Oklahoma City police officer charged with sexual assault now faces 10 additional charges

OKLAHOMA CITY –  An Oklahoma City police officer accused of sexually assaulting women is facing 10 new charges.

The additional charges against 27-year-old Daniel Holtzclaw filed Friday include first-degree rape, rape by instrumentation, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy and indecent exposure. Prosecutors also say they have identified two additional victims, bringing the total number of victims to 10.

Holtzclaw was arrested and charged in August with 16 counts that include rape, sexual battery, indecent exposure, stalking, forcible sodomy and burglary.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on bond. His defense attorney did not immediately return a phone call Friday night.

The investigation began when police said a woman complained that Holtzclaw had sexually assaulted her during a traffic stop about 2 miles north of the state Capitol.

Former Prince George's Co. police officer charged with sex offenses found dead By Brad Bell

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (WJLA) - A former Prince George's County Police officer arrested last year after being charged with multiple sex offenses and other crimes was found dead of an apparent suicide Friday.

The body of John Warhurst, a 21-year veteran of the Prince George's County Police Department, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound near Bayard and Sands roads in Anne Arundel County.

Warhurst was arrested in November of 2013 and charged with more than a dozen sex offenses and other crimes, including second-degree rape and a sex offense involving a child. He retired from the police force after being charged.

Warhurst's trial was due to start on Oct. 28.

Washington police officer charged with tipping off prostitute

By Lexi Belculfine / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A City of Washington police officer was charged today with warning a prostitute about undercover details, the county district attorney's office announced.

Joshua Rush, 39, of Canonsburg, a 10-year veteran of the Washington Police Department, faces a misdemeanor count each of obstructing administration of law, hindering prosecution by warning the actor and recklessly endangering another person, court records show.

"Today’s arrest should not be viewed as a reflection on other police officers in Washington. The Washington Police Department immediately investigated information which given to them by another police officer and took the appropriate action, District Attorney Eugene Vittone said in a prepared statement.

While police were targeting the area of Hall Avenue, Church Street and North Franklin Street -- known for a high volume of prostitution -- on in the early morning of Sept. 17, they detained a woman who offered an undercover officer sexual favors for money, according to a criminal complaint.

The woman asked to call Officer Rush and showed officers text messages they'd exchanged. Officer Rush told her he was distracting his supervisor from arresting prostitutes so the woman wouldn't be charged, the criminal complaint states.

Police obtained a search warrant to view the phone's contents.

Between Aug. 22 and Sept. 17, the woman asked Officer Rush to provide details of undercover operations, prior warning and protection from arrests. He responded with descriptions of undercover operations and vehicles being used by undercover officers.

Officer Rush's attorney Joseph Francis said, "I'm pretty confident the evidence will show he did not jeopardize any of this fellow officers. He has too much respect for his fellow officers and the badge."

The woman told police she met Officer Rush during a 2007 arrest, and they have been in a sexual relationship for about five years, according to the criminal complaint. She would contact him when she was coming to Washington to engage in prostitution and to meet.

Texts between the two included requests for naked pictures and photos of the officer in uniform, the criminal complaint states.

Mr. Francis said he is looking into Officer Rush's relationship with the woman and "whether it affected his police work."

Officer Rush was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Robert Redlinger and bond was set at $ 10,000.

Mr. Francis said he did not know Officer Rush's status with the department, and no police representatives could be reached for comment. It was unclear if the woman, who has been arrested multiple times since 2002 for prostitution and narcotics possession, faces charges in this case.

59 Narcotics Cases Dropped in Police Corruption Case

BY JOEL MATHIS  

We already knew Jeffrey Walker was a bad Philadelphia cop: He pleaded to robbery and weapons charges earlier this year, and his cooperation was considered key to the mass indictment of his fellow narcotics officers over the summer. But we’re still getting a sense of the scale of the problem.

The Inquirer reports a judge on Friday dismissed 59 narcotics convictions in which Walker was a key witness. The convictions had been obtained between 2004 and 2013.

“Actually, this is the worst police corruption since the 39th District,” said Bradley S. Bridge of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, referring to the mass dismissals of about 300 cases in the late 1990s. Those cases involved six 39th District officers who were convicted of planting drugs and framing suspects.

The current police scandal – in which one former officer has pleaded guilty in federal court to corruption charges and six others are awaiting trial – involves more case dismissals than ever before in Philadelphia: 340 cases had been dismissed by the beginning of the year, and counting Friday’s tally, 76 have been tossed this year.

More than 100 lawsuits have already been filed by former convicts. City Hall — and taxpayers — are expected to take a major financial hit from settling the cases.

And the worst may still be in the future. A public defender said Friday she plans to file 1,000 more appeals of cases involving Walker and the narcotics unit.

CPD officer indicted after bar incident

Keith BieryGolick,

A Cincinnati police officer was suspended without pay and could face more than 11 years behind bars if convicted on assault and weapons charges.

A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Kevin Jones, 34, Monday for the role he allegedly played in a fight outside Dynasty's Lounge in Mount Airy earlier this month.

Jones, a police officer since 2007, is accused of felonious assault, tampering with evidence, obstructing official business and using weapons while intoxicated, according to court documents.

He was placed on desk duty after the alleged off-duty incident on Sept. 6, said Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell.

"Once a conviction happens that changes the entire dynamic," Blackwell said.

"We're human, cops make mistakes. The issue here is we have to be the best of human kind. So when we make mistakes of the heart they are a lot different than mistakes of the mind. In this case here criminal charges were levied by the grand jury. I take that very seriously."

Jones was fired in 2012 after allegations he assaulted his former girlfriend, according to disciplinary records in his personnel file.

He was not convicted of any charges relating to that incident, Blackwell said.

"He was reinstated. The arbitrator's position brought his job back. That was before my time as chief," Blackwell said.

"We'll allow the due process to go forward, and now that the grand jury has indicted him, he will have to face those charges."

Jones also was reprimanded last year for failing a random drug test.

Oklahoma state trooper accused of rape resigns

Eric Roberts

An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper arrested earlier this month on accusations that he raped and sexually assaulted three women during traffic stops has resigned from the patrol, according to OHP Capt. George Brown.

Brown said Eric Roberts’ resignation letter arrived late Thursday and was processed Friday.

Roberts has not been charged, though a document released this month by the Creek County District Attorney’s Office outlined three traffic stops that Roberts made this summer where he allegedly sexually assaulted women:

• Roberts stopped a 36-year-old woman on Interstate 44 in Creek County just after 2 p.m. June 15, offered her $20 for a lap dance and then instructed her “to use a U-Haul truck to move, so he could stop her and they could have sexual intercourse in the back” of the truck, an affidavit states.

• Roberts allegedly pulled over a 22-year-old woman on July 8 for a traffic violation and asked her “what she would do for that amount of money,” according to the affidavit. It says Roberts placed the woman in his patrol vehicle, drove her to a secluded location and had her give him oral sex.

• On July 22, Roberts allegedly pulled over a woman who had warrants out for her arrest and informed her that he “didn’t need to take her to jail or write her a ticket, but he needed some convincing.” He eventually drove her to a secluded location, where the rape occurred.

Assistant Creek County District Attorney Mike Loeffler said Monday that Roberts’ scheduled arraignment Tuesday would likely be postponed, as charges are not ready.

“Quite frankly, I believe the Highway Patrol did not pick the right charges,” Loeffler said. “There’s a question in regards to the sexual aspects … as to what degree of rape or other charges would be correct. We have some research yet to do.”

Loeffler said the office may add a bribery or imposition of office charge against the trooper.

Roberts was quietly suspended from the OHP on July 24, the day after the July 22 victim came forward with her account of the traffic stop. That woman eventually contacted attorney Kevin Adams, who filed a lawsuit Aug. 11 on the woman’s behalf, accusing Roberts of raping her during a traffic stop.

Roberts was arrested Sept. 15 on one complaint of second-degree rape, one count of forcible oral sodomy, two counts of sexual battery and two counts each of rape by instrumentation, kidnapping and indecent exposure.

OHP Commander Ricky Adams said during a media conference regarding Roberts’ arrest that the 16-year trooper had turned off his dash camera and microphone during all three of the alleged sexual assaults, as well as during three other stops that were deemed “questionable” by the department, though not illegal.

Roberts was the first of three law officers in the state accused this summer of sexual misconduct while on duty. Oklahoma City Police Officer Daniel Holtzclaw was arrested Aug. 21 after the city’s department completed an investigation into claims that he sexually abused a number of women while on duty.

Tulsa County Sheriff’s Deputy Gerald Nuckolls was arrested Sept. 16, the same day he allegedly assaulted two women after he responded to a 911 hang-up call at their home. Nuckolls, 26, faces two counts of sexual battery and one count each of indecent exposure and outraging public decency.

A former Wewoka police officer is accused of having sex with a teen while on duty.

Trever Blackwell is facing one felony count of second degree rape after investigators say he had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl between August 2011 and January 2012.

Blackwell also faces two counts of lewd/indecent acts with a minor and one count of transmitting information by computer for purposes of instigating sexual conduct with a minor.

Prosecutors allege the crimes took place in Seminole County while the victim was participating in the Wewoka Police Department's Explorer Program including while the victim was riding in Blackwell's patrol car as a part of the program, according to a release from the State Attorney General's office.

Wewoka is located in Seminole County, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

ACLU: Police Used "Five Second Rule" to Arrest Ferguson Protesters at Random

By Danny Wicentowski

Officers arresting protesters the night of August 18. Nineteen people were charged with failing to disperse that day.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri argued to a federal judge Monday that St. Louis County and Missouri State Highway Patrol are enforcing an unconstitutional "five second rule" that allows cops to arrest protesters at will.

Known as either the "five second rule" or "keep moving rule," the controversial police tactic was sprung on protesters August 18, nine days after Ferguson cop Darren Wilson shot and killed eighteen-year-old Michael Brown. Police threatened protesters with arrest if they stopped moving, forcing crowds into grueling marches to avoid violating the ill-defined rule.

According to the witnesses brought by the ACLU, police used the tactic arbitrarily, harassing some protesters and letting others go. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar admitted yesterday the rule even confused officers, who misinterpreted his orders and used the "five second rule" to arrest protesters during the peaceful daytime hours.

See also: Ferguson Arrests: Everyone St. Louis County Police Locked Up During 12 Days of Crisis

"There were pass-ons that confused the officers," said Belmar, who told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he intended the rule be enforced only at night, when the perceived threat of looting and violence was at its highest.

"I don't think we were clear enough as commanders ... to tell (officers) if there's a different dynamic -- there's not a problem -- don't worry about it," he said.

However, the rule gave law enforcement so much free reign that it violated the due process of the protesters, claims ACLU attorneys.

On August 18 and 19, the first two days when the "five second rule" went into effect, police arrested 65 people for failing to disperse. At the hearing yesterday, Belmar said the Missouri State High Patrol specifically used the misdemeanor charge as a catch-all tool for enforcing Governor Jay Nixon's state of emergency declaration and accompanying curfew; Belmar also said police wielded the rule as a preventative measure against crowds gathering in a single spot and causing trouble.

Protesters did not take the "five second rule" well.

"They just provoke people with all this," Jacquelyn Hall told Daily RFT on August 18. "They make people angrier because it's trying to tell them they don't have control over where they live, even though this is their home."

See also: After Forcing Ferguson Protesters to March in Confined Protest Area, Tear Gas Again

The next day, August 19, Daily RFT reported that officers rushed into a crowd of protesters and media, arresting people seemingly at random.

"The protesters are peaceful out here, and all the cops are doing is denying us our constitutional rights," said protester Markis Thompson at the time.

The ACLU agreed. The organization filed a temporary restraining order against the "five second rule," but it was defeated by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who argued the rule was "narrowly tailored" to address the violence on West Florrisant Avenue.

That claim, though, is hotly contested by the ACLU and multiple protesters.

"The unbounded nature of the rule has led citizens to be threatened with arrest for

activities that ordinarily would not even border on the unlawful," argued the ACLU in an court filing, which includes extensive testimony from protesters and legal obeservers. ACLU employee Mustafa Abdullah testified he was threatened with arrest for trying to pray and for walking with a reporter.

"I had been threatened with arrest five times in an hour," he said.

Drug case involving officer in Ferguson police shooting put on hold

CLAYTON, Mo. - A drug case involving an arrest made by the Ferguson police officer who killed an unarmed 18-year-old in a separate incident is on hold while a grand jury reviews the shooting.

A judge approved a request by prosecutors Monday to send the drug case involving the arrest by officer Darren Wilson to a St. Louis County grand jury. But a spokesman for Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch later said that the case is "on hold" until Wilson's status is resolved.

Spokesman Ed Magee called the move standard procedure in cases where police officers are not immediately available to testify in court.

A lawyer for Christopher Brooks alleges Wilson "roughed up" his client after Brooks refused to hand over the keys to a locked car parked in his grandmother's driveway, where police say they found drug paraphernalia and several ounces of pot. Defense attorney Nick Zotos wants the drug distribution charge dismissed because he doesn't expect Wilson, who didn't attend the preliminary hearing, to show up in court.

"Wilson is compromised as a witness," said Zotos, who opposed the initial request by McCulloch's office to shift the drug case to a panel that meets behind closed doors. It wasn't clear whether Brooks made the allegation against Wilson before or after Brown was killed.

A police union attorney who has spent decades representing members of law enforcement in court told The Associated Press on Monday that he represents Wilson, who is under investigation by another grand jury over whether he used excessive force in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown.

James P. Towey, general counsel for the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and a former general counsel for the St. Louis Police Officers Association, said Wilson may be willing to publicly discuss the case in the future. He declined to provide details of the whereabouts of Wilson, who has gone into hiding since Brown's death.

Wilson, 28, received a Ferguson City Council commendation in February for his role in Brooks' arrest one year earlier. Zotos questioned whether the honor was merited.

"We give trophies every day for just showing up," he said after the brief hearing in St. Louis Circuit Court. "If you play on the team, you get a trophy."

The grand jury is reviewing evidence in Brown's death to determine whether Wilson should face criminal charges in the shooting that led to violent protests, hundreds of arrests, the summoning of the Missouri National Guard for security and international attention. McCulloch has said he expects that grand jury to complete its work by mid-October or early November, though its term has been extended until January.

The assistant prosecutor, who did not identify himself in court, did not indicate during the hearing why the county wants to shift the case to the grand jury. Magee did not provide a reason but said it didn't involve an effort to prevent information about Wilson from being publicly disclosed.

Attorney arrested at Criterion sues city

By Vivian Wang

An immigration attorney who was arrested two years ago for bringing a firearm into the Criterion Cinemas movie theater has filed a lawsuit against the City of New Haven and Police Chief Dean Esserman, alleging false arrest and police misconduct.

Sung-Ho Hwang, who practices law in the Elm City, was charged with breach of peace and interfering with officers in August 2012 after he brought a gun to a showing of the “Dark Knight Rises.” The gun was licensed, and all charges were eventually dropped in December 2012. Hwang, claiming that his reputation suffered in the wake of the incident, is charging the city with false arrest, arguing that the city held him in custody without probable cause, and instituted malicious prosecution.

“This case is not about Second Amendment rights,” said Steven Errante, Hwang’s attorney. “This case is about vindicating Mr. Hwang’s reputation because he was arrested with no justification whatsoever.”

In August 2012, around 20 officers responded to reports that a man had brought an unconcealed weapon into the theater. This incident came less than a month after the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado, when a gunman opened fire at a midnight screening of the same film, killing 12 people.
Errante said that Hwang understands the fear that must have accompanied the sight of an armed man in the theater, and also does not blame the subsequent police investigation. However, he said that Hwang’s suit takes issue with the way the case was handled after the police established Hwang’s weapon was licensed.

According to Errante, rather than apologize for the mistake, Esserman ordered Hwang arrested to “save face,” rather than apologize for the mistake.

“They arrested him for publicity reasons,” Errante said. “All sorts of police cars were there — a SWAT team and TV news crews had shown up. It became a big deal, and my supposition is the police chief didn’t want to walk out and say ‘False alarm; everybody go home.’”

Esserman declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Hwang’s arrest made headlines across the city. The lawyer’s reputation suffered a severe blow as a result, according to John Williams, a New Haven lawyer who specializes in police misconduct cases.

Hwang’s strong public presence across the city, Williams said, only made the damage to his reputation worse.

“He was a highly respected attorney in the community and had just been elected to be president of the New Haven County Bar Association,” Williams said. “According to conversation among a lot of lawyers in town, he was a likely candidate for a judicial position in the near future. Now he may still be, but there can’t be any doubt that an arrest like that would’ve had a terrible impact on his professional career.”

Williams said that one of the major challenges in the case will be providing evidence for a damaged reputation, considering that damage to reputation is often intangible and difficult to quantify in monetary terms. Such cases are especially challenging when they are brought against the police, he added.

“The average citizen or juror believes the police can do no wrong,” Williams said. “But, as a former New Haven police chief once said, police departments recruit from the human race.”

Nevertheless, neither Errante nor Williams said they did not think that New Haven had more police misconduct cases than any other city. Hwang’s arrest was more likely a one-time incident rather than part of a larger trend of false arrests, Errante said, adding that the arrest was likely made as a product of the fear that followed the Colorado shooting.

When asked for comment, the City of New Haven communications office said that it is “extremely limited” in what it can say about pending litigation.

“The City is aware of this matter and will respond accordingly at the appropriate time,” said New Haven Deputy Corporation Counsel Christopher Neary in an email to the News. “Suffice it to say for now The City believes that the New Haven Police Department acted appropriately under the circumstances.”

The City has until Oct. 2 to respond to the lawsuit, according to the New Haven Register.

South Carolina authorities won't talk about officer's shooting of 68-year-old man in driveway

 JEFFREY COLLINS

ORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Ernest Satterwhite was a laid-back former mechanic with a habit of ignoring police officers who tried to pull him over — an act of defiance that ultimately got him killed.

The 68-year-old black great-grandfather was shot to death after a slow-speed chase as he parked in his own driveway, by a 25-year-old white police officer who repeatedly fired through the driver's side door.

Investigators determined that North Augusta Public Safety Officer Justin Craven broke the law. A prosecutor, in a rare action against a police officer, sought to charge him with voluntary manslaughter, punishable by up to 30 years in prison. But the grand jury disagreed, indicting him on a misdemeanor.

The debate over how police use force against unarmed people has become a national issue since an unarmed 18-year-old black man was shot to death in August by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, where unrest still lingers.

But most police shootings make only local headlines, and just for a day or two. The refusal of authorities to release public information about these on-duty actions by taxpayer-paid officials is a big reason why. As with many such killings, Satterwhite's death in February remains shrouded in mystery.

Video can make a difference: South Carolina gained the national spotlight last week after a dashboard camera showed how in just a few seconds Trooper Sean Groubert went from asking motorist Levar Jones for his license for a supposed seat belt violation, to shooting at him repeatedly without provocation, even as Jones put his hands in the air. Jones was hit once and is recovering.

State Public Safety Director Leroy Smith called that shooting "disturbing," and Groubert was promptly fired and charged with felony assault.

Sometimes, the video can exonerate officers: In August, a South Carolina prosecutor refused to file criminal charges against a York County deputy who wounded a 70-year-old man after mistaking his cane for a shotgun during an after-dark traffic stop. Using video, the sheriff showed how the cane's shaft could be mistaken for a gun barrel in the dim light.

So far, 35 people were shot by police in South Carolina this year; 16 were killed. The state is on pace to surpass last year's total of 42 people shot by police.

In Satterwhite's case, prosecutors won't say why they sought a felony charge against Craven, who chased Satterwhite for 9 miles, beyond city limits and into Edgefield County.

Experts say it's the first time an officer was charged in a fatal shooting in roughly a decade. But the grand jury opted for "misconduct in office," a charge used for sheriffs who make inmates do their personal work, or officers who ask for bribes. Their single-page indictment, returned in August, contains no details other than accusing Craven of "using excessive force and failing to follow and use proper procedures."

Black leaders were astonished that an officially unjustified shooting of an unarmed man should merit such a light charge.

"It diminishes the nature of the violation — of the death. This man's life is only worth a misdemeanor?" said state Rep. Joe Neal, a Democrat who has spent decades speaking out against racism in law enforcement and demanding accountability through data and police cameras.

Neal, who is black, also wants authorities to release evidence more quickly in police-involved shootings. Authorities often say doing so could taint potential jurors. Neal says that doesn't give people enough credit.

The State Law Enforcement Division denied requests filed by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act to learn what evidence was gathered against Craven. Solicitor Donnie Myers, who is handling the case, didn't return phone calls. North Augusta Police, the Edgefield County Sheriff's Office and Craven's lawyer, Jack Swerling, declined to comment.

The few details released raised concerns among law enforcement experts. In the likely 10 to 15 minutes he trailed Satterwhite, Craven should have had time to learn he was headed home and had no violent incidents on his criminal record, said University of South Carolina criminology professor Geoffrey Alpert.

Police records show Satterwhite had been arrested more than a dozen times for traffic violations, most of them for driving under suspension or under the influence. Most of the charges led to convictions. He also was charged at least three times for failing to stop as officers tried to pull him over. But his record shows no evidence he ever physically fought with an officer.

Edgefield County deputies who joined in the chase reported that Craven ran up to Satterwhite's parked car and fired several shots into the driver's side door, telling the other officers that Satterwhite tried to grab his gun. The other officers couldn't get Satterwhite's door open, so they broke the passenger side window, unlocked that door and dragged him out. "Why would he run up to the car like that?" asked Alpert. "Why would he put himself in a situation to use deadly force? Why would he put his gun close enough for him to grab it?"

Satterwhite, who worked for years as a mechanic, liked to fish and was remembered by his family as a laid-back man who kept to himself, left behind six children, 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Seven months after the funeral, and eight days after his indictment, Craven was put on administrative leave — with pay.

Satterwhite's family then sued the North Augusta Department of Public Safety, Edgefield County and its sheriff's office.

The lawsuit alleges Craven ignored the Edgefield deputies' orders to stop and let them manage the chase when it entered their county, about 2 miles from Satterwhite's home. It claims Satterwhite never tried to grab the officer's gun when Craven fired five times, hitting him with four bullets — two in the chest.

The family says the officers yanked the mortally wounded man out of the car, restrained him and left him on the ground unattended until paramedics arrived.

Their lawyer, Carter Elliott, hopes to force authorities to release any video and other evidence.

North Augusta's Public Safety Department has refused to release any details about Craven's history. City officials didn't make him available for interviews, and he didn't respond to emails.

Police agencies hurt their own credibility when they withhold information, allowing rumors and speculation to fill the void, Alpert said.

"They work for us — the public," Alpert said. "You need to put as much accurate information out there as you can to get in front of the issue and create your own story."

Levar Jones shooting: South Carolina trooper charged in death

COLUMBIA, S.C. –  A South Carolina state trooper's dashboard video shows an unarmed driver being shot just seconds after he was stopped for a seatbelt offense — and the trooper, who was fired last week, has now been charged with assault.

As Levar Jones cried in pain waiting for an ambulance, he repeated one question: "Why did you shoot me?"

Jones' painful groans and then-Trooper Sean Groubert's reply — "Well you dove head first back into your car" — were captured by the camera.

Groubert's boss, state Public Safety Director Leroy Smith, called the video "disturbing" and said "Groubert reacted to a perceived threat where there was none" as he fired the officer Friday.

The 31-year-old former trooper is charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison. He was released after paying 10 percent of a $75,000 bond.

The dashboard camera video was released by prosecutors Wednesday night after they showed it at Groubert's bond hearing.

Jones was stopped Sept. 4 as he pulled into a convenience store on a busy Columbia road. With the camera recording, Groubert pulls up without his siren on as Jones is getting out of his vehicle to go into the store.

"Can I see your license please?" Groubert asks.

As Jones turns and reaches back into his car, Groubert shouts, "Get outa the car, get outa the car." He begins firing before he has finished the second sentence. There is a third shot as Jones staggers away, backing up with his hands raised, and then a fourth.

From the first shot to the fourth, the video clicks off three seconds.

Jones' wallet can be seen flying out of his hands as he raises them.

Groubert's lawyer, Barney Giese, said the shooting was justified because the trooper feared for his life and the safety of others. Police officers are rarely charged in South Carolina. In August, a prosecutor refused to file criminal charges against a York County deputy who shot a 70-year-old man after mistaking his cane for a shotgun during an after-dark traffic stop.

Groubert is white and Jones is black. Neither state police nor the FBI keep detailed statistics on the races of people in officer-involved shootings.

Much like the recent police shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, the racial aspect of the South Carolina shooting bothers state Rep. Joe Neal, an African-American lawmaker who has spoken out against racism in law enforcement for years.

"You are doing exactly what the police officer asked you do to and you get shot for it?" said Neal, D-Hopkins. "That's insane."

Neal said he doubts the trooper would have been charged without the video. South Carolina has nearly 300 police agencies, and many smaller forces don't have dashboard cameras.

"If it had been the trooper's story versus his story, I'm not sure anything happens," Neal said.

Jones is recovering after being shot in the hip. He released a statement last week saying he hopes his shooting leads to changes in how police officers treat suspects.

"I thank God every day that I am here with a story to tell and hope my situation can make a change," Jones said.

He and his lawyer have not spoken publicly since Groubert was charged Wednesday.

Groubert first worked for the Highway Patrol from September 2005 to September 2009. After going to work for the Richland County Sheriff's Office, he returned to the state agency in July 2012.

This isn't the first time Groubert fired his service weapon. In August 2012, Groubert and another trooper chased a man who drove away from a traffic stop and fired at the suspect after he shot first, according to the Highway Patrol. The suspect was convicted of attempted murder and is spending 20 years in prison.

Groubert was awarded the agency's Medal of Valor Award for his actions in protecting the public.

So far in 2014 in South Carolina, police have shot at suspects 35 times, killing 16 of them, according to the State Law Enforcement Division. The number of officer-involved shootings has been steadily increasing over the past few years, with 42 reported in 2013.

Baltimore officer charged with assaulting his wife and her boyfriend

By Ian Duncan, The Baltimore Sun

A city police officer was charged with felony assault after he stormed into a home in full uniform Monday and threatened to kill his wife with his service weapon, Baltimore police said.

After the alleged attack, Officer Gualberto Diaz, 38, reported to work and asked to be excused from the rest of his shift. After police investigated the attack, Diaz was arrested Monday and taken to Central Booking. A judge ordered him held without bail Tuesday, according to court records.

In a statement, the Police Department's top disciplinarian condemned Diaz.

"The Baltimore Police Department has no tolerance for officers who break the law, for officers who inflict harm on their community and family," said Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez.

"Officers who abuse their power compromise the trust and relationships that we have built with the public. There is no excuse for this type of behavior and senseless act violence."

Diaz's wife was in bed at her boyfriend's house at the time of the attack, police said. The names of Diaz's wife, her boyfriend and another man who lives in the home are redacted in court documents provided by the Police Department.

No attorney is listed for Diaz. He faces charges for first- and second-degree assault, using a firearm in a violent crime, first-degree burglary and destruction of property.

Diaz drove to the boyfriend's home in the 2900 block of Brighton St. in the Rosemont section of West Baltimore

Once there, Diaz, a six-year veteran, tore the front door off its hinges, pulled his wife out of bed and started kicking her, according to the documents.

"Gualberto … pointed his service weapon at her during the incident and told her that he wanted to kill her, but wouldn't do it at the time," wrote Internal Affairs detective Derek Collins.

The wife's boyfriend told police that he was asleep when Diaz broke in, according to the charges, and once the officer drew the gun, the boyfriend leaped through a second-floor window and fled to a neighbor's house to get help.

Another man who lives in the house was also asleep and Diaz came into his room brandishing his gun and demanding to know where the boyfriend had gone.

Diaz's wife and her boyfriend were treated at a local hospital, police said.

Investigators arrested Diaz without incident, police said. He has been suspended without pay.

Pompey dog control officer charged with animal cruelty; more than 200 dogs and cats found

By Elizabeth Doran

Pompey Dog Control Officer Susan M. Snavlin has been charged with more than 150 counts of animal cruelty after more than 200 dogs and cats were found in filthy conditions on her property, SPCA investigators said.

SPCA workers removed 73 animals - mainly small dogs - from the property at 1573 Tully Farms Road in Tully on Monday. They are returning today to rescue another 100 to 150 dogs and 40 to 50 cats, said Paul Morgan, SPCA executive director.

The dogs seized were found "in filthy conditions with feces and urine all over,'' Morgan said.

The small dogs have not been socialized and so are not very friendly, Morgan said.

Snavlin has resigned from her position, which she has held since 2003, said Pompey Town Supervisor Carole Marsh.

The SPCA will be closed today and tomorrow as staff deals with the situation, Morgan said. Donations of food, money or anyone wishing to volunteer at the SPCA are welcome.

Many of the dogs are smaller breeds, and their fur is overgrown and they are in desperate need of grooming, Morgan said.

A person driving by called the SPCA about a month ago saying they saw a large number of dogs on a property along that road, but didn't have an address. The person then called back with an address Monday, and investigators spent from 5 p.m. Monday until 1 a.m. removing the first 73 animals.

Former Wewoka police officer charged with sex crimes

By: Austin Prickett, Assignment Editor

A former Wewoka Police Department Officer faces four felony charges after an investigation alleges he performed sexual acts with a minor while on duty.

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office filed charges on 30-year-old former Wewoka police officer Trevor Blackwell Monday.

Blackwell faces one felony count of second degree rape, one count of transmitting information by computer for purposes of instigating sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of lewd/indecent acts.

The attorney general's office says the act took place in Seminole County while the victim was participating in the Wewoka Police Department's Explorer Program.

The AG also says some of the acts occurred while the victim was riding in Blackwell's patrol car as part of the program.

Gonzales police officer charged with DWI

By Michelle McCalope

GONZALES, LA (AP) - Louisiana State Police confirms that a Gonzales police officer has been charged with Driving While Intoxicated.

The officer has been identified as Corporal Randy Clouatre, Jr.  Clouatre has been with the police department since 2006.  Police say it happened after Clouatre was involved in a crash early Monday evening. He was off duty at the time.

WAFB's Kiran Chawla of the 9News Investigators learned about the incident and spoke with Police Chief Sherman Jackson.

Jackson says this is the first time Clouatre has been in trouble.

"I am aware of the off-duty incident involving Cpl. Clouatre," Chief Jackson says.  "This matter has been placed under administrative investigation. We are taking quick and appropriate action, based on our off-duty policy."

We'll have more information on this story coming up at 5,6, and 10.

Woman says officer exposed himself to her

Woman says officer exposed himself to her By Sarah Newell Williamson/News & Record

by Sarah Newell Williamson

GREENSBORO — A Greensboro police officer is suspended without pay after being arrested and charged with indecent exposure.

Officer J.W. Way, 41, is accused of exposing himself to a woman on Aug. 27 while on duty, according to Greensboro police.

Way, who is assigned to the Southern Patrol Division, was at the woman’s job in the southern portion of the city after getting a report of a hit-and-run in that area, police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen said.

Danielsen would not specify what, exactly, Way was doing at the business or identify the business.

This was not the first time Way and the woman met, Danielsen said, but she declined to provide more specifics to protect the identity of the woman.

The victim filed a report on Sept. 10.

“The victim and the witness were discussing how to proceed,” Danielsen said.

Officers with the department’s Professional Standards Division began an investigation, gathering enough information for Way to be suspended with pay on Sept. 12, according to police.

Police also conducted a criminal investigation into the woman’s report.

On Wednesday, police arrested Way on a charge of misdemeanor indecent exposure and suspended him without pay, Danielsen said.

“We are deeply disturbed by this incident,” Interim Police Chief Anita Holder said. “The men and women in GPD who do the right thing day in and day out feel betrayed by any officer’s decision that casts us in an unprofessional light.”

Way will have a disciplinary hearing, possibly on Monday, Danielsen said.

If Way is convicted, he will be fired, she said.

However, an officer can be convicted of a misdemeanor and still work with the police department. Whether he or she will still be employed depends on the seriousness of the offense.

“Writing a check that bounces, for example, might not result in termination,” Danielsen said. “A conviction of a misdemeanor of a more serious nature, or one that discredits the organization, would result in termination.”

Way, who earns $45,778 annually, joined the department on Feb. 16, 2005. He has been promoted twice, once in August 2007 and again in March, Danielsen said. He hasn’t had any demotions, she said.