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School security officer, coach arrested for student rape www.privateofficer.com
A Lawrence basketball coach is facing child rape charges Monday.
Tyrone Farrar, 30, who is also a school security officer at the Frost School, was arraigned in Newburyport District Court on two counts of child rape and drug charges.
“He was her basketball coach and her mentor,” Salisbury Police Chief David L’Esperance said.
Salisbury police said they stopped Farrar in his car at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Police said he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had a 14-year-old girl in the car. Officials said Farrar was trying to take the girl to the Salisbury Inn, but it cost $85.
“Apparently, he was short $3 dollars and he was trying to get some more money to make up the difference,” L’Esperance said.
Farrar allegedly met the victim at the school where he works. She told police they had sex at locations in Salisbury and Lawrence.
The school and police investigated sexual allegations last year, which resulted in Farrar being transferred to another school, but no charges were filed.
Farrar, who is a married father and has a 7-year-old child, was held without bail and is scheduled to return to court next week.
Source:WCVB.com
Saratoga Springs woman charged in theft spree www.privateofficer.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS NY Aug 3 2010– A Halfmoon woman was arrested after she allegedly went on a Sunday afternoon shoplifting spree in downtown Saratoga Springs, city police said today.
Police said Donna MacDonald, 52, of Dutchess Path, stole more than $1,700 worth of clothing and jewelry from seven stores between 1:30 and 5 p.m. Sunday. She allegedly used a pair of wire cutters to remove security devices on some of the items, which ranged in price from $77 to $364, police said.
MacDonald was apprehended MacDonald after police circulated a physical description of the thief to downtown shops and a store worker recognized McDonald by matching her appearance with the description they provided, Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth said.
“This arrest was the result of excellent cooperation between the police officers on the beat and the store owners on Broadway,” Wirth said. Police said they found MacDonald in possession of several items that were determined to have be stolen from different businesses on Broadway.
She was arrested on misdemeanor charges of petit larceny, possession of burglar’s tools and fifth-degree possession of stolen property. MacDonald posted $500 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in City Court, police said.
Mobile Assistant DA charged with domestic violence www.privateofficer.com
MOBILE, Ala.Aug 3 2010 — A Mobile County assistant district attorney was arrested shortly before midnight Saturday on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, Mobile police said.
Police spokesman Officer Christopher Levy said Michael Dewitt “Mike” Hickman, 42, was charged with third-degree domestic violence after police were called to his residence on Winslow Drive about 11:45 p.m.
Levy said that another family member, who called police, did not request medical help. “State law says that if someone makes a domestic violence complaint and police see evidence of it, they are required to make an arrest,” Levy said.
Hickman was released on $300 bail late this morning, Mobile County Metro Jail records show. Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. said Hickman was an ADA for a number of years before he went into private practice and returned to the DA’s office about two years ago.
Tyson said he will wait to get an account of what happened at Hickman’s home before deciding what disciplinary action his office might take against him.
SOUCE:Al.com
Heavily armed men storm armored car, take guards hostage www.privateofficer.com
ST. LOUIS, MO Aug 3 2010 – Police say an armored car heist was well-planned. Two ATM Solutions guards were overtaken early Monday morning at the business in the 3700 block of Grandel, in the theater district of St. Louis.
The guards were tied up with duck tape and left inside a vault. The four men armed with assault weapons stole an unknown amount of money and took off in an armored truck. The guards were left in the vault. No one was injured and police say no shots were fired
About two hours later, the stolen truck was located in the 4500 block of Evans, about a mile and a half away. It was an econo-line van retrofitted for an armored vehicle. Police found the vehicle around 7:30 a.m. The search for the suspects continues.
ATM Solutions services area ATMs so there was a very large amount of currency in the building. Police are not sure how much money was taken.
Source:KTVI-FOX2now.com
Vancouver band teacher charged with sex assault of minor www.privateofficer.com
Tyler Benedict, 30, was charged in court Monday with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Benedict was working as a band teacher at Heritage High School in Vancouver when the sexual acts occurred, according to Sgt. Kevin Allais with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Police were alerted by the teen’s parents who said they became suspicious after noticing inappropriate messages on her cell phone and computer that turned out to be from Benedict, Allais said.
The teen later told police that her relationship with Benedict was romantic and sexual. The detectives also said that when they interviewed Benedict, he admitted that he had a sexual relationship with his student.
Court documents obtained by KGW said that Benedict had performed oral sex on the teen on two occasions.
Jerry Piland, Executive Director of Human Resources for the Evergreen School District, released the following statement via email on Monday: “The district is waiting for the police report. The allegations are very serious and the district will take extremely strong actions if this has occurred. Those strong actions will be that he would no longer have a job.”
Benedict has worked at Heritage for the past three years.
Bail at the Clark County Jail was set at $10,000. The court documents also said that Benedict was placed on suicide watch while in custody.
Benedict is married and lives in Ridgefield, Wash. with his wife.
Robots use increases at Atlanta airport www.privateofficer.com
Atlanta GA Aug 3 2010 Airline passengers aren’t the only ones looking for a better way to navigate their way through the aisles of an airplane.
The teleMAX Explosive Ordnance Disposal robot that will be added to the fleet of bomb-detection robots at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport later this year.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has amassed a small collection of bomb disposal robots and later this year will add a fifth one capable of maneuvering narrow airplane aisles and checking for explosives under seats and in overhead bins.
The airport is buying the $300,000 robot using federal Homeland Security funding secured through a grant from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and expects to receive the machine this fall. The API Technologies teleMAX will be the most valuable robot used by the bomb squad at Hartsfield-Jackson.
Robert Bailey, head of the Atlanta Police Department’s explosive ordinance disposal division, said the robots allow his division to avoid the risk of officers going in to find bombs.
“We’re more likely to be injured or killed if we go down with a bomb suit instead of a robot,” Bailey said. “Our primary goal is to go remotely.”
The airport bought its first robot before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and has agreements for other squads to share use of the robots. Most of the robots have arms to retrieve suspected explosive devices and place them in a bomb containment vessel, where the blast can be controlled. Some robots have fewer capabilities, but are small enough to get into tighter areas. One mini-robot is used at the airport mainly for surveillance under cars and in other confined areas.
The teleMAX robot, which weighs about 200 pounds, can climb stairs, get into tight spaces and reach into overhead bins.
“They all have their own purposes,” Bailey said. “The technology is always improving.”
Source:AJC.com
Universal Protection Service buys Shield-Bower Security www.privateofficer.com
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081103/LAMFNS01LOGO)
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081103/LAMFNS01LOGO)
“We are very excited about this acquisition; Shield and Bower Security are two companies that we have respected for a long time, and combined with Universal Protection Service provides us with truly unmatched resources within Southern California,” said Steve Jones, Co-CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Services of America.
The acquisition of Shield Security will increase Universal’s security force in Orange County, Inland Empire, San Diego, and the greater Los Angeles regions, while the Bower Security, Inc. acquisition will increase the two companies dominance in the Coachella Valley/Palm Springs area, covering a large percentage of the prestigious guard gated communities in that region.
“Having known the owners of Shield and Bower Security for over 20 years, I am extremely excited that they will now be part of our team. Shield has been well known in our industry throughout my career and we are proud to have their management staff on board,” said Brian Cescolini, Chairman and Co-CEO of Universal Services of America.
“We are excited and very pleased to be joining forces with an organization of such quality and culture like Universal Protection Service,” said Ed Klosterman Jr., President of Shield Security. “We believe that our two organizations parallel each other in their shared concern for their employees and customers.”
Universal Protection Service is the eighth largest security company in the U.S. and currently employs over 9,000 security professionals. Universal Protection Service is a division of Universal Services of America, which includes Universal Building Maintenance, Universal Protection Security Systems and Universal Fire/Life Safety Services. As they move ahead with their recent expansion, Universal looks forward to continuing to provide their clients with the best security solutions, personalized customer service and unmatched value available.
For additional security news, go to http://www.universalpro.com/SecurityUpdates.html
About Universal Services of America
Founded in 1965, Universal Services of America combines an innovative mix of tradition with cutting edge systems and technology to keep pace with the ever-evolving needs of today’s business environments. Headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., with offices located throughout Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas and Washington, Universal employs hands-on, highly experienced management teams and continuous training to deliver consistent, high quality security solutions. Universal is made up of four unique divisions: Universal Protection Service, which offers a wide range of security professionals for commercial properties of every type; Universal Building Maintenance, which specializes in green cleaning services for every kind of facility; Universal Security Systems, which provides full-service security systems; and Universal Fire/Life Safety Services, which offers all aspects of emergency preparation. (State licenses: 1003458, 14417, 1025514, 0600, 58361). Visit us at: http://www.universalpro.com.
Dallas police officer arrested for punching daughter www.privateofficer.com
DALLAS TX Aug 3 2010 – A Dallas police officer was behind bars over night after being accused of punching her 18-year-old daughter.
Sr. Cpl. Alma Fowler was arrested Sunday afternoon at her Dallas home.
Investigators said her daughter called 911. The teen claimed she was punched several times in the back by her mom.
The girl was not taken to the hospital.
Fowler was released from the Lew Sterrett jail Monday morning.
“No one wants to have to catch one of our own violating anything or committing a crime or criminal act. It’s disturbing, but justice has to be done,” said Sgt. Warren Mitchell.
In March of 2009, Fowler was involved in a car accident in the 1700 block of Ledbetter Drive while she was off duty. She was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
That case has not gone to court yet, but she has been under investigation by internal affairs since then.
Fowler is now on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of both cases.
Source:MYFOXFW
Former Minneapolis police officer gets prison time for bank robbery www.privateofficer.com
Minneapolis MN Aug 3 2010 Feeling isolated and unhinged by his daughter’s illness and haunting memories of his combat duty, Minneapolis police officer Timothy Carson robbed an Apple Valley bank seeking two things, his attorneys say.
The first was clearly cash. The second may have been a desire to end his life.
The 29-year-old from Rosemount was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul to eight years in prison on two charges stemming from the Jan. 6 holdup — armed bank robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime.
Carson, who resigned from the force after the allegations came to light, pleaded guilty in March.
The former Marine who served two tours in Iraq also has been charged in a string of armed robberies last winter in Minneapolis and Dakota County.
Standing before a courtroom crowded with friends and family Monday, he tearfully apologized for the “needless and callous injury I’ve shown upon countless victims.”
“I terrorized innocent people in a cowardly manner … and let down and abandoned those who love and depend on me the most,” he said.
His defense attorney and stepfather told the court Carson suffers from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder.
U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said this was “far from a typical case.” He noted Carson’s record of achievement and public service. As a teen, Carson participated in mission trips to Mexico with his church, served meals at soup kitchens and organized cleanup activities at the Ronald McDonald House for sick children, attorneys said.
He did well in high school and shadowed a Hennepin County prosecutor and public defender while considering a possible a legal career.
Instead, he became a cop.
“It is clear that Mr. Carson’s brief crime spree was completely out of character for him,” the judge said. “It is also clear that Mr. Carson’s brief crime spree was the result of mental illness.”
Schiltz urged Carson to distance himself from the “toxic relationship” with his wife, whom the judge described as “pathologically manipulative and dishonest.” She was not among the five character witnesses who read statements Monday urging the judge to grant leniency in sentencing.
They were his commanding officer in Iraq, two fellow Marines, his church pastor and his stepfather, who repeatedly broke into tears while describing Carson as a good-natured son who withdrew into himself after his second combat tour.
Federal prosecutors asked for a sentence of at least 9 1/2 years. Noting he’s unlikely to reoffend, Carson’s attorneys requested the mandatory minimum sentence of seven years. They made note of the stresses in his personal life.
Carson’s attorneys described him as a sympathetic character eager to end his daughter’s pain, as well as his own. In a June 11 court filing, defense attorney Andrea George pointed to “Tim’s emotional exhaustion and his attempted suicide by cop.”
She said he risked death in May 2004 during a mortar attack in Ramadi, a flashpoint for violence in western Iraq, and ran a third of a mile to bring medical staff to the scene. He stayed with a dying sailor during his last moments.
After he returned to the U.S., Carson frequently saw the man in his nightmares, George wrote.
That’s when Carson met his future wife. During the relationship, she called him one day from a vacation on the East Coast saying she’d been drugged and raped, but hospital records and her own family members don’t support her story, according to the defense.
Within a year of joining the Minneapolis Police Department in 2007, Carson was accepted to the SWAT unit.
Instead of success and fulfillment, he fell behind on his mortgage and lost his house while tending to his daughter, who was frequently in the hospital.
He also looked after his wife, who claimed to be too weak to care for their two children or help with household chores because of her cancer.
She showed Carson biopsy scars and lost all her hair, but her lies unraveled, the defense said. “In June 2007, she admitted to Tim she never had cancer and had self-inflicted the missing hair and needle marks,” George wrote.
In December 2007, Carson’s wife told him a neighbor had raped their daughter. Carson began having nightmares about the abuse, but his brother was instantly suspicious, George wrote.
Carson’s wife also demanded that he hire a nanny rather than send the children to day care.
He emptied his retirement and savings accounts to accommodate her. “Her adoptive parents and (Carson’s stepfather) described her as a compulsive spender,” George wrote.
George quoted a psychiatric evaluation of Carson that said: “Mr. Carson stated that in mid-November he was out driving around early one morning when the thought came to him that if he was killed his wife would collect his $250,000 insurance policy. He decided to commit a robbery, confront police and end his life. …”
Carson’s wife could not be reached for comment.
Since Carson’s arrest and his wife’s voluntary hospitalization, their children have stayed with their grandparents and the daughter’s health has improved.
Prosecutors have said Carson was highly trained, knew exactly what he was doing and should accept responsibility for his actions.
“Whatever stresses defendant faced, he made the decision to walk into a bank and point a gun at bank employees,” U.S. Attorney for Minnesota B. Todd Jones wrote in a June 14 court filing.
Source:TwinCities.com
Jersey City police officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
Jersey City NJ Aug 3 2010 Based on an autopsy report completed today, officials have concluded that the Jersey City police officer found dead in her Bayonne home yesterday morning committed suicide.
The medical examiner determined that Officer Jane Louf died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio told The Jersey Journal this afternoon.
Louf, 31, attended a wedding Saturday night, and yesterday morning her boyfriend, who is also a Jersey City police officer, became concerned when she could not be reached, DeFazio said.
The boyfriend was driven to Louf’s home and he found her body, DeFazio said.
Louf’s .45-caliber Glock service weapon was resting on her chest when she was found, reports said.
Louf was one of two officers on the Lincoln Highway Bridge on Christmas night 2005 when Police Officers Shawn Carson and Robert Nguyen died after driving off the fog-draped lift bridge as they headed back to Jersey City from Kearny. The two officers had delivered road flares to Louf and a colleague.
Police said Louf chased after the Emergency Services Unit truck waving frantically to try to stop it. The bridge has since been renamed in honor of Nguyen and Carson.
Louf was a police officer for nine years. She worked in the East District and also worked for a period in the Narcotics Unit. She was also a former Hudson County sheriff’s officer.
Source:NJ.com
Intruder eludes Patrick Air Force base security www.privateofficer.com
The unidentified man pulled up to a security gate in his car at the base Monday morning but he was denied entrance. Lt. Karl Wiest says the man then jumped out of his car and started running onto the base.
After searching for several hours, guards determined that the man had left the base.
Wiest says the search for the intruder didn’t interrupted normal operations at the base, which is located outside Cocoa Beach along Florida’s Space Coast.
Airmen and airwomen at the base help support space shuttle launches at nearby Kennedy Space Center.
