Security officer fatally shoots man www.privateofficer.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. May 17 2008 A security officer fatally shot a man at a south Nashville shopping complex overnight, police said.
Metro police said the guard, Jeremy Holmes, 28, was telling people to leave the Marathon Sports Bar at Nipper’s Corner, when he got into an argument with the victim and the victim’s friend.
Police are investigating the incident as a homicide, but said Holmes, employed by Security Wise Protective Services, may have been justified in firing his gun.
Holmes said the men began to argue and refused to leave the area. Police said that is when the security guard pulled out his gun.
The passenger then jumped out of the car, but Holmes said the driver continued arguing with him and started aggressively backing the car out, like he might run over him.
Holmes said he feared for his life, and then shot the man.
After firing, the driver tried to drive away, but crashed his car into a pole at a nearby shopping center parking lot.
Authorities said the victim was not armed, but it still could be a justifiable shooting.
“He’s a trained armed security guard. He’s not going to go out with the intent to harm someone or to injure someone unless there is some type of provocation or unless he’s in fear of his life,” said Detective Brad Corcoran of the Metro Police Department.
Police are not releasing the victim’s name until his family is notified.
There were several witnesses who also re-enacted what they saw, backing up the security guard’s story that the driver was attempting to hit Holmes.
Holmes has been a licensed guard for three years and has no criminal history.
Police have not charged him but have not ruled out that possibility. All of the evidence will be turned over to grand jury.

An autopsy will also be performed on the victim.
Holmes has been placed on administrative leave.

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Charlotte NC has new police chief www.privateofficer.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. May 17 2008 Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton announced today after a five-month comprehensive search process that Rodney Monroe will be the new Chief of Police for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Monroe was one of three candidates selected as finalists for interviews with the City Manager and invited to Charlotte to participate in a public forum held May 13.
Monroe will have his hands full overseeing CMPD’s 2,000 employees, which is twice the number of employees in Richmond’s Police department.
Charlotte City councilman Warren Turner said Monroe was the best candidate for the job because of his record speaks for itself.
“His track record of success, being successful with gangs, being successful with street crimes, being successful with bringing the homicide rate down,” said Turner. While in Richmond, Monroe created a dedicated homicide unit. As a result, the homicide rate plummeted 33 percent to a 26 year low in a city that was once in the top five for most murders nationwide.
Monroe also held city-wide problem solving sessions where citizens and police worked together to craft plans of action to address crime issues. Those sessions helped Monroe create more accountability within Richmond’s police department.
As chairman of the council’s public safety committee, Turner is also looking forward to working closely with Monroe who will be the city’s first African-American police chief.
Turner said, “It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be something that happens overnight. This is not Christmas and we can’t expect Santa Clause to drop in and give you this wonderful gift.”
Monroe embodies the qualities and characteristics identified in the profile developed for the next Chief of Police. These included offering the citizens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg aggressive and effective leadership and programming needed to address potential increases in crime rates; a strong commitment to customer service; dedication to policing that involves the community; and understanding of the importance in managing crime, public order and traffic safety issues.
Additionally, the next Chief of Police will have broad experience in all areas of municipal policing including patrol, criminal investigation and administration with an established record of effectively managing the activities and functions of a police department, all of which Monroe’s has had experience.
“Rodney Monroe personifies every aspect of the ideal Police Chief especially as a strong communicator, says City Manager Curt Walton. “He also has an extraordinary passion for law enforcement and prevention that makes a community a better place to live.”
When City of Charlotte officials conducted a site visit in Richmond, VA, they were consistently informed by citizens, business and civic leaders that they have the highest degree of respect and admiration for Monroe. His talents, skills and attributes include being a team player, inclusiveness, high-integrity, building rapport with citizens, intelligence, collaboration, promoting change, accessibility and toughness when necessary.
Monroe began his policing career in 1979 as a police officer with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, rising to Assistant Chief of Police, the department’s second highest sworn rank. In May 2001, he became Chief of Police for the Macon, Georgia Police Department, and in 2005 was recruited to the City of Richmond to lead the Richmond Police Department.
As Police Chief of the City of Richmond he created a dedicated homicide unit and started the Cooperative Violence Reduction Partnership (CVRP) with prosecutorial and correctional agencies. During his tenure as Chief the number of homicides in Richmond decreased by 33 percent and Richmond was no longer on the list of top five cities with the highest murder rate during his tenure, representing a 26-year all time low.
“The chance to be the next Chief of Police of Charlotte-Mecklenburg is one of a lifetime, says Rodney Monroe. “I have admired all that Charlotte has accomplished and respected CMPD from afar, and now I have the opportunity to take a great organization to the next level creating an even safer community for citizens.”
Chief Monroe will begin his position here in Charlotte no later than June 16, 2008. The exact date is yet undetermined, so as to give Chief Monroe and the City of Richmond time to work out the details for the transition.

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Border agent arrested for smuggling 100 people www.privateofficer.com

EL PASO, Texas – May 17 2008
Border Patrol agent Jesus Huizar along with two other people are sitting in jail charged with smuggling more than 100 illegal immigrants.
Those who live on the 9000 block of Geranium say the house at 9072 Geranium, that ICE agents said was used as a safe house for illegal immigrants, seemed suspicious to them.
“Basically people were always just coming and leaving, and there was just different cars, different people, it did look pretty suspicious,” said Darlene Brown who lives right next store to the alleged illegal immigrant safe house. “I was pretty shocked because I always notice suspicious activity next store, but I would have never thought it would be that.”
ICE agents say 28-year-old Huizar is a Border Patrol agent in Las Cruces.
“[He] is suspected of having allowed more than 100 illegal aliens past his checkpoint in New Mexico in exchange for $500 a piece,” said Leticia Zamarripa with ICE.
ICE officials said after Huizar let the immigrants through the checkpoint, someone would take the immigrants to the safe house in the Lower Valley owned by Huizar. ICE agents said Huizar ran the smuggling ring along with two men from Chihuahua City since January of 2005.
All three men have been charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. Huizar, if convicted, could face up to 30 years in federal prison.
ICE also released to KFOX the following statement: “ICE is relentless in identifying and arresting corrupt federal officers who stray from their charge of enforcing the rule of law and protecting the homeland. We will continue to work diligently with our federal law enforcement partners to assure the American public that we will maintain the public’s trust.”

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Airport police officer injured www.privateofficer.com

St. Louis Mo. May 17 2008

St. Louis Police officer is in critical condition after he was hit by a car at Lambert International Airport.
The accident happened around 8: 30 a.m. Thursday on Lambert Airport Road near the East Terminal.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Marvin Haley, an 8 year veteran of the police force, was conducting a security detail when a woman driving a maroon car struck the officer’s car and then hit the officer.
The woman then veered off the road and hit a tree. Both were transported to area hospitals.
The female driver is in surgery. Officer Haley was taken to SSM DePaul Health Center where he is in critical condition. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating.

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Security officer shot cleaning gun www.privateofficer.com

Security officer shoots self cleaning gun www.privateofficer.com

ROCKFORD IL May 17 2008
A security guard cleaning his gun accidentally shot himself Tuesday night.

The 30-year-old guard suffered a nonlife-threatening wound to his upper right thigh, police said.“

In order to break down the gun, on some models you have to engage the trigger,” said Lt. Tom Coe.

“Unfortunately, there was still a bullet in the chamber.

”The security officer was sitting in his car outside of a Boeing Drive manufacturing plant when the gun went off.He was taken to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center.

His condition and name was not available

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Terrorist joke backfires www.privateofficer.com

“Terrorist joke” backfires on plane’s jokester www.privateofficer.com

Atlanta Ga. May 17 2008
Some jokes just don’t get a laugh. Some even get you kicked off airplanes.
Abigail Foldi, a 24-year-old Ohio woman, was detained by police at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport last week after text-messaging her sister that a terrorist was on her AirTran flight en route to Atlanta.
Airline officials and Atlanta police didn’t “LOL” (text shorthand: laugh out loud).
Foldi, of Adena, Ohio, didn’t get arrested, but was detained and missed her connecting flight to Pittsburgh. She had to take another flight the next morning.
“It was a stupid move on her part to send something like that,” AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said. “These days, we don’t play around with anything regarding security or safety.”
Foldi, reached by phone Wednesday, declined to comment.
Foldi’s sister had dropped her off at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport on April 30 for a flight to Atlanta, Hutcheson said. After Foldi boarded the plane, she texted her sister, Hutcheson said.
The message sent Foldi’s sister into a panic; she returned to the airport and notified police, Hutcheson said.
The text prompted a flurry of phone calls. Airport police notified the Transportation Security Administration, which notified AirTran officials, who called Atlanta police, Hutcheson said.
By that time, Foldi’s plane already had landed in Atlanta, safe and sound. AirTran officials caught up to her as she was about to step on another plane to Pittsburgh.
“We just asked her to step aside and to please see the police officer,” Hutcheson said.
Police soon learned that Foldi had sent a follow-up text to her sister, saying that she was just kidding, but it took a while to arrive in the sister’s phone.
Hutcheson said this isn’t the first time airline passengers have sent joke text messages about terrorists. But, usually the culprits are teenage boys, he said.
“A 24-year-old girl is pretty rare,” Hutcheson said. “I hope she’s learned her lesson.”

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Temple University shooting leaves 1 shot, security booth riddled with holes www.privateofficer.com

Philadelphia Pa. May 17 2008

A 19-year-old woman was in critical condition today after she was shot during a domestic dispute last night near the Temple University campus.
Police were searching for the gunman, identified as Marshall Thomas, 19, of the 900 block of Brown Street in North Philadelphia.
Lt. Frank Vanore of Philadelphia Police Department’s Public Affairs Unit said it was unclear whether the gunman was aiming at the victim or his estranged girlfriend as he argued with the two women at 15th and Norris Streets.
“It was a domestic argument,” Vanore said. “He is considered armed and dangerous.”
None of those involved are Temple students, authorities said. Police did not release the names of the women. The victim, shot in the chest, leg and hand, was taken to Temple University Hospital.
Police said bullets narrowly missed the victim’s friend, a security officer employed by Allied Barton Security who works at Temple. Police said she was sitting inside a Temple security booth that was penetrated by several bullets.
Police said they believe that the security officer had a relationship with Thomas and that the couple may have had a child together.
Police said the incident began about 11:35 p.m. at the normally quiet intersection, which is bordered by university athletic fields and the student pavilion.
Although the shooting scene was not part of the campus, campus and city police quickly began working together.
“We’re closely integrated with the community,” said Temple spokesman Rick Betzner. “It’s the northwest edge of campus.”
This afternoon, traffic was busy at Temple dorms near the crime scene as students packed up for summer break.
Some students said they had not heard about the shooting, while others thought they should have been notified by the university.
“They should have told us to be on the lookout or to stay inside,” said sophomore James Scott.
“It’s pretty scary. It’s in an area where we walk all the time,” said freshman Stephanie Levy. She said the campus is well-patrolled by police and security. “When I walk around campus, I don’t ever feel threatened or scared.”
Betzner said that after police determined the nature of the argument, there was no need to send out an alert.
“We didn’t feel there was a threat to our students,” Betzner said. “We’ll all feel better when he’s arrested.”
A statement posted on Temple’s Web site said “police quickly determined the shooting was not random and there was no additional threat to the campus community.
“Temple has a comprehensive emergency alert system to communicate with students, faculty, staff and the university community in the case of a critical event or disaster. Given that this was determined to be a contained incident, the decision was made not to implement the alert system.”
University surveillance cameras recorded the gunman fleeing on a bike.
In the meantime, the District Attorney’s Office approved charges against Thomas that include attempted murder, aggravated assault and firearms violations.
Anyone with information of Thomas’ whereabouts is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.

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Father and son busted for shoplifter www.privateofficer.com

Father and son busted for shoplifting www.privateofficer.com

FRAMINGHAM Ma. May 17 2008
A Framingham father and son were arrested Monday after police say they went shoplifting together.
Donald Stratton, 43, and his son, Patrick, 17, were arrested at 8:32 p.m. and charged with stealing three shirts from Filene’s Basement on Cochituate Road, police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany said.
Store security saw the elder Stratton remove three shirts, worth $104, from a rack, shove them down his pants and leave without paying for them.
The men crossed Rte. 30 and the elder Stratton pulled the shirts out of his pants and handed them to his son, police said. Patrick Stratton put one of the shirts on and then put a sweatshirt over it while his father went into Lowe’s. Patrick Stratton sat in front of Target.
Police arrived at Target and arrested the son, while other officers went into Lowe’s to arrest the father.
Donald Stratton, of 605 Concord St., was charged with shoplifting of property worth more than $100, a third offense. His son was charged with shoplifting of property worth more than $100.
The Strattons pleaded not guilty at their Framingham District Court arraignments yesterday and were released without bail. They are due back in court June 5 for a pretrial conference.

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Burglars strike gold at JC Penney stores www.privateofficer.com

Orange County Ca. May 17 2008

Break-ins have been rising along with the metal’s price. Jewelry worth $2.5 million has been stolen in the last 18 months in heists up and down California.

The first break-in took place in September 2006, when gold was selling for about $587 an ounce. The thieves lay low until last December before striking again, perhaps enticed by the price of gold hovering around $800 an ounce.

As the price of the precious metal continued to zoom to more than $1,000 an ounce, the thieves’ activity increased until they had stolen about $2.5 million worth of gold jewelry from 11 JCPenney stores throughout California.

It’s a strange series of crimes, to target only JCPenney stores,” said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

“Then they steal only the gold and don’t even touch the more expensive jewelry.”The first store to get hit was in Palm Desert. After a 15-month break, the thieves broke into the JCPenney in Westminster. Since Jan. 3, stores have been burglarized in Thousand Oaks, Northridge, Santa Ana, Escondido and El Cajon.

The two latest burglaries occurred Friday, when three thieves broke into the Laguna Hills store about 2:30 a.m. and then traveled about 35 miles south to Carlsbad, where they struck 90 minutes later.

This was the second time they had broken into two stores on the same day, committing burglaries in the Northern California communities of Cupertino and Pleasanton on Jan. 26. Authorities have tied the same gang to the burglaries because of the similarity of the heists. Typically, two to four masked burglars break into a store in the early-morning hours.

Although alarms are triggered, the thieves work quickly, forcing open or smashing the display cases and taking only gold jewelry, police said. Carlsbad Police Lt. Kelly Cain said the thieves were so brazen that they were not deterred even when store janitors stumbled onto the burglaries.”JCPenney officials have told us they’ve been interrupted by the janitorial staff on two occasions, and they still continued” with the burglaries, he said.

“They’re probably very experienced criminals who case their targets and are very committed to their cause.” Although the thieves have not brandished weapons during the break-ins, Cain said they are considered dangerous because they do not seem concerned by being seen breaking into display cases.

Video from the Laguna Hills theft shows three people wearing gloves, ski masks and dark clothing running through the store with crowbars they had used to pry open and break display cases.

They stashed the jewelry inside cloth bags. Amormino said investigators believed the burglars hid inside the Laguna Hills store until it closed because there was no sign of forced entry. Police said the store in Carlsbad was broken into.

The thieves appear “to know their business” because the jewelry they take is difficult to trace even if it is fenced, Amormino said. Investigators believe the gold probably is being melted down and sold.”Gold has been selling at $1,000 an ounce or so,” he said. “We think that’s the motivation” for the burglaries. The metal was selling for about $870 an ounce Tuesday. Why JCPenney? Why not a well-known jewelry store such as Tiffany or a more upscale department store such as Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue?

Amormino said investigators believe the thieves may include an employee or former employee who is familiar with store security.

Whoever they are, Escondido Police Lt. Craig Carter said, “they appear to be very confident in what they’re doing” and leave virtually no traceable evidence behind. J.C. Penney Co. officials did not return calls seeking comment, but police officials said the company was offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

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Shoplifter stabs security agent with pen www.privateofficer.com

Palm Beach Fla. May 17 2008

Police responding to a local store on a call of a shoplifter and a fight found a female shoplifter resisting store security personnel.
According to police, Melanie Hayward, 25, stabbed a Wal-Mart security agent with a pen when he tried to stop her from using stolen credit cards, according to deputies.
Hayward, who is listed as a prostitute in police records, is charged with aggravated battery, fraudulent use of a credit card, unauthorized possession of a driver license, burglary and grand theft auto.
She was supposed to go before a judge on Thursaday but said she was sick and the hearing was rescheduled for Friday.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Hayward went to the Wal-Mart on North Congress Avenue in Lake Park on Wednesday at 9:50 a.m. and tried to buy $334.38 of merchandise with another woman’s stolen credit cards. She then provided the cashier with that woman’s license and the cashier rejected it, saying Hayward did not look like the woman in the picture.
Hayward tried to take the cards back and bolted for the door with security pursuing after her. When the officer she described as a “big man” tried to stop her, she stabbed him with a pen in the chest and left arm, then bit him several times in his lower legs, according to the arrest report.
She later told police that earlier that day, she and a friend smoked crack and then broke into an apartment in West Palm Beach to steal a purse containing the credit cards, as well as the Volvo she drove to the store.
Hayward has been arrested several times including two years ago on November 14, 2005 for smothering her 2 month old baby during a drug induced haze. She avoided jail in that crime as the courts showed mercy and prosecutors declined to file manslaughter charges against her.
Police had also charged Hayward’s mother, Cynthia Hayward, who police reports also list as a prostitute, with neglect of a child causing great bodily harm a few days after the boy’s death, citing deplorable conditions and drug use inside the one-room boarding house where they all lived. Those charges were also dropped.

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Security officer comes under gunfire www.privateofficer.com

Pine Ridge SC May 17 2008 A security officer working at a local mine said that he came under fire and isn’t sure what the shooters intentions were.”Pretty scary, yeah, pretty scary,” recalled James Puryear, 48, who was actually on his first night there acting as security.

“I saw a flashlight coming through the woods, that’s how I knew they were coming and just kept waiting on ‘em to come down the hill and never came down the hill and they just started firing.”Puryear says it’s possible the perpetrators didn’t even see him.

“I was all scared, didn’t know what it was. Once I realized it was bullets coming, then, yeah, I got nervous,” he said. “I didn’t want to get shot.”After the unknown shooters unloaded several rounds – narrowly missing Puryear – he did the only think he could. “I said, ‘Hey, what are y’all doing?

This is private property. You need to leave,’” he explained.The shooting took place at Columbia Silica’s Dixiana Mine and is just one of several attacks at the property.
“He could’ve been shot,” said Pine Ridge Police Chief Elizabeth Wright. “He could’ve been killed, and we’re constantly having problems with this location with trespassing and that type of stuff and we’re just concerned for public safety.

“She said that this reckless behavior could lead to other, more serious crimes. “I’d like to find out who they are, for someone to come forward, give us the information,” Wright said. “We need to follow up on the investigation and make the necessary charges and to avoid anyone from getting hurt in the future.”"I want ‘em to come forward and let ‘em tell me they’re sorry and they didn’t know nobody was down here and they won’t do it again,” Puryear added.

That mine backs up to the Charwood subdivision, so the chief believes the shooters may come from there.

If you know who they are, please call Crimestoppers at 1-888-559-TIPS.

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University teacher arrested www.privateofficer.com

University teacher arrested for harrassment www.privateofficer.com

BATON ROUGE, La. May 17 2008 A former college basketball player and current teacher at the Southern University Lab School has been arrested. Thirty four year-old Aaron J. Hammond is accused of sexually harassing two 16-year-old students and having pornography on his classroom computer.
Southern University Police arrested Hammond on a count of indecent behavior with juveniles.
Hammond, a 1992 graduate of Southern Lab who had been a teacher there since August, taught algebra I and physical science to middle school students. Southern University spokesman Ed Pratt says Hammond was also the assistant coach of the high school boys’ basketball team.
Authorities say a 16-year-old girl contacted a university police on April 14th.

She reported that Hammond had told her she was a “little sexy thing.” Later in the day, that victim returned to the officer with another girl who also said Hammond had acted inappropriately with her.
After word of the investigation circulated around campus, Police say several other students told the officer they had seen Hammond looking at pornography on his computer during class.

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