Honolulu officer killed when pick up plows into patrol car www.privateofficer.com

 

 

HONOLULU HI Jan 22 2012 — Police say a Honolulu officer is dead following a three-vehicle crash on the H-1 freeway in Aiea.

The Star-Advertiser reports the crash occurred Saturday night as the officer’s car was on the side of the freeway behind another pickup truck.

Emergency officials say a pickup truck struck the police car and the impact sent the crashing into the parked pickup.

They say a 41-year-old man and a woman were taken in serious condition to the Queen’s Medical Center. The woman was a passenger in the parked truck.

The pickup truck heavily damaged as it rolled over a couple of times, but the man was able to pull himself out of the truck and was sitting on the side of the road when emergency workers arrived.

The officer’s identity was not released, but police said he worked at the Wahiawa station.

Peachtree City six-year-old girl died after shot with pellet gun www.privateofficer.com

 

 

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. Jan 22 2012 – A six-year-old girl died Friday afternoon after being accidentally shot in the throat with a pellet gun at her home in Peachtree City, Ga.

Peachtree City police responded to the incident with fire and rescue crews shortly after noon local time and paramedics treated the unconscious girl at the scene.

She was rushed to Piedmont Fayette Hospital in nearby Fayetteville, roughly 30 miles south of Atlanta, where she later died.

Police said they were not planning on releasing details about who shot the girl.

“There’ll be no charges, it’s just a very tragic accident,” said Peachtree Police Department Captain Rosanna Dove, adding that police would not identify the girl because of her age.

“We’re not going to release all the details behind it out of respect for the family,” she said.

Source:www.foxnews.com

Security officer dies in chase of robbery suspect www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Cleveland OH Jan 22 2012

A security officer pursuing a robbery suspect has died after police say that he collided with a pick-up truck.
It started when the security officer saw a man grab a woman’s purse in a northside shopping center and then jump into a waiting vehicle.
The security officer chased after it in his car and thats when he was broadsided by a pick-up who may have ran a red light.
Police are investigating.
The purse snatching suspect has not been caught.

Camp Shelby Military Police Officer shot-saved by vest www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Hattiesburg MS Jan 22 2012

A Camp Shelby Military Police Officer is lucky to be alive, after he was shot by an unidentified intruder on the base late Friday night.

According to Camp Shelby officials, the officer was making a routine security check at the base’s North Gate around midnight. That’s when an unknown intruder shot him in the chest.

Officials say the MP was wearing his ballistic vest which stopped the bullet and saved his life. He was taken to Forrest General Hospital as a precaution, and was released.

His identity has not been released.

The suspect reportedly fled the scene. The incident is under investigation by the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office and the Army Criminal Investigations Division.

Gunmen ambush apartment security guards www.privateofficer.com

 

 

MEMPHIS, TN Jan 22 2012– Residents at a North Memphis apartment complex said they feel unprotected Saturday night after both of their security guards were ambushed at gunpoint.

“I stay in the house,” said Victory Butler. “I let my kids come out and play and that’s that.”

Butler said it was a mostly quiet evening Friday at The Village apartments off Jackson Avenue as she watched her children play in the courtyard.

“We were sitting on the porch and the security guard walked passed and he was talking and all that and that was about seven or eight,” she said.

But around three o’clock Saturday morning, gunshots rang out in the back of the complex

Police say two security guards were sitting in a parked car when two men armed with handguns approached the vehicle and shot the security guard sitting in the driver’s seat. One of the men opened the door and police say he aimed his gun at the second security guard, but the guard fired back. Police say the suspect fell to the ground, but they’re not sure if he was wounded.

The security guard who was shot was transported to the MED in critical condition and police say the suspects fled in a dark colored vehicle.

Brenda Davis, a resident of the complex, said she moved to the complex less than a year ago and this is the second shooting that she’s aware of. Davis said when the guards who are in place to protect residents become victims, she knows it’s time to go.

“When I first moved over here I felt safe, but now I’m going to move,” she said. “I’m not going to stay here.”

Source: WMC-TV

Chicago security officer killed in hail of bullets www.privateofficer.com

 

 

CHICAGO IL Jan 22 2012  — A 23-year-old security guard at a downtown Chicago Walgreens has been shot and killed.
Police say a shooter, later identified as 33-year-old Donte Simmons, a former employee of the store walked in just before 10 p.m. Friday and opened fire on the security officer.
The victim, who police now identify as Troy Cameron, was shot multiple times in the head and body. He was found dead outside of the store in the city’s River North neighborhood.
It’s unclear whether the security officer exchanged gunfire, but bullets were found embedded in a nearby Chicago Transit Authority bus.
The suspect reportedly fled on foot but was later found dead in alley of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Simmons was also a suspect in another Friday shooting on Chicago’s North Side not far from where his body was found. No details about the victim in that shooting have been released.
A gun was recovered near Simmons’ body.
A Walgreens spokesman says counseling will be provided for employees at their request.

Border Patrol agent and state corrections officer arrested for drug trafficking www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Yuma AZ Jan 22 2012 A Yuma-based Border Patrol agent and a state corrections officer confessed to drug trafficking after they were arrested Thursday in a case that includes an alleged plot to kill a confidential informant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Agent Ivhan Herrera Chiang, 29, and Michael Lopez Garcia, 28, an officer at the state prison in San Luis, were both charged with conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Bill Solomon and a 19-page complaint filed with the court.

Herrera, of Yuma, and Lopez, who lives in Mexicali, Baja Calif., allegedly worked with a drug trafficking organization beginning in September 2010, according to the complaint written by Special Agent Daniel Sanchez of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s Office.

Herrera is accused of using his position in Border Patrol intelligence to obtain and hand over sensitive information, including sensor maps, combinations to gate locks, records of drug seizures, and identities of confidential informants, the complaint said.

Lopez allegedly smuggled 2 pounds of methamphetamine into the United States through a port of entry and guided cocaine traffickers around Border Patrol agents and checkpoints. He’s also accused of delivering drugs and information obtained by Herrera to the drug trafficking organization.

In November, Lopez allegedly told a confidential source that a “rat” had infiltrated the drug organization and that Lopez wanted him killed. Lopez told the source that Herrera would provide a photo of the “rat,” so a hit man could identify him, according to the complaint.

Solomon said Lopez’s drug buyer was actually an undercover agent.

According to the complaint, the undercover agent requested information in September on a drug seizure from a vehicle at the San Luis Port of Entry. Lopez told the agent that Herrera could get the information from databases he uses as a Border Patrol agent, but it would cost $500.

On Oct. 6, Lopez met with the undercover agent in Wellton where he handed the agent 1 pound of methamphetamine and a three-page printout of the requested information from the databases in exchange for $6,500, the complaint said.

Later that month, the undercover agent asked Lopez if he could obtain information on the records of a vehicle that potentially would be used for drug smuggling and wanted to ensure it had a “clean record,” the complaint said. Lopez told the agent his friend — Herrera — would check it though his work computers.

On Nov. 1, an internal affairs review showed Herrera had accessed the databases for information on the car, the complaint said.

Herrera also provided sensor maps and Border Patrol gate combinations so the organization could smuggle people and drugs into the country. Lopez told the agent that Herrera would provide the combinations for $5,000 and the maps for $2,000, the complaint said.

Lopez was paid for the gate combinations in marked bills on Nov. 7, some of which were used by Herrera’s wife the following day while shopping, the complaint said.

It was on Nov. 6, during a conversation with the undercover agent about the combinations, that Lopez mentioned he was concerned he’d be caught because there was a “rat” in the organization, according to the complaint.

Lopez said he wanted the “rat” killed and Herrera would provide the undercover agent with a photo that only could be seen, not kept, in case the hit man were caught and the photo found on him. Lopez feared that would lead back to him, the complaint said.

Lopez and Herrera both waived their Miranda rights before they confessed, the complaint said. It is unclear whether either has a lawyer.

If convicted, Herrera and Lopez each face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10 million fine or both, Solomon said.

“Acts of corruption within the Department of Homeland Security represent a threat to our nation and undermine the honest and hardworking employees who strive to maintain the integrity of the Department. Corruption will not be tolerated and those who choose to break the law will be pursued aggressively,” said Paul Leonard, Department of Homeland Security special agent in charge, in a press release.

Source:Tuscon Sentinel

Memphis Police officer arrested for shoplifting at Macy’s www.privateofficer.com

 

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Jan 22 2012 - Authorities have arrested a Memphis Police officer at a department store and charged her with theft.

The department identified the suspect as 33-year-old Officer Quattarra Gardner, who has been on the police force since 2003 and is assigned to the Union Station.

A police spokeswoman said Gardner is accused of entering a dressing room at Macy’s in Germantown on Thursday and concealing over $700 worth of merchandise in a diaper bag and garment bag.

She was charged with theft over $500 and was suspended with pay, pending the outcome of the charge.

Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong released the following statement on Gardner’s arrest:

“This type of behavior gives officers, who are upstanding citizens of this community, a tarnished image. The actions of this one officer are in no way indicative of the men and women who serve and protect this city. As Director of the Memphis Police Department, I will not tolerate this behavior under my watch.”

Source:ABC24

California Highway Patrol officer charged with molestation of several children www.privateofficer.com

 

 

DAVIS CA Jan 22 2012 – A CHP officer has been arrested on a number of molestation allegations against two children under age 14, according to Yolo County officials.

Officer Justin Prentice Morejohn turned himself in to authorities at the Yolo County Jail at 10 a.m. Thursday after the Davis Police Department issued a $1 million warrant on 10 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old.

Authorities said the accusations against Morejohn involve at least two different victims, the youngest of whom was 10 years old when the abuse began. The alleged crimes first took place 1999 and lasted for three years, according to the criminal complaint.

The investigation began about five months ago after one of the alleged victims came forward last summer, authorities said.

Morejohn has been an officer with the California Highway Patrol since October 2007 and was assigned to the Capitol in 2010. He is on unpaid leave, according to CHP officials.

Source: CBS13

Women’s shoplifting guilty plea sends her to prison www.privateofficer.com

 

 

WILLMAR MN Jan 22 2012 — Mussette Ruby Wade, 37, of Brainerd, pleaded guilty Thursday and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and a $500 fine on a felony charge of theft for her role in shoplifting more than $1,500 in clothing from Herberger’s in Willmar’s Kandi Mall.

Wade was given credit for 126 days already served. Her sentence was handed down by District Judge Donald M. Spi-lseth in Kandiyohi County District Court.

She was one of three people charged in organizing a shoplifting incident June 30.

Patricia Marie Potter, 63, of White Earth, was sentenced Dec. 19 to 365 days in jail, with 305 days stayed and 60 to serve, a $1,000 fine, with $600 stayed and $400 to pay, two years of probation and 265 hours of community service on a gross misdemeanor charge of theft.

Kelly Kay Potter, 42, of Minneapolis, was sentenced Jan. 11 to 365 days in jail, with 320 stayed and 45 days to serve, a $400 fine, two years of probation and 132 hours of community service, also on a gross misdemeanor theft charge.

The charges were filed after Willmar police officers and a Kandiyohi County sheriff’s deputy were called to the mall around 6:30 p.m. June 30 by store loss prevention officers who had been monitoring the three women.

When store officers approached Wade as she left the store with a bag of clothing, she ran across the parking lot.

The deputy located the woman and she was taken back to the store. The other two women were also located on the mall grounds.

The loss prevention officer reported seeing the three women gathering women’s clothing items onto a rack and then putting them into a store shopping bag.

The women appeared to be working together and distracting store associates from their activities.

Both Potters signed an incident form from Herberger’s admitting to the theft.

The value of the items was $1,588.

Source:wctrib.com

San Diego shoplifting crew rounded up by police www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

SAN DIEGO CA Jan 22 2012 – Five people are in custody and two others are being sought in what authorities described as an interstate shoplifting ring that netted as much as $6 million.
In November 2008, police began investigating a crew that would enter a store like Target and head for the electronics department.
According to documents obtained by 10News, once in the electronics area the group would employ a box-stuffing technique — removing an item from a large box and then refilling it with thousands of dollars worth of electronic items.

The group would then reseal the box and either pay for the original item or somehow take the box out of the store. Once removed from the store, the documents said the group would sell the items on eBay or to people who would frequently buy from them.

Arrest warrants indicated surveillance video captured the crew in the act at dozens of stores a day across several states.

Among those were arrested was John Driscoll, who according to police in Maryland has a long record of arrests ranging from burglary to impersonating a police officer.

Driscoll’s name was also found as the CEO of Driscoll Exports in Chula Vista. Two other people arrested in connection with the spree were listed on the company’s website, 10News learned.

A preliminary hearing is set for next month.

Source:10news.com

East St. Louis police chief Michael Baxton arrested for stealing from FBI www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

East St Louis IL Jan 22 2012 While most cops protect and serve, former East St. Louis police chief Michael Baxton apparently likes to play.

To be clear, the 360 is not standard issue equipment for the Feds these days. Officials had them in the car as part of a sting operation after suspicions arose about the chief’s conduct.

Baxton, who faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, came under suspicion of offering preferential treatment to some suspects and stealing/selling items from the evidence locker. That’s when the FBI decided to test him.

Agents bought five Xbox 360s, put them in the trunk of a car, then reported the car as being stolen. Baxton and another officer responded to the call — and sure enough, when they saw the Xboxes, the chief ordered the officer to put four in his car and keep one for himself.

“Unbeknownst to Baxton, the unnamed officer voluntarily came forward to report other acts of misconduct occurring in Alorton and had been assisting the federal investigation from its inception. The unnamed officer was equipped with covert surveillance devices at the time of the theft — and he audio and video recorded the entire incident,” reads the court record.

Officials tracked one of the Xboxes and found it being used in Baxton’s basement. But the U.S. Attorney overseeing the case said Baxton lied and tried to frame another officer when confronted.

Baxton’s attorney calls the incident a “monumental lapse of judgment.”

Ironically, this isn’t the former chief’s first brush with the other side of the law. It turns out Baxton had two felony convictions from 1982 before he was appointed: one for theft and another for burglary. Those convictions were expunged in 1989.

The town really can’t catch a break when it comes to law enforcement officials. Baxton, after all, got the job of chief when the former chief was convicted of federal tax crimes.

Former Savannah-Chatham police officer pleads guilty to federal extortion charge www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Savannah GA Jan 22 2012 A former Savannah-Chatham police officer Friday pleaded guilty in federal court to extorting drugs and a cellphone at a downtown nightspot while working off-duty in uniform.

Floyd B. Sawyer Jr., 45, admitted to the extortion charge but stopped short of conceding he used force or intimidation in what he indicated was consensual conduct by the victim, an undercover FBI “source” posing as a drug dealer.

U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. expressed concern over Sawyer’s characterization and only “conditionally” accepted the plea pending completion of a pre-sentencing report by probation officers.

“Then I may or may not accept this plea,” Moore said.

Sawyer will remain on pre-trial release pending Moore’s decision or sentencing.

Sawyer, who joined the force April 26, 2002, was fired by Chief Willie Lovett on Sept. 14, 2010, for violation of procedures unrelated to the extortion investigation.

FBI Special Agent Tim Fehmel testified that Drug Enforcement Administration officials reported in late April 2010 that an off-duty Savannah-Chatham police officer, whom he identified as Sawyer, was conducting illegal activity at the club, Deja-Groove, 310 Williamson St.

Agents re-created the scenario using a “source” from Atlanta posing as a drug dealer, and on May 22, 2010, Sawyer removed the “dealer” from the dance floor of the club and took him to the kitchen, Fehmel said.

There Sawyer and a second officer, Sgt. Kelvin Frazier, “toyed” with the source over a 20-minute period, threatened him with arrest and took the fake Oxycontin and a cellphone, First Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durham told Moore.

Sawyer kept the cellphone later used by a relative, and the drugs wound up with a small-time drug dealer associated with Frazier, Durham said.

Frazier pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge he concealed Sawyer’s illegal activity in return for a nine-month prison sentence, based in part on his cooperation with investigators against Sawyer.

Sawyer admitted to Moore he took the cellphone but said he “didn’t have any knowledge of any drugs leaving that club at the time.”

He told Moore the victim willingly gave up the phone, stating “as long as he could go, we could keep everything.”

When Moore expressed concern over the characterization, Sawyer admitted he was in uniform and “jokingly or not” said his daughter would like to have the cellphone.

Moore pointed out the indictment accused Sawyer of using force and his official position against the victim.

“At no time did I threaten him, but I was in uniform,” Sawyer said, adding he felt his being in uniform did play a part in the victim relinquishing his property.

Moore, characterizing Sawyer’s comments that everything was consensual, said he was unpersuaded.

“I’ve got a problem with that,” he told Durham.

Source:Savannahnow.com

Man steals $30,000 worth of jewelry from Indiana Kmart www.privateofficer.com

 

 

PORTAGE, Ind.Jan 22 2012— Northwestern Indiana police are investigating a report that a man stole about $30,000 in jewelry from a Kmart while it was open.

The Times of Munster reports the theft occurred at a Kmart in Portage about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. Security footage shows a man walking up to a jewelry counter and working for about 10 minutes on a cable connecting a spinning jewelry rack to the glass case below. The man loosens the rack, puts it into a shopping cart, places another item over it and walks out of the store.

Employees say the jewelry rack contained about 200 gold-over-silver necklaces and assorted sterling silver items.

Source:thetimesonline.com

I-75 traffic stop nets shoplifting team with $17,000 in stolen clothes www.privateofficer.com

 

 

FORT MYERS FLA JAN 22 2012 — A traffic stop on Interstate 75 ended with the arrest of three South Florida men accused of going on a shoplifting spree. Deputies said they discovered a van full of more than $17,000 in stolen merchandise with the anti-shoplifting devices still attached.

Lee County deputies conducted a traffic stop Thursday on a Nissan van for following too closely and conducting an improper lane change. The Nissan exited the highway and pulled over on westbound Palm Beach Boulevard. Henry Leonard Veramendi, 48, gave the deputy a fake ID, according to the arrest report. The deputy spotted numerous white garbage bags full of new clothes with the price tags and anti-shoplifting devices , according to the arrest report.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a Florida ID that belonged to Veramendi hidden in the headliner above the driver’s seat.

The investigation revealed Veramendi and both passengers have a history of shoplifting crime. Detectives believe they were traveling the Interstae from the Fort Myers area to the Miami area. According to reports, a search of the vehicle produced approximately 400 pieces of stolen clothing and two high quality “booster bags” made with the sole intent of defeating store security systems.

The recovered property was valued at $17,305.49.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, outlet stores including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica and Calvin Klein appear to have been targeted.

Veramendi, of Miami, is facing charges of driving while license suspended third offense, two counts of possession of anti-shoplifting devices, giving a false name to law enforcement, and possession of a fraudulent driver’s license.

Juan Carlos Echeverry, 47, of Doral, and Ricardo A. Hidalgo, 55, of Hialeah, are both facing two counts possession of anti-shoplifting devices.

Source:naplesnews.com

Walmart employee steals customer’s ATM card-cleans out account www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Planfield IL Jan 22 2012 A Walmart employee was arrested for theft Thursday after she cleaned out the bank account of a customer who accidentally left her debit card in an ATM machine inside the Plainfield store.

Renita R. Johnson, 40, 8114 Concord Lane, Justice, who is a zone supervisor for the discount store, 12690 Route 59, was booked into Will County jail on charges of theft and identity theft.

Plainfield Police Sgt. Mike Fisher said Johnson stole more than $400 from the customer, who left the card behind and didn’t end the transaction. Police were able to determine her identity because of surveillance video taken by the ATM machine and inside the store, Fisher said.

Ottawa courthouse security labor strike heads to arbitration www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

Ottawa Canada Jan 22 2012 A three-month labour dispute at the Ottawa courthouse between security guards and the independent contractor that employs them is headed to binding arbitration.

The 10 guards are employed by Inkas Security Services, which took over the security contract at the courthouse last year from Garda. The workers, who are represented by the United Steel-workers, have been locked out since Oct. 3.

The dispute began after the Inkas takeover, when employees lost their pension and benefits, which included paid sick leave and long-term disability insurance, and their wages took a nosedive, the union says. The guards would also have to buy their own uniforms.

The union has collective agreements with several other security companies in the province, but not with Inkas, said United Steelworkers representative David Lipton. The union took action to recover what was lost in the service switch.

“They make less than $12 an hour,” Lipton said. “We’re not even seeking a wage increase, just to have benefits and dignity back for these workers.”

The workers went on strike when negotiations on a first collective agreement broke down after Inkas rejected the worker’s demands. The company’s final offer was for a 25-cents-per-hour raise, if the workers agreed to give up union backing. No benefits or pension were offered. The workers refused and the company locked them out.

The Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled Jan. 12 that the parties resolve the first collective agreement, with its pay and benefits dispute, via binding arbitration.

“The board made the right decision,” said Lipton. “Employees have the right to join a union and engage in collective bargaining to improve their working conditions.”

But Gary Kleiman, vicepresident of operations for Inkas security unit, said that he’s not looking forward to the arbitration.

“I’m not optimistic or calm about it,” he said by phone from Toronto, noting this would be his first time in binding arbitration.

“One thing we would hate is to lose money,” he said. “It’s un-Canadian to make an em-ployer lose money.”

Kleiman said that his financial concerns stem from the company’s inability to meet union workers demands.

“They demanded all employees get a pension plan,” he said. “But our bosses don’t even have a pension plan. We just can’t afford to have it.”

He said that the workers were looking for 66 cents per hour for their benefits, but that this amount exceeded company profits. “We would be losing money.”

The parties enter arbitration in the next two weeks.

Source:www.ottawacitizen.com

Bethany Oklahoma police chaplain hit by van dies www.privateofficer.com

 

 

BETHANY, Okla. Jan 22 2012 – Bethany police identified the man killed in an auto-pedestrian accident late Thursday night near Northwest 39th Expressway and Rockwell Avenue.

Wallace “Wally” Renegar, 70, who served six years as a chaplain for the Bethany Police Department, died after he was hit by a van while crossing the street near Southern Nazarene University.

Police say Renegar was leaving a SNU basketball game when he was struck by the van.

Police say the driver was following the speed limit.

Renegar was a retired Nazarene minister who was very involved at First Nazarene Church in Bethany.

The Mercer Adams Funeral Service is making funeral arrangements.

Source:www.koco.com

St Louis report school buses being stolen every month www.privateofficer.com

 

 

St Louis MO Jan 22 2012 Cops in St. Louis are mystified by the theft of yellow school buses in recent months.

“It is unusual when you have a situation to where a school bus is stolen and remains missing,” said Srgt. James McWilliams of the St. Louis County Police Department.

At least one bus has been stolen every month since September, in addition to a bus that was stolen in May, bringing the total number of bus heists to eight. The buses were stolen from two private schools, a public school, and from two locations owned by a company that contracts transportation.

Police from St. Louis County and adjacent Jefferson County notified the FBI as is common practice whenever large vehicles are stolen. According to McWilliams, the FBI said that the thefts were not a threat and instead seemed to be isolated incidents.

A brand new bus can cost up to$60,000 and investigators don’t have any leads as to why the buses were stolen or where they are being hidden. Jefferson County police caught one bus being driven out of a Windsor School District lot. The perpetrators had clipped the padlock, fixing a new lock on the gate, though they did not leave a key. Some officials speculate that the metal parts may be used as scrap metal since many of the parts are interchangeable.

For Brian Ryherd, the principal of Lutheran South High School, the theft of his bus is more a cause for consternation than desperation.

“It’s more annoying than anything,” Ryherd said.

The school’s bus was not brand new and will cost around $10,000 to replace. One of five buses at the school, it was used to transport the students to extra- curricular activities and to field trips. Ryherd, along with police, said that the thefts were difficult to pinpoint because of when they occur. Often the buses would be there when the doors closed on Friday and gone when they opened on Monday.

Police in both counties have increased security and are asking police and citizens to remain alert. Anyone with information is asked to contact St. Louis County Detective Kevin Funston at 314-615-8622 or the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 636-797-5515.

Source:ABC NEWS

Alliance Ohio police officer dies in the line of duty www.privateofficer.com

 

 

ALLIANCE, Ohio Jan 22 2012 – An Alliance police officer died in the line of duty on Thursday from heart-related complications.

Officer Vince Bann Jr. worked with the Alliance Police Department since 2004, following his retirement from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office. Bann transported prisoners to court appearances part-time.

Alliance Police Cpt. James Hilles said Bann was working security at the front door of the police department when he began complaining of chest pains. A fellow officer took Bann to Alliance Hospital, but he was soon rushed to Aultman Hospital, where he later died.

Hilles said an autopsy is scheduled for early next week and a memorial services will be planned following its completion.

“This is a very sad loss for the members of the police department. Vince was the type of officer and person that we all strive to be,” the police department posted on Facebook. “Our deepest sympathies go out to his wife and family at this time.”

Source:www.newsnet5.com

Salvation Army bell ringer who claimed he was robbed- arrested for theft www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

NORTH CANTON, Ohio Jan 22 2012- The Salvation Army bell ringer who claimed he was robbed at knifepoint has now been charged with stealing his own red kettle.

On Nov. 19, 24-year-old Kevin J. Weitzel, of Canton, told North Canton police that four men robbed him while he was manning his kettle at the Kmart on North Main Street.

Weitzel told officers that the men were dressed all in black and ran towards a nearby Burger King with the kettle. He even called 911, telling dispatchers “My boss told me that if something like this were to happen, value my life before the money.”

“It’s disturbing to know that people would go to such lengths to try to get what they need when they could easily go somewhere and get that help,” Canton Salvation Army Maj. Marcus Jugenheimer told NewsChannel5 back in November. Jugenheimer added that the money raised through the red kettle campaign is used to give Christmas presents and food to families in need.

Following the theft, police checked with surrounding businesses to see if any surveillance cameras captured the incident. The North Canton police even made an appeal to residents, asking anyone who witnessed the alleged robbery to call their department.

North Canton police said an investigation revealed that Weitzel had actually taken the money himself. According to police, the bucket contained about $235.

Weitzel was taken to the Stark County Jail on Tuesday, and charged with theft and falsification.

Source:www.newsnet5.com

North Columbia SC in gunfight with unruly patrons www.privateofficer.com

 

 

North Columbia SC Jan 22 2012 An altercation at a North Columbia nightclub led to a firefight between the club’s security and patrons early this morning.
Deputies responding to a “shots fired” call just after 4 a.m., at the Savannah’s Gentleman’s Club, an adult entertainment club at 3722 River Drive, determined that a fight had taken place at the club, said Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Curtis Wilson.
The fight spilled out into the club’s parking lot where two men fired an unknown number of rounds toward the club then fled in a dark-colored SUV.
Security personnel from the club returned fire, possibly striking the vehicle, Wilson said.
There was no reports of injuries or arrests.
Source:www.thestate.com