Fairfax County Supervisor John W. Foust: Reward moral cowardice...send John Foust to Congre...

Fairfax County Supervisor John W. Foust: Reward moral cowardice...send John Foust to Congre...: As a county supervisor John Foust could have spoken out against the murders of unarmed, innocent citizens by the Fairfax County Police....

Salem police captain’s duties are curtailed

By Steven A. Rosenberg

Salem police Captain Brian Gilligan, who was suspended last month for working extra detail shifts while on city time, will no longer oversee detail shifts as part of his duties, Police Chief Paul Tucker said.

In a review of department policy, Tucker said Captain Mark Losolfo would oversee detail assignments. Tucker also announced that officers could no longer take half days of vacation time to work details. Gilligan, who has worked for the Salem Police Department for 21 years, will still run the department’s Special Operations Division, which oversees planning of events such as Halloween, parades, and the department’s Street Crime Unit.

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Gilligan, who topped the department’s salary list by earning $168,000 last year, could not be reached for comment.

This marks Gilligan’s second suspension as a Salem police officer. According to Tucker, Gilligan was suspended in 2005 for 30 days for having “an improper relationship with a court employee.”

The policy assessment comes just weeks after Gilligan was suspended for five days, and was forced to forfeit 12 vacation days after Tucker concluded that Gilligan may have worked as many as 24 detail shifts over the last year on city time.

In an interview, Tucker said he began his investigation in the spring after some officers questioned Gilligan’s record keeping. Tucker speculated that some of the hours Gilligan worked on detail shifts may have been on comp time — city police hours that Gilligan had previously worked but did not submit for pay — but the work hours were poorly documented.

In a May 29 letter to Gilligan, Tucker said he had warned the police captain to properly submit his work hours. “You should recall my direct warning to ensure you took appropriate steps to use vacation or personal days if you wished to engage in detail work. You should also recall my telling you that if you didn’t properly document your time off that a year or two from now it will appear as if you were double-dipping,” Tucker wrote.

According to Salem police policy, detail officers earn $40 an hour, and once they begin the shift they are paid a minimum of $160, even if the detail lasts less than four hours. Detail shifts are assigned by seniority, and senior officers, such as Gilligan, can work as many shifts as they sign up for. Last year, Gilligan earned an extra $26,352 in detail pay.

“I think there’s a lesson here for everybody, that you have to be circumspect,” said Tucker, who does not believe the practice of working details on city time is widespread.

Tucker also believes new computer software the department plans to purchase will improve the way work hours are recorded, now still done on paper.

Meanwhile, Mayor Kimberley Driscoll plans to conduct a review of the suspension. “I would like an external review conducted of the circumstances leading to this suspension. I believe having a second set of eyes reviewing the facts involved in this matter will be beneficial to my office, the department, and the citizens of Salem,” she said in a prepared statement.

Driscoll also may soon be looking for a new police chief. Tucker is the lone Democrat seeking to replace outgoing state Representative John D. Keenan of Salem. His opponent in the November election is Daniel Morris, a Libertarian candidate and Salem State student.

Earlier this spring, the Salem City Council rejected a proposal by Driscoll to remove the police chief’s post from the civil service system. That proposal would have allowed Driscoll to recruit a new chief from outside the department. According to Tucker, the current civil service post calls for a chief to be hired from within.

Arrested for 'being stupid': What police officer told a man after slamming him against a wall and cuffing him... because he took his parking ticket TOO FAST

By Snejana Farberov

In Chicago, being disrespectful is now apparently against the law.

A video has surfaced online showing a resident of the Second City being arrested during a routine traffic stop after 'reduly' snatching a parking ticket from the hands of an officer.

When the unnamed arrestee demanded to know why he was being handcuffed, the responding officer offered a terse reply: 'for being stupid.'

The cell phone footage shot by the suspect's friend was first shared on Facebook Monday. It has since drawn 341 'likes' and nearly 800 shares.

It was later uploaded by the user TemperVale onto the video-sharing site LiveLeak, where it has been played more than 20,000 times., and counting,.

According to the post that accompanied the video, the incident involved officers from Chicago Police Department's District 4 covering the southern portion of the city.

 The three men in the video were riding in a car together when the driver allegedly parked on a sidewalk and tried to leave, but was stopped by police.   

The clip clocking in at 2 minutes and 41 seconds shows a hulking police officer in a bulletproof vest approach the motorist holding a parking citation.

The cop goes to hand the ticket to the man, who appears upset and abruptly snatches the piece of paper from the officer's hands.

The suspect's brusque gesture enrages the officer, who yanks the motorist by the neck and then slams him against a nearby wall face first.

As he is being fitted with a pair of handcuffs, the driver demands to know why he is being placed under arrest, to which the officer responds: 'for being stupid.'

The man continues to protest, lamenting: 'I got my ID. Now I'm under arrest ?’

The officer appears unimpressed by the suspect’s arguments, and with the words, ‘You like to go to jail tonight? That's fine with me,’ he leads him to the patrol car and places the restrained man in the backseat.

The arrestee’s friend recording the incident makes a last-ditch attempt to reason with police by pointing out that there are more serious crimes being committed in the rough South Chicago neighborhood than a parking violation.

Last-ditch effort: A friend (right) tried to intervene on the hapless motorist's behalf with the officers, but he failed

‘There's people shooting outside,’ the man says off camera. ‘I had a gun pointed at me the other day and you're going to arrest him?’

But the responding officers appear unmoved by these arguments. 

On Facebook, most commenters have sided with the arrested man, calling out the unidentified officer for being a 'bully.'

Leroy Dabbinzz wrote: 'What law did he break? When the cop handed him the ticket he took it too fast? That's a crime? A crime worthy of assault and imprisonment? I think not. If the guy deserved a citation then write it up give it to him and be on your way.’

However, some people came to the officer's defense, saying that the driver broke the law and then decided to 'act tough' for the camera instead of taking up his case in court.

MailOnline reached out to the Chicago Police Department Saturday evening for comment and is awaiting a response.

Bridgeport Police Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charge

U.S. Attorney’s Office June 10, 2014       •           District of Connecticut (203) 821-3700

Deirdre M, Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that Bridgeport Police Officers ELSON MORALES, 42, and JOSEPH LAWLOR, 41, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in Bridgeport to violating an individual’s civil rights by using unreasonable force during the course of an arrest.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 20, 2011, officers MORALES and LAWLOR engaged in a pursuit of a van driven by an individual who was suspected of having a firearm and had failed to submit to a traffic stop. After the pursuit, the individual was apprehended in Beardsley Park in Bridgeport. MORALES used his department-issued Taser to incapacitate the individual during the course of his apprehension. Despite the fact the individual was effectively incapacitated by the initial use of the Taser, MORALES deployed the Taser a second time, and LAWLOR kicked the individual several times.

“The use of unreasonable force during an arrest is not only a clear violation of an individual’s civil rights but also gravely undermines the community’s trust in law enforcement,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “The overwhelming majority of officers in the Bridgeport Police Department are public servants who dedicate their lives to protecting the public. However, any law enforcement officer who crosses the line during an arrest risks federal prosecution.”

U.S. Attorney Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing.

“Today’s guilty pleas are such an important reminder to those of us who are sworn to uphold the law, that we are not above the law,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Ferrick. “Law enforcement officers of this state, and beyond, should rightfully be held to a high standard. Morales and Lawlor’s actions three years ago profoundly undermined that standard and the public’s faith in law enforcement to protect and to serve. It is an absolute honor and privilege to serve a community and the good men and women of the Bridgeport Police Department know that, where so many have served with both pride and distinction.”

MORALES and LAWLOR each pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of up to $100,000.

Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for September 2, 2014.

As part of their plea agreements, MORALES and LAWLOR have agreed to resign from the Bridgeport Police Department and not seek employment as a police or peace office during any period of supervision.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia E. King and David E. Novick.

Former Schenectady cop sentenced in road rage incident

GLENVILLE -- A former Schenectady police officer was sentenced Tuesday for two misdemeanors stemming from a “road rage” incident last year where he allegedly pointed his gun at a family.

John Hotaling accepted a plea deal requiring him to serve six months of probation, perform 25 hours of community service and undergo anger management. He also must surrender any firearms for six months and may reapply for a permit next year.

Hotaling maintained he never pulled out his weapon. In court, the district attorney’s office also cited a lack of factual evidence. Hotaling declined to comment after court and referred CBS 6 to his attorney.

“Had we gone forward on the criminal side, I don't think they would have been able to secure a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Andrew Safranko, Hotaling’s attorney.

Under the terms of the deal, Hotaling must resign or retire from the force. Safranko said Hotaling had already put in his retirement papers effective June 30. Hotaling will still receive his pension for the 20 years he served the department. The court does not have the power to take away pension.

“He was a very good police officer for 20 years. He was an impeccable police officer and he certainly never intended on retire at the 20 year mark,” said Safranko. “He wanted to retire 10 or so years [later].”

Safranko initially said after six months Hotaling could potentially work for another police department, but District Attorney Jim Murphy said it would not be possible under the terms of the deal.

The victim in the case, Jeffrey Arnow, attempted to address the court before the plea deal was accepted, but was denied. Arnow said he wanted the judge to reject the deal.

“It's ridiculous. What can I say?” said Arnow. “Justice has not been served. The common person was let down again. Once again we have a police officer walking away from what was wrong.”

Two Baltimore cops Suspended After Allegedly Slitting Dog's Throat

Two police officers in Baltimore have been suspended after authorities say they slit the throat of a Shar-Pei that had broken free from her owner's backyard and that had reportedly bitten a stranger. The dog, Nala, was seven years old.

The dog belonged to Sarah Gossard, who told police that Nala had slipped through a gate in her backyard, after which it was discovered by a woman who tried to get the dog home. The dog then reportedly bit the woman, resulting in a superficial wound. The woman then called police.

According to the charging documents in the case, Officer Thomas Schmidt and Officer Jeffrey Bolger responded to the call.

As Bolger got out of the police truck, a witness overheard him say, "I'm going to [expletive] gut this thing," the police report said.

Schmidt and Bolger struggled to get the dog under control, and Palmere said they had the dog restrained, tethered to the dog-control pole. Witnesses told police Schmidt held the dog on the ground while they saw Bolger slit its throat.

Police said that the knife used wasn't issued by the department. Officer Schmidt was placed on paid administrative leave while Officer Bolger, who is allegedly responsible for killing the dog, was released on "his own recognizance Thursday morning after being charged the night before with aggravated animal cruelty, animal cruelty and malfeasance in office." He has been suspended without pay.

Police spokesman Lieutenant Eric Kowalczyk revealed that the investigation is still ongoing.

"Internal affairs is continuing the investigation into the specifics of the incident," police spokesman Lt. Eric Kowalczyk said. Other officers who were at the scene are being questioned about their involvement, police have said, and internal investigators are trying to determine why police commanders only learned of the dog's death Monday, two days after it occurred.

Jury Finds Suspended Opa-locka Officer Guilty Of False Imprisonment, Tampering

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A jury found suspended Opa-locka police Sergeant German Bosque guilty of felony false imprisonment and tampering with a witness, but found him not guilty of battery.

The jury deliberated for about 2 hours Thursday night before convicting the so-called “dirtiest cop in Florida” on two out of three charges.

“I’m hurt obviously, disappointed, surprised, very surprised,” Bosque told CBS4 News reporter Gaby Fleischman after the verdict. “I’m dubbed the dirtiest and most corrupt, it’s just been out of control.”

Watch Gaby Fleischman’s report, click here.

Bosque, who has been fired a total of eight times by three different agencies, six times by Opa-Locka alone, was arrested for a 2011 incident in Opa-locka in which he allegedly punched a man during a domestic disturbance call.

When Korey Davis tried to go to the police station and file a complaint, Bosque forcefully removed him from the department’s lobby, handcuffed him and placed him in a holding cell for 14 minutes.

Bosque did not threaten Davis with arrest until after Davis tried to file the complaint against him.

Bosque declined to testify in his defense, but maintained his innocence and stood by his actions after the verdict was read.

“You make a bad decision you should get written up, suspended, terminated, as is happened to me in the past and I’ve been able to fight for that, but to get arrested for making the decision,” he said. “What’s important for everybody to know is I’m against bad police men, I’m against dirty cops, I stand on the beside of good officers that are out there.”

The prosecution said they stand by the jury’s verdict.

“It’s just never a good day when you have to bring down a police officer because we expect them to protect us, so it’s kind of bittersweet,” said assistant state attorney Sandra Miller-Batiste.

Bosque’s defense attorney said they plan to appeal.

A judge allowed Bosque to remain free on bond under house arrest until his sentencing hearing. He could face a maximum of 10 years in prison.

The judge also withheld adjudication on the false imprisonment charge, and said he would review the evidence.

“Besides the community to answer to, I have a son, a baby to answer to, my family,” said Bosque. “I like the person in the mirror so one day almighty god, so I know nobody could tell me: ‘GB how could you?’”

During the trial, the defense called only two witnesses. Former Opa-locka Police Chief Cheryl Cason testified that Davis called her as Bosque was trying to get him to give up the child he was holding in his lap in the car.

“Let the child go to bed,” Cason recalled telling Davis. “It’s late, Korey, we can deal with this tomorrow.”

Cason said she eventually directed Bosque to take the child.

“I told him to get the baby, give the baby back to (the mother), and that you could arrest him for obstruction.”

Cason thought the threat of arrest would persuade Davis to surrender the baby.

While Cason helped corroborate Bosque’s claim that he was acting under orders, she also bolstered Davis’s claim that the cop slugged him in the face.

Over the cell phone, the Chief said she heard Davis say, “you hit me in the face.” She then heard someone say “nobody hit you.”

Cason said when Bosque called her from the police station to report that Davis had gone there to file a complaint, the officer made no mention of having handcuffed Davis and putting him in a holding cell.

“Bosque said ‘he wants to file a complaint.’ I said ‘let him file a complaint. To arrest him would seem retaliatory.’”

The chief said she directed Bosque to see that someone took Davis’s complaint, but Bosque didn’t do that, escorting him from the station instead.

Joanna Flores, the mother of the child at the center of the domestic call, testified that she asked Davis to give her the baby repeatedly and he refused, and attempted to back into her when she tried to get into the car.

Other officers who were on the scene have testified they didn’t believe Flores’s claim, didn’t think Davis had committed a crime and the issue was a custody dispute, not a police matter.

On Wednesday the alleged victim, Davis, was cross examined by the defense attorney, who got him to admit he refused police orders to hand over his son at the domestic call scene. Davis, a city employee, even conceded that he was on his cell phone with then Police Chief Cheryl Cason, who told him he should hand over the child, over whom he had no custody rights.

Bosque has a checkered past with the police department. During his career there, he’s been fired, then re-instated, eight times. The last time the city fired him, October 2012, Bosque faced a number of allegations including:

•           Busting a handcuffed suspects skull

•           Beating juveniles

•           Caught with drugs and alcohol in his squad car

•           Ripping off suspects

•           Falsifying reports

•           Participating in an unauthorized chase where four people were killed

•           Calling in sick from Cancun.

Bosque says he has been wrongly portrayed in the news.

“Anybody who doesn’t know me or know about the case exactly, they hate me. I hate myself when I read what the media says about me, and it’s not true.”