Perinton, N.Y woman killed her daughter and father before committing suicide www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

Perinton, N.Y.Dec 22 2011 - Police now say a Perinton woman killed her daughter and her father before turning the gun on herself.

Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn says it appears 53-year-old Penelope Luddy shot ten-year-old Alexandra Luddy and 79-year-old Harold Bertram with a 12-gauge shotgun. She then shot herself.

Michael Luddy, 57, called 9-1-1 just before 10 a.m. Wednesday after he returned home to find his wife, daughter, and father-in-law dead or dying of gunshot wounds in the basement.

“Obviously our thoughts and prayers are with the family, the neighborhood, and the entire community over this unbelievably tragic situation,” Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

When deputies first arrived on the scene they found Michael Luddy crying in the street. Inside the home his wife Penelope Luddy was dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The couple’s daughter Alexandra was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital where she was immediately pronounced dead upon her arrival.

Harold Bertram was apparently conscious enough to explain to deputies and medics some of what happened. Bertram was also pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at Strong Memorial Hospital.

“It appears that Penelope Luddy was very distraught and had been for the last couple of weeks,” Sheriff O’Flynn explained.

Investigators say Michael Luddy was sent out of the house around 8:30 a.m. and returned at approximately 9:45 a.m.

“He had gone out at the request of his wife to check on a family member,” Sheriff O’Flynn said. “Then upon returning (he) found the situation.”

Sheriff O’Flynn said the weapon used was a 12-gauge shotgun.

He said Michael Luddy has been entirely cooperative with investigators and they are helping him with whatever support he needs at this difficult time.

Penny and Allie, as their friends called them, were involved in Girl Scouts and had close friends in their troop.

In a statement to 13WHAM News, their friends said:

“For people who didn’t know her, Penny was a devoted mother, a former scout leader, loved by children and mothers alike. She had been ill and suffering for some time. It’s a horrible tragedy.”

Allie was a fifth grader at Jefferson Road Middle School. On Thursday, there will be counselors on hand at the school for students and staff.

Source:WHAM.com

Former Hancock County teacher arrested for molestation www.privateofficer.com

 

 

New Palestine IN Dec 22 2011 A former Hancock County teacher was arrested Monday on a preliminary charge of child molestation after a 14-year-old boy reported that an incident occurred in October 2010. Bryan Turner, 53, is accused of fondling the then-13-year-old student at Doe Creek Middle School in New Palestine.

Turner resigned his teaching job this fall after administrators asked him about a 30-year-old incident, said Detective Jason Bradbury of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.

The 14-year-old boy reported last year’s alleged incident after the teacher’s resignation, Bradbury said. Turner took the student to a dressing area after the boy had been hit in the groin during a game of dodge ball and began fondling him, Bradbury said. The teacher told the boy that rubbing the area would help alleviate pain, the detective said.

Turner was released from the Hancock County Jail on Monday after posting bail, officials said. He will not face charges in the 30-year-old alleged incident because the statute of limitations has expired, Bradbury said.

Queens teacher behind bars arrested for repeatedly having sex student www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Queens NY Dec 22 2011 A married Queens schoolteacher remains behind bars this week, after he was arrested for repeatedly having sex with one of his students.

Charles Oross, a social studies teacher at I.S. 238 in Jamaica Estates, allegedly began the perverted relationship in 2009, when the girl was just 13-years-old, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

Oross, 44, allegedly met the girl for sex more than a dozen times over a two-year period.

The pair often got together at about 6 a.m., in an empty classroom, authorities said. At other times, the girl would drive with Oross to remote locations where the pair would have sex, said a report issued by the city’s special commissioner of investigations.

Oross’ wife, Wendy, started getting suspicious last June, posed as her husband on Facebook and reached out to the girl, the report said.

The girl, now 16, didn’t fall for the ploy, but ultimately admitted to Wendy Oross that she had sex with her husband.

The woman told a friend, who anonymously alerted police in August. The wife later alerted authorities, after Oross broke a promise to end the relationship, the report said.

Wendy Oross worked with investigators, telling them her husband used the alias, “Barry Oakley” to renew Facebook contact with the girl last month.

Oross allegedly showered the girl with gifts, held guitar jam sessions with her and went to dinner at the girl’s home, according to the report.

“This case is particularly disturbing because the defendant is a teacher and schools should be safe havens for children,” Brown said.

“Instead, this defendant is accused of sexually preying upon one of his eighth-grade students during a rendezvous in an empty classroom.”

Oross was charged with second-degree rape, criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a child at his arraignment at Queens Supreme Court, where he was held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Department of Education (DOE) officials said Oross was suspended from his job last month and the agency is seeking to remove his $64,000 a year pension.

Source:Queens Gazette

Jamestown High School teacher charged after sending inappropriate text messages to students www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Mercer County PA Dec 22 2011 A Jamestown High School teacher charged with numerous sex-related crimes after police said he sent inappropriate text messages to two female students is now in custody at the Mercer County Jail.

Kevin A. DeFrancesco, 28, 421 Main St., Greenville, Pa., has been charged with numerous counts of unlawful contact with a minor, child pornography, sexual abuse of children, indecent exposure and open lewdness in connection to contact with a 14-year-old student.

Police said they initially started investigating DeFrancesco after a 13-year-old girl said she received a text message from him asking her for sexual photos of herself and asking her if they could trade photographs. He was charged with criminal attempt to possess child pornography, unlawful contact with minors and corruption of minors in that case.

Police said while investigating the 13-year-old’s claims, they found out DeFrancesco befriended a 14-year-old and then exchanged sexually explicit text messages and photographs with her.

Police said the explicit text messages were sent between Oct. 27 and Dec. 6.

Source:wkbn.com

Bronx woman caught with three pounds of cocaine stuffed inside luggage www.privateofficer.com

 

 

New York NY Dec 22 2011 A Bronx woman was caught with three pounds of cocaine stuffed inside two pairs of shoes in her luggage as she made her way from Jamaica to New York, authorities said.

Brielle Latoi Orridge, 19, was arrested Sunday and is awaiting federal charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, according to the Associated Press.

Orridge was on a Continental Airlines flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica, and arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, en route to New York, when a drug dog sniffed out the drugs in her suitcases, authorities said.

If convicted, Orridge could face up to 40 years in prison.

Arkansas Air National Guard security guard arrested for possessing child pornography www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Fort Smith AR Dec 22 2011

A state-hired security guard for the 188th Fighter Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography.

Judson Lee Morrow, 44, was arrested on a warrant for suspicion of distributing, possessing or viewing material depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, according to Sgt. Daniel Grubbs, public information officer for the Fort Smith Police Department.

The Police Department received information from a local woman Monday who alleged that Morrow may be in possession of electronically stored child pornography. Detectives with the Police Department obtained a search warrant and traveled to Morrow’s apartment in the 5800 block of Kinkead Avenue, according to Grubbs.

“During the search, investigators located numerous images of child pornography stored on a laptop computer,” Grubbs stated in a news release. “The computer and data storage devices were seized for further examination.”

Police are investigating whether the pictures are of a local child.

Though Morrow worked as a security guard for the 188th, he was not a Guard member. Morrow is being held at the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center on $25,000 bond.

Source:Times Record

Spotsylvania woman arrested for theft of an 80-pound Baby Jesus www.privateofficer.com

 

 

FREDERICKBURG, VA Dec 22 2011  – A 25-year-old Spotsylvania woman was arrested Wednesday in connection with the theft of an 80-pound Baby Jesus at a Fredericksburg shopping mall.
Amanda Crelia was charged with grand larceny for her involvement in the theft of the religious icon at the Central Park shopping center last week.

Police found the baby inside Crelia’s father’s garage, where detectives said she stashed the stolen figure.

Crelia was released on a personal recognizance bond Wednesday morning.

Police said Crelia uploaded a picture of the stolen statue on her Facebook page.

Fredericksburg Police Department spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe said police recovered the figure after someone spotted the photo on Facebook and called police.
The Baby Jesus figure was returned to its place outside the shopping center last Friday.

Source:WTVR

UPS worker, father-daughter charged in thefts of Christmas gifts www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Quincy MA Dec 22 2011 A father and his teenage daughter were arrested by Quincy police Tuesday for allegedly stealing Christmas gifts.
In a separate case, a part-time United Parcel Service employee was arrested and accused of ripping open UPS packages before they were delivered.

Quincy Police Captain John Dougan said a Freeman Street resident called police after they spotted a woman walking away from their home, carrying a package that had been delivered earlier in the day, and riding off in a white pickup truck.

Dougan said police spotted a white Ford pickup truck with an American flag detail nearby and spoke with the driver, who identified himself as Michael Ritchie, 58, of Union Street, Rockland.

Dougan said Ritchie told police he was in the neighborhood where the package was stolen, but was just visiting with his 19-year-old daughter, Jennifer Ritchie. But in the back of the truck, police say they spotted the missing package.

Separately, Jennifer Ritchie was questioned by police, and, according to police, she allegedly admitted stealing the package from Freeman Street as well as other thefts in the North Quincy neighborhood.

Father and daughter are due to appear today in Quincy District Court on charges of larceny over $250 cash and larceny under $250 cash, said Dougan.

Also yesterday, part-time UPS worker Michael J. McClellan was arrested by police after UPS security accused McClellan of taking packages from a delivery truck and opening them in a small Quincy park.

McClellan was accused of stealing a Movado watch worth $338, a USB cable, and a package of Newman’s coffee, police said.

McClellan, 30, is also expected to appear in Quincy District Court today, on charges of larceny over $250, larceny under $250, and theft from a common carrier.

North Quincy residents who are missing packages are asked to call Quincy police detectives (617-745-5764) as police try to complete the package deliveries for Christmas.

Source:Boston.com

85-year-old Burke County woman kills husband www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Burke County NC Dec 22 2011 An 85-year-old Burke County woman is charged with murder, accused of killing her 88-year-old husband Tuesday morning.
Investigators told The (Morganton) News Herald that Janey Stilwell Brittain admitted to fatally shooting her husband, Robert Brittain, at the couple’s home in Connelly Springs.
In a 911 call released by authorities Tuesday, a woman is heard telling a dispatcher that she’d shot someone.
“I have killed someone,” she said. “Please send someone to my house.”
Janey Brittain told authorities on Monday that her husband was emotionally abusive, reports The News Herald. She showed no signs of physical abuse, and after discovering she could not file charges against her husband, she was taken to a shelter for battered women. But she returned home sometime Monday night, according to the newspaper.
Authorities told The News Herald that it appeared Robert Brittain was sitting in bed when he was shot.
Janey Brittain is being held in jail without bond.

Source:www.charlotteobserver.com

Michigan EMT collapsed and died while transporting patient www.privateofficer.com

 

Oakland County MI Dec 22 2011 A Michigan EMT collapsed and died Tuesday morning while transporting a patient according to a news report published by The Oakland (Mich.) Press.

Bill Rose, 42, an EMT Basic with Star EMS, collapsed outside a hospital in Pontiac and fell to the ground, according to the newspaper report.

Before he collapsed, Rose told his partner he needed oxygen and collapsed. The newspaper reported that the psychiatric patient was trying to get off the stretcher at the time. Rose’s partner immediately summoned help from the Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan and he was taken inside.

A CT scan indicated he did not die from a head injury and the cause of death appears to be natural, according to the news report. Rose was taken to Oakland County Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy.

The newspaper quoted Bill Grubb, the CEO of Star EMS, who said Rose had worked with the company since June 2008 and was enrolled in the paramedic program with a plan to get his license in Nov.2012.

“He never had a bad word to say about anybody,” Grubb told The Oakland Press. “He was one of those guys who was extremely passionate, would do anything for anybody else. He was dependable, a good coworker and a part of the family.”

Two Macy’s employees at the Natick Mall charged in theft scheme www.privateofficer.com

 

 

NATICK NY Dec 22 2011 — Two Macy’s employees at the Natick Mall gave each other extreme price discounts Saturday, police said.

Charles Miles Jr., 18, of Framingham, and Gregory Earl Niles, 21, of Dorchester, were arrested at about 4:45 p.m. after store security discovered the thefts, according to a report filed in Framingham District Court yesterday by Natick Police Officer James Quilty.

Macy’s store security called police Saturday and said they had two employees who had just schemed to give each other huge clothing discounts.

Store security officers said Miles went to a cash register being run by Niles.

Miles handed Niles two shirts and a vest worth $515, Quilty said. Niles than charged Miles $6 for the items.

The pair then switched places. Niles handed Miles a shirt and a hat worth $186, and Miles charged Niles $4 for the items.

When confronted, both admitted to the scheme, Quilty said.

Miles, of 32 Anzio Road, and Niles, of 105 Evans St., were charged with larceny of more than $250 by a scheme and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Both pleaded not guilty at their Framingham District Court arraignments yesterday. Miles posted $100 bail, and Niles posted $200.

They are both due back in court on Feb. 9.

Source:www.metrowestdailynews.com

Two employees of Victoria’s Secret charged in $58,000 theft www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Clarkstown NY Dec 22 2011 Two employees of the Victoria’s Secret store at Palisades Center mall have been arrested in connection with the theft of $58,000 worth of merchandise and a third employee is being sought, according to Clarkstown police.

Loss prevention staff for Victoria’s Secret told Clarkstown police on Monday that an internal investigation had revealed the theft of mechandise from a storage room over the last six months at the West Nyack store.

Police said Shavon Pressley, 22, of New City, and Emanuel Jumenez, 24, of Ganerville were arrested on charges of fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony. They were released pending a Jan. 11, 2011, hearing in Clarkstown Town Court in New City.

The third person sought in the investigation has not yet been arrested. Police said the investigation into the thefts is continuing.

Former MN. EMT sent to prison in sexual assaults www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Cass County MN. Dec 22 2011–A former Bemidji ambulance EMT who drugged and sexually assaulted girls has been ordered to serve 24 years in prison.

Arthur Austin-Ellis Evans, 36, of Hackensack, was sentenced to prison for two felony sexual assaults while he babysat the girls.

In February, Cass County Attorney Christopher J. Strandlie filed charges against Evans, who pleaded guilty to the crimes in October after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, who agreed he would not be prosecuted for other state and federal crimes uncovered during an investigation.

The investigation showed Evans sexually assaulting a 13-year-old victim after injecting her with sleeping drugs he stole from Bemidji Ambulance Service. He also videotaped himself sexually assaulting a toddler under the age of 2.

After reviewing the pre-sentence investigation report and the psychosexual offender evaluation, District Judge John Smith determined prosecutors could petition to civilly commit Evans once he completes the prison sentence, which calls for consecutive 12-year sentences for each crime.

Evans received credit for 306 days in custody, but is subject to lifetime conditional release.

If he is not civilly committed, Evans would need to follow specific conditions or face more prison time. He is required to register as a predatory offender for life.

Cheatham County TN prisoner escapes court security officer www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

Cheatham County TN Dec 22 2011 Sheriff John Holder said changes will take place after a Chapmansboro man escaped from a security officer last week while being transferred from the Circuit courtroom to the jail in the County Courthouse.

Holder said Dennis Scruggs, 46, of Porter Morris Road, was not handcuffed by officers on Dec. 12 after Circuit Court judge George Sexton revoked his bond and placed him in custody.

According to a current policy, officers “are permitted” to place handcuffs or leg irons on a person when they are being transferred from a courtroom to the jail. That was not done in Scruggs’ case.

“We will start doing that,” Holder said.

Scruggs appeared before Sexton on a theft charge when the incident occurred. His bond had been revoked by the judge, who ordered Scruggs be placed into custody.

Security officer Larry Armstrong escorted Scruggs via the elevator to the booking area on the first floor of the Courthouse.

Once the elevator door opened, Scruggs took off and ran out the front door, according to authorities.

Armstrong and fellow security officer John Woolverton as well as sheriff’s deputy Ken Whitaker pursued Scruggs, who got into a white Ford Explorer that was parked on Sycamore Street.

According to a police report, Scruggs drove forward over a sidewalk and then put the vehicle in reverse and began backing up, narrowly missing the officers as he attempted to flee the area.

Armstrong then fired one shot at one of the tires on the vehicles in an attempt to disable the vehicle, the report said.

Scruggs’ vehicle was later found abandoned on Mulberry Street, one block from the Courthouse. An extensive search began to locate Scruggs.

Ashland City police chief Marc Coulon said his department learned that Scruggs got a ride from someone on Vine Street to a home on Gibbs Road off River Road.

By the time officers arrived at the Gibbs Road residence, Scruggs was gone, Coulon added.

Scruggs is wanted on two charges — aggravated assault and escape — as a result of the incident.

As of press time, Scruggs had not yet been located, authorities said.

Source:Tennessean

Woman who worked security for Parx Casino sues for wrongful termination www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

Bensalem PA Dec 22 2011 A woman who worked security for Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pa. for a mere three months before she was terminated for reasons she contends were related to her physical disabilities has filed a complaint against her former employer in federal court.

Bensalem attorney Ari Karpf filed the civil action Dec. 16 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of Jodi Hammel, who also resides in Bensalem.

The defendant named in the lawsuit is Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, the parent company of Parx Casino, which is located at 3001 Street Road in Lower Bucks County.

In her lawsuit, Hammel, who suffers from physical ailments including degenerative disc disease and other back problems, claims her employer fired her from her casino security job in March of this year “because of her actual or perceived health conditions and/or her requests for accommodations.”

During her employment, the suit states, Hammel had informed her bosses of her physical problems, and at one point requested she be placed on light work duty to accommodate her conditions.

Hammel was placed on light duty for a period of about five or six weeks, but was then told the accommodations were no longer available to her, the complaint alleges.

At this point, supervisors also made “insensitive and discriminatory comments” about Hammel’s work abilities and back problems, the suit claims.

On March 20, Hammel was treated at a local hospital for health issues related to her back problems. She relayed this information to her bosses and informed them she’d be returning to work after a few days out on leave, according to the complaint.

It was during this conversation that supervisors asked Hammel if she had been prescribed any narcotics. The question was asked in a “derogatory manner,” the lawsuit claims.

Two days later, “in very close proximity to Plaintiff’s hospitalization for her health conditions,” Hammel was fired from her job, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims that Hammel’s employment termination was a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The complaint accuses the defendant of actual and perceived disability discrimination, failure to accommodate and wrongful termination.

Hammel seeks lost and future earnings, unspecified punitive damages, litigation costs, damages for pain and suffering and other legal and equitable relief.

A jury trial has been demanded.

The federal case number is 2:11-cv-07698-MMB

TSA screeners find daggers hidden in hollowed-out book www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Washington DC Dec 22 2011 The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that a passenger at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was caught hiding “throwing daggers” in a hollowed-out book.

The agency said the passenger, who was flying from Washington to Chicago, had two 6-inch knives “artfully concealed in a hardcover book.”

TSA said its security officers took the knives and the book from the passenger.

The agency said it has the legal authority to fine passengers who bring prohibited weapons into airports. A spokesman for TSA added that the incident at the Washington airport showed why it was necessary for the controversial agency to conduct airport security inspections.

“TSA recognizes that most passengers who carry prohibited items do so without ill intent, but even common items like books can be used to hide a potential threat,” TSA spokesman Kawika Riley said in a statement. “That’s why our officers are trained to look beyond the ordinary to ensure that dangerous items and people are not able to board aircraft.”

TSA has often been criticized for its airport security procedures, including pat-downs and the use of X-ray scanners. The agency has come under fire recently after several elderly passengers accused the agency of forcing them to strip before flights, but the agency has maintained that it does not require passengers to remove their clothes for inspections.
The agency has recently released a series of reports of weapons it discovered that were concealed as such common items as a credit card, a belt buckle and a cellphone.

Nightclub security accosted-assaulted by five men www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Berwyn, IL Dec 22 2011 — A security guard for El Corral Night Club, 6310 26th St., was allegedly accosted by five men at 2:12 a.m. Dec. 12, police said.

The victim told police that he asked two noisy patrons to leave the bar earlier in the evening. The two men left the bar without incident, but returned a few minutes later with three additional men, who allegedly proceeded to punch the victim multiple times in the head. The five men fled in an unknown direction after police were called.

Police reports don’t indicate that the victim was hospitalized as a result of the attack, and no charges have been filed.

Two women charged in Wamart robbery www.privateofficer.com

 

 

AUSTIN MN Dec 22 2011 — Two women were charged with second-degree aggravated robbery Tuesday after allegedly stealing more than $750 in merchandise from Walmart and Target.

Amanda Lynn Kraay, 21, of Blooming Prairie, and Kelsey Kay Ball, 20, of Manchester, both face charges of second-degree aggravated robbery, possession of shoplifting gear and theft. Two of the charges are felonies.

Kraay and Ball have not entered their pleas yet, but they are scheduled to do so on Dec. 29.

According to a court complaint, the women were detained by loss prevention staff at Walmart around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 18. Due to store policy, staff could not hold the women because Kraay reportedly presented a box cutter as a weapon.

When police arrived at Walmart, they found Kraay sitting outside the store. She complied with the officers and told them where to find the box cutter, according to court documents.

The women told officers they had been dropped off at Walmart, according to a court complaint, but video surveillance revealed they had arrived by themselves in a car. The complaint said police found many unpackaged CDs and DVDs in the vehicle, as well as an Xbox 360 Kinect.

When police questioned the women, Kraay said the theft was not planned. However, she admitted to bringing the box cutter so Walmart security could not detain her.

Ball told officers she and Kraay stole the items intending to sell them at Game Stop. She said they took the Xbox 360 Kinect from Target earlier in the day, according to the court complaint. Ball also said Kraay opened the packaging for the stolen items with the box cutter.

Jefferson County Constable involved in Walmart shooting sues police www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Louisville KY Dec 22 2011 Jefferson County Constable David Whitlock, who shot a woman in a Walmart parking lot last month, filed separate lawsuits Wednesday against the Louisville Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department, claiming he was unfairly targeted when the Metro Council recently mandated that constables can’t wear police-style uniforms or carry badges.

The lawsuits, filed in Jefferson Circuit Court, request a judge to issue a permanent injunction against the city barring enforcement of the new restrictions against constables, claiming they are unconstitutional.
That suit also alleges Whitlock was underpaid for years and wants a judge to compel Metro Government to compensate Whitlock with back pay and interest.
The other lawsuit, filed against Louisville Metro Police, former Chief Robert White and former Officer Robert Chapman, claims the department did not properly expunge one of Whitlock’s criminal cases and that Chapman used the information in defaming Whitlock.
That suit claims that the police department was under a legal mandate to expunge, as per court order, Whitlock’s criminal records.
In a 2000 case, Whitlock had been found in possession of stolen computer equipment. He completed a diversion program and his record was expunged, which allowed him to run for office.
In 2002, Whitlock entered an Alford plea in a theft case. With an Alford plea, a defendant maintains his innocence while admitting there is enough evidence to convict him.
But after the Walmart shooting, a local blogger, Ed Springston, used Whitlock’s mug shot and information taken from the criminal file, according to the suit. And during a podcast, Chapman spoke to Springston about the criminal charges and made other comments on WAVE 3 news and the station’s website.
Whitlock claims Chapman called him a “convicted felon,” which he claims is untrue and has caused him to suffer mental anguish, loss of income and interference with his ability to gain employment.
That suit is seeking punitive and compensatory damages and a trial by jury.

Chapman could not be reached for comment and Louisville Metro Police Department spokesman Dwight Mitchell said he could not comment on pending litigation.

The suit against Metro Government also names Steve Rowland, the city’s chief financial officer, and Jane Driskell, who was a former director of the city’s budget office, claiming Whitlock was underpaid by the city.
Phil Miller, a spokesman for Mayor Greg Fischer’s office, said Rowland was unaware of being named on the suit and had not read any of its claims. Miller also said Wednesday he did not know about Whitlock’s claims against the city.
The suit claims Whitlock should have been paid about $1,000 a month since January 2007 but was given no more than $300 a month.
And the restrictions placed on constables earlier this month, in the wake of the Nov. 2 incident in which Whitlock shot a woman whom Walmart security suspected of shoplifting as she tried to drive away after he approached her, are “unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious,” according to the suit.
Whitlock alleges that the Metro Council does not sufficiently define what type of “official uniform” or “official badge” is not allowed and could be used to discriminate against him when it is enforced.
The resolution stemmed from photos that were on Whitlock’s website, which has since been taken down, depicting people wearing clothing that could be mistaken for the uniform of a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy.
No criminal charges have been filed against Whitlock, but Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office is reviewing the shooting.
Whitlock told police that the woman, Tammie Ortiz, ran over his foot. Ortiz was shot in her arm and face, according to her attorney.

Source:Louisville Journal Courier

Boston transit police officer suspended for mailing dead rats www.privateofficer.com

 

 

BOSTON MA Dec 22 2011 – A Boston transit police officer has been suspended after he was caught mailing dead rats.
Why was he mailing dead rats?
According to CBS Boston, the officer was sending a message to a man who failed to pay the cop’s girlfriend or another prostitute for sex.
Not your run-of-the-mill dead rats in the mail story.
MBTA Police Officer Greg Thorpe was caught mailing dead rats to a Hyde Park man, from a UPS store in South Boston about ten days ago. Sources tell the CBS Boston that Thorpe was caught on video by security cameras in a UPS customer service center, mailing two packages. At one point he reportedly looks at the security camera and smiles.
Sources say officer Thorpe’s girlfriend offered her “services” on Craigslist and that the uniformed officer would drive her and her friends to appointments in his marked MBTA cruiser during his midnight shift, offering protection.
Sources say one man never paid one of the girls and so Thorpe mailed him the rats.
The MBTA police released a statement, saying, “Greg Thorpe has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation.”
Sources tell CBS Boston officer Thorpe may at some point face charges from Boston police for intimidating a witness and animal cruelty.

Source:Boston CBS

Charlottesville police officer faces embezzlement charges www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Charlotteville VA Dec 22 2011 A Charlottesville police officer is facing is facing felony embezzlement charges. Wilbert Brassfield, 47, was served with three felony embezzlement indictments Wednesday. He turned himself into the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges stem from an investigation of missing money from the Courts of Praise Christian Fellowship in Fluvanna. Virginia State Police say more than $10,000 was taken from the church’s bank account without approval. Brassfield was the pastor of the church from its inception in 2006 through this year.
We visited the listed address for the church, and Brassfield’s name was also on the mailbox. The lights were off and no one appeared to be home.
Brassfield has been employed as an officer with the Charlottesville Police Department since January of 2001. In September, the department was made aware of the investigation and in November, Brassfield was put on paid administrative leave.
A police spokesperson says Brassfield will be getting his pay, pending the results of the charges, but his police authority has been suspended. A Charlottesville Police Department spokesperson points out that the embezzlement arrest is not connected with the police department.
Brassfield was also a former resource officer over at Charlottesville High School. He will have a hearing in Fluvanna County Circuit Court on January 5 at 1:30 p.m..
________________________________________
Virginia State Police Statement
On December 21, 2011, Wilbert Davis Brassfield, 47, of Palmyra, was arrested in Fluvanna County without incident on three felony counts of embezzlement by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Appomattox Field office.
The charges stem from an investigation of missing money from the Courts of Praise Christian Fellowship. Over $10,000 was found to be withdrawn from the church’s bank account without approval or knowledge of church leaders.
Wilbert Brassfield was the pastor of the church from its inception in 2006 until 2010.

Source:nbc29

Three Virginia Beach men are behind bars because of counterfeit merchandise www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Berlin MD Dec 23 2011 Three Virginia Beach men are behind bars on Maryland’s Eastern Shore today following their arrests by Maryland State Police near Berlin Monday night.
Troopers say they stopped a Chevy passenger van at Route 113 and 50 for negligent driving and speeding; when the officers noticed cargo in the rear of the van, they brought a K-9 in to search the vehicle.
Police soon discovered that all the seats in the van had been removed and the cargo area was filled with counterfeit merchandise including Gucci, Prada and Coach purses, as well as UGG boots, Louis Vuitton, Rocawear and Dolce Gabbana.
Police say the merchandise, valued at over $167,000 was seized, as was the vehicle.
40-year-old Derrick Towe, 46-year-old Dwayne Mitchell and 45-year-old Ronald Brittingham have all been charged with intent to sell and/or distribute merchandise bearing a counterfeit trademark; all three are behind bars at the Worcester County Jail, being held in lieu of $250,000 bail, each.

Florida sisters charged with grand theft in shoplifting incident www.privateofficer.com

 

 

NAPLES, Fla Dec 22 2011– Naples Police catch two Lee County women stealing more than $500 worth of new clothes from a Naples Department Store and investigators say this isn’t the first time.

The two women are sisters and Wednesday night they are both behind bars at the Collier County jail.

They’re not only accused of stealing new clothes, but cashing in on the stolen goods.

Naples Police say Charlisha Shields, 23, and her sister Charquita Shields, 21, are not amateur thieves.

Lt. John Barkley of the Naples Police Department says, “You could tell by their system they were very well versed at what they were doing.”

The sisters were shopping at the JCPenny at Coastland Center Mall Tuesday afternoon when a security guard noticed them acting suspicious.

“They were placing large amounts of items in areas before they would stash them. They would put them in large bags and hey exited the store,” says Lt. Barkley.

Once the two women were apprehended, police located their cars in the parking lot. Police opened their trunk to find piles and piles of new clothes from more than five stores. “there was a bunch of merchandise involved,” Lt. Barkley said.

Pictures taken after the arrest show dozens of items taken, including kids clothing, but Lt. Barkley says the women weren’t necessarily after the clothes.

“It wasn’t a case of stealing to provide for my family, they were definitely doing this to get the cash.” Lt. Barkley says the sisters were taking the stolen clothes back to the store and returning them without the receipt and sometimes getting cash or gift cards in return.

He says it’s a case of these women taking advantage of stores during the busiest time of the year.

“People are bringing a lot of items back and sometimes it can get lost in the shuffle so someone trying to return something isn’t that rare right now,” Lt. Barkley said.

Police say additional investigation will be conducted at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Homegoods, Gymboree, and Fredrick’s of Hollywood, to determine if any further charges will be filed.

Charlisha Shields was arrested and charged with grand theft, resisting a merchant without violence, and resisting arrest without violence. Charquita Shields was arrested and charged with grand theft, and resisting a merchant without violence.