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Memphis security officer arrested in confrontation with police www.privateofficer.com
Memphis TN Dec 1 2010 An armed security guard at the Greyhound bus station in Downtown Memphis did not appreciate the way a city police officer tossed the guard’s handcuffs on a desk late Monday night.
The security guard told the police officers to “get to hell out” of his office, according to a court affidavit. The guard approached the officers swinging his arms, followed them through the lobby and to Union Avenue yelling and cursing, according to the court document.
After a struggle with police, the guard, Ronald Davis, 40, of Memphis, found himself arrested about 11 p.m. Charged with resisting official detention and disorderly conduct, Davis was released from Shelby County Jail with a citation.
Police had arrived at the bus station to arrest a man Davis had taken into custody for yelling, cursing and throwing tickets because the man was not allowed to take an earlier bus, according to a court affidavit.
Police charged that irate Greyhound customer, Carl Pearson, 49, of Austin, Texas, with disorderly conduct. Pearson was held in jail on $1,000 bond.
The Memphis Appeal
Police search for suspect who slashed Sears security agent www.privateofficer.com
Oklahoma OK Dec 1 2010 City police looking for suspect in theft, knife attack On Nov. 22, store security at Sears, 4400 S Western Ave., spotted a man stuffing a video game controller and seven video games into his pants. The man then left the store and ran from the scene.
Two store security employees chased the man, and one of them tackled him, a police report states. At that time, the man threatened to cut them with a knife. After a brief struggle, the man fled toward a gold- or champagne-colored Cadillac, which was last seen driving north on Western Avenue, the report states.
One of the employees was cut on the elbow and on the throat. A doctor quoted in the report said the victim “was very lucky” that the laceration on his neck wasn’t more serious. The victim received three stitches on his elbow and seven on his throat, the report states.
During the struggle, the attacker lost his jacket and the stolen goods. Police recovered the jacket and found a utility knife in a jacket pocket, the report states.
Police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said the incident is a good reminder to avoid physical confrontation with criminals.
The man is described as being black, in his late 20s, about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 240 pounds.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of this man should call Crime Stoppers at 235-7300. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
Source:newsok.com
Security officers bruatally attacked by college football players www.privateofficer.com
Police said they’ve linked three University of New Mexico football players to the crime. Bryant Williams, Julion Conley and Joe Harris have all been suspended from the team.
Security guard Darren Phillips has swelling on the side of his head after he said a UNM football player kicked him outside of the club.
“I had a mark across [my face] that looked like it was a shoe,” Phillips said.
Phillips said he lost hearing for at least 12 hours after the scuffle.
“At that time, I thought I have permanent hearing loss. What am I going to do now,” Phillips said. “It was definitely something I would never want to go through again.”
Club surveillance video shows the start of the brawl. Phillips said he tried to intervene when the three football players barricaded the front door because they were furious they and a group of friends couldn’t get in. A number of fake IDs were confiscated, Phillips said.
“I said, ‘Excuse me, let me out.’ Then he slammed the door back and then I knew something was going on,” Phillips said.
The group then surrounded a handful of workers at Lotus and started throwing punches, Phillips said. He said the guards were outnumbered and didn’t stand a chance.
“Once you see one of your friends on the ground being kicked in the face, and there’s nothing you can do about it, that’s pretty horrifying,” Phillips said.
Phillips said he’s never seen anything like it and he’s thankful UNM suspended the football players who police linked to the incident.
“People like that need to be in jail. If you can’t control better that. That was a mob mentality,” Phillips said.
The owner of Lotus Nightclub said the three football players are no longer allowed in the club. He also may file a lawsuit.
California security officer shoots armed burglar www.privateofficer.com
Bakersfiled CA Dec 1 2010 A Bakersfield man is hospitalized after an early morning attack on two armed security guards behind a central Bakersfield business.
Police say Sergio Morales Tafolla, 43, was shot twice by one of the guards after a struggle over the guard’s gun and the suspect’s knife.
Police say the guards from Kern Security Systems responded to an alarm at Kern Transmission on Brundage Lane at 3:00 a.m.
One guard spotted Tafolla trying to flee the property and chased him. Police say at that point Tafolla challenged the security officer. “He attacks him and they start wrestling over the security guard’s gun,” said Sgt. Mary DeGeare, Bakersfield Police Department.
“At one point, the suspect took his hand off the gun, pulled out a box cutter and held it to the security guard’s throat, at which point the security guard said I give up,” said DeGeare.
Eventually the security guard was able to fire two shots, hitting Tafolla in the leg and grazing his head. According to police, that’s when the second security guard arrived.
“The suspect takes him on and that security guard has to defend himself by hitting the suspect with a flashlight a couple of times,” said DeGeare.
The two guards were then able to wrestle Tafolla to the ground and hold him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Tafolla was taken to Kern Medical Center. Police said he would remain there overnight.
Kern Security would not comment on the incident, but said it is never their intention for their guards to have to use their weapons.
Tafolla has a criminal record and in 2007 was sentenced to a year in jail for auto theft.
Source:KGET.com
School crossing guard beat by irate parent www.privateofficer.com
The 59-year-old guard did not appear to be seriously injured, but she had a bruise on her face after the attack, said John Sayers, principal of nearby Russell Elementary School.
“She was more upset about the children having to see that than what happened to her,” Sayers said.
The crossing guard, whose name was not released, was helping about 20 children across a street in the unincorporated Florence area of South Los Angeles when she tried to stop an SUV on Monday, the sheriff’s department said.
As the vehicle drove toward her, she held her sign aloft and said, “‘You have to stop, the children come first,’” according to a police statement.
Authorities said the driver, Jose Hernandez, 27, yelled that he was not stopping. As he was shouting, his girlfriend, Vanessa Del Pilar Martinez, 20, left the SUV.
When the guard tried to walk away, Martinez punched her and knocked her to the ground, authorities said.
Detective Frank Heredia said the driver then got out the SUV and grabbed the guard’s stop sign as Martinez yanked her whistle and ID tag from around her neck. Some witnesses told investigators they saw the driver punch the guard, too.
Heredia said the motive was unclear, but the incident was likely triggered by road rage.
“They had a place to go and they were in a hurry, then the crossing guard was there,” Heredia said.
Heredia said the couple may have decided to take guard’s crossing equipment as a souvenir.
Several adults took down the license plate number of the SUV, and deputies later arrested the two suspects for investigation of robbery. They were being held in lieu of $50,000 bond with arraignment set for Wednesday.
They had not yet been assigned attorneys.
Children who witnessed the attack were offered counseling, Sayers said.
Margo Minecki, a spokeswoman with the county’s department of education, said it was the first time she had heard of a crossing guard being attacked.
“The guards may face some hostility from motorists, but none has been beaten up,” Minecki said. “It really doesn’t happen.”
Phoenix cops on trial for theft of money while working as security guards www.privateofficer.com
Phoenix AZ Dec 1 2010 Three current and one former member of the Phoenix Police Department indicted on felony theft charges pleaded not guilty Wednesday to taking money for off-duty security work that allegedly was never performed.
The charges against former Officer George Contreras and current Officers Benjamin Swarungsymun, Steven Peck and Aaron Lentz cap a three-year state investigation into the officers’ involvement in an off duty security job.
Meanwhile, KTAR Radio reports all four men were ordered by the court to submit DNA samples in the death investigation of Phoenix police Officer Sean Drenth. Contreras’ attorney Cary Lackey says there’s no connection between the security case and Drenth’s death.
Police Chief Jack Harris says Drenth’s alleged misconduct involving off-duty work would have been taken to the grand jury for consideration of charges.
Source:www.azcentral.com
Louisiana teacher charged with texting www.privateofficer.com
The victim of his alleged misconduct was a 17 year old student at Pelican All Saints High School where Hines taught math. Hines was the only math teacher at the school.
“This man’s been on our radar for a couple of years, but after looking at the text messages and investigating it further, two warrants were issued,” said Detective Robert Davidson.
The Desoto Parish School Board says the male student told the school counselor about the text messages describing sexual favors Hines wanted from him. Hines resigned from his teaching job Monday.
“He indicated that the information was inaccurate but still it’s there. That’s up to the law officials to deal with,” said Superintendent Walter Lee.
Desoto Sheriff’s detectives plan to continue the investigation and look into all contact with students.
Seattle courthouse jumper dies www.privateofficer.com
SEATTLE Wa Dec 1 2010 — A man died Tuesday morning after he jumped from the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle.
Seattle police say the man jumped out of a window from the tenth floor just before 11:30 a.m. The 29-year-old was a work release participant who had just been remanded by a judge. The man had reportedly violated his parole and was facing the possibility of going back to prison. That’s when the man jumped from the window and fell to his death.
“I heard some glass falling and was about to walk over this way. I looked up and saw what looked like a carpet falling down,” said witness Johnny Mooney. “I heard the glass fall and thought there maybe was an earthquake, then I looked over and saw what looked like a body. I saw two officers coming behind the court and I alerted them, said ‘looks like a body just fell out this building.’”
“We were taking out garbage and cleaning the area and heard a thump, then all of a sudden we turned around and saw the guy in a suit. Apparently he was in work release and jumped out of a window,” said another witness.
The man reportedly was wearing a regular business suit when he jumped out the window. Also, the head of courthouse facilities said the courthouse is a secured facility, which means everyone goes through security to enter. The work release offices are not secured offices.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Man-dies-after-jumping-from-courthouse-building-111062759.html
Delaware gym teacher arrested for sex with student www.privateofficer.com
Dover, Del.Dec 1 2010 — A phyiscal education teacher at Woodbridge High School in Bridgeville was arrested Nov. 30 on charges that he had sex with a 17-year old female student.
Derek J. Lofland, 32, of Greenwood, faces a total of 23 charges including fourth-degree rape, sexual solicitation of a child and second-degree unlawful sexual contact, police said.
According to Master Cpl. Bruce Harris, during the course of their investigation state police learned that Lofland and the victim allegedly developed a relationship in April of this year. Things escalated in May when the victim visited Lofland’s office at Woodbridge Junior-Senior High School and assisted him with his duties, Harris said.
Police said during the course of the relationship Lofland allegedly engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with the victim while on school grounds as well as at his Greenwood residence. Lofland is also alleged to have sent explicit text messages to the victim.
At the time the crimes allegedly were committed, Lofland was the district’s athletic director, said Woodbridge Superintendent Dr. Kevin E. Carson.
Carson said Lofland, who has worked for the district for eight years, has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
Lofland was taken into custody at his residence without incident, Harris said.
After arraingnment, he was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institute on an $86,000 secured bond.
Source:Milford Beacon
Alabama police charge man with human trafficking www.privateofficer.com
Florence AL Dec 1 2010 A Norcross man is being held in an Alabama jail, accused of transporting a suspected illegal immigrant from the Atlanta area to Florence to sell him as a restaurant laborer.
Florence, Ala., police have charged Ming Zhang, 49, with second-degree human trafficking for allegedly trying to sell a 25-year-old Honduran man to a restaurant.
Police arrested Zhang on Nov. 23. He is being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center, in northwestern Alabama.
Police said they suspect the Honduran man was in the country illegally but have not confirmed that. They asked that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution not identify him to protect his safety as well as their continuing investigation. Federal immigration officials took him into custody after Zhang’s arrest last week, said Lauderdale County jail officials.
FBI and Homeland Security authorities have been assisting with the case, Florence police said.
“While in Florence, the Honduran male realized what was going on and objected to the sale and called police,” said Florence Police Detective Justin Wright. “This is the first case that we have had of this nature. … This is totally new from the Atlanta area.”
Zhang’s court-appointed attorney, Jeff Austin, declined to comment Tuesday. And a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no immediate comment.
