Prince George County police officer’s death under investigation www.privateofficer.com

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. April 11 2012 (WTVR) – Virginia State Police are investigating the death of 46-year-old Prince George County police officer.

The officer was off duty at the time of her death, according to a news release from state police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Molnar. Molnar said state troopers were called to Shelly S. Crowder’s home in the 17000 block of Lebanon Road in Prince George County Monday around 9:30 p.m. at the request of Prince George County Police Chief Edward Frankenstein.

This started with a 911 call from the officer’s husband from the couple’s home. When first responders arrived, Crowder had been pulled out of a six feet deep in-ground pool on the property. Officers said her husband was performing CPR on the woman. Emergency crews continued CPR, but later died at John Randolph Hospital.

Virginia State Police said their investigation into Crowder’s death is on-going and that the Medical Examiners Office will determine her cause of death. Prince George County Police Chief Ed Frankenstein released a statement about Crowder’s death Tuesday afternoon. Frankenstein said Shelly is survived by her husband James F. Crowder, who is also a Prince George officer.

 [READ MORE: Prince George Police Chief releases statement after officer's death]

 “Her spirit and enthusiasm for serving the citizens of Prince George was well admired by all who knew her and her presence will be sorely missed,” wrote Frankenstein.

Salem Ore man arrested for having gun at Palm Springs airport www.privateofficer.com

PALM SPRINGS CA April 11 2012— A Salem, Ore. man was headed up north Tuesday when he was arrested at Palm Springs International Airport after Transportation Security Administration officers found a loaded gun in his briefcase, police said. Andrew Sandowski, 71, told officials he thought he had left the gun in the trunk of his car, TSA spokesman Nico Melendez wrote in an email.
Sandowski carried a .380-caliber Beretta handgun and 12 rounds of ammunition, Melendez wrote.
Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said Sandowski is the registered owner, but he did not know if the gun was purchased in Oregon or in California.
If Sandowski bought it in Oregon, he could have legally carried it on his previous flight to the desert as long as he declared it ahead of time, the sergeant said.
But “he may have driven down here,” Kovaleff said.
The sergeant didn’t know why Sandowski was in the Coachella Valley, but said it appeared he was only flying north for a few days before returning to the desert.
Melendez posted a photo of the gun to Twitter and wrote that the man had a ticket for Alaska Airlines Flight 591 to Portland, which was scheduled to depart at 12:20 p.m.
The Alaska Airlines website said the flight took off at 12:25 p.m. and landed early in Portland.; the Palm Springs airport website listed a 12:40 p.m. takeoff time.
“The issue was addressed immediately, and there was no impact whatsoever on all the flight activity that was scheduled,” said Tom Nolan, executive director of the Palm Springs airport.
Police arrested the man on suspicion of having a firearm in an airport sterile area.
Handguns taken on commercial aircraft have to be declared to the airline, unloaded and stored in a locked carrying case placed in checked luggage, Melendez wrote.
Sandowski is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, where he is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
He is scheduled to appear in Riverside County Superior Court Thursday.
source-desert sun

Former DC cop provided security for illegal silicone injection operations www.privateofficer.com

Washington DC April 11 2012 A former District police officer has admitted he provided security services for a woman who was giving women illegal silicone injections in their buttocks. Court records show that 48-year-old Martin Freeman pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Baltimore to conspiracy to introduce a misbranded device into interstate commerce. His partner in the conspiracy, Kimberly Smedley, pleaded guilty last month to administering the silicone injections to women who wanted to enlarge their buttocks from 2003 to 2011. She used commercial-grade liquid silicone — not an approved medical-grade product — for the injections, which women received in hotel rooms in the District, Baltimore and other cities. Freeman provided security at the hotel rooms from 2009 to 2011, according to his plea agreement. He was fired from the D.C. police in 2005. Freeman was paid a total of about $5,000 for his services, the plea agreement says. He could face up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on July 19. Smedley was arrested in October at a hotel in downtown D.C. Freeman was charged by criminal information — a document that indicates he was working to reach a deal with prosecutors — last month. An attorney for Freeman couldn’t be reached Monday. Freeman was fired from the D.C. police shortly after he and other officers alerted city officials that the department had set up what the officers called an improper dealto provide security in the Chinatown area. That setup happened after the police department had rejected requests from the officers to provide off-duty security there. Freeman believed he was being blacklisted from other security jobs after leaving the police force, he told Washington City Paper in 2010. Court documents say Smedley told women she was using medical-grade silicone for the injections, instead of a product actually meant to be used for metal or plastic lubrication, as an additive for paint or in furniture and auto polishes. Smedley has made more than $200,000 from providing the implants. Washington-area authorities began investigating the scheme after an exotic dancer in Baltimore was hospitalized for shortness of breath after receiving the implants and doctors found silicone in her lungs. The woman reported that she received nine injections in each buttock and also got injections in her hips, court documents say. Smedley is scheduled to be sentenced July 12.

Walmart shoplifter carjacks family in escape attempt www.privateofficer.com

Spokane WA April 11 2012 On Monday, April 9th, Spokane Valley Deputies responded to WalMart near 15700 East Broadway for a robbery call. At about 2:00 p.m. WalMart security called Crime Check to report a male subject stealing items from inside the store. Prior to deputies arriving on scene WalMart security contacted the suspect at the front entrance as he was attempting to leave the store with a Blue Ray device he did not pay for. The suspect pulled out a knife and swung it at the security guard. The security guard was not struck.

The suspect ran through the WalMart parking lot and got into an occupied, white 2001 Dodge Intrepid. A husband and wife were sitting in their vehicle while their daughter was purchasing groceries in the store. The husband was sitting in the front passenger seat and his wife was sitting in the rear seat. The suspect drove across curbing in the parking lot and drove away from the store with the husband and wife still inside the vehicle. A short time later the suspect allowed the husband and wife to exit the vehicle near the area of Barker and Indiana.

The suspect is described as a white male in his mid twenties. He is approximately 5’7″, blond hair, medium build and was last seen wearing baggy blue jeans and a black “puffy” vest and shirt. The vehicle license plate is Washington 172XTI. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call crime check at 509-456-2233.

Ohio casinos get human trafficking training www.privateofficer.com

COLUMBUS OH April 11 2012  — A girl stands in a corner, looking too young for the age on the photo ID that got her into the casino. She avoids eye contact with customers and is never far from the reach of the man who walked in with her. Experts have warned Ohio that where there are crowds, human trafficking will follow. A month and a half before the new Hollywood Casino Toledo is expected to open, about a dozen state enforcement agents will congregate there Tuesday for mandatory training on how to recognize modern-day slavery and how it can happen even in a crowded room. “This business is about supply and demand,” said Celia Williamson, the University of Toledo professor of criminal justice and social work who will lead the training. “They want to bring [trafficking] victims around demand,” she said. “You see that clearly in a casino situation. You’re going to have men and men with money on them. Before this takes root in our local casino, we want to have people educated.” The Ohio Casino Control Commission has inserted into its regulations a mandate that training for casino security employees include “awareness and detection of suspected human trafficking occurring at the casino facility.” Toledo, which has had its share of unwanted publicity about its past role in trafficking, will be the first out of the gate. Similar training is expected to be scheduled for agents at the Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cleveland, tentatively expected to open on May 14, 15 days before Hollywood Casino’s targeted grand opening on the East Toledo riverfront. “People are probably not completely aware of how big a problem this is,” said Karen Huey, the commission’s director of enforcement. “We have great [state] task forces working on this. There’s a lot of support from the attorney general and the governor. We want to be proactive. A casino could be a possible place where you might run into some of these issues. It’s about raising awareness.” The nonuniformed state enforcement agents, assigned through the attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, will primarily be at the casinos to watch the gambling itself. Unlike uniformed casino security, which will be focused on safety in and around the casino, the state’s agents will walk among gamblers on the casino floor, monitor gaming operations via surveillance cameras, and generally watch for signs of cheating on the part of players or dealers. Tuesday’s training is strictly for the state agents. Penn National spokesman Bob Tenenbaum said the corporation doesn’t typically provide separate training for its employees on human trafficking. “[Penn] works with both local law enforcement and state law enforcement and regulators in terms of being vigilant for any criminal activity on the property, and human trafficking is no exception … ” he said. “At least in our experience, this is not an issue particular to casinos any more than it is anywhere else.” Witnesses in legislative hearings, as well as the FBI, have said that a riverfront casino could be a draw for an area that has already had documented problems with girls and women being coerced into the sex trade. “We know the Craigslist entries go up whenever there’s a big event, including the Columbus Arnold Classic,” said Rep. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo). “Now we have a casino, and we will have casinos in other parts of Ohio.” Craigslist has dropped its online sexual service classified listings, but other Internet sites have stepped up to fill that void. It remains to be seen whether the lack of an on-site hotel at the Toledo casino, which abuts Rossford, would make a difference in terms of demand. “We have hotels nearby,” Ms. Fedor said. “I don’t think it makes a difference at all. Human traffickers work within an organized criminal enterprise. I’m sure they’re gearing up to cash in on selling human beings.” The spotlight fell on Toledo in 2005 after a federal sting in Harrisburg, Pa., broke up a trafficking ring involving 177 females, 77 of whom, including a 10-year-old girl, were from the Toledo area. In addition to an existing interagency task force led by Attorney General Mike DeWine, Gov. John Kasich recently signed an executive order to create a task force that would have to report back within 90 days with recommendations on a coordinated plan to attack trafficking and help its victims.

Source:ToledoBlade.com

Former Va. school resource officer escapes prison with reduced charges in rape case www.privateofficer.com

Albermarle County VA April 11 2012 Originally charged with rape, a former school resource officer and reserve deputy with the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office entered a plea agreement Monday morning in the county’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, pleading guilty to assault and battery of a family member.

Sean M. Horn, who was arrested in January, entered an agreement that reduced his charge to a misdemeanor offense.

Horn was sentenced to 12 months in jail, but all of that time was suspended. Horn will not be required to pay a fine, and has already paid court costs associated with the case, said attorney J. Lloyd Snook, who represented Horn in the matter.

Horn’s court date was originally scheduled for Monday at 11:30 a.m., but was moved to 9:30 a.m. with no advance notice.

An arrest warrant stated that Horn had sexual intercourse with a victim, an adult, while the victim was mentally incapacitated or physically helpless. The warrant said Horn committed the offense over Thanksgiving weekend.

“Our contention is that there was no rape,” Snook said.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford, who led the prosecution in the matter, disagreed.

“I believe that the facts asserted support the original charge,” she said in a telephone interview.

Lunsford said the plea agreement went forward at the request of “the victim,” who Lunsford said preferred to settle the matter without going through the trial process. Lunsford added that the commonwealth’s attorneys are “guided in large part” by the wants of the victim in sexual assault cases.

Snook agreed that none of the parties involved would have benefited from a trial.

At the time of Horn’s arrest, The Daily Progress reported that the incident was not related to Horn’s duties as a police officer.

During his time with the county police, Horn was stationed as a school resource officer at Burley Middle School. At the time of Horn’s arrest, Sgt. Darrell Byers said that Horn served as a school resource officer for seven years, ending in 2010. Horn was sworn in as a reserve deputy in May 2011.

Horn, who was released on a $5,000 secured bond shortly after his arrest, was also previously employed with the University of Virginia Police Department.

Sheriff J.E. “Chip” Harding told The Daily Progress that he sent a letter decommissioning Horn from service the day after his arrest. Snook confirmed that Horn is no longer employed with the county.
Source:daily progress

Las Vegas man charged with arson, attempted murder in Golden Nugget casino fire www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV April 11 2012  — A 33-year-old man who was rescued by Las Vegas firefighters from a smoke-choked hotel room is facing arson and attempted murder charges in a fire last month that caused minor damage on an unfinished floor but forced the evacuation of dozens of guests from upper floors at the Golden Nugget casino, a fire official said Monday.

Jerod Pressnell was in custody under guard at a Las Vegas hospital, but fire spokesman Tim Szymanski said he will face charges that could get him decades in state prison.
“It was definitely intentional,” Szymanski said of the March 15 fire that caused only $1,000 worth of damage.

A motive and method for starting the fire wasn’t disclosed. However, Szymanski said arson investigators determined that a hotel safety system had been tampered with before the fire. Automatic sprinklers snuffed out flames minutes before Pressnell was rescued by firefighters in a locked room filled with boxes of soggy and smoldering linen and bedding on the unoccupied 22nd floor of the casino’s 25-story Rush Tower. No one else was hurt. Szymanski said Pressnell was from California and had been homeless.

Charges were lodged against him after his condition was recently upgraded at the University Medical Center burn unit, Szymanski said. Pressnell has not yet appeared before a judge, and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. Golden Nugget spokeswoman Tiffany Hauck said hotel officials would not comment about the charges.

 Officials previously identified the man rescued from the fire as a hotel guest who was in a part of the hotel where he was not supposed to be. Hauck on Monday confirmed that Pressnell was a registered guest before the fire.

After initial on-and-off alarms, sprinklers activated and dozens of firefighters arrived at the 2,345-room hotel in the center of the downtown Fremont Street casino district. Hotels in Las Vegas and Clark County are required to install fire sprinklers by tough fire codes instituted following the deadly MGM Grand hotel blaze in November 1980 that killed 87 people and an arson fire three months later that killed eight people at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Source:AP

Nashville court officer working as unlicensed security guard arrested www.privateofficer.com

MADISON, Tenn April 11 2012  An apartment complex and security guard are the subject of a state investigation after the officer was arrested Friday night.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is investigating why Sean Carter, was allowed to work at Spring Branch Apartments without a valid security guard license.

Friday evening police said Carter approached a car playing loud music at the apartment complex. When the driver refused to leave the property, Carter ordered the driver to the ground at gunpoint. Carter was arrested for possession of a weapon and aggravated assault. He admitted to drinking earlier that night and had an expired security guard license.

Former Metro Police Officer and owner of the Academy of Personal Protection and Security, Buford Tune, said this is just the latest case of a business and security guard violating state law.

“It’s amazing to me it takes someone getting hurt or almost getting hurt before someone says ‘Oh my God’ we have to do something about it,” said Tune.

Tune said if the state required additional training, it would prevent problems.

“You don’t go out working security with a gun and drinking,” said Tune, “It is a complete training aspect. This is the problem there isn’t enough training being given to these people.”

Tune said the business who employs the security guard needs to be registered with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, they need to pay for insurance to cover the security officer and the officer needs to follow conduct laws.

A spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance said that a complaint has been filed about both the security guard and the apartment complex…and the investigation will take several days. No one at Spring Branch Apartments would comment on the situation.

Sean Carter is also a General Sessions court officer. He has also been placed on administrative leave from that position, and decommissioned pending a hearing

Maryland police officer kills himself during traffic stop for speeding www.privateofficer.com

EASTON, Md. April 11 2012  – State Police are investigating the death of a man employed as a police officer in Maryland who shot himself early Monday after being stopped by a trooper in Talbot County for speeding and suspicion of driving under the influence.

The man is identified as Jed R. Bylsma, 30, of Gettysburg, PA. Bylsma was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Monday, a Maryland state trooper from the Easton Barrack was patrolling on westbound Rt. 50 near Rt. 404 when an eastbound vehicle registered in his radar unit at a high speed.

The trooper turned on the vehicle and stopped it near Skipton Creek. The driver, who was the only occupant of the Nissan, was identified as Bylsma through his Pennsylvania driver’s license. Bylsma told the trooper he was an officer with the Montgomery County Police Department. During the initial contact, the trooper observed signs indicating the driver was operating under the influence. Montgomery county police confirm Jed Bylsma was an officer in the department since 2003.

 He had most recently been assigned to patrol in the 3rd district (Silver Spring). Police told 9News Now that Bylsma had been on administrative leave, on a no-duty status for about one year.
The trooper returned to his patrol car and called for a backup to respond. During this time, Bylsma drove off from the stop and continued eastbound on Rt. 50 at a high rate of speed with the trooper in pursuit.

The responding trooper deployed stop sticks on Rt. 50 at Airport Rd. Bylsma’s vehicle struck the stop sticks and several tires were deflated. The vehicle rolled to a stop on the eastbound shoulder of Rt. 50.
The two troopers on the scene behind the vehicle gave repeated orders for the driver to exit his vehicle.

 When he did not, the troopers approached the car. They found Bylsma unresponsive and saw what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his head. Troopers saw a handgun near Bylsma’s hand in the center console of the car. EMS personnel were summoned to the scene and emergency care was provided, but Bylsma was deceased. Maryland State Police notified Montgomery County Police officials. The investigation is continuing.

Source:wusa9.com

Boston police,paramedics hospitalized after ingesting chemicals at suicide incident www.privateofficer.com

Boston MAApril 11 2012 Twelve people were evacuated from a South End apartment building and four Boston police officers and an ambulance crew were taken to a hospital after a woman committed suicide Monday night inside an apartment by ingesting a toxic chemical, fire officials said.
Boston Deputy Fire Chief Steve Dunbar said at the hazmat scene that the woman ingested the chemical on the first floor of 676 Mass. Ave. at about 9 p.m. and was later pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center.
He said four police officers and the ambulance team of two EMS workers were being quarantined at BMC to determine whether they were affected by the substance.
Dunbar said a relative of the woman, whose name and age he did not know, reported that the victim told her she ingested a chemical and asked that her cats be taken care of.
The deputy fire chief said the victim appeared to be young, but he could not be more specific.
He said the woman is believed to have ingested sodium azide, a chemical used to make airbags. “But it can metabolize into some kind of cyanide,” Dunbar said, adding that the woman died about an hour or two after ingesting the substance.
He said at about 12:20 a.m. Tuesday that crews were preparing to reenter the apartment building to see if it presented a safety risk, a process expected to take a few hours.
Dunbar also said the officers and EMS workers who were quarantined did not appear to be showing signs of being adversely affected by the chemical.

MD. passes nation’s first bill to keep employers from demanding social media passwords from employees www.privateofficer.com

ANNAPOLIS, MD April 11 2012 (RNN) – The nation’s first bill to keep employers from demanding social media passwords from employees and prospective employees was passed in Maryland last week, a response from state legislators to increasing reports of the practice.

The state’s House of Representatives and Senate voted almost unanimously on the bipartisan bill, which prohibits employers from asking for usernames and passwords for personal social media accounts.

“We are proud of Maryland for standing up for the online privacy of employees and the friends and family members they stay in touch with online,” said Melissa Goemann, legislative director of the Maryland branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

“Our state has trail-blazed a new frontier in protecting freedom of expression in the digital age, and has created a model for other states to follow,” she said.

The ACLU, which has made online privacy rights one of its central issues, got involved in Maryland’s fight over social media privacy after Division of Corrections Officer Robert Collins approached the group for assistance.

Collins was asked for his social media usernames and passwords while being recertified to work with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Although Collins said the information was optional, he told the ACLU that he felt he had no choice in the matter.

“I am excited to know that our esteemed policymakers in Maryland found it important to protect the privacy of Maryland’s citizens,” Collins said. “I believe privacy should not be an alternative in lieu of securing employment, but a fundamental right.”

On behalf of Facebook, Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan told users in a blog post back in March that allowing employers to get access to a person’s Facebook profile “undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user’s friends.”

Further, she wrote that the practice violated Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and opened employees up to discrimination claims through information that they might learn through the website.

Advocates hope that the bill in Maryland will serve as a tipping point to widen online privacy rights nationwide, but so far the federal government has yet to move on the issue.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, is writing a national version of the social media privacy bill, according to POLITICO. In late March he and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-NY, called for the federal government to investigate the practice.

“In an age where more and more of our personal information – and our private social interactions – are online, it is vital that all individuals be allowed to determine for themselves what personal information they want to make public and protect personal information from their would-be employers,” Schumer said.

Privacy issues have been circulating throughout the media in recent months. In January, the Supreme Court ruled that a defendant’s privacy rights were violated when a GPS device was placed on his car. The court mentioned, but declined to go into, other privacy issues associated with law enforcement access to social media.

Last week, the ACLU also released results from a national federal information request to law enforcement agencies which found that many local agencies track cell phones without getting a warrant or showing probable cause.

Tennessee man faces charges after striking deputy sheriff at MS. welcome center www.privateofficer.com

HANCOCK COUNTY, MS April 11 2012

A Tennessee man faces felony charges in Hancock County after officials say he hit a deputy with his car Saturday night.

Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam said Deputy Lavern Lott was patrolling the Mississippi Welcome Center around 8pm when he spotted a drunk woman walk to the commercial area of the rest stop, and get into a car with two men.

The deputy pulled up to the car and asked the trio to step out of the car. That’s when the driver, Jason Cook, 36, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, suddenly threw the car in reverse, hit the gas, and struck Deputy Lott in the side.

The man in the front seat then opened the door to get out, but Cook made a quick u-turn, throwing the man from the car. Cook took off, leaving his passenger on the ground.

The man wasn’t seriously injured, but was taken by ambulance to Hancock Medical Center for treatment. Before deputies could talk to him, he left the hospital.

Meanwhile, another deputy spotted Cook’s car at Gators’ on Highway 603. When he approached the car, Cook ran off into the woods. He was captured a short time later with help from a K-9 unit.

Jason Cook is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident public drunkenness, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. Cook’s bond was set at $12,500. He was set to make an initial court hearing in Hancock County Justice Court Tuesday.

The woman in the case was arrested at Gator’s after Cook ran in the woods. Dominique Godwin, 33, of Eight Mile, Alabama, is charged with public drunkenness and leaving the scene of an accident.

The third person who fled from the hospital has not been identified. Investigators said more charges could be filed in the case.

Source: WLOX

Father of eight gunned down in SC by self-proclaimed crime watch leader www.privateofficer.com

LAURENS CO, SC April 11 2012 – A 36-year-old father of eight was shot and killed Sunday night by a self-proclaimed crime watch leader, and on Tuesday, the coroner said the victim was shot nine times, twice in the back.

Laurens County deputies said they were called to a home on Skillet Rd. at 7:57 p.m. Sunday about a shooting.

Deputies said when they arrived, they found Charles “Blue” Lyons had been shot and had killed. Lyon’s mother, Sheila Cathcart, told deputies that Juan Burns shot her son, they said.

Cathcart says her son’s death was pre-meditated. “I definitely think a lot of thought went into to it,” she said.

Cathcart said she was in the middle of the street when Burns engaged her son.

After a verbal confrontation, Burns pulled out a gun, she said. “He kept shooting and shooting and shooting,” said Cathcart. “(He) wouldn’t stop until there were no bullets in the gun. I was trying to do CPR but it wouldn’t work.”

Deputies said they were also confronted by Burns when they arrived at the scene, and he was holding his hands in the air. Burns was detained at that time.

Witnesses told deputies that Burns drew two outlined bodies with chalk in the roadway before the shooting.

Deputies said they saw the outlines and photographed them.

Burns told deputies he drew the outlines because someone had destroyed a camera he had near the driveway of his home.

Witnesses said Burns also placed a candle, a mirror and a letter near the driveway of Lyon’s home. The letter read “Turn and burn, BLUE & Company A, B or C,? think carefully.”

Lyons and the witnesses did not know what the letter meant.

Lyons and two others went to Burns’ home and confronted him about the items he left in the driveway, according to deputies.

Deputies were told Lyons threw the items and rocks at Burns’ home.

At that time, deputies said Burns came out of the home and Lyons confronted him.

Witnesses told deputies that Lyons was yelling and cursing at Burns, and Burns went to his truck and got a gun.

Deputies said that’s when Burns shot Lyons several times.

At this point, Lyons’ mother called 911.

Burns, who has no prior criminal record, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was denied bond on Monday.

Laurens County Sheriff Ricky Chastain said Burns had started his own version of a neighborhood crime watch.

Chastain said Burns posted several signs and surveillance type cameras in the neighborhood.

He said Burns recently contacted law enforcement about his neighborhood crime watch and he held a meeting in his yard.

Chastain said deputies were called to the neighborhood last week because Burns was pointing a gun with a laser sight in the area and neighbors were frightened.

Source:WIS

Norway SC mayor charged with impersonating police officer www.privateofficer.com

NORWAY, SC April 11 2012– Norway Mayor Jim Preacher has been arrested. SLED agents arrested Preacher Tuesday on charges of impersonating a police officer and misconduct in office.

Arrest warrants allege Preacher had no authority, as mandated by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, to make a traffic stop on a South Carolina Highway Patrolman who had pulled Preacher over minutes before.

Preacher was cited for driving the city’s Dodge Charger 70 mph in a 55 mph zone.

After he was given the ticket, the trooper’s dash cam video shows Preacher make a U-turn and turn his lights and sirens on to make a stop on the trooper.

Preacher asked the trooper for his license and told the trooper he was interfering with a police officer.

Preacher claims he was serving in his duties as village constable when he stopped the trooper. He has since resigned his duties as Norway’s chief constable.

The state Department of Public Safety launched an investigation into the stop the following day. After reviewing the tapes, DPS turned their investigation over to the State Law Enforcement Division to determine whether Preacher violated state law in stopping the trooper. SLED is also investigating whether Preacher had any police powers, since his law enforcement certification records show that his certification is “inactive” with the academy.

SLED turned its investigation over to the state attorney general’s office for an opinion as to whether Preacher has police powers, and the authority to conduct traffic stops. Attorney General Alan Wilson has not issued an opinion.

Another arrest warrant says Preacher instructed Norway’s town clerk to pay him a salary equal to what the previous Norway police officer was making in addition to his salary as the town’s mayor without council approval.

The warrant goes on to say Preacher hired his own son, James Arren Preacher, III, to a position at the town’s Water Treatment Department without approval.

Preacher is being held at the Orangeburg County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

Source:WIS

FLETA grants accreditation to AF security forces officer, enlisted courses www.privateofficer.com

HILTON HEAD, S.C. April 11 2012 (AFNS) — The Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board granted initial program accreditation status to the 343rd Training Squadron’s Security Forces Basic Officer and Apprentice Courses at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland recently.
Air Force Director of Security Forces Brig. Gen. James McMillian said, “This has been a long time coming for our career field to be recognized and accepted as professional federal training programs. The 343rd is one of only 24 federal agencies nationwide to join the prestigious ranks of FLETA which includes the FBI Agent Training Program, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Training, and the U.S. Marshals Deputy Training Program to name a few.”
FLETA is an independent accreditation process that gives law enforcement training agencies the opportunity to demonstrate their adherence to an established set of professional standards. The goal of accreditation is to improve training quality and support organizational and operational success. To accomplish this goal, trainers in the same discipline, working through a professional accrediting body, assist each other in evaluating and improving their professionalism.
The overall accreditation provides assurance to community citizens that local law enforcement agencies have voluntarily submitted to a process of self-regulation, and have successfully achieved compliance standards.
To achieve accreditation, the 343rd TRS had to submit to an independent review of its training programs to ensure compliance with FLETA’s standards and procedures in the areas of program administration, training staff, training development and training delivery.
The officer and apprentice courses were assessed in December 2011 as two FLETA teams took a detailed look at the courses. After successfully completing the process with no deficiencies or suggested areas for improvement, squadron officials presented attributes of the courses to the FLETA board, which met in Hilton Head March 21.
Lt. Col. Chris Echols, 343rd TRS commander, led a team of three in the presentation to the board. Echols emphasized the security forces mission to “Protect, Defend and Fight to enable Air Force, Joint and Coalition Missions.”
He also described the magnitude of responsibility the 343rd TRS has in producing more than 5,000 graduates annually between the two accreditation candidate courses. The FLETA board voted unanimously to welcome the Security Forces Basic Officer and Apprentice Courses into the FLETA community.

Green Middle School drama teacher caught in a car with a half-undressed student www.privateofficer.com

Summit County Oh April 11 2012 The assistant drama coach at Green Middle School has been arrested after he was caught in a car with a half-undressed student.
Summit County Sheriff’s Inspector Bill Holland says a deputy patrolling around a business on Massillon Road spotted the car at about 1:30 am on Saturday. Something didn’t seem right, so he drove up and spotted two people inside, including a girl who was partially undressed.
27-year-old Jason Mazan of Jackson Township was arrested and charged with importuning, a 5th degree felony. Holland says further charges are pending as they continue to investigate. Mazan is a 2003 graduate of Green High School, where he is also a student teacher.
PRESS RELEASE FROM SUMMIT COUNTY
Drama Instructor Arrested
On April 7th at approximately 1:30 a.m., a Summit County Sheriff’s Patrol Deputy noticed a vehicle parked behind a business on Massillon Road. Upon further investigation, he found a 27 year old male and a 14 year old female partially clothed. The male, identified as Jason Mazan of Canton, is a Drama instructor at Green Middle School.
Mazan was arrested for Importuning, a 5th degree felony. He was booked into the Summit County Jail. Further charges are pending the outcome of the investigation
source-wtam

Florida man arrested for cutting off leg of dog www.privateofficer.com

BELLE GLADE Fla April 11 2012 — A 10-year-old dog was removed from a Belle Glade home on Tuesday after her owner cut off her leg with a handsaw, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officials said.

Luc Jean Baptiste, 48, of Belle Glade was charged with felony animal cruelty after a witness said he duct-taped the dog’s mouth shut, hog-tied her, and sawed through her right front leg.

The witness told animal control officers that Baptiste removed the leg because the dog had injured it, officials said. Animal control was called to the house in the 600 block of Southwest Avenue C by the sheriff’s office, which was investigating a shooting at the residence. In all, the county removed seven adult dogs and four puppies from the home. Animal control officials say the abuse case is one of the worst they have seen.

 ”My initial reaction to something like this is just absolute anger,” Animal Control Director Dianne Sauve said Friday. “I don’t buy for one minute that someone is trying to help an animal by doing something so barbaric to it. ” Animal control officials have named the dog, a pit bull-type mix, Karma. “I think that what goes around comes around,” said Sauve, who came up with the name.

 ”I think whoever did this to this dog is going to be carrying a karmic debt for a long, long time.” The dog also has a severe infection in her uterus, a sign that she has been used for breeding, officials said. Karma is expected to undergo surgery to remove her uterus today. Officials hope to repair her leg and eventually put her up for adoption.

Source:palmbeachnews

Federal bill would expaand authority of federal law enforcement in violent acts www.privateofficer.com

Washington DC April 11 2012 A federal bill introduced in Congress earlier this year would give special agents greater protection when intervening to stop a violent act, even if it’s outside the scope of their duties. Not surprisingly, the bill has drawn the support of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) and the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA). Federal agents are typically reluctant to perform local law enforcement duties, because they could lose the support of their agency or face local prosecution. “If an act of violence happens on the street, they aren’t permitted to intervene because they’re going to be judged by the scope of their employment,” Jon Adler, FLEOA national president, told POLICE Magazine. “If an agent intervenes to stop someone, they’re on their own.” Two versions of the Officer Safety Act of 2012 have been introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 2276) and House of Representatives (H.R. 4309) that allow the removal of prosecutions of federal agents from local courts to a federal district court when the officer acted to protect an individual from a crime of violence, provided immediate assistance to an individual threatened with harm, or prevented the escape of a person involved in a crime of violence. “The ‘Officer Safety Act’ is a priority for our organization and recognizes the need to protect the brave men and women in federal law enforcement who intervene, in good faith, to defend our citizenry from acts of violence,” Adler said in a release. Adler says the need for the law was highlighted during the 2010 prosecution of Will Clark, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Clark faced a murder trial in the U.S. Virgin Islands after he came to the defense of a neighbor’s girlfriend during a domestic dispute. The case was dismissed on Oct. 28, 2010 by the presiding judge. “Special Agent Clark took lawful actions to protect an innocent woman from violence, yet faced a subsequent prosecution under local law,” FBIAA President Konrad Motyka said in a release. “While the charges against Special Agent Clark were eventually dismissed, he was placed in improper peril.” Another rare case of a federal agent intervening to stop a crime came in December, when ATF Special Agent John Capano tried to stop a pharmacy robbery on Long Island. Capano was accidentally shot by a retired Nassau County Police lieutenant who also responded. Federal agents are more likely to receive a fair and impartial trial in federal rather than local court, Motyka added. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Judiciary Committee members Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). The House version was sponsored by Reps. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), the co-chairmen of the House Law Enforcement Caucus.

H-Mart employee assaults security officer after being fired www.privateofficer.com

GREENBURGH, N.Y.April 11 2012 – After being fired from the H-Mart in Hartsdale, one man punched a security guard in the face on his way out of the supermarket, Greenburgh Police said. Police said Juan Silva, 24, was being escorted out the Central Park Avenue store by security after he was given the pink slip.
That’s when he became irate, police said, pushing a security guard and punching him in the face. Police responded and arrested Silva. He was charged April 9 with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
Also arrested: Petit Larceny: Police said officers charged Beryl Halliman of the Bronx with petit larceny, a misdemeanor, after she was allegedly caught shoplifting $86.94 worth of merchandise from a Central Park Avenue T.J. Maxx at 11:40 a.m. April 2.

Honolulu police officer faces federal drug charges www.privateofficer.com

HONOLULU HI April 11 2012   – A Honolulu police officer is under arrest on federal drug possession, distribution, and conspiracy charges.

Officer Michael Chu, 41, was arrested as the result of a Honolulu Police and DEA investigation. Chu has been charged with conspiring to possess and distribute Marijuana.

On April 5, according to court documents, a FedEx security manager seized a package at Honolulu airport sent from California to an apartment on Kapiolani Boulevard. An inspection of the package turned up 8 starter marijuana plants.

A day later DEA agents executed a Federal search warrant of the Kapiolani apartment. A manager told agents that a woman by the name of Athena Lee lived in the apartment and may be living with Chu. While searching the apartment, DEA agents say they recovered more than 20 marijuana plants and large amounts of US currency.

During the search Lee and Chu returned to the apartment. Court documents say that Lee was in possession of $12,000 and Chu was holding a plastic bag that contained marijuana growing materials.

A search of Officer Chu’s subsidized vehicle turned up an additional pound of marijuana and several money orders from California. In court documents Chu waived his constitutional rights and answered questions from authorities saying that he, ‘ just works for Athena Lee and helps her carry things for the grow operation.’

Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha released the following statement this afternoon.

“This is a very serious allegation, and we are cooperating with the DEA in its investigation. The HPD has also initiated its own internal administrative investigation into the alleged activity. In the meantime, the officer’s police powers have been removed, and he will be placed on leave without pay. Any officer or civilian employee who violates the public trust by engaging in this type of activity should not be a part of the Honolulu Police Department.”

Source: HawaiiNewsNow

Company chief executives often use security as a tax break www.privateofficer.com

New York NY April 11 2012 Most people would think that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court would need more security than Alan R. Mulally, the chief executive of Ford Motor Company. Ford’s directors don’t seem to agree. The board requires that Mr. Mulally — for safety reasons — fly on a private jet whether he is going to Washington for business or Hawaii for vacation. Justice Ginsburg flies commercial with all its attendant hassles. Last year, she and other passengers were forced to evacuate a United Airlines flight via an emergency slide. Mr. Mulally is not alone. Dozens of corporate boards, including those of Halliburton, Kraft, Home Depot and Waste Management, insist or recommend that their top executives fly on private jets for security reasons. In the name of security, companies also pay for home alarm systems, 24-hour monitoring and even chauffeurs. The Macy’s board provides its chief executive, Terry J. Lundgren, with a car and driver to ensure his “personal safety,” a perk that is also bestowed on the heads of Cablevision, NCR, Time Warner and Tootsie Roll Industries. Hertz even provides a driver trained in “evasive driving techniques,” whatever that means. Are corporate chieftains really in that much danger? The answer has to be no in most cases. The number of people who know the name of Tootsie Roll’s boss, Melvin J. Gordon, is likely to be smaller than the number of law students who study Justice Ginsburg’s cases. Steven P. Jobs, arguably the most famous chief executive, received no security services from Apple last year before he died. Rather, directors often dole out personal safety perks to ease a chief executive’s tax bill. By classifying the benefits as security measures, the executives typically get a better tax treatment on the services. It’s a common corporate tax trick. Each year, companies spend millions of dollars to ensure the ostensible safety of their executives, services that sometimes extend to others. Ford, for example, picks up the tab for family members who fly with Mr. Mulally. The automaker estimated that it spent $178,571 on Mr. Mulally’s and his family’s personal air travel last year. Ford declined to comment. Board members, too, can benefit. Last year, Northrop Grumman paid to put its lead independent director, Lewis W. Coleman, in a “more secure residence,” according to a regulatory filing. For those who need translation, it seems that Northrop Grumman helped Mr. Coleman buy a new house. He’s an expensive board member. Over all, Northrop Grumman spent $5,203,559 on security protection for Mr. Coleman, including about $1.5 million for personal travel for him and his family. Northrop Grumman even appears to pay to fly him in a private jet when he is traveling on business for his day job as president of DreamWorks Animation. Northrop Grumman justifies the expense because of “specific threat information” from law enforcement. I find it telling that DreamWorks doesn’t require security for him. Northrop Grumman declined to comment further. Such perks persist even against the backdrop of political or shareholder pressure. Ford shed its fleet of corporate jets in 2008, after a furor at the automakers’ use of private planes to fly their chiefs to Congressional hearings during the financial crisis. But Ford still pays a jet charter service for Mr. Mulally and his family. At General Motors, which still has to repay its taxpayer bailout, its chief executive, Daniel F. Akerson, must fly commercial, unless he gets special dispensation from the government. The corporate jet is so valued that it is often the last service to be cut. In 2011, Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken, ended some of its executive perks, including a car and driver, club membership and annual physical. But Yum still requires its chief executive, David C. Novak, to take a private jet for all his travel. The restaurant chain estimates that it spent $214,017 on personal air travel for Mr. Novak last year. Those personal safety perks create big tax savings. Let’s say you are a chief executive who wants to take the company’s jet. If the trip is business related, then it’s all pretty straightforward. The company pays for it and deducts the expense under a complicated formula. It’s a different case for personal travel. In those cases, chief executives are required to pay income tax on the imputed portion of the flight — that is, the amount the company paid for the flight. So a chief executive who is a frequent flier can rack up a rather large tax bill. Luckily, the tax code offers executives a break. If an outside security consultant determines that executives need a private jet and other services for their safety, the Internal Revenue Service cuts corporate chieftains a break. In such cases, the chief executive will pay a reduced tax bill or sometimes no tax at all. Even when tax is due, the company sometimes takes care of it. Northrop Grumman spent $174,953 last year to cover the tax bill for Mr. Coleman’s personal air travel. The loser is, you guessed it, the federal government, which receives less tax revenue. I typically have no problem with private jet travel for executives doing company business. Just try to travel through La Guardia Airport, and you can see what a time saver it would be to avoid the security lines. But companies cite security issues to get their executives better tax treatment for things like personal air travel. It’s also a way to justify the expense to shareholders. In this era of crimped earnings and sluggish economic growth, the benefits — and the reasons the companies give for them — ring especially hollow. While statistics are not available, some companies are reversing longstanding policies to provide jets and the like for security reasons. This year, the Williams Companies, the natural gas producer, eliminated the home security program and the air travel requirement for its chief executive. The shift comes as profits and stocks slump. Years ago, “executives were looking for methods of reducing the fringe benefit cost of using the company aircraft,” said Keith G. Swirsky, president and chairman of the aviation and tax groups of GKG Law, a firm that focuses on transportation law. Now, he added, companies are looking to eliminate the perks partly in deference to shareholders. Perhaps if the tax laws were revised, chief executives would still take the private jet while Justice Ginsburg flew commercial. But at least the taxpayers wouldn’t be subsidizing it in the name of security.

Source:DealBook

Las Vegas doctor nabbed in drug investigation www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV April 11 2012– The I-Team has uncovered that a prominent hospital doctor was arrested for illegally selling thousands of powerful painkiller drugs.

The doctor, who at one time was the Chief of Internal Medicine at Centennial Hills Hospital, was snagged in an undercover drug sting. Federal drug enforcement agents say Dr. Vinay Bararia sold nearly $50,000 worth of oxycodone painkillers.

Read the Complaint against Dr. Vinay Bararia

It appears he got the pills from suppliers in California; a state that’s gutted their prescription drug enforcement because of budget cuts. It was at the Centennial Hills Hospital parking lot that the drug sting first took place. An undercover DEA agent reports Dr. Bararia sold 500 hydrocodone pills for more than $2 a pill beginning last July. According to the agent, Bararia began offering more expensive oxycodone painkillers. The federal report adds Bararia told the agent his drug source had to drive to seven different places in California to get the oxycodone pills. Each time the drug bottles would be handed over in bags, in exchange for thousands in cash. According to court documents, more than $46,000 was spent for nearly 6,000 pills.

Dr. Bararia moved his drug deals to the parking lot of neighboring Kopper Keg pub, according to the arrest report. He was arrested March 1. Federal agents say they found more painkillers in the doctor’s car.

Centennial Hills Hospital has not responded to the I-Team’s calls. It is unclear from the report whether any of the painkiller drugs were taken from the hospital, or what Bararia’s employment status is currently. Dr. Bararia is out of jail on bail and would not comment on the case. His attorney would also not comment. The doctor’s website states he opened his Nevada Medical Associates practice in 2005.
Source:newnow8.com