Sebastian police officer arrested on drug-related charges

Elliott Jones

SEBASTIAN — Police arrested one of its veteran sergeants on charges of trafficking in oxycodone and tampering with evidence, a police spokesman said in a prepared statement Sunday.

Sgt. William Grimmich, 45, a 25-year veteran of the department, was jailed early Sunday on the two felony charges and is being held in the Indian River County Jail in lieu of a $150,000 bail.

He is on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the case.

The case “is shocking information to us (a police agency of 37 officers)” in Indian River County’s largest city, said police spokesman Officer Steve Marcinik. “We had no hint. It caught us off guard.”

Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris said routine accounting and auditing procedures earlier this year revealed discrepancies in the amount of controlled substances placed in the police evidence room. The chief, in consultation with the State Attorney’s Office, immediately requested an independent investigation by an outside agency so the inquiry wouldn’t appear biased.

That led to Grimmich’s arrest.

“Our ultimate goal is to determine exactly what occurred, who was responsible and whether this was the result of an incompetent work performance or malicious criminal behavior,” Morris said. “I will not tolerate any misconduct of this nature.”

She declined further comment about details, such as when and how the discrepancies occurred, because the investigation is ongoing and has been turned over to the State Attorney’s Office.

In criminal cases the State Attorney’s Office reviews the evidence police find and then decides what charges, if any, it will prosecute a defendant for.

“ We (the police department) will wait their decisions before completing our internal investigation” that could lead to further action, including firing, the release said.

Before this incident Grimmich had received accommodations and awards.

Grimmich has served on patrol, investigations, narcotics and as a police supervisor. He has been a road patrol sergeant for the past three years. In the past he was supervisor of the agency’s investigation’s division, the statement said.

The Sebastian Police Department has been accredited for 12 years by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement.

Former Alabama Sheriff’s Investigator Sentenced to 36 Months for Assaulting Handcuffed Man at Macon County Jail

U.S. Department of Justice September 09, 2014           •           Office of Public Affairs (202) 514-2007/TDD (202) 514-1888

WASHINGTON—J. Keith McCray, previously a criminal investigator with the Macon County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced today by Judge Myron H. Thompson to serve 36 months in prison and two years of supervised release for assaulting a handcuffed man at the county jail, announced the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.

On April 4, 2014, McCray pleaded guilty to one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law. At the plea hearing, McCray admitted that he arrested a salesman who was selling alarm systems in McCray’s neighborhood and transported him to the Macon County Jail. There, McCray struck the victim four times in the face and head while the victim was handcuffed and posed no threat.

“In attacking a defenseless innocent civilian, this officer chose to abuse his power rather than uphold his oath to protect the public,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those who cross the line to engage in acts of criminal misconduct.”

“While we look to law enforcement to maintain the safety and security of our citizens, their position of authority does not give them the right to act outside the bounds of the law,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama. “Most members of law enforcement serve honorably and professionally. McCray breached his pledge to protect and serve and he must be held responsible for his actions. Failure to do so would discredit the noble service of every other officer, and weaken the public’s trust in those who are sworn to protect them.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerusha T. Adams and Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Chiraag Bains of the Civil Rights Division.

To much to think

Austin Police Officer Suspended for Being Rude to Man Who Turned in Stolen Purse

A police officer in Austin was suspended because he was reportedly rude to a man who tried to turn in a stolen purse.

Officer Wallace Johnson, who has been with the Austin Police Department since 1999, is serving a 15-day suspension that will end on September because his alleged “mishandling” of a case, reports KXAN.

On March 20, a man reportedly brought in a purse and Johnson, who was working at the south payment center, accepted it but was reportedly rude to him. The official memo regarding the incident does not specify exactly how Johnson mistreated the man or what was said. The officer then reportedly placed the purse in the bottom drawer of a desk and left it there.

Six days later, another officer allegedly discovered the purse in the drawer and looked inside of it. He found a business card that belonged to the victim of the theft.

Johnson, whose salary in 2013 was $69,850.56, reportedly admitted that he didn’t handle the case properly. He will remain suspended until September 26th.

Salina police officer suspended after DUI arrest

SALINA — A Salina Police officer has been suspended after being arrested on requested charges of driving under the influence, refusing to submit to a breath test, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.

Salina Police Capt. Mike Sweeney said Austin Hardin, 29, was northbound in the 2100 block of South Ninth at approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday, when the 2006 Dodge Dakota pickup he was driving went into the median, struck a light pole, went into the southbound lane before going back into the northbound lane, and left the area.

A witness gave police a description of the pickup, and Hardin was stopped in the area of Ohio and Pacific.

Hardin has been an officer of the Salina Police Department for more than three years.

Sweeney said the case will go through both criminal court process and department administrative process.

Fayetteville officer suspended over alleged sexual harassment, conduct violations

Dominic Swanfeld was also reprimanded in 1998 for violations

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —A Fayetteville Police officer has been suspended after several alleged violations of the department's professional conduct policy, according to documents from the Office of Professional Standards.

Investigators determined that Sgt. Dominic Swanfeld violated several department policies including inappropriate contact involving a woman who volunteered with the department. Documents show the woman was an intern.

Swanfeld was accused of sexual harassment after he made sexually explicit comments and slapped the woman on the backside during a Fraternal Order of Police function at the Chancellor Hotel in June, according to the documents.

During the investigation, authorities concluded that Swanfeld did violate a city policy in regards to sexual harassment.

Documents show Swanfeld also violated other policies of the police department including, driving a police car after drinking alcohol, exhibiting dishonesty, deception or falsifying a report and creating a hostile work environment because he discussed the details of a subordinate officer's personal life.

Fayetteville Police Chief, Greg Tabor, said the victim did not make the complaint; rather, another officer told the department after hearing about what happened.

Swanfeld was suspended for a month (160 hours) effective immediately.

40/29 News asked Chief of Police, Greg Tabor, why Swanfeld was not terminated. Tabor said his department looks to see if someone is "salvageable" before they are fired.

"Could he have been demoted and or terminated, absolutely could be, but someone has tot make the decision of his discipline and that's me." Tabor said.

He continued, "Can, can it be fixed? My opinion of this case is it can be."

40/29 News obtained documents that show Swanfeld was suspended in 1998 by the Fayetteville Police Department. According to those records, he was a bar (off-duty), but flashed his badge and told the owners he could get the club shut down if they kicked him out.

Tabor said, that incident was not considered "recent." He said it happened when Swanfeld was a not in a supervisor position and was a "fairly new officer."

He was given a written reprimand, removed from the Special Investigations Unit and declared ineligible for promotion until performance review and improvement.

40/29 News reached out to the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, who declined to comment.

Daytona Beach police officer charged with making death threats, theft of gun

By Lyda Longa

DAYTONA BEACH — A love triangle involving three Daytona Beach policewomen ended with one of the officers jailed on domestic violence related charges.

Officer Sarah Martin was placed on suicide watch Saturday after Port Orange police said she stole her estranged wife’s duty weapon and threatened to kill the spouse’s current love interest.

Martin was charged with written threats to kill or injure, grand theft of a firearm and domestic battery/touch strike, a Port Orange police report shows. She was released from the Volusia County Branch Jail on Sunday after posting $11,000 bail. She could not be reached for comment.

Police said during the fracas at the home of Police Officer Tabitha Martin that Sarah Martin made death threats toward Officer Kristina Cicero, who is dating Tabitha Martin.

It’s the second time in four years that the 27-year-old Sarah Martin was charged in a domestic violence incident. The first time was in 2010 when she was charged with battery, a misdemeanor.

But this time, Sarah Martin has been charged with two felony offenses. Sarah Martin was already fired from Daytona Beach police once and rehired after a 2010 incident in Ormond Beach with another former Daytona Beach policewoman.

After Saturday’s incident, Sarah Martin was placed on paid administrative leave, Daytona Beach police spokesman Jimmie Flynt said Monday. Sarah Martin has been with the agency since 2008, but was fired in 2010 after the Ormond Beach incident. Her dismissal was for untruthfulness and misuse of a computer. She was re-hired in 2011 during her grievance process — and before arbitration — after she agreed to take an 18-month suspension without pay.

The most recent arrest report shows the episode began on Saturday just after 8 p.m. when Sarah Martin brought the couple’s child home to Tabitha Martin’s residence after a visit.

Tabitha Martin told Port Orange police that she and Sarah Martin — whom she said had been making suicidal statements all week — had been married in another state and have a child together, the report states.

Sarah Martin was with her current girlfriend Ashley DiFormato when she brought the child home.

After the child was brought back, Sarah Martin and DiFormato — a Volusia County sheriff’s dispatcher — left Tabitha Martin’s home, the report states. But a few minutes later at 8:11 p.m., as Tabitha Martin was bathing the youngster, she received a text message from DiFormato asking her to come outside the residence, the report states.

When Tabitha Martin walked out of the bathroom she found Sarah Martin in the kitchen. Tabitha and Sarah Martin then both went outside and began to argue, the report states.

Tabitha Martin told police that Sarah Martin became “very upset” and threw a piece of mail at her chest, the report states.

Sarah Martin then went back into Tabitha Martin’s apartment and came back out with Tabitha Martin’s car keys. Sarah Martin started the engine, police said, then the married couple struggled over the car keys. Tabitha Martin got into her vehicle and turned off the engine. She said Sarah Martin then pushed her back with both hands, prompting Tabitha Martin to lose her footing, the report states.

Sarah Martin got out of the car then stormed off. That’s when Tabitha Martin realized she had left her Daytona Beach police Glock 23 handgun inside the residence, the report states. When she went inside to retrieve the firearm, it was gone.

When Tabitha Martin rushed outside to tell DiFormato what had happened, she looked at her cellphone and Sarah Martin had just sent her a text message telling her that she should not leave loaded guns lying around and that she was on her way to “kill that (expletive deleted),” referring to Cicero, the report states.

Tabitha Martin telephoned Cicero, warning her of Sarah Martin’s text message. Tabitha Martin and DiFormato then began searching for Sarah Martin, according to the report.

As they drove around, both women received text messages from Sarah Martin telling them that she would kill Cicero and then herself, police said.

In one of the text messages, Sarah Martin warned DiFormato against calling police because she would “regret it,” the report states.

Sarah Martin also told DiFormato that she loved her, but then wrote, “I have to go take care of a (expletive deleted) and then you won’t see me anymore. I’m sorry.”

Cicero later told Port Orange police that she armed herself with her personal handgun and “strategically exited her residence given Sarah’s tactical training and being armed,” the report states. Cicero also told Port Orange police that Sarah Martin had once followed her home after work and threatened her physically, the report states. Cicero also showed police a copy of threats that Sarah Martin had made toward Cicero on Cicero’s Facebook page, according to the report.

Port Orange police found Sarah Martin walking along South Williamson Boulevard and the I-95 overpass. Tabitha Martin’s duty weapon in her shorts pocket, the report states.

Cop hobby

Police Officer Suspended, Charged With Second-Degree Assault

PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. —A Prince George's police officer has been suspended from his job after he was charged with second-degree assault following an incident Sunday.

According to the Prince George's County Police Department website blog, probationary officer Themis Speis was involved in a domestic situation while he was off duty.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was treated at a hospital.

Speis has been with the department for about 18 months. He is assigned to the Bureau of Patrol, District VI.

Why wasn't he arrested like everybody else?

Austin Police Officer Suspended After College Station Arrest for Public Urination

AUSTIN - An Austin Police Officer is on suspension following an arrest in College Station.

According to a memo from Police Chief Art Acevedo, Officer Gustavo Guzman was arrested April 26 for urinating in a College Station parking lot near a vehicle occupied by an unidentified female.

Guzman was suspended for five days, from September 13-17.

Guzman has 10 days to appeal the suspension.

Police Camera Bill Becomes Law

By Press Release

TRENTON – Leading the country’s efforts to protect civilians as well as law enforcement officers by equipping video cameras in police vehicles and on officers, last week landmark legislation introduced by Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-4th) and Sen. Donald Norcross (D-5th) was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie. Moriarty took up the issue after he was subject to a false arrest and the camera in the police vehicle substantiated his claims.

“As recent controversies have shown, it helps to have video footage to back up claims of excessive force and abuse of authority against civilians. Conversely, there are many good officers who have been wrongly accused of impropriety and this measure is designed to ensure their protection as well,” stated Moriarty, chairman, Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee, in a release.

Moriarty was charged with drunken driving and other charges in July 2012 in Washington Township, but Moriarty told police he had nothing to drink that day.

Dashboard camera video from the officer’s car showed Moriarty did not cut off the officer, as the officer claimed, and showed Moriarty passing sobriety tests without problem. The charges against Moriarty were dismissed in early May, and the officer who filed the allegations has now been indicted on 14 criminal counts accusing him of making a false arrest and lying to support his claims.

“While the tragedy that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri is still being probed, it’s hard to comprehend why more states aren’t following our lead," stated Norcross, chairman of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, who co-prime sponsored the law with Moriarty.

“There’s the case of a former official who tried to use his position of authority to get out of a speeding ticket and accused the responding Trooper of being unprofessional. The dashboard cam backed up that officer. Law enforcers who abide by the law and don’t abuse their authority should appreciate this technology,” Norcross added.

Norcross also pointed to a national petition on the police camera issue which garnered 154,463 online signatures since it was created on August 13th in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting tragedy in Missouri. (Source: petitions.whitehouse.gov)

The key new provision of the law is that: "every new or used municipal vehicle purchased, leased, or otherwise acquired on or after the effective date (of this bill) which is primarily used for traffic stops shall be equipped with a mobile video recording system. As used in this section “mobile video recording system” means a device or system installed or used in a police vehicle or worn or otherwise used by an officer that electronically records visual images depicting activities that take place during a motor vehicle stop or other law enforcement action.”

The bill provides funding for departments to pay for the equipment by increasing the surcharge imposed on people convicted of driving while intoxicated from $100 to $125 and directing the additional $25 to the department that issues the summons for that purpose.

Man falsely jailed for nearly a year sues IMPD officer

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer is facing trial in a federal lawsuit filed by a man who claimed he was falsely arrested and jailed for nearly a year on charges that were later dismissed.

The 2012 lawsuit filed against Detective Lesia Moore alleges she made false and misleading statements to pursue a murder warrant for the arrest of Carlos Starks, an Indianapolis man whom three eyewitnesses initially picked from a photo lineup. Two of the witnesses later expressed doubts about their identification of Starks — information Moore did not include in a probable cause affidavit, the suit alleges.

Starks was arrested in October 2010, several months after the shooting death of Douglas Craft, who police said was killed while carrying groceries to his Eastside apartment. Eyewitnesses described the shooter as a 20-something man with dreadlocks, wearing a red shirt and black pants. One witness described him as short and stocky.

Starks, who was stopped by an officer at a nearby bus stop, had dreadlocks but was wearing a black shirt and black pants, is skinny and stands 6 feet 2 inches tall. He told the officer he was waiting for a bus to go to work.

He was arrested after three witnesses identified him as the shooter from a photo lineup. Two of those witnesses later said they were not sure it was Starks because they didn't get a good look at the suspect's face, according to court documents. Two other witnesses identified a different man who was later cleared of the crime, documents said.

Starks was jailed for 11 months as he awaited trial. A Marion Superior Court judge dismissed the case against him in September 2011 after all witnesses who initially identified him recanted their statements in court. He then filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in July 2012, citing violation of his constitutional rights.

Several other defendants initially were named in the lawsuit. They include another detective who also worked on the case; two supervisors; IMPD Chief Rick Hite; Frank Straub, who was the Department of Public Safety director at the time of Starks' arrest; Mayor Greg Ballard; the Department of Public Safety; and the city of Indianapolis.

The suit claims detectives withheld vital information about the investigation to secure a warrant based on a faulty probable cause.

"Despite the discrepancies between the witnesses' statements and Mr. Starks' appearance, and the lack of any evidence linking Mr. Starks to the crime," the lawsuit alleges, the detectives "pressed for Mr. Starks' continued incarceration and prosecution."

According to the complaint, Moore failed to disclose that Starks was taller and thinner than the shooter described by witnesses. She also did not disclose that witnesses had doubts about their identification of Starks, documents said.

The suit further claims that city and public safety officials tolerated and encouraged the alleged misconduct. Earlier this month, a federal judge dismissed those claims, citing a lack of evidence.

Claims against the other detective and the two supervisors also have been dismissed. The court ruled that they were not personally involved in the allegations detailed in the lawsuit.

The case against Moore is scheduled for trial May 4.

Sgt. Kendale Adams, an IMPD spokesman, said Moore previously was a homicide detective and now does background investigations for IMPD recruits.

Samantha DeWester of the Office of Corporation Counsel declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

Starks is seeking monetary, consequential and punitive damages.

Bar Harbor couple sue Portland police officer for false arrest

 David Harry

PORTLAND — A Bar Harbor couple claim they were illegally arrested in the city May 24 after observing and attempting to record police "interaction" with a woman on Fore Street, according to a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Hancock County Superior Court.

Jill A. Walker and Sabatino Scattoloni were illegally arrested by Portland Police Officer Benjamin Noyes Jr., according to the lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Maine on behalf of Walker and Scattoloni.

The suit, which also claims Walker and Scattoloni were not read their Miranda rights when they were arrested, and were subjected to illegal searches, seeks unspecified damages and court costs.

“The right of citizens to observe and record the police is a critical check on the use of power and force,” Zachary Heiden, legal director for the ACLU of Maine, said in a press release. “The police need to understand that individuals who are quietly observing their work from a distance have a right to do so,  and it is not cause for their arrest.”

City spokeswoman Jessica Grondin said Tuesday that Police Chief Michael Sauschuck opened an investigation into the arrest in July after Heiden wrote to him with the allegations.

Grondin said Walker and Scattoloni have cooperated with the investigation, and Noyes will be provided an attorney by the city, which is required by the contract with the Police Superior Officers Benevolent Association.

The department will not comment on its investigation of Noyes, a 17-year veteran, because of "confidentiality of personnel matters and the pending civil lawsuit.," Grondin said.

The complaint alleges Walker and Scattoloni were visiting Portland and returning to their hotel around midnight when they saw a traffic stop on Fore Street involving a woman and five police officers.

The couple watched from across the street and eventually crossed the street while staying about 25 feet from the scene, according to the complaint. They also recorded the incident on a cell phone.

"They watched silently, they did not approach or address the officers, and they did not in any way interfere with the officers' work: they simply stood bearing witness," the complaint said.

Walker and Scattoloni were allegedly approached twice by police before Noyes ordered them to leave or face arrest. The couple were then charged with obstructing government administration, a Class D misdemeanor.

The charge, which carries a sentence of no more than 364 days in jail, is made against persons interfering with public servants with "force, violence or intimidation."

Walker and Scattoloni were taken to Cumberland County Jail and posted $60 bail apiece before their release early on May 25.

Weasel 101

Philadelphia police officer charged with fleeing crash scene... twice

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --

A Philadelphia police officer was arrested after allegedly leaving the scene of an accident twice in the same night.

Investigators say it was approximately 1:12 a.m. on June 24, 2014 when Officer Tayon Moore was off-duty and got into a car crash in the 3400 block of Chestnut Street.

They say he fled the scene, but was followed by the other driver.

He stopped a few blocks later and both drivers began to exchange information.

However, police say when the other driver tried to use his cell phone to call 911, Moore grabbed the phone and threw it down an embankment, breaking it.

He then fled again, police say.

31-year-old Moore, a 7-year veteran, surrendered into Internal Affairs Tuesday morning. He faces several charges and is now suspended with intent to dismiss.

In the end, he'll get away with it

Cleveland police officer suspended over drawing that ended up on traffic ticket

CLEVELAND– The FOX 8 I-Team has learned a city police officer is drawing heat for a suggestive drawing he sketched on a ticket book.

The police union said it was a joke, but city administrators aren’t laughing

The officer, Vincent Schneider, was suspended for 10 days without pay on August 28, after the woman who received the ticket contacted police headquarters.

Police Union President Jeff Follmer told the I-Team the officer drew the picture on a citation book that belonged to a fellow worker.  The drawing transferred through carbon copies ending up on a ticket given to  the woman.

“It was a joke. This officer never thought this ticket book would be used, get sent out to the public,” Follmer said.

He believes 10 days off without pay is excessive, but the city disagrees.

The city stated the officer violated the police department’s rules and regulations.

On the discipline letter issued to the officer, the city stated in part, that it was determined by the Civilian Police Review Board that the officer “engaged in unprofessional and improper conduct and gross immorality.”

The union said they will appeal.

“We are going to arbitration,” Follmer said.

He said the arbitration process could take months, but if the officer is successful he could receive back pay for the days he was suspended.

The epidemic of mentally unstable cops continues

NYPD Officer Suspended Over Brooklyn Street Festival Arrests

A New York City Police Department officer has been stripped of his badge after a chaotic confrontation between police and food vendors at the end of a street fair in Brooklyn over the weekend.

Amateur video was taken Sunday following the 5th Avenue Street Fair in Sunset Park.

According to police, officers told vendors to leave the area so the street could be reopened, but some vendors refused.

Five people were arrested on charges of resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the video has already led to one officer's suspension.

"I was very concerned with a video that was taken and the actions of one of our officers who was seen kicking an individual," said Bratton. "As best I could tell looking at that video it seemed to be totally unprovoked. That officer has been suspended and in terms of suspension in this department that means he's been relieved of his gun, his badge and his police duties."

Bratton said internal affairs is continuing to investigate.

He also said the precinct will probably host a community town hall in the next few days.

Residents have claimed to NY1 that Latinos and Hispanics in the neighborhood are subject to a pattern of harassment from the NYPD

Detroit Police Officer Faces New Trial in Girl's 2010 Shooting Death

By ALEX PEREZ and ANDY FIES

A Detroit police officer is preparing to stand trial for the second time in the shooting death of a 7-year-old girl, an incident videotaped by a reality TV crew.

Joseph Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the May 2010 shooting of Aiyana Stanley-Jones. The incident was videotaped for the A&E reality show “The First 48,” with Detroit police serving a warrant to a murder suspect.

The first trial last year ended in a hung jury. Weekley maintained it was all a tragic accident and he has pleaded not guilty, just as he did in his 2013 trial.

Aiyana was sleeping on the couch. Weekley has testified that the girl’s grandmother, Mertilla Jones, hit his submachine gun, coming down on it with her arm, causing him to accidentally fire.

Aiyana was shot in the head.

Weekley’s supervisor, Lt. Donald Johnson, told jurors in 2013 that Weekley was devastated following the shooting.

“He was just throwing up and crying and shaking, and just sporadic, 'Why did she hit my gun?'” Johnson said.

Jones insisted that she never went for Weekley’s gun.

“They messed up, and they know they done messed up,” she said.

Geoffrey Fieger, the family’s attorney, said police mishandled the situation and were performing for the TV cameras when Aiyana was killed.

“They knew they were being photographed for a TV show. So, they like to show all their cowboys-and-Indians, tough-guy military look,” Fieger said.

ABC News Chief Legal Affairs Anchor Dan Abrams said he was surprised that the jury in the first trial could not agree on a lesser misdemeanor charge against Weekley, careless discharge of a firearm causing death.

“The fact that the jurors couldn’t compromise shows you how difficult a case this is,” Abrams said. “There must have been fierce divisions on that jury.”

And the cop will get away with it too..............

Body camera not used during officer-involved shooting

New information in one officer-involved shooting raises questions about how often police are using body cameras and dash cameras.

NEW ORLEANS - They were touted as a way to increase officer accountability, but new information in one officer-involved shooting raises questions about how often police are using body cameras and dash cameras.

"It's an unbiased unvarnished record of exactly what happened," said former New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Ronal Serpas when the body cameras were rolled out in the spring.

But that wasn't the case in an officer-involved shooting last month in the 3600 block of Mimosa Court in Algiers.

Officer Lisa Lewis wasn't wearing a body camera when she shot Armand Bennett, 26, in the head during a traffic stop, said NOPD spokesman Tyler Gamble. Her partner's camera wasn't turned on, and neither was the police cruiser dash cam, said Gamble.

"I'm very concerned about that, and hope that the fact there is no video will glorify or highlight that officers can turn these cams off and on," said Nandi Campbell, Bennett's attorney.

Video could have shown whether Bennett fought with the officer- a key disparity in Bennett's version of the incident and the NOPD's.

And a recent report shows the issue may be widespread. Dash cameras are required by the NOPD consent decree, but a team of monitors released a report this month showing only a third of incidents involving use of force were recorded.

Gamble added the consent decree monitor examined use of force reports made before body cameras were fully instituted, though dash cameras were already in place at the time.

NOPD policy requires patrol officers to turn on body cameras during traffic stops and calls for service.

"There has to be consequences for officers failing to comply with police department orders to initiate and engage that technology when they're dealing with the public," said Rafael Goyeneche, head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission.

NOPD now confirms that Bennett was unarmed. His attorney says he is recovering from the graze wound. And as police investigate the shooting, Campbell said she has launched her own investigation and is calling for more accountability when it comes to whether officers are turning on their cameras.

The NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau is awaiting scientific test results before completes its criminal investigation and recommends whether charges should be filed against Lewis, said Simone Levine, a deputy police monitor.

The Independent Police Monitor's office is very concerned by the lack of video, and is pushing for PIB to investigate whether Lewis violated administrative policies.

Nearly a month after Eyewitness News requested an incident report, the NOPD records department made it available for release last week, though the report reveals very little.

Campbell claims Lewis and her partner also had their cameras off when they stopped Bennett 10 days earlier, but NOPD says Lewis camera was on.

"We're going to do everything we can to increase the transparency and accountability of the NOPD as a whole," said Gamble. "We're going to address these types of issues on a case-by-case basis. It may require training or it may require discipline."

Supervisors randomly review the video, but the department is working to refine its policies and will look at training or disciplining officers who violate them, said Gamble.

Police were initially criticized for not letting the public know about the officer-involved shooting until days later, though Serpas said he approved a press release about the incident but a public information officer accidentally failed to send it.

Palisades Interstate Parkway officer arrested on drug charges

BY STEFANIE DAZIO

A three-year veteran of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department was arrested July 16 in connection with cocaine and Oxycodone possession, the department said in a news release.

Officer Lee Frazzano was immediately suspended without pay, the release said.

The internal affairs investigation began when the department received information that Frazzano had become involved in illegal narcotics, the release said. He agreed to take a Reasonable Suspicion Drug Test and during the course of the investigation, police allegedly found the drugs in his possession.

The release didn’t give any further details, saying the criminal and internal affairs investigations are continuing.

Police Chief Michael Coppola said the department didn’t release information about the arrest sooner because they don’t publicize every drug arrest. He said it is being given out now because the department received a request for it.

Frazzano worked as a dispatcher in the Paramus police department from January 2008 to December 2011, police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said. “We never had any issues with him.”

He also served as a Westwood firefighter for more than five years before taking the Palisades Interstate Parkway police job, fire Chief James Mawdsley said. “We never had a problem with him as a firefighter.”

The uncheked epidemic of mentaly unstable cops in American continues

Baltimore cop suspended after video shows him punching man

By Michele Richinick

Baltimore police have suspended an officer after he was caught on video repeatedly beating a man earlier this year.

Lawyers representing Kollin Truss, 32, said their client exchanged words with Baltimore City Police Department Officer Vincent Cosom on June 15 at 1:30 a.m., just before the cop repeatedly punched him, according to local WBALTV11. Cosom now faces a seven-count lawsuit from attorneys Ivan Bates and Tony Garcia, of Bates & Garcia, who claimed their client is the victim of police brutality.

“The pattern is all too clear, these types of police take a person’s dignity, force their submission, assault a person then charge the person with assaulting them. This is not justice,” attorneys wrote on the law firm’s Facebook page.

Cosom has been placed on administrative leave. The video footage of the incident was captured by police surveillance cameras.

On June 15, Cosom said he saw Truss, who was “very intoxicated,” “loitering” in front of a liquor store, and asked him to leave the premises, according to the officer’s account obtained by msnbc. The two apparently exchanged words. In his report, Cosom wrote that Truss and his woman friend began to argue, and Truss pushed her once they left the location. Cosom reentered the scene, and the two entered into a physical altercation, as seen in the video, before police arrested him and charged him with assaulting an officer.

The charges against Truss were later dropped once the state attorney’s office viewed the footage.

Baltimore City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts expressed his anger at a news conference on Tuesday.

“Much like the public, I was shocked, I’m outraged, I’m disgusted by what I saw by an employee of the Baltimore Police Department,” Batts said. “Nothing that I saw on that video is defensible, nor should it be defensible. And most importantly, it’s unacceptable and will not be tolerated within this organization.”

Police brutality recently has been highlighted in news headlines since the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri. The jury has until Jan. 7 to determine whether or not Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson should be indicted on criminal charges in Brown’s death. Wilson, who has been on paid administrative leave since the incident in the St. Louis suburb, appeared in public for the first time in more than a month on Tuesday to testify before the grand jury. Protests and violence broke out in Ferguson following Brown’s death, and the community continues to demand justice.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the FBI is investigating the case of a police tasing that put another cop’s son in critical condition and a medically induced coma. Officer Tim Runnels pulled over a vehicle that 17-year-old Bryce Masters was driving after the officer ran the car’s tags and discovered a warrant linked to a female driver, msnbc previously reported. Police said Masters “physically resisted” officers’ demands to step out of the car and that at some point Runnels used his stun gun to restrain the teen.

A New York Police Department officer was also suspended this week after video footage surfaced of him apparently kicking a man on the ground at a street fair in Brooklyn.