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Common thieves

The Amity Township supervisors have voted to advertise a Police Tenure Act hearing set for this Tuesday for Cpl. Glenn J. Oesterling. A 12-year veteran of the Amity Township Police Department, Oesterling was suspended in July indefinitely without pay. He had been charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property for two June incidents at a Giant Food Store in West Pottsgrove Township. According to court documents, a loss prevention officer at the supermarket saw Oesterling place several items into reusable shopping bags in his cart and then walk out of the store without going through a checkout line.

SAN DIEGO - An unidentified police officer on the force for just over a year and the town's animal control officer using their city issued gas credit card to pump gas. The problem? It was allegedly pumped into their own vehicles."That's not right taking our city tax money away from us," said resident Melissa Leal. San Diego resident Melissa Everett not too happy about those who carry the badge breaking the laws they have sworn to uphold. She's not alone. Melissa Leal feeling much the same. "He's suppossed to be setting an example," said Leal. We went to City Hall to get some answers but police officials, as well as city officials, refused any on camera comment. The Police Chief telling Action 10 News reporter John Rupolo off camera that both the police and the animal control officer have been suspended without pay and that the city's gas credit cards were used several times over the summer.Most residents feel this way about the punishment should the lawmen be found guilty of the charge."If they have evidence of the theft they should be terminated if not they should be allowed to come back to work."

  

NYPD Cop And His Brothers Arrested For Alleged Weapons Smuggling Scheme

A police officer who works at One Police Plaza and his brothers are accused of plotting to smuggle high-powered assault weapons out of the U.S. and sell them in the Philippines. NYPD officer Rex-Gene Maralit was charged with conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, as were his brothers Wilfredo Maralit, who is a U.S. Customs officer in L.A., and Ariel Maralit, who lives in the Philippines.The alleged plan was to buy weapons via online weapons sites in the U.S., disassemble them and then ship them overseas to Ariel Maralit. According to the federal complaint, they didn't have export licenses or federal firearms licenses—and they used their position in law enforcement to buy the weapons at a discount. 

FORT WORTH (AP) - A North Texas police officer has been fired after being accused of stealing more than $20,000 from a business bank account to pay his personal bills.Fort Worth police Chief Jeff Halstead on Wednesday night announced the dismissal of Officer Lovon Ponder Jr. A disciplinary letter says Ponder, who was hired in October 2011, was indefinitely suspended Aug. 23.Records show Ponder allegedly obtained the routing and account number of a medical supply company after a refund check was mailed to his apartment in a former tenant’s name. An apartment manager became suspicious and contacted police.No charges were immediately filed. An attorney for Ponder didn’t immediately comment.

Two Sweetwater Police Officers, Civilian Employee Suspended

Less than a week after a Sweetwater Police detective was arrested on fraud and identity theft charges, two police officers and a civilian employee were relieved of duty Wednesday, a city spokeswoman said.

Detective Octavio Oliu, Acting Sergeant Reny Garcia and red-light camera reviewer Richard Brenner were relieved of duty with pay, spokeswoman Michelle Hammontree-Garcia said.

The details behind why they were relieved of duty were unknown. Hammontree-Garcia said no other statements would be made. A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association said she was looking into the details of the suspensions.

In another incident, Oliu and Brenner were named in a lawsuit filed against the city in May by Daniel LaRosa, who was arrested in March 2012 for allegedly making a threat against a Sweetwater officer on Facebook.

LaRosa had been arrested on a charge of corruption by threat against a public servant after he posted a photo to Facebook through the Instagram application labeled "Diary of a Cop Killa" that showed a video game character wearing a gas mask and pointing a gun with two dead policemen in the background, police said.

The text with the photo says "Make my day!!!" and "It's sweetwater pd that's gotta die!!! Lol," police said.

Man Stole N. Miami Beach Police Car to "Drive Around": Cops

According to the lawsuit, LaRosa, a teacher at a school for special needs students, was arrested at the school by Oliu and Brenner.

A Sweetwater Police report filed by Oliu and Brenner at the time of the arrest said LaRosa admitted to making the posting and said he did it after breaking up with his girlfriend and learning she was dating a Sweetwater cop.

The lawsuit claimed LaRosa posed no threat to any police officer when he made the posting on January 30, 2012, up to and including when he was arrested on March 5.

"The facts and circumstances within the knowledge of Officers Brenner and Oliu would cause no reasonably prudent person to believe that LaRosa had committed any crime, particularly that for which he was arrested, because it is unquestionable that LaRosa's Instagram posting was not made with any intent to influence any act or omission within the official discretion of any public servant," the lawsuit states.

The charge against LaRosa was dropped in April 2012, the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, the arrest caused LaRosa abuse and harassment and violated his constitutional rights. It claims LaRosa was falsely imprisoned, was the victim of malicious prosecution and was defamed.

"LaRosa has suffered humiliation and other severe emotional and psychological trauma," the lawsuit claims.

Acting Sergeant Reny Garcia is not named in the lawsuit. When asked whether the whether the suspensions of Oliu, Brenner and Reny Garcia were related to the lawsuit, Hammontree-Garcia said not to her knowledge.

The incident comes just days after Sweetwater Det. William Garcia was arrested on charges of credit card fraud and identity theft. According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Garcia used his credit card to help create fraudulent credit cards from late 2010 to 2011.

He hid the evidence when he learned that a co-conspirator had been arrested and kept and used the false credit cards that he claimed had been seized during the course of his duties, the release said.

Hammontree-Garcia said the arrest of William Garcia wasn’t related to the suspensions of the other law enforcement officers.

Last month, Sweetwater Mayor Manuel Marono was suspended by Gov. Rick Scott after he was arrested on public corruption charges.

Firing Florida Cops

When Florida cops are fired, they often don’t stay fired

 BY CHRISTINA VEIGA

CVEIGA@MIAMIHERALD.COM

The police officers have been accused of beating up gay men, looking at porn while on duty — even hiding drugs and stealing from those they arrested.

Each one was fired. And each one eventually got his job back.

The latest: A Miami Beach police officer, fired after he was accused of beating up a handcuffed man and yelling anti-gay epithets while arresting a witness to the altercation, just won his job back. His work partner in that incident also fought his termination and won.

In South Florida, it can be hard for cops to stay fired. Those who swear to protect and serve are supported by powerful unions with enough cash to pay for talented lawyers. Police contracts often require cities to adhere to the findings of an arbitrator when an officer contests a termination.

Cops have another tool at their disposal: an officers’ bill of rights, written into state law, which mandates certain protections for police officers accused of wrongdoing.

“It’s part of their security, and checks and balances that are necessary, because it’s so easy to falsely accuse a police officer,” said attorney Richard Sharpstein, who has represented many police officers.

“They face administrative problems in their departments; they face criminal problems from people they’ve arrested who have grudges or reasons to lie or outright hate a police officer. So yeah, they have those rights, because otherwise any jerk on the street could have them terminated based on some personal vendetta.”

Sharpstein is currently representing former Opa-locka Sgt. German Bosque, who has been arrested at least three times and fired six.

The former sergeant is believed to have been investigated more times than any other officer in Florida. He’s still fighting his latest termination, which came on the heels of his arrest on charges of kidnapping, battery and tampering with a witness who had tried to file a complaint against him.

The state is also considering yanking his police certification.

Sharpstein said the latest charges against his client stem from “personality conflicts” in the department and called the case “ridiculous.”

In other cases around South Florida:

• In Miami Beach, officers Frankly Forte and Eliut Hazzi were fired after a gay tourist accused them of gay bashing. The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of the tourist and Miami Beach settled the case for $75,000.

In December 2012, an arbitrator decided Hazzi should have his job back. The decision to return Forte to the force was reached on Aug. 31. In his case, the arbitrator decided that the officers didn’t target the subjects because of their sexuality, that the arrests were justified and that the officers didn’t use excessive force.

• In Miami Beach, a sergeant who was fired after an infamous ATV incident — in which a drunk cop ran over two people on the sand while giving a bachelorette a ride on the back of the vehicle — won his job back after the city fired him for ignoring his police radio and leaving his shift early. The arbitrator decided the sergeant wasn’t negligent but simply “overwhelmed by circumstances” beyond his control.

• In Broward County, Lt. James Murray won his job back at the Broward Sheriff’s Office after he was fired for harassing employees and looking at porn while on duty, according to the department.

In each of these cases, the officers and their unions argued they were stripped of their badges because of political retaliation. In Miami Beach’s case, the union argued that cops were offered up to “appease” the community after a series of embarrassing incidents. In Broward, Murray told the media he was targeted because he refused to conduct surveillance of a union representative.

The American Civil Liberties Union, however, sees things differently.

“Ultimately, the most basic job of police officers is to keep the communities they serve safe. When they are failing to do that, when policies and practices actually put people at risk of either false prosecution or physical danger, the trust that people have in law enforcement breaks down. Especially when no one is held responsible. That makes all of us less safe,” spokesman Baylor Johnson wrote in an email.

Follow @Cveiga on Twitter. 

Midlothian cop linked to federal probe is put on leave

The south suburb of Midlothian has placed a high-level police officer on paid leave after a Tribune report that detailed a federal investigation into the Police Department.

Mayor Sharon Rybak said the village placed Sgt. Steven Zamiar on paid administrative leave Thursday afternoon but declined to say why, calling it a "personnel issue." Zamiar is a 13-year veteran who served as the suburb's deputy chief until a recent political shake-up.

Village officials have been aware of a federal probe linked to Zamiar since at least February, when a grand jury issued a subpoena to the suburb seeking a slew of records pertaining to him, including his personnel file and any allegations of misconduct against him.

But Zamiar was allowed to continue working in the department until after the Tribune's report was published Tuesday.

A woman who answered Zamiar's phone Thursday said he wasn't available and hung up.

It remains unclear exactly what about Zamiar or the town's small Police Department has drawn the attention of federal investigators.

The village received a second grand jury subpoena in late June seeking police logs and call records tied to three days in 2011, along with the department's policy manuals regarding "use of force by police officers."

On one of those days, Zamiar filed an incident report saying he used a baton to subdue a suspect after an early morning chase outside a bar — at a time department records show he was not clocked in. Charges against the suspect alleging assault and resisting an officer were later dropped, according to court records.

In his police report, Zamiar said the suspect turned toward him "in an aggressive manner" after a short chase.

"At this time I utilized my ASP Baton and the subject was taken into custody without further resistance," Zamiar wrote.

More drunk and drugged up cops…….

Aiken area police officer charged with DUI

AIKEN, S.C. -- A Wagener police office has been charged with drunken driving. The Aiken Standard reports that 30-year-old Craig Martin of Wagener was off duty but driving a town police car when he was arrested about 3:30 a.m. Friday. Police Chief Tom Gray said Martin was relieved of his duties. A sheriff’s report says Martin was driving his Ford Crown Victoria in circles around a parking lot in Aiken and traveling very slowly on Highway 39 without headlights. When deputies stopped him, he acknowledged he was an officer and provided his badge. The report says there was a case of beer in the car and an open beer in the cup holder. Martin refused to take a field sobriety test or a breath test.

Police Officer Arrested, Charged With Illegally Purchasing Prescription Drugs

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) – Decatur Police have charged Officer Timothy Hughes with receiving a controlled substance.  This was a result of an investigation by Decatur’s Organized Crime Unit and the Morgan County Drug Task Force.  Hughes, 24, was booked in the Morgan County Jail.  He posted a $2,500 bond and was released.

Decatur Police Chief Ed Taylor said Hughes illegally purchased prescription medication, specifically Oxycodone. The department got a tip earlier this week and started an investigation. Officer Hughes was arrested around 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the Garden Suites Inn (former the Holiday Inn) on Wilson Street NE in Decatur.  Officers with the Decatur Police Department’s Special Operation Unit used a cooperating witness working under their supervision to sell Hughes the Oxycodone. He resigned after his arrest.

DeKalb police officer arrested on drug-trafficking charges

A DeKalb County Police officer was arrested Friday on accusations he helped a ring of methamphetamine dealers, serving as a lookout and offering police information, authorities said. William Miguel, an 11-year veteran, is charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and was taken into custody Friday morning by DEA agents and Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office investigators as he came to work, DeKalb Police Chief Cedric Alexander said. Miguel, 44, was funneling vital police information to the head of a drug organization regarding arrests made in DeKalb County, among other things, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Officer facing charges

A local officer will appear in court Friday to determine whether he should be charged in an alleged hit-and-run, drunken driving accident in March. Evan Robitaille, 32, who has been on paid administrative leave since the alleged incident, is scheduled to appear at a clerk magistrate’s hearing at Lowell District Court to answer a summons issued to him by State Police following the March 11 accident. The “criminal summons” was for operating under the influence of liquor, leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to use care in starting, stopping, turning or backing up a motor vehicle, according to the State Police daily log for March 11. At the hearing, a court magistrate will review the case and determine if there is enough evidence to issue a criminal complaint.

Fairfax cop convicted of shoplifting. Why hasn’t she been fired?

Alexandra Neff , a 12-year veteran of the Fairfax County police force has been found guilty of shoplifting in Loudoun County. She attempted to take a purse and blouse from Lord & Taylor at the Dulles Town Center in December, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Fairfax County police said Neff has been placed on administrative duties, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. 

And now a word for the Chief of the Fairfax County Police

Regarding the execution of John Geer in Springfield by the Fairfax County Police, My father and I would like the people of Fairfax County to be assured that the Police and the Board of Supervisors are doing everything in their power to make this ugly little issue will go away as soon as possible.

We’re dragging our feet on the investigation we’re never going to do, stonewalling the family, not cooperating with the press, stalling on press releases, holding back evidence, obstructing justice by getting our stories straight and evading the truth and we’re doing all in your name and on your dime.  

Don’t thank us.  It’s what we do. It’s our job.

Our prays go out to ourselves and our only hope is that no calls in the FBI.

Latest on the Fairfax County Police execution of John Geer.

The  Washington Post reports that John Geer,  the Springfield man who was killed in his home by Fairfax County police was not holding a gun at the time of the shooting and did have a weapon on his person according to Geer’s father, Don Geer.  

A cop told him that a holstered gun holstered handgun on a stairway landing that is a “couple of steps” from the front door. So now we know the cop’s cover story.

Geer, who was outside the home when cops demanded his son leave his home with his hand sin the air, has said he watched as his son stood with empty hands resting on top of a screen door at the front door. When John Geer lowered his hands about six inches, he  said,  a cop opened fire, and John Geer was hit with a bullet and killed.

 “If he doesn’t have a weapon in his immediate possession, the officer should not have fired,” Don Geer said. “He would have to have turned around, bent over and then picked up the gun to present a threat. It’s pretty hard to say the shooting was justifiable.”

  

County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. on the killing of John Geer 

 “My commitment is that a thorough investigation will be conducted and if the facts don’t support our complete innocence, we will stonewall the investigation until the media forgets about the shooting .  Since the Washington Post is the only news outlet following up on the story, that should go off without a hitch. Thank you.

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Charges piling up against Waupun officer

MEENON | Charges were filed against Waupun Police Lt. Brad Young in Burnett County Tuesday, adding to the charges filed against him in Barron and Green Lake counties.

Young, 43, is charged with burglary of a building or dwelling and misdemeanor theft in Burnett County. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance today.

He is also charged with fleeing or eluding an officer and taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent in Barron County and three counts of burglary of a building or dwelling and one count each of possession of burglarious tools, taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, obstructing an officer and criminal damage to property over $2,500.

Young turned in his resignation from the police department on Aug. 21. However, the Police and Fire Commission have to accept the resignation at their next meeting on Aug. 29.

Young had been on the Waupun Police Department for 22 years.

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to a burglary complaint on Aug. 6 at 5:25 p.m. in Burnett County. The homeowner said that someone broke in using the window above the kitchen sink. The only thing missing from the home was a firearm and some ammunition. There was an estimated $1,500 in damage done to patio doors and a garage door. The firearm was found north of the home.

The complaint states that Young told officers that he headed to a family member’s cabin to kill himself, but found that there were no firearms in the cabin.

So instead he took a jar of change, a cell phone charger and a bicycle. According to the complaint he rode the bicycle to another residence, broke in, charged his phone, and took a rifle and one round of ammunition. The complaint states that his mother called and after he spoke with his children he decided not to kill himself and instead turned himself in.

Young is currently in custody in the Burnett County Jail.

Internal Probe Triggers Firing of Petaluma Cop

Lt. Dave Sears had been on paid leave since June.

A two-month internal investigation of veteran police Lt. Dave Sears has culminated with the veteran Petaluma cop's firing.

Sears confirmed his dismissal in an interview with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

“At this point all I can tell you is that we are disappointed it has come to this,” he told the publication.

Sears' firing hasn't been officially announced, the report said. Petaluma's official city website still has Sears listed as a current member of the force.

Sears had been on paid leave since June. It is not clear what led to his dismissal, the report said.

“I have no more knowledge of anything that transpired that led to this than anyone else,” Petaluma Mayor David Glass told the Press Democrat.

Sears was hired by the Petaluma Police Department in 1999 after serving 12 years on the Benecia force. He has worked in patrol, criminal investigations, SWAT, Field Training Program, and Administrative Services.

His current responsibilities as Administrative Services Lieutenant includes supervising the Communication Center and Records Department. He is also responsible for the police budget and evaluating claims and risk management.

Sears was a former captain and a candidate to succeed former Chief Steve Hood after his 2009 retirement. He was demoted to lieutenant in a move that cost him $35,000 in annual salary.

police officer charged with armed robbery

A former Winston-Salem police officer, who pleaded guilty to two felonies earlier this year, was charged Saturday with armed robbery and other crimes, court records show.

Robert Lee Baker Jr., 39, who is unemployed and lives on Thornaby Circle, also was charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree kidnapping, impersonating an officer, carrying a concealed gun and communicating a threat, arrest warrants say.

Baker is accused of stealing $70 and a coin bank from Severiano Jimenez Maya. Baker is also accused of threatening Maya with a .40 caliber handgun, according to an arrest warrant.

Officers went to 700 Cole Ridge Court shortly before 9 p.m. Friday after a reported armed robbery, Winston-Salem police said.

Maya told police that a man entered his apartment and identified himself as a police officer. The man displayed a gun in his waistband and stole money. Maya said the robber forced him to go into a bathroom and threatened to harm him if he came out.

When Maya heard the front door shut, he looked outside and saw a blue Ford Explorer driving off, police said. Officers stopped Baker, who was driving a blue Ford Expedition in the area.

Baker worked for six years and four months as a police officer, according to city personnel records. He was fired in August 2012 for unbecoming conduct and unsatisfactory performance, a city official has said. His annual salary was $37,883 at that time.

Baker did off-duty security work for the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem and Development Management Inc., which oversees Northside Shopping Center.

In February, Baker pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, court records show. He was accused falsifying hours that he worked off-duty as a security guard so he could be paid nearly $2,000.

As part of the plea arrangement, Baker was placed in a deferred prosecution program in which he was on supervised probation for 12 months, and if he complied with the conditions of the deferred prosecution program, the charges would be voluntarily dismissed at a hearing in January 2014, court records show.

He was ordered to pay $1,865 in restitution and complete 50 hours of community service.

Baker was being held Tuesday in the Forsyth County Jail with his bond set at $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 19.

Jury deliberations resume in 'Dirty DUI' trial

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jury deliberations continue Friday at the trial of a former Danville officer charged with accepting cocaine and a handgun for arresting drunken drivers at the direction of a former Concord private investigator.

Deliberations in the trial of Stephen Tanabe were suspended Thursday morning after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer excused a juror who spoke English as a second language and was having trouble fully comprehending jury instructions as a result. An alternate juror was substituted in midday, and the panel began anew in its deliberations.

Tanabe, 50, of Alamo, is charged with seven conspiracy and extortion counts for allegedly taking bribes to facilitate three drunken-driving arrests in late 2010 and early 2011. His defense attorney says he never accepted any kind of payment and that he has been set up by Christopher Butler, a now-incarcerated private investigator who set up men for "Dirty DUIs" so that their estranged spouses could have leverage in family law court.

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Brewer police officer suspended, demoted after pleading guilty to OUI

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Hearings a preview of officer’s DWI trial

Allen Superior Court Judge John Surbeck heard daylong arguments in the case of David Bisard, a suspended Indianapolis officer accused of driving drunk in his police car.

In 2010, Bisard, 39, was arrested after his police car plowed into two motorcycles stopped at a stoplight, killing one and injuring two others. He faces multiple charges from the crash, including reckless homicide, operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death and criminal recklessness.

While out on bail in that case, Bisard crashed a borrowed truck into a guardrail in the Lawrence area. He had a blood-alcohol level of 0.22 percent, nearly three times the legal limit.

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Memphis officer charged with using cocaine

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a Memphis police officer has been charged with possessing a firearm while using cocaine.

The U.S. attorney's office says 39-year-old James Erwin told federal agents that he used a controlled substance on Tuesday, when he took his work-issued Sig Sauer pistol to a friend's house. Prosecutors say Erwin acknowledged using drugs for four months.

Prosecutors also said someone told Memphis Police Department officers that he sold cocaine base to Erwin for several years, and that he took several of Erwin's personal items as security for Erwin's crack cocaine debt.

In a court appearance Thursday, Erwin told a magistrate judge that he plans to hire a lawyer.

About 25 Memphis Police Department officers have been arrested on various charges since January 2012.

Three Hamden cops suspended without pay for neglecting duty

Three police officers were slapped with unpaid suspensions for “being inattentive to their duty” while on the midnight shift, Chief Thomas Wydra confirmed Thursday.

Wydra would not provide specifics except to say that the behavior occurred this spring at a location he would not name and boils down to an officer not patrolling an assigned sector, and not carrying out assignments such as traffic enforcement and deterrent patrols.

“You’re in a fixed location, and therefore, if it’s for an extended period of time, you’re being inattentive to your assignment,” Wydra said.

The chief also would not name the officers involved, or the length of their suspensions. The Register has requested the information under the state Freedom of Information Act.

“One example of being inattentive to duty is if you are, for example, parked in a place for an extended period of time without any justification,” Wydra said. “In other words, you’re not writing reports, your supervisor is not aware of you being in a location for an extended period of time. You’re not on call at a particular location for an extended position of time. You are actually not currently assigned to any service call, and you are not conducting any other work, yet you are sitting in a marked police car for an extended period of time.”

Wydra said he learned in the spring that an “unknown number of officers” on the midnight shift were possibly acting inappropriately on duty.

He said the allegations at first did not revolve around a single officer, or even multiple named officers, but a specific location that was being abused.

An internal investigation by the department’s Ethics and Integrity Unit “produced verified allegations against three officers, that they were in fact engaging inattentively to duty assignment conduct,” Wydra said.

The officers “all received unpaid suspensions of varying degrees. I’m not going to reveal the numbers, but I think it’s important to know that there is due process here.

“The collective bargaining agreement here and our rules and regulations talk about progressive discipline, so each employee is entitled to that progressive discipline matrix,” Wydra said. “So one employee may have had more discipline than the other, and that’s where you might see a more severe penalty with one officer over another.” Wydra declined to divulge the names of the officers involved because of the “spirit” of the negotiations with union representatives and the final settlements negotiated with the officers.

“I’m not saying that information won’t be available for public consumption if it’s requested,” Wydra said, “But I am saying at this point in time I’m going to respect the spirit of our dialogue and not reveal it at this point in time.”

The Register filed a formal FOI request for the information with the town late Thursday afternoon.

“Obviously this is a serious issue,” said Mayor Scott Jackson. “I have every confidence in our chief, in our sworn officers and in the union that represents those sworn officers to take appropriate action.”

Police Commission Chairman Michael Iezzi could not be reached for comment.

Wydra said each of the three officers disciplined “took total responsibility for their actions,” “held themselves accountable,” and responded positively during both the investigation and when discipline was handed down.

“Taxpayers have every right to place the highest expectations on their police department, ” Wydra said, “whether that is in Hamden, Connecticut, or some other jurisdiction in this country,” ” Wydra said. “And we respect that. We understand that, and we agree with it. And so we do our best to ensure that our personnel recognize those high expectations.”

But Wydra stressed he believes his department and the people that work there, including the three disciplined officers, are “dedicated to executing their duties efficiently, effectively and to the best of their abilities.”

“We do recruit from the human race,” Wydra said. “Humans are prone to mistakes and failings, and I think it’s important that when those happen, when those mistakes happen, they’re acknowledged and accounted for, and then we move on, and get better.”

State Upholds Braintree Cop's Firing, Questions Failure to Report Misconduct

The terminated officer allegedly tried to interfere with drug arrests in Braintree.

The Civil Service Commission last week denied the appeal of a Braintree police officer who was fired for allegedly trying to interfere with drug and drunk driving arrests.

In a decision issued Thursday upholding the town's termination of Paul Venuto in April 2012, Commissioner Cynthia Ittleman said the firing was justified because of Venuto's "serious misconduct," but also criticized the Braintree Police Department for allowing the incidents to go unreported for nearly three years.

Two separate incidents in 2008 and 2009, involving Venuto placing himself in the middle of a drug arrest and an OUI and cocaine arrest, were not officially examined until August 2011, when an alleged domestic dispute between Venuto and his girlfriend prompted then Chief Paul Frazier to order an internal investigation into Venuto's conduct.

Venuto was subsequently placed on administrative leave until Mayor Joseph Sulivan notified him by letter on April 2, 2012 that he was being terminated for engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer, undue influence, and interfering with the Course of Justice.

Several officers were aware of Venuto's attempted interference in the two arrests, Ittleman wrote in the decision, but did not report it as required under the department's regulations.

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FBI arrests Little Saigon businessman, cop in loan sharking probe

FBI agents arrested a Little Saigon businessman and a Westminster police officer early Friday, accusing the entrepreneur of running a loan shark operation and the officer of working as his "enforcer."

Kevin Khanh Tuan Do, who owns Do Design & Construction, allegedly worked with Anthony Duong Donner, a six-year patrol officer for the Westminster police. Donner was arrested when he showed up for work Friday.

A 39-page FBI affidavit said the two lived together in Fountain Valley while masterminding illegal activities. The OC Weekly first reported the arrests.

In 2011, Do lent $170,000 to a woman who wanted to open a Garden Grove coffee shop and a lounge in neighboring Westminster, charging her 5% interest per month, along with an annual interest rate of 60%, the FBI said.

Do, 38, allegedly directed Donner, 29, to collect payments from the customer and told the woman that if she didn't pay that the police would "interfere with her business" and cite her for driving under the influence, even if she wasn't drinking, said FBI Special Agent Joseph Paul Nieblas.

The woman told officials she was afraid of Do, and that officers working for Do "interfered with her business with patrol cars, doing car stops on employees after work, and entering the business to intimidate customers," Nieblas said.

Wiretaps enabled FBI agents to monitor Do's use of "local law-enforcement officials, including Donner, to intimidate payment" from the woman, the affidavit said.

Ga. police officer arrested in corruption sting

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a metro Atlanta police officer and another man have been arrested on corruption, drug and weapons charges.

Investigators say Clayton County police officer Dwayne Penn conspired with accused drug dealer Adrian Austin to arrange a fake traffic stop involving a car they believed was holding six kilograms of cocaine.

Authorities say the person they were looking to set up was actually a confidential federal informant.

Officials say Penn and Austin waited while the informant conducted a staged drug deal with another undercover agent in Decatur Wednesday.

Investigators say Penn drew his gun on the informant, ordered them into his car, took four kilograms of fake cocaine and let the informant go with two kilograms.

The two were arrested soon afterward and it's unclear if they have attorneys.

Fairfax County cops execute another unarmed man

The Fairfax County Police shot an killed an unarmed man who was alone in his home. The police caused the situation, they escalated the situation and they handled it poorly and are expected to take several weeks to develop their justification story.

Police said they were responding….in force with a tank, a helecopter, a SWAT team, K-p units, and no less than 23 cops to a “Domestic dispute” but Geer was alone in the house. The victim of this police shooting this time was John Geer, age 46, a kitchen installer with no history of violence had to end in death.  He left behind two teenage daughters.

According to Geer’s father,  Geer had been throwing his estranged wife’s belongings, she is 24 years old, into the front yard because she was leaving him, so she called the cops who marked the call as a domestic dispute. She was asked if there were guns in the house and she said there was. The weapons were under lock and key

There's a Maura Harrington listed at the same address where the killing took place.

Neighbors recalled him as even-keeled, outgoing and helpful. A search of police records in Fairfax County showed that Geer was found guilty of drunken driving in 2010 but no convictions for violent crimes or more serious offenses. A neighbor said he talked to Geer in the minutes before the police encounter. He said that Geer didn’t say anything suicidal but he was deeply shaken about the impending breakup.

For forty minutes the cops demanded that Geer, who stood at his front door, for forty minutes "They just continued to tell him: come out, come out, come out," said one witness.

Geer had not showed the cops any sort of weapon nor had he advanced toward them. He made no mention of harming himself or others. Geer’s hands were up in the air, seconds before he was gunned down because they were on top of the storm door. He as shot in the chest while slowly lowering his hands. He had no weapon in his possession and there was no weapon within his reach.

Shot in the chest, Greer pushed his way back into the house and bled to death. The heros from the SWAT team entered the house by way of tank one hour later and found Geer dead.

Homer police officer alleges corruption, improper tasing

HOMER — A Homer police officer says he is being punished for disclosing corruption within the Police Department connected to an FBI investigation into alleged civil rights violations, particularly the alleged improper use of Tasers by other police officers.

Officer Frank Evans said he is one of two officers recently suspended by Chief Russell Mills. Mills reportedly has stated he “fired” a third one.

However, Mills can only make recommendations for personnel action to the Board of Selectmen and that hasn’t been done yet. Evans said he, and possible the other officers, have asked the selectmen to intervene at their Sept. 9 board meeting since the department’s policy and procedures on disciplinary matters were not followed by Mills.

Controversy is not new to the police force. Earlier this year, the board rescinded a vote to disband it because of continual problems and a growing number of lawsuits.

One of those lawsuits, filed in 2010 by Vernecia Bender, was settled in her favor last month before going to trial. Her attorney, Nelson Cameron, said he could not disclose specifics of the monetary payout by the town. In her petition, Bender said she was stunned at least six times by Officer Roger Smith during an incident that occurred in 2009.

Two other lawsuits are pending. On Jan. 4, John Fitzgerald Heard, of Homer, sued Officer Willie Fred Knowles and the Police Department, alleging that in November he was stunned in the chest and neck, causing him to lose consciousness. And Kevin Boyd, of Homer, sued officers Smith and Van McDaniel on Nov. 23, 2011, alleging that on July 24, 2011 McDaniel stunned him several times while he was handcuffed.

The FBI in March raided the Police Department and seized the officers’ Tasers. They were returned later, and spokeswoman Mary Beth Romig told The Times in June the investigation had ended and no federal violations were uncovered. However, when contacted again last month, Romig admitted that statement was in error, adding she could not comment further on an ongoing investigation.

Young officially resigns from Waupun police

WAUPUN -- The Waupun Police Department accepted Lt. Brad Young’s resignation after he was charged with attempted burglary of three businesses in Green Lake County.

Young turned in his resignation in August after he allegedly forcefully entered Walkers Kollerville Restaurant near Green Lake at 1 a.m. Aug. 5. A detection system alerted the owners of the restaurant, who called the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

During an exterior search of the building a deputy observed a suspect exit the restaurant and run into a corn field. A foot chase ensued and the man was lost in the corn field.

Young was identified as a possible suspect, and he fled to northwestern Wisconsin. He surrendered a day later in Burnett County.

In Green Lake County, Young has been charged with the attempted burglary of Ted’s Piggly Wiggly in Markesan, J and T Foods in Berlin and Walkers Kollerville Restaurant near Green Lake.

In Barron County, two charges against Young have been filed; vehicle operator flee/elude officer and take and drive vehicle without consent.

Young was with the Waupun Police Department for 22 years.

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Fairfax County cops execute another unarmed man

The Fairfax County Police shot an killed an unarmed man who was alone in his home. The police caused the situation, they escalated the situation and they handled it poorly and are expected to take several weeks to develop their justification story.

Police said they were responding….in force with a tank, a helecopter, a SWAT team, K-p units, and no less than 23 cops to a “Domestic dispute” but Geer was alone in the house. The victim of this police shooting this time was John Geer, age 46, a kitchen installer with no history of violence had to end in death.  He left behind two teenage daughters.

According to Geer’s father,  Geer had been throwing his estranged wife’s belongings, she is 24 years old, into the front yard because she was leaving him, so she called the cops who marked the call as a domestic dispute. She was asked if there were guns in the house and she said there was. The weapons were under lock and key

There's a Maura Harrington listed at the same address where the killing took place.

Neighbors recalled him as even-keeled, outgoing and helpful. A search of police records in Fairfax County showed that Geer was found guilty of drunken driving in 2010 but no convictions for violent crimes or more serious offenses. A neighbor said he talked to Geer in the minutes before the police encounter. He said that Geer didn’t say anything suicidal but he was deeply shaken about the impending breakup.

For forty minutes the cops demanded that Geer, who stood at his front door, for forty minutes "They just continued to tell him: come out, come out, come out," said one witness.

Geer had not showed the cops any sort of weapon nor had he advanced toward them. He made no mention of harming himself or others. Geer’s hands were up in the air, seconds before he was gunned down because they were on top of the storm door. He as shot in the chest while slowly lowering his hands. He had no weapon in his possession and there was no weapon within his reach.

Shot in the chest, Greer pushed his way back into the house and bled to death. The heros from the SWAT team entered the house by way of tank one hour later and found Geer dead.

NOPD: officer suspended without pay after being booked with DWI in off-duty car wreck on I-10

NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans police officer has been suspended without pay after being booked with drunk driving while off duty, the department said Sunday.

Officer Jayson Germann of the Gang Intelligence Unit was driving his take-home car when an accident occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, New Orleans Police Department spokeswoman Remi (REM-ee) Braden said.

Germann, 38, of Bush, apparently lost control of the unmarked 2002 Chevrolet Impala, hit a guardrail on the Interstate 10 twin span, swerved back and hit a 1999 Geo, State Trooper Nick Manale said in an email.

Fayetteville police officer charged with driving while impaired

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Authorities said a Fayetteville police officer was charged with driving while impaired after being arrested in Wilmington on Sunday. Fayetteville police said 32-year-old Kevin Smith was arrested around 1 a.m. while off-duty in a Toyota SUV.

Douglasville police officer charged with DUI after crash

DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

Douglasville police officer was charged with DUI after he was injured in a car accident Thursday morning. Georgia State police report Officer Torre Langley overturned his personal vehicle after striking a culvert. The accident happened just after midnight near the intersection of Highway 5 and Sweetwater Road. Langley was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and he is reportedly in the ICU. Georgia State police said a blood test was taken for alcohol impairment, and the results are pending. Langley was charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Bethlehem police officer charged with DUI waives hearing

Bethlehem police officer Richard Hoffman is charged with drunken driving after an Aug. 8 crash, police officials said. (August 14, 2013)

 Hoffman, 34, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, twice the state's legal limit to drive, Aug. 8 when he plowed into cars at East Broad and High streets in the city, police said. He admitted he had been drinking, police said.

North Charleston, South Carolina: An off-duty police officer was charged with driving under the influence after an accident. ow.ly/oaPvq

Ottawa County, Michigan: A sheriff’s deputy has been suspended for 30 days for “inappropriate behavior.” He was placed on unpaid suspension after an internal investigation. ow.ly/oawOC