Archive
Family sues nightclub over wrongful death www.privateofficer.com
The family of Corey Lee Wilson is seeking payments for his medical bills in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. A bouncer tossed Wilson out of Beavers Gentlemen’s Club at 8401 S.E. Third Ave. on Jan. 20, 2008. Wilson, 32, died less than a week later from his injuries.
Wilson and his family incurred more than $95,000 in medical expenses and funeral costs, according to the suit filed this week in federal court in Amarillo.
The family, including Wilson’s mother and 11-year-old daughter, is seeking punitive damages from Beavers owner Behrooz “Barry” Sadigh-Pour for negligence, bodily injury, emotional distress and offensive physical contact.
Sadigh-Pour could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Wilson was visiting Beavers to see an ex-girlfriend who worked at the club, said the family’s attorney, Michael Warner of Amarillo. The ex-girlfriend didn’t want to speak to Wilson. Bar staff, including bouncer Daniel Joseph Fangman, 29, threw Wilson from the club, Warner said.
“Fangman just jumps on him and continued to (beat) on him,” Warner said. “They continued to hit him, broke his jaw.”
Warner said an autopsy showed Wilson died of multiple blunt force trauma to the head.
Fangman pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter in November 2008 in district court in Potter County. He is serving a six-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Rudd Unit in Brownfield.
The civil lawsuit claims that Fangman followed the policies and procedures Beavers required of its bouncers. It further alleges Fangman and other bouncers were employed based on their size and “ability to eject patrons from Beavers, including force.”
Family Dollar security guard assaulted www.privateofficer.com
An 80-year-old Gary man working as a security guard at Family Dollar, 500 W. 5th Ave., was assaulted Monday night by a customer who fled with three cell phones.
Albert Fondren told police a man he knew as “C-Low” came into the store at 7:10 p.m. and announced a “stick up.”
The guard initially interpreted the threat as a joke, because he had seen the man in the store and spoken to him several times in recent weeks, Cpl. Gabrielle King said.
But then the man said, “I’m serious, I have a gun,” and struck Fondren in the face with a black, metal object.
The robber fled with three Trac phones worth about $20 each, King said.
Fondren was treated at The Methodist Hospitals in Gary for his injuries, the police report said.
Bank security officer arrested for theft www.privateofficer.com
Kenneth Hamberger is accused of stealing more than $20,000 from Citizens Community Federal Bank where he was employed for 15 years.
In his job he handled re-possessions and foreclosures for the bank’s 23 branches.
When he sold re-possessed items such as cars and motorcycles, he was supposed to apply the money toward the outstanding loan. Instead, police say he pocketed some of it.
He told officers he had a drinking problem and was often drunk while at work over the past few years.
Hamberger was fired and now faces a felony charge with possible prison time of 10 years.
Security officer questioned in theft from tax office www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
www.privateofficer.com – Police are investigating the disappearance of thousands of dollars in cash taken from the Richmond County tax commissioner’s vault sometime during the past 72 hours.
Investigators were notified that the vault had been mistakenly left unlocked and that the custodial staff informed a security officer that they had seen it open.
Deputies interviewed the security guard who has admitted to knowing the vault was open but said that he was not involved in the theft and police say that he passed a polygraph, clearing him of any criminal involvement with the case.
During a press conference Wednesday, Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick said an employee with the department forgot the close the vault on Friday.
Sources say Kim Wilkins with the tax commissioner’s office is now on leave without pay for the next five days. She’s been with the county for more than 30 years. County leaders say she has no pervious disciplinary actions in her file.
Investigators say someone threw a rock into a side window to get into the office. They believe the break-in happened sometime on Sunday or Monday.
The Marshals office does not have 24-hour security.
The security officer involved has been a part-time security officer with the Marshals office and he’s a certified police officer.
Marshal Steve Smith will be meeting with the security guard about disciplinary actions.
Police investigators have not said if the security officer has been cleared in this incident yet.
Security agents nab forgery suspect www.privateofficer.com
Store security officers were familiar with Omar Rashard McFadden, 20, of 4968 Fieldcrest Drive, deputies said, because he had a history of similar crimes. They held him at the store, on Lillington Highway, until deputies could respond.
Authorities said McFadden had cashed fraudulent checks at Walmart on numerous occasions and is a suspect in what they think is a forgery ring operating in the Fayetteville area.
McFadden faces charges of felony forgery and uttering and was released from the Cumberland County Detention Center after posting a $2,500 bond.
Indiana teacher under arrest for sex crimes www.privateofficer.com
A wrestling coach and teacher is under arrest today accused of an inappropriate relationship with at least one student according to police.
Scott E. Hardy Jr., 26, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of child seduction.
Hardy teaches special education at Roosevelt Middle School and is the varsity wrestling coach at Twin Lakes High School.
An initial hearing has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday in White Superior Court, according White County Prosecutor Bob Guy.
“There may be more than one charge,” Guy said. He said Hardy has yet to be formally charged.
According to Monticello Police Department Det. Tim McFadden, the student is a 16-year-old girl at the high school. He declined to further identify the student.
McFadden said school district officials contacted his department around 1 p.m. Tuesday saying, “Administrators had received information that a teacher had possibly had inappropriate contact with a student.”
After meeting with the student and parents, police searched Hardy’s Monticello duplex, McFadden said. During the search, and with Hardy present, police recovered “several items specific to the search warrant,” McFadden said. He declined to discuss what those specifics were.
Hardy was arrested shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday and taken to the White County Jail. He was released Tuesday evening on $5,000 surety bond.
Guy said he was unsure whether Hardy had an attorney.
A statement from the school district said Hardy has been suspended with pay, pending the outcome of any charges filed.
“Our main concern is the well being of our students,” said Thomas Fletcher, Twin Lakes School Corp. superintendent. He said the district would wait for the outcome of the court proceedings before taking any other action.
Hardy has been with the district two years, serving as a teaching assistant at the high school before taking the middle school teaching position this year, Fletcher said. He’s been the varsity wrestling coach for two years.
Jerry Schultheiss is father of one of the wrestlers on the team.
“I was very surprised,” he said. “He seems like a nice guy.”
Schultheiss said he learned of the issue Tuesday when his son told him the coach was in trouble and would not be at Tuesday’s home wrestling meet.
Had he not known of the situation in advance, “I would have just wondered where the coach was,” he said.
According to Fletcher, retired Twin Lakes wrestling coach Ken Houston, who still teaches in the district, has offered to coach the team for the rest of the year.
“We’re going to take him up on that offer,” Fletcher said.
Paulding County GA. teacher arrested for molesting student www.privateofficer.com
Paulding County Sheriff’s Office Shanna Detwieler, 40, of Dallas, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly having inappropriate sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy.
Shanna Detweiler, 40, of Dallas, was arrested Tuesday, according to Cpl. Brandon Gurley with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.
Detweiler posted a $4,050 bond, Wednesday evening, Gurley said
Investigators have described the actions as “inappropriate sexual contact” between Detwieler and the boy. The incident did not take place on school grounds.
“She is no longer in the classroom,” according to Sharon Roper with the Paulding County school system.
Detweiler was employed as a science teacher at Austin Middle School.
Wal-Mart LP agent sliced with knife www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/
A shoplifting incident at a local Wal-Mart turned into a serious assault on the security officer who was trying to detain the suspect.
Police said the store security agent was stabbed Tuesday night at the Walmart Super Center in Vincennes.
According to police, a loss prevention agent had spotted SheliaTanksley
shoplifting and attempted to stop her as she left the store. That’s when a man identified as Tanksley’s husband came into the store and tried to free his wife and began assaulting the security agent.
Christopher Tanksley pulled a razor knife during the incident and cut the officer’s hand and threatened to do further harm to him.
Tanksley was captured by responding police and was arrested for battery with a deadly weapon and put in jail.
Sheila Tanksley faces several drug charges, including two outstanding warrants from Daviess County and theft for the shoplifting incident.
The loss prevention agent was treated and released.
OFFICER DOWN NY STATE TROOPER
New York State Police
New York
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 6 years, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Trooper Jill Mattice was killed when her patrol car collided with a tractor trailer on Route 23, in the town of Morris, Otsego County. She had just left the school where she was assigned as a school resource officer when the crash occurred.
Trooper Mattice had served with the agency for 6.5 years.
Agency Contact Information
New York State Police
Public Information Office
1220 Washington Ave Bldg 22
Albany, NY 12226
Phone: (518) 783-3211
Please contact the New York State Police for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Terminally ill police officer fired www.privateofficer.com
Mesa police officer Mark Kelly, who is terminally ill, says after this month the city told him he no longer has a job after five years on the force.
A year ago, he said his duties took a drastic turn after he was diagnosed with ALS.
He said he was put on light duty, like answering phones, taking reports and handling walk-in cases. Last week, all of that came to a stop. That’s when his supervisors told him that the city was concerned he was too much of a liabilty and he was told that he would lose his job.
“They told me that when my sick and vacation and comp time runs out, which is in 27 days, I’d be forced to retire,” Kelly said.
Being a city employee, Kelly is entitled not only to a pension but a life insurance policy. If he were to die while employed, his family would receive not only a substantial life insurance settlement, they would also get about $30,000 a year in pensions. Being unemployed, not only would they lose the life insurance, the pension would drop to about $10,000 a year.
“That would force us to lose our house and everything that we had and have to move in with family,” Kelly said.
Kelly said he isn’t looking for a handout. Instead he just wants to continue to work. He’s even gone as far as purchasing voice-activated equipment to do his desk work. But according to Kelly, the city says, that’s not enough.
“It’s one more thing that my family has to deal with on top of my medical issues,” he said.
CBS 5 contacted the city of Mesa. City Spokesperson Steve Wright said the situation is “still under review” and that they’re trying to determine “what options would be available to Mark and his family.”
As for Kelly, he just wants the city to do what’s fair.
“They need to do what’s right, they need to take care of their employees like they should,” Kelly said.
Eight dead in Virginia shooting, suspect captured www.privateofficer.com
Christopher Speight, 39, approached officers at the scene of the shootings at about 7:10 a.m. and turned himself in, said Sgt. Thomas Molnar of the Virginia State Police.
The drama that started around noon Tuesday paralyzed the rural area, approximately 100 miles southwest of Richmond, that is best known as the place where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to end the Civil War. Police with dogs and heat-sensing equipment swarmed the woods and warned residents to stay indoors with doors locked.
Police were interviewing Speight and a spokeswoman said she was not sure when he would be charged and appear in court.
“We are still interviewing him, and it’s going to take hours to process the crime scene,” State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said.
Appomattox County court records show a concealed weapons permit was issued to a Christopher Bryan Speight three times between 1999 and last year, although police were not able to confirm immediately he was the same man. No address was listed on the online court records. The issue dates in 1999, 2004 and 2009 match the five-year renewal period for concealed handgun permits under Virginia law.
Molnar didn’t know whether Speight was armed when he surrendered.
Authorities earlier said he had a high-powered rifle and Sheriff O. Wilson Staples said investigators believe Speight had weapons training based on the weapons found in his home, but he declined to elaborate.
State police backed by other agencies spent the night enforcing a perimeter around a 2-miles stretch of woods and searching for Speight. The area was near the home where seven of the bodies were found. An eighth victim was found barely alive on the side of the road and died on the way to the hospital.
The house where most of the bodies were found is located on a gravel road, with woods and farm fields surrounding it. On Wednesday morning, police had the road blocked about 100 yards from the house.
All the victims were adults and both men and women were killed, Molnar said. Three of the bodies were found inside the home, and four just outside it, Molnar said.
Authorities said Speight was acquainted with the victims, but details of the relationships weren’t released.
Police refused to speculate on a motive and would not say what type of weapon was used.
Speight’s last known address was along the block where the shootings occurred, but Molnar did not know if the suspect was still living there. He would not say if all the victims were shot at the home where most of the bodies were found. He also would not say whether the shootings happened at Speight’s address or another house.
At one point the gunman fired at a state police helicopter, forcing it to land with a ruptured fuel tank, police said. No police were injured after one or more rounds struck the helicopter.
The drama began around noon Tuesday when a victim was spotted barely alive along the side of a narrow country road.
