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OFFICER DOWN GILBERT ARIZONA
Gilbert Police Department
Arizona
End of Watch: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Shot and wounded
Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle occupied by two males near the intersection of Val Vista Road and Baseline Road, near the border of Gilbert and Mesa.
After pulling into the parking lot of a strip mall shot were exchanged between Lieutenant Shuhandler and the suspects. Lieutenant Shuhandler was fatally wounded in the exchange.
Two sergeants from the Mesa Police Department heard the shot and found Lieutenant Shuhandler at the same time as Gilbert police received a 911 call reporting the shooting. He was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wound.
The suspects were located minutes later and a 50-mile high-speed chase began along Highway 60, with several units pursuing the pickup through Phoenix-area communities. The suspects fired several rounds and threw objects from their vehicle at the pursuing officers. The vehicle abruptly stopped in the town of Superior, and both suspects were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with officers from four agencies. Both suspects were arrested at the scene.
Lieutenant Shuhandler had served with the Gilbert Police Department for 12 years.
Agency Contact Information
Gilbert Police Department
75 E. Civic Center Drive
Gilbert, AZ 85296
Phone: (480) 503-6500
Please contact the Gilbert Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Target Store employees steal truck loads of merchandise www.privateofficer.com
kansascity.com Police secretly watched Thursday as an employee at the Ward Parkway Target store helped put merchandise from the loading dock into two moving trucks.
Officers followed one of the trucks an hour’s drive away, to a farmhouse in Henry County. There, they discovered more than $100,000 worth of merchandise, all of it apparently stolen from Target.
“It’s literally full of stuff,” said Police Capt. Mike Wood. “You name it, it’s out here.”
The farmhouse was one of four homes that Kansas City police raided Thursday as part of an embezzlement investigation that started more than a week ago with Target security officers.
In all, police said, they have recovered more than $300,000 worth of merchandise and arrested five suspects. No charges were filed Thursday.
No one lived in the Henry County farmhouse, which was set up like a store, police said. Mini-refrigerators and freezers were stored on the back porch, while household items such as lamps and candles were set up in one room, with toys and clothes in another room. A shed contained smaller items, such as bags of socks.
Police even found lists of requests from friends and relatives to the employee who is suspected of embezzling the items.
“They would tell what they needed and she would apparently get it,” Wood said.
Police said they believed the woman lived with a man in a trailer on the property.
Target sent two semi-trailers to the scene Thursday to reclaim its merchandise.
Authorities also raided the woman’s former home near 86th Street and Wornall Road after following one of the moving trucks there Thursday morning. The house recently had been condemned, but it was filled with stolen items that police hauled off.
Police also raided a home near Noland and Bannister roads, and another in the Ozarks. They suspect more homes may contain stolen merchandise.
Officers spent hours inventorying the items and planned to work late into the night, Wood said.
The Target employee had worked at the store since it opened and was considered one of the store’s best employees, police said.
Security officers became suspicious recently when they noticed some merchandise missing from the dock. They then watched video surveillance and saw the suspect loading items into cars and trucks without any supporting paperwork.
They then called in the Kansas City police.
Project “Deep Freeze” nabs 476 gang members www.privateofficer.com
Dubbed “Project Big Freeze,” it is the largest nationwide enforcement operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, ICE agents targeted gang members and illegal immigrants with ties to criminal gangs in other countries.
Of the 476 arrested, 366 are not U.S. citizens and face deportation either immediately or when their criminal prosecution is complete, ICE officials announced Wednesday. The operation took place from Jan. 17 through Sunday.
The 26 arrests in Minnesota included nine gang members and 14 gang associates in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, Burnsville, Farmington, Howard Lake, New Hope, Richfield and Shakopee, said Tim Counts, spokesman for the local ICE office.
Those arrested came from Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Somalia and other countries, ICE said. Gang affiliations include the Sureño 13, the Bishops, the Gangster Disciples, 18th Street, the Latin Kings and the Rough Tough Somali Crips.
Richfield Police Chief Barry Fritz participated in the announcement in Washington, with Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary John Morton and Charles Cato, assistant police chief in Dallas.
Fritz said working with ICE allows his small department — 44 sworn officers — to expand its intelligence gathering and go after a rising number of gang members from other countries. He said a 2008 homicide and other local crimes have had ties to gangs with international connections.
“Being in a seven-county metro area makes it difficult to track these guys,” Fritz said. “Working with ICE allows us to cross jurisdictional boundaries.”
Bank robbery suspect nabbed by security www.privateofficer.com
Brian Ellis, 40, whose last known address was in the 300 block of Lynn Street in Manteno, was charged with one count of felony robbery of the Palos Bank and Trust branch at 15801 S. Bell Rd.
Authorities say Ellis went into the bank just before 5 p.m. Wednesday and handed a teller note announcing a robbery and demanding money. He said he was armed with a handgun, but no gun was shown and no injuries were reported, according to the FBI.
After taking more than $7,000 in cash, Ellis left the bank, authorities said. The bank security guard, an off-duty Elmwood Park police officer, saw that the teller was upset and learned that she had just been robbed. He chased after Ellis and caught up with him a few blocks away, authorities said.
There was a struggle, but the officer was able to handcuff Ellis, the FBI said.
If convicted, Ellis could face up to 20 years in prison.
OFFICER DOWN OHIO
Ross Township Police Department
Ohio
End of Watch: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 57
Tour of Duty: 13 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Chief Carl Worley suffered a fatal heart attack when he assisted officers track a suspect into Hamilton.
During the search, officers on foot lost radio contact with the chief and started searching for him. When they located him, they discovered he had collapsed in his cruiser a short time ago.
Chief Worley had served with the Ross Township Police Department for 13 years. He is survived by his wife.
Agency Contact Information
Ross Township Police Department
3133 Hamilton Cleves Road
Hamilton, OH 45013
Phone: (513) 863-2337
Please contact the Ross Township Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Security officer dies detaining shoplifter www.privateofficer.com
The 46-year-old man died following a scuffle with a theft suspect at about 9 a.m., police said.
Police arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of third-degree assault and second-degree theft. He is in custody but is being treated at a hospital for injuries suffered during the scuffle, police said.
The incident started when the security guard recognized the suspect in connection with a theft from the Galleria on Wednesday, police said. The security guard detained the suspect but a scuffle ensued, police said.
The security guard was taken to the hospital where he later died. Police have classified the case as an unattended death pending the results of an autopsy.
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Former security guard gets probation in gun crime
Kosatschenko, 20, was convicted last month of being a prohibited gun possessor and Pima County Superior Court Judge Christopher Browning placed him on four years probation Wednesday.
Defense Attorney Brad Roach told Browning it didn’t matter how long he placed Kosatschenko on probation, he knows he’ll be successful.
Kosatschenko, too, said he’d be a law-abiding citizen.
Kosatschenko was charged with being a prohibited possessor last June after he shot and paralyzed a possible shoplifter while working as a security guard at a south-side convenience store.
Kosatschenko shot Daniel Tarango to prevent Tarango from running over another guard, who had fallen under Tarango’s car while chasing suspected shoplifters, according to authorities.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office opted not to seek an indictment against Kosatschenko pertaining to the shooting but charged him with possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor.
Kosatschenko lost his right to bear arms at age 13, when he was “adjudicated delinquent”on two counts of aggravated assault, a felony charge, and placed on probation.
During his one-day bench trial, Roach argued his client should be acquitted because the state Department of Public Safety issued Kosatschenko’s weapons permit without having checked Kosatschenko’s juvenile criminal history.
Deputy Pima County Attorney Kellie Johnson told Browning the DPS didn’t have all the relevant information about Kosatschenko because he lied on his Valley Protective Services job applications in 2008 and 2009.
When filling out the applications, Kosatschenko answered “No” when asked if he had ever been convicted of a crime and if he’d ever been placed on probation.
Johnson said although Kosatschenko now claims he didn’t know he was a prohibited possessor, he asked a judge to restore his civil rights, including his right to bear arms, four days after he turned 18, but was denied.
Kosatschenko could have received up to 3.75 years in prison as a result of his conviction.
Tarango is suing Circle K, Valley Protective Services and both security guards for unspecified damages.
He attended Wednesday’s hearing, but he and his attorney declined to comment.
Fresno nightclub security officer shot www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ Police responded overnight to an area nightclub after a security officer was shot.
They say the shooter – described as an Asian male wearing a white shirt and white hat – may have been kicked out of the club at Cedar & Shields just before the gunfire began but they are still investigating.
The suspect is thought to be driving a silver Lexus or Acura and fled the area after the shooting.
The security officer was transported to an area hospital and is said to have suffered a bullet wound to the shoulder .
Math teacher arrested for enticing student for sex www.privateofficer.com
Darin Duane Price, 38, of Brentwood, was charged Tuesday with two felonies — contacting a minor to commit a sexual offense and arranging a meeting with a minor to commit a sexual offense — and one misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a child.
“He is an exemplary teacher and coach, father and husband, and the allegations appear to be out of character,” defense attorney Elizabeth Grossman said Wednesday at Price’s arraignment.
Police arrested Price on Friday after a senior in one of his math classes reported that he solicited her for sex. He remained in custody Wednesday at County Jail in Martinez on $100,000 bail.
Prosecutor Jon Yamaguchi said the student was taking a makeup exam on Jan. 21 when Price placed a $100 bill on a desk and asked her to disrobe in exchange for the money. When she refused, he laid down a second $100 bill.
When the incident was reported to police the next day, investigators sent Price a text message from the victim’s cell phone and arranged a meeting for sex, Yamaguchi said. He said Price arrived at the meeting location in Brentwood with alcohol, condoms and two $100 bills.
On Tuesday, the Heritage High varsity girls basketball team played at Pittsburg High, its first game without Price.
“I’m impressed at how they have come together in supporting each other,” Heritage interim coach Orland Caban said about his squad before the game. “From parents on down, we realize there’s nothing we can do (about the situation).”
Caban, an off-campus coach who has been an assistant with the program for three years, said he was asked Saturday by Heritage athletic director Pat Cruickshank if he would be available to coach the team. Caban said he did not learn specifics about the situation until he saw news reports Tuesday.
“I came to get these girls on the bus (Tuesday), and not anyone talked about it “… not a word. They all talked about (Tuesday’s) game,” said Caban, whose daughter Kiana is a senior on the squad.
“The girls were spoken to by administration (Monday) and told there’s nothing we can do about it. We can only hope for the best for the coach.”
Caban led practice Monday before Tuesday’s game, which Heritage won 48-42 in overtime. After the game, he said team members had no comment on the situation. Ten players suited up for the varsity squad.
“They focused on the game, played hard and pulled out a victory,” said Heritage Assistant Principal Dan Hanel, who attended the game.
Security guard charged with impersonating police officer www.privateofficer.com
Regan, who wore a police uniform from one of Marion County’s small towns, phoned in his report and turned the suspects’ handguns into the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department property room.
But when the IMPD later tried to find paperwork that should have gone to the prosecutor’s office, they came up empty.
That led to an investigation, and police learned Regan, 36, wasn’t a police officer of the town of Crows Nest — or a cop from any other place.
But he apparently liked to play one in his security gigs.
Regan was charged today with impersonating a police officer, theft, criminal confinement and possession of handgun without a permit. A raid of his apartment turned up dozens of police goods, including a bulletproof vest, holsters, 12 police uniform shirts, police patches, boots, duffel bags, pepper spray, handcuffs, three handguns and a rifle.
IMPD spokesman Matthew Mount said Regan had tried to get hired as a police officer with the Marion County sheriff in 2000 and with Crows Nest, a tiny incorporated town on the Northside, more recently.
But Regan was dismissed as a special deputy from the sheriff’s office for a larceny arrest and he didn’t make the cut with Crows Nest because he failed firearms training in the academy. He was also dismissed at some point from a security job with the county health department for impersonating a police officer.
Detectives said Regan wasn’t the most egregious of police impersonators; he legitimately thought he had arrest powers. And he would have had them — if he had ever been hired on by a police agency.
“This isn’t a case where we have a guy who bought all this police stuff so he could go victimize people,” said Mount, adding that Regan could have legally bought the police merchandise. “But he erroneously believed he had police powers. He didn’t. He might have been deluding himself.”
Regan was charged with confinement because he might have handcuffed the suspects outside the Walker Theatre, 617 Indiana Ave. — that point is still being investigated — and the theft charge is for confiscating the handguns.
Mall security officer injured in scuffle www.privateofficer.com
Upon arrival, officers located several groups of juveniles fighting. Officers stopped the fights, arrested two teens and detained an 18-year-old male.
A security guard was treated for an injury she sustained while trying to assist with dispersing the suspects.
Additional charges are pending further investigation.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in Charles County that leads to an arrest or indictment. Anyone with information about a crime may contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or Text CHARLES + your tip to CRIMES or visit WWW.CCSO.US to submit a web tip. All callers remain anonymous.
School janitor charged with enticing student www.privateofficer.com
Source: Times Daily— A night janitor working at Beverly Hills Middle School was arrested for corruption of minors after allegedly attempting to date a 12-year-old student.
Jesse Tolar, 39, of the 700 block of East Madison Street, Philadelphia, was corresponding with the girl for several months, allegedly trying to arrange a dinner date or a movie date, police said.
Upper Darby School District spokeswoman Dana Spino said Tolar is employed by an outside contractor to clean the schools.
“He is not an Upper Darby School District employee,” Spino said. “He won’t be working in any Upper Darby schools. It’s an ongoing investigation.” Spino declined to comment further.
Upper Darby School District Security Officer Larry Santucci, a retired Upper Darby police officer, summoned police 12:42 p.m. Jan. 22 to Beverly Hills Middle School after the student reported receiving letters and money from Tolar.
“She has been receiving letters from this guy for a couple of months,” Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. “Obviously, this type of behavior is unacceptable. For a 39-year-old to target a 12-year-old will not be tolerated. The young girl and her family were scared to death.”
Tolar, who worked 4:30-11:30 p.m. weekdays at the school, allegedly told the girl he was 18 years old and wanted her to meet him for a movie on 69th Street.
“I am not ugly,” Tolar wrote in one note. “I am sweet and a gentle person who would like to take you to dinner and (a) movie date. All you need to do is say yes and we could start something new in each others life without any friends buttin’ in and saying stuff to keep you and me from being together.”
Tolar affixed a $10 bill to one letter for her to buy lunch.
When interviewed by Criminal Investigator Daniel Oliveri, Tolar admitted writing to the student, claiming he just wanted to have fun with someone.
“It’s not a joke as he stated,” Chitwood said. “It’s serious to put kids at risk.”
Tolar was arraigned on charges of harassment, stalking and corruption of minors.
Bail was set at $20,000 cash pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 1 before Magisterial District Judge Harry Karapalides.
GA. mom makes son kill hamster over bad grade www.privateofficer.com
The 38-year-old faces one charge each of animal cruelty, child cruelty and battery.
Meriwether County sheriff Steve Whitlock told CBS affiliate WGCL that the 12-year-old boy told his teacher about the killing.
The Atlanta affiliate asked Whitlock, who knows the mother personally, if this is something that the son could have made up, but the sheriff says it happened.
“The mother was really upset and she proceeded to punish the child in a strange manner,” Whitlock told the station.
Geter is a dental hygienist and a former daycare provider who used to care for kids out of her Warm Springs home, about 80 miles south of Atlanta. She has three kids including the 12-year-old son who came home from Manchester Middle School last week with bad grades.
A neighbor who’s known the Geter family for almost 20 years can’t believe it happened.
“I’ve known Lynn…Good people far as I’m concerned,” Ken Brock told WGCL. “I’m not convinced of any of it.”
The sheriff told WGCL that the mom has been arrested before for minor crimes, but nothing violent.
Geter was arrested last Friday. It was not immediately known if she had a lawyer.
Her children are now in the custody of the Division of Family and Children Services.
Security officer aids in burglary arrests www.privateofficer.com
Luis Angel Castro, 23, of Long Beach was arrested after allegedly stealing a police car and evading officers for several miles before crashing into another police car, said Long Beach Police Detective Dennis Zigrang.
The incident began at about 7:30 a.m. when an officer saw a security guard chasing a man suspected of burglarizing hotel rooms at Hotel Maya, 700 Queensway Drive, Zigrang said. While the police officer assisted the security guard in the chase, the suspect hid in bushes, then jumped into the unattended police car and sped off. The suspect was apprehended after he ran a red light and smashed into another police cruiser, causing minor injuries to himself and an officer.
Castro, who was already on probation for burglary, faces eight felony charges, including evading arrest, auto theft, burglary, and grand theft of a firearm – because a shotgun and assault rifle were inside the stolen police car, Zigrang said. Castro is also facing two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly trying hit two people with the vehicle, he added.
In a separate incident, another man was arrested Sunday after allegedly stealing a car in the 3900 block of Lewis Avenue and leading officers on an hourlong chase through the city.
Gregory Galang, 35, of Lakewood was arrested for evading arrest, auto theft and resisting arrest, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski.
The chase, which began at about 3:30 a.m., ended in the 900 block of Loma Avenue.
Pro Baseball players arrested in scuffle with security www.privateofficer.com
azcentral.com A brawl at a U.S. Airways Center lounge which led to the arrest of two professional baseball players also involved the wife of an NBA player who claimed the players’ grandfather groped her at the bar, according to a police report released today.
Officers arrested Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird and his brother – New York Yankees prospect Brandon Laird – on suspicion of scuffling with security guards in the drunken skirmish during the Suns’ win over the Boston Celtics on Dec. 30. The Lairds’ uncle, Gregory Scott Collins, 51, was also arrested on suspicion of assault.
Police listed Charlsie House – wife of Celtics forward Eddie House, a former star with the Suns and ASU – as an investigative lead in the case, according to the report.
Authorities said House quickly left the arena’s Verve Energy Lounge after accusing the Lairds’ 70-year-old grandfather, who was never cited, of touching her inappropriately.
House said she “did not want any prosecution” and was “reluctant to give any of her information” to officers, according to the report. A bartender told police House claimed she was being harassed prior to the fight.
Officers who responded to the fight said Brandon Laird, 22, shouted derogatory remarks toward House and other women at the lounge before taking a swing at one of the women. The Yankees’ prospect was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Gerald Laird, 30, signed a $3.9 million one-year contract with Detroit earlier this month. The Peoria resident was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor assault for allegedly striking a security guard in the head from behind during the brawl.
The catcher said he felt he was in danger and just trying to “watch the game and have some fun,” according to his statements to police. He also told police the fight involved “some lady inside that was bragging about her husband playing for the Celtics.”
“I don’t know, I didn’t try to hurt anyone or strike anyone,” Laird told one officer. “The next thing I knew, I was in handcuffs.”
Witnesses told police the Laird brothers – who attended the game with Collins, their grandfather and their father – were cautioned by security when they arrived because they appeared intoxicated.
Collins was booked on suspicion of assault after police said he punched a security guard in the face and head as the guard tried to detain one of his nephews.
Police seized video of the melee from the Verge Energy Lounge as part of the investigation.
Patient dies after shot with Taser www.privateofficer.com
Kelly Brinson Sr. went into cardiac arrest Jan. 20. He was pronounced dead three days later.
Gene Ferrara, the chief of police at University of Cincinnati, said the incident was unfortunate and tragic.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office refused comment on the matter Tuesday, saying it is still under investigation.
If the use of a Taser is determined as the main cause of the death, it will be the first in Hamilton County, the coroner’s spokesman said Tuesday.
“Oh, my God, I cannot believe he is not coming back,” said Brenda Brinson, Kelly Brinson’s sister.
Brenda Brinson said she knew her brother needed help just after the new year. Diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic close to three decades ago, his sister said he told her he had been having bad dreams and overall bad feelings since the holidays. He was feeling suicidal.
Derek Brinson said his brother had been talking about the need to get his medications adjusted. Over the years he had mental setbacks and had been arrested on various charges, ranging from assault to disorderly conduct.
Even so, “He was gentle,” Derek Brinson said.
On Jan. 16, Kelly Brinson punched a wall and broke his right hand at his Mount Airy home. His hand and his ring and pinky finger were put into a cast that went up to his elbow.
Two days later, Kelly Brinson went to University Hospital and asked to be admitted to the psychiatric ward, his sister and brother said.
“I knew he was safe and I could rest my mind,” Brenda Brinson said.
The following evening, Brinson’s brother was on a ventilator.
Brenda Brinson said she was told emergency workers spent 19 minutes trying to revive her brother after he was stunned and he never regained consciousness.
The Brinsons said their brother was agitated because his cell phone, which also has a radio, had been taken away from him because he had lashed out at a fellow patient.
“He just wanted to listen to the radio,” Derek Brinson said.
Both Brinsons said their brother had calmed down but were told he became agitated again before being shocked. They were also told that he was given sedatives before he was shocked.
He said, “I’m done,” just before going into cardiac arrest, Brenda and Derek Brinson said hospital officials told them in a meeting that also involved police last week.
“He was dead Wednesday, I just know it,” Derek Brinson said. “They just kept him alive to try and cover this up.”
A University Hospital spokesman declined to be interviewed for this story and referred all questions to the police department.
Ferrara, the UC police chief, said officers made every possible attempt to calm Kelly Brinson before using the Taser.
Ferrara said Brinson was taken into a room and police planned to have him arrested on charges of assault on a police officer because he had swung at a security guard. At that point, Brinson became agitated again and other officers were called to help control him.
At least two officers had some sort of scuffle with Brinson when officer Mark Zacharias used his Taser. At least five university police officers were in the room and other witnesses at that point, Ferrara said.
Zacharias has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is common procedure, Ferrara said. Zacharias had been a security guard and about six months ago was promoted to police officer.
Ferrara said two officers received minor injuries.
Brenda Brinson said her 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound brother had a large cut on his head when she saw him at the hospital.
Ferrara said the Taser hit Brinson in the upper leg and hip area. The officer tried using the weapon two more times, but Ferrara said a computer printout that tracks the Taser use through a chip suggest the device locked and only shocked Brinson once.
The Brinsons believe their brother also was hit twice with the Taser in the chest, something police officers have been warned to try to avoid doing since Taser International sent out an alert last fall advising police to avoid shocking suspects in the chest.
“We have pictures,” Brenda Brinson said.
Ferrara said his officers have been trained to try to avoid shocking a subject in the chest and that is why his officer shot at the hip.
Tasers have become common in police agencies across the country since the early 2000s.
They were touted as a substitute to a handgun or other weapons that can be deadly when used. The idea was that police could shock unruly suspects and the suspect would fall to the ground then be handcuffed and hauled away.
“Our intention was to prevent serious injury,” Ferrara said.
Amnesty International said Tuesday that more than 350 people have died after being shocked by a Taser or stun gun in the United States through 2008.
At one point the human rights watch group called for a moratorium on Tasers.
“There are simply too many of these deaths and injuries,” said Joshua Rubenstein, the Northeast regional Director of Amnesty International USA.
In 2007, a Golf Manor man died after being shocked. In that case the coroner’s ruled that the man died from a lethal reaction to cocaine and not the Taser.
A 26-year-old Miami University graduate died after being hit with a Taser by Oxford police in 2008. The Taser was not determined to be the only factor that contributed to the young man’s death; alcohol also played a part in his organs failing.
Since that case, Oxford police officers no longer carry Tasers. Only supervisors may carry the weapons.
Oxford police also can no longer use a Taser when a person is obviously inebriated, emotionally disturbed or has a noticeable mental or physical handicap. In addition, police may only shock a person involved in a violent crime.
More recently in Mason, a man died after falling and striking his head when he was shocked with a Taser in December. Butler County official said the cause of death was a skull fracture.
Amnesty’s figures on the 351 deaths are a culmination of all deaths after someone has been shocked regardless whether a coroner’s officer said drugs or a fall from being shocked caused the deaths and not just the Taser.
What matters most to Brenda and Derek Brinson is that hospital staff and police apparently didn’t try other means, such a straightjacket, to control their brother.
“That was his safe place,” Brenda Brinson said of the hospital.
Brenda Brinson said her brother has been seeking help at UC and other mental health agencies for 28 years.
“He went there for help,” Brenda Brinson said.
Trenton school security officer stabbed www.privateofficer.com
It happened around 10:10 a.m. Tuesday at the campus on Chambers Street.
Police say security guard Tyrone McNeese, 42, suffered a stab wound to his left forearm.
It began when two 15-year old girls were involved in a fight and, while that was happening, another fight began between another 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl.
Several security guards interrupted the fights and held the girls against the lockers, police say.
That was when the 16-year-old allegedly pulled a knife from her bra.
Police say when the other girls saw the knife they broke free and ran away, with the 16-year-old in pursuit.
McNeese was running toward the area, police say, on his way to help his colleagues. He collided with one of the 15-year-old girls and both fell to the floor. The 16-year-old then arrived, and police say she tried to stab the girl who slammed into McNeese. Instead, police say the 16-year-old stabbed McNeese in the arm.
That’s when the other security officers arrived and again tried to detain the girls. Police say one of the 15-year-olds tried to arm herself with a pair of scissors, but the guards were able to subdue her.
McNeese was treated and released from the hospital for his injury.
The 16-year-old girl was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon (knife).
The15-year-old girl who tried to arm herself with scissors was also charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon (scissors).
Another 15-year-old girl was charged with disorderly conduct/fighting.
During the incident the school was locked down in order to contain the scene and to control the situation. No other students or faculty were injured during the incident.
Police say a search of the lockers of the girls was conducted, which resulted in the seizure of additional weapons.
Shoplifter armed with butcher knife arrested in robbery www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ Police responded to an armed robbery in progress at an area Goodwill store and learned that a shoplifter had pulled a butcher knife on a security officer.
The unarmed security officer convinced the man to leave peacefully, and avoided any further confrontation Herrera added. Then he dialed police and described the getaway car.
A few minutes later, a traffic officer spotted the vehicle at the corner of El Camino Real and Ventura Way and conducted a traffic stop which lead to the arrest of Jose Hernandez-Ramirez, 52-year-olds of Santa Clar.
Thomasville teacher arrested for sex abuse of student www.privateofficer.com
Edward Heath Williamson, 33, of 10 Johnia Court, is facing two counts of a sexual act between a teacher and a student for an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old female. Williamson, THS’ Instructional Technological Facilitator, is accused of having sexual intercourse with the female, who is one of his students, on two separate occasions while on school grounds. Williamson has been suspended with pay until an investigation is completed.
“We were told about some improprieties and we investigated and found there was some truth to it,” THS Principal Deboy Beamon said. “He broke a sacred code and you just don’t do that.”
According to Det. Jeff McCrary, Thomasville Police Department received notification by the THS school resource officer last Wednesday that a teacher was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a female student. An investigation alleges that Williamson and the female had two separate sexual encounters on Dec. 16 and Jan. 15. Since the female student is at least 16 years old, no statutory charges have been filed.
“This is a class G felony,” said McCrary. “This crime was put in place specifically for teacher-student relationships. Age has nothing to do with it. Teachers are not allowed to have sexual relationships with students they’re teaching.”
Williamson turned himself into TPD on Friday and was issued a $10,000 unsecured bond. He is scheduled to appear in Thomasville District Court on Feb. 12.
“There have been accusations about an inappropriate relationship with a student,” Thomasville City Schools Superintendent Keith Tobin said. “It’s under investigation at this point. Concerning the accusation of a student and a teacher, there was immediate action taken to take care of that situation.”
Tobin didn’t want to comment on whether Williamson would be terminated, but did say that “I can assure you that the situation will be handled appropriately and in a timely manner. It is a personnel matter and I can’t comment any more than that.”
Williamson could not be reached for comment by press time Monday.
Now in his second year at THS, Wiliamson also is an assistant coach with the varsity football team. Williamson came to THS from Randolph County and was responsible for helping students develop senior projects.
Lowe’s employee charged with embezzlement www.privateofficer.com
Sharlett Villareal, 37, was taken into custody on suspicion of grand theft. She was booked into the Tulare County Main Jail.
Police said officers responded to Lowe’s of Tulare, 1145 East Prosperity Ave., for reports of embezzling.
Tulare Police Sgt. Darron Altermatt said the store’s security officers reported the employee had marked refunding returned items when there weren’t any and keeping the money.
Altermatt said such instance had going on for about a month, from Dec. 20 to Jan. 18, totaling $1,300.
The arrest was recorded at 10:46 a.m. Friday.
Prisons restricting inmate use of FOI laws www.privateofficer.com
AP
Connecticut could join at least a dozen other states by restricting prison inmates from using FOI laws to get personal information to harass or threaten their guards – and, in some cases, prosecutors or other inmates.
Inmates here and around the country have swamped systems with information requests – for guards’ personnel and arrest records, files affecting the inmates’ own legal cases, and details as mundane as meal ingredients. While no Connecticut correction officers have been harmed or harassed because no personnel records have yet been released, prison officials say they are fighting because they view such requests as a threat to the safety and security of staff and at the prisons.
From his cell in a Suffield prison, where he’s serving out an 86-year sentence for sexual assault, Richard Stevenson is trying to learn more about his guards. He’s battled Connecticut’s Department of Correction for the past year, seeking off-duty arrest records of more than 100 guards.
Stevenson, 45, contends he wants the information for a court appeal and a Freedom of Information Commission officer initially okayed his request – but prison officials want it blocked. They claim it will endanger the officers by giving an inmate juicy information he could use against a guard to his advantage.
“When an inmate is requesting information, it’s not for anybody’s good, especially when they’re lifers, for vicious assaults or whatever,” said Jon Pepe, president of AFSCME Local 391, one several union locals representing correctional officers in Connecticut. “These are not good people.”
Washington, Arkansas, Michigan, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Alabama, Georgia and Arizona have various laws on the books, some dating back to the mid-1990s, that limit or block inmate access to state open-record laws, according to prison union officials.
None were apparently prompted by violence against guards; most – like Georgia’s, Michigan’s and Texas’ – complained about the harassment potential and the cost and burden of compliance.
In Washington, a law enacted last year followed threats against several prosecutors by an inmate, Allan Parmelee, who is serving 17 years for firebombing his lawyers’ cars. Parmelee had made hundreds of requests for photos, surveillance video or personnel files on judges, prosecutors, prison guards and others he’s encountered in his legal case.
The personnel records requested by prisoners in Connecticut have not yet reached the inmates because of the legal challenges made by the prisons department. However, correction officials point to a recent disturbance after one inmate learned from a local police report he requested under the open records law that another inmate had been an informant.
Connecticut’s full FOI commission recently ruled to release records Stevenson wants, but with the guards’ names redacted. DOC has not yet decided whether to comply.
This case and several others, which pit the prisons department against the FOI Commission, are fueling a renewed push to change state law and curb rising inmate FOI requests for personnel records.
Prison officials say they worry about the possibility inmates could threaten and compromise an officer by telling other inmates about a potentially embarrassing arrest – and that sensitive personal information about staff, such as home addresses and names of family members, could get into the wrong hands.
While there are exemptions in Connecticut’s FOI Act to withhold public employees’ personnel and health records, they’re not airtight. It must be proven that the information would highly offend a reasonable person, and that there’s no public interest in it.
Colleen Murphy, executive director of the state’s FOI commission, said the panel opposes an across-the-board ban on releasing such records to inmates. There are situations, she said, where the information could benefit the inmate and possibly the state as a whole.
“They are uniquely situated to see if there is any wrongdoing going on in the other side of the fence,” Murphy said.
Correction officials claim inmate FOIs are jamming the system, but the FOI commission – which aims to treat inmates as other citizens – disagrees. It says it has seen an increase in its workload, of which inmates’ requests are only about 20 percent and manageable. A significant portion of the requests seek information about inmates’ guards, officials say.
Paul Wright, editor of the Seattle-based Prison Legal News, said Connecticut’s proposed limits are part of “a national clampdown” to isolate prisoners from the outside world.
He questioned whether guard protection is the real issue, since an inmate – or someone acting for him – can already glean information like arrest records from the Internet and newspapers. He suggests prisons officials are really trying to block information that would disclose poor prison conditions.
“This isn’t occurring in a vacuum. It’s kind of a full-court press,” Wright said. “They don’t want to give up the information. They know if they give up the information, it basically gives insight into how poorly run their institutions are.”
Wright knows firsthand the information that an inmate can uncover using open records laws. While serving 17 years of a 25-year term in Washington State for killing a cocaine dealer he was trying to rob, Wright requested documents on all of the doctors working for the state’s prison system.
He learned that some didn’t have medical licenses and many had been disciplined for medical neglect.
“For the most part, the pattern here wasn’t this is Marcus Welby and we have some issues,” said Wright, who moved to Vermont after his release from prison in 2003. “These are crappy doctors.”
In Florida, where FOI laws are among the nation’s strongest, inmates are allowed equal access to public records under the state’s constitution.
“To limit any access to any party or designated group – I don’t think it would fly here in Florida,” said JoAnn Carrin, director of the Office of Open Government.
Kansas Corrections spokesman Bill Miskell said his agency has considered banning inmates’ access to information about staff – but questions whether it’s workable.
“If the inmate can’t get it,” he said, “the inmate will have somebody on the outside write in and say, ‘Please send me the information about this staff member or that staff member.”
Prison guard commits suicide on duty www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Authorities responded to a shooting of a correctional officer at the Pasquotank Correctional Institution Monday morning and found the officer outside the fence line.
Pasquotank Sheriff Randy Cartwright said Officer Malikka Smith, 26, is believed to have shot herself with her prison-issued service weapon sometime before 8 a.m. on Monday.
Correction personnel became concerned after Smith failed to answer radio calls at 8 a.m. and went to investigate. They discovered her slumped in her patrol vehicle, Cartwright said.
Cartwright, whose office is investigating Smith’s death, said the officer started her shift at the prison at 6 a.m. Smith’s job was to patrol a road outside the prison’s fence line checking for security breaches.
Cartwright said Smith’s death is being investigated as a suicide.
“It doesn’t seem to be any foul play,” he said.
The sheriff’s office is questioning Smith’s co-workers and other prison employees as part of its investigation. Cartwright’s office is looking into several possible reasons for Smith’s actions, but the sheriff said he was not prepared to comment on them.
“We’re looking into some possible reasons, yes, but nothing that we can release right now,” he said.
Keith Acree, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Correction, said his agency had no information on why Smith would want to take her own life. He said DOC will look into the matter to determine what lead to Smith’s death and whether her work duties played any role.
Acree said Smith had worked for DOC since August 2004. He was not sure if Smith had worked at any other prisons besides Pasquotank Correctional Institution.
Cartwright said he couldn’t remember a recent incident in which an on-duty officer committed suicide.
Priest charged with shoplifting at Wal-Mart www.privateofficer.com
Allegedly, Poole also possessed a stolen laptop computer power pack.
He’s the priest for St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Christopher and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sesser.
Man dressed as security guard to commit thefts www.privateofficer.com
By: Brett Davis/ Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Police have made an arrest in an unusual theft at a store in last year.
Canton Police say that they have captured Ronald Mark Clark of Woodstock GA. and have charged with several felony crimes.
During his arrest, police found two stolen 19-inch, Polaroid flat-screens and the uniform Clark wore during the Nov. 17 theft, police said.
TV viewers helped police identify Clark after a Dec. 31 broadcast about the incident, police said.
Clark was charged with theft by shoplifting and taken to the Cherokee County Jail.
BYU employee guilty of $200,000 computer thefts www.privateofficer.com
Allen Scott Harris, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and two counts of communications fraud, both second-degree felonies. An additional six felonies were dismissed as part of a plea deal. He faces a sentence of one to 15 years in prison for each charge when he is sentenced March 11.
Judge James Taylor advised Harris of his rights and reminded him that he has the discretion on Harris’s sentence and could choose to run the sentences on each charge consecutively.
“It could effectively be four to 60,” Taylor said.
Prosecutor Craig Johnson said one theft charge is associated with stealing laptop computers, and the other stems from the theft of toner cartridges. The communications fraud charges resulted from communication with the buyers of the stolen items. Johnson said as part of Harris’s job at BYU Broadcasting, he bought laptops to give to employees between June 2008 and February 2009.
“Instead of turning those over to those people, he sold them on eBay and other sites,” he said.
Harris pocketed the money from the sales for himself and did so again when he sold the toner cartridges, Johnson said. In all, nearly 50 laptops, 80 computer monitors and 175 printer cartridges were bought with university money and sold for Harris’s gain.
“We have a stipulated amount of $200,000 of embezzlement,” Johnson told Judge Taylor.
BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said previously that Harris had an administrative role in the computer support department for BYU Broadcasting. He worked for the university from September 2002 until he resigned in February 2009.
Jenkins said there were concerns from employees about Harris’s activity, and the thefts were discovered during a routine internal audit.
Johnson said Harris and his attorney approached the case professionally and cooperated to determine to extent of the damages and come to a resolution. Both sides had several meetings with BYU to go through records and determine the losses.
Attorneys set Harris’s court hearing far apart because it was anticipated that a lot of legwork would need to be done in the case, Johnson said. There were large amounts of paperwork to go through and serial numbers that had to be tracked to find the computers.
“This was a large accounting project,” he said.
Although $200,000 was lost by the university, Johnson said Harris pocketed less himself because he sold the computers at reduced prices. Harris has agreed to pay $200,000 in restitution, as the stolen merchandise will likely not be found.
“Most of them were not recovered,” Johnson said. “They are throughout the 50 states.”
Johnson said it was important to recover the money for the university because the loss is felt throughout the valley. Many residents support the university either through money to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through tuition money or through other avenues.
“Just about everyone in Utah County is a victim in some way,” he said.
Nightclub security bouncer shot in Nashville www.privateofficer.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Jan 25 2010By: Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ - Police responded to a shooting early Monday morning at a nightclub where a security bouncer was shot. The shooting outside the busy Silverado club in south Nashville happened at around 1:30a.m. police said.
According to the officer’s investigation, a man got into a scuffle just outside of the club with the bouncer, and then another man pulled out a gun and shot the bouncer in the leg. The two men then fled the scene in a car.
Police found the getaway vehicle on Tyler Drive near Lebanon Pike a short time later but no arrests have been made.
WV teacher charged with sex assault, incest www.privateofficer.com
By: Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
www.privateofficer.com Authorities have arrested a Mingo County teacher on sexual abuse charges.
Mingo County Sheriff Deputies arrested Johnny Ray Dempsey, 36, of Delbarton, on Friday and charged him with sexual abuse and incest.
Sheriff’s deputies said that the charges involve an alleged incident back in June but did not elaborate..
Mingo County Superintendent, Dwight Dials, confirms that Dempsey is a teacher at Kermit K-8 and Tug Valley High School.
Dempsey remains in the Southwestern Regional Jail.
DuPont employee dies from chemical exposure, security response questioned
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ – An employee of the DuPont Company in Belle West Virginia is dead and an investigation by several federal agencies is underway.
Carl Fish, who worked at the plant for all of his life died after an accident Saturday in which he was accidentally sprayed in the face with Phoegene. The chemical was used in World War I to “choke” soldiers on the battlefield.
Kent Carper, Kanawha County Commissioner, on Sunday afternoon ordered the release of the 911 tape where plant security officer reported the employees injury. The security guard did not inform first responders that the man had been exposed to a chemical or that there was any type of hazardous situation Carper said.
The guard simply asked for an ambulance due to “a medical emergency,” and did not indicate any further circumstances which caused no further details given to 911 responders.
Therefore, first responders entered the plant without preparations for phoegene treatment.
According to the CDC website, delayed effects from exposure take about 48 hours to occur. These include breathing difficulties, coughing up white to pink-tinged fluid (pulmonary edema), low blood pressure and possible heart failure. These symptoms may occur “even if the person feels better or appears well following removal from exposure. People who have been exposed to phosgene should be monitored for 48 hours.”
The plant has voluntarily suspended production for a safety pause.
As of Sunday night, the following information has surfaced: (1) That OSHA and the Chemical Safety Board may inspect the plant (per the Charleston Gazette); and (2) that a small fire had been reported at the DuPont plant on Sunday evening.
There was no word on whether or not the security guard has been suspended or terminated.
Cop arrested 6 times in two years www.privateofficer.com
fox23.com Police Officer John Lewis was arrested on Saturday night for what is at least the sixth time in two years.
Department officials tell us that they received a call at approximately 6:00 p.m. that a drunk man had left the emergency department at Ellis Hospital, hit a car, and took off.
Investigators say that that man was Lewis – a 15-year veteran of the force who has spent much of the past two years off the job.
Lewis’s troubles with the department date back to 1998 when he was fired for allegedly using a racial slur; an arbitrator later reinstated him.
Since the spring of 2008, Lewis has been arrested numerous times on charges that include drunk driving, stalking, harrassment, and vandalism.
In December, a Schenectady County grand jury indicted Lewis for allegedly hacking into his ex-wife’s e-mail account and threatening her.
Days later, he was apparently stabbed in Berkshire County.
Schenectady Police say Lewis’s termination hearing has been completed and the department brass is waiting for a final decision by an arbitrator.
City residents say that Lewis has already had too many chances.
“Police are supposed to be models for the rest of the society and, certainly, this is not the kind of model that we want to have our kids and the rest of everybody else in the city to portray so, yeah, he definitely needs to go,” says Don Ackerman of Schenectady.
City resident Chuck Tillman says, “He should be thrown off the force in my opinion.”
Lewis is being held at Schenectady County Jail without bail.
A jail officer tells us that Lewis is due back in city court at 9:00 a.m. on Monday.
Man gets 18 years prison for assault on security officer www.privateofficer.com
Saying he heard no evidence that Jarrid Bloom wanted to change his ways, U.S. District Court judge Ralph Beistline sentenced Bloom to 18 years and four months in federal prison.
“You have never made a wise choice in your life,” Beistline said, chastising Bloom during Friday’s sentencing hearing. “You were destined to be shot, beat up or incarcerated.”
The judge called Bloom a “petty thief” who has spent five of his six adult years behind bars. Bloom had been out of jail only 21 days when he was caught by security guard Louis Maloney breaking into cars in the parking garage at the federal courthouse on July 7.
“If you had just said, ‘Oh, you’ve got me’ and walked out with the security guard you’d probably be out of jail by now,” Beistline said. “You escalated it at every point along the way, and now you’re facing decades in jail.”
Bloom, who had been in Alaska for only eight days after moving to Fairbanks from Reno, Nev., started a fight with Maloney after the security guard found a small tinfoil cube of marijuana on him during a search. Bloom punched Maloney a half dozen times in the face, breaking his eye socket, before wrestling the guard’s gun away. Holding Maloney at gunpoint, Bloom took the guard’s baton and wallet before pointing the gun at a car and shooting the tire. He ordered Maloney to wait 40 seconds before doing anything and fled on a bike.
Fairbanks police caught Bloom on his bike outside the courthouse. He had Maloney’s baton and wallet, and the gun was located nearby.
Bloom pleaded guilty in October and struck a plea deal with the state.
Bloom received 10 years for using a handgun during a violent crime and the rest of the time for assaulting a law enforcement officer. He also was ordered to pay $10,500 in restitution to Maloney and will face five years of probation when he gets out of prison. Three other felony charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Maloney, who underwent surgery in August to repair his eye socket, spoke at Friday’s sentencing hearing. He said he thought Bloom was going to kill him.
“I figured death was imminent,” Maloney told Beistline. “My biggest fear was what he would do with my duty weapon to someone else.”
Maloney, who is undergoing physical therapy as a result of injuries to his shoulder suffered in the fight, said the incident with Bloom continues to haunt him. He still has a hard time sleeping, breaks out in cold sweats and is “always on guard.”
Addressing Bloom, he told the 24-year-old to “count his blessings.”
“If this had happened on my property or in my house, the outcome would have been very different,” Maloney told Bloom.
Maloney, who works full time for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was working as a part-time security guard at the time of the incident. He said he missed a month of work at his regular job and hasn’t been cleared to go back to work as a security guard yet, forcing his wife to take a part-time job in addition to her full-time job.
Bloom, dressed in orange prison garb, apologized to Maloney and said what he did “was the worst decision of my life.” He couldn’t explain why he made that decision.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said, dabbing tears from his eyes with a Kleenex. “I can’t explain a motive. I went crazy.”
Bloom’s attorney, federal public defender M.J. Hayden, asked for a prison term of 15 years, noting that Bloom had a lengthy criminal record but was not prone to violence. Bloom previously was convicted of felony counts of grand theft auto and possession of a stolen vehicle in Nevada.
“He doesn’t have a history of violence,” she said. “This was a horrific offense, but it was not something he planned. It was a case of unfortunate circumstances that pulled together all at the same time.”
U.S. Assistant District Attorney Stephen Cooper recommended a sentence of more than 20 years, citing his “extensive” criminal history, which began when he was 13 years old.
“We’re dealing with somebody who is recidivist on a grand scale, and he’s only 24 years old,” Cooper said.
Bloom will serve his time in a federal penitentiary in Nevada.
