being held at police headquarters. He is accused of killing 46-year-old D.C. police Detective Joseph Newell on Monday night following a dispute over yard work at their home in Upper Marlboro, Md.

Authorities say the entire incident was captured by surveillance cameras at the home.

Police said James, a former District of Columbia firefighter, was charged in a warrant with first-degree murder. Authorities had been searching for him after they said he ran away after the shooting.

Before the shooting, Newell had asked James to help him with some yard work, and James refused, Assistant Police Chief Kevin Davis told a news conference.

As Newell stood on a stepladder outside his garage while screwing in a light bulb, James approached him from behind and shot him in the back, Davis said. He fell to the driveway, and James stood over Newell and fired several shots, Davis said.

"It was an execution," he said.

Police have found no motive other than the argument over yard work, Davis said.

"It's as simple and tragic as that," he said.

James had been living with his stepfather since he was fired from the fire department sometime in the past 18 months, said Davis, who had no details about what led to the firing.

Newell had been with the Metropolitan Police Department since 1989 and investigated dangerous assaults, MPD Assistant Chief Peter Newsham said. Newell was married and had two teenage daughters in addition to his stepchildren, Newsham said.

Online court records from Maryland show James was charged last month with violating his probation on a second-degree assault charge. He also received probation before judgment in an unrelated drunken-driving case, records show.

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Todays sexual assault charges against your police: he assistant police chief allegedly harassed a wom...

Todays sexual assault charges against your police: he assistant police chief allegedly harassed a wom...: Lake City, Iowa: The assistant police chief allegedly harassed a woman with hundreds of text messages, sent photos with offensive commen...

Cops and the women they abuse: domestic battery.

Cops and the women they abuse: domestic battery.: Orange County, Florida: A sheriff’s deputy was arrested on charges of domestic battery. Officers said they observed him scream obscenities...

"it was a big word, it had ...what's that number after one called?...oh yeah, poo poo, it had poo poo words in it, it was big"

"So lets kill another hour standing around and then go to lunch and talk about how overworked we are"

Officer Joe Torrin voted best looking Policeman on the Fairfax County Police Force, Congrats!

Fairfax County cop arrested for sodomy...in the end......crime does not pay

Supreme Wizard and Imperial Commander of the Fairfax County Police, Lt. Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr orders $10 million in new door knobs for the McLean Police Station. Cites Jelly donut problem as motivation.

Pictured above, man believed to be Supreme Wizard and Imperial Commander of the Fairfax County Police, Lt. Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr

Inspired by the new $20,000,000 dollar roof for the Fairfax County Police Station in McLean (That’s twenty million dollars of your money. Think about it while you sit in traffic because we don’t have enough roads) Acting Police Chief and imperial commander of the Fairfax County Police Air Force, Navy and secret drone program, has authorized the purchase of $10,000,000 in new door knobs for the station.

“The problem is jelly donuts” the actor in chief lisped “The cops eat one after the after and leave jelly stains on everything they touch. Well, I hope those are jelly stains. At least that’s what I’m telling myself…it’s just so icky-poo”

The Chief Actor also commented that the donuts also leave white stains all over the cop’s ill-fitting and oddly colored pants.  

Roessler, a life long government worker, said he intends to pay for the door knobs by “Putting in a request to the guy who picks cash from the magic money tree”  

When asked to comment on the expense, Fairfax County Supervisor Gerry Hyland said “If any cop wants to take a steam bath with me, call me”

Appeals court: Police can't hold someone cited for infraction

The decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for a man arrested for trespassing to obtain financial compensation from San Francisco for being hauled to the police station and searched before being released. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Police in California may not take into custody someone cited for a mere infraction unless the person lacks identification or refuses to sign a written promise to appear in court or provide a fingerprint, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

The decision by the U.S. 9thCircuit Court of Appeals clears the way for a man arrested for trespassing to obtain financial compensation from San Francisco for being hauled to the police station and searched before being released.

An infraction, which is less serious than a misdemeanor, is punishable by a fine and does not appear on a criminal record.

Wednesday's ruling stemmed from the 2000 arrest of Erris Edgerly after San Francisco police spotted him standing inside a playground near a housing project where he did not live. The fenced playground had “No Trespassing” signs at each entrance.

The police did a pat-down search and then took Edgerly to a police station, where he was searched again. No contraband was found, and police released him with a citation for trespassing. He was never prosecuted for the alleged offense.

Edgerly sued San Francisco and its Police Department for false arrest and an illegal search in violation of his civil rights. A district judge ruled that Edgerly’s arrest was proper, and a jury determined he had not been strip-searched.

In overturning the lower court’s decision on the arrest, a three-judge 9th Circuit panel said California’s penal code does not permit someone to be taken into custody for an infraction unless the person lacks identification or refuses to sign a paper to appear in court or provide a fingerprint.

The ruling, written by Judge Raymond C. Fisher, directed the district court to permit Edgerly to have his claim for damages heard by a jury.

police officer arrested for attempted murder

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Flager Beach police officer has been arrested for attempted murder, after investigators say he shot a Flagler County firefighter during a road rage incident Friday evening.

Police say Nathan Juratovac, 40, was driving north on US 1 with his wife and child, when he fired multiple shots into another vehicle driven by 30-year-old Jared Parkey. Parkey was hit twice and airlifted to UF and Shands Jacksonville where he was questioned by police. He was later released. Parkey's wife was also in his vehicle, and was not injured.

The investigation into what sparked the shooting is still ongoing, but Cpl. Catherine Payne with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office tells Action News the preliminary findings lead them to believe it started with road rage.

Juratovac's wife, who is a Corporal with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Traffic Division was not on duty at the time. Payne confirms she is not facing any charges and was one of several witnesses questioned.

Neighbors who watched the investigation unfold Friday tell Action News they never imagined a former police officer was involved.

"It's really not that important to waste your whole life on getting mad at a car beside you," said Paula Sims. "My thoughts and prayers go out to both families because we'll never know what happened on the road last night and it's really sad. The whole thing is very sad."

Jared Parkey turned down Action News' request for a statement, but a friend confirms he is home recovering. He has been employed with the Flagler County Fire Department for five years.

It is unclear if the two men knew each other prior to the shooting Friday.

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THE NATIONAL EPIDEMIC OF DRUNK AND DRUGGED UP COPS, AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOTHING TO STOP IT.

Hazlet, New Jersey: An officer in training was charged with driving while intoxicated after a car accident. He allegedly struck three cars parked in a driveway. ow.ly/jIvMi

Lorain, Ohio: An officer was suspended without pay for two, 12-hour shifts this year in connection with an incident involving a DUI accident. He refused to take a field sobriety test at the scene, and was cited for failure to control and driving under the influence. ow.ly/jI3wV

Waikiki, Hawaii: An officer was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, and has been placed on restricted duty in the police department’s specialized services division. ow.ly/jGein

Louisville, Kentucky: A grand jury indicted an officer on charges of wanton endangerment, official misconduct, and driving while under the influence. The officer admitted that he had been drinking and initially lied to police officers when he claimed he wasn’t driving the car. ow.ly/jGdOc

Update: McAllen, Texas (First reported 03-07-13): A seventh former deputy of a sheriff’s department appeared in court on drug conspiracy charges in a federal investigation. He is the latest member of the department who prosecutors say helped steal or protect drugs to be resold by a trafficker. ow.ly/jHUl0

Ottawa, Kansas: A sheriff has been accused of tipping off his lover about a meth investigation. The sheriff and his lawyer say the allegations are untrue. The prosecutor wrote that he “willfully engaged in misconduct while in office.” http://ow.ly/jFx3j

Blytheville, Arkansas: A Criminal Investigation Division officer was arrested after an incident at a bar which resulted in public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. He is on administrative leave as a result of the charges, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. ow.ly/jFnm2


State Police sergeant arrested, charged with drug distribution
MONROE—An eighteen-year veteran State Police sergeant was arrested Monday by troopers from the agency's Bureau of Investigation and charged him with a variety of criminal violations including narcotics distribution, according to Superintendent of State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson. 
Edmonson disclosed the details of the arrest after flying to Monroe Tuesday afternoon to personally take possession of the sergeant's badge, credentials and state-issued weapon. At the time of his arrest, Thomas was immediately suspended from duty pending the outcome of an administrative investigation. 
Troopers arrested 42-year-old Ronald Thomas of Monroe without incident Monday afternoon and booked him into the Ouachita Parish Jail Monday evening where he is still being held. Prior to his arrest Thomas had been assigned as the evidence custodian for northern Louisiana investigative operations. 
After consulting with District Attorney Jerry Jones and his staff, Thomas was charged with payroll fraud, malfeasance in office, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and obstruction of justice. 
Edmonson said that several months ago, information was developed during the course of another investigation suggesting Thomas' possible involvement in illegal activity. After months of accumulating evidence in furtherance of the allegations troopers moved quickly Monday to make arrests. Troopers executed a search warrant on Thomas' property and seized nearly $50,000 in cash and a stolen weapon. Other items have also been seized and are currently being processed. 
"I want to emphasize that it was State Police troopers who learned of Thomas' misconduct, it was troopers who aggressively pursued this high priority investigation, and it was troopers who arrested the sergeant and booked him. We have no reluctance whatsoever identifying police misconduct and taking appropriate action, even if it happens to be one of our own officers," Edmonson said. 
"Thomas has dishonored his oath, his organization and more importantly the community he swore to protect. We will push for the strongest possible punishment," Edmonson said. 
Investigators also arrested 38-year-old Leonard Dunn of Monroe. Dunn was charged with 3 counts of distribution of marijuana and 1 count of distribution of hydrocodone. Thomas apparently had conspired with Dunn to sell large quantities of cocaine in northeast Louisiana. Thomas also apparently made attempts to warn Dunn that he was being investigated and instructed Dunn to destroy evidence and dispose of money. 
"Our work is not yet done. This investigation continues to evolve and other arrests are possible. While we have no reason to believe that any other troopers are involved, we will nevertheless go wherever the facts take us. We will be unrelenting in pursuing anyone else who might have been involved in the illegal activities," Edmonson said. 
While drug evidence was utilized in furtherance of this criminal investigation, no State Police cases have been compromised as those evidentiary items were from fully adjudicated cases and the evidence had been set aside for destruction, according to investigators. 
"We are confident that no on-going criminal cases awaiting trial have been affected by Thomas' misconduct. We have also ordered an immediate inventory of the evidence most recently under Thomas' supervision and control. That inventory will be conducted by personnel from the State Police Crime Lab. I have also directed a thorough a review of internal procedures to address any potential vulnerabilities in our evidence system," Edmonson said. 
If convicted on all charges Thomas faces up to a $76,000 fine and 92 years in prison. If convicted on all charges Dunn faces up to a $65,000 and 40 years in prison


Officer Charged in Robberies of Drug Dealers
The officer, Jose Tejada, 45, is accused of taking part in three robberies or attempted robberies in 2006 and 2007, while he was assigned to Harlem and in uniform, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday. He also supplied the crew with police uniforms, paraphernalia and police vehicles, the authorities said. He is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to distribute drugs and unlawful use of a firearm. 
Officer Tejada, the police said, was arrested as part of an “ongoing Internal Affairs Bureau investigation.” He is the second officer with the department charged in the more than 100 robberies of drug dealers that began in 2001 and that “netted more than 250 kilograms of cocaine and $1 million in narcotics proceeds,” according to prosecutors. He has been suspended from the department, a spokesman said. 
Emmanuel Tavarez, 33, who joined the department in 2002, was sentenced to 25 years in prison last May for his role in the same crew, court documents show. An auxiliary officer, and 21 other members of the crew, have also been arrested, according to the documents. 
The police spokesman declined to provide any further information on the investigation. 
Prosecutors said Officer Tejada used his status to demand access to a home in the Bronx that he believed housed drug dealers and their supply. In fact, an innocent family of three lived there, prosecutors said, and they were held at gunpoint while Officer Tejada and two others searched their home. They called 911, according to the court documents, to report what had happened. 


Wolford suspended for 24 hours; Police officer disciplined for crash, not paid for two, 12-hour shifts 
LORAIN — Police Officer James Wolford was suspended without pay for two, 12-hour shifts this year in connection with an incident in December 2011, according to police records.

Wolford violated Lorain Police Department standards of conduct for the incident, and he was to serve the suspension on Feb. 21 and 22, according to a disciplinary letter from Lorain police Chief Cel Rivera.

On Dec. 20, 2011, Wolford crashed into an Ohio Edison van parked near his Oak Drive home in Lorain. He refused to take a sobriety test on scene and later at the station. Witnesses testified at a hearing that he smelled of alcohol and had an unsteady gait. Wolford was cited for failure to control and driving under the influence, according to police records. In July 2012 Wolford pleaded no contest and was found guilty of reduced charges — a physical control violation and failure to control, according to court records.

Wolford also was fined $1,239 and was required to attend a three-day educational program on drinking and driving and to be on probation for a year, according to court records. The failure to control charge carried a $150 fine and two points on his driver’s license.
Wolford was placed on a temporary administrative license suspension and did desk duty after the incident, police have said.

The work disciplinary action took place this year because Wolford was on extended family medical leave and the disciplinary action was delayed until his return to duty, Rivera wrote. His predisciplinary hearing was Jan. 21. Wolford has had several other run-ins with the law while on the Lorain police force.

In January of 2011, Wolford was suspended for six days for making false accusations against a superior officer, Capt. James McCann has said. In 2009, Wolford was demoted from sergeant to patrolman and suspended for 25 days after the department had received citizen and internal complaints, revealing multiple violations. While handling a domestic violence complaint between a mother and her son in October 2007, Wolford told the 17-year-old boy “if you were my (expletive) son I would hit you upside the head with a two-by-four,” according to a letter from then Lorain Safety Director Phil Dore to Wolford. 

The national plague of drunk and drugged up cops

Update: Robbins, Illinois (First reported 12-28-12): The police chief, who retired after being charged with his second DUI in the past three years, is continuing to be paid by the government into next month, records show. ow.ly/jtCat

Update: Williamson County, Illinois (First reported 03-11-13): A 23-year veteran sheriff’s deputy, who was arrested on DUI charges, resigned. It was his second DUI. ow.ly/jyj3C

Miami cop convicted in civil rights case sentenced to four years in prison

Former Miami Police Sgt. Raul Iglesias will serve four years in federal prison after his conviction for stealing drugs from traffickers, planting cocaine on suspects and lying to federal agents.

He will surrender to begin his sentence on April 26.

In January, a jury convicted Iglesias, 40, of two counts of civil rights violations, along with conspiracy to possess and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.

Jurors also found him guilty of obstruction of justice and making false official statements. U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga on Friday also sentenced Iglesias to an additional three years of supervised release.

A second detective, Roberto Asanza, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drug charges stemming from the same investigation. During a tense trial attended by his supporters — members of Miami’s police union — Asanza testified against Iglesias, as did four detectives who worked on his Crime Suppression Team.

Federal prosecutors painted Iglesias, a former U.S. Marine, as a rogue sergeant who over the course of five months in 2010 planted cocaine on a suspect, stole drugs and money from dope dealers, and lied about a box of money left in an abandoned car as part of an FBI sting.

According to court documents, Iglesias had faced a recommended sentence of up to six years.

Prosecutors wanted a stiff sentence, saying Iglesias refused to take responsibility for his actions, blaming other cops and after his conviction engaging in a letter-writing “smear” campaign against those who testified against him.

Iglesias’s “abuse of his badge and his supervisory authority as sergeant in charge of a [crime suppression unit] team made it possible for him to easily steal money and drugs, distribute drugs to [confidential informants], and plant drugs to frame a citizen,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. “He further abused his position of authority by using his subordinates as pawns in his crimes.”

A harsh penalty would “send a clear message” to potentially crooked cops, federal prosecutor Ricardo Del Toro wrote in a sentencing memo.

But Iglesias’s attorney, Rick Diaz, argued for probation, saying that the ex-sergeant had already lost his career.

“He really poses no danger to the public,” Diaz wrote in a court document.

Iglesias was sentenced as the Miami Police Department has been beset by a string of misconduct allegations against its cops.

Earlier this month, two Miami cops were arrested on federal ID-theft and tax-refund fraud related charges. A group of cops also have been charged in connection with an alleged protection racket for a Liberty City gambling house.

So far, 11 cops have been relieved of duty, and two others were also charged.

In another case, Miami Cop Luis Hernandez was arrested by state authorities in January for allegedly raping a woman he was supposed to transport to jail. He has pleaded not guilty.

Honolulu cop charged with drunk driving

A Honolulu Police lieutenant was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of drunk driving. Police say Lt. Colin Wong crashed into a parked car near the Modern Hotel in Waikiki around 2:30 Saturday morning. He was off-duty at the time.

Wong was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant and for refusing to submit to a breath or blood test. He's a lieutenant in the police department's specialized services division and specifically the SWAT team. He was charged Saturday morning and was released after posting a $1,000 dollars bail.

Cop charged in drug-buying scheme

An East Texas cop has been charged with using his law enforcement position to acquire hydrocodone by fraud.

Federal prosecutors say 32-year-old Canton cop James Melvin Bradshaw faces six counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation. Bradshaw was arrested Thursday — a day after being indicted — and made an initial court appearance in Tyler.

The indictment says Bradshaw allegedly used his job to obtain hydrocodone by fraud, deception or misrepresentation from people with legitimate prescriptions six times last year.

Prosecutors and Canton police on Friday didn't immediately provide additional details on the case.

If convicted, Bradshaw faces up to four years in prison on each count. An attorney for Bradshaw couldn't immediately be located.

Officials: Palmer cop charged with drunk driving no longer with department

The veteran Palmer Township cop arrested last year for drunken driving is no longer with the department, township officials confirmed Tuesday.

Senior patrolman Susan Siegfried, 49, of Easton, was on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation but left the department on Monday, Township manager Christopher Christman said.

Christman said that because it is a personnel matter he could not say whether she resigned or was fired.

Last month, Siegfried, 49, of Easton, was placed in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for first-time offenders. She had a blood-alcohol content four times the legal limit after she crashed into a tree in the township on Nov. 24, police said.

Police said her sport utility vehicle went off the road in the 300 block of S. Nulton Avenue and hit a tree. Siegfried was found outside the vehicle and appeared to be drunk, police said.

Police did not detail whether Siegfried suffered any injuries, but said she was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

She was charged with drunken driving and traffic violations

Palmer Cop Charged with DUI Leaves Force

Veteran Palmer Township cop Susan Siegfried is no longer on the force, Chief Larry Palmer said Tuesday.

A veteran Palmer Township cop charged with DUI in late November is no longer with the force, township officials said Tuesday.

Susan E. Siegfried, 49, of the 300 block of S. Nulton Avenue in the township, had been placed on administrative leave following a night of drinking in which she had blood-alcohol content four times the legal limit, court records indicated at the time of the incident.

Township officials Tuesday would not confirm a report that Siegfried had been fired.

"Since it is a personnel matter I cannot speak to that," Palmer Police Chief Larry Palmer said. "She is no longer with the force."

Chief Palmer passed on inquiries to Township Manager Christopher Christman.

"I can only confirm that she is no longer employed with Palmer Township," Christman said. "As this is a personnel matter, I cannot comment any further on this topic."

Siegfried was placed in the state's ARD program by Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano on Feb. 25. The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program is for those facing first-offense charges.

Siegfried had admitted to a night of beer drinking, but said she couldn't recall what happened when the Jeep Wrangler she was driving slammed into a tree not far from her home, shearing off the tree completely and uprooting it, court records indicated.

At the time, her blood-alcohol content was 0.32 percent – four times the legal limit, court records stated.

Siegfried had been charged with two counts of DUI – one for property damage and one for the 0.32 percent blood-alcohol content. Both DUIs were first-time offenses. She was also charged with careless driving, Palmer police said in a statement in late November.

Former HPD cop charged with 2nd DWI in 6 weeks

HOUSTON -- The suspected drunk driver who slammed his car into a light store last week appeared in court on Monday.

Harold Clayton is a former cop. The 60-year-old retired from the Houston Police Department four years ago.

He’s now accused of two drunken driving offences in the last six weeks. The first was February 1. The latest was last Thursday night when witnesses say he drove his Tahoe through the front windows of the Lighting Gallery on FM 1960, backed in and out several times trying to get out and then fled the scene.

In court on Monday, Clayton said nothing to the judge

“Mr. Clayton is not going to have anything to say at this point," said his attorney, Doug Murphy.

Defense attorney Doug Murphy said medical issues may have something to do with Clayton’s recent DWI troubles.

"The cop has been retired four years and has had a number of medical problems,” said Murphy. “At one point, he was hospitalized for over a month in a coma."

That hospitalization was two years ago.

Clayton is free on $5,000 bond and was ordered to not consumer alcohol.

He was also ordered to use an at home testing monitor four times a day and enroll in a substance abuse evaluation program.

"He has got some medical problems that we are trying to get to the bottom of,” said Murphy. “The customary protections are in place and we will deal with those as things progress."

Meanwhile, the owners at the Lighting Gallery are still trying to pick up the pieces from last week’s accident. As clean up and rebuilding continues, the business plans to reopen its doors on Wednesday.