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Security officer shoots, kills attacker www.privateofficer.com
A security guard working night patrol at the Adventure City amusement park shot and killed a man who had hit him in the head.
The shooting took place at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Starr Street in Stanton at about 11 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. The security guard was patrolling the perimeter of the theme park, which is geared toward families and young children.
The guard approached a man in a pickup truck who had stopped at the park’s service entrance, and they began fighting with each other. The man allegedly struck the security guard on the head with “some type of blunt-force instrument,” said Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino.
Amormino said the man then allegedly retrieved an object from his truck “that was at least a couple feet long” that the security guard mistook for a shotgun. The man advanced toward the security guard, and the guard shot the man multiple times, he said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The guard, who has worked at the amusement park for about 13 years, was taken to a hospital with head injuries and will be questioned again later by deputies, Amormino said.
Investigators are trying to determine why the man, who apparently lived in the Inland Empire, had stopped in the park’s service entrance and why he started fighting with the guard. The park had been closed for hours when the altercation began, and authorities said they did not recover any drugs or alcohol at the scene.
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Store security officer killed by shoplifter identified www.privateofficer.com
Investigators have identified the security officer as 43yr old Wayne Groom who was employed by a contract security company and was on duty at the entrance of the store.
Groom contacted a suspected shoplifter and had escorted to an office area of the store when the suspect grabbed the security officer’s gun and shot him once in the back of the head and in the leg before fleeing.
An Illinois State Police lieutenant in the area soon captured the suspect who now faces murder and robbery charges.
No information has been released yet on funeral arrangements for Private Officer Grooms.
Wayne Groom, 43, a security guard with Hamilton Security was killed after he detained a suspected shoplifter. Police say the suspect grabbed Groom’s gun then shot and killed him. The suspect was later apprehended after he fled the store.
There is tremendous sadness throughout the store. Overnight, someone placed a teddy bear and flowers in front of the supermarket. President Todd Schnuck went by the Wednesday morning store to check on workers. Groom had been a security guard for almost five years, most of those here at Schnuck’s. Schnuck’s has brought in grievance counselors for employees.
Mark Hamilton with the security company says Groom was not a tall man, about five feet two but his boss says he excelled in his job and had much more training including firearm training, than required by Illinois state law. Groom’s boss also said Groom was always eager to take part in any classes and training offered by the company, “Wayne really loved his job he worked with people making sure everybody was safe befriended many people it’s truly a loss and we along with many others will surely miss him.”
Groom is survived by an adult daughter and son.
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Shoplifter fakes chest pains, jumps from ambulance www.privateofficer.com
A 50-year-old man jumped out of an ambulance as he was being taken to the hospital for chest pains after police tried to arrest him for shoplifting from Wal-Mart, according to a police report.
A loss prevention employee told police she saw the 50-year-old man take two books, valued at $15, and a hair care product, valued at $14.96, and put them down the front of his pants before he left the store at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, police said.
The man then returned to the store with the items and went to customer service with a receipt to return the hair care product, according to the report. The employee stopped the man as he tried to leave the store with cash he had received for the exchange.
The man was detained, but started to complain of chest pains, so EMS was called to treat him, according to the report. Before EMS left the store with the man, the employee retrieved the books, but not the cash the man had received.
While the man was being transported by EMS he jumped out of the ambulance and ran northbound on Frontage Road near the store on Seaboard Street, according to the report. Police could not find him in the area.
Police seized the receipt the man used and it showed a woman had purchased the book and hair care items at 11:42 a.m. April 4, according to the report. Police searched the man’s criminal history and saw he has two prior convictions for shoplifting. Warrants were being obtained for the man’s arrest.
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Killer strikes at Boston upscale hotel www.privateofficer.com
A “masseuse” from New York whom a hotel guest said “shrieked” as she was being shot to death last night on the 20th floor of the Marriott Hotel in Copley Square could be the latest hooker robbery victim, police said.
The 26-year-old woman’s bullet-riddled body was discovered in the hallway of the upscale hotel chain at about 10 p.m. by a security guard after a frantic guest called for help.
Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said today that the woman and her killer struggled in the hotel room doorway before she was shot multiple times. Police said she had a “restraint” on one of her wrists
The victim appears to be the latest target of a twisted crook robbing women who stay in Boston hotels and advertise themselves online as escorts and masseuses, he said.
Davis said last night’s murder-robbery is linked to Friday’s armed robbery of a 29-year-old hooker from Las Vegas who was assaulted in the Westin Copley Hotel at 12:45 a.m. Davis said that woman was bound and robbed in her hotel room.
Police have released surveillance camera photos from last night and Friday showing a white man coming and going from the hotels. Davis said police believe the man is the same person. Police are calling him a “person of interest.”
Davis appealed to the public to provide information on the crimes.
Last night’s murder left one New York mom “numb.”
Jane Greenberg, who was in town visiting colleges with her 17-year-old son, was staying three doors down from the victim.
She told the Herald that she was reading a book last night when she heard “shrieking” – as if “a child was screaming” – and opened her door to see a young woman collapsed in the doorway of a hotel room. She could only see her head and shoulders.
“I asked ‘Are you OK?”’ Greenberg recalled.
The mortally wounded victim did not respond, so Greenberg said she quickly called hotel security.
Greenberg said guards were on the scene in “seconds.” Greenberg said the woman appeared very young and small and was fully clothed.
Her shiny, black shoulder-length hair was hiding her face.
Greenberg said security guards attempted to rouse the woman and pulled back her hair and that’s when they spotted her bloody face.
She also recalled hearing “bangs” and “noises,” as if furniture was being moved around, prior to hearing the murder victim’s scream
The victim was rushed to Boston Medical Center where she later died of her injuries, said Boston Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll.
Police are backing off initial statements made to the media that the victim was involved in online prostitution. She advertised on Craigslist.com as a masseuse and had a massage table in the hotel room, Davis said.
It is widely known that some women advertising massage services on craigslist.com indeed offer other services, including sex for a fee
Police have not released the woman’s identity, only saying that she was a 26-year-old white woman from New York City.
The killing comes as thousands of people converge on the Hub for the Boston Marathon, which ends just blocks from the hotel.
Last night, several police cruisers surrounded the toney Back Bay hotel, which is in the heart of the city’s high-end shopping district.
A spokeswoman for the hotel, Lucy Slosser, said the hotel’s ‘top priority‘ is to keep guests and employees safe. She said, overall, the hotel staff has not heard a lot of concerns from those staying in the hotel.
Police are also asking for the public’s help in solving the murder. Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470
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Monroe NC teacher arrested for sex with student www.privateofficer.com
A physical education teacher and girls basketball coach at Monroe High School turned himself in this afternoon after learning an arrest warrant had been issued for him in connection with an alleged sex offense with a student, Monroe police are reporting.
The alleged incident between Ollie Van Shepherd Jr., 31, of Wingate and the student took place at the school, during school hours, a police release said. Shepherd turned himself into police about 4:30 p.m. at the Union County Magistrate’s office.
Shepherd has been suspended from his job with pay. Because the case is being investigated, details are sparse.
Union County District Attorney John Snyder declined to talk about the case in-depth, except to say: “The Monroe Police Department did a good job of investigating this case on the front end.”
N.C. criminal records show Shepherd has been charged with a string of largely minor offenses, mostly traffic-related.
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Business owner calls on security for personal protection www.privateofficer.com
Public outrage over attempted extortion of minority-owned businesses near 84th and Frederick in Omaha has prompted a security firm to offer to help business owners and police catch the extortionists.
“We figured it’s time to do something,” says Nick Brown with Community Enforcement Services. He spends a lot of time in his car, sitting, watching and waiting. When he and his partner saw the story on Channel 6 News about extortionists threatening minority businesses, they wanted to help.
“We’re volunteering our service and our time to try to get this problem solved and to help out the law enforcement because we’re extra eyes for them.”
Brown and his officers are all trained and licensed. They carry pepper spray, badges and handcuffs. All are experienced in detaining suspicious looking people.
“Between my partner and myself, we have about 30 years experience, military and civilian. Our officers that we have, quite a few of them actually are veterans.”
As servicemen who fought for American freedom, Brown says extortionists operating in his own back yard demand action, to help targeted business owners like Har K Dev of the Indian Grocery.
“We do not know who the people are, we cannot describe them exactly who the people are because they came just all of a sudden. When they come to me I was just wondering why they were asking for some money.”
“They’re working all day long and for somebody to come and take money for nothing, no,” says Brown. “We don’t want to do the vigilante thing. We’re doing this the proper way.”
They could be anywhere as several parking lots around the area offer a good vantage point of the stores. Most of the time, these security officers are watching and waiting with community policing putting more eyes on the streets in addition to police officers.
“They can’t be everywhere, we can.” An advantage to having a security company monitor the area is that it frees up police to patrol other areas nearby.
Brown says different officers from his firm patrol parking lots at different times to catch criminals off guard, so they can’t determine when a business is covered by security. They also drive a variety of vehicles.
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Teacher charged after 5 month relationship with student www.privateofficer.com
Edwardsville police say 37-year-old Kasey E. Johnes of Glen Carbon was arrested Wednesday. She’s being held on $100,000 bond at the Madison County Jail.
Police allege Johnes had a sexual relationship with the male student that started in the fall and ended in February.
The student, a senior at Edwardsville High School, was 17 at the time of the alleged relationship but has since turned 18.
The school district has placed Johnes on unpaid leave.
She’s also charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. It was not immediately clear whether she has an attorney.
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Wild chase, bogus money leads to arrest www.privateofficer.com
It was a wild scene outside a store in West Palm Beach this afternoon, where a man trying to pass bogus bucks was busted.
Officers literally had to follow the money trail as they recover more than 20 fake 100 dollar bills, outside a Wal-mart, near Military Trail and 45th Street.
46-year-old Terry Gammage was led away from the store in handcuffs.
He was caught after this worker says she called police when a co- worker spotted something odd with the suspect’s hundred dollar bill.
“When we pulled it up to the light,” said an employee who wished to remain anonymous. “There was a Benjamin Franklin face. But, it was sketched in.”
Employees told Gammage to stay put.
But they say he fought them off and sped away in his SUV.
Officers say they chased the suspect as he threw ripped bills out the window.
“It looked like snowflakes coming out of the vehicle,” said Officer Patrick Ross of the West Palm Beach Police Department. “When he threw the money out, it was lined all along the East side of the roadway and so we had to go and collect every bit of it.”
As officers collected the small pieces of fake cash, investigators collected information from security workers in Wal-mart who were roughed up in the ordeal.
Shoppers were stunned.
“You’re kidding,” said Jeff Wasserman. “Somebody tried to do that? I can’t believe it. I guess people are pretty desperate in this economy aren’t they?”
Gammage, who has a criminal but non-violent past, is now charged with possession and attempt to pass counterfeit bills.
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Teacher arrested for “targeting” another teacher www.privateofficer.com
Harsh words were spray-painted on the mailbox, car and garage of a Johnson County home where an Indianapolis elementary school teacher lives. The vandalism is not the work of students. Instead, it’s the mark of what police describe as a disturbed individual.
“It’s rather bizarre, to be quite honest,” said Johnson County Sheriff Terry McLaughlin.
Monday, at Homecroft Elementary School on the south side, police arrested 41-year-old Timothy Nance, a fourth grade teacher and 15-year employee of Perry Township schools. Nance is the man police say vandalized the home, targeting a woman he claimed to love.
“They had an affair, according to the victim,” said McLaughlin.
According to police reports, that woman – a first grade teacher at the same school – admitted to having an affair with Nance from January to March 2008. It was after she reconciled with her husband that the problems began. They say their home was vandalized three times in the last month.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the problems continued at the school where both taught. Nance is accused of harassing his victim, bumping her in the hallway and even stealing things from her classroom.
One of the items missing was a hall pass which was found at the base of the garage, tipping police not only to their suspect but his frame of mind.
“This was a grave concern for everybody,” said McLaughlin.
Nance told police he “did not intend to harm her or her family” and that he only wanted her to leave the school.
As for school officials, “I’ve been asked not to make any comment at all,” said Thomas Wade, school principal.
Nance now faces charges, keeping him out of the classroom until a court considers his fate.
The Johnson County prosecutor told Eyewitness News he’ll likely charge Nance with criminal mischief and misdemeanor harassment. A restraining order will also likely be filed against Nance. The Perry Township Schools superintendent says Nance is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
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Security officer wins lottery jackpot www.privateofficer.com
A security guard from Moberly is $91,481 richer after claiming the winning ticket from the Missouri Lottery’s Show Me Cash drawing on April 4. William Meachum, 45, thought the numbers “looked pretty familiar” when he looked them up online at work, but since he didn’t have his ticket with him at the time, he didn’t learn his fate right away.
“I usually check the numbers that night on Show Me Cash, but I didn’t think about it, because I didn’t expect to win anything,” he began. “I went to work, and I looked up the winning numbers online. I’ve been playing the same numbers for three months. When I saw those numbers, I knew the first two were mine. But I thought they all looked familiar!”
It was a long shift at work for Meachum, who says he was anxious to get home and check his ticket. “I got home and realized they (numbers) were all right,” he revealed. “I went by the station that I bought the ticket from and checked my ticket on the machine.”
Meachum received a few more surprises after returning to Moberly Mart, 1400 N. Morley St. in Moberly.
“It said $70,000 when I first bought the ticket, but when I checked it (ticket) at the store, it said $91,000, so my eyes got really big, and his (clerk) did, too,” he explained.
The clerk at Moberly Mart just happened to be a former student of Meachum’s.
“He (clerk) was just as excited as I was, because I used to be a substitute teacher, and I had this kid in school twenty years ago,” Meachum noted.
According to Meachum, who says the winning numbers “popped” into his head the day he purchased his winning ticket, he plans to adhere to his late mother’s request with his windfall.
“My mom died a few years ago, and we always talked about all the work we wanted to do to it (house),” he said. “Before she passed away, she asked me not to sell the house, so I moved in to it instead. Quite a bit of it (winnings) is going to go to whatever I can do to the house.”
Meachum was the 28th Show Me Cash Jackpot winner since the game began on Sept. 8.
Show Me Cash offers a rolling jackpot starting at $50,000, which increases by at least $5,000 at each drawing. To date, more than $3.3 million has been awarded in the game. For more information on Show Me Cash, visit Molottery.com.
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Man charged with trying to steal plane www.privateofficer.com
Fort Smith police have arrested a man for trying to break through a gate at the Fort Smith Airport.
At 6:49 a.m. today officers of the Fort Smith Police Department responded to TAC-Air in reference to a vehicle crashing through one of the fence gates. When Officer Vincent Clamser arrived he found employees of TAC-Air detaining a white male standing beside a pickup truck and an airplane.
The truck had damage to the front and a gate and about 20 feet of fence was destroyed. The male was identified as William Ray Guthrie, 28, of Hackett. Witnesses reported the truck smashed through the gate and drove about 100 yards towards an airplane. Guthrie exited the truck and attempted to enter the airplane.
Witnesses reported he was saying he needed to “get to Israel” and that he had “all the answers”. Guthrie was also seen waiving a Bible. The airplane did not appear to be operational and was missing propellers.
Guthrie was arrested and transported to the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center were he was charged with Criminal Mischief (felony) and Criminal Trespass (misdemeanor).
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Shoplifters pull gun at Best Buy store www.privateofficer.com
The guard let them go and no one was injured.
The thieves filled their cart at the store on Mission Center Road and started to leave about 9:10 p.m. When a security guard stopped them at the door, one shoplifter raised his shirt to display a handgun in his waistband and told the guard not to say anything, police Sgt. Bob Dare said.
The gunman stood near the guard while the second robber pushed the cart outside. Then the man with the gun walked out and joined his accomplice, police said.
The robbers were described as black men, in their 20s or early 30s. The man with the handgun was 5 feet 9 inches tall, 180 pounds, with a thin goatee. He wore large-framed sunglasses and a blue, black and white hooded sweatshirt with jeans.
The other man was 5 feet 8 inches tall, more than 200 pounds, and wore a light-colored, short-sleeved shirt and light-colored jeans. Police did not give any description of a getaway car.
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