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Archive for April 14, 2010

Police arrest suspect in security officer shooting www.privateofficer.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn. April 14 2010- Memphis Police arrested a suspect in the April 2 shooting at the Crystal Palace skate rink in South Memphis where two security guards were injured.

20-year old Andrianne Kiser is charged with two counts Attempted Second Degree Murder, as well as Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon and Employment of a Firearm with Intent to Commit a Felony.

Police reported that a fight broke out around 11:30pm in the skating rink’s parking lot after a group tried to sneak in through an exit door.

The manager said the security guards were locking the door when the suspect pulled out a gun and started shooting, hitting the two security guards.

Both victims were taken to The Med in critical condition.

Kiser is being held on $150,000 bond.

1 Dead, 3 shot in Philly bar shooting www.privateofficer.com

PHILADELPHIA PA APRIL 14 2010 – One person is dead and three injured after a quadruple shooting inside a Philadelphia bar overnight.

The shooting happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday at “Lid’s Bar” at 15th and Wingohocking streets in the city’s Logan section.

Three men and a woman were shot, including a security guard who was working at the bar.

Police believe it all started with a fight inside the bar and the suspects grabbed a gun from the guard, using it to shoot the victims.

One man was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The other three victims are at Albert Einstein Medical Center. One was said to be in very critical condition.

Categories: nightclub security

Tacoma court officer wins national award www.privateofficer.com

Tacoma WA April 14 2010

For the past decade, it’s been Terri Wallace’s job to protect judicial officials at the Tacoma Federal Courthouse.

And while she’s kept judges and other people safe, it’s what she did on her way home from work that has her receiving the Harry Belluomoni Court Security Officer of the Year Award.

Wallace received the award at a U.S. Marshals ceremony this week in Arlington, Va., but her story began five months ago during a traffic jam on the westbound span of the Narrows bridges.

During her commute home to Gig Harbor on Nov. 18, Wallace noticed westbound traffic slowing on the bridge. Then she saw an abandoned vehicle in the far right lane with no emergency lights to indicate a breakdown.

“Something’s not right,” she remembered thinking.

Wallace attempted to dial 9-1-1 only to get a call-failed message. At that time, she watched a woman climb over the bridge’s railing. Wallace sprung to action and grabbed the woman before she could jump.

For the next 20 minutes, Wallace and one other bystander held onto the woman while they battled the wind and weather. Emergency crews arrived within minutes, but Wallace and the other bystander had to hold onto the woman for the duration of the incident.

With her face smashed between the bars, Wallace used all of her might to hold onto the struggling woman’s arms. Because of her positioning, Wallace also was charged with placing a safety harness around the woman.

Once emergency crews took over and eventually removed the woman safely from the bridge, Wallace left the scene, still shaking from the experience.

“I did the fight — and then I’m gone,” she said.

Wallace’s husband, Rocky, recalled his wife coming home and collapsing with exhaustion.

One question Wallace often gets from her friends co-workers and friends is whether or not she has kept up with the woman. In this case, Wallace has not made contact with the woman since the incident and said she has no idea where she is today.

However, she does keep tabs on other people she’s run into during her decades of work in law enforcement. Wallace has gotten to know many of the people she’s arrested or mentored.

Wallace said she often chats with drug addicts with whom she worked undercover, and she goes out to lunch with former DARE students.

“With some situations, you do get emotionally involved,” she said.

While her actions have been called heroic and live-saving, Wallace said she was merely doing her job.

“I just don’t see it as anything special,” she said. “Any police officer would have done the same thing.”

Rocky begs to differ.

“There’s nothing like doing something that saves a life,” he said.

A life that likely would have been lost, had it not been for Wallace.

Categories: awards, court security Tags:

NY teacher arrested for stealing student lunches www.privateofficer.com

Auburn, N.Y.April 14 2010
Source:WHAM.com – A third grade teacher at Genesee Elementary School has been arrested for eating lunches provided by the school without paying for them.

The teacher, Alan Robinson, would have students use their personal ID number to buy a school lunch, and then have them bring the lunch to his class for him, having no intention of paying for it.

Robinson admitted to the larceny.

He was arrested for three counts of petit larceny and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child– both are misdemeanors.

He was released on an appearance ticket to appear in Auburn City Court on Tuesday April 13th.

The police were originally notified as a result of a parent complaint about unauthorized charges on their child’s school lunch account.

The investigation is continuing and more charges are possible.

Shoplifter arrested after pepper spraying security agent www.privateofficer.com

Windsor CO April 14 2010 A suspect wanted in a November theft and assault case at King Soopers was arrested Tuesday.
“We got him,” Windsor Chief of Police John Michaels said. “In Windsor, we don’t give up on cases.”
Brian Eugene Gregory, 52, of Fort Collins, was arrested by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office on the outstanding warrant from Windsor.
The case started on Nov. 29, when an unidentified adult white man entered King Soopers and returned an item around 12:40 p.m. He then proceeded to take several electronic items from the store and attempted to leave without paying for them.
“The store employees had had other encounters with this man and had asked security to keep an eye on him,” Michaels said at the time.
Security guards escorted the man to an office to ask him about the electronics. At that point, the suspect assaulted a security guard with pepper spray and fled.
“We eventually identified him, but by then he’d left the state,” Michaels said.
When Gregory returned, Windsor officers asked for Larimer County’s assistance because Gregory’s last known address was in their jurisdiction.
“It’s always good to wrap up a case like this,” Michaels said.

Nightclub security shot www.privateofficer.com

LAWRENCE MA April 14 2010 — A man who was thrown out of a South Union Street nightspot early yesterday returned with a gun minutes later and shot the bouncer who tossed him, police said.

The bullet passed through the bouncer’s leg and struck a waitress in her right arm, passing through her arm and into her chest, where it punctured a lung and nearly struck an artery, doctors told police.

The double shooting unfolded about 1:15 a.m. Sunday at Marrisco Restaurant and Nightclub, 170 S. Union St.

Speaking through an interpreter, bouncer Edwin Alequin-DeJesus, 29, told police a man known as “El Domi” had been making trouble at the club and he threw him out. He said “El Domi” returned minutes later with a gun and shot him in the leg.

Police then interviewed the waitress, Santa Polanco, 34, who told them she was sweeping and washing tables when she heard a shot ring out and realized she had been struck in her right arm.

She told police she knew DeJesus had problems with a customer, but did not realize that he had returned and did not see who shot her.

A bartender told police she saw DeJesus throw the man out of the club and saw him return holding something. She told police she ducked behind the bar when she heard the shot.

When police arrived, the victims were in the kitchen, where workers were applying napkins to the victims’ wounds. Both were taken to Lawrence General Hospital, where investigators spoke to them in the emergency room.

“We have some good leads and we expect an arrest,” police Chief John Romero said yesterday.

Four men sentenced to prison for robbery scheme www.privateofficer.com

Houston TX April 14 2010 A federal judged sentenced four Houston men to prison on Tuesday for their roles in a plot last year to rob an armored car, authorities said. The punishments ranged from about four years to seven years and none will be eligible for parole.

In August 2009, Rafael Richarte, 28, called a man about a plan to hold up a Garda Cash Logistics armored car. The contact, however, had been working as an informant for the FBI, officials said.

FBI agents were watching when Richarte later explained the details of the plan to their informant. Among those expected to take part in the scheme were Richarte’s half brother, Israel Gonzales, 45, who worked as a driver for the armored car company.

Gonzales chose the day for the robbery because he said the guard traveling with him was a woman. FBI agents moved in and made the arrests at a parking lot that was to be used as a staging area.

Also arrested was lookout man David Zavala, 38, and William Leesean Wade, 38, who was to have taken part in the holdup.

In October 2009, the four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery.

Richarte was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, while Gonzales and Zavala will spend 46 months behind bars. Wade was sentenced to 70 months in prison, officials said.

US Marshal’s honor Officer Stanley Cooper www.privateofficer.com

 
Las Vegas NV April 14 2010 At a U.S. Marshals awards ceremony Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder praised the diligence and courage of Stanley Cooper, the court security officer who died protecting the federal courthouse in Las Vegas in January.

“We’ll never know how many people he saved that winter morning, but we’ll never forget the courage he showed that day – and throughout his career. Stanley spent more than four decades in law enforcement – both as a distinguished police officer in Tulsa and Las Vegas for 30 years, and then, since 1994, helping to protect the federal courts,” Holder said in prepared remarks. “He found great purpose in his work, just as he found tremendous joy in his family, his horses, a good doughnut and a difficult crossword puzzle.”

Holder said he was grateful that Cooper’s family was on hand for the ceremony. “Marty, Daniella, Rick, Brendan and Eva, you are, and always will be, part of our Justice Department family. Know that Stanley’s quiet, steadfast example of service – as well as his sacrifice – will continue to guide and inspire our work for years to come,” he said.

Numerous other U.S. Marshals employees were honored at the 30th Annual Director’s Honorary Awards Ceremony on Tuesday.

U.S. Marshals Services Director John F. Clark told Main Justice that it was important to honor the work of U.S. Marshals “who go above and beyond the call of duty.”

Clark also said the U.S. Marshals are evolving to keep pace with trends, including combating the rise of threats against judges and U.S. attorneys over the past several years. They have worked to increase awareness and training and technology has allowed them to better track threats which come in both verbal and written form.

Among those honored at the ceremony — which was held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. near the U.S. Marshals headquarters — were the members of U.S. Marshals Service Terrorist Detainee Task Force, which was created when President Barack Obama decided to close Guantanamo Bay prison facility.

That task force has representation from nearly every division, staff office and several districts of the U.S. Marshals Service and worked with the Defense Department, the Justice Department and the President’s Task Force on Guantanamo Bay. They also conducted a confidential study for Attorney General Holder of the security related to prosecution of the Sept. 11 attackers.

Three U.S. Marshals districts also were recognized during the ceremony: the Eastern District of Washington won the small district award; the District of Kansas won the medium district award; and the Eastern District of New York won the large district award.

Attorney General Eric Holder, left, and U.S. Marshals Service Director John Clark, right, with Asst. U.S. Attorneys John A. Wortmann and Glenn A. MacKinlay of the District of Massachusetts (photo by Ryan J. Reilly).
In addition, two assistant U.S. Attorneys received awards for their work on a fugitive task force in Massachusetts. Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Wortmann Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn A. MacKinlay were named the law enforcement officers of the year for their work in capturing fugitives in the Northeastern U.S.

A full list of the awards distributed at the ceremony is available here.

Attorney General Eric Holder’s prepared remarks:

Thank you, Director Clark, for those kind words and for, once again, inviting me to participate in this awards ceremony. It’s a pleasure to join you and to salute the excellent work of the deputies being honored today.

For more than two centuries, the U.S. Marshals have been “First for Justice.” Every day, across the country, you serve as the first line of defense in ensuring the safety of the judiciary and protecting the judicial process; your work strengthens our nation’s security as well as the security of our communities. Whether you’re apprehending fugitives, enforcing the Adam Walsh Act, protecting witnesses, or transporting prisoners, you’re supporting the Justice Department’s #1 mission: to protect the safety of the American people. I know how difficult this work can be. I also understand how important it is. During a career spent as a Superior Court judge, U.S. Attorney, Deputy Attorney General, and now as the Attorney General, I’ve worked alongside the fine men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service. Be assured that your contributions are felt across the entire Justice Department – and far beyond.

Today, it’s my privilege to commend your work. And I’m especially grateful for this opportunity to acknowledge – and personally thank – the heroic men and women we’ve gathered to honor. This year’s award recipients have stood out, and their service embodies the Justice Department’s – and the country’s – highest ideals. I’m delighted to congratulate them, and I’m pleased that so many of their colleagues, friends, and family members have joined us for this special occasion.

This has been quite a year for the U.S. Marshals. Your work has enhanced one of our nation’s oldest, and most impressive, traditions of service. You’ve assessed potential security threats and planned and provided security for terrorist detainee trials. You’ve ensured the safety of health care providers and enforced the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. You’ve seized and managed the assets of Bernard Madoff, Allen Stanford and others engaged in financial fraud. And then you’ve sold off those properties to benefit the victims of their crimes. And, while this year has been distinguished by extraordinary achievements, it’s also been marked by great tragedy.

Today, as we celebrate your commitment to the cause of justice, we also remember our colleague, Court Security Officer Stanley Cooper – a hero who lived for, and ultimately died for, this cause. Stanley was killed this past January, as he joined other CSOs, deputies, and detention enforcement officers in defending the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse in Las Vegas against a gunman intent on taking lives. We’ll never know how many people he saved that winter morning, but we’ll never forget the courage he showed that day – and throughout his career. Stanley spent more than four decades in law enforcement – both as a distinguished police officer in Tulsa and Las Vegas for 30 years, and then, since 1994, helping to protect the federal courts. He found great purpose in his work, just as he found tremendous joy in his family, his horses, a good doughnut, and a difficult crossword puzzle.

At 72, Stanley was often asked why he chose to put his life on the line every day rather than retire. He’d reply, simply, that he was a “lawman.” As we honor this commitment, and his many contributions, I’m so grateful that Stanley’s family is here to share in this moment. Marty, Daniella, Rick, Brendan and Eva, you are, and always will be, part of our Justice Department family. Know that Stanley’s quiet, steadfast example of service – as well as his sacrifice – will continue to guide and inspire our work for years to come.

Today, I believe this work has never been more critical. Our Department is facing new demands, and our nation is confronting unprecedented challenges. But, as I look around this room and consider all that you’ve accomplished over the last year, I can’t help but feel hopeful about what we can achieve in the days ahead. Going forward, I will be counting on the talents and commitment of our Marshals Service. The American people will be counting on you, too.

Thank you all for your great work. And to each of our awardees, congratulations on a job well done and very much appreciated.

Mall security nab man for taking sexual pictures www.privateofficer.com

Sacramento CA April 14 2010 City police Monday arrested a man they suspect tried to take a cell phone photo of woman using a downtown mall’s restroom.

Police reports indicate that Calvin Paul Harjo , 26, is suspected of taking photos over the top of a Downtown Plaza restroom stall.

At least one woman noticed a man taking the pictures about 6:30 p.m. Three women then tried to pin the man outside the restroom and called for help, police said.

Nearby mall security officers responded and detained him until Sacramento police could arrive. Police said it is unclear how many women had their picture taken.

Harjo was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, battery and photographing or videotaping an undressed person in a private room.

Steven Seagal sued by sex slave

Los Angeles CA April 14 2010 Steven Seagal is accused of hiring women as personal attendants to serve his strange and sometimes violent sexual desires, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles by a 23-year-old former model.

According to TheWrap.com, Kayden Nguyen got a job in February to be Seagal’s assistant and was told to pack for a trip to New Orleans, where the A&E show “Steven Seagal Lawman” was taping.

When she arrived, she discovered Seagal kept two young female Russian “attendants” who were essentially on call for sex 24 hours a day. He treated Nguyen as his “sex toy” despite her complaints, the lawsuit says.

He allegedly assaulted her again the next day, forcing her to consume “illegal pills” and inflicting sexual acts on her. The following morning, when she confronted Seagal, he told her there had been a “misunderstanding;” but hours later, she claims, he assaulted her a third time, an attack that stopped only when she ran away.

Yet the ordeal allegedly carried on for several days, and it wasn’t until Feb. 28 — the following Sunday — that she was able to escape, after he allegedly told her not to leave the house and followed her with a gun equipped with a flashlight as she went out to a waiting cab.

Seagal’s lawyer, Marty Singer, says Nguyen is lying and is suing because she’s still bitter about being fired for her alleged drug use.

Of course, no one can say why Nguyen chose to file a civil suit instead of a criminal complaint. Messages left with her lawyers were not immediately returned Monday.

Nguyen’s lawsuit said she could identify a “unique physiological reaction” that Seagal has to sexual arousal. The suit did not specify what that reaction is, but we’re guessing it has something to do with karate.The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment; illegal sex trafficking; retaliation; wrongful termination; and false representations about employment. Each of the six counts seeks in excess of $1 million in damages.

Categories: lawsuit Tags:

Police charge man for fighting security www.privateofficer.com

SHIPPENSBURG,PA Tuesday, April 14 2010 – A man who allegedly tried to fight a Sheetz security guard was later charged with DUI and possession of marijuana.
Shippensburg Police were called to the store after Jeremy Cressy, 33, of Greenleaf Road, Chambersburg, refused to leave and tried to fight a security guard.

Police believed he was intoxicated and discovered through surveillance footage that Cressy had driven his truck to the store and parked it at one of the pumps. When police searched his vehicle, they found a marijuana pipe and a small bag of marijuana.

Cressy was charged with five counts of DUI, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.

Categories: Uncategorized

Housing security shooting causes school lockdown www.privateofficer.com

San Francisco Ca april 14 2010 A suspect was arrested Tuesday for allegedly shooting at two public-housing security guards near an elementary school in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, which forced a campus lockdown for more than two hours, police said.

Kalann Johnson, 19, of San Francisco was arrested on two counts of attempted murder in connection with the 10:15 a.m. shooting at the corner of Newcomb Avenue and Keith Street, said Officer Samson Chan, a Police Department spokesman.

Johnson was taken into custody about 7 p.m. after police tracked him to a home in the Bayview, Chan said. The handgun believed to have been used was recovered, he said. A motive for the shooting was under investigation.

The suspect fired about 10 shots at the security guards in the moving Dodge Charger. The guards returned fire, but the suspect was not hit, Chan said.

The shooting shattered two windows of the car, which belongs to Andrews International, a company that patrols public housing projects in the area. Police said the shooter may have targeted the car intentionally.

Dan Hoffman, senior vice president of human resources and legal affairs for Andrews International, which is based in Valencia (Los Angeles County), declined to comment on the shooting.

Police placed a lockdown on George Washington Carver Elementary School on Oakdale Avenue, about a block from where the shooting happened. Officers initially said a second school in the area had been placed on lockdown, but there were no students at that school.

The lockdown at Carver was lifted about 12:40 p.m.

Parents were urged not to come to the campus during the lockdown.

“The students are safe inside the building. The police are also around the building in order to ensure security,” said Gentle Blythe, a San Francisco Unified School District spokeswoman. “Student learning continues, in spite of the fact that the students can’t go outside. Our advice to parents is to keep their kids in school.”

But at least a dozen parents went to the school around noon to pick up their children. Officers took down police tape, and some parents went through the front door.

One parent, Francelle White, who has two children attending Carver, complained that no one from the school had notified her and other parents about what was going on. She said she had been waiting outside the police tape for more than an hour.

“We should have been notified by the school,” White said. “They didn’t tell us anything. We had to learn it from the news, and even when we got inside, they still didn’t tell us anything.”

Blythe said staff at schools in violence-prone areas such as the Bayview are familiar with lockdown procedures.

Categories: Uncategorized
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