100 Charges Have "Inadmissable Evidence" in Child Rape Case

A man accused of raping and molesting children had faced 105 charges, but now that's down to five. Prosecutors say that's because the Tallassee police officer investigating the case is now being investigated himself. Stephen Conrad came to court today to make a plea on his case, but that didn't happen -- instead, that plea has been delayed. And District Attorney, Randall Houston, says that's because Tallassee Assistant Chief, Chris Miles, was the lead investigator in the Conrad case -- but he illegally obtained the evidence and it can no longer be used.
"It calls into question everything with that officer and everything about the case," Said C.J. Robinson with the Elmore County District Attorney's office. He says it's a case that's left he and other investigators able to only prove five charges against Stephen Conrad, who is accused of raping and molesting eight children in the last 11 years.  Four of those children were family members. And the youngest was three months old.
Robinson says the lead investigator in the case, Tallassee Assistant Police Chief Chris Miles, physically coerced Conrad into confessing, as well as three co-defendants, including his wife, Brandy Conrad, Helen Gantt and Mark Jeffrey Ray. They were were charged with failure to report the sexual abuse of a child.

officer charged with felony

A Beech Mountain police officer has left the department and turned himself in to face a felony drug charge, according to police.Avery County Sheriff's Office received a complaint concerning possible illegal activity by patrol officer Josh Hernandez, according to Sheriff Kevin Frye. Frye forwarded the complaint to Chief Jerry Turbyfill of the Beech Mountain Police Department, who started an internal investigation.

officer charged with theft

SAYREVILLE — A borough police officer has been charged with stealing more than $20,000 from the Sayreville Housing Authority. According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Stephen Gulick was charged Nov. 14 with a count of theft by deception for allegedly collecting money from the housing authority between Feb. 2, 2012, and July 8, 2013. An investigation conducted by the prosecutor’s office and the Sayreville Police Department showed that Gulick allegedly collected federal money to subsidize the rent paid by a female tenant at a property he owned in Sayreville. He subsequently married the tenant, who then became ineligible for the housing assistance. However, Gulick allegedly continued to receive and cash checks paid by the housing authority on behalf of the woman.During the period the woman was ineligible to receive assistance, Gulick allegedly collected 18 checks totaling $20,466.

Norristown police officer charged with sexual assault of minor in Chester County

NORRISTOWN — A Norristown police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl. Nicholas Santo, 47, of North Coventry, was arraigned in front of Chester County District Judge James DeAngelo on Sept. 18, according to Priya DeSouza, the Chester assistant district attorney prosecuting the case. His bail was set at the full amount of $25,000 which was later paid in full. According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Sept. 18 Chester County detectives received a report that a young girl had been sexually assaulted. The report stated Santo allegedly sexually assaulted the girl Sept. 13.

Cop sued

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union has sued a white Pittsburgh police officer on behalf of a black teacher who claims he was wrongly arrested for commenting on the officer's driving.
The teacher, 38-year-old Dennis Henderson, had just left a community group meeting June 26 that addressed community-police relations when Officer Jonathan Gromek, who was driving by, heard Henderson criticize his driving and stopped. Henderson was jailed for about 12 hours following his arrest. The Allegheny County district attorney later had police drop charges including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
"Dennis Henderson, an award-winning Pittsburgh teacher, was arrested and jailed overnight simply for answering truthfully when a police officer asked him whether he had a problem with the way the officer was driving," according to the 12-page federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Gromek was pulled off patrol duty in July and assigned to the warrants office, a common outpost for officers awaiting possible disciplinary action, while the city's Office of Municipal Investigations reviewed the encounter.

City police spokeswoman Diane Richard said the office found the allegations to be true and that Gromek is awaiting police department action. The lawsuit says Gromek received a letter Oct. 1 advising that the city had determined he violated three broad police policies: conduct toward the public, conduct unbecoming and incompetence.
Gromek does not have an attorney listed in court records and a home telephone number listed in his name was disconnected Tuesday. An attorney with the city law department did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Only Gromek is being sued, but the city may eventually have to defend Gromek because he was acting within the scope of his official duties.
The stop happened shortly after Henderson left a meeting of the Community Empowerment Association, which seeks to address problems in poorer black neighborhoods. Among other topics, the group had discussed the lack of trust between some members of the black community and the police, particularly in high-crime areas like Homewood, the neighborhood where the meeting was held.
Henderson was speaking to a photographer for the New Pittsburgh Courier, a newspaper that covers the city's black community. Both were standing in the street next to Henderson's car while he retrieved a business card and spoke about a teaching award he recently received.
According to the lawsuit, Gromek's patrol car drove by close enough that both people pressed against Henderson's car for safety, at which point the teacher said, "Wow!" - referring to the speed with which the officer was driving down a narrow street.
Gromek then turned around, stopped and confronted both of them and asked Henderson, "Do you have a problem?"
Henderson asked for the officer's name and badge number so he could file a complaint about Gromek's driving.
Henderson then began recording the encounter on his cellphone, which he handed to the photographer once the officer told Henderson to put his hands behind his back. The officer eventually handcuffed the photographer and allegedly refused to explain why either Henderson or the photographer were taken into custody, the lawsuit said. The photographer was never criminally charged and released minutes later.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for claims including false arrest, malicious prosecution, excessive force and retaliation against someone for his speech.

Appeal set for cop

A Chadbourn Police sergeant fired for conduct unbecoming an officer will speak before the town council Dec. 2.  Sgt. Brian Campbell was fired and another officer disciplined after they posted videos to the Vine.com social media website of themselves in uniform using racially-charged language, Mayor Fax Rector said.Cambell was fired after arguing with chief Steven Shaw, but there apparently is no official letter of dismissal or a reprimand for the video. The videos were removed and edited after Campbell was dismissed Oct. 23. The firing was upheld in a grievance hearing Nov. 11. Campbell notified Rector of his intent to appeal to the full council Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.

Ala. police officer accidentally shot himself, died of extreme blood loss

PHENIX CITY, Alabama — An eastern Alabama coroner says a police officer who died Nov. 10 accidentally shot himself. Russell County Coroner Aurthur Sumbry Jr. told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Tuesday that 30-year-old Phenix City police Sgt. Daniel Davis died of extreme blood after accidentally shooting himself in his leg.
Davis was found in the parking lot of an apartment complex and was later pronounced dead.
Investigators have said Davis was inside of an unmarked police car when his gun discharged.
Alabama Bureau of Investigation Sgt. Steve Jarrett says the probe into his death is ongoing.

Mich. cops charged with robbing daughter's phone thief

DETROIT — Two off-duty police sergeants robbed three men they apparently suspected in the theft of a cellphone belonging to the teenage daughter of one of the officers, prosecutors in Detroit said Monday.

Detroit Sgt. David Pomeroy and Sgt. Michael Notoriano, who works in the Detroit suburb of St. Clair Shores, are both charged with armed robbery, among other charges.

Notoriano's 16-year-old daughter and a friend bicycled to a Detroit gas station on July 20. Dwayne Weathington, 24, of Detroit grabbed Notoriano's daughter by her backpack, threw her to the ground, stole her iPhone and fled on foot, the Wayne County prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The phone was traced to a location on Detroit's east side where Pomeroy and Notoriano drove on July 21 and confronted three Detroit men, ages 26, 27 and 28, at gunpoint, prosecutors said.

The officers retrieved the girl's iPhone, struck one of the men in the face and took a handgun, cash and marijuana, prosecutors said.

Notoriano's lawyer, Todd Flood, told The Associated Press that his client and Pomeroy are "outstanding" and "highly decorated" officers.

Pomeroy, 47, and Notoriano, 42, both are charged with armed robbery, willful neglect of duty, unlawful imprisonment and failure to uphold the law. Pomeroy also is charged with larceny of a firearm and Notoriano with possessing a firearm during a felony, felonious assault and ethnic intimidation.

The prosecutor's office didn't identify the ethnicities of those involved.

The officers were arraigned Monday and a probable cause hearing was scheduled for Dec. 18.

The prosecutor's office filed unarmed robbery charges against Weathington. He hasn't yet been arraigned and doesn't have a lawyer, prosecutor's spokeswoman Maria Miller said in an email.

Associated PressCopyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Probation in bribery scheme involving Wichita cop

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man was sentenced to two years of probation for helping a former police officer try to bribe a witness. Forty-year-old Patrick Melendrez was sentenced Monday for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He admitted that he helped former police officer Joletta Vallejo in the bribery scheme to help Vallejo keep her job.

Prosecutors say Vallejo didn't properly report alleged crimes against two people. During a police department investigation, Vallejo and Melendrez tried to bribe a witness to recant his statements to the department's professional standards bureau. Instead, the witness cooperated with an undercover investigation into the bribery attempt.Vallejo is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 2.

Cop caught in bribery sting sentenced

Cigarette smuggler Mustafa Mohd Shaikh was caught in June 2011 on an undercover recording describing how having the protection of a longtime sheriff's investigator meant his enterprise could operate with impunity.

"Anything happens to you in Chicago, this guy will get you out," Shaikh was quoted in court records as telling an informant. "This guy is willing to protect. Nobody will touch you or come by you."

The "guy" he was talking about was Lawrence A. Draus, a 35-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff's Department who extorted thousands of dollars in cash payouts to safeguard the cigarette smuggling operation, but to Draus' surprise the entire setup turned out to be an elaborate government sting.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Tharp sentenced Draus to 2½ years in prison for his role in the scheme, saying corrupt police officers are particularly dangerous because they weaken the public's trust in the criminal justice system.

Draus, 64, choked up as he described how his late father — a Chicago police officer for more than three decades — passed along some sage advice when Draus became a sheriff's deputy — "Never lose your compassion, be fair and honest, and be careful who you trust."

Draus, who was stripped of his police powers before retiring earlier this year while under indictment, paused to wipe away tears before apologizing for the "disgrace" he'd brought to his family and "all the honest police officers out there."

Retired East Haven police sergeant to be sentenced

EAST HAVEN Ct.  Retired Sgt. John Miller, one of four officers the FBI arrested in January 2012 following a Department of Justice probe into racial profiling allegations, will be sentenced on Feb. 12, according to federal court records.
Miller pleaded guilty in September 2012 to a single charge of deprivation of rights to be free from the use of excessive force by a law officer.”
He had been charged with a total of 10 counts and was originally scheduled to be sentenced last February.
Miller’s attorney, Donald Cretella, said his client felt the decision “was the best thing for his family.”
“He pleaded guilty to one charge of punching one guy who wasn’t a minority,” Cretella said at the time.
Miller, 44, admitted to punching a man during a January 2012 arrest on Thompson Street. Court reports indicated the man — identified only by his initials as “N.D.” — had already been handcuffed by two officers when Miller popped him.
Cretella said Miller “lost his cool” during the incident and added that his client was “adamant about not doing anything to any minorities.”
The announcement of Miller’s sentencing comes roughly a month after Officers David Cari and Dennis Spaulding were found guilty in federal court of a pattern of civil rights abuses. Cari’s case revolved around his arrest of a New Haven priest in February 2009.

Parents Blame City Cops for Son's Suicide

By MATT REYNOLDS 

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) - A teenage boy posted on social media that he was about to kill himself, and Huntington Beach police knew it, and found his address, but did nothing to stop it, the late boy's parents claim in court.
     Seventeen-year-old Matthew Cline shot himself in the head on July 17 at his home in Huntington Beach, his parents, William and Kathleen, say in the lawsuit against the City of Huntington Beach, in Superior.
     Matthew was a high school senior on the varsity football team. His mother found him after she returned from the gym.
     Matthew's parents say that on July 16, their son posted on iFunny: "My name is Matthew Cline. This will be my last post on ifunny as I will be committing suicide tonight."
     The parents say in the complaint that Huntington Beach police knew of the post, and knew Matthew's address, but did not send a squad car to the home or warn the Clines.
     Had it done so, Matthew would "be alive and well today," the Clines claim.
     According to the lawsuit, Ana Gutierrez, a teenager in Los Baños, in Northern California, alerted police after reading Cline's iFunny post, then finding his Facebook page and discovering that he lived in Huntington Beach.
     The parents claim that a Doe police officer, identified in the lawsuit as "Rodriguez," took the call and "lulled" Gutierrez into believing police would intervene and do everything they could to stop Matthew Cline.
     Rodriguez did locate Cline's address in Huntington Beach, hours before Cline killed himself, the parents say. But police neither called the parents nor dispatched officers to the house.
     Rodriguez's police report is attached to the court filing as an exhibit. It states: "I attempted 2-3 phone calls but no one answered. Due to the fact we were unable to determine where the Mathew Cline lived who made the post, no units were sent to any of the addresses we located under that name."
     The parents call that a "blatant, bad-faith" lie: "Approximately 20 hours after the HBPD received the call from Gutierrez, Matthew shot himself in the head and committed suicide at his Dovewood [Drive] residence. Had the HBPD made contact by sending a unit to the Dovewood address, or even just telephoning the Clines, Matthew Cline would be alive and well today."
     Responding officers "immediately recognized" Cline as the person who had posted on iFunny, and questioned neighbors about the post, the parents claim.
     "In addition, HBPD claimed that they had called plaintiff William Cline's cell-phone number upon receipt of the call from Gutierrez, substantially prior to Matthew's suicide, but the Clines received no phone call to warn them, either to their cell phones or their residence phone," the complaint states.
  

cop arrested in connection with '94 double homicide

A former Kentucky police officer was arrested over the weekend on a 1994 double murder charge, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office announced this morning.

Edward Carter, 43, was taken into custody without incident at the Days Inn motel off Bards Road and Interstate 71 in Deerfield Township early Saturday, said Lt. Eric Johnson.

Carter, who has been living in Mason, was one of three men indicted Friday by a Christian County grand jury in the shooting and stabbing deaths of two prostitutes inside a massage parlor in 1994 in Oak Grove, Ky., where he used to work as a police officer.

Warren County sheriff’s detectives were able to establish, with the use of the License Plate Reader system (LPS), that Carter was in Mason in August of this year.

Jury selection beings in trial of Oklahoma police officer charged in teen's death

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jury selection has begun in the trial of a Del City police captain charged in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager.
About 50 prospective jurors appeared Monday in Oklahoma County District Court for the trial of 48-year-old Capt. Randy Harrison. Harrison is a 23-year-veteran of the Del City Police Department and has pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the March 14, 2012, death of 18-year-old Dane Scott Jr.
An affidavit filed by police says Harrison was trying to arrest Scott after a car chase and took a handgun from the teen. As Scott ran away, Harrison fired four times with the fourth shot striking Scott in the back.
The affidavit says Scott was unarmed and was posing no threat of death or great bodily harm.

Officer Charged With Theft by Deception

Theft by deception charges have been filed against a New Jersey police officer accused of improperly accepting more than $20,000 in rent subsidies paid by a municipal housing authority. Acting Middlesex County Acting Prosecutor Andrew Carey says Sayreville officer Stephen Gulick turned himself in this week and was released on his own recognizance. A telephone number for Gulick, who has been on the force for 14 years, could not be located Saturday. Carey says Gulick got the money from the Sayreville Housing Authority to subsidize the rent paid by a female tenant at a property he owned. The woman's name was not disclosed. Gulick subsequently married the tenant, who then became ineligible for the housing assistance. But authorities say he continued to receive and cash checks on her behalf

Controversy Brewing Over Arrest, Tasering of 14-Year-Old-Boy

Was excessive force used by Tullytown police when they tasered a 14-year-old last week?
That’s the question raised publicly via social media when an images of the bloodied and busied boy spread over the weekend.

Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler said the actions of the borough police officer who fired a single taser barb toward the 14-year-old handcuffed boy as he ran toward busy Route 13 in an attempt to escape “seems appropriate.”
The mother of the boy, Marissa  Sargent,  and many on social media are calling into question whether the officer’s actions were “appropriate.”
“I know what my son did was wrong, but look at the picture, you think he deserved all that for retail theft?” she told LevittownNow.com exclusively on Saturday morning.
Sargent also alleged her son’s rights were violated because police officials “wouldn’t let me see him at the police station.”
“He’s a minor, I’m his parent, and I should’ve been able to talk to him while I was there” she said.
According to court paperwork first obtained by LevittownNow.com on Friday, the boy was taken into custody along with Jordan Gibson, 19, who has no fixed address, and another passenger, who was not identified in court papers. The arrest came after Tullytown police were called to the Walmart for the group of that were accused of shop lifting $31.93 worth of merchandise on Tuesday at about 2:30 p.m. The F-150 driven by Gibson allegedly sped at “high speeds” through the Levittown Town Center shopping and was then chased by police onto Route 13. Police said the F-150 struck the rear of a car before officers trapped in as it drove into the Route 13 construction zone and took the three retail theft suspects into custody.
Heckler said as the 14-year-old boy sat handcuffed in the back of patrol car he somehow managed to escape and ran for it. A Tullytown officer gave chase on foot, repeatedly yelled for the boy to stop and warned him he would use the taser, Heckler said. After the boy did not comply, Heckler said the officer fired his taser to stop the boy from running handcuffed into busy afternoon Route 13 traffic, where construction barriers would have likely trapped him in the lanes of travel.
“If he would have ran out there and been hit by a cement truck, you’d be hearing a hoo-ha about it,” Heckler said.
One question that will need to be answered is how in fact did a boy handcuffed in the back of a patrol car get free, Heckler said.
Sargent claims the boy was struck in the face by the taser barb and “punched” several times in the face also causing a nasal fracture as the minor and his uncle left Walmart and were approached by authorities.  ”He’s going to need surgery now,” she said.
“A mystery shopper”, Sargent said, “saw Jordan take a BB gun from a case and put it  into my son’s backpack.”
The alleged BB gun was not listed in the probable cause affidavit filed against Gibson.
Heckler said the boy was actually struck in the shoulder by one prong of the barb and the other stuck in his cheek.
“[The boy] probably turned around to see if the officer was chasing him when the barb caught his cheek,” the district attorney said. “With handcuffs there was nothing to break his fall as his legs gave out.”
The boy was taken to Lower Bucks Hospital and treated for his injuries. He was released a short time later and taken to the Bucks County Juvenile Detention Center in Doylestown Township a short time later.
The boy’s family said he was released from jail on Friday.
The image of the boy circulated on social media shows swelling and bloodied wounds. Heckler said the boy’s wounds looked considerably worse as swelling set in.
Heckler said the boy did not report police brutality when youth officials talked to him during the week. He added that it was his understanding the boy was on probation, however if the family does lodge a report “county detectives will look into it further.”
Officials confirmed Saturday night that no formal complaint has been filed by the boy or his family with the district attorney’s office or Tullytown police.
“The police department is aware of the misinformation that has been circulating on social media about an arrest made by Tullytown officers. A thorough review of the incident is underway,” Tullytown Police Chief Dan Doyle told LevittownNow.com via phone interview.
Sargent, when asked on Saturday if she was going to file a complaint against the Tullytown Police Department, said, “we’ll be doing that  Monday.”

Court date set in police corruption suit

BENTON HARBOR A court date has been set for a lawsuit against the city of Benton Harbor.

Three men, previously charged with drug crimes, are suing the city over a drug scandal involving two former police officers. The men claim the city encouraged officers Andrew Collins and Bernard Hall, who are now serving prison time for planting drugs on suspects.

According to the Herald Palladium, the lawsuit claims as many as 80 others were wrongly arrested. Several cases were dismissed in 2008, when an internal investigation found drugs in the officers' lockers, and found that they created fake police reports and warrants.

Trial has been set for December 3rd

Chad Palmer, Georgia Deputy Sheriff, Suspended After Dressing In Blackface With Inmate Stripes

A South Georgia deputy sheriff who was photographed dressed in blackface and inmate stripes at a Halloween party has been suspended without pay. Chad Palmer, a 15-year veteran of the Camden County Sheriff's Office, allegedly told people at the private party that he was dressed as a Camden County inmate, and he was "picking cotton" in the photo, First Coast News reported.

Omaha detective who sold addresses sentenced to 3 years' probation

As an Omaha police detective, Kevin Cave sold addresses he found in a law enforcement database on the side, picking up about $16,000.

As a result, Cave lost his job, his city pension and now he’s a convicted felon.

A federal judge on Friday sentenced Cave to three years probation and fined him $8,000. Cave could have received six months in prison.

The Nebraska Criminal Justice Information System database contains information on suspects and witnesses, criminal histories, driver’s license information and other data.

Cave, 37, of Bellevue gave leads from that database to car dealerships and repossession companies on the location of vehicles they wanted back from owners who had defaulted on loans.

The database is restricted to legitimate police work, and Cave’s misdeeds over 29 months were an abuse of power, “a violation of trust,” said Jan Sharp, chief criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Omaha.

This Week's Charge of Child Molestation by your Local Police: Warren cop gets nearly five years for sex with stu...

This Week's Charge of Child Molestation by your Local Police: Warren cop gets nearly five years for sex with stu...: A 63-year-old ex-cop was ordered to serve at least 57 months to 15 years in prison for having sex with a 16-year-old female student whom he ...

Jason Nevill resigns from Barrie Police Service

Jason Nevill has resigned.

Barrie Police released a statement Friday afternoon stating that late Thursday, through his legal counsel, Nevill tendered his letter of resignation with the Barrie Police Service.

Chief Kimberley Greenwood has accepted his resignation; effective immediately.

Nevill is no longer employed by the Barrie Police Service.

***

After being convicted of assault, Barrie Police Const. Jason Nevill plans to tender his resignation.

Nevill’s lawyer, David Butt, made the announcement during a Police Services Act hearing yesterday.

Nevill, who was convicted of assault causing bodily harm and sentenced to a year in jail earlier this fall, with six months concurrent for fabricating evidence, plans to resign this week, his lawyer said.

The criminal charges came after Nevill responded to a Nov. 20, 2010 mischief call at the Bayfield Mall, where 25-year-old Jason Stern was arrested for being drunk in public and assaulting police with the intent to resist arrest.

Months later, a video of the altercation surfaced and then-chief, Mark Neelin called the OPP to investigate. Charges against Stern were dropped and Nevill was charged.

After the conviction, Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood brought a five Police Services Act charges against him, including unlawful use of authority, deceit and discreditable conduct.

If Nevill does resign, the Police Services Act charges against him would be stayed.

“His resignation is not yet effective. It has to be in writing and it has to be accepted by the chief,” Insp. Dave Hossack said.

“My feeling is, he’s done the right thing — for the first time. But he hasn’t done it yet. Hopefully, it will be a good day for the service.” 

Protesters Stage Rally Against Police Brutality In North Chicago

Attorney Kevin O’Connor told the crowd that while the community has a new police chief, and police Tasers have been taken away, not all is well. He accused Chief James Jackson of being lax in enforcing rules designed to minimize misconduct and physical violence by officers, and said Mayor Leon ‘Rockingham has not told officers to stay in line.
“The rules are not being enforced and they’re not cleaning house,” O’Connor said. “If you tell someone it’s okay, your actions are okay, we’ll even promote you for what you did, it’s not going to convince others that they have to conform their conduct to the appropriate rules.
O’Connor has filed close to a dozen lawsuits alleging excessive use of force and other misconduct by North Chicago officers. In the past week O’Connor has filed yet another suit, involving the October 2011 arrest of parolee Jarred McGill, whom he said police initially mistook for his brother.
“We have a situation where a man, who was minding his own business, is grabbed, beaten, knocked to the ground, tased, then charged with 15 (counts); they automatically revoked his parole and then all 15 charges were dropped and he was put back into jail,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said that McGill served nearly a year in jail before being released.
The city’s attorney has refused comment. O’Connor said that McGill’s arrest occurred 11 days before the controversial fatal beating of Darrin Hanna by several of the same police officers.
The rally did not limit itself to problems in North Chicago. Lake County (Ill.) Coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd said he has had problems convincing State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim to reopen the investigations into several cases

Residents voice police brutality concerns to AC City Council

ATLANTIC CITY -
Emotions were running high at the Atlantic City City Council meeting Wednesday night as residents called for action in addressing what they say are cases of police brutality.
Prior to the meeting a group gathered to hold a press conference in the city hall lobby.
"We're not blind to it,” said Steven Young of the National Action Network.
“Everybody knows about it, everybody sees it. Now its time to do something about it and take action."
The parents of David Castellani were also in attendance. They say since a police dog was used on their son's arrest in June, more and more people have come forward with stories of alleged police brutality.
"Its horrible for the citizens, its horrible for the tourism, it's a epidemic problem that we've seen since my sons case has come to light," said David’s father, David Castellani
Once upstairs in the City Council chambers, several residents came forward with alleged cases of police brutality. Tensions flared and one man was even briefly escorted from the room. After the testimony of residents, several council members voiced a need for answers.
"2014 wont be the same, you wont be basically in front of us screaming about brutality. Believe it or not we do understand," said Councilman Frank Gilliam.
"Its time, its time something is done so we'll respond," said Council President William Marsh.
Police Chief Ernest Jubilee was in attendance and upon the request of council, he explained the internal affairs process of reviewing complaints.
"I understand the frustration of the citizens I heard speak tonight but I can’t rush the investigation that makes for a sloppy investigation so it does take time," said Chief Jubilee.
The Chief says he does have the ability to send results from cases for further investigation and that brutality has not place in his department.
"I don't nor the police department does not tolerate police brutality so when it’s exposed, the officer is disciplined," said the Chief.
Something residents hope happens sooner rather than later.
"Hopefully take action,” said Castellani.
“Not only against the officer involved but take action to revamp the police department and to get to where they're to help the citizens, to protect and serve them not to brutalize them."

Concerns Over Police Brutality Once Again Arise in Dover

DOVER, Del.- In Dover, concerns over police brutality continue to take center stage. On Wednesday night, nearly 50 community members gathered at the Mount Zion AME Church in downtown Dover to discuss what they call police brutality in their home city.
At the event were state legislatures and community leaders as well as members from legal groups like the NAACP and the ACLU. Many, such as Shawn Russell, also told their stories of what they call police brutality.
"I left work," he said as he told the crowd about his incident that took place on September 25. "After work, I was pulled over by Troop 2, and they forced me out of the vehicle. They had guns drawn on me. They searched me, handcuffed me, searched me several times, searched his vehicle.
Russell said the police were looking for drugs in his car, but didn't find any after an extensive search. He said he is now looking for a lawyer so that he can sue the state police for harassment. After hearing about the incident, WBOC reached out to State Police, but since this allegation is so new, they have not yet released a statement on the incident.
The meeting follows two separate allegations of police brutality directed at the Dover Police Department. The accusations were made by Antonio Barlow and James Wilson, both African-American men who said they were treated unfairly and with "excessive force" by the police officers.
Wilson has already filed a suit for $50 million in damages from the police. Barlow has not filed for a lawsuit, as of Wednesday night. Dover police maintains that their department has never allowed police brutality. They have also told WBOC that they have video that proves the police department acted appropriately when arresting Barlow, although they have not released this footage.
Russel, who maintains he was treated unfairly, said he didn't know where to turn after the incident.
"It still feels like I have nobody to turn to for help," he said. "But I'm going to continue to try to get help because if this has happened to me, it's happened to other people.
Roy Sudler Jr. from the Social Action Commission, chaired the discussion at the meeting. He said people should not jump to rash conclusions about these incidents. He said the event was all about opening up a dialogue with the police department.
"We're trying to assist law enforcement agencies," he said. "But at the same time to help bridge that gap of trust and mistrust between the community and the law enforcement agencies."

CA Police Brutality Coalition Calls Andy Lopez Killing 'Police Terrorism'

SANTA ROSA – A statewide police brutality organization is noting that on October 22 – the same day that thousands of people were protesting "police terror" across the country and at the State Capitol in Sacramento – a Santa Rosa Sheriff's Deputy gunned down 13-year-old Andy Lopez.

"We are heartbroken and outraged that Andy Lopez was murdered by Erick Gelhaus of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department. We demand police terror on American citizens stop immediately. We demand Justice for Andy Lopez, his family and his community," said Christina Arechiga of the CA Statewide Coalition Against Police Brutality.

She said that even as hundreds gathered at the Capitol representing labor, students, community groups and more than 50 families whose loved ones were murdered by police (the CA Statewide Coalition Against Police Brutality), they learned "about the horror happening in Santa Rosa."

The Coalition issued a letter to Santa Rosa District Attorney Jill Ravitch, demanding "Erick Gelhaus (be) charged immediately for the murder of Andy Lopez." http://www.poormagazine.org/node/4954

The letter continued:

"It is an abomination that the police are allowed to investigate themselves. When Santa Rosa PD investigates the Sonoma County Sheriff & then the Sonoma County Sheriff investigates the Santa Rosa PD those 2 departments are not conducting “independent” investigations. When there is no 3rd party doing an entire investigation then the people cannot rely on the information being complete or untainted.

"We are aware that there were witnesses that the police never interviewed, there have been witnesses that have been harassed after speaking to the media and there are other citizens stepping forward about the mental state of Erick Gelhaus. Additionally, with Erick Gelhaus’ obsession with guns and preparing for 'war zones,' we have a plethora of information that suggest that he premeditated killing in the line of duty and knew the importance of being able to 'articulate' to his superiors how he felt he was in 'fear of his life' in order to get away with murder if need be.

"Andy Lopez was given LESS than 10 seconds to understand what was happening and comply, no reasonable person believes that he was fully aware of the situation. Andy Lopez is dead and we are disgusted at law enforcements tactics of demonizing this boy. He was a boy being a boy, playing with toys, walking in his own neighborhood. Our efforts to protect this child and his family from this slander will not cease.

"This behavior by the Sonoma County is terrorism. We will not allow blatant murder to happen at the hands of law enforcement...a badge is not a license to kill and it does not grant extra rights.

"On February 1, 1960 four young black men took seats at a Woolworth’s segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, NC – by July of that year Woolworth’s integrated all of its stores. Like Rosa Parks resisted and like Cesar Chavez organized. So will the movement behind Andy Lopez.

"We will not allow this murder to go unanswered for. If an indictment of penal code 187, murder is not filed against Erick Gelhaus those responsible will answer to the people. We await you doing the right thing. " 

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Fired Minnesota police chief pleads not guilty in sexual misconduct case

AUSTIN, Minn. — A former police chief in southern Minnesota has pleaded not guilty to felony sexual misconduct.
Forty-three-year-old Jason Mindrup of Waltham pleaded not guilty Thursday to first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The Brownsdale City Council voted last week to fire Mindrup as police chief.
According to the complaint, a woman accused Mindrup of sexually assaulting her after leaving a Waltham bar on Aug. 31. Mindrup denied those accusations. Court files say he told investigators the woman asked to go to his house, but he instead drove her back to the bar where she had left her phone and purse.
Mindrup had been on paid administrative leave since early September while the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigated

Skokie cop resigns after battery charges

A Skokie police officer charged with shoving a woman face-first into a cell bench has resigned rather than face possible firing, village officials said.
Skokie officials had told Michael Hart that they would seek to fire him, and his resignation took effect Friday, according to a news release from the village. In late October, Cook County prosecutors charged Hart with aggravated battery and official misconduct.
Mayor George Van Dusen said in the news release that village officials expect officers to treat people with "the utmost professionalism."
"When officers fall short of that expectation, it is our responsibility to take proper action, as the village has done in this case," he said.
In an episode caught on video in March, Hart shoved Cassandra Feuerstein from behind into a police station cell after the officer became irate that she wouldn't look into the camera for a booking photo after a drunken driving arrest, prosecutors said. Feuerstein, of Chicago, fell and hit her face on the bench, breaking her eye socket and loosening teeth, prosecutors said.
Feuerstein, who pleaded guilty to drunken driving, is suing the village and Hart.
Hart's attorney, Jed Stone, said that he believes people are judging the officer too harshly based on a video circulated widely online. Stone said what Hart did was not "an intentional act" nor a crime.
"The citizens of Skokie have lost a good cop," he said. "I would urge the public to stop, look at all of the evidence, not make a judgment until they've seen everything and understand that for 19 years this man served the people of Skokie and served them with honor and distinction."
Stone said that Hart realizes his law enforcement career is over and "wants to move on."

Appeal hearing rescheduled for Evansville police officer accused of misconduct

EVANSVILLE — The scheduled appeal hearing for an Evansville police officer accused of misconduct while on-duty was pushed back by Police Merit Commission members Friday morning.
Due to a city attorney’s illness, commissioners moved the hearing for officer Steve Hicks to Dec. 16.
Police Chief  Billy Bolin recommended that Hicks be suspended 21 days without pay and be terminated from his job with the department for an undisclosed incident at a local bar while on-duty in August.
Hicks, who is currently suspended with pay, appealed the disciplinary recommendation. Merit board members will hear testimony and will either affirm or amend Bolin’s recommendations during the Dec. 16 meeting.

officer suspended following arrest of woman

A woman says an Austin police officer slammed her to the ground and seriously hurt her during an arrest. Charges against her were dropped and the officer has been suspended for eight days.
He says he didn't do anything wrong.
"I hear Vanessa crying. She ain't doing nothing to them. She ain't doing nothing to nobody."
That is the voice of Vanessa Price's husband. He used his cell phone to record video of her arrest last May. He rushed to his friend's house after he says while talking on the phone, he heard Vanessa being roughed up by a police officer.
"Why do you have my wife in custody," he shouted. "Why did you tackle my wife sir?"
Shortly before the arrest, several couples met at a South Austin home for a get-together.
Vanessa says one guest got too intoxicated to drive home.
"We didn't want her driving home so we called a cab for her. She, I guess got into a fight with the cab driver. Police were called out," Vanessa Price said.
Vanessa says she went outside to see what was going on. According to APD, Officer Jermaine Hopkins told her she was detained and to sit on the curb. In the disciplinary memo, it is noted that Vanessa never gets closer than 20 to 30 feet from Hopkins. Vanessa then called her husband and was told to hang up.
When she failed to comply, she says this happened...
"He slammed me to the ground," she said. "I had bruises on my face. I had scratches from the stickers in the grass. I had to do physical therapy for eight weeks for my shoulder and my arm."
Vanessa was charged with interference with public duties and resisting arrest.
"I used to have a huge admiration for [police]. I used to feel really safe, now I don't at all. I don't trust them to make the right decision," Vanessa said.
On Thursday Officer Hopkins was given an eight day suspension.
The department disciplinary memo states "officer Hopkins' chain of command had concerns regarding Officer Hopkins' handling of the call for service and the arrest of Mrs. Price."
His supervisors filed an internal affairs complaint and contacted the county attorney's office to request charges against Price be dropped.
The memo also states, "Hopkins stated that he would not have handled the situation any differently and that he believes that the charges filed against Mrs. Price were valid."
Hopkins plans to appeal.
Sgt. Wayne Vincent, president of the Austin Police Association backs him up.
"Officers are very uncomfortable if they have someone under detention, letting someone make a phone call," Vincent said. "We've had instances where that phone call resulted in other people showing up at the scene. So, when someone is detained by the police they may ask them not to make that phone call it's for the safety of the officer."
Because of his appeal, the department will not comment on the issue or release the dash camera video. Vanessa says eight days isn't good enough.
"I'm surprised he's working there at all. I don't think he should be able to make these kinds of calls," Vanessa said.
The homeowner was also arrested that night. He was the person who approached Officer Hopkins and gave him the intoxicated woman's keys. He said trying to do the right thing. He says Hopkins arrested him immediately. He was charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor and public intoxication. He has an attorney and is fighting those charges

Eduardo Raposo, Fall River cop drunken driving case

Fall River Police Lt. Eduardo M. Raposo - who was arrested Jan. 12 on drunken driving charges in Somerset - is back on duty.
Raposo, 55, has been assigned to be the commander of the Fall River Police Department's Staff Services, which encompasses communications and the record room, said Fall River Police Detective JD Costa.
Raposo's case - which was transferred to New Bedford District Court shortly after his arraignment in Fall River - was disposed on March 26, records show.
On the charge of operating under the influence, Raposo pleaded to sufficient facts, meaning that he does not admit guilt, but rather that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him at trial. His case was continued without a finding until March 25, 2014, meaning that the case will be dropped if he is not arrested on new charges and abides by the term of his probation. He was also ordered to complete an alcohol education program and lost his license for 45 days, according to court documents.
Raposo received the same disposition on charges of leaving the scene of property damage and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, according to court documents.
Raposo, a 25-year member of the police department, was on sick leave due to a “significant illness” at the time of his Jan. 12 arrest, police said.
On Jan. 12, Somerset police said Raposo, who at the time was a patrol Watch Commander, was intoxicated behind the wheel when he rear-ended and side-swiped a vehicle at the intersection of Route 6 and Gardners Neck Road in Swansea. The vehicle’s occupants were not seriously injured, according to court documents.
Swansea Police Officer Richard Gibeau stopped Raposo’s BMW about a half-mile from the accident. Gibeau wrote in his report that Raposo was unresponsive and stared ahead when Gibeau first asked for his driver’s license and registration.
After asking him again for his license, Gibeau said Raposo told him, “You know me.” Gibeau said he then recognized Raposo because they had worked on a case several years prior, according to court records.
According to Gibeau’s report, Raposo slurred his words and said that he had been drinking. Raposo asked Gibeau several times if he could bring him home, and became irate when Gibeau asked him to step out of his vehicle, according to court documents.
“I’m a (expletive) cop. Can’t you give me a ride home?” Raposo asked Gibeau, according to the incident report.
A few minutes later, Gibeau said, he grabbed Raposo’s arm and removed him from the vehicle. Raposo was unsteady on his feet and had to be held by two officers so that he would not fall, court records said.
Gibeau arrested Raposo at the scene, and drove him to the Swansea Police Station for booking. While traveling to the station, Gibeau said, Raposo told him that he had just passed his house, according to court documents.

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Judge sets December sentencing for Phoenix officer

PHOENIX -- A judge has set a December sentencing date for a Phoenix police officer convicted of aggravated assault.
Richard Chrisman was charged with second-degree murder, animal cruelty and assault after he fatally shot an unarmed 28-year-old man and his dog during a 2010 domestic violence call.
The jury convicted him of assault in September but failed to reach verdicts on the other two counts. Chrisman will be sentenced on the assault conviction Dec. 20. He faces anywhere from five to 15 years in prison.
A retrial on the second-degree murder and animal cruelty charges is set for Jan. 27.
Chrisman maintains he shot in self-defense. Chrisman's partner testified the man wasn't a threat at the time of the shooting.
A judge on Wednesday also denied a defense request to set aside the assault conviction

Austin police officer suspended after improper arrest

Austin police officer Jermaine Hopkins has been suspended for eight days after improperly arresting a woman this yea. According to the memo, Hopkins was trying to handcuff a man later charged with public intoxication and furnishing alcohol to a minor on May 18 when a woman approached.
Hopkins told her not to come toward him and she took a few steps and stopped, the memo says. Hopkins’ dashboard camera shows that she stopped about 20 to 30 feet away from him, and Hopkins told her she was detained and said several times for her to sit on the curb.
She eventually did, the memo says, and then took out her cell phone to call her husband. Hopkins told her to hang up the phone and when she failed to do so, Hopkins walked over to her and grabbed her around the wrist. When she pulled away from him, he put her on the ground to handcuff her, and arrested her for interference with public duties and resisting arrest.
Hopkins’ chain of command had concerns about how Hopkins handled the situation, the memo says, and contacted the county attorney’s office to request the charges against the woman be dropped.
Hopkins violated two department rules, according to the memo: responsibility to know and comply and neglect of duty. Hopkins told internal affairs investigators that he would not have handled the situation differently, the memo says, and that he thinks the charges filed against the woman are valid.

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Detroit police officer charged in chop shop case

DETROIT (AP) — A five-year Detroit police veteran has been charged with conspiracy to operate a chop shop and receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle.  Devon Payton has been suspended without pay.

Officers with the department's commercial auto theft unit received information in April that stolen vehicles were being stripped at a business on Detroit's northwest side. During an inspection at the business, Payton identified himself as a police officer. Officials also said Payton told investigators he worked at the business, which was owned by his family.

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Officer charged with tampering with evidence, DUI

A Colorado Springs policeman is being investigated for felony tampering after he allegedly stole a blood sample taken from him after a suspected DUI.

Colorado Springs police say that veteran Officer David Rosenoff was involved in a car accident in his personal vehicle Sunday at about 1 p.m.

Investigators suspected Rosenoff was driving while intoxicated. He was taken to the hospital for a blood draw to determine his blood-alcohol content.

Rosenoff was taken home, after which the arresting officer noticed Rosenoff's blood sample was missing from his car.

After a subsequent investigation, Rosenoff was arrested Monday on charges of tampering with evidence, a felony.

Rosenoff has been placed on administrative leave by the department.

Woman wins Clackamas false imprisonment case

Jurors who deliberated less than two hours have awarded more than $101,000 to a Happy Valley woman who spent a night in jail and was sent to court in shackles before authorities in Clackamas County accepted that she had been a victim of identity theft.
The county claimed its deputies were only carrying out an arrest authorized in a warrant from New York, where detectives were investigating a case in which a man had been drugged and robbed, the Oregonian (http://bit.ly/HPeVIu) reported Monday.
But the woman, Kimberly Fossen, argued that the Clackamas County sheriff's office should have known she was innocent: More than a year before they arrested her on the New York warrant, a Clackamas County deputy had told her that her identity had been stolen.
Fossen has described her time in custody as horrific, saying she was strip searched and paraded in chains before her daughter.
"You really have to experience it to know how it feels," Fossen told the jury.
Jurors voted 10-2 to uphold her claims of negligence and false imprisonment.
Clackamas County deputies arrested Fossen Nov. 4, 2009, on a New York warrant accusing her of theft.
The woman police were looking for, Minh Thuy Nguyen, had assumed Fossen's identity. Nguyen identified herself as Fossen when she gave DNA samples during previous arrests.
So when DNA found at the New York crime scene was tested, Fossen became a suspect.
But Fossen's fingerprints didn't match those associated with the crimes, and after about 24 hours in custody, she was released.
In a statement Tuesday, her lawyer, John Devlin, said she was in jail 19 hours after the sheriff's office learned from the State Police her fingerprints didn't match any on file in the United States.
How Nguyen assumed Fossen's identity isn't clear, although Fossen lost purses to theft in 2000 and 2004.
In 2008, a Clackamas County deputy knocked on Fossen's door and told her that a woman arrested in Las Vegas had a Florida driver's license issued in Fossen's name.
Even so, the sheriff's office carried out the arrest a year later when New York issued a warrant. County authorities blamed the mix-up on New York detectives and a magistrate.
John Devlin, Fossen's attorney, said the arrest "just didn't make sense." He said Fossen was a suburban mom who had lived in the same Happy Valley home and worked at the same restaurant job for years, she's 10 years older than Nguyen, and the women looked nothing alike.
Nguyen pleaded guilty to larceny charges in 2011 and was sentenced to five years of probation

Memphis officer charged with aggravated burglary

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis police say an officer was arrested after he entered his ex-girlfriend's house and found her in bed with another man.
Police say 33-year-old James Valentine was off-duty and holding a .40 caliber pistol when he used a spare key to enter his ex-girlfriend's house. A police affidavit shows Valentine escorted the man out of the house after finding the pair in bed.
The ex-girlfriend called police, who arrested Valentine and found the gun. According to the affidavit, she told police Valentine had previously refused to return the key and he did not have permission to enter.
Valentine was charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault. He has been relieved of duty with pay, pending the outcome of an investigation.
Court records do not show if Valentine has a lawyer.

Baltimore Police Officer Admits to Protecting a Heroin Dealer and Illegally Accessing Police Databases in Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

U.S. Attorney’s Office November 06, 2013

District of Maryland (410) 209-4800

BALTIMORE, MD—Baltimore Police officer Ashley Roane, age 26, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to extortion and aggravated identity theft.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, beginning in the fall of 2012, Roane and her roommate Erica Hughes engaged in a scheme whereby they provided the names and Social Security numbers of persons arrested by the Baltimore Police to an individual who could file false tax returns to obtain fraudulent tax refunds. Roane obtained the personal information of more than 30 people from law enforcement databases through her position as a Baltimore Police officer. Roane and Hughes provided the information to the individual, whom they believed worked as a tax preparer, in addition to being a large scale heroin trafficker in Baltimore. The individual whom the defendants believed was filing false tax returns and selling heroin was, in fact, an FBI cooperator.
On April 4, 2013, FBI agents watched as Roane arrived in her marked police patrol car for a meeting with the individual to obtain a fraudulent tax refund payment. As directed by the individual, Roane retrieved an envelope containing $2,500 from the source’s vehicle. At a recorded meeting on April 24, 2013, the individual went to Roane’s house and gave Roane an additional $1,500 that the FBI had provided to the individual, purported to be a fraudulent tax refund.
Roane admitted that she also provided protection for the individual’s purported drug trafficking. For example, on March 31, 2013, Roane told the individual that she had performed an unauthorized criminal check of one of the individual’s alleged associates to determine if the associate was a police informant, and the individual was “clean.” After Roane agreed to provide protection during drug transactions, on April 30, 2013, the FBI set up a controlled purchase by the individual of white powder that resembled a kilogram of heroin. The FBI watched while Roane, in uniform, armed with her service gun, and in a marked police car, provided protection while the individual purportedly retrieved heroin from a vehicle provided by the FBI. Shortly thereafter, at a prearranged meeting, the individual paid Roane $500 for her protection. Roane agreed to provide such protection again in a future transaction involving multiple kilograms of heroin.
During the course of the schemes, Roane and Hughes received $5,250 from the individual in what Roane believed was proceeds of fraudulent tax refunds. Roane also received a total of $1,000 in exchange for providing protection to the individual during what Roane believed were kilogram-level heroin transactions.
Roane and the government have agreed that if the court accepts the plea agreement, a sentence of between 60 and 111 months is the appropriate disposition of the case. U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. has scheduled sentencing for February 4, 2014, at 1:00 p.m.
Co-defendant Erica Hughes, age 26, of Pikesville, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2014, at 1:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Nothstein, who is prosecuting the case.

Former Belen Police Department Detective Indicted for Using Excessive Force Against Arrestee

.S. Department of Justice November 08, 2013

WASHINGTON—A federal grand jury in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has returned a one-count indictment charging former Belen Police Department Detective John Lytle with unlawfully assaulting a victim, identified in the indictment as R.A., during an investigative stop and arrest on March 15, 2012.
Lytle is charged with violating R.A.’s right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure by a law enforcement officer, which includes freedom from the use of excessive force. The indictment alleges that Lytle unlawfully assaulted R.A. by striking R.A. while R.A. was in handcuffs. The indictment also alleges that Lytle’s actions resulted in bodily injury to R.A.
Lytle faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the civil rights violation.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Mark T. Baker and Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division.

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Hearing rescheduled again for officer accused of misusing computer system

ALLEN PARK — A preliminary examination has been postponed again for an officer charged with 11 counts of misusing the Police Department’s Law Enforcement Information Network. Officer Michael Calabrese had been scheduled to appear before 24th District Judge Richard Page on Wednesday, but his exam has been adjourned until Dec. 2.

The 13-year department veteran is accused of:

•Five counts of using LEIN information for unauthorized disclosure.

•Two counts of motor vehicle code false certification.

•Two counts of using a computer to commit a crime.

•Two counts of common law offenses.

Communication breakdown left evidence in Cocoa rape case idling, police say

COCOA, Fla. —

Cocoa police admitted only to Eyewitness News that a breakdown in the department allowed a man accused of raping a mentally ill woman to freely walk the streets for a year before he was finally arrested.
Jermaine Smith is behind bars Friday, accused of breaking into the Cocoa home of a mentally disabled woman more than a year ago and sexually assaulting her.
"It shouldn't have taken a year to get the results back from the lab," said Officer Barbara Matthews.
Matthews said there was a breakdown in communications when the detective requested evidence be sent to the lab.
"The items were not immediately sent and when the detective followed up several months later, the mistake was discovered," Matthews said.
Police said once the detective realized the mistake the evidence was sent to the lab.
During all those months the homeless suspect was on the streets and was arrested for other crimes.
Cocoa Police met Friday to discuss the breakdown and are working on putting new procedures in place to prevent future mistakes.

KCMO Police Officer is suspended after accusations of excessive force

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Missouri Police Department has suspended an officer over the possibility that he used excessive force during an arrest.

The officer had arrested 21 year-old Alfredo Ponce, who was wanted in connection with an armed robbery that took place October 5^th in Kansas City, Mo. Later that same day after being spotted alone in a stolen vehicle, Ponce had tried to run from officers, but they were able to catch up with him a short distance from the vehicle.
During the arrest, officers said that Ponce had resisted and assaulted two of the officers. A mug shot has been released of Ponce showing what he looked like after being booked into jail.
A statement released by the police department said:
“During an internal review of the arrest information, which is a normal internal process, it was determined that an officer who was involved in the arrest responded in a manner that required further review. This review is currently being investigated as a possible criminal offense of assault.”

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Ex-Bell police chief Randy Adams testifies in corruption trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The ex-police chief of a scandal-ridden Southern California city said Wednesday that emails portrayed by prosecutors as incriminating were sent in jest from an accused assistant city manager as warnings against being greedy.
Former Bell police Chief Randy Adams, who is not charged in the case, testified for the first time in a financial scandal where authorities said city officials were improperly awarding themselves soaring annual salaries for very little work in a small Los Angeles suburb where 1 in 4 residents lives in poverty.


He was called to the stand by defense lawyers for Angela Spaccia, Bell’s former assistant city manager on trial facing felony corruption charges. She has pleaded not guilty.
Adams downplayed an email from Spaccia that said they would “get fat together” off the city’s coffers.
“It’s been fully taken out of context and made to look like it was some evil plan, and it was in jest,” Adams said.
Spaccia and ex-Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo were arrested three years ago on charges related to a citywide corruption scandal. Spaccia had been earning $375,000 a year plus benefits and Rizzo $800,000 a year with benefits that brought his compensation to nearly $1.2 million to run a 2.5 square-mile city of 35,000 residents.


Rizzo, formerly Spaccia’s co-defendant, pleaded no contest to 69 corruption charges last month on the eve of the trial. He has agreed to testify against Spaccia.
Adams defended his own salary of $457,000, saying it was in line with those of other cities and included the $260,000 retirement benefits he would have earned from another city if he hadn’t gone back to work.
He depicted defendant Spaccia as a powerless functionary who carried out Rizzo’s orders. Adams said he negotiated his salary through Rizzo and that Spaccia was only an intermediary.


When Adams, a veteran police chief approaching retirement, was contacted by the city of Bell, he said he sent the message to Rizzo stating, “I don’t think your city can afford me.”
But Adams said Rizzo told him to put a salary request in writing, and he asked for $460,000 plus perks, including a fully equipped chief’s car, lifetime health insurance and generous vacation and sick leave.
He identified a now notorious 2009 email exchange in which he told Spaccia, “I am looking forward to seeing you and taking all of Bell’s money.”


She responded, “LOL. Well you can take your share of the pie. Just like us. We will all get fat together.”
She then referred to a favorite saying of Rizzo’s — “Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered” — and said they shouldn’t be hogs.
Asked to explain, he said, “I was joking with her. I had said, ‘I don’t think you’ll be able to hire me because it would take all of Bell’s money.’”
Of her response, he said, “I know she was jesting. I took it that she was telling me don’t be greedy.”
Adams, who had refused for years to testify in the Bell scandal, dropped his Fifth Amendment claim of protection against self-incrimination when he was subpoenaed by Spaccia’s lawyers, saying he wanted to testify because he did nothing wrong.

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officer charged with threatening lawyer

Federal attorneys have charged a Columbus police officer, who already is under federal investigation for misappropriating surplus government property, with threatening to shoot or stab his attorney.

Steven Dean, 49, was in federal court this afternoon on a felony count of communicating a threat. He is accused of telephoning and e-mailing the threats to his attorney, Mark Collins, on Wednesday.

Federal Magistrate Judge Terence P. Kemp ordered Dean to remain in custody after Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah A. Solove said he is a danger to himself and to the community.

Dean, who appeared without an attorney, is scheduled for a bond hearing on Tuesday.

Dean was arrested peacefully yesterday at his home at 2940 Blossom Ave. on a state charge of aggravated menacing. Federal attorneys asked today that the charge be dropped so the federal count could be filed.

The federal case against Dean is sealed and U.S. attorneys would not discuss it today or say if other charges are pending against Dean.

Dean and at least one other officer have been under investigation for more than a year after Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs discovered “potential irregularities” in the handling of military surplus given to the division through a federal program.

The criminal investigation began within the Division of Police but was then handed over to the FBI, said Sgt. Rich Weiner, a division spokesman.

Surplus property the department has received includes computers, bulldozers, trucks and forklifts.

Officer suspended, investigation underway into possible excessive force

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
What happened to a man is now raising questions about whether Kansas City police went too far.

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The incident happened at 24th Street and Cypress Avenue in the middle of the afternoon Oct. 5. Witnesses said they saw a man jump out of a car and take off running with officers chasing behind. The chase ended around the corner and it left one officer suspended while an investigation continues of possible excessive force.
On the October afternoon police said they spotted Alfredo Ponce driving a car they believe had just been stolen in an armed robbery. They stopped the car at 24th and Cypress, but said Pone ran and then turned to fight police.
A witness said Ponce swung first against the officers.
"I saw the young man tee'd off on the police, he got him, he got him good," Bobbi Ealom said.
But that wasn't the end of the situation.
"They both rushed him, and he come up this way running. They caught him up here and beat him down," Ealom said.
Ponce's mug shot after the incident shows a black and blue eye and bruising on other parts of his face. He is being held at the Jackson County Jail.
When asked about the incident, police spokesman Capt. Tye Grant gave the following statement.
"During an internal review of the arrest information, which is a normal internal process, it was determined that an officer who was involved in the arrest responded in a manner that required further review. This review is currently being investigated as a possible criminal offense of assault."
No charges have been filed against the officer, so police are not releasing his name.
"When you see someone get hurt like that, it's upsetting," Ealom said.
She said the case could hurt how some people see the police around her neighborhood, but she said that won't change things for her.
"Well, to be truthful, if you wouldn't have stolen the car, hit the cop, it wouldn't have never happened," Ealom said.
Officers in two other counties have arrested Ponce in the past.
The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office would not confirm Friday whether they are looking into the case.

Todays sexual assault charges against your police: Chicago police officer says sergeant forced her to...

Todays sexual assault charges against your police: Chicago police officer says sergeant forced her to...: Kelly Hespe had been a Chicago police officer since 2001 and says she was happy in her work on the midnight shift at the Shakespeare Distric...

Prosecutor: Ex-officer knew homeless man who died

A former Fullerton police officer charged with the murder of a mentally ill homeless man had encountered the man seven times before the fatal clash and should have known his mental state, a prosecutor said.

The Orange County Register reported late Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1hhlPX4 ) that deputy district attorney Keith Bogardus is seeking to introduce evidence of the encounters at the trial of former officer Manuel Ramos.

In a motion filed Monday, Bogardus wrote that recordings of Ramos' conversations with Kelly Thomas in the 30 months prior to the fatal 2011 confrontation show Thomas had trouble understanding instructions.

"The prior conversations between Ramos and Thomas demonstrate that the defendant knew (or at least should have known) that Thomas suffered a mental disability," Bogardus wrote.

Ramos' lawyer John Barnett said his client did not connect Thomas to any prior contact during the July 2011 incident.

Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in Thomas' death. Opening statements in the trial of Ramos and former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault, are scheduled for Dec. 2.

A third former officer charged in the incident will be tried separately.

Prosecutors say Thomas was a victim of police brutality when officers used excessive force in the confrontation with him. Thomas died five days later.

Barnett said he wants to introduce evidence of other contacts Thomas had with authorities since 1996 because they show he attempted to mislead police.

"We are saying that Kelly Thomas fled and fought for a different reason," Barnett told the newspaper, "and that reason is that he was disguising his identity _ as he had many times before _ because he didn't want to go to jail."

Teacher seeks to interview police officer

The attorney for former Lakeland school teacher Matthew Stevens wants to interview suspended Scott Twp. Police Chief James Romano to determine if any information in a case against the chief is pertinent to his client's defense.
Attorney Joseph Caraciolo of Harrisburg recently filed a motion seeking court permission to interview Chief Romano, one of the officers who investigated allegations Mr. Stevens had sexual contact with a former student on numerous occasions in 2012.
Mr. Stevens was charged in February with institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of a minor after the woman, then 18, came forward to allege she developed a sexual relationship with him at age 17, when she was a senior at Lakeland High School.
Two months after Mr. Stevens' arrest, Chief Romano was charged with intimidating a witness and other offenses for allegedly having sex with a woman who is a potential witness against Mr. Stevens. The 20-year-old woman came forward following Mr. Stevens' arrest to allege she, too, had a sexual relationship with him while a student at Lakeland. Mr. Romano is awaiting trial in that case.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.
In a reply to the motion filed in the Stevens case, Lackawanna County Deputy District Attorney Jennifer McCambridge said she does not believe Mr. Caraciolo has any legal authority to interview Chief Romano, but she will leave that decision up to Judge Vito Geroulo, who is presiding over the case.
It's not clear whether the woman in Chief Romano's case will be called to testify at Mr. Stevens' trial. In her reply, Ms. McCambridge said if the woman is called, her testimony would be used as character evidence against Mr. Stevens. The admissibility of her testimony is a matter that will be decided at trial, should prosecutors seek to call her, Ms. McCambridge said.
The interview of Chief Romano is among several pre-trial motions Mr. Caraciolo filed. He is also seeking to dismiss the charges and to suppress a recorded phone conversation between the victim and Mr. Stevens in which he allegedly made incriminating statements.
In the dismissal motion, Mr. Caraciolo claims Mr. Stevens' right to due process was violated because police have not provided specific dates on which the sexual contacts allegedly occurred, therefore he cannot prepare a proper defense. The affidavit says the offenses occurred on several occasions between January and September 2012, but does not provide specific dates for each offense.
In her reply, Ms. McCambridge said prior courts have said police are not required to cite specific dates in cases, such as this, that constitute a continuous course of criminal conduct over a period of time.
In the suppression motion, Mr. Caraciolo alleges the recording violated Mr. Stevens' constitutional rights. Ms. McCambridge contends the recording was legal because state law requires only one party give permission for police to intercept a conversation. The alleged victim signed a form consenting to the interception.
Judge Geroulo is reviewing the motions.