Archive
Archive for April 18, 2009
Hospital shooting leaves three dead www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
1 comment
LONG BEACH CA April 18 2009
starnews/AP – Three people were killed Thursday after a hospital worker opened fire at a medical center, killing two of his supervisors before turning a gun on himself, officials said.
The gunman was identified as Mario Ramirez, 50, of Alhambra, a pharmacy technician and married father of four.
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center officials identified the victims as Kelly Hales, 56, of Redondo Beach and Hugo Bustamante, 46, of Cypress.
Hales was the executive director of the pharmacy in the outpatient center, and Bustamante was the department’s supervisor, hospital officials said.
While details from police and hospital officials were few Thursday, witnesses described how the gunman shot his co-workers before killing himself.
Scene of chaos
Ed Collins, a hospital X-ray technician, said he was in the elevator when he heard an alert go out on the hospital’s PA system followed by the sounds of screams.
As the elevator doors slid open, a scene of chaos unfurled, Collins said.
A friend and co-worker ran up to him, tears streaming down her face as she told him their co-worker had shot another employee at the pharmacy.
She turned and began to scream pleas to Ramirez not to kill himself as he turned the weapon toward his own head, Collins said.
Collins said he saw Ramirez standing over the body of one of the victims, and Collins made eye contact with the gunman, whom Collins described as a good person and workplace friend.
Ramirez put the firearm first to his chin, then to his temple before pulling the trigger, Collins said.
“He told me `get out of here,”‘ Collins said. “After he pulled the trigger, he just slumped down.”
Dave Chamberlain, a city construction worker, was working about 300 feet from the back entrance of the hospital when his attention was drawn to the emergency room doors after the sound of gunshots blasted through the air.
“I saw a man come out and put a gun to his head, and I looked away,” Chamberlain said. “That’s when I heard a gunshot.”
As the scene unfolded, witnesses said, people frantically called 9-1-1 on cell phones to report a man wielding two guns and running through the hospital.
Lisa Hernandez, a patient’s relative, said doctors and other hospital staff herded patients into bathrooms and exam rooms where they took cover behind furniture.
“The one man was lying on the ground, he was begging for his life when (the gunman) shot him again,” she recalled, her voice quaking.
Survivors described crawling to areas where they hid until staff and police told them it was safe to come out.
Gunman, victims remembered
At Ramirez’s home in Alhambra, his wife, Lydia, told her two sons the news about their father late Thursday, said Eva Reyes, Lydia Ramirez’s sister. She declined to give more details about Ramirez or the family.
Neighbor Gina Marquez described Ramirez as a family man who was quiet and polite. He would often go jogging with his wife, she said.
“You never heard a peep from that house. It’s unreal,” Marquez said. “I can’t imagine what state of mind he would have been in to do something like that.”
Anthony Marquez, an ultrasound technician, said he and his co-workers went to Ramirez at the start of every shift for the medications they used. Ramirez knew just about everyone, he said, and others described him as an affable, middle-aged man.
“We all knew him and he always remembered my name,” Anthony Marquez said.
Another co-worker, Melo Dotski, radiology department clerk, said she was stunned when she heard the identity of the gunman.
“I couldn’t believe it was him. He was the sweetest man,” she said. “Everybody knew him as the hospital’s George Lopez because he was always cracking jokes.”
Police Chief Anthony Batts said the motive remained under investigation, but noted it came amid a flurry of recent shootings in the U.S.
“This is a trend of active shooters that you have seen nationwide,” Batts told a press conference. “This is becoming a national trend, probably because of the tension that’s going on in our society today.”
Hospital spokeswoman Stacie Crompton-Hime said the hospital did not have any plans for layoffs. The hospital, however, did have cutbacks in March, but Ramirez’s job was not affected, she said.
“We have no plans for any additional cutbacks in the facility,” she said.
Crompton-Hime could not say how long Ramirez had been with the hospital, but said he had no history of problems at work.
At Hales’ house in Redondo Beach, a priest visited his family early in the evening.
“The family is pretty much in shock,” said a family friend who identified himself only as Mark. “He was a great man.”
He said Hales had been working at the pharmacy at Long Beach Memorial for 21 years and he and his wife have two girls who are in college.
Shooting timeline
Calls of the incident began flooding over police and fire radios at 11:47 a.m. and an officer near the hospital was on scene within a minute of the call, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a Long Beach police spokeswoman.
“That officer who was first on scene actually heard the shots … outside,” the sergeant said.
Homicide Lt. Lloyd Cox said none of the officers witnessed the shootings, but they did recover two guns at the hospital.
Cox said police had not yet confirmed both guns belonged to Ramirez.
Batts said officers responding to the shooting found one victim inside the hospital and then found a second victim outside on the north side of the hospital outside the emergency room. Ramirez was found dead outside on the north side.
At an evening press conference, Memorial Appointed CEO Diana Hendel told reporters it was with a heavy heart she was addressing them.
“Our first priority was to ensure our patients’ safety and that they are well cared for,” Hendel said. “My heart is with everyone affected today.”
Hendel said the families of the victims were receiving care through the hospital’s chaplain service.
The approximately 460-bed hospital is one of six health care facilities in Southern California operated by the not-for-profit MemorialCare system, run by Memorial Health Services. The hospital has been located at its present campus since 1960.
starnews/AP – Three people were killed Thursday after a hospital worker opened fire at a medical center, killing two of his supervisors before turning a gun on himself, officials said.
The gunman was identified as Mario Ramirez, 50, of Alhambra, a pharmacy technician and married father of four.
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center officials identified the victims as Kelly Hales, 56, of Redondo Beach and Hugo Bustamante, 46, of Cypress.
Hales was the executive director of the pharmacy in the outpatient center, and Bustamante was the department’s supervisor, hospital officials said.
While details from police and hospital officials were few Thursday, witnesses described how the gunman shot his co-workers before killing himself.
Scene of chaos
Ed Collins, a hospital X-ray technician, said he was in the elevator when he heard an alert go out on the hospital’s PA system followed by the sounds of screams.
As the elevator doors slid open, a scene of chaos unfurled, Collins said.
A friend and co-worker ran up to him, tears streaming down her face as she told him their co-worker had shot another employee at the pharmacy.
She turned and began to scream pleas to Ramirez not to kill himself as he turned the weapon toward his own head, Collins said.
Collins said he saw Ramirez standing over the body of one of the victims, and Collins made eye contact with the gunman, whom Collins described as a good person and workplace friend.
Ramirez put the firearm first to his chin, then to his temple before pulling the trigger, Collins said.
“He told me `get out of here,”‘ Collins said. “After he pulled the trigger, he just slumped down.”
Dave Chamberlain, a city construction worker, was working about 300 feet from the back entrance of the hospital when his attention was drawn to the emergency room doors after the sound of gunshots blasted through the air.
“I saw a man come out and put a gun to his head, and I looked away,” Chamberlain said. “That’s when I heard a gunshot.”
As the scene unfolded, witnesses said, people frantically called 9-1-1 on cell phones to report a man wielding two guns and running through the hospital.
Lisa Hernandez, a patient’s relative, said doctors and other hospital staff herded patients into bathrooms and exam rooms where they took cover behind furniture.
“The one man was lying on the ground, he was begging for his life when (the gunman) shot him again,” she recalled, her voice quaking.
Survivors described crawling to areas where they hid until staff and police told them it was safe to come out.
Gunman, victims remembered
At Ramirez’s home in Alhambra, his wife, Lydia, told her two sons the news about their father late Thursday, said Eva Reyes, Lydia Ramirez’s sister. She declined to give more details about Ramirez or the family.
Neighbor Gina Marquez described Ramirez as a family man who was quiet and polite. He would often go jogging with his wife, she said.
“You never heard a peep from that house. It’s unreal,” Marquez said. “I can’t imagine what state of mind he would have been in to do something like that.”
Anthony Marquez, an ultrasound technician, said he and his co-workers went to Ramirez at the start of every shift for the medications they used. Ramirez knew just about everyone, he said, and others described him as an affable, middle-aged man.
“We all knew him and he always remembered my name,” Anthony Marquez said.
Another co-worker, Melo Dotski, radiology department clerk, said she was stunned when she heard the identity of the gunman.
“I couldn’t believe it was him. He was the sweetest man,” she said. “Everybody knew him as the hospital’s George Lopez because he was always cracking jokes.”
Police Chief Anthony Batts said the motive remained under investigation, but noted it came amid a flurry of recent shootings in the U.S.
“This is a trend of active shooters that you have seen nationwide,” Batts told a press conference. “This is becoming a national trend, probably because of the tension that’s going on in our society today.”
Hospital spokeswoman Stacie Crompton-Hime said the hospital did not have any plans for layoffs. The hospital, however, did have cutbacks in March, but Ramirez’s job was not affected, she said.
“We have no plans for any additional cutbacks in the facility,” she said.
Crompton-Hime could not say how long Ramirez had been with the hospital, but said he had no history of problems at work.
At Hales’ house in Redondo Beach, a priest visited his family early in the evening.
“The family is pretty much in shock,” said a family friend who identified himself only as Mark. “He was a great man.”
He said Hales had been working at the pharmacy at Long Beach Memorial for 21 years and he and his wife have two girls who are in college.
Shooting timeline
Calls of the incident began flooding over police and fire radios at 11:47 a.m. and an officer near the hospital was on scene within a minute of the call, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a Long Beach police spokeswoman.
“That officer who was first on scene actually heard the shots … outside,” the sergeant said.
Homicide Lt. Lloyd Cox said none of the officers witnessed the shootings, but they did recover two guns at the hospital.
Cox said police had not yet confirmed both guns belonged to Ramirez.
Batts said officers responding to the shooting found one victim inside the hospital and then found a second victim outside on the north side of the hospital outside the emergency room. Ramirez was found dead outside on the north side.
At an evening press conference, Memorial Appointed CEO Diana Hendel told reporters it was with a heavy heart she was addressing them.
“Our first priority was to ensure our patients’ safety and that they are well cared for,” Hendel said. “My heart is with everyone affected today.”
Hendel said the families of the victims were receiving care through the hospital’s chaplain service.
The approximately 460-bed hospital is one of six health care facilities in Southern California operated by the not-for-profit MemorialCare system, run by Memorial Health Services. The hospital has been located at its present campus since 1960.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police, security
long beach hospital shootings, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com
Police in GA. arrest man in Hooter’s incident www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
WALTON COUNTY, Ga. April 18 2009 — Loganville police said they arrested a man after he entered the automobile of two female waitresses from Hooters.
Police said Christopher Childers, 40, saw the two 19-year-old girls walk into a Wal-Mart to do some shopping. While they were in the store, Childers allegedly got into their car. Police said Childers found pictures of the girls in their uniforms which he placed in his truck. He then got back into the girls’ car to wait for them, police said.
When the girls returned, one girl slammed Childers leg with the car door and the other called 911, Loganville Police Chief Mike McHugh confirmed to Channel 2 Action News.
Loganville Police Department officer Artie Turner told The Walton Tribune Childers said he was waiting for the girls because “they looked easy” and he had a conservative girlfriend.
Childers was charged with entering an auto.
He was released from Walton County Jail Wednesday after posting $5,000 bond.
Police said Christopher Childers, 40, saw the two 19-year-old girls walk into a Wal-Mart to do some shopping. While they were in the store, Childers allegedly got into their car. Police said Childers found pictures of the girls in their uniforms which he placed in his truck. He then got back into the girls’ car to wait for them, police said.
When the girls returned, one girl slammed Childers leg with the car door and the other called 911, Loganville Police Chief Mike McHugh confirmed to Channel 2 Action News.
Loganville Police Department officer Artie Turner told The Walton Tribune Childers said he was waiting for the girls because “they looked easy” and he had a conservative girlfriend.
Childers was charged with entering an auto.
He was released from Walton County Jail Wednesday after posting $5,000 bond.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police
Christopher Childers, hooter's, loganville ga
Man arrested at court with pot www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
WINTER HAVEN FLA April 18 2009- Police were notified by court security that they had apprehended a suspect carrying illegal drugs.
Police said that Richard Wood III of Auburndale was arrested by court officers as he entered the courthouse.
The 42-year-old man who said the marijuana they found was for medicinal use was turned over and booked by the officers.
Wood was arrested by a security officer when he tried to enter the Polk County courthouse and a check of his belongins revealed the drugs.
The officers said that they discovered less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was released after police gave him a notice to appear.
Police said that Richard Wood III of Auburndale was arrested by court officers as he entered the courthouse.
The 42-year-old man who said the marijuana they found was for medicinal use was turned over and booked by the officers.
Wood was arrested by a security officer when he tried to enter the Polk County courthouse and a check of his belongins revealed the drugs.
The officers said that they discovered less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was released after police gave him a notice to appear.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police, security, security made app/arrest
arrested with pot at court, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, Richard Wood III, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, WINTER HAVEN FLA, www.privateofficer.com
Dollar Tree manager shot by trespasser www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
TAYLORSVILLE NC April 18 2009 – A Dollar Tree employee was shot Wednesday when he tried to get a customer to leave the store at closing time.
Employees at the Dollar Tree on N.C. 16 North in Taylorsville saw a Hispanic male come into the store shortly before the store closed on Wednesday, according to police reports. When they were ready to close the store at 9 p.m., the two employees went looking for the man because they hadn’t seen him leave.
Walking to the back storage area of the store, they saw the man hiding among boxes of merchandise.
The man started shooting at the two employees with a small caliber revolver, according to police reports.
Assistant Manager Robert Anderson, 17, was shot in the arm, said Tony Jones, Taylorsville police chief.
The two employees managed to leave the store and call 911. Anderson, of Hiddenite, was flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. He is listed in good condition.
Although police aren’t sure what type of gun was used, Jones said an unfired 22-caliber bullet was found outside the Dollar Tree.
Police are looking for the Hispanic male, who was last seen running north on N.C. 16. He is described as light skinned, clean cut, between 25 and 35 years old, about 5-feet 8-inches, short hair and weighs about 150 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Taylorsville Police Department at 632-2218, or Crime Stoppers at 632-8555
Employees at the Dollar Tree on N.C. 16 North in Taylorsville saw a Hispanic male come into the store shortly before the store closed on Wednesday, according to police reports. When they were ready to close the store at 9 p.m., the two employees went looking for the man because they hadn’t seen him leave.
Walking to the back storage area of the store, they saw the man hiding among boxes of merchandise.
The man started shooting at the two employees with a small caliber revolver, according to police reports.
Assistant Manager Robert Anderson, 17, was shot in the arm, said Tony Jones, Taylorsville police chief.
The two employees managed to leave the store and call 911. Anderson, of Hiddenite, was flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. He is listed in good condition.
Although police aren’t sure what type of gun was used, Jones said an unfired 22-caliber bullet was found outside the Dollar Tree.
Police are looking for the Hispanic male, who was last seen running north on N.C. 16. He is described as light skinned, clean cut, between 25 and 35 years old, about 5-feet 8-inches, short hair and weighs about 150 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Taylorsville Police Department at 632-2218, or Crime Stoppers at 632-8555
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police
Dollar Tree, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, Robert Anderson, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, TAYLORSVILLE NC, www.privateofficer.com
FBI police officers arrested in “peeping incident” www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
FAIRMONT WV April 18 2009
statejournal.com — An FBI police officer is under arrest and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of another officer, after the pair allegedly used a security camera to watch girls in a dressing room, during a charity prom dress event, court documents say.
Gary Sutton Jr., 40 of New Milton, is charged with criminal invasion of privacy and being a party to a crime.
Both charges are misdemeanors.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a second officer on the same charges.
Sutton turned himself into authorities and was arraigned Friday morning in Marion County Magistrate Court. He was released on $6,000 bond.
There is no word on when the second officer will be arrested.
If convicted, the men would face a year in jail and a $5,000 fine, according to the statute.
On Saturday, April 4, Hospice Care Corporation held “The Cinderella Project” at the Middletown Mall in White Hall.
The event offered prom dresses, shoes and jewelry at affordable prices and raised money for Hospice Care. Hundreds of people attended the event. Temporary dressing rooms were set up for the event. The dressing rooms did not have ceilings.
Sutton and the other officer were on duty at the FBI’s satellite control room at the mall during the event, investigators say. The camera in question was in scanning mode when it began recording on Saturday morning, court documents say.
At 8:26 a.m., the camera stopped above the dressing area, according to the criminal complaint for Sutton.
At 9:34 a.m., after a young woman entered the dressing area, the camera zoomed in and remained zoomed in until 11:00 a.m.
During that time period, several young woman entered the room and undressed.
One young woman was seen topless, investigators say.
Investigators with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department say the two officers were the only ones in the FBI control room at the time of the incident and the only ones who could control the camera. So far, 12 News has been unable to obtain a comment from anyone from the FBI who supervises the officers in question.
It is important to note that the men in question are FBI police officers, not FBI agents.
Officials at the FBI’s CJIS Center in Clarksburg have declined to comment on the situation or the status of the officers.
The FBI has deferred all comment to the Office of the Inspector General in Washington, D.C.
A spokesperson with the Inspector General’s office has confirmed that the agency is investigating the incident.
Neither the Marion County Sheriff’s Department or the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office have issued a statement on the case.
A spokeswoman with Hospice Care says the organization is aware of the matter, but has deferred any questions to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
statejournal.com — An FBI police officer is under arrest and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of another officer, after the pair allegedly used a security camera to watch girls in a dressing room, during a charity prom dress event, court documents say.
Gary Sutton Jr., 40 of New Milton, is charged with criminal invasion of privacy and being a party to a crime.
Both charges are misdemeanors.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a second officer on the same charges.
Sutton turned himself into authorities and was arraigned Friday morning in Marion County Magistrate Court. He was released on $6,000 bond.
There is no word on when the second officer will be arrested.
If convicted, the men would face a year in jail and a $5,000 fine, according to the statute.
On Saturday, April 4, Hospice Care Corporation held “The Cinderella Project” at the Middletown Mall in White Hall.
The event offered prom dresses, shoes and jewelry at affordable prices and raised money for Hospice Care. Hundreds of people attended the event. Temporary dressing rooms were set up for the event. The dressing rooms did not have ceilings.
Sutton and the other officer were on duty at the FBI’s satellite control room at the mall during the event, investigators say. The camera in question was in scanning mode when it began recording on Saturday morning, court documents say.
At 8:26 a.m., the camera stopped above the dressing area, according to the criminal complaint for Sutton.
At 9:34 a.m., after a young woman entered the dressing area, the camera zoomed in and remained zoomed in until 11:00 a.m.
During that time period, several young woman entered the room and undressed.
One young woman was seen topless, investigators say.
Investigators with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department say the two officers were the only ones in the FBI control room at the time of the incident and the only ones who could control the camera. So far, 12 News has been unable to obtain a comment from anyone from the FBI who supervises the officers in question.
It is important to note that the men in question are FBI police officers, not FBI agents.
Officials at the FBI’s CJIS Center in Clarksburg have declined to comment on the situation or the status of the officers.
The FBI has deferred all comment to the Office of the Inspector General in Washington, D.C.
A spokesperson with the Inspector General’s office has confirmed that the agency is investigating the incident.
Neither the Marion County Sheriff’s Department or the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office have issued a statement on the case.
A spokeswoman with Hospice Care says the organization is aware of the matter, but has deferred any questions to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police
fbi police, Gary Sutton Jr
Investigation underway in college security force issue www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
Waterville ME April 18 2009
bowdionorientnewspaper
Following last Sunday’s incident at Colby College between students, security, and Waterville police, Colby administrators have begun to interview witnesses to bring clarity to the series of events. Early Sunday morning, a conflict between a few Colby students and security guards heightened to a physical altercation.
This past week, student protests and demonstrations criticized the level of physical force used by security guards and suggested that their behavior was racially motivated. Colby President William Adams has reassured the college community that, “These events do not represent the standards of mutual respect, trust, and personal responsibility that we as a community aspire to observe.”
The incident has also prompted concerns and discussion within the Bowdoin community. This Monday, Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster, along with select faculty and staff, will host a forum in Daggett Lounge. This event, according to a campus-wide e-mail from Foster on Wednesday, will serve as an opportunity to have a “conversation to reaffirm our community values.”
The ordeal at Colby began early on Easter Sunday morning, when a Colby College security officer arrived at a dance near the campus’s Pugh Center to find a student passed out on a couch. The security officer called for backup, as is typical. What happened after, however, was not so typical—ending with three students spending the night in jail.
The student paper the Colby Echo gave an account of the incident based primarily on interviews with student witnesses. According to the Echo, as students began to trickle out of the dance just after 1 a.m., a few students approached the security officers, who were standing near the couch, and began to question them. The officers requested that the students leave and, according to witnesses, when they didn’t, an officer yelled at one of the students and attempted to push him out of the room. When the student resisted, he was wrestled to the floor.
By this time, a few dozen students had begun to gather and a security officer called in for all available police officers to come to the scene. A second male student approached the scene to ask why they were restraining a student and after what appeared to be a heated conversation, the second student was also restrained on the ground by security. Shortly after the police arrived, according to an account on iReport.com, a CNN-affiliate, the police used mace on the second student.
Some of this scene was captured on camera by another student, and the video made its way onto the Internet early Tuesday morning. In the video, which is about two minutes long, the first student is pinned to the ground by a security officer, a pool of blood from a bloody nose spreading under his head. The second student, also on the ground with a security officer kneeling on his back, is in the periphery. Near the end of the video, a police officer comes into the frame and enters the altercation.
The two students were arrested and charged with assault and criminal trespass.
A third student was arrested later in the evening elsewhere on campus on charges of disorderly conduct. According to the story posted on iReport, the student approached a police officer as the crowd dispersed to ask for an explanation of the events, and was handcuffed and taken to prison.
In an e-mail on Sunday afternoon to the campus, Colby Dean of Students Jim Terhune, who declined to speak with the Orient, wrote, “This is a profoundly distressing series of events that are in no way reflective of the sense of personal responsibility and mutual respect which are hallmarks of the Colby community.”
Several Colby administrators declined to comment on the incident, forwarding Orient requests for interviews to Director of Communications and Marketing David Eaton, who did not return numerous phone calls.
On Sunday afternoon, several hundred students gathered on campus to protest the incident. These demonstrations have continued throughout the week.
According to the Facebook page of “Colby United,” a group “for continuing information on the unified student response to the violence that occurred on Colby College Campus in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday,” which currently has 1,655 members, the incident demonstrated a use of overly aggressive force by security and police officers. A document titled “Colby United Grievances and Calls to Action” reads: “The actions of the parties involved, including Campus Security, local law enforcement agencies, and students illustrate a greater problem of lack of communication, lack of trust, and a lack of common respect within our community.”
Members of the Waterville Police Department and Colby Department of Security did not return requests for interviews.
However, in an article posted on the Web site of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN), Waterville’s Police Chief Joseph Massey said, “It all stemmed from apparently some students not wanting another student, who was intoxicated—and medical treatment was trying to be delivered to that student by some EMTs who were also students, and for some reason this large group of students, who obviously a lot of them had been drinking, didn’t want the student to receive medical treatment.”
A team of three Colby administrators was named to investigate the incident, and have been interviewing witnesses since Sunday.
“A full and complete understanding of the facts and circumstances of that morning is required if we are to have any hope of addressing productively the many concerns raised,” wrote President Adams in an open letter published on the Colby Web site Thursday afternoon.
The college has also reinstituted a policy that security personnel must wear voice-recording devices whenever on duty, according to an article in the Kennebec Journal.
April is, of course, also a busy month for admitted students to visit campus. In an e-mail to the Orient, Colby Director of Admissions Steve Thomas wrote, “It would be way too early and way too speculative to have any sense of how Colby’s yield might be affected by Sunday’s unfortunate series of events. With regard to admission, there have been few comments regarding Sunday’s events and the reaction thereafter, but those comments we have heard have been both positive and negative.”
The incident was a topic of much discussion at Wednesday night’s Bowdoin Student Government meeting, which was attended by Dean of Student Affairs Foster, as well at Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols (see story, page 4).
Foster said, “The danger with this situation here is that it’s really easy to quickly pass judgment on what’s happened…I think Colby needs our support.”
Foster was quick to commend Nichols and Bowdoin’s Department of Safety and Security. “I really admire that our security seeks to build relationships with students,” he said. “When these incidents happen, it’s all about relationships and trusts, and that’s fundamental to the work that [Bowdoin security does].”
bowdionorientnewspaper
Following last Sunday’s incident at Colby College between students, security, and Waterville police, Colby administrators have begun to interview witnesses to bring clarity to the series of events. Early Sunday morning, a conflict between a few Colby students and security guards heightened to a physical altercation.
This past week, student protests and demonstrations criticized the level of physical force used by security guards and suggested that their behavior was racially motivated. Colby President William Adams has reassured the college community that, “These events do not represent the standards of mutual respect, trust, and personal responsibility that we as a community aspire to observe.”
The incident has also prompted concerns and discussion within the Bowdoin community. This Monday, Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster, along with select faculty and staff, will host a forum in Daggett Lounge. This event, according to a campus-wide e-mail from Foster on Wednesday, will serve as an opportunity to have a “conversation to reaffirm our community values.”
The ordeal at Colby began early on Easter Sunday morning, when a Colby College security officer arrived at a dance near the campus’s Pugh Center to find a student passed out on a couch. The security officer called for backup, as is typical. What happened after, however, was not so typical—ending with three students spending the night in jail.
The student paper the Colby Echo gave an account of the incident based primarily on interviews with student witnesses. According to the Echo, as students began to trickle out of the dance just after 1 a.m., a few students approached the security officers, who were standing near the couch, and began to question them. The officers requested that the students leave and, according to witnesses, when they didn’t, an officer yelled at one of the students and attempted to push him out of the room. When the student resisted, he was wrestled to the floor.
By this time, a few dozen students had begun to gather and a security officer called in for all available police officers to come to the scene. A second male student approached the scene to ask why they were restraining a student and after what appeared to be a heated conversation, the second student was also restrained on the ground by security. Shortly after the police arrived, according to an account on iReport.com, a CNN-affiliate, the police used mace on the second student.
Some of this scene was captured on camera by another student, and the video made its way onto the Internet early Tuesday morning. In the video, which is about two minutes long, the first student is pinned to the ground by a security officer, a pool of blood from a bloody nose spreading under his head. The second student, also on the ground with a security officer kneeling on his back, is in the periphery. Near the end of the video, a police officer comes into the frame and enters the altercation.
The two students were arrested and charged with assault and criminal trespass.
A third student was arrested later in the evening elsewhere on campus on charges of disorderly conduct. According to the story posted on iReport, the student approached a police officer as the crowd dispersed to ask for an explanation of the events, and was handcuffed and taken to prison.
In an e-mail on Sunday afternoon to the campus, Colby Dean of Students Jim Terhune, who declined to speak with the Orient, wrote, “This is a profoundly distressing series of events that are in no way reflective of the sense of personal responsibility and mutual respect which are hallmarks of the Colby community.”
Several Colby administrators declined to comment on the incident, forwarding Orient requests for interviews to Director of Communications and Marketing David Eaton, who did not return numerous phone calls.
On Sunday afternoon, several hundred students gathered on campus to protest the incident. These demonstrations have continued throughout the week.
According to the Facebook page of “Colby United,” a group “for continuing information on the unified student response to the violence that occurred on Colby College Campus in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday,” which currently has 1,655 members, the incident demonstrated a use of overly aggressive force by security and police officers. A document titled “Colby United Grievances and Calls to Action” reads: “The actions of the parties involved, including Campus Security, local law enforcement agencies, and students illustrate a greater problem of lack of communication, lack of trust, and a lack of common respect within our community.”
Members of the Waterville Police Department and Colby Department of Security did not return requests for interviews.
However, in an article posted on the Web site of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN), Waterville’s Police Chief Joseph Massey said, “It all stemmed from apparently some students not wanting another student, who was intoxicated—and medical treatment was trying to be delivered to that student by some EMTs who were also students, and for some reason this large group of students, who obviously a lot of them had been drinking, didn’t want the student to receive medical treatment.”
A team of three Colby administrators was named to investigate the incident, and have been interviewing witnesses since Sunday.
“A full and complete understanding of the facts and circumstances of that morning is required if we are to have any hope of addressing productively the many concerns raised,” wrote President Adams in an open letter published on the Colby Web site Thursday afternoon.
The college has also reinstituted a policy that security personnel must wear voice-recording devices whenever on duty, according to an article in the Kennebec Journal.
April is, of course, also a busy month for admitted students to visit campus. In an e-mail to the Orient, Colby Director of Admissions Steve Thomas wrote, “It would be way too early and way too speculative to have any sense of how Colby’s yield might be affected by Sunday’s unfortunate series of events. With regard to admission, there have been few comments regarding Sunday’s events and the reaction thereafter, but those comments we have heard have been both positive and negative.”
The incident was a topic of much discussion at Wednesday night’s Bowdoin Student Government meeting, which was attended by Dean of Student Affairs Foster, as well at Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols (see story, page 4).
Foster said, “The danger with this situation here is that it’s really easy to quickly pass judgment on what’s happened…I think Colby needs our support.”
Foster was quick to commend Nichols and Bowdoin’s Department of Safety and Security. “I really admire that our security seeks to build relationships with students,” he said. “When these incidents happen, it’s all about relationships and trusts, and that’s fundamental to the work that [Bowdoin security does].”
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police, security, security made app/arrest
Colby College, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com
Alert security officer leads police to major drug bust www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
Lexington County SC April 18 2009
midlandsconnect.com
Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies seized 32 bags or 26 pounds of marijuana at a motel on Berryhill Road in Lexington County Wednesday.
The marijuana has a street value of $416,000. Three men were arrested during the incident.
Juan Diego Santiago III, 29, of Deer Park, Texas, and Issac Ray Abilez, 23, of Pasadena, TX were arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana. John Averett Waterman, 23, of Nesmith, SC was also arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The three are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
At approximately 9:30 PM, a security officer for the motel was on foot patrol and noticed a strong odor of what he believed to be marijuana being omitted from one of the rooms. The officer knocked on the door and spoke with Mr. Santiago who advised that they had been smoking a “joint.” The officer noticed a large bag of what appeared to be marijuana on the bed. The officer then called the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for assistance. Deputies and a member of the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team arrived and began to investigate the incident. All three suspects were then placed under arrest.
During the investigation, officers found a 2006 Chevrolet Impala in front of the room that was registered to Mr. Santiago. Deputies were called to have the vehicle removed from the parking lot of the motel and conducted an inventory of the vehicle. During completion of the inventory officers found 31 additional bags of marijuana.
Sheriff James R. Metts stated, “This seizure will have a ripple effect with the street dealers in the area. We are thrilled to remove this large amount of drugs from the streets.”
midlandsconnect.com
Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies seized 32 bags or 26 pounds of marijuana at a motel on Berryhill Road in Lexington County Wednesday.
The marijuana has a street value of $416,000. Three men were arrested during the incident.
Juan Diego Santiago III, 29, of Deer Park, Texas, and Issac Ray Abilez, 23, of Pasadena, TX were arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana. John Averett Waterman, 23, of Nesmith, SC was also arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The three are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
At approximately 9:30 PM, a security officer for the motel was on foot patrol and noticed a strong odor of what he believed to be marijuana being omitted from one of the rooms. The officer knocked on the door and spoke with Mr. Santiago who advised that they had been smoking a “joint.” The officer noticed a large bag of what appeared to be marijuana on the bed. The officer then called the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for assistance. Deputies and a member of the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team arrived and began to investigate the incident. All three suspects were then placed under arrest.
During the investigation, officers found a 2006 Chevrolet Impala in front of the room that was registered to Mr. Santiago. Deputies were called to have the vehicle removed from the parking lot of the motel and conducted an inventory of the vehicle. During completion of the inventory officers found 31 additional bags of marijuana.
Sheriff James R. Metts stated, “This seizure will have a ripple effect with the street dealers in the area. We are thrilled to remove this large amount of drugs from the streets.”
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police, security, security made app/arrest
loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com
Hospital employees fired for having sex with inmates www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
RALEIGH NC April 18 2009
charlotteobservor.com Three male employees at Dorothea Dix Hospital lost their jobs Thursday as the State Bureau of Investigation was asked to look into allegations they had sex with female prisoners working at the state mental facility.
A fourth employee left her job under suspicion that she had a personal relationship with an inmate that did not include sex.
Officials concluded that the employees enabled the inmates to set up bank accounts, access e-mail and make unauthorized phone calls, said Renee McCoy, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services.
More personnel actions could be taken, McCoy said.
Keith Acree, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Correction, said 13 inmates from the nearby Raleigh Correctional Center for Women were working at the state mental hospital when the allegations were reported in February. All the inmates have been removed from their work assignments at the hospital.
Acree said the prison system is cooperating with Health and Human Services in its investigation. When that investigation is complete, Acree said, officials will decide whether to resume the inmate labor program at Dix.
It is a felony for employees to have sex with people in state custody, punishable by up to 31 months in prison for each count. The law says claiming the inmate was a willing participant is not a valid defense. Those in custody cannot legally consent to sex.
Emery Milliken, a Health and Human Services lawyer, sent a letter to the SBI on Thursday asking for a criminal investigation.
Milliken said that a staff member may have violated a state law that bans intercourse or other sex acts between a state employee and someone in state custody.
The News & Observer requested documents about the sex allegations on April 6. Health and Human Services initially refused, saying records were confidential under personnel privacy rules.
After the newspaper maintained that such documents are public records, Health and Human Services on Thursday provided a copy of a March 17 report from the prison system summarizing evidence that hospital employees had engaged in improper conduct with prisoners, including “romantic involvement” and providing the women with clothes and other “contraband.”
The names of the employees and inmates involved were blacked out of the copy of the report provided to the newspaper.
McCoy would not say whether some of the female inmates allowed to access the Internet and open bank accounts were serving sentences for financial crimes.
“We can’t go into specific details because the investigation is continuing, but obviously that would be a concern,” McCoy said.
Inmate advocates say it is not rare for guards and other state employees to get caught having sex with prisoners, even though the potential criminal penalties are steep.
“It’s very, very commonplace,” said Michele Luecking-Sunman, a staff attorney for N.C. Prisoner Legal Services. “In our experience, they don’t always fire the guards unless someone makes an issue of it.
“Otherwise, they kind of sweep it under the rug and transfer the officer to another prison or allow that person to resign.” News researchers Brooke Cain and Lamara Williams contributed to this report.
charlotteobservor.com Three male employees at Dorothea Dix Hospital lost their jobs Thursday as the State Bureau of Investigation was asked to look into allegations they had sex with female prisoners working at the state mental facility.
A fourth employee left her job under suspicion that she had a personal relationship with an inmate that did not include sex.
Officials concluded that the employees enabled the inmates to set up bank accounts, access e-mail and make unauthorized phone calls, said Renee McCoy, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services.
More personnel actions could be taken, McCoy said.
Keith Acree, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Correction, said 13 inmates from the nearby Raleigh Correctional Center for Women were working at the state mental hospital when the allegations were reported in February. All the inmates have been removed from their work assignments at the hospital.
Acree said the prison system is cooperating with Health and Human Services in its investigation. When that investigation is complete, Acree said, officials will decide whether to resume the inmate labor program at Dix.
It is a felony for employees to have sex with people in state custody, punishable by up to 31 months in prison for each count. The law says claiming the inmate was a willing participant is not a valid defense. Those in custody cannot legally consent to sex.
Emery Milliken, a Health and Human Services lawyer, sent a letter to the SBI on Thursday asking for a criminal investigation.
Milliken said that a staff member may have violated a state law that bans intercourse or other sex acts between a state employee and someone in state custody.
The News & Observer requested documents about the sex allegations on April 6. Health and Human Services initially refused, saying records were confidential under personnel privacy rules.
After the newspaper maintained that such documents are public records, Health and Human Services on Thursday provided a copy of a March 17 report from the prison system summarizing evidence that hospital employees had engaged in improper conduct with prisoners, including “romantic involvement” and providing the women with clothes and other “contraband.”
The names of the employees and inmates involved were blacked out of the copy of the report provided to the newspaper.
McCoy would not say whether some of the female inmates allowed to access the Internet and open bank accounts were serving sentences for financial crimes.
“We can’t go into specific details because the investigation is continuing, but obviously that would be a concern,” McCoy said.
Inmate advocates say it is not rare for guards and other state employees to get caught having sex with prisoners, even though the potential criminal penalties are steep.
“It’s very, very commonplace,” said Michele Luecking-Sunman, a staff attorney for N.C. Prisoner Legal Services. “In our experience, they don’t always fire the guards unless someone makes an issue of it.
“Otherwise, they kind of sweep it under the rug and transfer the officer to another prison or allow that person to resign.” News researchers Brooke Cain and Lamara Williams contributed to this report.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police
Dorothea Dix Hospital, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, RALEIGH NC, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com
Haines police officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
3 comments
HAINES CITY Fla April 18 2009 – A Haines City police officer has died from “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is reporting.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Donna Wood identified the officer as Michael Adams Jr. She said he went by the nickname “Junior.”
Wood said the investigation of the shooting is taking place tonight at the officer’s residence in the Chandler Ridge subdivision within the Haines City city limits.
An emergency call about the shooting first went to the Haines City Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office was notified around 5:40 p.m., Wood said.
The Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigating agency because the shooting involves a city police officer.
The Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office also is investigating the death and the State Attorney’s Office has been notified, Wood said.
No other information was immediately available.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Donna Wood identified the officer as Michael Adams Jr. She said he went by the nickname “Junior.”
Wood said the investigation of the shooting is taking place tonight at the officer’s residence in the Chandler Ridge subdivision within the Haines City city limits.
An emergency call about the shooting first went to the Haines City Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office was notified around 5:40 p.m., Wood said.
The Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigating agency because the shooting involves a city police officer.
The Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office also is investigating the death and the State Attorney’s Office has been notified, Wood said.
No other information was immediately available.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police, police suicide
HAINES CITY Fla, haines police officer michael adams commits suicide, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, Michael Adams Jr., national association of private officers, police officer suicide, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com
Security officer shot during robbery www.privateofficer.com
April 18, 2009
Leave a comment
Salinas CA April 18 2009
A security guard was shot during a robbery Friday at Corner Market at 497 E. Alisal St. in Salinas.
The security officer, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to a Bay Area hospital for surgery. He is reported to be in serious condition.
According to Salinas police, two men entered the market about 4:30 p.m. One struck the 49-year-old victim, knocking him to the floor. Once the guard was on the floor, the attacker fired a shot into his upper torso. After the shooting, the perpetrators went on to rob the market. Then both ran out toward Kings Street where they entered a waiting vehicle, a gold Ford Expedition, said Salinas police Cmdr. Trevor Iida. The vehicle was last seen heading west bound on East Market St. There are no arrests yet in the case.
Police responded in mass – at least a dozen units – to the market at the corner of Madeira and Alisal streets. They questioned people who had been in the store at the time of the shooting.
The store is popular with nearby workers for lunch, sodas and check cashing, customers said. Gloria Garcia, who works around the corner, said she had been in the market earlier in the day to cash a check.
“Everything seemed fine,” she said as she watched the police work in front of the brown one-story building with a red brick faßade.
“Everyone is always very nice,” she said. “To think that it could have been me, or anyone. The place is always so busy.”
The store had a security guard who was always out front. “He’d check to make sure that everyone who went in came out,” Garcia said. Normally he paced around the door.
Down Madeira Street from the market, police briefly hung yellow crime scene tape around a beige home. The victim had run there after the shooting to seek help.
From there, paramedics took a man on gurney and placed him into an ambulance. He was conscious and speaking to emergency workers. About 15 minutes later, police took down the tape around the house and expanded the closed area around the shop, forcing reporters and passersby to the side of the road without answering questions.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Categories: police, security, security officer injured
loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, salinas ca security officer shot, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com
