Detective shoots shoplifter who runs him down www.privateofficer.com

DELRAY BEACH FLA. Nov. 18, 2007 — A Delray Beach police detective shot and wounded a fleeing shoplifter Friday morning and was injured himself when the shoplifter drove her car into him as she made her escape, police said.
After Darlene Rawls, 37, shoplifted a $40 bathrobe from Linens ‘n Things, she refused to give up peacefully when a detective cornered her on Linton Boulevard and Southwest Fourth Avenue, police said. Rawls reversed, then drove forward, striking the detective and injuring his knee. He got off one shot, which struck Rawls’ left forearm before entering her abdomen.
Rawls sped off in a gold, late-model Mitsubishi Galant, a rental car, as the detective got off the ground and pursued her in his car. She eluded him, but when she got out at Bethesda Medical Center, police caught up with her, said officer Jeff Messer, police spokesman.
Rawls’ wound was not life-threatening. She was taken to Delray Medical Center before doctors released her and police took her into custody. She admitted to the crime, Messer said.
The detective, whose name was not released, may have sustained ligament damage to his right knee when the Galant hit him, police said. After quitting the pursuit, he returned to the police station and was taken to Delray Medical Center for treatment. He was later released.
The detective believed his life was in danger when he opened fire, Messer said.
He was placed on paid administrative leave, a routine move whenever an officer fires a weapon.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading an investigation into the shooting.
The incident began when Rawls, of West Palm Beach, and at least one man and one other woman were seen shoplifting a $40 bathrobe from Linens ‘n Things in The Plaza at Delray in the 1600 block of South Federal Highway, Messer said.
Rawls, who has been arrested 18 times in Florida on charges that include shoplifting and larceny, made off with the bathrobe, but she and the other shoplifters didn’t get far, police said.
Store workers called police, and the detective spotted Rawls turning out of the parking lot onto westbound Linton Boulevard. He pulled his car in front of the Galant near the intersection of Linton Boulevard and Southwest Fourth Avenue, and it stopped. The lights on his car were flashing. He stepped out and identified himself as a police officer, his badge visible, Messer said.
Rawls’ eyes met the detective’s, Messer said, and then she turned and said something to the other people in the car.
That’s when she reversed, pulled forward and tried to drive around the detective, hitting him, and taking a bullet before she could get away.
Authorities were looking for the other people in the Galant, believed to be as many as two men and one other woman. Police believe one of the men in the car may have shown up after the shoplifting incident. They also were searching for the Galant, which probably has a broken windshield from either the bullet or the impact with the detective, Messer said.
Rawls already had a warrant out for her arrest on a charge of uttering a forged instrument, police said. She was expected to be booked into the Palm Beach County Jail.
The shooting, which caused authorities to shut down westbound Linton Boulevard from Southwest Fourth Avenue to Old Dixie Highway, also resulted in a second arrest.
As the incident unfolded, Delray Beach police sent out an alert to other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the Galant.
Boynton Beach police officer Rachel Loy spotted a silver Mitsubishi Galant and tried to pull over the car, but the driver, Kashus Davis, 22, of Boynton Beach, did not stop, police said.
He drove off, tried to run away and was finally tasered before police found crack cocaine in his car and took him to jail on various charges.

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Gum thief faces robbery charges by; Rick McCann www.privateofficer.com

Staten Island N.Y. Nov. 18, 2007

A Staten Island man went wholesale shoplifting at a CVS in Great Kills yesterday, walking out of the store with over 100 packs of gum stuffed down his pants, police said.
But his half-witted crime took a serious turn when he pulled a steak knife on a pair of employees who followed him into the parking lot, then led police on a chase down Arthur Kill Road, and into a shed in the backyard of a Brookfield Avenue home, according to court documents.
Now, instead of just petit larceny, 34-year-old Esh McIntosh, a Stapleton resident, faces a first- degree robbery charge — which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. McIntosh was also charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal trespass and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
According to criminal records, McIntosh has no recent arrests in Staten Island, and would have likely been facing a fine and probation had he just admitted to a shoplifting charge.
Police sources said they are also stumped by the crime.
“What exactly was he going to do with all that gum, anyway? That’s a lot of chewing,” one said.

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Shoplifter steals car with children in it www.privateofficer.com

Greece, N.Y. Nov. 19 2007– Police have apprehended a shoplifting suspect wanted for stealing a car with two children inside from the parking lot at the BJ’s Wholesale Club on Bellwood Drive in Greece.
Greece Police said, shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, store security confronted Geraldine Motzer, 41, of Brockport, in a car after she left the store with a television set.
As the car’s driver spoke to security, Motzer got in a mini van that was running as the owner was loading it with groceries. She then took off in the van with two children inside.
Motzer dropped the children off on a porch at a home in Rochester. The homeowners called 911 to report that the children were there.
Rochester Police helped find the mini-van and Motzer was arrested.
Motzer faces several charges including robbery, grand larceny, kidnapping, and reckless endangerment.
She is currently on parole for grand larceny and has been remanded to Monroe County Jail without bail.

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Target has their own crime lab! www.privateofficer.com

MINNEAPOLIS Mn. Nov. 19 2007― When people talk about Target, most people think about the retail stores festooned with red bull’s-eye symbols. But did you know the Minnesota retail giant is also known around the world for its focus on solving crimes?
Target’s crime lab and forensic experts often provide the missing link to connect killers to their crimes.Their lab, which was designed to conquer more petty crimes committed in their own stores, is not run by law enforcement. However they now provide help solving crimes to police.To date, Target has offered assistance to more than 100 different agencies.
They don’t charge a dime. All they ask for is a department patch in return.The Dru Sjodin case was one of the first Target was consulted on. Some of her last moments were caught on tape. So were the movements of her convicted killer.”There’s no way of knowing what’s actually inside of his mind, but obviously he makes some observation towards that camera that’s up in the ceiling,” said a crime lab employee. “Not all the cases we work on have happy endings.”
This proved to be the case with Sjodin, whose body was found in a ravine months after she vanished. The surveillance video was a key piece of evidence in the prosecution of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.”This was very important because it showed Alfonso in close proximity to the area of the disappearance,” said the employee.Rick Lautenbach, who manages the Target Forensic Service Lab here and in Las Vegas, said “When there’s a serious crime that perhaps we can help with and we have the means to do it, it’s important for us to be able to do that when we can.”
Most of the people running the lab are former law enforcement. Brent Pack is a former special agent with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command. Earlier this year, he helped police put Anthony Albert Gomez behind bars.”One of the best things I like about the job is finding that one piece of evidence, that one thing that ties in a criminal to the crime,” said Pack, now a senior investigator with Target Forensic Services.Gomez had recorded images of himself beheading a girl’s dog, before he left it on her doorstep in a box. When police arrested him, they called Target to get the images off his phone. Faced with the evidence, Gomez pleaded guilty.”It was gratifying to see his face in the paper not too long ago,” said Pack.
Target doesn’t limit their scope to simply cracking cases in Minnesota. The impact of its crime lab spans the globe. Take, for instance, the murder of Kamila Garsztka, whose body was found floating in a marina in England. Her purse was found in her boyfriend’s apartment.Using video of Garsztka from cameras positioned all around the city, Casey Cottle spent over 80 hours enhancing and analyzing shades of color on her coat.”This light area goes all the way up over the shoulder. So it couldn’t be just a part of the jacket,” said Cottle. “There’s definitely something on the shoulder and to the investigation and in trial, that was a huge part.”Amilton Bento got a life sentence.Target estimates law enforcement cases make up about 30 percent of the lab’s case load, and the rest focus on issues closer to the core of its business. Occasionally there is crossover.”If we can offer the same level of scientific ability to answer the questions that are before the court, or the questions investigators have, we want to be able to do that,” said Lautenbach.That is a mission statement Target plans to validate far into the future.”I know from being here 12 years that Target is sincere. If all companies did what we do, that would be really powerful,” said Lautenbach.With all the sophisticated technology, some customers might wonder if Target is collecting information on its shoppers. While Target has security cameras, like everyone else, they emphasized to us they only use their lab to focus on criminal activity, not people’s buying habits.

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Kasey Kahne Scuffles With Security www.privateofficer.com

NASCAR DRIVER INVOLVED IN INCIDENT WITH SECURITY www.privateofficer.com

HOMESTEAD, Fla. Nov. 18 2007 – Police are investigating an incident that took place Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway involving NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne and an unidentified security guard.
A spokesman for Kahne said the Nextel Cup star was rushing to his motorhome in a secure lot at the track following Friday’s final practice when he was stopped by the guard, who refused to let Kahne through the entrance without a credential.
Kahne, still in his driving uniform, attempted to walk around the guard and, according to the spokesman, the two bumped and, when Kahne turned around, the guard was on the ground.
Police were called and Kahne spent several minutes in handcuffs before being released. The security guard was checked and released at the infield medical center.
A police spokesman said the incident is under investigation by detectives and he was not at liberty to talk about specifics.
Kahne took part in Saturday’s Cup practices and will start today’s season-ending Ford 400 third in the 43-car field.

This incident remains under investigation by police, track officials and Nascar and could develope into a further story. http://www.privateofficer.com/ will be watching this story and as it developes we will send you breaking news!

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Under 10 and under arrest for rape www.privateofficer.com

8, 9 year olds charged in rape case www.privateofficer.com

Acworth GA. Nov. 19 2007

Acworth police Monday were investigating the alleged rape last week of an 11-year-old girl by 8- and 9-year-old playmates.
The mother of the victim reported the incident on Sunday, Acworth police Capt. Wayne Dennard said.

The juvenile victim stated that an 8-year-old boy and two 9-year-old boys, that she had been playing with earlier, pulled her into a wooded area, where one of the boys raped her,” Dennard said.
Dennard said the incident allegedly occurred on Thursday.
All three boys, whose names were being withheld because of their age, were taken into custody overnight and taken to the Cobb County Youth Detention Center, charged with rape, kidnapping and other charges.

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Cops use tattoo parlor to bust gangs www.privateofficer.com

Augusta Ga. Nov. 19, 2007

Police in Augusta, Georgia hit upon a brilliant idea to catch gangbangers: just open a tattoo parlor and watch criminals walk in to sell their illegal weapons! The tattoo parlor was the brainchild of Richmond County Sheriff Ron Strength, who wanted to snuff out gangs carrying out violent crimes in his east Georgia community.
The idea was to create a place where the gang members would feel right at home, said sheriff’s Lt. Scott Peebles. And that they did.”We put the idea in their heads that there’s no way these guys are in law enforcement,” he said. Business was slow at first, but then things took off. Gang members soon began dropping in to sell guns, drugs and even stolen cars, authorities said. Every transaction was recorded by surveillance cameras around the store. Soon the shop had so much business the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office had to call in reinforcements from the ATF.
Four federal agents helped the sheriff’s deputies man the counters; others worked behind the scenes. Vanessa McLemore, ATF special agent in charge, said the teams had to coordinate their behaviors so it seemed like they fit in the store. “They spent a lot of time together learning each other’s mannerisms, learning each other’s body language. It had to be a brotherhood,” she said. On the store counter was a jar of colored markers to invite clients to write their favorite gang affiliation on the wall. Peebles said agents used the wall for intelligence. “At the very least we got names,” he said. The shop even put up its’ own MySpace page. “You think it, we ink it” was the MySpace slogan. It featured the back of a tattooed man, and below in large red letters agents told visitors to the site, “We buy what others won’t.” (cnn)

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Grenade wielding robber captured www.privateofficer.com

Monday, November 19, 2007

Grenade wielding robber captured www.privateofficer.com

MILWAUKEE WI. Nov. 19, 2007 A grenade-wielding thief robbed one hotel and threatened a college student Sunday afternoon before police arrested him during a robbery attempt at a second hotel.
The man walked into the Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown Milwaukee about 3 p.m. and waved the grenade, which police said turned out to be inert. He demanded money and fled on foot toward nearby Marquette University with an undisclosed amount.
Once on campus, he brandished the grenade and a knife at a student in a campus parking structure, authorities said.
He demanded the female’s keys and ordered her to get into her car with him. The student fled and called campus security from a nearby phone.
Security officers and Milwaukee police responded within minutes and cleared the parking structure.
The suspect fled on foot and tried to hold up a Doubletree Hotel about 7 p.m. where he was arrested, police said.

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