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Plane crashes in Florida Publix store www.privateofficer.com
DeLAND, Fla. April 4 2012 - An amphibious plane crashed into a DeLand Publix on Monday, injuring five people — including three customers.
Deputies said the single-engine plane crashed into the Publix on East International Speedway Boulevard around 7:30 p.m.
The plane had taken off from DeLand Municipal Airport, about a quarter-mile from the store, when it crashed into the roof of the supermarket. Officials on Tuesday released video from a sheriff’s helicopter that shows a gaping hole in the store’s roof, with black smoke flowing from the building.
“It sounded like thunder, and then, all of a sudden, something shook,” witness Evan Wallace said.
Other witnesses said they saw the plane sputter before crashing into the roof above the meat department and bursting into flames, officials said.
“I was putting my food on the conveyor belt, and the lights went out. Then the roof caved in and a big fireball just exploded,” said Publix customer Amanda Carr. “We all ran as fast as we could.”
Authorities on Tuesday released nearly a dozen 911 calls pertaining to the crash.
“Oh, God. There’s a fire,” a caller said.
“What’s on fire,” the 911 operator said.
“A person — and the building, too,” the caller said. “We’ve got to go.”
When firefighters arrived, smoke was billowing out of the store as hundreds watched outside.
Two men aboard the plane suffered burns. They were airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson told Local 6 that he doesn’t think the men were from the area.
Three customers inside the store were injured. Lisa Cordova and April Morris were taken to Florida Hospital in DeLand, and they were later released. The third victim, Stetson University student Brendan Beitler, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in stable condition.
Beitler’s father, Douglas Beitler, said he’s thankful others came to his son’s rescue.
“(My son) literally said, ‘I’m on fire. Help. Somebody help me,’” Douglas Beitler told Local 6 News, adding that a ball of fire came right at his son.
“He reacted to get away from it and then there was a second explosion that caught him on the back of his legs and his legs were on fire,” Douglas Beitler said.
A military medic and a paramedic who was shopping nearby came to his son’s rescue.
“One came out of Lowe’s and started helping him 15 minutes before the ambulance got there,” Douglas Beitler said while fighting back tears. “I’d like to thank those people whoever they are.”
“It’s a miracle (that no one was killed in the crash). That’s all I can say,” DeLand police Lt. Jack Waples said.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
Source:local10.com
Bridgeton school officer arrested after pulling gun during ‘Career Day’ celebration www.privateofficer.com
BRIDGETON NJ April 4 2012— A police officer based at the West Avenue Elementary School was arrested after pulling her gun on a man she was arguing with while on school grounds, a source said Monday.
The source also said that the victim was her husband.
According to a complaint filed by Bridgeton police officer Jospeh Lopez, 41-year-old Karla K. Diaz of Twin Oaks Drive, was charged with criminal mischief, aggravated assault and possession of a fire arm for an unlawful purpose for an event that occurred March 30.
The complaint reads that Diaz “ … committed an act of aggravated assault, by pointing a fire arm at the victim.”
Diaz received the mischief charge because she damaged “…a photograph in closed (sic) in a clear plastic picture frame,” which belonged to the man at who she was aiming her gun.
A source said the incident occurred in the school parking lot around 9:45 a.m. Friday, as children were outside and celebrating “Career Day” on the grass nearby.
Superintendent Dr. Thomasina Jones would not comment on the incident.
“I cannot disclose any personnel matters that occur in the school,” she said.
Jones confirmed that Diaz is an educational enforcement officer with Bridgeton public schools, and that she is based at the West Avenue School.
Educational enforcement officers are a separate department from the Bridgeton Police Department, and Jones said that all of the officers operate underneath of the district’s Director of Security, Robert Stevens.
Jones said that all of the school system’s officers are armed with hand guns.
When asked what systems the school district had in place to monitor when educational enforcement officers draw their weapons while working, Jones said she would normally be notified by the director.
“Normally what would occur is our director of security would notify me,” she said.
She said she had not been informed of the Friday incident by Stevens. She said Monday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. that she would attempt to contact him, but before then would not even be able to acknowledge the incident had occurred.
By 8 p.m. she had not gotten back in contact with The News.
The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office released the complaint and is handling the case due to the seriousness of the charges.
“We were just involved because it’s a school security officer, and because it involves indictable offenses,” said Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae.
After receiving all three charges, Diaz was released on her own recognizance by Judge Steven Neder, with the condition that she have no contact with the victim.
Neither Webb-McRae nor Jones could say if Diaz’s service weapon had been confiscated.
Jones would not say if Diaz was working in her normal post on Monday.
Source:nj.com
Texas security officer sues employer in overtime dispute www.privateofficer.com
William Freisner, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, filed a collective lawsuit against Anover Inc., doing business as Yellow Rose Ranch, Yellow Rose Ranch Security and Ruel Morton on March 26 in the Eastern District of Texas, Lufkin Division.
Claiming violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Freisner, a security guard at the defendant’s offices in Hawkins, claims that he was required to work overtime but was not paid time and one-half for all hours worked over 40 hours in a given workweek.
Freisner also claims that he was not provided a scheduled rest or lunch break and was often required to arrive and stay 20 minutes before and after his shift.
According to the allegations, security guards and personal protection officers are required to work more than 40 hours per week and are repeatedly required to work 12-hour shifts four or five days per week. The janitorial staff is paid similarly, the suit states.
The lawsuit will represent all current and former security personnel, including personal protection officers, customer service personnel and janitorial staff, who were not paid for all hours worked at the proper overtime rate.
The plaintiff is asking for an award of damages for unpaid overtime wages, liquidated damages, court costs, interest and attorney’s fees.
Robert M. Parker, Andrew T. Gorham, Robert Christopher Bunt and Charles Ainsworth of Parker, Bunt & Ainsworth P.C. in Tyler; and Charles W. Branham III of Branham Law Group in Dallas are representing Freisner.
A jury trial is requested.
U.S. District Judge Ron Clark is assigned to the case.
Case No. 9:12-cv-00048
State of Pennsylvania auctions off TSA surplus property www.privateofficer.com
“Online sales of TSA surplus property present a great opportunity for the public to get items they want for a good price, while generating revenue for Pennsylvania,” Secretary Sheri Phillips said. “We’re excited about getting this program started and being able to offer another service to the public.”
Individuals interested in bidding on items can visit http://www.govdeals.com and search for listings by typing “PA State Surplus” in the keyword search box.
Bid listings will be posted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as new property becomes available. Listings will feature various items such as knives, scissors, corkscrews, sunglasses, jewelry, belts and hand tools among other items. Brands include: Leatherman, Swiss Army, Gerber Multi-tools, Craftsman, Gucci, Prada and Oakley.
Through the state’s Federal Surplus Program, Pennsylvania is able to receive various items surrendered by airline travelers at TSA security checkpoints. The state receives items from several airports in the Mid-Atlantic region.
All revenue from the items sold goes to the state’s general fund.
In addition to online sales, the public is invited to visit the State Surplus Store in the Surplus Distribution Center, 2221 Forster St., Harrisburg, which features a section of TSA surplus property for sale. The store operates Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Source:www.sacbee.com
Virginia Beach police sergeant arrested in prostitution sting www.privateofficer.com
CHESAPEAKE, Va. April 4 2012 - A Virginia Beach police sergeant was one of five men arrested during an undercover escort operation bust in Chesapeake, police spokesman Jimmy Barnes confirmed with WAVY.com.
The arrests were made on Friday, March 30. Chesapeake Police were investigating the solicitation of prostitutes in the Greenbrier area of the city, according to Officer Kelly O’Sullivan.
The following five individuals were arrested and charged with solicitation of prostitution, a misdemeanor.
•Dale R. Lamaine, 46, of the 600 block Jacqueline Av, Virginia Beach
•Jonathan W. Barlett, 26, of the 2800 block Lambert Trail, Chesapeake
•Brandon L. Green, 21, of the 1700 block Birch Trail Circle, Chesapeake
•Luis A. Solano Herrera, 30, of the 5400 block Reunion Pt, Raleigh NC
•Mark E. Vidrine, 49, of the 1000 block Boagie Ct, Virginia Beach
Chesapeake police spokeswoman Kelly O’Sullivan said the suspects used the internet or telephone to arrange a meeting with a prostitute, who was really an undercover officer. When both parties arrived to the 1500 block of Crossways Boulevard, which O’ Sullivan described as the hotel district, the purpose for the meeting was again verified, resulting in the arrests.
Vidrine is employed by the Virginia Beach Police Department as a Sergeant Supervisor. According to Barnes, Vidrine has been with the force 17 years. He is currently on administrative assignment.
Source:WAVY.com
Federal immigration agents arrest more than 3,100 illegal immigrants in nationwide sweep www.privateofficer.com
Washington DC April 4 2012 Federal immigration agents arrested more than 3,100 illegal immigrants during a six-day nationwide sweep aimed at convicted aliens, fugitives and other violators.
The “Cross Check” enforcement operation was conducted in every state, involved more than 1,900 agents, and netted more than 1,000 people with multiple convictions, reports the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE’s ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation’s immigration system,” said ICE Director John Morton in a release. “Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers and agents in tracking down criminal aliens and fugitives, there are 3,168 fewer criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators in our neighborhoods across the country.”
Officers and agents from all of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations’ (ERO) 24 field offices led the operation with assistance from ICE Homeland Security Investigations and other law enforcement agencies.
ERO officers arrested 2,834 individuals that had prior criminal convictions including at least 1,063 aliens who had multiple criminal convictions. Felony convictions included murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, terroristic threats, drug trafficking, child abuse, battery on a child, sexual crimes against minors, and aggravated assault. Of the 2,834 criminal aliens arrested, 50 were gang members and 149 were convicted sex offenders.
In addition to being convicted criminals, 698 of those arrested were also immigration fugitives who had previously been ordered to leave the country. Additionally, 559 were illegal re-entrants who had been previously removed from the country. Because of their serious criminal histories and prior immigration arrest records, at least 204 of those arrested during the enforcement action were presented to U.S attorneys for prosecution on a variety of charges including illegal re-entry after deportation, a felony that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The arrestees include:
•Carlington David Richards, 34, a Jamaican national, was residing in Federal Way, Wash. Richards is a recent border entrant and an international fugitive from justice, wanted in Jamaica for murder. ERO officers received an INTERPOL lead, which subsequently led to his capture.
•Jose Angel Duran-Ramos, 66, a Mexican national, was residing in El Paso, Texas. He was convicted of murder on July 10, 1984, and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was an at-large criminal alien.
•Veasna Uy, 34, a Cambodian national, was residing in Long Beach, Calif. He was an immigration fugitive convicted on April 5, 2000, of manslaughter, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
ICE conducted the first successful Cross Check operation in December 2009, and has since conducted seven regional and two national Cross Check operations resulting in the arrest of more than 7,400 convicted criminal aliens. This operation is the third nationwide Cross Check operation in the agency’s history. The first nationwide Cross Check operation occurred at the end of May 2011 and resulted in the arrest of 2,442 convicted criminal aliens. The last Cross Check operation in September 2011 resulted in the arrest of 2,901 convicted criminal aliens.
Last week’s enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives. The officers who conducted last week’s operation received substantial assistance from ICE’s Fugitive Operations Support Center (FOSC), ICE’s Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) and the Criminal Alien Program.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office orders all deputies serving civil and criminal warrants back into uniform www.privateofficer.com
Previously, deputies were allowed to wear plainclothes when serving warrants.
The change in wardrobe offers deputies a higher degree of visibility, while at the same time, reducing the risk that a homeowner or wanted subject may mistake the law enforcement officer’s identity.
“We don’t want people to mistake us for vigilantes,” said Maj. Reggie Roney. “We want them to know that what we’re doing is lawful. Our concern is to protect the officer’s safety.”
Safety of law enforcement officers across the state has become paramount after the passage of Senate Bill No. 1. That measure gives homeowners the right to use whatever force is necessary, including deadly force, to repel a perceived unlawful entry into their residence.
The Indiana State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police issued a bulletin on Friday to law enforcement agencies across the state. The bulletin advised that the Indiana FOP will be monitoring all reported incidents of injury following the passage of the bill.
“It’s critical that all law enforcement officers report all incidents arising out of the new law, including threats, altercations and injuries to sworn personnel and civilians alike,” said Tim Downs, Indiana FOP President. “You must continue to exercise extreme caution in the performance of your duties when entering upon another’s property, or making entry into a dwelling.”
Marion County sheriff’s deputies serve upwards of 50,000 civil and criminal warrants annually. At least half of those are served on felons wanted for crimes of violence.
“Serving warrants is dangerous no matter what,” Roney said.
Mobile County cousins who ran tax service plead guilty to tax crimes www.privateofficer.com
MOBILE, Alabama April 4 2012– A pair of cousins who ran a tax preparation service in Mobile County pleaded guilty last week to federal tax crimes, admitting that they filed bogus returns to scam the government.
Gerrode Smith of Grand Bay, and Artemius Smith of St. Elmo pleaded guilty to tax conspiracy charges. Gerrode Smith also pleaded guilty to an added charge of preparing and filing false tax returns and bankruptcy fraud.
Under the plea bargain, prosecutors have agreed to ask a judge to dismiss 5 counts of aggravated identity theft, an offense that carries a 2-year mandatory, consecutive sentence. Prosecutors also will recommend lenient sentences for both defendants.
The case is one of several prosecutions that federal authorities have pursued in the Mobile area in the past couple years, including one involving a Monroeville tax preparer who was sentenced last week to more than 6 years in prison for filing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bogus tax returns.
“Taxpayers need to be cautious about selecting a return preparer because it is the taxpayers that are ultimately responsible for paying back any fraudulent refunds, along with interest and penalties,” Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Rodney Clarke said in a prepared statement.
According to court records, Gerrode and Artemius Smith owned Smith’s Tax Service. They admitted to illegally claiming a first-time homebuyer’s credit on their tax returns in 2009, even though they had not bought houses.
Additionally, Gerrode Smith admitted that he failed to list the business and bank accounts on bankruptcy forms, hiding them from creditors.
Prosecutors have agreed to pretrial diversion for Gerrode Smith’s wife, Pamela Smith, which means the charges against her would be dismissed if she completes a term similar to probation.
Source:AL.com
Florida security guard arrested in beating of dog www.privateofficer.com
Bradenton, Florida April 4 2012- Veteran detectives call it disturbing. Even longtime veterinarians who have seen it all say, it’s “sick.”
The pain a pit bull dog had to endure on Sunday night is unimaginable. The pup, thought to be between two and five years old, was beaten mercilessly with a thick, metal flashlight, similar to a “maglite.”
Manatee deputies say the dog whimpered and cried as she was struck continuously by Zoraida Garcia, a 59-year-old woman who was working as a security guard at Cruz Tow Yard in Bradenton.
Christopher George lives nearby and was a witness. He told 10 News, “It’s horrible, it’s horrible. It’s horrible. You don’t do that to an animal, any animal. They’re our children.”
George heard the dog crying in pain, but wasn’t sure what was going on around 10:15 Sunday night. Seconds later, Manatee deputies surrounded the place. They were originally called out for a nearby car alarm that wouldn’t stop.
“We thought they were there for the car alarm,” George said. “I didn’t know what was really going on with the dog. It breaks my heart.”
When deputies arrived at the tow yard, they couldn’t believe what they found. Even veteran investigators say it made them extremely upset.
Deputies say they saw Garcia, “ferociously beating” the pit bull and that the dog was in “constant pain, yelping in distress.”
That’s when deputies ordered Garcia to stop. Instead, they say the 59-year-old came at them with what they thought was a rifle. Turns out, it was a BB gun.
Garcia surrendered, but the frail and frightened dog could barely walk and was bleeding from her head and leg.
Longtime veterinarian Dr. Luke Berglund treated the pup.
“[She was in] a lot of pain, very frightened,” Dr. Berglund told us. “She’s a nice dog.”
Dr. Berglund has been treating animals for more than a decade and says what he saw shocked him.
“It’s pretty sick that people do this. Hopefully she will feel better and we can get her into a good home,” he said.
The dog is currently recovering at the vet’s office and her future looks good. In fact, a deputy wants to adopt her, hoping to trade in her days as a guard dog for the job she wants most, man’s best friend.
10 News spoke with the owner of the tow yard today, Miguel Cruz, who stands behind his employee saying that she was just trying to stop the animal from attacking another dog.
However, deputies aren’t buying the story.
Garcia has a criminal record that includes probation violation, retail theft and driving on a suspended license.
Source:wtsp.com
Alabama inmates who escaped jail captured www.privateofficer.com
RUSSELL COUNTY, AL April 4 2012
The three inmates who escaped from the Russell County Jail Thursday night are back behind bars, and now the three people who helped them in their attempts are joining them.
Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor told News Leader 9 the timeline of events leading up to the three inmates’ escape Monday.
Thursday afternoon Adam Barringer, John Hendrix and Charles Smith came up with a plan to get out of jail. Sheriff Taylor explained, “They planned it that morning or sometime during the day and that night they executed the plan.”
Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor says their escape began with a piece of metal they broke off a door inside the jail. He says they used it to dig through a cell wall that lead them into a utility closet, “They also used that same piece of metal to breach the hole that went up into the attic.”
Taylor says once in the attic the inmates made their way to the jail yard and located a ladder left there from a construction crew, “We have had extensive conversations with the company that is the general contractor of the jail, their foreman, They have certainly been put on notice about what is going on. They just simply made a mistake and left the ladder inside the gate instead of outside where it was supposed to be placed.”
Before they left the Russell County Jail, Adam Barringer called his mom, Loretta Singletary, said Sheriff Taylor. “We learned very early in the night that Adam Barringer had called his mother from the facility, Miss Loretta Anne Singletary, and asked that she arrange for someone to pick him up at the Rainbow Foods across from the jail on Highway 431.”
That ride was convicted murderer Adam Barringer’s brother, Chris Barringer. Charles Smith went his own way and Barringer and Hendrix crawled into the trunk of Chris Barringer’s car. Because deputies were swarming the area, the driver got scared and dropped the two inmates off in the woods. Before Adam Barringer and John Hendrix began the next leg of their trip they were given a shotgun by Adam’s brother and a change of clothes from Audrey Lucille.
Deputies say they spent the next few hours following their trail until the pair emerged early Friday morning. They told a passing driver their car had broken down and they needed a ride. A concerned citizen saw the men get inside the car and dialed 911. The inmates were picked up shortly after that.
Charles Smith was also picked up because of a citizen’s call. After Smith broke into a house, and stole a pair of Army fatigues. He was spotted by a neighbor who called police.
Phenix City Police Chief Ray Smith told News Leader 9, “We really do appreciate the citizen tips we got. That was very instrumental in being able to capture these guys in a quick manner because the people calling in said we need to check this and that out. We had teams ready to go and we sent them out to check up on those tips.”
Sheriff Taylor says this escape will make him take a closer look at the facilities and practices at his jail, “Everything the sheriff’s office corrections division did is still on-going. I expect there will be some disciplinary if not termination at the end of it.”
Sheriff Taylor held a press conference Monday applauding his staff for capturing the inmates. He thanked more than ten departments for their assistance in capturing three escaped inmates. Those department are: the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Phenix City Police Department, Russell County District Attorney’s Office, Alabama State Troopers, U.S. Marshal’s, Department of Corrections, Columbus Police Department, Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the canine team from an Alabama state prison
Taylor said, “Certainly we wish nobody had ever gotten out of the jail. But I think there’s not a jail built that people can’t escape from. And I think in this circumstance, when it does occur, you have to measure the department on how well we do and how diligently we try to get them back.”
Taylor says tracking dogs, along with the tireless efforts of officers and deputies, helped keep a close eye on the inmates the entire time they were out of the jail, “We were literally right behind them the whole way and like I said, it’s a miracle that we didn’t step on them. In their interview they were talking about how they were scared to breathe because we were that close to them.”
Sheriff Taylor says in the past 22 years this is only the third escape from the facility, “We haven’t lost anybody in this jail. Every person who has ever gotten out has come back: the three in 2006, the one in 1994 and the three here.”
And although he hates that these three men were able to get out, he is proud of his team for getting them back so quickly.
Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley said, “I run a jail, we’ve had people escape from my jail. Like the Sheriff said, it’s not a matter of if you have an escape, it’s a matter of what are you going to do when they get out.”
Chief Smith added, “All the inmates in all the jails in this area need to know that if they do happen to exploit some way to get out, we’re going to be right there to pick them up and put them back in. They aren’t going to be out long.”
Barringer, Hendrix, and Smith have all been charged with escape in the first degree, meaning they could all have another two to 20 years added to their sentences. Loretta Singletary, Christopher Barringer and Audrey Lucille have been arrested and charged with facilitating, a crime that could send them to jail for one to 10 years.
Source: WTVM
Garda armored truck crash injures guard www.privateofficer.com
San Francisco CA April 4 2012 When a Garda armored car crashed into a black Ford F-450 parked in front of the Trader Joe’s on Bay Street and Mason Street earlier this afternoon, the scene only looked like something out of some crime movie.
A witness at the scene told SF Weekly that the cab of the armored car got too close to the parked truck’s tricked-out oversized tires, and the driver lost control.
Nobody was in the parked truck, but a Garda employee in the rear of the armored car was not wearing a seat belt and suffered injuries to his face and leg.
The guard was treated for his injuries and the scene was cleaned up quickly.
Source:SFWeekly
Woman charged in Section 8 fraud www.privateofficer.com
An investigation into Foreman’s fraudulent receipt of Section 8 benefits began in 2011 when a tip was received by the Housing Authority of Monroe County claiming that she had several additional people living in the home but had failed to advise the Housing Authority of their presence.
That prevented the Housing Authority from discovering and using their income to properly calculate the amount of Section 8 benefits for which Loretta Foreman was eligible.
Foreman is charged with fraudulently receiving $22,624 in Section 8 benefits that she was ineligible to receive.
Foreman was charged with two different subsections of theft by deception, both felonies of the third degree, and unsworn falsification to authorities, a misdemeanor of the second degree.
The charges have been filed with Magisterial District Judge Kristina Anzini in Stroudsburg Borough. Foreman will be required to appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing.
Special agents from the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General assisted in the investigation.
Foreman’s arrest brings the total number of individuals charged for fraudulently receiving Section 8 benefits in Monroe County during the last 12 months to 11 people. In total, these crimes amount to over $283,000 in Section 8 benefits fraudulently received in Monroe County.
The Monroe County Office of the District Attorney Detective Division has investigated over 50 similar complaints regarding Section 8 fraud in the last 12 months.
Couple having sex in horse trailer among 225 students arrested at Carolina Cup www.privateofficer.com
CAMDEN, SC April 4 2012- It’s supposed to be one of the elite equestrian events in the entire southeast, but Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews says Carolina Cup has become a hot bed of fighting, drinking, and general mischief due to the students at College Park.
College Park is the section of the event reserved for coeds from across the south.
“They come in respectful and the more the day goes on, the less respectful they get,” Matthews said of the students who attend the event.
Matthews and his deputies are in charge of the College Park crowd. This weekend, he says his deputies, along with the State Law Enforcement Division and USC police, arrested 225 students. He says there were only about eight arrests in the other sections.
The sheriff says there were a few fights in the area, but that’s not all his deputies spotted.
“There was a couple having sex in the Kershaw County mounted patrol horse trailer,” Matthews said.
The biggest problem, Matthews says, is the drinking — some of it underage and much of it excessive.
“There was one girl found passed out on a couch,” Matthews said. “She’d urinated on herself, unresponsive, had almost no pulse. And I’m told had it been 25-20 minutes longer she would’ve died.”
The sheriff says he thinks there is a lot of good in the Carolina Cup; it makes money for charity and for the county. He says he is going on the record because he wants something done specifically about College Park.
“If the people who criticize me about taking a stand against the College Park side of the Cup were to see what we see, I think they’d change their mind,” Matthews said.
The sheriff hopes Cup organizers, officers, and colleges can work together to tame down what’s happening inside of the cup.
“We’re not trying to spoil anybody’s fun, we’re just trying to keep a parent from getting that call from the coroner’s office,” Matthews said.
Carolina Cup organizers did speak with us over the telephone, but declined an on-camera interview. When asked about the amount of police reports from the weekend, they said they would not be able to talk about it until tomorrow.
Source- WIS
Blount County Grand Jury indicts former deputy sheriff for murder
MARYVILLE TN April 4 2012 - The Blount County Grand Jury on Monday indicted a former sheriff’s deputy on a charge of murdering his wife.
Danny Ray Brewer, 38, a former Blount County deputy and Rockford police officer, is charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Jennifer Cunningham Brewer, 28, in September 2011.
She was killed by a shotgun blast at the couple’s unit in Williamsburg Terrace Apartments.
Brewer was originally charged with two counts of criminal homicide. He remains in custody at the Blount County Jail on bonds totaling $1.9 million.
Brewer is scheduled to be in court on Thursday.
Source-WATE
Rivers Casino security charge man with assault www.privateofficer.com
Security staff told police that Bogdanski was intoxicated and not allowed back into the casino.
Police stated that security staff told them that while in the taxi pick-up area, Bogdanski began yelling obscenities, approached a security officer and used his chest to bump the officer’s chest.
Bogdanski has an April 27 court date at the Skokie courthouse.
South Lake Tahoe police charge man in death of teenager 31 years ago www.privateofficer.com
Richard E. Swanson, 16, was killed Aug. 14, 1980 at what was then a Shell gas station at what is known as the Y intersection, Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Emerald Bay Road.
He was killed during a robbery, according to a South Lake Tahoe city website. Swanson was working the late shift alone the night of his death.
Swanson, whose head was severely beaten, was robbed of his wallet that contained $190 – cash from his first paycheck at the station. Also taken, was $761.02 from the gas station cash drawer.
Last Thursday, Andrew Sanford, 50, of Carmichael, was arrested on suspicion of homicide in the killing of Swanson and booked into Sacramento County Jail. A police department press release did not reveal what evidence lead them to Sanford.
Swanson parents, Ron and Sharon Swanson, thanked investigators for pursing the case for more than three decades and released a statement through the police department:
“We have waited for over 31 years for this day, but we never gave up hope. It has been a long wait, but god told us to be patient and justice would come.”
South Lake Tahoe’s “Secret Witness” program, in which tipsters are rewarded for information that solves crimes, was formed as a result of Swanson’s death. Nearly $10,000 was raised for information regarding the death.
Virginia collects $238 million in traffic ticket fines www.privateofficer.com
Richmond VA April 4 2012 You may be surprised at how much money the Commonwealth collected from speeding tickets.
According to an AAA Midatlantic analysis of a state auditor’s report, Virginia collected more than $101 million just from speeding tickets during fiscal 2010 (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011), and $238 million total from all traffic fines. The time period is the most recent available.
The AAA analysis found nearly 2/3rds of speeding ticket money ($64.8 million) was collected by local governments, with the rest collected by Virginia State Police.
“It is not an understatement to say the Virginia State Police and local police departments across the state take speeding infractions and speed-related crashes seriously, and that’s a good thing when it is done in the interest of public safety,” wrote Martha M. Meade, Manager of Public and Government Relations for AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a news release.
However, Meade questioned the amount of speeding tickets being written in certain areas of the Commonwealth. Specifically, AAA’s analysis cited what it called the “Million Dollar Mile” in Hopewell, outside of Richmond. AAA cited internet pots by what the group described as “outraged” drivers, for police issuing an average of 1,000 speeding tickets per month on a stretch of Interstate 295. That adds up to more than $150,000 per month in speeding ticket money.
AAA cited Hopewell’s use of 11 sheriff’s deputies for speeding enforcement 14 hours per day, instead of what AAA described as “an entity whose primary role is not traffic enforcement but rather courtroom security and other functions.”
“Clearly speeding is a dangerous driving behavior which needs to be addressed. AAA is not against enforcement, we are simply for fair and equitable enforcement and this program appears to be about more than safety,” wrote Meade. “While many traffic enforcement programs across the state are on ‘the up and up,’ some of them seem more obsessed with shaking down out-of-town motorists, and in generating revenue, than in effectively managing speed-related safety problems and in reducing speed-related crashes.”
Campbell Co.VA teacher arrested for sex crimes with student www.privateofficer.com
Campbell Co.VA April 4 2012 – Officials have arrested a William Campbell teacher Tuesday for allegedly having inappropriate relations with a student, according to officials.
Kathleen Cawthorne, 32, is facing four charges, including using a computer to solicit a child, exposing her genitals or asking a child to expose his/her genitals using an electronic device, and taking indecent liberties with a child, according to officials from the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say that Cawthorne met a student in her study hall class and began a sexual relationship with him.
She has been released on bond pending her court appearance.
Officials are still investigating.
Unarmed Securitas security officer attacked-robbed www.privateofficer.com
Anna Mungia, a guard at a nearby commercial complex, was sitting in her truck at 2:30 p.m. on Business Park Drive at Rancho California Road when the man attacked her, brandished a silver handgun and demanded her purse, she said today.
“I was sitting in my truck killing time before work… when he grabbed my hair,” she said as she wiped tears from her face.
The man struggled with the woman for a moment before running away with her purse, said Marcos Lara, a witness.
Lara was working out at a nearby gym, P4L Fitness, gazing out the window when he saw the attack.
“He stuck his upper body inside her window,” he said. “(Then) he stepped back and started running.”
The victim got out of her car holding her face in one hand as though she were hurt, he said.
Temecula deputies and a K9 team set up a parameter and combed the brush and the Murrieta Creek bed as a helicopter searched from above for about an hour after the incident.
The victim sat on a retainer wall near the scene of the robbery during the search and wept as her husband held her in his arms.
The suspect was described as a black man in his early 20s, about 6-feet-tall, weighing 180-200 pounds with short, curly hair and wearing a black long-sleeved shirt under a white short-sleeved shirt.
Anybody with information was asked to call the Temecula Police Department at 951-696-3000.
Tulsa security officer catches burglars in the act www.privateofficer.com
TULSA, Oklahoma April 4 2012 - Police say a security guard stopped a burglary in progress late Monday night and held one of the two suspects at gunpoint until officers arrived. Police think the same two suspects may have tried to burglarize a jewelry store just minutes earlier.
The burglary happened just after 11 p.m. at the Backwoods store in the Farm Shopping Center at 51st and Sheridan.
A security guard making his rounds came around a corner and spotted a white Toyota Tundra pickup parked in the center’s parking lot.
The guard noticed a man in the driver’s seat and approached the vehicle. “While he was approaching that truck, a suspect came out of the Backwoods store with an armload of merchandise that he was stealing out of there. They had broken into the store,” said Tulsa Police Sgt. Darren Bristow.
The security guard held the driver, 21-year-old Kurt Hodgeson of Broken Arrow, inside the pickup truck at gunpoint.
Tulsa Police say the other man ran off. They say the other man is 31-year-old Steven Kinman. He is described as a white male, 6′ tall, 180 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
The merchandise, which police say was backpacks and hiking pants, was recovered.
Hodgeson was booked into the Tulsa County jail on complaints of 2nd degree burglary and attempted 2nd degree burglary.
Tulsa Police believe a burglary attempt at Moody’s Jewelry store on East 71st Street a few minutes earlier may be related.
Police responding to an alarm at Moody’s found a hole in the front glass door, but no one inside the business.
Surveillance video shows a white male getting out of the passenger seat of a white Toyota Tundra pickup and using a hammer to break the door glass.
When the alarm sounds, the man gets back into the truck which drives off.
Anyone with information on Kinman’s whereabouts is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.
Patton State Hospital inmates captured after brief escape www.privateofficer.com
San Bernardino CA April 4 2012 An inmate at Patton State Hospital was captured Tuesday morning shortly after he jumped a razor wire fence and ran into a residential neighborhood.
The incident, which ended 20 minutes after the escape, forced the lockdown of two schools, and raised questions over security at the facility, which houses mentally ill inmates and patients.
The man’s identity and why he was a patient at the hospital were not released by hospital officials, citing privacy laws.
Hospital spokeswoman Cindy Barret released a short statement Tuesday afternoon saying the hospital has launched a full investigation of the incident.
It started about 9:30 a.m., when police and sheriff’s deputies received calls about a man wearing an all-brown state inmate uniform climbing a fence at Patton, near the Highland and San Bernardino city limits.
San Bernardino Police Lt. Paul Williams said the man escaped from Patton and jumped into a backyard.
A resident along Orange Street had just returned from the grocery store when he saw the man scale the outer fence near Orange and Mercedes Avenue, and then drop down to the ground on the other side.
Several state police officers chased the man,including one who also climbed over the fence. The patient was bleeding from cuts he received during the escape, according to the the resident.
The resident, who didn’t want to be named, also chased the man down Mercedes, but decided against tackling him out of fear of liability issues.
“I figured it was my civic duty, so I started chasing him,” the resident said. “I was going to tackle the guy, but I thought better of it.”
He said he asked gardeners in the neighborhood to help but they declined, the resident.
Police caught up to the patient when he headed to an open field and then took him into custody after he was found in a small ravine, the resident said.
Bonnie Oehl Elementary and Serrano Middle school in Highland were locked down at 9:37 a.m. after district officials were informed about the escape. There is no evidence that the man ever entered either campus.
“It was just as a courtesy because of the proximity of those schools,” said San Bernardino City Unified School District spokeswoman Linda Bardere.
The lockdown on both schools was lifted at 9:57 a.m., shortly after the man was detained, Bardere said.
The man rocked back and forth and sang to himself as paramedics checked his injuries. They handcuffed him on a gurney and took him to a hospital for treatment. Paramedics could be heard telling officers some of the wounds would require stitches.
Officers from San Bernardino city and school police, Cal State San Bernardino police and Patton officers assisted in the man’s capture.
The incident drew immediate attention, given security concerns about the facility – which is a forensic hospital with a bed capacity of 1287 for patients who have been committed by the judicial system for treatment.
Security and staffing issues have been the center of a debate between Patton, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers and San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry.
The facility has been the site of rising patient-on-patient and patient-on-staff violence.
The state shifted 13 corrections officers away from Patton to the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco in October 2009, raising concerns by officers and Derry about the safety of hospital staff and the surrounding community.
Department of Mental Health personnel and hospital police received some of the duties previously handled by corrections officers, including visitor processing.
Patton officials argued that the change would not compromise safety, in part, because hospital police receive Peace Officer Standards and Training, and are equipped with gear similar to corrections personnel such as pepper spray and batons.
But corrections officials have said that’s not enough to deal with Patton patients.
The incident prompted a short statement from Derry.
“It should be noted that this attempt comes after several rounds of cuts to the permiter security by state officials,” according to a statement from his office.
It added that Derry “fiercely” opposed those cuts.
Source:www.sbsun.com
Farmington police make numerous arrests at Westfarms Mall www.privateofficer.com
Marrangely Ramos, 29, of 8 Robin Terrace, East Hartford, was arrested March 31 at Westfarms mall and was charged with sixth-degree larceny and third-degree robbery. According to police,
Ramos is accused of shoplifting and fighting with mall security employees. She posted $5,000 surety bond and was scheduled to appear April 10, 2012.
Former San Francisco 49ers football player arrested for assulting security officer www.privateofficer.com
Scottsdale AZ April 4 2012 A former San Francisco 49ers football player was arrested in Scottsdale Sunday after he punched a bar security guard in the head, police said.
Scottsdale police arrested Dontavia Bogan, 23, around 10 p.m. Sunday at El Hefe Tacos, 4425 N. Saddlebag Trail.
The 49ers announced the release of the wide receiver on Friday, one day after Bogan was medically cleared to return to play after recovering from a knee injury.
Police were called to El Hefe after calls of a fight.
Security guard Correll Thomas told police that Bogan approached the rope line at the bar and attempted to enter the bar. Thomas told Bogan that he would let him in, but not to move the rope line, police said.
Bogan argued with the guard and told him he had a table inside and spent thousands of dollars at the bar, according to the police report.
The two began arguing and another security guard approached. Bogan took a swing and missed the second security guard, then Bogan took a swing at Thomas and hit him in the head, according to the report.
A third security guard helped the other two tackle Bogan to the floor, where they detained him until police arrived, police said.
Scottsdale police arrested Bogan, who lives in Scottsdale, for assault, disorderly conduct and threats. He is scheduled to appear in Scottsdale City Court on April 20.
Bogan played one season with the 49ers, in 2011. He played college football at South Florida and was an undrafted free agent with San Francisco.
On Friday, Bogan announced his release via Twitter: “My days that really never started… has ended today, I have been released by the 49ers Time to show other teams that my knee is ready to go.”
Virginia Beach woman pleads guilty to $50,000 embezzlement www.privateofficer.com
PORTSMOUTH, Va. April 4 2012 - A Virginia Beach Woman pleaded guilty in Portsmouth Circuit Court to one count of embezzlement.
Sherell D. Williams, age 38, of the 5300 block of Summer Crescent in Virginia Beach, was charged with one count of embezzlement, with an amount more than $50,000.
Jan Westerbeck with Portsmouth Police says the embezzlement was reported by management at APM of North America.
According to Bill Prince with the Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Williams faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and must pay full restitution as part of her plea agreement.
The incident was reported in September 2012 and the arrest was made in April 2011.
Williams is scheduled for sentencing on July 26.
Source: WAVY
Bristol Community College police officer arrested for child pornography www.privateofficer.com
FALL RIVER MA April 4 2012 — A campus police officer at Bristol Community College’s Fall River campus was arraigned Monday on charges he secretly video recorded a female relative using the bathroom at his Westport home.
Christopher Branco, 43, is charged with possession of child pornography for allegedly video recording the female in April 2000.
The offense is a felony, according to Westport Detective Jeffrey Majewski, and the maximum penalty is a five-year state prison sentence.
According to court documents, Branco and his wife are estranged and she found the 8-millimeter cassette tape in a household safe and gave it to police. There were also naked photos and many pairs of women’s underwear in the safe.
Majewski said the camera was concealed on a shelf in a bathroom closet and was pointed at the toilet.
“She did the right thing by turning over the evidence to police,” he said. “It is a sensitive issue, but he needs to be held accountable for it.”
Police said Branco’s wife has obtained a restraining order against him.
Majewski said Branco has formerly worked as a police officer in Rhode Island in Little Compton and Newport, and as a security officer at St. Anne’s Hospital, Fall River.
Prosecutor Kristen Spooner said the victim, who was 15 at the time of the incident, made the accusation against Branco when she met with Westport police on March 7.
According to court documents, Branco would allegedly stick his hands in her pants and would wrestle and “roughhouse” with her.
Spooner said Branco is seen and heard on the videotape, setting up the video equipment in the bathroom of his home. She said Branco’s wife identified his voice and also identified a T-shirt he was wearing on the videotape.
According to court documents, Branco is seen on the video, adjusting the recorder numerous times before he exits the bathroom and the victim enters and uses the bathroom.
About two minutes after the victim leaves the bathroom, Branco enters and retrieves the recorder from the closet shelf, according to court documents.
Spooner asked the court to impose $5,000 cash bail, which was opposed by defense attorney Joseph Silvia, who said his client has no criminal record, is well-known in the community and is at no risk to flee prosecution.
A not guilty plea was entered in Branco’s behalf and he was released on personal recognizance by Judge Thomas S. Barrett. Branco was issued a warning that if he is arrested again while this case is pending, he could be held for up to 60 days.
Branco was also told to have no contact with the victim in the case and to report weekly to the court’s probation department.
The case was continued for a pre-trial hearing on May 11 in Fall River District Court.
Source:southcoasttoday.com
