A veteran of the Boston Police
Department who appeared on a TNT reality series about cops has died of an
apparent suicide.The law enforcement agency confirmed that officer Pat Rogers
died Tuesday as a result of a 'non homicide,' but declined to provide
additional details.
Judge sets $100,000 bail for cop charged with manslaughter
A state district judge set bail at $100,000 Tuesday for a former Garland police officer charged with manslaughter, even though prosecutors were willing to accept bail as low as $10,000.
Judge Lena Levario refused to lower the bail for Patrick Tuter, 33, citing public safety as a concern.
Tuter is accused of killing a man when he shot at him 41 times after a high-speed chase in August 2012. When Tuter was charged this week, it was the first time in more than 15 years that a Dallas County grand jury had indicted an officer in a fatal shooting.
The standard bail amount on a manslaughter charge is $25,000, but prosecutors agreed to a $10,000 bail because they didn’t believe Tuter would flee if he posted bond. They said Tuter had been cooperative in the criminal and internal police investigations, as well as in the district attorney’s investigation.
But Levario said she wasn’t worried about whether he would return to court. “I’m concerned about public safety,” she said.
On the night of Aug. 31, 2012, Tuter engaged in a half-hour high-speed police chase in an attempt to catch 25-year-old Michael Vincent Allen, who had a history of run-ins with law enforcement and had fled from Sachse police. The chase ended in a Mesquite cul-de-sac when Tuter’s squad car crashed into Allen’s truck and Tuter opened fire.
Tuter allegedly shot more than 40 times, reloaded twice and emptied three magazines, Levario said. Allen died of his gunshot wounds.
But Levario said Tuter also could have killed others, including a passenger in Allen’s car, a civilian whose home was struck by a bullet and the other police officer on the scene, who sought refuge from the bullets behind his patrol car. Defense attorneys said the other officer was never in any real danger.
Garland police fired Tuter earlier this year after concluding he had violated the department’s use-of-force and pursuit policies. Levario pointed out that he had been reprimanded once before for excessive force. Levario said she set the $100,000 bail with that in mind.
As a condition of bail, Tuter cannot work as a police officer or hold any job that requires him to use a weapon. He was booked into jail Tuesday.
Judge Lena Levario refused to lower the bail for Patrick Tuter, 33, citing public safety as a concern.
Tuter is accused of killing a man when he shot at him 41 times after a high-speed chase in August 2012. When Tuter was charged this week, it was the first time in more than 15 years that a Dallas County grand jury had indicted an officer in a fatal shooting.
The standard bail amount on a manslaughter charge is $25,000, but prosecutors agreed to a $10,000 bail because they didn’t believe Tuter would flee if he posted bond. They said Tuter had been cooperative in the criminal and internal police investigations, as well as in the district attorney’s investigation.
But Levario said she wasn’t worried about whether he would return to court. “I’m concerned about public safety,” she said.
On the night of Aug. 31, 2012, Tuter engaged in a half-hour high-speed police chase in an attempt to catch 25-year-old Michael Vincent Allen, who had a history of run-ins with law enforcement and had fled from Sachse police. The chase ended in a Mesquite cul-de-sac when Tuter’s squad car crashed into Allen’s truck and Tuter opened fire.
Tuter allegedly shot more than 40 times, reloaded twice and emptied three magazines, Levario said. Allen died of his gunshot wounds.
But Levario said Tuter also could have killed others, including a passenger in Allen’s car, a civilian whose home was struck by a bullet and the other police officer on the scene, who sought refuge from the bullets behind his patrol car. Defense attorneys said the other officer was never in any real danger.
Garland police fired Tuter earlier this year after concluding he had violated the department’s use-of-force and pursuit policies. Levario pointed out that he had been reprimanded once before for excessive force. Levario said she set the $100,000 bail with that in mind.
As a condition of bail, Tuter cannot work as a police officer or hold any job that requires him to use a weapon. He was booked into jail Tuesday.
Durham cop tried to kill himself after stabbing wife
Durham, N.C. — Ar Durham police officer charged with killing his wife last week also tried to commit suicide, police said Wednesday.
Maxine Burns, 50, was found stabbed to death Friday night inside her home at 2917 Cedarwood Drive in south Durham.
Her husband, Timothy W. Burns, was taken from the house and was hospitalized for several days. He was released from the hospital Tuesday and was charged with first-degree murder in his wife's death.
Tim Burns was being held without bond Wednesday in the Durham County jail.
Kammie Michael, a spokeswoman for the Durham Police Department, said Tim Burns was hospitalized for "what appeared to be an apparent failed suicide attempt." He didn't have any stab wounds, she said, but didn't elaborate on his injuries.
Maxine Burns, 50, was found stabbed to death Friday night inside her home at 2917 Cedarwood Drive in south Durham.
Her husband, Timothy W. Burns, was taken from the house and was hospitalized for several days. He was released from the hospital Tuesday and was charged with first-degree murder in his wife's death.
Tim Burns was being held without bond Wednesday in the Durham County jail.
Kammie Michael, a spokeswoman for the Durham Police Department, said Tim Burns was hospitalized for "what appeared to be an apparent failed suicide attempt." He didn't have any stab wounds, she said, but didn't elaborate on his injuries.
NYPD Officer Commits Suicide Outside of Precinct House
Law enforcement officials say that an NYPD sergeant fatally shot himself outside of the 66th Precinct in Brooklyn last night. The New York Post reports that the officer had just returned from making a robbery arrest and was found dead inside of his car around 7:30 p.m., the victim of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
According to 15-year-old Efriam Baruch, there were two firecracker-like explosions. "I ran over to see what happened and I see all of this action, cops running out of the precinct to a car. It looked like someone was in the car," he told the New York Daily News.
The 41-year-old sergeant had reportedly just been transferred to the precinct a few days ago and was about to be promoted to detective.
According to 15-year-old Efriam Baruch, there were two firecracker-like explosions. "I ran over to see what happened and I see all of this action, cops running out of the precinct to a car. It looked like someone was in the car," he told the New York Daily News.
The 41-year-old sergeant had reportedly just been transferred to the precinct a few days ago and was about to be promoted to detective.
Lexington Police Officer Charged With Harassment Previously Suspended For Off-Duty Behavior
Scott County family says Officer Keith Spears verbally confronted their 13-year-old son, who was refereeing a youth soccer match, and grabbed him after the game.
We combed through Spears' personnel file, and learned this reported confrontation is not the first time Spears has been accused of having anger management issues.
In 2005, police suspended Spears for incompetence.
According to Urban County Council minutes from '05, Spears had a verbal confrontation with a business owner while off-duty, and with a weapon in plain sight.
Police suspended Spears for a week without pay. The Urban County Council unanimously approved his suspension.
A Scott County family says Spears was heckling their 13-year-old at a Georgetown soccer field.
The family says the 13-year-old ref told Spears to stop, or he would be kicked out.
The family says after the game, Spears grabbed the boy, shoved him, and threatened him.
The family filed a criminal complaint.
Officer Spears is due in court next week.
According to the Council minutes, another reason police suspended Spears, was because he spent time on-duty a strip club, without filling out a report.
With the criminal case pending, police say Spears is currently working an administrative desk job.
We combed through Spears' personnel file, and learned this reported confrontation is not the first time Spears has been accused of having anger management issues.
In 2005, police suspended Spears for incompetence.
According to Urban County Council minutes from '05, Spears had a verbal confrontation with a business owner while off-duty, and with a weapon in plain sight.
Police suspended Spears for a week without pay. The Urban County Council unanimously approved his suspension.
A Scott County family says Spears was heckling their 13-year-old at a Georgetown soccer field.
The family says the 13-year-old ref told Spears to stop, or he would be kicked out.
The family says after the game, Spears grabbed the boy, shoved him, and threatened him.
The family filed a criminal complaint.
Officer Spears is due in court next week.
According to the Council minutes, another reason police suspended Spears, was because he spent time on-duty a strip club, without filling out a report.
With the criminal case pending, police say Spears is currently working an administrative desk job.
It isn't the job, its the type people they hire for the job....................
According to the The Badge of Life website, www.badgeoflife.com “More cops commit suicide than are killed by felons.
In 2011, there were 147 police suicides and 164 killed while working, of which 65 were by gunfire.”
As reported in “A Study of Police Suicide from 2008 – 2012,” www.policesuicidestudy.com:
In 2011, there were 147 police suicides and 164 killed while working, of which 65 were by gunfire.”
As reported in “A Study of Police Suicide from 2008 – 2012,” www.policesuicidestudy.com:
- 2008 police suicides: 141
- 2009 police suicides: 143
- 2012 police suicides: 126
- Average age, 2012: 42 years
- Average years on the job: 16
- Gender: Male 91%
- 63% of the suicide victims were single
Former Grandview cop gets life in prison for murder
Jeffrey
Moreland, a former Grandview police officer, was sentenced Monday to life in
prison without parole for the murder of Cara Jo Roberts five years ago.
Moreland
had been convicted of first-degree murder in September for breaking into
Roberts’ home in Harrisonville, sexually assaulting her, forcing her into a
full bathtub and shooting her in the back of the head.
She was
married with a toddler son.
Prior
to sentencing, Roberts’ mother, Theresa Matthews, referred to Moreland as an
“animal” and asked Cass County Circuit Judge Michael Wagner to also impose an
additional jury-recommended 50 years for armed criminal action.
Several
times during her statement, Matthews made eye contact with Moreland.
“He did
not shy away,” Matthews would say later. “He knew what he had done.”
Before
the sentencing, the judge asked Moreland, 54, if he had anything to say on his
behalf.
Moreland
answered: “No, sir.”
Moreland’s
elderly parents were in the courtroom, as they were during the entire trial.
Wagner
then imposed the only sentence available for the murder charge— the remainder
of his life spent in prison with no prospect of release. He also sentenced
Moreland to the 50 years on the second count.
For
nearly three years, Moreland was the “unknown man” in Roberts’ murder.
Investigators had DNA and the fingerprint but no one to match them to. That
changed in 2011 when Moreland became a suspect in the murder of 75-year-old
Nina Whitney, who was strangled and stabbed in her home.
Moreland
is charged in Jackson County and awaiting trial in that case. Before that,
however, he still must face a rape charge in Cass County.
In
September, a jury of seven men and five women needed only an hour and 20
minutes to find Moreland guilty of killing Roberts.
Pa. cop takes 2nd cop hostage, kills self
Authorities say an off-duty eastern Pennsylvania deputy sheriff took another off-duty officer hostage at gunpoint, then fatally shot himself.
Police tell WFMZ-TV (http://bit.ly/17P0R87) the 33-year-old Lansford police officer and deputy Carbon County sheriff went to the Lansford police station Friday night. Authorities say he stole ammunition and an unmarked police car and drove to the home of another off-duty officer and took him hostage.
The station reports that the suspect then drove east toward Jim Thorpe and the two men began struggling.
Police tell WFMZ the fight spilled out onto the street, and the suspect then shot himself in the head. He died at a hospital.
Police haven't released any information about the second officer's condition.
State police said Saturday that an investigation is underway. They haven't offered a motive.
Baltimore cop kills ex-girlfriend, new boyfriend
, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A Maryland police officer shot and
killed his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, a city firefighter, before
turning the gun on himself, police said.
Christopher Robinson, 37, of Abington, Md.,
who was a police officer assigned to the Baltimore Police Department's Eastern
District, had broken up with Marie Hartman, 27, in August, his family said, and
had struggled with moving past the relationship. In September, Hartman had
begun dating Andrew Hoffman, 26, though Robinson continued to pursue Hartman,
sending her text messages and flowers in an attempt to woo her back, The
Baltimore Sun reported.
Police said Robinson followed the couple home
from a Halloween party early Sunday and confronted them inside Hoffman's Anne Arundel
County home where the two along with Hartman's 18-year-old sister were planning
a bonfire.
Officers said Hoffman confronted Robinson and
the police officer opened fire, killing Hoffman and Hartman. Hoffman's sister
hid in a closet and later fled out a window after Robinson killed himself.
Robinson's family said they were aware he was
having a hard time with the breakup but expressed shock that it ended with such
violent tragedy. Robinson's brother, Wayne, is also a city firefighter and was
friends with Hoffman.
"I don't know what happened last night,
but the person that pulled that trigger wasn't the Chris that I know,"
Wayne Robinson said. "They told me this morning and I didn't believe it. I
just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that it happened. I lost a brother
and I lost a friend. It's just crazy."
When last he'd spoken to his brother, Wayne
Robinson said Chris has asked his advice on the situation and Wayne suggested
Chris leave the new couple alone and move on.
"He was having problems with this
girl," Wayne Robinson said. "He asked me two weeks ago for advice. I
told him to leave her be, because she didn't want anything to do with him
anymore."
Anne Arundel police spokesman Lt. T.J. Smith
said investigators were "able to quickly determine this was a
domestic-related murder-suicide."
"This is an absolute tragedy," he
said.
Hostage tried saving policeman who committed suicide
The Lansford police officer who was taken hostage at gunpoint Friday night by another borough officer tried but failed to keep his abductor from committing suicide, the Carbon County sheriff said Saturday.
Sheriff Dwight Nothstein identified Officer Chris Ondrus as the hostage and said he was not injured but "very shook up." He said he spoke with Ondrus after the other officer, identified by authorities as David Midas, shot himself shortly before 8 p.m. on a busy Jim Thorpe street.
Authorities said Midas drove the hostage to Broadway in the borough's downtown, where there was a struggle between the men before Midas shot himself on the street.
Nothstein said the struggle was over the gun. He said Ondrus "tried to get the gun away from him but he got away and he stepped out of the car and he shot himself."
Jim Dugan of Dugan's Store, which is on Broadway, said he was in the shop, getting ready to watch the Jim Thorpe Area High School football game on television when he heard the shot, which he thought was a firecracker.
He went outside and saw a man wearing civilian clothes lying in the street near the sidewalk.
He said another man was near the prone man, crying, "Dave, why? Dave, why?"
Dugan said he knew Midas because Midas also worked as a part-time police officer in Jim Thorpe and sometimes came into the store, which Dugan helps run and is owned by his brother. He said he did not recognize Midas as the shooting victim.
Dugan said he did not see a weapon. He said there was a car across the street with its driver's side door open but that it was not a marked police vehicle.
"I have no idea what was going on," he said.
Sheriff Dwight Nothstein identified Officer Chris Ondrus as the hostage and said he was not injured but "very shook up." He said he spoke with Ondrus after the other officer, identified by authorities as David Midas, shot himself shortly before 8 p.m. on a busy Jim Thorpe street.
Authorities said Midas drove the hostage to Broadway in the borough's downtown, where there was a struggle between the men before Midas shot himself on the street.
Nothstein said the struggle was over the gun. He said Ondrus "tried to get the gun away from him but he got away and he stepped out of the car and he shot himself."
Jim Dugan of Dugan's Store, which is on Broadway, said he was in the shop, getting ready to watch the Jim Thorpe Area High School football game on television when he heard the shot, which he thought was a firecracker.
He went outside and saw a man wearing civilian clothes lying in the street near the sidewalk.
He said another man was near the prone man, crying, "Dave, why? Dave, why?"
Dugan said he knew Midas because Midas also worked as a part-time police officer in Jim Thorpe and sometimes came into the store, which Dugan helps run and is owned by his brother. He said he did not recognize Midas as the shooting victim.
Dugan said he did not see a weapon. He said there was a car across the street with its driver's side door open but that it was not a marked police vehicle.
"I have no idea what was going on," he said.
Pa. Deputy Sheriff Commits Suicide After Taking Cop Hostage
An off-duty Pennsylvania deputy sheriff fatally shot himself after he took another police officer hostage, authorities said.
Carbon County Deputy Sheriff David Midas, 33, of Weatherly, Pa., died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Cedar Crest, Pa. around 2:50 a.m. Saturday, according to a Lehigh County Coroner's Office news release.
His death was ruled a suicide.
Midas, who also worked as a Lansford police officer, went to the Lansford police station and took ammunition and an unmarked police car Friday night, law enforcement officials told ABC News station WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.
He then reportedly drove to the home of an on-duty officer, held him hostage at gunpoint before driving to Jim Thorpe, Pa.
A struggle broke out between the two men and Midas shot himself in the head, WPVI-TV reported. The hostage victim was not hurt.
Pennsylvania state police and the Lehigh County Coroner's Office are investigating the incident, the news release said
.
Lexington Police Officer is charged with Harassment
A Lexington Police Officer is charged with Harassment. A Scott County family filed a criminal complaint against Officer Keith Spears, because of what they say happened after a kids soccer game.
The family of a 13-year-old says Spears verbally confronted their boy, shoved him, and grabbed the teen's arm.
The boy's father says this happened after the 13-year-old refereed a kids' soccer game.
The head of the Kentucky Referee Committee says the boy told Spears to be quiet during the game, and threatened to kick Spears out if he continued to heckle him.
After the game, Oliver Barber says Spears grabbed the boy, spun him around, and said "Punk, now send me off!"
See story here
http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/4521392?wpid=11176
Cop waved off bystanders before shooting
WHEELING, W.Va.
(AP) - A prosecutor says a former police officer waved people out of harm's way
before peppering a federal courthouse in West Virginia with gunfire.
U.S. Attorney Bill
Ihlenfeld says Thomas J. Piccard fired from a parking lot across
from the Wheeling Federal Building Wednesday.
Authorities have
said the 55-year-old resident of Bridgeport, Ohio, got off up to two dozen
shots in the small West Virginia panhandle city before law enforcement officers
shot him to death.
Residents in the
neighborhood around Piccard's trailer home in Bridgeport, a few miles west of
Wheeling, say Piccard disclosed in the past few days that he had stomach
cancer. Mahlon Shields says a neighbor told him Piccard wanted to go to Florida
to die.
Kevin Devine, cop fired in Denver Diner case: Read his angry, error-filled resignation letter
Denver police officers Ricky Nixon and Kevin Devine, fired
for their actions in the 2009 Denver Diner case, aren't going quietly. Nixon
filed a lawsuit against the city prior to his dismissal, claiming that forcing
him to give up his gun and work the radar unit violated his civil rights. And
Devine wrote a resignation letter that was apparently sent just prior to his
sacking, blistering the DPD as "vinidictive and self-center" -- two
of many spelling and grammatical errors evident in the text. Read the entire
document and get details below.
In July 2009, Kelly Boren, Sharelle Thomas, Ana Ortega and
Kristal Carrillo were at the restaurant when they say Denver police officers
Nixon and Devine menaced them with nightsticks, pulled or shoved a number of
them to the ground and sprayed them with mace despite no compelling evidence of
actual wrongdoing caught on video by a nearby HALO camera.
Although DPD investigations cleared Nixon and Devine of
wrongdoing, they were subsequently fired, only to be reinstated by the Civil
Service Commission. Finally, however, a court ruling upheld their dismissals,
after which their positions were terminated within days of Boren, Thomas, Ortega
and Carrillo receiving a $360,000 settlement in the matter.
By that point, Devine was fed up with the DPD, as evidenced
by the aforementioned letter, sent to Police Chief Robert White and first
obtained by CBS4's Brian Maass. The document doesn't show many signs of
proofreading, as it misspells the name of Deputy Chief David Quinones, among
other things. It begins like so:
"I cannot in good conscious [sic] continue to work for
a Department that allows its senior chain of command to be so vinidictive [sic]
and self -center [sic] as to use its officers as political stepping- stone for
advancement. I find Deputy Chief Quinnoes's [sic] actions on this matter most
disgraceful. How was he able to determine facts that others did not still
amazes me."
Here's the complete letter.
Newtown Police: Norwalk Cop Threatens Suicide at Home
Newtown,
CT public schools were put into lockdown mode as police responded to a Norwalk
police officer's threat to kill himself, Newtown police said, although no
threat had been made to students or the schools.
Ewing police officer commits suicide in parking lot of police headquarters
EWING
— A Ewing police officer shot himself to death this morning in the parking lot
behind police headquarters, authorities said.
Officer Matthew Wallace, 39, a 14-year law enforcement
veteran, committed suicide around 2:30 a.m. at the township's complex on Jake
Garzio Drive, Mercer County First Assistant Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said.
Wallace was off-duty when he died from a single
gunshot to the head, authorities said. His body was discovered by a fellow
police officer, the prosecutor's office said in a news release.
Wallace's death was investigated at the scene by the
prosecutor’s office, New Jersey State Police and the Ewing police, and the
county medical examiner ruled the death a suicide, the release said.
Wallace lived in Westampton Township, was married and
had children, Onofri said.
"I knew Matthew for a very long time. I coached
him in soccer since he was 7 years old,"
Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann said this morning. "It's a tragedy and it's a tremendous loss not only for the department but also for the community. his is the saddest day I’ve had as mayor."
Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann said this morning. "It's a tragedy and it's a tremendous loss not only for the department but also for the community. his is the saddest day I’ve had as mayor."
Steinmann described Wallace as an outstanding officer.
Wallace was not on duty at the time of the incident and a sergeant found him in
the parking lot, Steinmann said.
Wallace received numerous awards and commendations
including several Chief Commendations Awards along with an Exceptional Duty
Medal.
In 2008, Wallace was one of five Ewing officers who
helped rescue a 79-year-old woman from a burning home by carrying her in a
wheelchair from the flames.
Officer Fred Dow, the Ewing PBA president, was one of
the police trainers who brought Wallace onto the job.
"He was just a happy, outgoing guy. And he just
had a smile on his face,” Dow said. “Everybody’s taking it really hard. We’re
trying to do the best we can for his family.”
Onofri said the suicide occurred near the animal
shelter behind the municipal building, where police headquarters are located.
Wallace’s family was notified this morning, he said.
Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini Jr. said this
afternoon that Wallace was a “well-respected and well-liked member of the Ewing
Police Department.”
“Matt was a caring and dedicated police officer who
served the Ewing Police Department with distinction,” Bocchini said in a press
release. “He was known as being the first person to volunteer for assignments
and no job was ever too tough for him to handle. He will be greatly missed.”
Wallace was born and raised in Ewing and is a graduate
of the public schools there, the release said. He attended Mercer County
Community College, majoring in criminal justice.
Wallace was hired by the Ewing police in 1999 and
assigned to the Patrol Division, where he worked the bike patrol. He was also a
certified telecommunications operator and a certified Alcotest operator.
“Matt was a good cop and a very likeable guy. He will
be missed by our entire police department. This event can only be summed up by
one word: tragic. Our thoughts and prayers will be with Matt and his family,”
Lt. Ronald P. Lunetta, the department's Officer in Charge, said in a release.
Ohio Cop Put on Paid Leave After Crazy Arrest Video Goes Viral
A police officer in Toledo, Ohio has been placed on paid
leave after a video depicting him forcing people on the ground and brandishing
a taser at them went viral this month. Officer Eric Hart is merely being placed
on administrative leave while the Washington Township police conduct an
investigation.
Hart reportedly stopped a vehicle for having an “altered”
license registration sticker, at which point another local resident got out of
his car and told Hart, “I’m fucking sick of you cops.” That’s when it got ugly.
Officer Hart wrote in the report that he ordered Mr. [Aaron]
Tatkowski to get back; when he allegedly refused, the officer said he pointed
his stun gun at Mr. Tatkowski, who yelled for spectators to videotape the
encounter. The passenger from the first vehicle, Cassandra Meyers, got out of
the vehicle and approached the officer, who had Mr. Tatkowski handcuffed on the
ground.
The officer wrote he had his gun out and pointed through
open vehicle doors.
The viral video shows Hart handcuffing the man on the
ground.
In the video, a
nearby witness places a call to Toledo police, but Hart angrily confronts him
and tosses his phone aside, saying it won’t be necessary.
One other person piped up, “What you’re saying is you don’t
need witnesses?” Hart responded, “It’s all on camera anyway.”
Phoenix officer who shot man, dog during domestic call convicted of aggravated assault
PHOENIX — A Phoenix
police officer charged with fatally shooting an unarmed man during a violent
confrontation at a Phoenix mobile home three years ago was found guilty of an
assault charge Tuesday that could send him to prison for several years, but
avoided conviction on a second-degree murder count.
Jurors hearing
the case against Richard Chrisman deliberated for about four days before
announcing their verdict Tuesday.
They were
unable to reach a verdict on the murder charge, but convicted him of aggravated
assault for putting a gun to victim Danny Rodriguez’s head when he questioned
the officer about entering his house without a warrant.
Maricopa County
Attorney Bill Montgomery said no decision has been made on whether to retry
Chrisman on the second-degree murder and an animal cruelty charge for shooting
the man’s dog. The jury also was deadlocked on that charge.
Chrisman was
charged after his partner said he fatally shot Rodriguez and his dog without
justification during the October 2010 encounter. Chrisman, a nine-year veteran
of the force, was later fired.
He faced the
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge for allegedly putting a gun to
Rodriguez’s head. That charge carries a five- to 15-year sentence, with a
presumptive term of 7½ years in state prison.
The jury
reconvened Tuesday afternoon and found that the assault caused severe emotional
harm to Rodriguez’s family. That finding will allow Judge Warren Granville to
impose the maximum sentence. He set a status conference for Oct. 18.
In court
Tuesday, Chrisman wore a dark suit and showed no reaction as the verdict was
read. At one point before jurors entered the courtroom, he reached back and
squeezed the hand of his wife, who was seated behind him. Other Chrisman
supporters at the hearing included more than a dozen off-duty police officers.
Family members of Rodriguez sat in the front row on the other side.
After the
verdict was read, Chrisman, 39, was taken into custody, and his wife broke down
in sobs. Rodriguez’s mother, Elvira Fernandez, was hugged by a woman sitting
with her and left the court without comment.
Prosecutor Juan
Martinez and defense lawyer Craig Mehrens left without comment. Joe Clure,
president of the police union, said he respected the jury’s work but disagreed
with the verdict.
“I believe this
decision exemplifies how difficult it is to be a cop today in this country,”
Clure said.
He noted the
trial lasted more than a month, and jurors deliberated for four days. “Rich had
a split second to make his decision,” Clure said.
The case, to a
large degree, boiled down to conflicting accounts from Chrisman and his
partner, officer Sergio Virgillo — the only two people, besides Rodriguez,
inside the trailer to witness the escalating confrontation.
Rodriguez’s
mother had called police to the home on Oct. 5, 2010, saying her son was
violent.
Chrisman and
Virgillo confronted Rodriguez at the door of his mother’s trailer, and Chrisman
forced his way inside.
Rodriguez asked
to see a warrant, and prosecutors said Chrisman then put his pistol against
Rodriguez’s head and told him he didn’t need one. Mehrens told jurors that
didn’t happen, but Martinez said DNA on the officer’s pistol and a bruise on
the dead man’s temple show it happened the way Virgillo testified.
The two
officers had difficulty controlling Rodriguez, and both fired their stun guns
with little effect. Chrisman used pepper spray on Rodriguez, then shot his dog.
Prosecutors say the animal was not threatening the officers.
Virgillo said
Rodriguez then got his bicycle and tried to leave the tiny trailer home, but
Chrisman wouldn’t allow it, and a tussle began. Virgillo testified that
Rodriguez was backing away and no longer a threat when Chrisman fired.
LRPD Officer Charged with Manslaughter Denied Recusal
LITTLE
ROCK, AR -- A judge has denied a recusal request submitted by a former Little
Rock Police officer charged with manslaughter.
Josh Hastings, scheduled for retrial Sept. 16, filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss the court based on what appeared to be a clerical error.
According to an order filed on Wednesday, the law clerk sent an email to the State and Judge Wendell Griffen to "confirm that both the Prosecution and Defense had complied with the Court Order entered August 27 regarding disclosure of expert witnesses," but not to the defense.
Hastings defense says the clerk's inquiry "creates the appearance of partiality" and violates a rule of the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct (ACJC).
Griffen's order rejects the claims, citing the same rule of ACJC, which states that a judge is permitted to communicate with only one of the parties if the matter being discussed involves scheduling, provided he or she believes neither party will gain an advantage as a result of the communications.
The order goes on to say the law clerk harmlessly omitted the defense in the email, and that the same email was later forwarded to Hastings' lead defense counsel from the lead prosecutor.
Josh Hastings, scheduled for retrial Sept. 16, filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss the court based on what appeared to be a clerical error.
According to an order filed on Wednesday, the law clerk sent an email to the State and Judge Wendell Griffen to "confirm that both the Prosecution and Defense had complied with the Court Order entered August 27 regarding disclosure of expert witnesses," but not to the defense.
Hastings defense says the clerk's inquiry "creates the appearance of partiality" and violates a rule of the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct (ACJC).
Griffen's order rejects the claims, citing the same rule of ACJC, which states that a judge is permitted to communicate with only one of the parties if the matter being discussed involves scheduling, provided he or she believes neither party will gain an advantage as a result of the communications.
The order goes on to say the law clerk harmlessly omitted the defense in the email, and that the same email was later forwarded to Hastings' lead defense counsel from the lead prosecutor.
Jupiter Police Officer Charged with Beating a Suspect
Officer
Kevin Jacko goes to court on Thursday to face charges in alleged beating of
Cody Blankenship. A Jupiter police officer surrendered to
authorities on Wednesday, following an independent probe into allegations
that he beat a suspect in custody.
43-year old Kevin Jacko is charged with
aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after the June incident. The
alleged victim, 24-year old Cody Ross Blankenship, had been arrested for
resisting arrest with violence, battery on an officer and trespassing.
According to the Jupiter Police Department,
Blankenship has a history of run-ins with authorities dating back to August of
last year.
The Public Corruption Unit of the Palm Beach
County State Attorney's Office opened an investigation into the alleged beating
after Blankenship's mother accused the department of using excessive force.
Pelham officer fired for misconduct
PELHAM - A town police officer accused of numerous violations of department policy has been fired, the town announced on Wednesday.
Officer
Eugene Stahl was terminated as of Tuesday.
Stahl,
a Pelham officer for 12 years, was the focus of a public disciplinary hearing
before selectmen last month, where he was accused of: Loudly
berating a female drunken-driving suspect in a profanity-laced interrogation.
Drawing
his gun on two apparently unarmed teens during a traffic stop.
Being
heard by a Pelham police dispatcher on the radio speaking in a profane manner
toward his superior officer, Lt. Brian McCarthy, and broadcasting his desire to
punch one female civilian he encountered on duty "right in the face."
Crashing
his cruiser while driving with unnecessary and "life-threatening"
speed - at 50 mph above the listed 30 mph limit, according to the state police
accident reconstruction team's report - en route to become the third officer to
respond to a Pelham homeowner's complaint.
The
town said in a statement issued by Pelham police that there will be no further
comment on the dismissal.
Attorney
David Slawsky, representing Stahl before selectmen,said during the meeting that
Police Chief Joseph Roark was attempting "to hang his case on four or five
minutes of video in the 12-year career of this very fine police officer."
Memphis police officer fired after failure to show up for hearing
A troubled Memphis police officer was fired this week after he failed to show up for his hearing on departmental charges.
Jason Webb, 39, was fired Monday, Memphis Police Department spokesman Sgt. Karen Rudolph said. He faced charges of violating departmental policy on personal conduct as well as being under criminal investigation.
He can appeal his termination with the Civil Service Commission.
Webb was indicted in July on four counts of solicitation of a minor as well as patronizing prostitution of a minor. A former member of the department’s TACT unit, Webb was suspended with pay at that time.
This makes the second time Webb has been fired from the department. Last year he was accused of pointing a weapon at two other motorists after he ran a red light. During that incident, Webb was drunk and had cocaine in his system.
During a departmental hearing in which he faced 14 charges, Webb was fired for insubordination while also being suspended for 30 days on the other charges. However, Webb appealed his firing and an arbitrator reinstated him to the force earlier this year. Webb received full back pay.
That event also marked the second time Webb failed an MPD-issued drug test. On April 17, 2006, a drug test revealed that Webb had cocaine in his system. Webb denied using cocaine.
He was suspended nine days after being accused of attacking his estranged wife on June 27, 2010, when she came to pick up their children after a visitation at his Cordova apartment. The officer “choked and struck” his wife, three witnesses told police. Webb told investigators he only grabbed her wrist, but photos showed marks on both her wrist and neck.
During that investigation, officers discovered that Webb had been listed as a suspect in more than 15 reports that included harassment or child abuse/neglect. The bulk of those reports came from Fayette County, where Webb and his ex-wife had a home.
Webb was also behind in child support as well as bills associated with the couple’s Somerville home. Investigators found that Webb repeatedly drove his MPD vehicle to Somerville on personal business.
Officer charged with assault suspended indefinitely
SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - A San Marcos police officer who allegedly injured a woman he was arresting in May has been suspended indefinitely without pay from the department.
The department completed their investigation and handed down the suspension to Cpl. James Palermo on Aug. 23.
Palermo was charged with aggravated assault a month and a half after the May 29 attack against 22-year-old Lexy Alpha . The criminal charges are now in the hands of the district attorney's office.
Palermo was upset after Alpha had walked through an area where the he was conducting a traffic stop, a suspension letter from San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said. After an argument between the two broke out, Palermo told Alpha to turn around as he reached to grab her.
"You did not give her time to comply with your command, and you did not tell her of your intent to arrest her," Williams said. "Miss Alpha attempted to step back away from you, but you grabbed her upper torso and pushed her backwards against the trunk of (a parked) car. Immediately, you grabbed her behind the neck and forced her face first onto the driveway."
Alpha suffered a concussion, two broken teeth and bad bruising to her jaw as a result of the alleged assault.
The Hays County District Attorney's office has since dismissed all three charges against Alpha.
The letter to Palermo also references a March 15 event in which the officer reached around the back of a handcuffed man's neck with both hands before forcing him to the ground.
Williams said in the letter Palermo gave no commands or an explanation to the man before taking him to the ground. The use of force was a violation of the the department's general orders.
About two minutes later, Palermo applied his TASER to the man's back while he was handcuffed, also a violation of the department's general orders, according to the memo.
Off-duty cop gets bail in fatal Bloomfield bar shooting
A Pittsburgh
police officer on worker's compensation since 2010 posted bail on a criminal
homicide charge for allegedly shooting a longtime friend during a drunken bar
fight.
Officer Kenneth
Farnan's defense attorney got a judge to set bond Thursday after arguing Farnan
wasn't dangerous or likely to flee despite the serious charge.
Allegheny
County Deputy District Attorney Lisa Pellegrini argued against Farnan's
release, saying evidence doesn't support Farnan's contention that he shot his
unarmed friend in self-defense.
Police say
Farnan, 50, shot 56-year-old Shawn Evans early Sunday in Condrin's Tavern after
Farnan accused Evans of hitting him in the head as Farnan was passing out from
drinking shots of liquor.
Police say
Farnan shot Evans as the men fought and fell to the floor. Farnan's preliminary
hearing is Sept. 27.
City moves forward on police brutality settlements involving former Lt. Jon Burge
September 6, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) --
Chicago's city council moves forward Friday with plans to settle two more
police torture lawsuits involving former Lieutenant Jon Burge.
On Friday, attorneys representing
two men who say they were tortured by the police officer and were sent to
prison for crimes they did not commit spoke with ABC7.
In 2010, Jon Burge was convicted for
lying in a civil case about his knowledge of torture. He had been a Chicago
Police lieutenant and his now serving time. Most recently, his treatment of
some arrested in the 1970s and 1980s has been the reason for the city paying
millions of dollars to victims.
On Friday, the city's attorney
recommended they settle two more cases.
Chicago aldermen move forward with a
lawsuit settlement brought by two victims of police brutality.
"There are lives behind these
torture victims, there are families behind them. Most of the time, poor
families, if not all the time," said Ald. Joe Moreno, 1st Ward.
Ronald Kitchen was on death row for
13 years for murders he did not commit.
Kitchen was arrested in 1988 and
sued the City of Chicago for torture and coercing a false confession by the
infamous former police lieutenant Jon Burge.
In 2009, Kitchen's conviction was
overturned.
Marvin Reeves also served more than
20 years in prison for murders he did not commit.
Reeves and Kitchen were convicted
for five murders in 1988.
Both men sued the city for the
brutal treatment by Burge and his officers and the resulting false convictions.
On Friday, the city's finance
committee approved a twelve million dollar settlement for the men.
"He's appreciative of the
settlement. He understands that is does not change the fact that he was
wrongfully imprisoned for over twenty years," said Samantha Liskow,
attorney for Marvin Reeves.
"To be able now to begin and
continue a process of living in the future and no longer living in the
nightmare that was unfortunately Ronald Kitchen's past is a blessing,"
said Locke Bowman, attorney for Ronald Kitchen.
"Until there is an apology and
there's full reparations to all the victims of torture, this issue is not
resolved," said Flint Taylor, attorney for Ronald Kitchen.
Some aldermen shared frustration
with a series of lawsuit settlements and that the city still pays Burge's
pension.
"We have to continue to pay for
the damage that he has done so somewhere in there someone should have to have
the foresight, the sense, to say enough is enough and we shouldn't have to be
responsible for him anymore," said Ald. Carrie Austin, 34th Ward.
The full city council is expected to
approve the settlement next week.
On Friday, the city said it supports
efforts to cut Burge's pension. A case brought by the Illinois Attorney General
is now before the Illinois Supreme Court.
We have not seen the end of the
cases against Burge. There are two lawsuits currently and others still in
prison who claim Burge tortured them into false confessions.
Police Brutality Charges Leveled By Queens Man
The NYPD is denying charges of police
brutality leveled by a Queens man who claims he was subjected to a senseless
beating earlier this month that was caught on tape.
The incident, which was caught on a surveillance video camera, happened July 11th at an apartment building in Flushing where 22-year-old Oscar Arzeno was staying.
The video shows Arzeno struggling to get into the building, but before he can get in he is confronted by several undercover police officers. On the videotape, up to five police officers can be seen knocking the young man to the ground, before eventually handcuffing him and putting him into a police car.
Arzeno's attorneys say their client has no idea why the men in plain clothes chased him down and beat him.
"Police officers did not identify themselves. Our client was running away from a person who he did know that just attacked him," said Arzeno's criminal attorney Garbiel Tapalaga.
However, the Queens District Attorney’s office says Arzeno was subdued by police because he ran from officers who were attempting to arrest him for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer on school grounds earlier that day.
Arzeno's attorneys say their client suffered a fractured jaw when one of the police officers stepped on the man’s face.
"From what I see from the video, he stands on my clients head and is actually off the ground at some point jumping up and down," says Tapalaga. "You know my client is punched in the head, punched across the body, he's being assaulted from all angles."
Arzeno spent a few days in the hospital following the incident in question. He was then transferred to jail, where he was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school, and resisting arrest.
He was released from jail Monday on $10,000 bond.
Arzeno's attorneys say while their client has had some past run-in's with police he is really just a hard working student.
"[He has] no criminal convictions. He's really a decent, gentle human being," says Tapalaga. "He's actually enrolled as a criminal justice major, I believe, at Catherine Gibbs school."
Arzeno's attorneys wouldn't discuss the criminal charges with NY1, but they did say they are hoping the officers involved in this case are disciplined, adding that client their may pursue legal action again them.
“Out client’s rights have been brutally violated, and we’re going to prosecute his claim to the fullest extent possible and we will take it,” said attorney Jonathan Goidel. “
The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating the incident.
The incident, which was caught on a surveillance video camera, happened July 11th at an apartment building in Flushing where 22-year-old Oscar Arzeno was staying.
The video shows Arzeno struggling to get into the building, but before he can get in he is confronted by several undercover police officers. On the videotape, up to five police officers can be seen knocking the young man to the ground, before eventually handcuffing him and putting him into a police car.
Arzeno's attorneys say their client has no idea why the men in plain clothes chased him down and beat him.
"Police officers did not identify themselves. Our client was running away from a person who he did know that just attacked him," said Arzeno's criminal attorney Garbiel Tapalaga.
However, the Queens District Attorney’s office says Arzeno was subdued by police because he ran from officers who were attempting to arrest him for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer on school grounds earlier that day.
Arzeno's attorneys say their client suffered a fractured jaw when one of the police officers stepped on the man’s face.
"From what I see from the video, he stands on my clients head and is actually off the ground at some point jumping up and down," says Tapalaga. "You know my client is punched in the head, punched across the body, he's being assaulted from all angles."
Arzeno spent a few days in the hospital following the incident in question. He was then transferred to jail, where he was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school, and resisting arrest.
He was released from jail Monday on $10,000 bond.
Arzeno's attorneys say while their client has had some past run-in's with police he is really just a hard working student.
"[He has] no criminal convictions. He's really a decent, gentle human being," says Tapalaga. "He's actually enrolled as a criminal justice major, I believe, at Catherine Gibbs school."
Arzeno's attorneys wouldn't discuss the criminal charges with NY1, but they did say they are hoping the officers involved in this case are disciplined, adding that client their may pursue legal action again them.
“Out client’s rights have been brutally violated, and we’re going to prosecute his claim to the fullest extent possible and we will take it,” said attorney Jonathan Goidel. “
The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating the incident.
NJ Police Captain's Home Set on Fire, Officer Suspended
Authorities
have filed more charges against a suspended New Jersey police officer accused
of setting fire to his police captain's home. Michael Dotro is accused
of illegally accessing police computer records, slashing a woman's car tires,
possessing illegal weapons and buying marijuana while in uniform and on duty as
an Edison police officer.
Authorities say a search of Dotro's duty bag revealed the marijuana along with a set of brass knuckles and a small club known as a blackjack. Prosecutors say the 36-year-old engaged in a pattern of official misconduct.
Dotro has pleaded not guilty to aggravated arson and attempted murder charges stemming from a fire at the Monroe Township home of Police Capt. Mark Anderko. Authorities claim Dotro was angry about a recent transfer and a forced psychological evaluation.
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