Police Officer Shatters Car Window And Arrests Woman For Refusing To “Roll Window Down All The Way”

Another hotheaded Police Officer who makes things far more difficult and over-the-top than what is necessary to get the job done.

NOTE: Rolling a window down all the way has NOTHING to do with “safety” for the officer. It is only so that YOU can be more easily Pepper-Sprayed or Tased if a sociopath Cop feels that you are giving them lip or dare to not fully “comply” with them, regardless of the necessity of their orders.

Police Shoot Black Lab Through Vehicle Window, Claim It Was ‘Lunging’ Pit Bull

 “We came outside and saw a police officer with a gun in his hand…”

Mikael Thalen

Prison Planet.com

An Idaho police officer who shot and killed a small black lab sitting inside a vehicle this week has been telling investigators that the dog was a “vicious” pit bull.

According to reports, an officer with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department was called out to a local coffee shop Wednesday after the shop’s owner spotted a “suspicious” van in the parking lot. The van, owned by Craig Jones, allegedly matched the description of a vehicle in a child luring case.

Upon arriving, the officer approached the vehicle with his weapon drawn when 2-year-old “Arfie” began barking from the driver’s seat. The officer claims that is when the dog, which he described as a “vicious” pit bull, “lunged” out of the half-open window and attempted to bite his face.

The officer “defended his life” by firing through the window, striking the dog once in the chest.

Jones, who was inside the coffee shop eating breakfast at the time, was shocked to look up and see a bullet hole in his van.

“This still isn’t even real,” Jones told KREM 2 News. “This is so unrealistic to me.”

Jones says Arfie never displayed violent behavior towards others, refuting claims by the officer that his dog was violent or vicious.

“He was raised with me from day one,” Jones said. “He goes with me everywhere.”

Police later determined that Jones’ van was not the vehicle wanted in connection with the child luring case.

“If my dog is barking and wondering who’s peering in the windows, whether your a cop, judge, attorney, President Bush, he doesn’t know any difference,” Jones said. “So really? You’re just going to shoot somebody’s dog?”

Jesse Johnson, who was across the street at her home during the shooting, says the incident was completely unjustified.

“We came outside and saw a police officer with a gun in his hand,” Johnson said. “I was scared when we heard the gun shots you know. I have kids.”

A Coeur d’Alene police sergeant responded to the incident by saying that the officer was “very distraught” and unable to use his pepper spray because all dogs react differently in “attack situations.” The sergeant made no comment on why the officer had told investigators that the dog was a pit bull.

Unfortunately, such situations have become increasingly common.

Just last March, a Michigan police officer shot and killed a 10-month-old puppy after wandering into the owner’s yard during a foot pursuit. The officer claimed he “feared for his life” when the puppy suddenly “charged” towards him.

That same month, a Pennsylvania state trooper unloaded his firearm at a family’s dog as it stood only feet from a 5-year-old’s bedroom window. A suspect alleged to be in the home had moved from the residence months prior.

An Idaho officer captured on a police dash cam was cleared of wrongdoing after shooting and killing a man’s service dog outside a 9-year-old’s birthday party last February. The video showed the officer kicking at the dog several times before opening fire.

Responding to a domestic violence call, a police officer in Austin, Texas shot and killed a dog playing Frisbee with its owner after walking onto the wrong property in 2012.

National group helps defend shot dog

By Ashley B. Craig,

A national dog advocacy group is stepping up to offer help to a Mason County family whose dog was shot by State Police. The “Justice for Willy Pete” Facebook page announced Tuesday that The Lexus Project, founded four years ago by a New York-based couple who took legal action to rescue a greyhound from being euthanized, had taken up the case.Richard Rosenthal, co-founder and general counsel for The Lexus Project, said the group only recently began taking such cases. “It’s becoming an epidemic,” Rosenthal said. “It’s not dogs running loose, it’s officers going into yards.”He said they now receive three to five calls a week about a police-related shooting.Rosenthal is teaming up with local attorney Trent Redman. He said he plans to sue the West Virginia State Police and Sgt. S.T. Harper within the next two weeks.“We’re in the midst of putting together all the facts and getting our ducks in a row,” Rosenthal said. He said he would travel to West Virginia in the next few days to meet with Redman, and Ginger and Jeremy Sweat, Willy Pete’s owners.Ginger Sweat told the Daily Mail last month that the 6-year-old beagle-bassett hound mix left the porch of her rural Ashton area home and went to meet troopers coming out of the woods nearby. The troopers were members of the State Police Special Response Team. They had with them a leashed police dog and were searching for a man accused of threatening his wife and firing a shot at a Mason sheriff’s deputy.Ginger Sweat was inside when she saw through a window that the officer had his weapon raised at her dog, which she said suffered from arthritis.She said she ran outside screaming and pleading with the officer not to shoot. She said the trooper, later identified by State Police as Harper, fired one shot at the dog but missed, sending the dog running back to her.She said Harper fired three more times at the dog as it ran in her direction. The dog died behind her home. According to the Facebook page, a necropsy performed on the dog showed the animal had been shot in the back.State Police apologized in a statement, issued a week after the June 24 shooting, but stood by the officer’s actions.Troopers said the report from the investigation showed Willy Pete charged toward officers while they were in the road and “growled and bared his teeth as he continued toward Diego,” the police dog at the scene.Troopers said Harper shot the dog three times when the dog was within 10 feet of the police dog and five feet from him. Harper has been a member of the State Police’s K-9 Unit for 14 years, the last two he spent as instructor. The sergeant was said in the statement to be “well-versed in canine body language and canine behavior.”“Based upon his observations that Willie (sic) Pete’s hackles were raised, he was growling and his teeth were barred as well as the fact the dog could not be deterred by two other means of non-lethal force from advancing toward K-9 Officer Diego and the WVSP SRT members, Sgt. Harper made the decision to shoot the dog,” the statement said.State troopers have shot and killed 15 dogs in the last four years including Willy Pete, the Charleston Gazette reported Tuesday. Harper shot three of those dogs in that time frame.“We’re talking about an arthritic beagle-type dog that was shot in the back, in his own yard, in front of his family, by a police officer — who this is the third dog in four years he’s shot,” Rosenthal said.He said leadership in the police department should stand up and tell the officers they won’t tolerate that kind of behavior.“It is unfortunate that the government instead of being outraged is a party to the cover-up and I think that’s the bigger crime,” Rosenthal said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s happened.“The police department is complicit in it by not expressing outrage and not disciplining officers unless in the most egregious cases. The rest of the cases, it’s a wink and shrug and they stand behind the thin blue line.”Rosenthal said the family would seek damages. He hopes the jury will award a large verdict, sending the message that the people won’t accept the needless killing of animals.He also has hope for an injunction barring officers from shooting dogs and requiring police departments to provide realistic animal training.Rosenthal is providing his services at no charge, but the family is accepting donations to help pay for court fees. Donations can be made at www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/justice-for-willy-pete/204466.Contact writer Ashley B. Craig at ashley.craig@dailymailwv.com or 304-348-4850.

Police shoot dog, hit home

Hannah Davis,

WICHITA, Kan. -

The 2300 block of Rita in south Wichita was quiet Wednesday afternoon, but neighbors say they're still shaken up from the what happened there the day before.

Police say someone called 911 Tuesday to report a vicious dog on the loose. Police say the caller told them a black lab had chased a young boy up a tree. When the first officer arrived he talked to the boy and says he could see marks on the boy from the dog. The officer says the dog charged him, and that is when he fired three times, hitting the dog twice.

Eyewitness news talked to the boy's mom. She says the dog did not bite her son, but did chase him when he was on his bike. The mom says her son is distraught about what happened and walked over to check on the dog's owner Tuesday night.

Dustin Cranston owns the black lab "Echo." He says his dog has never been aggressive and doesn't know how the dog got out of his fenced in backyard.

"Echo is the sweetest dog there is. My favorite memories with her are going on hikes in Colorado, I was in a beautiful place with a beautiful dog," Cranston said.

Cranston works overnights and woke up when he heard police shooting at his dog. Cranston says the 4-year-old lab ran into the house covered in blood.

"She was shaking and must of used the last of her strength to get back home," Cranston said.

Cranston is angry with police for using what he calls "excessive force" but he's also upset that the officer's bullets hit his fence and home.

"I mean bullets can ricochet, there were people out here watching everything going on and anyone could have been hit," Cranston said.

Police say they will open an investigation, as they do whenever an officer discharges a firearm. A spokesperson for the Wichita Police Department says officers took photos of the scene and will look into whether any policies were violated.

Neighbors like Garrett Rae saw the incident and say they don't think police needed to use such force.

"It just makes me upset when you see someone in that position abuse their power," Rae said. " That dog was whimpering on the ground and he took another shot."

The dog's owner says he was surprised to find out Wednesday afternoon that his dog was still alive. He hopes to reunite with his dog soon but don't know if that will happen.

"I know I've learned one thing for sure. I will make sure every gate is locked and I'm keeping my dog inside so there is no way someone can let her out," Cranston said.

Cranston is fighting to get his dog back home and started this facebook page to get support.

NOPD officer suspended after alleged domestic abuse involving strangulation

 NEW ORLEANS, (WVUE) -

The New Orleans Police Department has placed one of its officers on emergency suspension without pay after a Public Integrity Bureau investigation into allegations of domestic abuse.

The investigation began on January 27 after the PIB received a complaint. Carter was placed on administrative reassignment on May 25.

Monday, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office filed a bill of information on Carter for criminal charges relative to domestic abuse battery involving strangulation and domestic abuse battery.

The PIB investigation is ongoing.

Carter is a 10-year veteran of the NOPD. He was most recently assigned to the Special Operation Division Tactical Unit.

Tuscaloosa Police officer arrested in domestic violence investigation

A Tuscaloosa Police officer was arrested Thursday night on suspicions of domestic violence.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department reports Robert Ashley Fourt, 56, of Tuscaloosa, was charged with Domestic Violence 3 Criminal Coercion.

Officers responded to a disturbance call in the 4600 block of East 27th Street about 7:40 p.m. Thursday.

Officers spoke with the victim and suspect and found probable cause to arrest Fourt on a domestic violence charge.

Fourt has been a Tuscaloosa Police officer since 2003.

He was placed on administrative leave.

Ex-cop, accused of assaulting women on duty, to serve 5 years for oath violation

A former DeKalb County cop, who was accused of sexually assaulting two women while he was on duty, was sentenced to five years in prison and five years on probation Friday.

On Friday, a DeKalb County jury found Jeremy Reynolds guilty on two counts of violation of oath by a public officer, according to the district attorney’s office. Reynolds was found not guilty of aggravated sodomy, officials said.

“Reynolds took an oath to protect and serve the people of DeKalb County. Instead, he used his badge to attempt to subject women to unthinkable acts while on duty,” District Attorney Robert James said in a prepared statement. “It’s always disheartening to see sworn officers violate the public’s trust.”

Reynolds, while on duty, approached two different women on different occasions and asked them for sexual favors, prosecutors said.

During the sentencing hearing, one of the victims pleaded with the judge to send Reynolds to jail, spokesman Erik Burton said.

“I think I was in a place where God let this happen to me so I could stand up for other women who he may have done this to,” said Yvonne Ruiz who was propositioned by Reynolds in 2010.

Reynolds admitted to having sexual contact with two women while on duty, his attorney said Tuesday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the ex-cop did not understand that his words could be used to prosecute him, the attorney said. He later denied assaulting the women.

Reynolds, a police officer of almost three years, said he was unfamiliar with the Miranda statement, a warning to a crime suspect that their comments could be used against them.

Officials said Reynolds threatened to arrest a woman if she did not perform oral sex on him and that he arrested another woman because she would not show him her breasts.

According to Assistant District Attorney Leaf Howard, in one incident, the woman was sitting in the back seat of his patrol car, parked behind a grocery store, and he was standing just outside the car door.

Reynolds’ lawyer Jackie Patterson said Reynolds admitted he asked the woman, a known prostitute, to perform sex on him, but he didn’t offer anything in exchange for the favor, the AJC reported. “She is a prostitute, a street walker. She solicits business regularly on Memorial Drive. (Reynolds) made the worst judgment of (his) career,” Patterson said.

Still, the ex-cop said he never tried to force the woman. But prosecutors said Reynolds took advantage of the woman, thinking no one would believe her.

The second woman had been stopped for speeding on I-285 on Jan. 22, 2010 when Reynolds discovered there was an outstanding warrant for her from Clayton County where she was already on probation for speeding.

Prosecutors said he used that as leverage, threatening to arrest the woman if she did not show him her breasts. At the time, Ruiz, a 20-year-old wife and mother, was handcuffed and in the backseat of his patrol car, they said. She told him she would rather go to jail, prosecutors said.

“She starts to cry. He pulls her out of the car. He takes her shirt and lifts it up so her bra is exposed,” Prosecutor Howard said. “He pats her down a second time… He does an underhand search where he feels the bottom of her breasts.”

Patterson told the jury Ruiz had told the officer she was going to claim he was inappropriate with her if he arrested her, the paper reported.

“Hopefully this sentence will offer the victims and their family some level of closure,” James said.

Cop faces prison for stealing cash, crucifix from dying motorcyclist at crash scene: Justice?

The Connecticut state trooper took the dying motorcyclist's gold crucifix from a pool of the victim's blood. And the 19-year-veteran trooper, Aaron "AJ" Huntsman, plucked a thick wad of cash from the dying man's pocket. All of this, was captured on the trooper's own dash cam at the crash scene, and yesterday, Huntsman plead guilty before a judge.

He now faces 16 months in prison, but it could have been 10 years. All this, according to the Connecticut Post.

Huntsman, 45, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to third-degree larceny and tampering with evidence – both felonies, the newspaper reported.

He could have faced up to 10 years in prison on the two charges. But the judge said he would impose a term in prison of 16 months, followed by five years of probation, the newspaper stated.

In addition, Huntsman's lawyer has the right to argue for an even lesser prison term when Huntsman is sentenced on Oct. 3

According to the Post, Huntsman walked out of the courtroom with "a big smile on his face" following the hearing but declined comment.

Background according to the Post: John Scalesse was killed Sept. 22, 2012 after his motorcycle crashed into a construction company truck on the Merritt Parkway in Fairfield, Conn.

Huntsman was the first trooper at the crash scene, walking to where Scalesse lay, bending down and taking a gold chain chain from a pool of blood and a roll of bills – $3,700 – from his pocket.

Arcadia cop convicted in theft of nearly $42,000 from police union

By RICHARD WINTON

Ex-Arcadia cop pleads no contest to embezzling nearly $42,000 from police association as its treasurer

Ex-Arcadia cop convicted of grand theft for stealing from police association, faces 180 days in jail

Arcadia police officer who stole nearly $42,000 from police union while treasurer gets 180 days

A former Arcadia police officer pleaded no contest Friday to stealing nearly $42,000 from a police association while serving as treasurer, using the money to buy such items as cigars and motorcycle parts.

Christian E. Blesch, 36, pleaded no contest to one count of grand theft by embezzlement and was set to be sentenced Sept. 30, when he will be ordered to serve 180 days in county jail and placed on probation for three years.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Geoffrey Rendon said Blesch began stealing funds from the Arcadia Police Officers’ Assn. after being elected its treasurer in 2011.

Blesch used the association’s credit card to buy parts and accessories for his motorcycles, as well as personal items such as clothing, exercise equipment and cigars, the prosecutor said. He then paid the monthly credit card bills through the organization’s checking account.

Blesch also put a deposit down on a new motorcycle, using association funds. He resigned from the Arcadia Police Department last fall, the same day a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Blesch and another Arcadia police officer were placed on administrative leave in March 2013 after allegations were made regarding the association's funds.

That officer, John Jurman, another association official, was never charged by prosecutors because they determined there was no evidence he committed a crime.

As part of the plea, Blesch has agreed to pay back the nearly $42,000 he embezzled.

A former West Palm Beach police officer was sentenced

By Linda Trischitta, Sun Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE —

A former West Palm Beach police officer was sentenced to five years in federal prison Friday for knowingly carrying his gun while committing a drug-trafficking crime.

Dewitt McDonald, 46, of Wellington, pleaded guilty to the charge in April, which came after an FBI investigation found he was illegally selling steroids, according to court documents.

McDonald, who was a police officer for two decades, was overcome with emotion in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom as he told U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn that he "accepted full responsibility" for his "conduct and bad choices."

Lawyer Michael Salnick read the rest of McDonald's statement. It described the difficulty of being the defendant when McDonald had previously been a witness for the government, and apologized for his actions when his job had once been to uphold the law.

Steven Detter, McDonald's former West Palm Beach police colleague and supervisor, cried and told Cohn his heart was broken. He called McDonald his "best friend," "a cop's cop" who had been a field training officer and honor guard who loved his job.

From September 2011 through April 2013 and while still a cop, prosecutors said McDonald operated Prime Performance Wellness Centers in Lake Worth and Prime Health and Rejuvenation Clinic in Wellington.

McDonald illegally obtained testosterone and other controlled substances with forged or altered prescriptions and sold the drugs to customers, including officers in the West Palm Beach police department, according to a statement of facts that he signed.

"This is a good guy who did something bad, and he's paying for it," Salnick, a longtime friend of McDonald's, told the court. The men have raised their sons together.

Salnick later said about the charge, "He didn't have his gun out, selling drugs. The gun was part of his professional attire."

He said Friday was "one of the hardest days I've had as a criminal defense lawyer, because I know how he feels about family and children. He's losing his liberty and may lose his pension."

Cohn will allow McDonald to turn himself in to prison on Sept. 18.

"It's always unfortunate when a law enforcement officer violates the law, especially one with a sterling record who has a fine family and who had everything going for him," Cohn said.

In addition to the statute-mandated, 60-month sentence, McDonald must serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution of $25,810.

The judge could have ordered a life sentence for McDonald, as well as a $250,000 fine that the court waived after finding he could not afford to pay it.

Cohn said he would recommend to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that McDonald serve time in a South Florida facility to be near his wife Carla and their three children.

"Good people make bad choices," Carla McDonald told the judge about the man she has known 12 years and called the backbone of their family. "That doesn't change how we love him."

The epidemic of mentally ill cops

Officer Accused of Brutality Subject of 14 Complaints In 7 Years

By DAVE ALTIMARI and MIKAELA PORTER, daltimari@courant.comThe Hartford Courant

The Enfield police officer recently accused of brutality has been the subject of 14 internal affairs investigations over the past seven years, department records indicate.

The citizen's complaints against Officer Matthew Worden range from his being "rude and discourteous" during traffic stops to allegations of racial profiling and ordering his dog to attack a man he mistakenly thought was a burglar.

The Courant reviewed more than 400 pages of internal affairs reports on eight complaints registered against Worden since 2010. In all of those cases Worden was either exonerated or the complaint was not sustained by the investigating officer from the Enfield police department.

Worden was suspended once, records show, when he got into a fight with a fellow officer in 2007 during a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend. He was arrested on assault charges later dropped. Worden was suspended for 60 days by Chief Carl Sferrazza.

Enfield, a department with nearly 100 sworn officers, has had 26 civilian complaints in the past four years. One-third of those were against Worden, records show. In 2013, Worden had half of the six citizen's complaints against the department.

The Courant reviewed eight of the most-recent complaints. Six of the eight were made by either Hispanic or African American residents, some who live in or near the Thompsonville section of town. Three allege that Worden and other officers are racially profiling the complainants. Police have denied the allegations.

Sferrazza said because of the "sheer volume" of complaints against Worden he had his deputy chief last year review all of the previous internal affairs investigations to make sure they were all investigated properly. The conclusion was each case was properly investigated.

"Nothing jumped out as a pattern. We didn't see it as any particular group of people were being singled out," Sferrazza said. "If we can sustain that a department rule was violated we take corrective action. The mere fact that there are a lot of complaints against an officer doesn't mean anything."

Sferrazza said Worden was ordered to take a one-day class at the Hartford Police Department in 2012 that focused on dealing with the public and improving his attitude. The chief said because Worden is a dog handler he responds to more high risk situations than many other officers.

Worden is currently on paid administrative leave while the department investigates a complaint filed by Mark Maher of Windsor. Maher was arrested on April 1, 2014.

Maher alleges that Worden struck him several times in the face while he was handcuffed. Maher was charged with resisting arrest. His attorney has asked the court the dismiss the charges because of the on-going investigation into Worden's conduct. A hearing is scheduled in Enfield Superior Court for Aug. 18.

The town council met Thursday to discuss Maher's arrest but could not discuss the situation because there was a lack of a quorum.

Of the eight most recent complaints against Worden, three involve either a use of force allegation or that Worden, one of the town's K-9 officers, inappropriately unleashed his dog who severely bit a man in 2011.

That incident occurred on April 9, 2011 while Worden was working a DUI shift paid for by a federal grant. A call came in about a possible burglary at 133 Columbia Road and Worden left the DUI spot check area and responded to the call with his dog Falco.

Worden told investigators he turned his strobe lights off, parked down the street and approached the house by foot where he saw a truck in the back and flashlights illuminating the inside of the house.

As Worden walked toward the front of the house, two men came out the front door. Records indicate Worden ordered them to the ground. As he approached, he saw two others running in the back. Worden released the dog and commanded him to "get them," the report said.

The dog eventually trapped one of the men in a pickup truck and bit him numerous times. When other police arrived they determined one of the men, Anthony Deven, had just purchased the house and had permission from the Realtor to install a new furnace. The three other men were helping him.

A notice of intent to sue the town was filed in the case, but a lawsuit was never filed, according to Hartford attorney Eric Schoenberg.

"The officer claimed that he believed our client was teasing the dog but he only speaks Spanish so I don't know how that could have happened,'' Schoenberg said.

The case in which the investigating officer recommend discipline against Worden occurred on New Year's Eve in 2013 when Christopher Therrien and two friends were walking home from a party on Church Street. Worden was in his cruiser parked at nearby Sylvia's restaurant.

Worden rolled down his window and started talking to the three men when he claimed that Therrien spit at his cruiser and called him a racial epithet. Worden got out of the car, pulled out his baton and called after Therrian.

Worden brought him back to the cruiser. Therrien alleged Worden pushed him to his knees either with his hand or baton and threatened to "beat his ass." Worden denied hitting Therrien or using vulgar language.

Another officer arrived at the scene and when it was determined that Therrien had no outstanding warrants he was allowed to leave without being charged.

Sgt. Marianne Christenson concluded because of the discrepancies in witnesses' stories that the charges could not be sustained. Captain Jeffrey Golden reviewed her report and signed off on her conclusions, although he questioned Worden's initial stop and recommended more training.

"I believe Officer Worden did not have reasonable and articulable suspicion of criminal activity," Golden said.

Deputy Chief Gary Collins cleared Worden a week later and did not recommend any training. Collins wrote that he felt Worden was "justified in approaching Mr. Therrien" and that he had an obligation to investigate suspicious activity.

Many of the complaints about alleged racial profiling are from parents whose sons have been arrested multiple times by Enfield police.

Myrtis Foster wrote a seven-page letter to police in March 2012 about how Worden was rude and harassing her son Justin Foster.

"Justin is afraid to go anywhere because the Enfield police are always, and I say always harassing him. I refuse to have my child afraid to go down the street or the store because of rogue police officers on the beat," Myrtis Foster wrote.

Police interviewed Foster but found her allegations "unfounded." The final report indicates investigators reviewed call records and reports and determined "Justin is not always the most cooperative person when police arrive and if he is arrested there is resistance on his part."