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cop gets 5 years in

Town Creek Police Department officer Brandon Shane Mundy was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Birmingham to five years in prison.

Judge R. David Proctor issued the sentence that included three years of supervised release and $3,745 in restitution for violating the civil rights of a man during an arrest.Mundy, 32, of Oxford, pleaded guilty April 25 to one count of willfully depriving a man “of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force by a law enforcement officer acting under color of law.”

Town Creek Mayor Mike Parker said Mundy had only been on the job two weeks when he beat a man on Nov. 22, 2009, with a baton or flashlight after a chase. Authorities refused to release the name of the man

Memphis officer charged with using fake prescription to get weight loss pills

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Prosecutors say a Memphis police officer has been charged with using fake prescriptions to get weight loss pills. The Shelby County district attorney's office says 40-year-old Paula Jamerson has been indicted on four counts of obtaining a controlled substance by forged prescription between December 2011 and August 2012. Investigators say Jamerson stole prescription sheets from a medical clinic where she was a patient and had prescriptions for phentermine filled at various pharmacies.

Lindenwold settles brutality suit for $5M from police K-9 attack

LINDENWOLD — Borough officials have agreed to a $5 million settlement of a lawsuit filed after a Lindenwold man was attacked by a police K-9 unit.
The police brutality suit said James Black, then 40, was attacked in October 2010 by the K-9 after Black questioned a Lindenwold officer ticketing his wife in the parking lot of their apartment complex. It said Black had a massive stroke hours later, which required doctors to remove pieces of his skull.
The lawsuit said Black, formerly a taxi driver, “has suffered permanent and life-threatening injuries, has been deprived of his livelihood, and been disfigured for life.”

Chicago Alderman wants $20 million fund for victims of police brutality

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus  introduced the ordinance, was asked how the cash-strapped city could afford to pay $20 million in reparations.  Brookins said aldermen could easily “figure out a revenue stream,” then suggested one: the windfall expected to be generated by speed cameras installed around schools and parks. 

Guthrie police lieutenant accused of making false arrest of wife's ex-husband

GUTHRIE — A Guthrie police lieutenant accused of arresting his wife's ex-husband for no good reason following the Mumford and Sons concert last month has faced similar allegations in the recent past.Lt. Mark Bruning is accused of arresting the ex-husband following the concert and falsely alleging the man was drunk in public. Just last year, he was sued by a local bar owner who accused him and other police officers of harassing customers and bar staff, causing serious financial hardship to the business.In May 2012, bar owner Fazal Khan filed a lawsuit against Bruning and three other police officers, claiming the men acted to harass and intimidate the customers of Halftime Bar and Grill by “unlawful use of police force and presence.”
The lawsuit claims the targeted harassment began in the fall of 2011 as Khan and his wife were going through a divorce. Khan's present ex-wife is the sister of Brian Crumb, who was a Guthrie police officer at the time.

RI High ranking officer resigns

One of the highest ranking officers with the Rhode Island State Police has resigned.
Disciplinary action was taken against 45 year old Lieutenant Colonel Wilfred K. Hill, the third highest ranking officer. He was demoted to Lieutenant on Thursday night, but handed in his resignation Friday Morning.
State police announced at a press conference Friday Afternoon that Hill had an inappropriate relationship with a young woman who was trying to get into the force.
Former Lt. Colonel Wilfred Hill spent 22 years with the Rhode Island State Police. He climbed to the top, becoming the 3rd highest ranking officer in the force. He's stripped of those titles after a destructive affair, and state police inernal investigation.
"Lt. Colonel Hill's inappropriate action resulted in his demotion and departure from the agency that he loved,"said Colonel Steven O'Donnell.
In August, Hill filed a restraining order against his ex–girlfriend of 2 years. He stated that after they split in March, she stalked him. In one case, following him home from work on 95 "playing a dangerous cat and mouse game."
In another instance, Hill claims the woman attempted to extort money from him in upwards of 11–thousand dollars to pay for her college.
Hill's restraining order was granted and weeks later, the woman filed a no contact order against him. She claimed Hill was the violent one.
Stating, "Wilfred has harmed me, leaving bruises on my body."
In one encounter the woman claims "He took his hand, wrapped it around my neck, and choked me."
That restraining order was denied because the burden of proof was not met.
Colonel O'Donnell said, "the investigation also revealed that there was not enough evidence to support a prosecution."
After dedicating more than two decades to serving the state of Rhode Island, the former Lt. Colonel's career is over.
"It was awful, it was the most difficult thing I've done in 30 years of law enforcement," said O'Donnell.

Trial set for Fullerton cops charged in Kelly Thomas beating death

Trial is expected to start next month in Orange County for two Fullerton police officers charged with the fatal beating of a homeless, mentally-ill man. A  third former officer charged in the case will be tried separately.

Former Fullerton Police Department Officer Manuel Anthony Ramos, 39, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and ex-Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 41, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force in connection with the beating death of Kelly Thomas, a homeless man with schizophrenia.  
Both officers were dismissed from the Fullerton Police Department. 

Jury selection is expected to begin in early November and the trial is scheduled for November 18.

A Friday trial-setting conference scheduled for ex-Fullerton police officer Joe Wolfe, who is expected to go on trial after Ramos and Cicinelli, was rescheduled to January 24. Wolfe faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and excessive force in the Thomas beating.

In a videotape of the July 5, 2011 incident at the Fullerton Transportation Station, Wolfe is seen pinning Kelly Thomas on the ground. Thomas is heard during the altercation telling officers he could not breathe.  

Officer suspended for sleeping on job

Sandusky Ohio: Officer Robert Gardin will be suspended for 10 days — a total of 80 hours — without pay, according to police documents. On the morning of Oct. 1, Gardin’s police cruiser idled in front of the Cheap Tobacco store on West Perkins Avenue for almost two hours. Earlier in the shift, Gardin’s cruiser idled in the Maag’s Automotive and Machine lot on Columbus Avenue for a little more than an hour, documents stated.

Springdale cop suspended for having sex in police cruiser

Springdale has suspended one of its police officers after allegations he was having sex in a police car while on duty.The suspension came after a report filed by several juveniles who walked past an unmarked borough police car at Sherosky Way, just off Butler Street, near the Allegheny River. Polsinelli said Walton was the only borough officer on duty when the youths allegedly saw Walton and a woman, thought to be about 19 or 20.The allegations against Walton are the latest regarding the department.Last week, the borough's insurance carrier paid $225,000 to settle a federal lawsuit involving alleged civil rights violations against a man by former borough police Sgt. Mark E. Thom and other officers.

Thom pleaded guilty in March to a federal charge of depriving the man of his civil rights. Thom is scheduled to be sentenced in January in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.

Quincy police officer given 10-day suspension

QUINCY — A Quincy police officer was suspended for 10 days over allegations that he lied about his reasons for pulling over a motorist on Nov. 10. The police chief wanted to fire Officer David Andersen but an agreement limited the discipline to 10 days of suspension taken from his annual leaveOn Nov. 10, according to Kruse’s report, Andersen made a traffic stop on a vehicle that came out of a storage facility in Quincy shortly after midnight. Andersen validated the stop by saying that he was suspicious of the time and place of the vehicle, and that a ball hitch obstructed the license plate and that a passenger was not wearing a seat belt. Kruse’s report notes that the ball hitch, when viewed later, did not appear to obstruct the license plate, and that tinted windows appeared to make it difficult for a pursuing officer to tell if someone was wearing a seat belt. A subsequent search warrant, based on Andersen’s statements, found no stolen property inside the vehicle.

Harrisburg police officer suspended pending probe into misuse of funds

A Harrisburg City police officer has been suspended with pay while authorities investigate allegations concerning the misuse of Police Athletic League funds , said Robert Philbin, the city’s chief operating officer.
Officer Jennie Jenkins turned in her badge and gun  to Chief Thomas Carter on Friday afternoon, Philbin said.

Natchitoches assistant police chief suspended for one day

Natchitoches Police Department Assistant Chief Cary Hargrove was suspended one day this month after he allegedly had a telephone conversation with a Natchitoches officer who was wanted in connection to a kidnapped Sabine Parish man in August.
Hargrove is alleged to have had a telephone conversation with a former fellow officer — 34-year-old Robert Barthelemy, who is charged in the beating death of Many resident Tony Procell, 25 — while Barthelemy was on the run from police in August. Barthelemy was indicated in September on charges of first-degree murder, home invasion and aggravated kidnapping.

Mary O'Callaghan, L.A. police officer, charged with assault in deadly arrest

CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Mary O'Callaghan, a Los Angeles police officer, was charged with assault Thursday for allegedly kicking a woman seven times in the groin, abdomen and upper thigh during an arrest in which the woman ultimately died, her attorney said.

Officer O'Callaghan, an 18-year veteran, was charged by Los Angeles County prosecutors with felony assault under color of authority, lawyer Robert Rico said.
"She's never had a sustained complaint of this type for anything," Rico said. "She has an exemplary record and she's shocked by the decision of the DA's office to file these allegations and looks forward to proving her innocence in court."
O'Callaghan, 48, faces arraignment Tuesday and has been relieved of duty without pay pending an administrative hearing.
The Police Commission, a civilian oversight board, reviewed the July 22, 2012 incident and issued a report concluding that O'Callaghan used unreasonable force on Alesia Thomas, 35, when she was restrained and in the backseat of a cruiser.
The report contained a detailed description of the incident, which was also caught on a police car camera. The department has not released the videotape of the incident and denied a request for a copy from The Associated Press, citing the ongoing investigation.
According to the report, video shows Thomas' "eyes roll back and her body roll toward the driver's seat" before officers reported that she appeared unconscious. Thomas didn't appear to be breathing when she was removed from the back seat. She arrived at the hospital in full cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead by a doctor there.
An autopsy found that Thomas had cocaine in her system when she went into cardiac arrest, but left her cause of death as "undetermined" because the struggle couldn't be excluded as a contributing factor. Thomas, who had a history of bipolar disorder, had no internal injuries or bruising, according to the coroner's report.
O'Callaghan was one of several officers involved in the incident, but the only one whose actions were found to violate department policies. None of the other officers were identified by name in the commission's report.
The altercation between Thomas and authorities occurred after officers tracked her to her South Los Angeles apartment to arrest her on suspicion of child endangerment. Police said she'd abandoned her 3-year-old and 12-year-old children at a police station in the middle of the night because she was a drug addict and couldn't care for them. Officers at the station learned the children expected their grandmother to pick them up.
The visit to Thomas' home quickly escalated into a prolonged struggle as officers tried to take the 228-pound Thomas into custody while she had cocaine in her system and appeared "fidgety, wide eyed, sweating" and later "incoherent," even asking officers to let her go and telling them on several occasions to kill her, the commission report states.
When O'Callaghan arrived on the scene, the officers were trying to place Thomas in the backseat of the patrol car. O'Callaghan allegedly repeatedly used profanity while trying to get Thomas into the car and secure her in the backseat while Thomas continued to struggle, kicking her legs toward the window and at O'Callaghan.
Thomas complained of being unable to breathe at one point, but the reports states the officers said they didn't hear her.
The commission specifically noted O'Callaghan's "apparent indifference" to Thomas, but wasn't able to determine whether O'Callaghan deliberately kicked Thomas or was just using her foot to push her into the car. But they determined that the decision to use her foot or leg to move Thomas into the cruiser was "ineffective and inappropriate."
Prosecutors declined to file a charge of involuntary manslaughter, citing insufficient evidence to prove that the conduct caused Thomas' death, according to a press release from the district attorney's office.
The assault charge is punishable by up to three years in state prison, prosecutors said.
Attorney Benjamin Crump, who is part of a team of attorneys representing Thomas' children in a suit against the LAPD, said he still had not seen the video of the incident despite repeated requests.
"It is unconscionable that in this day and age LAPD officers would treat a person like they treated her," Crump said. "This further reignites our demand to release that firsthand eyewitness account that is the surveillance video. We demand it. The truth is going to come out."
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement that the department worked closely with the district attorney's office on preparing and filing this case. He called the case troubling but said it demonstrated that the department "will hold our officers accountable for their actions."

As for the other officers involved, three have been placed on non-field assignments at other stations and an internal investigation is ongoing regarding potential misconduct. A fourth was allowed to return to the field after it was determined that the officer's role was minor.

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Cops In The Bronx Arrested Innocent People To Make Quotas

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — An attorney on Tuesday claimed some NYPD detectives in the Bronx lied and arrested innocent people over a period of several years, in an effort to meet quotas.

As 1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks reported. Peter Tilem, a former New York City prosecutor, called it “testi-lying,” charging that rogue narcotics detectives in the Bronx were arresting innocent people on drug charges and testifying against them in court during a 10-year period starting in the mid-1990s.

Tilem, who is now in private practice, has demanded a full-scale investigation.

“We’re asking for the Police Department and District Attorneys to help in identifying any people who were arrested falsely and may or may not be sitting in jail,” he said.

One former officer, Genaro Morales, testified that he knew of officers who lied under oath in the Bronx narcotics unit when he was there between the mid-1990s and 2006, according to a New York Post report. Morales claimed that detectives were under severe pressure to meet quotas, and talked about one specific incident where he claimed police locked up a man who had done nothing wrong, the newspaper reported.

Both the NYPD and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office refused to comment on the charges. 

Police Officer Charged With Hit-And-Run Of Teenager

Earlier this year, 18-year-old Dean Drukker was hit by an undercover police vehicle in Manchester, New Hampshire. The teenager suffered serious injuries. The vehicle fled the scene after the accident.

New DNA tests confirmed that Drukker’s blood was found on the undercarriage of the police vehicle, UnionLeader reports. The driver in question was Manchester police Sgt. Stephen Coco, who was off-duty at the time. He has been charged with two felony counts of conduct after an incident for his hit and run, but he has yet to be indicted.

Drukker’s attorney, Marc Hathaway, claimed that the charges had been reduced to misdemeanors. One of the charges alleges that Coco was “attempting to access information on a cell phone” when the accident occurred.

Drukker, however, disagrees with the charges being reduced.

“We believe it’s clearly a felony,” Drukker said.

The Drukkers claim that Dean and Noah were walking in the road when they noticed a car approaching. They moved to the side of the road and began walking single file, but the vehicle hit both of them, throwing Noah and running over Dean. Dean was knocked unconscious and left extremely bloody as Coco drove away.

officer charged with theft of public money

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco police officer was charged with theft of public money after officials said he spent his days at home when he should have been walking a beat.

The San Francisco Chronicle reportsundercover officers watched 52-year-old Ronald Gehrke go home repeatedly over a period of months while he was on duty.

An investigation was launched after a neighbor wrote to police brass wondering why Gehrke's department cruiser was often parked in the driveway of his house near Lake Merced.

The 19-year department veteran faces 10 misdemeanor counts. He has been suspended without pay. If Gehrke's found guilty, he could face a year in jail and will likely be fired.

The officer is due back in court Oct. 24, when a judge will schedule a trial.

Cop Out on Bail After Alleged Extortion Arrest

A Burbank police officer was out on bail Wednesday after being arrested this week for allegedly trying to extort more than $100,000 from his girlfriend's estranged husband. A court complaint outlines that Anthony Valento is suspected of asking for the payment with the promise of getting reduced or dropped domestic violence charges against Jeremy Bassett.

Pittsburgh police employees remain off job

Four Pittsburgh police employees have been on paid leave for eight months, and their representatives said Wednesday they still don't know why.  Acting police Chief Regina McDonald placed Ganster, manager of the police Office of Personnel and Finance, on a paid but unexplained leave the first week of March, Difenderfer said. Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson said Ganster's status has not changed.

McDonald placed personnel and finance civilian employees Tammy Davis and Kim Montgomery and Officer Tonya Montgomery-Ford on paid leave in February. Donaldson referred questions on their status to Public Safety Director Mike Huss, who declined to comment.

Montgomery-Ford, a master police officer, earned $103,877 in total pay in 2012, according to payroll records. “She's sitting at home getting full pay,” LaPorte said. “There has not been another conversation about it.”

Ganster earned $72,542 during 2012, Davis $44,047 and Montgomery $41,218, according to records.

McDonald has said she suspended the employees until an FBI investigation into the police department is completed. FBI spokeswoman Kelly Kochamba declined to comment.

Davis and Montgomery-Ford were business partners of indicted former police Chief Nate Harper. Davis, Montgomery-Ford, Cmdr. Eric Holmes and Sgt. Barry Budd formed a company — called Diverse Public Safety Consultants LLC — in February 2012 with Harper. Kim Montgomery is Tonya Montgomery-Ford's mother.

Difenderfer said Ganster went to Public Safety Director Michael Huss on Feb. 9 with concerns about spending from an unauthorized account at the Greater Pittsburgh Federal Credit Union. She was one of eight city employees with a debit card tied to a credit union account.

She told investigators that Harper used money from the account to buy riot shields for police during the Group of 20 economic summit in 2009 and outdoor furniture and ashtrays for a deck at police headquarters. Difen­derfer likened the credit union to a “petty cash” drawer that Harper used at his discretion. Difenderfer said Ganster went to Huss because she learned money from the credit union account paid for a promotion party for Holmes.

A federal grand jury indicted Harper in March on charges he diverted more than $70,000 from the police department's special events office into a private account and spent $31,986 of the money on personal expenses. He is charged with four counts of failing to file tax returns and plans to plead guilty on Friday.

RI state police official suspended with pay

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island state police have suspended a high-ranking officer with pay while an undisclosed allegation is being investigated.
The Providence Journal reported Thursday that State Police Col. Steven O'Donnell confirmed disciplinary action has been taken against 45-year-old Lt. Col. Wilfred Hill, the agency's third-highest ranking officer. O'Donnell declined to comment on the allegation, saying he couldn't give details of an internal matter.
State police legal counsel Lisa Holley said Hill was placed on administrative leave Tuesday, and Massachusetts State Police are helping in the Rhode Island State Police investigation to avoid appearance of conflict of interest.
The 22-year veteran was promoted in April. The job includes overseeing the state police training academy, sheriffs, capitol police, fire marshal and the emergency telephone system.

Cop fired who mistook lethal rounds

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Police Chief Mike Reese has fired an officer who critically wounded a man with a shotgun he mistakenly thought was loaded with beanbag rounds.

The Police Bureau said in a statement that Officer Dane Reister was notified of his dismissal on Tuesday. Reister shot William Monroe in June 2011.

Police had been called because Monroe, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was acting oddly by tossing discarded flowers toward children in a park. Reister was indicted on an assault charge and has pleaded not guilty.

Earlier this year, the Portland City Council agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of Monroe. Daryl Turner, the president of the police union, declined to comment on the firing.

Vegas police officer fired in veteran slaying case

LAS VEGAS—A Las Vegas police officer has been fired for policy violations for fatally shooting an unarmed Gulf War veteran in a vehicle in a chaotic scene in December 2011 that sparked calls for reforms in departmental use-of-force policies.

Jesus Arevalo (hay-SOOS' uh-REV'-ah-loh) was dismissed after Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie upheld findings by an in-house review panel that Arevalo "lacked the ability to make sound decisions in situations routinely faced by police officers," a department statement said Wednesday.

Arevalo, 36, a Las Vegas police officer for more than 11 years, had been on paid leave for the 22 months since the shooting death of Stanley Gibson.

His dismissal Tuesday was believed to be a first for the department—at least since the Las Vegas police and Clark County sheriff departments merged 40 years ago. Gillespie has said he couldn't recall another officer ever being fired for an on-duty shooting.

The shooting spurred calls by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for a federal Justice Department investigation. Instead, officials from the federal Community Oriented Policing Services program conducted a review of departmental use-of-force policies.

A COPS official last month credited Las Vegas police with upgrading training, keeping better track of how and when officers use deadly force, and instituting a pilot program to put cameras on the uniforms of some officers.

Chris Collins, executive director of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, declined Wednesday to comment on Arevalo's dismissal.

Gibson's widow, Rondha Gibson, didn't immediately respond to a message through a spokesman.

Her lawyer in a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the department said Arevalo's dismissal for policy violations was justified, but wouldn't change the lawsuit asking a judge to address police supervisory mistakes and poor planning.

"It is what we were hoping would occur, unfortunately it was for different issues from the ones involved in our case," attorney Cal Potter told The Associated Press. "It was all just a recipe for disaster, the way they handled it."

Gibson remained locked in his car for more than an hour at a northwest Las Vegas apartment complex, with his car pinned between two police cruisers as officers with weapons drawn commanded him to surrender. Gibson's spinning tires generated billows of acrid blue smoke before Arevalo opened fire with an assault-style rifle.

A grand jury refused to indict officers in the case, and Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson determined in April that mistakes were made, but no criminal charges would be filed against Arevalo.

The DA issued a report saying Arevalo thought he was shooting in self-defense when he heard another officer fire a beanbag shotgun to break a side window of Gibson's vehicle. Police said they didn't know Gibson was unarmed, and had planned to inject pepper spray through the space to force him to surrender.

Gibson, who suffered from severe anxiety and depression, had shown signs of mental distress in the 36 hours before the fatal encounter. He was jailed briefly on a resisting police charge, found wandering in a street, taken to a Las Vegas hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and released with instructions to check back two days later.

Rondha Gibson said he may have become disoriented driving home.

He was shot in an apartment complex near where they used to live.

In September, Community Oriented Policing Services said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had addressed or completed all but nine of 80 reforms called for in a report the agency made public almost a year ago. A final COPS report is expected next year.

After peaking at 25 shootings in 2010, Las Vegas police were involved in 17 officer-involved shootings in 2011 and 11 in 2012, including four fatal cases.

Trial begins for officer charged in Baltimore police trainee shooting

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Opening arguments started today in the trial of William Kern, the Baltimore City Police instructor charged with shooting a police recruit in the head during a training session in February.

The trial began Tuesday with jury selection and motions from Kerns’ lawyer to have some pieces of evidence thrown out, according to Baltimore County Assistant State’s Attorney John Cox. These motions were ultimately denied by the judge, Cox said.

Opening arguments began Wednesday morning. The trial is ongoing this week.
Kern, age 46, was indicted in March on charges of second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. The maximum penalty for both charges is 10 years in prison.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Maryland State Police that indicates Kern, an 18-year veteran of the police department, shot police recruit Raymond Gray in the head at point blank range during a Feb. 12 training exercise at the Rosewood Center in Owings Mills.

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Gang mentality: 64 Officers Found Guilty of Violations in Deadly Chase

CLEVELAND–Police Chief Michael McGrath announced Tuesday that 178 suspension days have been issued against 64 officers found guilty of violations in the November chase.
The 64 officers do not include the 13 officers who were involved in the actual shooting.
Union President Jeff Follmer said the most any officer received was 10 days. Charges against three officers were dismissed, the chief said.
Additionally, two officers received written warnings.
The chief said the county prosecutor’s office is still reviewing the matter to determine if any criminal charges should be filed.
The pursuit happened around 10:30 p.m. on November 29 when an officer outside the Justice Center said someone in the suspects’ car fired a shot at him.
Dozens of Cleveland police officers chased the car for more than 22 minutes. The chase ended in East Cleveland when 13 officers fired 137 shots at the two suspects.

Female police officer charged, suspended after incident with husband

SAVANNAH, GA -
A Savannah-Chatham Metro Police officer is on leave after a domestic dispute early Tuesday morning.
26-year-old Chassity Johanson is also facing misdemeanor simple battery charges.
Police tell WSAV that Johanson got into an argument with her husband, a Garden City police officer, about 4 am Tuesday. During the incident she hit him, police told WSAV-TV.
Johanson is a two year veteran of the force stationed at the West Chatham Precinct.
Johanson, who attended the University of Tampa, appears to be a member of the US Army and was commissioned in 2009 as a lieutenant, according to Facebook.
Johanson is on paid leave while the incident is investigated.
A police spokeswoman told the Savannah Morning News that Johanson was charged as the primary aggressor. Johanson's husband was not charged in the incident.

2 suspended Milwaukee police officers due in court

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Two suspended Milwaukee police officers are due in court on charges that they failed to intervene as fellow officers conducted illegal strip searches and body-cavity searches.
Jeffrey Dollhopf is charged with felony misconduct in public office and being party to the crime of illegal cavity search. Brian Kozelek is charged with illegal strip search and misconduct in office.
They're scheduled to make pre-trial appearances Tuesday morning. Their trials would begin next week.
Both men have sought to have the charges dropped. They say the counts are too vague to allow them to present proper defenses. Similar charges have resulted in criminal penalties against two other officers. Michael Vagnini (vag-NEE'-nee) was sentenced to 26 months in prison and Jacob Knight was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

Berthoud police chief, officer suspended in probe; Larimer County sheriff's sgt. named interim chief

BERTHOUD, Colo. - A criminal investigation has led to the suspension of Berthoud Police Chief Glenn Johnson and one of his officers, authorities said.
In a statement released Monday night, the Town of Berthoud said: "The Larimer County District Attorney and the Loveland Police Department have both advised Town officials of the existence of a criminal investigation of two police officers, but no charges have been filed and no details have been released to the Town."

Meanwhile, the town statement says, "The Larimer County Sheriff's Office has, at the request of Town staff, agreed to supply an interim police chief and direct police operations until the Town is able to ascertain the nature and foundation of the allegations and investigation being conducted with respect to two Berthoud Police officers."

Sheriff's office spokesman John Schulz told 7NEWS that sheriff's Sgt. John Feyen was appointed interim Berthoud police chief last week.

The town department normally has seven police officers, including the chief.

Arrested East Haven cop Robert Ranfone seeks disability retirement

EAST HAVEN Ct.  Detective Robert Ranfone, who was charged earlier this month with two felonies and a misdemeanor in connection with a used car scam, has filed paperwork to retire with a disability, police sources said.
Ranfone, 47, a longtime East Haven police officer who was the president of the police union, had already been suspended with pay for several months as a result of an unrelated January incident in which he was accused of acting unconstitutionally while investigating a purse snatching. He filed his retirement papers late last week, sources said.
Ranfone turned himself in to state Department of Motor Vehicles police and was arrested on Oct. 3 in connection with an incident involving a sports car that a New Haven used car dealer allegedly sold to two different people. Ranfone turned himself in on an arrest warrant, according to East Haven police Lt. David Emerman.
Ranfone was charged with interfering with an officer, second-degree hindering prosecution, and tampering with evidence for allegedly helping the second purchaser and ultimate recipient of the vehicle conceal it for a period of time, according to a copy of the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the New Haven Register.
The case revolves around a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette sold — allegedly twice — by Brian Page, who at the time was owner of the now-closed Lucky Sevens Auto Dealership in New Haven, according to the affidavit.

It also involves another car, a 2008 Lexus, for which a loan and insurance policy were generated, but which the listed owner — who also was the original buyer of the Corvette — told police he never bought, took out a loan for or insured, the affidavit says.

PROTESTERS DEMAND ARREST OF FLA. COP IN TASER DEATH

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — More than 200 people marched through Miami Beach on Sunday, Oct. 6, clogging tourist-filled sidewalks to demand the arrest of a policeman who fired a stun gun at a graffiti artist who died in police custody on Aug. 6.

The protesters alleged that Officer Jorge Mercado used excessive force when he used a Taser on Israel Hernandez-Llach, 18, during an arrest attempt in August.

“He was sentenced like a prisoner when he goes before a firing squad,” Hernandez-Llach’s father, Israel Hernandez Bandera, said on the steps of Miami Beach City Hall.

Friends, family and supporters carried signs reading “Paint is temporary, death is forever” and chanted “No justice, no peace” in English and Spanish.

Hernandez-Llach was prolific graffiti artist nicknamed “Reefa,” and the march was led by the Justice for Reefa Committee and the American Community Council. Marchers asked that Mercado be fired and arrested and that the Miami Beach Police Department change its policy regarding use of stun guns.

Police discovered Colombian-born Hernandez-Llach spray-painting the wall of an abandoned McDonald’s early on the morning of Aug. 6. The teenager fled, evading police for several minutes before he was cornered and stunned with the Taser.

He died shortly afterward and friends who were with him said they heard and saw officers celebrating and high fiving while the young man’s body lay on the ground.

Medical examiners have yet to release a toxicology report or cause of death. Miami Beach Police have declined to comment pending an ongoing investigation.

The teenager’s father submitted a letter late last month to the U.S. Department of Justice and President Barack Obama alleging that police used excessive force and refused to provide him with information regarding the incident.

“I’m not an investigator, just a broken father who wants answers,” he wrote.

He said his son’s body showed signs of mistreatment, including an injury to the forehead, after it was turned over to the family for the funeral.

“My biggest concern is was it due to the Taser or was it from blows (by police),” said his father.

Hernandez-Llach’s sister, Offir Hernandez, disputed speculation that her brother was on drugs at the time of the incident, but said that according to friends he had smoked marijuana that morning.

“He took care of himself,” she said. “He was very healthy and wouldn’t even drink sodas and ate salads and fish. He’d never put acid in his body.”

Hernandez-Llach’s family has also filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court against the Miami Beach Police Department and Mercado, seeking an undisclosed amount for damages and alleging the police used “unnecessary, excessive and unconstitutional force.”

The Colombian-born artist was slightly built and unarmed, and “officers had no reasonable basis to fear for their own safety or the safety of the public,” the lawsuit said.

Mercado was named in several prior complaints according to police Internal Affairs reports obtained by Reuters. He was disciplined for failing a drug test in 2011 but was exonerated in several other cases, including punching a man in the face during an off-duty fight in a men’s room in 2007.

DEATH OF MIAMI BEACH TEEN REKINDLES DEBATE ON TASER SAFETY

By Kevin Gray of Reuters

October 14, 2013 

MIAMI — When police spotted Israel Hernandez Llach spray painting a shut-down McDonald’s in August, the Miami teenager decided to make a run for it.

Moments later the unarmed, 18-year-old graffiti artist was dead. He had been struck in the chest by a police stun gun. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is still investigating what caused the Aug. 6 death of the Colombian-born teenager. His death in Miami Beach, where police conduct has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, has triggered protests calling for a change in the way officers use the stun guns known as Tasers.

It has also reignited a debate about whether the electrical shock the Taser delivers can sometimes trigger a cardiac arrest when fired at the chest area.

“The fact that he was shot in the chest is something we are analyzing,” said Jose J. Rodriguez, a lawyer for Hernandez Llach’s family. “We’re working with the assumption for now that the Taser caused his death.”

Tasers, used by police officers in the United States and globally, have been the target of criticism from advocacy groups like Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which argue they can be lethal and have called for more stringent rules on their use.

Proponents of Tasers say stun guns are a very useful tool for law enforcement officers, enabling them to subdue suspects without deadly force.

“It’s not a magic bullet,” said Steve Tuttle, a spokesman for Taser International. “But it is the most effective, accountable tool that officers have.”

A study published last year in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation, analyzed the cases of eight people in the United States who suffered cardiac arrest after being shocked by a Taser in the chest.

Seven of the people died and one survived, leading the study’s author to conclude that electricity delivered by a Taser can speed up the heart rate and provoke cardiac arrest in some cases.

“Cardiac arrest can happen,” said Dr. Douglas Zipes, a cardiologist and distinguished professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine who led the study. “It’s infrequent, but how infrequent, we don’t know.”

Taser International has questioned the study’s results, saying it fails to establish a clear connection. In 2009, the company adjusted the guidance it provides to police departments on Taser use, warning officers to avoid, if possible, shots to the chest because of extremely low risk of an “adverse cardiac event.”

“If there is going to be a cardiac arrest, it’s going to be extraordinarily rare,” Tuttle said.

In its safety materials, Taser recommends users aim away from the chest area as well as the head, throat and any areas with an existing injury, if possible.

John Burton, a California lawyer who has successfully tried several cases against Taser involving chest shots, said the language needs to be clearer about potential risks, and more data is needed.

“No one is going around collecting these incidents, studying their frequency, studying what happened,” he said.

When a person dies from being Tasered, sometimes the cause of death is not clear, Burton said.

Hernandez Llach’s father, Israel Hernandez Bandera, is awaiting a medical examiner’s report that could reveal the cause of death. The report’s findings are being withheld because of a civil suit the family filed accusing the police of excessive force. Such withholding is normal when suits are filed.

“I just want some answers,” he said. “Was it the Taser? Was it something else?”

TASERS ARE WIDELY USED

Tasers, which were first introduced in 1994, can deliver a charge of up to 50,000 volts that paralyze a person’s muscles, allowing officers to easily subdue them. Officers can use a Taser from a distance of up to 25 feet; the weapon fires prongs connected to metal string that pierce the skin.

The devices are used by nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies in 107 countries, including police forces in most major U.S. cities, according to Taser International. Tasers for law enforcement start at around $500.

Earlier this year, a Connecticut state lawmaker unsuccessfully introduced a bill supported by the ACLU to set training and reporting standards for Taser use in the state.

Concerns about the risk of cardiac arrest have led at least one police department to tighten restrictions on their use. The Cincinnati Police Department prohibited frontal shots last year except in situations of self defense, said Sargent Julian Johnson, a department spokesman.

It is not known if Hernandez Llach had a pre-existing condition, such as heart disease, or other factors like drug or alcohol use that could have contributed to his death. Miami Beach Police officials have suggested he may have died from a pre-existing condition or physical exertion.

Hernandez Llach’s sister, Offir Hernandez, said her brother did not use hard drugs, such as the counter-culture psychedelic drug acid, or cocaine, but said his friends told her he smoked marijuana that morning.

“He took care of himself,” she said. “He was very healthy and wouldn’t even drink sodas, and only ate salads and fish.”

She said that detectives who came to their house to break the news of her brother’s death immediately asked the family if Hernandez Llach had been using acid.

“He’d never put acid in his body,” she said.

Hernandez Llach died after leading officers on an early morning foot chase through alleyways on Miami Beach. When he was cornered, he bolted toward the officers. A policeman responded by firing a stun gun at his chest, according to the Miami Beach Police Department.

Once in police custody, Hernandez Llach showed signs of medical distress and officers rushed him to a hospital. Shortly afterward, he was pronounced dead.

Miami Beach Police spokesman Sargent Bobby Hernandez declined to discuss specifics about the case pending the investigation.

He said the department’s officers have to be Tasered themselves during training to understand how much pain it can cause, and added that the department’s guidelines spell out that the department “prefers” that officers aim for the abdomen.

 “Now when you’re dealing with someone who is resisting and not complying, when it shoots it doesn’t exactly land where you were aiming,” he said.

Hernandez said he had recently completed the department’s regular training for Tasers. The course offered no explanation why the chest area should be avoided, he said.

Emma Andersson, an attorney with the ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project, said she worried that officers were reaching too quickly for their Tasers, particularly in non-violent situations because some police officers may view a Taser as non-lethal.

“It’s a lot easier to whip out your Taser if you have it on your belt than it is to spend 10 to 15 minutes trying to negotiate with someone,” she said.

Bisard trial starting

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - Jury selection begins Monday morning in the trial for suspended Indianapolis police officer David Bisard. The trial was moved to Allen County amid doubts Bisard would receive a fair trial in Marion County. Bisard faces reckless homicide and drunken driving charges for an August 2010 fatal crash on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Prosecutors will argue that Bisard was intoxicated more than twice the legal driving limit when he drove his squad car into a group of motorcyclists. The impact killed Eric Wells, 30, and seriously injured two other people.

State cop who patronized prostitute, gets seven days in jai

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Richard Narvaez pleaded guilty in Clackamas County Circuit Court to one count of official misconduct, a misdemeanor and was sentenced to seven days in jail

Narvaez, who worked in OSP's Tribal Gaming Section, met Tiffany Denise Smith after he stopped at a Fred Meyer store at Southeast 82^nd Avenue and Southeast Johnson Creek Boulevard.

He approached Smith at a bus stop and determined that she would engage in sex for money, said prosecutor Scott Healy. The section of 82nd near the store is known as an area frequented by street prostitutes and johns.

Narvaez went into Fred Meyer, withdrew $40 from an ATM and again contacted Smith.

They walked several blocks to a vacant lot where they partially disrobed and began having sex, Healy said.

A 16-year-old boy observed the sexual activity and told his mother who called police. A deputy caught Narvaez and Smith in the act.

When confronted, Narvaez began crying. 

An off-duty Richland County sheriff's deputy is in hot water

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - An off-duty Richland County sheriff's deputy is in hot water after allegedly assaulting a woman, handcuffing her and slamming her head into a table at a Columbia restaurant on Monday.

Columbia police arrested 49-year-old Deputy Paul Allen Derrick at Buffalo Wild Wings on Devine Street and charged him with assault.

The veteran deputy, 49-year-old Paul Derrick, was placed on leave without pay after he was arrested following the October 7 incident at Buffalo Wild Wings on Devine Street.

According to a Columbia Police Department incident report, around 11 p.m. Derrick approached a female soldier from Fort Jackson who appeared to be upset. The report states 23-year-old Brittany Ball showed no interest in Derrick and the two started arguing.

Police say Derrick, who was not in uniform and was drinking alcohol, left the restaurant and returned with handcuffs he retrieved from his vehicle.

Derrick overpowered Ball, handcuffed her, pulled her to her feet, and slammed her head into a metal table, the report states. Ball, according to the report, was also drinking alcohol.

Cell phone video recorded by a bar patron Steven Hughes details the events as they unfolded on the patio of the restaurant.

"I said, 'I'm going to start videoing this, because I think something is about to get out of hand,'" said Hughes. "And about the time I got my video out, he had her turned around and was putting her in handcuffs. I mean she never yelled at him. She never resisted. She was as calm as she could be. Obviously she was scared, I mean when you get arrested, especially if it's your first time you're going to be scared."

In the video, Derrick can be seen trying to force Ball to stand up after cuffing her hands behind her back.

At one point Ball is positioned over a table, and the table collapses.

A police officer who reviewed video of the incident reports hearing Derrick say, "This is how Marines deal with soldiers," while slamming the woman into the table.

It is not clear from the video why Derrick thought it was necessary to restrain Ball.

Restaurant employees and other customers watched nearby and tried to intervene in the incident.


"At an establishment like that if the management hasn't asked you to leave, then you as a customer can't ask somebody to leave," said Hughes. "You have to go get management. That's the whole point of having a business is letting management handle it."

Derrick does not let management handle it. Instead, he warned others away as he remained on the patio with Ball still unable to free herself. By now, Columbia police are on the way. When they arrive, Hughes shows the video to an officer.

"He watched maybe the first 30 seconds of it. And when he heard the Marine-Army comment he said, 'Alright, things just changed. Arrest him, 10-37, and release her.' And that's when I said, 'Sir, I know it's hard, but that's the right thing,'" said Hughes.


Sheriff Leon Lott is scheduled to discuss the case Tuesday with Interim Columbia Chief Ruben Santiago and Fifth Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson.

Mobile users, click here to see the video or look for the VIDEO tab in the mobile app or on the mobile website.

Police unlawful harassment and racial profiling 9/27/13 Philly,Pa

cases dismissed after police officer investigation

Brandenburg, Ky (WDRB) -- More court cases are being dismissed in Meade County after two state troopers were fired.
The Meade County Circuit Court Clerk's office says 10 cases were dismissed Wednesday, seven for DUIs and three for traffic violations.
The office says they were dismissed because the investigating officers listed were Kentucky State Police Troopers Jerry Clanton and Stratford Young.  KSP confirms the two troopers from Post 4 were fired on Friday.
The Clerk's Office says the cases were dismissed Wednesday because the troopers were unavailable for court.  That brings the total cases dismissed in two weeks in Meade County to 15 since five DUI cases were dismissed last week.
This all comes as a father tells WDRB that his 15-year-old daughter was the victim of an inappropriate relationship with two troopers, a Breckinridge County Sheriff's deputy, and a Brandenburg police officer.
Breckinridge Deputy Chris Woosley recently resigned, but his department will not say why.
Brandenburg Mayor David Pace told WDRB News Thursday that he will not release his officer's name who is on paid administrative leave because it's a personnel issue and he has no plans to terminate that officer at this time.
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office is in the process of naming a special prosecutor in the case.  Once the KSP investigation is complete, it will be up to a grand jury to decide whether the men will face criminal charges.
Breckinridge County Attorney Bradley Butler says he has not dismissed any court cases involving the former Breckinridge deputy so far.

Photograph the Police: ACLU says arrest of Flint Anonymous activist is un...

Photograph the Police: ACLU says arrest of Flint Anonymous activist is un...: FLINT, MI -- An attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said Flint police officers appear to have violated the constit...

6 officers, 3 others arrested in illegal racing scheme

Nine people, including six law enforcement officers, were arrested Saturday on charges of operating an illegal horse racing track in Crosby, Harris County prosecutors said.
The 11-month investigation found that an illegal racing and gambling business was operated at Rancho El Herradero, 12402 Sralla Road, the district attorney's office said in a news release. Authorities said the six licensed police officers arrested were providing security at the track.
The six officers arrested were identified as Secar Guadelupe Rangel, 34, and Joel Garcia, 31, deputy constables in Harris County Precinct 1; Richard Rene Rivera, 57, a Department of Public Safety trooper; David Green, 37, andEdward Scott, 34, reserve deputy constables in Fort Bend County Precinct 2; and Carlos Garza, 64, a reserve sheriff's deputy in Maverick County in Southwest Texas.
Three civilians - Cosuelo Rivera, 61; Reginaldo Mandujano, 53; and Diana Marie Salinas,19 - also were arrested.
All nine were charged with racing without a license, a felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Cosuelo Rivera, identified as the wife of Richard Rene Rivera, also was charged with impersonating a peace officer.
All of the officers and Cosuelo Rivera were freed on bond, according to court records. Salina remains in a Harris County jail. Court records did not include any information on Mandujano's case.
Court records show Green was charged with theft in Harris County in 1994. Garza's record includes charges for assault and driving while intoxicated, court records state.
Terese Buess, chief of the DA office's public integrity division, said in the news release that the lengthy investigation included multiple undercover surveillance operations.
The investigation was led by the district attorney's office, DPS and the Texas Rangers.
Authorities said the track typically opened around mid-afternoon on weekends, with races continuing until about midnight.

Truck Driver Nearly Beaten to Death By Police For Not Signing Traffic

 Listen to this arrogant prick defend from CHP the beating

NYPD Officer Arrested for Participating in the Motorcycle 'Road Rage' Attack

An off-duty undercover cop who was riding with a large gang of motorcyclists in New York last month, not only witnessed other riders dragging a man out of his SUV and brutally assaulting him in front of his wife and child, the cop allegedly participated in the attack.
Originally, the seven-year veteran narcotics officer claimed he didn't do anything while members of the ride along punched, kicked and slashed at the victim's face because he arrived at the scene when the attack was ending. But according to new video evidence obtained by the New York Post (from the paper's "disgusted" sources), the unidentified undercover officer can be seen punching one of the SUV windows while the attack is still ongoing. (Update, 5:53 p.m. CBS News reports the undercover officer in question has been arrested for his part in the assault.)
In total, six officers were allegedly part of the group of motorcycle riders when the attack went down. It's unclear so far why they were riding with the group that NYPD was already on alert for, or why any of them failed intervene when things got ugly. The unidentified undercover officer originally got himself in trouble for not reporting his presence at the scene of the crime until more than three days after the attack. He has since turned in his badge and gun and has been reassigned pending an internal investigation. 
On September 29, Alexian Lien, 33, was driving in a Range Rover on New York's West Side Highway with his wife and two-year-old daughter when a group of motorcycle riders pulled in front of him. An accidental bump occurred, and the gang started to surround Lien's SUV. When the father sped away because he was threatened, scared and outnumbered, he ran over a few of the riders, paralyzing 32-year-old Edwin Mieses, who has since teamed up with power lawyer Gloria Allred. The bike gang raced after the SUV and pursued Lien into New York City traffic where, finally having him cornered, members of the group proceeded to smash the driver side window and drag Lien out of the car. Lien was assaulted and hospitalized following the attack. Everything leading up to the attack was caught on video:
At least four bikers have so far been been arrested for their roles in the attack. Twenty-nine-year-old Craig Wright, 37-year-old Reginald Chance, and 35-year-old Robert Sims were all arraigned on assault charges. Prosecutors decided not to formally charge the fourth, 43-year-old Allen Edwards, for his role in the attack. To make things even stranger, the man who organized the ride, Jamie Lao, who goes by the name Hollywood Stuntz online, told the website Global Grind he tried to cancel the event at the last minute "due to overwhelming pressure from the police."

Prichard Officer Arrested in Child Abuse Case

PRICHARD, Ala. (WPMI) A Prichard Police officer with a previous criminal history is accused of severely abusing a child, prosecutors said.


Bryan Pearman, 24, is charged with aggravated child abuse, jail records show.

Mobile County Assistant District Attorney Nicki Patterson said deputies received a call from USA Women's and Children's Hospital in July telling authorities a two-year-old girl had been treated for injuries that did not appear accidental.

The girl had injuries to her head and face as well as marks on her neck that were consistent with having been choked, Patterson said. The girl had been in Pearman's care when the injuries were discovered.

Deputies continued to investigate the case and obtained a warrant this week.

Prichard Police officials learned of Pearman's imminent arrest during Thursday's City Council meeting, a source with knowledge of the case said. Coincidentally in that meeting, the council voted to confirm Jerry Spezial as the city's new police chief.

Mayor Troy Ephriam and Chief of Staff Eddie Brown have been briefed on the matter, the source said.

Pearman has been a patrolman for nearly 2 years. Before he became an officer, Pearman was charged in a misdemeanor animal cruelty case where his neighbor's dog was shot, court records show.

"All the other neighbors heard shots and pinpointed them to his house," a witness wrote in a 2010 deposition, "Dog returned to her front yard where she lay bleeding."

Pearman was fined and ordered to pay restitution, records show.

It was not immediately clear how the previous arrest was handled when Pearman was applying to become an officer.

The abuse charge is a felony and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years. Pearman is scheduled to appear in court on the matter October 21.

Wildwood cop who kicked handcuffed suspects resentenced to 5 years in prison

CAPE MAY COUNTY — Wildwood police officer convicted of kicking two handcuffed suspects has been resentenced to five years in prison, according to a report on PressofAtlanticCity.com.

David Romeo, 43, will have to serve one year and five days before he is eligible for parole. He has spent 30 days in the Atlantic County jail since an August decision that denied his request for a new trial, the report said.

The state appellate panel instead ordered that the sentence be revisited.

Romeo was convicted of official misconduct for kicking two handcuffed car burglary suspects in the head as they lay on the ground in a parking lot in 2007.

Romeo testified he kicked the men because he saw a weapon. But three other officers said no weapon was present when the suspects were kicked.

When Romeo appealed his original five-year sentence in 2010, prosecutors appealed a judge's decision not to make the former sergeant ineligible for parole, the Press of Atlantic City reported. The officer was allowed to remain free.

Norristown cop sentenced to 17 years in drug case

COURTHOUSE — A Montgomery County judge sentenced a retired Norristown police officer to 17 to 50 years behind bars Friday for selling methamphetamine and prescription pills and using his old police badge and license plate as clout to do it.

In July, a jury found Jack Pennington, 68, of Upper Merion, guilty of 16 out of 21 drug-related felonies stemming from a wiretap investigation spearheaded by Montgomery County Detectives and their Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET).

Throughout Pennington’s four-day trial, Schadler said Pennington repeatedly used his position as a former police officer to sway the jury.

Tampa police officer fired, charged with welfare fraud

Tampa police fired and arrested another of their own on Thursday. This time, the charges involve a longtime police sergeant accused of using a convict's food stamp card.

Police arrested - and Chief Jane Castor fired - Sgt. La Joyce Houston, a 16-year veteran of the force. Houston, 47, is charged with two counts of welfare fraud and one count of grand theft. She was released from the Hillsborough County Orient Road Jail after posting bail set at $6,000, records show.

The firing comes less than a month after the chief terminated two officers for unrelated reasons. One officer had been arrested on charges she stole money from an evidence area. The other was Sgt. Ray Fernandez, terminated after police investigators said he was not truthful about his involvement in the drunken driving arrest of a Tampa attorney in January who prosecutors say was set up.