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Half of people shot by police are mentally ill, investigation finds

Mentally unstable killing the mentally ill.

A Maine-based study found a lack of training and oversight and a system that justifies deadly use of force.

An investigation by the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram has found that a disturbingly high percentage of individuals shot by police suffer from mental health problems. There are no federal statistics on police shootings of mentally ill people, but according to the investigation published this week, “a review of available reports indicates that at least half of the estimated 375 to 500 people shot and killed by police each year in this country have mental health problems.”

The newspapers analyzed in detail the incidents of police deploying deadly force in Maine — a state with a comparatively low crime rate — since 2000. The report noted:

42 percent of people shot by police since 2000 — and 58 percent of those who died from their injuries — had mental health problems, according to reports from the Maine Attorney General’s Office. In many cases, the officers knew that the subjects were disturbed, and they were dead in a matter of moments.

In September, as I noted here, police in Houston shot dead a wheelchair-bound double-amputee diagnosed with severe mental health problems when officers saw him wave a shiny object (which turned out to be a pen) in the air. The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram cited this and a number of other incidents this year, which garnered national attention:

In Saginaw, Mich., six police officers gun down a homeless, schizophrenic man in a vacant parking lot when he refuses to drop a small folding knife. In Seattle, Wash., a police officer fatally shoots a mentally ill, chronic alcoholic as he crosses the street, carving a piece of wood with a pocket knife. In Portland, Ore., police check on a man threatening suicide and wind up killing him with a single gunshot in the back.

The report notes a lack of police training in crisis intervention as fueling the problem, undergirded by a lack of oversight and accountability: “While the Justice Department counts every assault, robbery and drunk-driving arrest — as well as every police officer shot on duty — it gathers no numbers on mentally ill people shot by police,” the report stated. Meanwhile, the FBI does not quantify police shootings that are found “unjustified”: “the FBI tallies only police shootings that result in ‘justifiable’ homicides; 373 to 411 of these shootings occurred each year from 2006 through 2010. Unjustified police shootings are counted among all other homicides. The FBI doesn’t specifically count any incidents involving mentally ill people.”

Deadly force is rarely ruled unjustified — the investigation noted that in Maine, for example, the Attorney General’s Office has justified every single police shooting since 2000. Corroborating statistics in other states, although rarely collected, attest to the near-ubiquity of justification of use of deadly force. Colorines found that in Chicago between 2000 to 2007, only one police shooting out of 84 was considered to be “unjustified” (meaning no probable cause was found for believing a suspect to be a threat).

Despite the lack of national data, the investigation was able to piece together specific findings in other states outside of Maine:

In New Hampshire, four of five people shot and killed by police in 2011 had mental health issues (80 percent); a sixth person shot by police also was mentally ill but survived, according to reports from the state’s Office of the Attorney General. All six shootings were found to be justified. A review of the New Hampshire attorney general’s reports on police shootings from 2007 through 2012 showed that seven of nine people killed by officers during that period had mental health issues (78 percent).

In Syracuse, N.Y., three of five people (60 percent) shot by police in 2011 were mentally ill, according to news reports. One of three people who died in those shootings was mentally ill…

In Santa Clara County, Calif., officials reported that nine of 22 people (41 percent) shot during a recent five-year period were mentally ill, according to a crisis intervention training guide.

In Albuquerque, N.M., 75 percent of police shootings in the last two years had a “mental health context,” the state’s Public Defender Department noted in its annual report for fiscal 2012.
Cutbacks in mental health services nationwide, along with the return of veterans from war, concern experts as exacerbating conditions for more deadly police encounters, the investigation noted.







Officials call for Police Oversight Comm. overhaul


Officials call for Police Oversight Comm. overhaul

A city group in charge of investigating complaints against Albuquerque police may be in for a major makeover.

 A recent, explosive meeting is adding to the effort to bring about changes to the Police Oversight Commission in Albuquerque.

 It was supposed to be another opportunity for residents to voice their complaints about the Albuquerque Police Department.

 But a Dec. 13 Commission meeting went awry when commissioner rearranged discussion items on the meeting agenda.

 That meant public comment wasn’t allowed when it came to allegations of conflict of interest regarding then-Chairwoman Linda Martinez.

 Officers even removed one man from the meeting at the request of Martinez.

 The Albuquerque City Council appoints Commission members.

 Council President Dan Lewis and Councilor Don Harris said they hope proposed changes to the Commission will prevent similar incidents from happening again.

 In part, they want to clear up commission meeting rules regarding public comment.

"Right now, there's been a lot of concerns and we're trying to make a systemic change to the police oversight process so that going forward we can restore that faith," said Don Harris.

Harris and Lewis will introduce proposals at the council’s Feb. 4 meeting asking to implement seven of 25 recommendations from a 2011 independent study on the oversight commission.

One recommendation is for the Commission’s Independent Review Office to be provided with an analyst to monitor citizen complaints.

None of the commission members would talk on the issue Sunday.

The city plans on holding public forums about the commission in the coming months.

From Police Misconduct...18th century policing in a 21 century world...and you pay for it..twice..


 Bexar County, Texas: A deputy constable is under arrest for allegedly helping other officers get credit for training they never completed. ow.ly/h5YJB

Update: Readstown, A 375-page investigation report released this week portrays Readstown’s former police chief as a womanizer and bumbling cop who posed a danger to the community. He was found guilty of three counts of felony misconduct in office. He resigned and served a little more than a week in jail. ow.ly/h5XP4

Bibb County, Georgia: A deputy has been fired amid allegations he stole about $4,000 from an inmate’s electronic bank transaction card and used the money to buy Christmas presents, a dog, and cash for advances to his own account. ow.ly/h5SA2

McHenry, Illinois: A cop pleaded guilty to theft and official misconduct. He admitted that he stole seized drug money. ow.ly/h5MiV

Lake County, Indiana: An officer was indicted on charges of conspiring to Sheriff’s Department letterhead to buy automatic machine guns and laser sights intended strictly for law enforcement departments or the military and selling the parts for a profit online. http://ow.ly/h64IF

Update: New Orleans, Louisiana: A federal judge set a new trial date for a former officer accused of helping cover up a man’s death after Hurricane Katrina. The court ordered a new trial because of newly discovered evidence. The officer was the alleged triggerman in the shooting. http://ow.ly/h67zF

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: An officer has been accused of stealing about $200 from a store where he was investigating a separate burglary complaint. http://ow.ly/h6dck

South Amboy, New Jersey: A woman is seeking $2 million in damages from the sheriff’s office and one of its officers she said assaulted her then falsely charged her with assaulting him. http://ow.ly/h6zvc

Greenville, Mississippi: A cop has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of withholding information on a crime. http://ow.ly/h6zQM

Miami, Florida: A cop faces an extortion charge in court. He is the first of several officers expected to be swept up in a broad anti-corruption dragnet of the city’s police department. He allegedly helped organize a protection racket for a sports-betting ring working out of a barber shop. He pleaded not guilty to a single charge of extortion conspiracy, alleging that he “protected and facilitated illegal activity — gambling — in exchange for receipts of cash payments.” http://ow.ly/h6c57

Chicago, Illinois: A family filed a federal lawsuit saying that cops wrongfully shot their family member and taunted them. The suit has been filed against the city, the police department, and 4 officers, alleging misconduct. It claims officers repeatedly used the n-word when talking to the victim’s relatives at the scene. http://ow.ly/h6dVW

Fort Deposit, Alabama: An officer was sentenced to more than three years in prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against rights and four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. ow.ly/h4cXT

Florida: At least 74 law enforcers have been suspected of misusing the D.A.V.I.D (Driving and Vehicle Information Database) in 2012. That number is a nearly 400% increase from 2011. ow.ly/h47X6

Melbourne, Florida: A cop has been accused of having sex with prostitutes while on duty. He was fired after investigators set up surveillance video claiming to show him in the act. ow.ly/h42j6

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana: A sheriff’s deputy has been fired when an investigation determined that he had been selling synthetic marijuana online after it was outlawed in Louisiana. ow.ly/h3XSJ

Chicago, Illinois: A coroner has reversed his office’s ruling from “undetermined” to “homicide” in the case of a man who died after police restrained him, hit him with batons, and shocked him with a Taser. The coroner said he used the “but for” principle; the man probably wouldn’t have died but for the actions of the police. ow.ly/h3SXt

Multnomah County, Oregon: A deputy has been accused of running a red light and colliding with another car, authorities said. Witnesses said the deputy did not have his emergency lights flashing when his patrol car struck the driver’s side of another car. ow.ly/h3ukJ

protest rally slams police brutality


 

Anti-police brutality protest rally in US city of Long Beach, where Cambodian immigrant parents of a suspect critically injured by police were refused permission to visit their son

A protest rally against police brutality in western US city of Long Beach has been waged after parents of a young suspect shot by police were barred from visiting their critically wounded son.

A group of community activists in the California city staged the rally outside St. Mary’s Medical Center on Sunday to protest police brutality by Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) for refusing to allow the parents of the 22-year-old Cambodian suspect, Sokha Hor, to visit their son, who was shot and critically injured by LBPD officers on January 7.

Although the activists declared victory when the police department finally allowed the Cambodian-born parents of the seriously injured man to visit their son, they expressed extreme anger at the brutal manner in which the police denied visitation rights to Hor’s parents for nearly two weeks.

According to Hor’s mother, Yorn Eng, Long Beach cops gave her contradictory information regarding her son’s condition and one cop told her “We’ll contact you if he dies,” when she demanded to visit her reportedly dying son.

The harsh police response, according to local news reports, prompted groups such as the Long Beach Campaign to Stop Police Violence and anti-war, pro-social justice ANSWER LA to launch an Internet campaign via email and social networking sites as well as the protest rally on Sunday to press police authorities to allow the Cambodian native’s parents to visit him.

The incident represents the latest in a string of cases of excessive force by LBPD officers, who were involved in seven shootings last year, four of which were fatal.

 

 

Wife of Boca cop arrested in connection with prostitution ring


The wife of a Boca Raton cop was one of two women arrested in connection with a local prostitution ring, authorities said Wednesday.

The officer, Samuel McCoy, is the husband of Denise McCoy, 34, who was charged along with Sara Marin, 42, in a prostitution and money-laundering scheme. Boca Police Chief Dan Alexander said Wednesday that Samuel McCoy has been put on paid administrative leave.

"It's very early [in the investigation]," Alexander said.

Samuel McCoy, 31, was suspended twice in 2011. In April, he was suspended for 36 hours for taking pictures of his genital area while on duty. McCoy said he had a medical condition that he needed to document. He said he never sent the photos to anyone and they were deleted.

In July 2011, he was suspended for 84 hours for looking at pornography on his city-issued computer. He said he was looking for jujitsu videos online and clicked on other links that "piqued my interest."

That investigation began after a city official found out that Samuel McCoy was part of an adult social networking site for swingers.

McCoy's wife was arrested after a Brazilian woman helped police unearth the local prostitution ring.

According to Boca Raton Police, the woman told immigration agents that she had been forced into a life of prostitution for nine months. According to a probable cause affidavit, the woman said she met Marin, 42, of Boynton Beach, who offered her a job with her escort service and said no sex was involved.

The woman ultimately called Marin and her Brazilian partner, Denise McCoy, of Boca Raton, to start working. After several lunch and dinner dates where there was no sex expected, the woman told police Denise McCoy drove her to an apartment in Boca Raton to meet a date.

That date said he expected sex, so the woman refused and called Denise McCoy, who threatened to have the woman jailed as an illegal immigrant if she didn't comply.

The woman told police Denise McCoy and Marin advertised several girls using Backpage.com, an online classified website where there are few restrictions on advertised services, and arranged for them to have sex with johns at apartments at 22312 Calibre Court and 22042 Boca Place Drive in two shifts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The prostitutes collected $200 per hour plus tips, and split the cash evenly with McCoy and Marin, according to the affidavit. The woman told police she worked six days per week, having sex with anywhere from 6 to 12 men per day.

Police later found Marin had registered her escort business with the state of Florida, based at one of the apartments under the name Sara's Entertainment Service LLC.

 Police set up surveillance at both apartments over several months and report seeing women entering the apartments for long periods, followed by a stream of men who spent 10 minutes to 1 hour each inside.

The women were seen handing something to Denise McCoy, who then drove to a Bank of America ATM, or to a Boynton Beach home where police say Marin lived. They stopped several johns who confirmed they paid for sex acts in the apartments.

In one undercover operation, a Boca Raton Police investigator paid $200 and McCoy masturbated for 10 to 15 minutes. In another, a sergeant paid $150 for oral sex and intercourse with Marin, but created a "ruse" in order to leave. When Boca police subpoenaed bank records for Denise McCoy, they found 62 cash deposits totaling $29,640.38 between March and November 2012. Marin's bank records for three accounts showed deposits totaling $40,779, $36,940, $35,885 and $11,723 between January and September 2012, with some of the money apparently moving between Marin's accounts.

Denise McCoy and Marin were jailed Tuesday evening on pimping and money laundering charges, and remained in the Palm Beach County Jail without bail late Wednesday.

 

Couple Files Federal Lawsuit for Police Brutality


Couple Files Federal Lawsuit for Police Brutality

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WLNS) - A local couple has filed a federal lawsuit of police brutality against the City of Eaton Rapids. The case is now waiting in a Grand Rapids federal court with these defendants: the police chief, sergeant and their attorney.

A September night in 2010, Melissa and Keith Minaya went out to celebrate a friend's birthday at a bar in Eaton Rapids. They say it was around 1a.m. when their group of eight met in the parking lot figure out driving arrangements.

It was then court documents say an Eaton Rapids officer pulled up in his patrol car and ordered them to disperse. Melissa allegedly made a dance move as she walked to her car and that's when she says the officer told her she was under arrest. She and witnesses claim what followed was brutal treatment that left Minaya with back and neck injuries. Injuries she alleges came at the hands of the officer, who court documents claim, grabbed her by the arm and neck, jerked her around and slammed her against his patrol car, hitting her head against it twice.

Court documents also say, at one point, the group pleaded with the officer to stop choking Melissa. When her husband told him he was recording video of it on his cell phone, he was placed under arrest.

Of course, this is just one side of the story.

The couple did spend the night in jail and were charged with misdemeanors, including resisting a cop and assault and battery. Those charges were later dropped. They're now asking the court for damages for pain and suffering and financial losses. They say the police chief was negligent, failed to train his staff and ignored previous complaints against the sergeant who remains on duty.

6 News spoke with the chief by phone who said he wouldn't comment on the case. Neither the attorney's for the city or the Minaya's returned our calls.

 

 

Second Macon cop Charged with Stealing Tractor


 
A second Macon cop has been charged with stealing a tractor from a plumbing business, according to press release from the Macon Police Department

Police arrested Jon Adam Wantz late Thursday afternoon. He, along with Troy Guidry, face charges of theft by taking, criminal trespass, and violation of the oath of office.

Guidry was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Monroe County and turned over Macon police, according to Monroe chief deputy John Wilkes.

Macon Police Chief Mike Burns said in a statement:

"Without consent or authority, Officers Guidry and Wantz took an orange Kubota backhoe valued at $24,800 from Mr. Rooter Plumbing located at 2688 Roff Avenue. The actions of these officers is a grave disappointment to the entire MPD family and will not be tolerated by me or by our department. An incident like this is a black eye on all law enforcement officers who perform their sworn duties with dignity and integrity, and risk their lives daily on the job. This is a sad day for the MPD, but we will do our best to continue to protect the citizens of Macon and earn their trust."

Macon police have not released any information on the two officers' job status and spokeswoman Jami Gaudet did not return our phone calls.

Heath Vickers, owner of Mr. Rooter on Roff Avenue, Macon, said he and his employees noticed Thursday morning that the nearly $25,000 tractor was missing, along with its backhoe and front-end attachments and a trailer. He said they used the GPS on the tractor to track it to a Monroe county home.

Wilkes said that's where Guidry was arrested around 10:30 a.m.

Vickers says he believes someone shot out the lights outside his business overnight, apparently in connection with the theft. He believes a second person was involved in stealing the tractor.

 

 

4 Highland Park cops charged in bribery, drug scheme


 
Feds say officers took cash, offered to protect shipments of cocaine

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. –

Four Highland Park cops are charged with accepting bribes and conspiring to distribute cocaine.

The officers charged are 29-year-old Anthony Bynum, 38-year-old Price Montgomery, 33-year-old Shawn Williams and 55-year-old Craig

"I was disappointed to learn the recent activities as part of some of our officers who have made some extremely poor choices that were in fact criminal in nature," said Highland Park Chief of Police Kevin Coney during a Friday press conference. "When an officer abuses his position, it is imperative that such behavior be dealt with swiftly."

Bynum and Montgomery are both officers with the Highland Park police. Bynum also is a reserve officer with the Detroit Public Schools, and Williams and Clayton both are auxiliary officers for Highland Park.

United States Attorney Barbara McQuade said the officers were part of a scheme through Oakland Mall to move the drugs. They've been under investigation by the FBI since August 2012.

“Our community deserves to be protected and served by officers at the highest levels of integrity. And the vast majority of officers that I know and work with do just that every day tirelessly and we applaud them for that,” said United States Attorney Barbara McQuade. “But when an officer strays, breaks the law, it is our duty to hold them accountable. “I want to send a message out there to any officer who considers straying that you will be discovered, you will be identified and you will be prosecuted.”

Investigation started with arrest, beating

According to the criminal complaint, Bynum and Montgomery arrested a man in August 2012 in Highland Park on a firearms offense. The officers beat the man after arresting him. While in the

hospital, the man offered to pay the officers if they would dismiss the charges against him. The officers were willing to accept money in exchange for failing to appear for trial. Subsequently, the man who had been arrested by Montgomery and Bynum began working undercover for the FBI as an unpaid confidential source. During the course of the investigation, Montgomery and Bynum were captured on videotape accepting $10,000 in cash from the confidential source, in return for failing to appear at the man's trial in the Wayne County Circuit Court. On the date set for the man's trial in Circuit Court, Officers Montgomery and Bynum failed to appear as witnesses as required by subpoena, and the case was dismissed.

Later, Officers Mongtomery and Bynum agreed to transport and deliver two kilograms of cocaine for the FBI confidential source, whom the officers believed to be a drug trafficker. On November 15, 2012, Officers Montgomery and Bynum protected and delivered a shipment of what they believed to be two kilograms of cocaine from the Oakland Mall in Troy, Michigan, to a location in Taylor, Michigan. Each officer was paid $1,500 for his role in the delivery of sham cocaine. Subsequently, Officers Montgomery and Bynum recruited two additional Highland Park officers, Williams and Clayton, to help with the delivery of a second, larger shipment of cocaine. On January 23, 2013, the four Highland Park cops delivered four kilograms of what they believed to

be cocaine, again from the Oakland Mall. Each officer was paid either $1,000 or $1,500 by the confidential source for his work in protecting and transporting the sham cocaine. The four cops each carried a firearm, and some carried their police badges, while protecting the loads of sham cocaine.

 

Elkton officer charged with buying drugs on duty


 Elkton officer charged with buying drugs on duty

ELKTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky State Police have charged an Elkton city cop with drug offenses. The KSP said the agency got information Thursday that an Elkton officer tried to buy narcotics while on duty. An undercover investigation was conducted and Officer Russell Morris was arrested and charged with drug violations, enhanced by having a gun, and official misconduct. The drug wasn't specified.Morris was booked into the Muhlenberg County Detention Center.

Altoona cop charged with assault


A Blair County jury was expected to begin deliberations Thursday morning in the trial of an Altoona cop charged with assault

Thursday's Altoona Mirror reported that former officer Duane Eichenlaub took the stand in his own defense on Wednesday. Eichenlaub claimed he attacked an older man in the bathroom of an Altoona bar in 2010 because the man had grabbed him around the neck and pulled backward. Eichenlaub is also accused of trying to cover up the incident. The Mirror said the judge was ready to charge the jury Wednesday evening, but decided to wait until Thursday morning

City Officer Charged Threatened To Do Harm To Himself

A Jamestown cop has been charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration following an off-duty incident last week at his residence.
Officer Michael A. Bush, of Baker Street Extension, was arraigned Tuesday night in Ellicott Court after police said he threatened to harm himself with a firearm on Jan. 17. Police were originally dispatched to the residence for a report of a distraught male.
After talking to officers for three hours, Bush, 42, agreed to seek medical treatment at Lake Shore Health Care Center in Irving. Ellicott police transported Bush to the hospital.
Officers from Ellicott, Jamestown, Lakewood-Busti, the State Police and the Sheriff's Office responded to the incident. First responders from Celoron also were dispatched.
Jamestown Police Chief Harry Snellings in a news release said Bush has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Snellings, who had no comment when contacted, noted in his release that the incident occurred while Bush was off duty and outside the city.
Sgt. Matt Kubinski of the Ellicott Police Department confirmed a SWAT team was called to the Baker Street residence. Kubinski said Bush's wife was home at the time, but said she was never in danger.
"I just want him to get the help he needs," Kubinski said.
Bush has been with the Jamestown Police Department for at least 9 years, and was with the Ellicott Police Department in a part-time position before that.

Chicago Cops Taser 8-month Pregnant Woman for Parking Violation


The superintendent of the Chicago Police Department says that the reason one of his officers used a Taser stun gun on a woman days away from giving birth because “you can’t always tell whether somebody is pregnant.”

At eight-months pregnant, Tiffany Rent says she would think officers would have been aware of her condition before they assaulted and arrested her on Wednesday morning outside a South Side drug store.

“I was standing at the squad car close enough for him to see that I was pregnant,” Rent tells the Chicago Tribune.

The department says nothing was wrong with the ways officers acted, though. According to the police report, Rent“attempted to take off” after being ticketed for parking her car in a space reserved for handicap persons outside of a Chicago Walgreens when she was subjected to an electric pulse from a Taser gun. The maximum fine for using a handicap parking space without authorization in Chicago is $350.

Moments earlier, Rent tore up the citation and said, “I ain’t giving you (expletive),” according to the official report. That, apparently, was enough for cops to use force.

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy says he believes that it isn’t always possible to determine if a suspect is or isn’t pregnant so in the end it’s matter of upholding the law.

“Well, first of all, you can’t always tell whether somebody is pregnant. So, you want to use it where you are overcoming assault or preventing escape. That’s what it boils down to,” Supt. McCarthy tells the Tribune.

To do as much, Rent was shocked by the Taser, then dragged out of her car, forced to the ground and handcuffed — in front of two of her young children and her boyfriend. Joseph Hobbs, the father of the child, suffered a dislocated elbow and was also arrested by police for trying to intervene. Sharita Rent, Tiffany’s sister, tells the Tribune that some officers on the scene reportedly made “nasty, cruel comments” and suggested to the expectant parents that they “call Jesse Jackson.”

“How could you be that cruel to a human being? A pregnant human being?” asks the sister.

Later Wednesday, a nursing supervisor at the Roseland Community Hospital ran tests on Rent and said her unborn child appeared to be in good health, but the expectant mother still has concerns — she has lost two children during pregnancy before.

“That policy has been in effect for quite some time,” McCarthy adds. “Whether or not the policy has been adhered to is going to be examined separately from the investigation into the use of force. So we’ll keep you posted on that, and we’ll see how it plays out.”

The latest incident follows an episode earlier this year in Dekalb County, Georgia where Officer Jerad Wheeler was accused of kicking a woman nine months pregnant, prompting her to receive emergency surgery.

 

Death of Man Beaten by North Chicago Police Classified as Homicide


A North Chicago man’s death following a police encounter has been reclassified as a “homicide” after a second medical examination revealed that he would not have died “but for the actions of police.”

 Darrin Hannah, 45, before and after brutal police encounter. Images courtesy of the Chicago Sun Times.

Officers went out to North Chicago resident Darrin Hanna’s apartment on November 6, 2011 responding to a domestic disturbance call. Witnesses say about 20 minutes later Hannah was wheeled out of the apartment on a stretcher with a sheet covering his face.

He was taken to the Vista Medical Center East hospital where he died a week later.

Hanna, 45, was reported to have lunged at police with fists clenched yelling, “Shoot Me!” at which point he was restrained by police while they initiated multiple baton beatings and Taser shocks. At least 11 Taser marks were found on his body, according to the initial autopsy, despite police reports only mentioning two or three Taser attempts.

Originally previous Lake County coroner Artis Yancey had classified the death as “undetermined” saying a “combination of complications,” including “Acute and chronic cocaine abuse, physical trauma and restraint, Taser restraint, poorly controlled hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency,” all played a part; however, newly-elected coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd re-examined the evidence and has declared that Hanna would still be alive “but for the actions of police.”

“In making this judgment, I used the National Association of Medical Examiners Manner of Death Classification principle that states ‘but for the injury (or hostile environment), would the person have died when he or she did?’” Rudd stated, according to the Chicago Sun Times. “This logic is often cited as a way to determine whether a death should be classified as natural, or non-natural, i.e. homicide, accident, or suicide.”

“It must be emphasized that the classification of homicide for the purposes of death investigation is a neutral term and neither indicates nor implies criminal intent, which remains within the province of legal processes,” Rudd was quick to point out.

The original findings set off a wave of protests dedicated to seeking justice and accountability for Hannah.

The Sun Times reported that Officer Brandon Yost, a six-year police force veteran, was fired after an independent, internal investigation found that he had “lied when he said Hanna tried to bite and head-butt him and that he also lied on a Use of Force Report.” Another officer, Arthur Strong, was suspended for 30 days “for falsifying a report by claiming Hanna came out of the bedroom swinging a flashlight.” Five other officers involved in the incident are not mentioned in subsequent reports.

The new ruling lends credence to Hannah’s girlfriend Dionne Wilcox’s version of events.

Since that night, Wilcox and others have argued that Hannah’s death was misreported by police and members of her own family.

According to the Sun Times:

“She said Hanna had heard a rumor that she was cheating, and that after they argued, he slapped and punched her when she tried to leave the apartment.”

“Wilcox said she took a bath to calm down and that she and Hanna were sitting on the end of the bed in the dark when police broke through the apartment door with their guns drawn. Hanna did not yell “Shoot me, shoot me,” as officers reported, Wilcox said, but stood up and walked toward the door.”

In April 2012, a Freedom of Information Act request produced police audio of the event.

Cop lets drunk driver go because he knows her, then he runs over a citizen...


You pay this clowns salary ..............you put it up with it, they get away with it, its that simple.
 

NAPLES, FL -

A Naples Cop is under investigation for improper conduct for a fourth time.

15-year veteran Officer Ryan Schickfus was suspended in November after an internal investigation found he let an impaired driver off the hook because she was a former colleague of his.

Witness testimony and dash cam video from back in May revealed the woman was stumbling down Fifth avenue before getting into her car. She ended up driving the wrong way down the road, hitting a pedestrian and two cars.

The investigation found there was probable cause to arrest the driver, but Officer Schickfus let her go.

As a result, Officer Schickfus was suspended for 10 days without pay and taken off the night DUI detail.

While he was out patrolling on Monday, he hit a pedestrian on US-41.

A Collier County Sheriff's Office investigation found he was at fault for not yeilding. Now the Naples Police Department has opened another investigation into the officers behavior.

Schickfus was also suspended back in 2006 for improper conduct during a traffic stop. That same year he was investigated for speeding down Fifth Avenue to pull someone over, putting public safety at risk.

We asked Naples Police Chief Tom Weschler why Officer Schickfus hasn't been fired.

"That's one of the frustrations of police chiefs throughout the state of Florida," said Weschler.

"When you deal with these things you have to deal with progressive discipline, you have to deal with contracts, you have to deal with the Florida officers bill of rights and there's different levels that you can take on that and that's where we are in this situation."

Officer Schickfus has filed a grievance-- which is an appeal denying wrongdoing.

We reached out to him but he declined to comment.

ZPD OFFICER SUSPENDED 1 DAY.....that'll teach em

Where the hell is the US Justice Department? Why don't they do something?

Zanesville Public Safety Director Fred Buck says the punishment for the Zanesville Cop who fell asleep on the job has been determined.  Buck says after an internal investigation first year officer Kyle Brooks will be suspended for one day, unpaid.  Chief Eric Lambes handed down the punishment on Thursday a week after a photo of the sleeping officer turned up on Facebook and Twitter.  Buck says the officer was very remorseful and immediately admitted he has fallen asleep in his car a little after 5 a.m. at 6th and Main Streets. Brooks will serve the punishment next month after a built-in appeal process.

Cop charged with manslaughter in shooting death


Cop charged with manslaughter in shooting death

LITTLE ROCK, AR – An Alexander Cop who shot and killed a man during an arrest last September has been charged with manslaughter.

According to the Arkansas State Police, Officer Nancy Cummings encountered Carleton Wallace walking on Brookwood Road around 4:30pm Saturday, September 8th. During the subsequent arrest of Wallace, Cummings’ gun discharged, hitting Wallace.

Wallace was taken to Saline Memorial Hospital where he later died.

Cummings is scheduled to make her first appearance on Friday in Saline County District Court.

Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady tells Fox 16 that the charge of manslaughter was appropriate given the evidence collected during the investigation. In a statement, the family expressed confidence in Casady’s office and said they hope that he will “seek the maximum punishment allowable by law.”

Statement from the Wallace Family

We are relieved that the Saline County Prosecutor’s Office has affirmed what we have felt in our hearts – that our son did not need to die and that Officer Cumming’s actions were not in conformity with standard police practices. We have confidence in the ability of Mr. Cassidy’s office to vigorously and successfully prosecute Mr. Wallace’s killer and we hope he will seek the maximum punishment allowable by law.

We are also grateful to the Arkansas State Police for their thorough investigation into our son’s death. Since Carleton was killed on September 8, we have been in the dark waiting to hear the circumstances surrounding his death. The wait was heartbreaking, and sometimes painful, but we were willing to endure so that the truth would be uncovered.

Clearly, nothing is going to bring our son back. But we are gratified to know that at least there will be some accountability for Officer Cummings’s actions.

 

Reserve deputy placed on administrative leave


 

MUNCIE — A  Delaware County sheriff’s deputy was placed on administrative leave this week after Yorktown police said he fired several gunshots at his own pickup truck while intoxicated.

Thomas A. Smith, 29, Muncie, was taken into police custody after the Jan. 19 incident and was preliminarily charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, public intoxica¬tion and two counts of criminal mischief.

Yorktown Marshal Todd St. John said Smith, a military veteran, has since been admitted to the Marion VA Medical Center.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a report of gunshots fired brought Yorktown officers to the car wash in the 6200 block of West Kilgore Avenue about 5:55 a.m.

When an officer arrived at the scene, he observed a man later identified as Smith standing near the passenger side of his green Dodge Ram pickup truck, which was parked inside a wash bay with “several bullet holes in it.” Upon first contact with the officer, Smith vol¬untarily handed over his belt and holster that contained his Glock 40-caliber handgun, according to the report.

During an interview with Yorktown officers, Smith said he had been drink¬ing and was “upset about the direction his life was going” and was “taking it out” on his own vehicle by shooting it 10 to 15 times. A portable breath test mea¬sured Smith’s blood-alcohol content at 0.16 percent — twice the legal limit for motorists in Indiana.

The report indicated bullets fired by the reserve deputy’s gun also hit the car wash building, a nearby storage structure and a sport-utility vehicle parked across the street.

Delaware County Sheriff Mike Scroggins said his office will be conducting its own “in-depth internal investigation” into Smith’s actions. He has been placed on administrative leave as a reserve deputy and has since turned in his county- issued ID and keys, according to the sheriff.

Local court records reflect no recent charges or convictions for Smith

 

Trumbull Ct. Woman Charges Trumbull Cops with False Arrest



Virginia Silano, a paralegal, says a Trumbull officer did not treat her properly and later arrested her wrongfully, hurting her reputation and causing her legal fees.

A Trumbull woman is suing police over her Feb. 9, 2011, and June 2010 arrests by Trumbull police.

The plaintiff, Virginia Silano, said both incidents were reported on the Connecticut Judicial Branch Website and in the Trumbull Times, damaging her reputation.

A police spokesman declined to comment on the suit.

Silano, of West Lake Road, a paralegal for more than 23 years, said in the suit that she reported a man looking into her windows on Jan. 10, 2011.

Trumbull Officer Daniel Wheeler allegedly "presented himself as unstable, annoyed and biased in that he began to roll his eyes and shake his head as the plaintiff explained what had happened."

He also "made motions with his mouth to mock, intimidate and discourage the plaintiff to continue her complaint."

Wheeler recorded the interview, according to the suit.

Silano, "as a result of ... extreme fear and anxiety" caused by the underlying incident and the officer's alleged actions, then told Wheeler she would shoot the man if he entered her home, the suit states..

Silano added that she never told the man directly.

But the officer went to the man and repeated the statement, and asked him to make a statement if he wanted to press charges, according to Silano. The officer then applied for a warrant based on that statement and arrested her for second-degree threatening.

The case went to trial before a judge and she was not convicted. Silano, however, seeks more than $15,000 in damages for legal fees, and because she was "embarrassed, humiliated and held up to scorn in the legal industry," also hurting her chances for finding work.

idiots


Dion Anthony, Memphis cop, was allegedly caught getting it on in Memphis in March 2012...over the police radio.



In April 2012, Mike Eiskant, a former cop in Santa Fe, was allegedly caught on the dash cam in his own squad car having a graphic sexual conversation with himself and masturbating



In July 2012, Cop Jake Chustz resigned after he allegedly stole an iPhone from the scene of a drunk-driving crash in Baton Rouge.




In October 2011, Miami cop Fausto Lopez allegedly got into a high-speed car chase with officers after driving on a highway at 120 mph. Lopez speeding because he was late to his off-duty job working security at a school.


South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Arrested for Misconduct






A South Lake Tahoe Police Officer has been arrested on allegations of witness tampering and police misconduct both on and off-duty.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating 44-year-old John Gerald Poland or "Johnny" for three years.
Wednesday the FBI announced Poland was arrested on accusations of trying to keep witnesses from giving information or evidence in criminal investigations.
Investigators say other allegations include giving sensitive information about law enforcement to gang affiliates and sexual conduct with minors.
The FBI says the alleged misconduct happened over the course of several years, including during his time as a School Resource Office at South Tahoe High School.
Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get a mugshot of Poland at this time.

South Amboy woman sues Middlesex County sheriff's officer for false arrest, assault



SOUTH AMBOY — A city woman is seeking $2 million in damages from the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office and one of its officers she said assaulted her then falsely charged her with assaulting him.
Bridget Haymon, 38, filed suit earlier this month in U.S. District Court against Lawrence Madigan for allegedly attacking her when she attended a hearing at the Middlesex County Family Courthouse in New Brunswick in August.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office charged Madigan, 51, in November with filing a false police report, false swearing, simple assault and tampering with public records arising from the incident involving Haymon. Madigan, a 14-year veteran of the sheriff's office, was suspended without pay. All charges against Haymon were dropped.
The lawsuit says Haymon, who was at the courthouse on Aug. 1, 2012, left the courtroom when Madigan called her back. The suit said Madigan grabbed her arm “without a legitimate or legal reason or basis,” at which time Haymon tried to pull her arm away.
The complaint said Madigan “threw her to the ground, jumped on top of her, handcuffed her and arrested her.”
Madigan filed a report that said she assaulted him - a charge Madigan and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said was false.
Haymon has also included as defendants all of the sheriff’s officers, unnamed, who saw the incident.
Bryan Konoski, an attorney in New York who is representing Haymon, said the woman had never met Madigan and doesn’t know why he allegedly assaulted her.
“The officer just became aggressive with her for no reason,” Konoski said. “Then he doctored up the police reports to make it look like she assaulted him.”
The complaint said Haymon suffered multiple bodily injuries, including contusions, back pain and psychological injury as a result of the incident. Konoski said Haymon is currently receiving psychological therapy.
Haymon named the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office as a defendant because Madigan’s alleged actions occurred while he and the other officers were performing their official duties as security officers.
Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott said she couldn’t comment on the case “because it is in litigation.”
Madigan could not be reached for comment.

Ex-East Haven officer charged with illegal hunting/ federal racial profiling




EAST HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A former East Haven police officer charged in a federal racial profiling investigation has been arrested again for alleged illegal hunting and trespassing.
David Cari was one of four East Haven officers arrested by federal agents last year for allegedly abusing and violating the rights of Latinos. Cari and another officer are awaiting trial, while two other officers have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
An official with the Regional Water Authority told the New Haven Register that Cari illegally hunted deer and trespassed on the water authority's property around the Lake Saltonstall Reservoir near the East Haven-Branford line. State police arrested him last week.
Cari's lawyer couldn't be reached for comment.
Cari retired from the force two months after being arrested in the federal investigation.





Rude Galveston police officer suspended




GALVESTON – A Galveston police officer was placed on indefinite suspension without pay for alleged mistreatment of a woman who had requested police assistance, Police Chief Henry Porretto said Tuesday.
Officer Brandon Wade's suspension resulted from a complaint by a woman he was called to assist on Halloween, Porretto said.
"He went to a call and was basically rude and discourteous and he was loud," he said. "It's a tough deal but you can't be discourteous to the public."
An investigation into the allegations against Wade is under way and the results will be given to the District Attorney's Office, Porretto said.
Carolyn Wade, 59, filed a complaint accusing Wade of using profanity, grabbing her and forcibly handcuffing her after she sought police assistance in handling her granddaughter.
Porretto said other officers tried to intervene before a supervisor removed Wade from the scene and he was placed on administrative leave. He was later placed on indefinite suspension without pay.

Rude Galveston police officer suspended




GALVESTON – A Galveston police officer was placed on indefinite suspension without pay for alleged mistreatment of a woman who had requested police assistance, Police Chief Henry Porretto said Tuesday.
Officer Brandon Wade's suspension resulted from a complaint by a woman he was called to assist on Halloween, Porretto said.
"He went to a call and was basically rude and discourteous and he was loud," he said. "It's a tough deal but you can't be discourteous to the public."
An investigation into the allegations against Wade is under way and the results will be given to the District Attorney's Office, Porretto said.
Carolyn Wade, 59, filed a complaint accusing Wade of using profanity, grabbing her and forcibly handcuffing her after she sought police assistance in handling her granddaughter.
Porretto said other officers tried to intervene before a supervisor removed Wade from the scene and he was placed on administrative leave. He was later placed on indefinite suspension without pay.

Police Investigating mentally unstable Cop Who Killed Family, Then Himself




Investigators are probing the background of a Las Vegas police lieutenant who apparently killed his wife and son before setting his home on fire and taking his own life.
Police, firefighters and a SWAT team were called to a Boulder City, Nev., home Monday. The home, which is about 20 miles from Las Vegas, is owned by Hans P. Walters, 52, according to records from the Clark County Assessor's Office.
The names of the victims are expected to be released later today by the Clark County Coroner's Office.
The Henderson Police Department, along with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed the murder-suicide involved an off-duty, 52-year-old Las Vegas police lieutenant but did not release his name.
The events unfolded Monday morning when a man called 911 to say he had killed his wife and son, according to a news release from the Henderson Police Department, which is leading the investigation, since it has greater resources than Boulder City.
The caller said he was "going to set his house on fire and harm any officer that came to the home," the news release said.
When Boulder City police arrived, they saw a man standing in the doorway of the house, appearing to hold a handgun, according to Henderson police.
"The man refused to follow officers' commands and went back into the house. It is likely he then killed himself," according to the release.
SWAT officers were called to the scene and entered the home, where they found a man, woman and child dead.
The Boulder City and Henderson fire departments were called to the scene to battle the blaze.
"It's sad," a neighbor who lived across the street from the family told ABCNews.com, adding he "didn't really know them."
When Sheriff Douglas Gillespie of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police confirmed the killings, fire and suicide on Monday in a brief news conference, he assured the families and friends of the victims, "We will stand by your side and move through this unspeakable grief and support you any way we can." 

California protest rally slams recurring police brutality



A protest rally against police brutality in western US city of Long Beach has been waged after parents of a young suspect shot by police were barred from visiting their critically wounded son.
A group of community activists in the California city staged the rally outside St. Mary’s Medical Center on Sunday to protest police brutality by Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) for refusing to allow the parents of the 22-year-old Cambodian suspect, Sokha Hor, to visit their son, who was shot and critically injured by LBPD officers on January 7.
Although the activists declared victory when the police department finally allowed the Cambodian-born parents of the seriously injured man to visit their son, they expressed extreme anger at the brutal manner in which the police denied visitation rights to Hor’s parents for nearly two weeks.
According to Hor’s mother, Yorn Eng, Long Beach police officers gave her contradictory information regarding her son’s condition and one cop told her “We’ll contact you if he dies,” when she demanded to visit her reportedly dying son.
The harsh police response, according to local news reports, prompted groups such as the Long Beach Campaign to Stop Police Violence and anti-war, pro-social justice ANSWER LA to launch an Internet campaign via email and social networking sites as well as the protest rally on Sunday to press police authorities to allow the Cambodian native’s parents to visit him.
The incident represents the latest in a string of cases of excessive force by LBPD officers, who were involved in seven shootings last year, four of which were fatal.

Brooklyn Protesters Allege Police Brutality, Anti-LGBT Slurs in Arrest of Jabbar Campbell




In Brooklyn, a group of demonstrators marched to the police precinct in the neighborhood of Crown Heights to demand justice in the case of Jabbar Campbell, an African-American man who has accused officers from the New York City Police Department of a hate crime. Campbell says he was hosting a party for gay and lesbian friends at his home earlier this month when he was confronted by police. Surveillance footage from Campbell’s apartment shows officers tampering with and turning around the camera monitoring his doorstep. Moments later, Campbell says he was brutally beaten and called anti-LGBT slurs. On Monday, Campbell address supporters outside the precinct.



Florida cops Abuse Database. 400% Increase in Officers Involved Since 2011.






From the Orlando Sentinel:

Florida’s driver-and-vehicle database, the system that can help law enforcement identify victims of fatal crashes and decipher the identity of a suspect, can be a useful tool for cops.

But the system — known as D.A.V.I.D., for Driving and Vehicle Information Database — can also be easily abused.

Data obtained by the Orlando Sentinel show the number of Florida law-enforcement officers suspected of misusing D.A.V.I.D. skyrocketed last year.

At least 74 law enforcers were suspected of misusing D.A.V.I.D. in 2012, a nearly 400 percent increase from 2011, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Officers who needlessly pull information or photographs from D.A.V.I.D. that would otherwise be private could face criminal charges, sanctions or disciplinary action.

And yet the temptation of looking up a relative, a celebrity’s address or a romantic interest is too great for some law enforcers.

Florida Police Abuse Database. 400% Increase in Officers Involved Since 2011. is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net