Archive
Off duty Chicago police officer assaulted working security-1 arrested www.privateofficer.com
Martin Mendoza, 28, of the 1500 block of South 51st Court in Cicero, was arrested early Monday and charged with aggravated battery, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said.
Cook County Judge Carmen Aguilar ordered Mendoza held on $50,000 bond at a Monday hearing in Maywood, Conklin said. He will next appear in court on May 7.
Mendoza was arrested after a fight broke out during which he allegedly knocked out a tooth of an off-duty Stone Park police officer working security at Scores Chicago in Stone Park, Conklin said.
The gentleman’s club, in the 4000 block of West Lake Street in Stone Park, says it’s the only gentleman’s club open until 5 a.m. every day, according to its website.
source-chicago sun times
Metairie security guard charged with impersonating a police officer www.privateofficer.com
Metairie LA May 2 2012 State Police have booked a Metairie security guard with impersonating a police officer by using flashing lights to stop a motorist on Interstate 10. The victim, an unidentified man, told investigators he was eastbound near Causeway Boulevard in Metairie on April 14 when he noticed a car behind him with flashing red and blue lights on the dashboard, according to Frank Heuer’s arrest report.
The victim slowed to the right side of the highway. But instead of stopping, the other driver pulled alongside the victim’s vehicle then drove off.
The victim recorded the car’s license plate number and gave that information to the State Police.
A trooper used the number to track down Heuer, 56, of 2505 Aleatha St., said Trooper Melissa Matey, spokeswoman for Troop B. The trooper confirmed that Heuer is a security guard, not a police officer, and is not authorized to have or use red and blue emergency lights, she said.
Heuer was booked Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna with false personation of a peace officer. Bond was set at $3,500, but he was released without bond because of jail crowding.
source-nola.com
Off-duty police officer working security sues insurance companies who wont pay after he’s injured www.privateofficer.com
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. May 2 2012 – A police officer hit by a car while directing traffic is now suing several insurance companies after he says the companies have all denied him coverage.
Detective Charles Aaron Cook and his lawyer filed the lawsuit Monday in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit targets the defendant for negligence but also the officer’s insurance for not providing medical coverage or worker’s compensation.
On Dec. 17, 2011, Cook was directing traffic at Trace Fork Shopping Center along Corridor G when he was struck by a car. The driver tried to take off but was stopped by officers. The woman claimed she didn’t see Cook.
Since then, Cook has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills for his recovery.
“He’s incurring medical expenses at a pretty rapid rate,” attorney Ben Salango said. “Just an MRI is more than he makes in a month, and so right now he’s forced to incur those medical expenses on his own.”
Adding to the pain, the woman who hit him has minimal insurance coverage, which was not nearly enough to cover Cook’s injuries. To add insult to injury, Cook’s claim was rejected by his insurance company and he was also denied worker’s compensation.
“Basically it’s workers comp and the medical insurance company are both pointing the finger at one another,” Salango said. “So he was left with no choice other than to file a lawsuit.”
The city of South Charleston wouldn’t comment on camera. However, the city manager told us Cook wasn’t working at the time of the accident and view his role as a private contractor.
Even though Cook was wearing his uniform and had his cruiser with him, he was off duty and even being paid by THF Realty group, which owns the shopping center.
“I know all these private companies — no one wants to pay,” Cook said. “They’re just pointing a finger at each other. It’s almost been six months, and I’m the only one who’s been paying.”
“They’re trying to rely on every loop hole they can find to get out of paying what they should be paying,” Salango said.
It’s left a gray area of who’s to blame and who should pay for an officer who was just trying to do his job.
THF Realty only has property insurance and doesn’t employ anyone full time in West Virginia to have medical insurance.
City leaders admit they’ve worried about a situation like this happening and are leaving the decision of who pays up to a judge.
Cook says he’s had to forgo some of his needed therapy since the insurance companies won’t cooperate.
Source: WSAZ
Shoplifter runs from Target store security with daughter on his shoulders www.privateofficer.com
Glendale CA May 2 2012 A 27-year-old Los Angeles man was arrested Friday after allegedly trying to return stolen merchandise at Target and leading security officers on a foot pursuit while holding his daughter, police said.
Robert Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of burglary, robbery and resisting arrest in the 200 block of South Central Avenue, according to Glendale police reports.
Target’s security crew spotted Rodriguez exchange a pair of sandals that he allegedly just pulled off the rack and then try to return a pair of workout pants, according to police reports.
A security officer tried to stop him as he was leaving, but he allegedly struck the officer and ran away while holding his daughter on his shoulders.
Glendale police spotted Rodriguez toss his daughter into the back seat of an SUV and then get into the driver’s seat, according to police. A Glendale police officer tried to stop Rodriguez as he allegedly searched for his keys and shouted that he didn’t do anything.
A struggle allegedly ensued as police officers arrested him.
Rodriguez has been arrested before on suspicion of burglary, grand theft, possession of narcotics and petty theft, according to police reports
Former Northumberland County deputy faces more charges www.privateofficer.com
Northumberland County PA May 2 2012 A former Northumberland County deputy turned himself in to authorities on Monday after being indicted last week on 15 additional charges related to allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with students under his watch.
On April 30, Derek Jones, a former school resource officer at Northumberland High School, turned himself in to law enforcement officials after an investigation turned up further criminal charges related to his February arrest. The charges stem from his allegedly predatory interactions with a 15-year-old student as well as new information concerning a second minor, with whom he may also have had an inappropriate sexual relationship.
“On April 24, we brought 15 new indictments against Jones,” said Westmoreland County Commonwealth’s Attorney Julia Sichol, who has been appointed as the special prosecutor on the case. “Of those, eight are for taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship and three are for crimes against nature, which include oral sex with a child.”
Sichol added that the remaining charges, including two additional counts of indecent liberties and two counts of using a communication device to solicit naked pictures of a child, were a result of additional information recently unearthed by the active inquiry.
“During the course of the investigation another victim was identified,” she said, noting the alleged victim was a juvenile.
“The investigation at this point is not leading to other children with possible criminal charges against Jones,” Sichol said. “But that is not saying there may not have been inappropriate conversations [there’s] just nothing we can prosecute criminally.”
The investigation into Jones began on Feb. 22, when a fellow student of the initial victim alerted a teacher at the high school to the possible criminal activity.
Social Services and law enforcement officials investigated the allegations and Jones, a veteran deputy who had been with the sheriff’s office for a number of years, was immediately suspended from duty.
Due to possible conflicts of interest, the prosecution of the case was transferred to Sichol with Lancaster Sheriff’s Investigator Joanie Kent taking lead on the investigation.
Additionally, Jones is being held at the Lancaster County jail instead of at the Northern Neck Regional Jail facility in Warsaw, where he would have to be kept in isolation for his own safety.
Sichol added that despite the case’s inherent difficulties, there has been excellent communication and working relationships between all the parties involved, including Northumberland Social Services and the Lancaster Sheriff’s Office.
The charges against Jones will be brought straight to circuit court in Northumberland on May 8.
Source:northern neck news
Alert Washington security officer helps sheriffs nab arsonists www.privateofficer.com
LACEY, Wash.May 2 2012 – Sheriff’s deputies have arrested three teens who may be responsible for setting fire to several houses in Lacey, and are seeking a fourth, deputies said.
Thurston County sheriff’s Lt. Greg Elwin said three teenage boys and one man were detained Tuesday morning, hours after the latest fire was set at an unoccupied home. The adult has since been released.
Elwin said the four are suspected in the Tuesday fire, as well as a blaze over the weekend that destroyed four new homes under construction on the same street.
Brian Ekdah, a private security guard hired to patrol the area, said he saw a group of kids on bicycles nearby before the latest fire started.
“I mean, spray painting is one thing, taking things from the job site is another thing,” Ekdah said.
But when they got away, Ekdah called 911 and a deputy arrived.
“We checked the inside of the house and he noticed by the front door there was smoke coming out of the closet,” Ekdah said. The vandals also dumped paint on the walls and windows, punched holes in the walls and smashed in the glass fire place.
Police searched the neighborhood with dogs, and Elwin said deputies spent the morning tracking down leads.
We got lucky with a phone call from a witness who said ‘hey, I think I know something,’ ” he said.
Elwin said the teenage suspects are all 16 or 17 years old and were located at an apartment in the 800 block of Lilly Road NE. A fourth teen suspect is still being sought.
No one was injured in the fires.
source:KIMATV.com
Tacoma police searching for man who shot at campus security www.privateofficer.com
Tacoma WA May 1 2012 The first time, the gun fired.
The second time – when it was pointed at an unarmed campus security guard – it didn’t.
Tacoma police detectives suspect the man accused of shooting at two University of Puget Sound campus security officers Wednesday is trying to leave the area. Detectives and Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers are asking the public for clues to the whereabouts of the 27-year-old man, Bryan Michael Windmeyer.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Windmeyer on Friday with first-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, felony harassment, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and vehicle prowling in the Wednesday confrontation. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
Charging documents and Tacoma police provided further details of the incident:
The campus security officers were alerted to a man trying to break into cars parked behind several university-owned houses about 5:15 p.m. The officers talked with Windmeyer near Union Avenue and North 14th Street. He gave them a driver’s license.
As the officers stood with Windmeyer, they received word on their radios that two cars had been broken into. Windmeyer became uncooperative and refused to take his hands from his pockets.
One officer grabbed Windmeyer’s arms and the two struggled. As they fought, Windmeyer threatened to shoot the officers and grabbed a gun from his waistband. The officers got Windmeyer to drop the gun, which fell to the ground and fired.
Windmeyer grabbed the gun and one of the officers took cover behind a car. Windmeyer walked over to the officer, pointed the weapon at him and pulled the trigger, police said. The gun clicked but didn’t fire.
Windmeyer drove off in a black Nissan Pathfinder.
Neither officer was injured in the altercation.
Police found the stolen car a short distance away parked outside an abandoned home near Sixth Avenue and Alder Street. They found several items from one of the prowled cars inside the SUV.
Windmeyer was gone. Detectives got a warrant to search the home where he had been living. They found no sign of him.
Source:www.thenewstribune.com
Thief Cyberstalked Those Who Got in His Way www.privateofficer.com
Chicago IL May 2 2012 In a case that combines residential theft and cyberstalking, prosecutors say a 32-year-old Chinese national is behind a million dollar crime spree.
But when, Jicheng “Kevin” Lui allegedly swiped a $500 stroller from a Roscoe Village porch, a very determined mother became an undercover sleuth, despite threats and intimidation.
The mother, who NBC Chicago is calling “Cathy” to protect her real identity, reported the theft of her stroller but later noticed an ad on Craigslist for one that seemed to be very similar to hers. She set up her own sting operation in the parking lot of a Dominick’s grocery store and said that when Lui showed up, he was pushing her stroller.
Cathy stalled Lui while her friend called Chicago police. Lui was arrested and charged with petty theft. She got her stroller back but weeks later said strange things began happening: bills for pornographic magazines arrived in the mail, deliveries for unordered food came at all hours of the night and male prostitutes showed up at her door.
Someone was using the Internet to harass Cathy’s family. Not even the Chicago police officers involved in her case were immune. One Internet post accused an officer of dealing drugs. Another post said an officer was molesting kids.
All the while, police said the thefts on Chicago’s north side continued.
In one incident, a security camera recorded a man, who prosecutors say is Lui, stroll into an apartment complex. While pretending to chat on a cellphone, the man gets inside by opening the door for a resident carrying a bench. The video shows the man casing the place on foot and by elevator. Finally, he grabs delivered packages and makes his way out the door.
Prosecutors said their investigation led them to Lui’s rented townhouse in Lincoln Park. What police said they found there was beyond anything anyone on the force had seen. Cathy arrived at the townhouse shortly after the warrant was served.
“When they opened up the garage, and then opened up the curtains in this kitchen and dining room, I was shocked to see what I saw,” she said.
The townhouse was packed from floor to ceiling, prosecutors said, with more than 300 packages. Perhaps even more disturbing, Lui had remote controls to 87 garage doors.
“Bikes, strollers, packages that were unopened that had various addresses. I saw someone who lived like a pack rat and a hoarder,” Cathy said.
In all, the goods had an estimated value of roughly a million dollars and made up four truckloads. Lui now faces a series of charges including felony theft and cyberstalking. Prosecutors said more charges could be coming.
“In the back of my head I kept thinking to myself, I can’t believe he tried to sell my stroller; the one item he tries to sell, even though he kept thousands of times,” Cathy said. “He tried to sell my stroller and I felt vindicated that I for some reason was in the right place at the right time to help the community.”
Sources close to the case say Lui wired $500,000 to a bank account in Hong Kong before his arrest. Lui has pleaded not guilty in court.
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com
Former Savannah-Chatham police officer sent to prison for extortion www.privateofficer.com
Savannah GA May 2 2012 A former Savannah-Chatham police officer on Monday was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and fined $1,000 for extortion at a downtown nightspot while working off-duty in police uniform.
Floyd B. Sawyer Jr., 45, must serve a three-year supervised release term after he is freed from confinement and complete 100 hours of community service during the first 12 months of his release, U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. ruled during a brief sentencing appearance.
Sawyer will have until June 1 to report to the prison designated by the federal Bureau of Prisons, Moore said.
The government charged that Sawyer, whle working security in full uniform and wearing his department-issued weapon at the Club Deja-Groove, 302 Williamson St., on May 22, 2010, took a cellphone, money and drugs from an undercover FBI informant posing as a drug dealer before releasing the man without a charge.
Moore sentenced a second man, former Savannnah-Chatham police detective Kelvin Frazier, to nine months in federal prison on Jan. 18 for concealing Sawyer’s conduct.
Evidence has shown Sawyer kept the cellphone for a relative; Frazier kept the drugs — 30 placebo Oxycontin pills.
Moore’s sentence for Frazier took into account the government’s urging that he get credit for helping investigators in the case.
Moore “conditionally” accepted Sawyer’s guilty plea on Jan. 20 as part of a negotiated plea agreement with government prosecutors.
In court Monday, Sawyer apologized for his conduct, adding that “If I had been paying attention to what was going on around me” he might not be before the court.
“I will do what I need to do to make this case go away,” Sawyer told Moore.
In his sentencing memorandum, defense attorney Nicholas Bruce urged Moore to sentence Sawyer below the 18 months recommended in a pre-sentencing investigation by probation officers.
“He pled guilty to a serious crime,” Bruce argued. “His life as he knew it is now over.”
Sawyer, who joined the force April 26, 2002, was fired by Chief Willie Lovett on Sept. 14, 2010, for violation of procedures unrelated to the extortion investigation.
Bruce’s memo argued Sawyer was a devoted husband and father of three who spent years bettering his community, as well as providing financial support for another child despite being under no court-ordered support obligations.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durham argued in court the 18-month sentence was in line with the plea agreement.
Source:savannahnow.com
Marple Newtown High School substitute teacher arrested for burglary www.privateofficer.com
Upon arrival, police spoke with the victim who told police that they had observed a woman wearing a shirt with a pink flower print, black pants, high heels and sunglasses, opening the passenger side door to his Jeep Wrangler that was parked in the school’s back parking lot, according to the incident report.
According to police, when the victim checked the interior of his Jeep when the woman had left, he discovered his center console open and his Serengeti sunglasses, three pack of Marlboro menthol cigarettes, loose change and a black compact disk storage case containing approximately 200 CDs missing.
The estimated loss of the stolen items is $3,178, according to the report.
According to the report, the high school school security officer and a custodian reported that they, too, had observed the woman try to open at least three different vehicle doors in the student parking lot from the faculty room.
When the security officer tried to stop the woman, the woman drove around the security officer and ignored his request to stop, according to the report. The security officer recognized the woman as the same person who had entered the school as a substitute teacher that morning, said police.
When police contacted the woman, identified as Jocelyn Murphy, 29, of Edgmont, she told police she had arrived at the school around 7:20 a.m. to work as a substitute teacher in the research room and told police she had left the school at 12 p.m., according to the report.
Murphy denied trying to enter any of the vehicles in the student parking lot, said police. When police asked what she wore to school that morning, the woman told police she wore a shirt with a pink flower print, black pants and high heels–the same description that was described by the victim.
Murphy faces four charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition. She is scheduled to appear in court before Magisterial District Judge Leon Hunter of District Court #32-2-43 on June 21 at 9 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.
North Carolina man pleads guilty in VA road rage death www.privateofficer.com
The North Carolina man was driving on Interstate 195 in September 2011, when he speed past several cars, swerved in front one and slammed on the brakes. The car ran into the back of Sessoms’s truck. Prosecutors said Sessoms and the driver of the other car, Christopher Lee Fisher, continued to drive aggressively with one another. Fisher’s car eventually crashed and Fisher later died as a result of the wreck.“It’s a tragedy, but frankly had calmer heads prevailed in either car we wouldn’t be here today,” said defense attorney William Linka. “It’s horrible for Mr. Fisher’s family and Mr. Sessoms has expressed that at every opportunity. I think that’s part of what went into his guilty plea today.”
“We are grateful to those who stopped to help Chris after the accident and the witnesses that told the story of what took place,” said Fisher’s family in a statement following Tuesday’s hearing. “Nothing will bring Chris back to us, but we are relived that Mr. Sessoms has taken responsibility for his actions.”
Sessoms faces up to 20 years in prison when he is formally sentenced in a hearing scheduled for July 11, 2012.
Source: WTVR
13-year-old robbery suspect shot and killed by victim www.privateofficer.com
BIRMINGHAM, AL May 2 2012 - Birmingham police say a 13-year-old robbery suspect was shot and killed by the person he tried to rob in Birmingham Friday night. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirms the teen’s identity as Jacquares Walker of Birmingham. He was a 7th grade student at Martha Gaskin Middle School and the quarterback for the football team, according to a family member.
BPD Sgt. Johnny Williams said the teen suspect approached a couple as they pulled into their home at the gated Skyview Condominiums in the 400 block of Skyview Drive around 11:10pm. Friday, April 27. Skyview Drive is off Robert Jemison Road. The suspect had a T-shirt over his face like a bandana and was holding a cocked and loaded gun, Williams said.
Police say the would-be robber approached the male occupant of the car and told him to “Get out and give it up.” The man had his own gun in the car and shot the teenager.
The teen ran a few feet, collapsed and died at the scene, Williams said.
The case was originally investigated as an unclassfied death but Williams says now it appears it could be investigated as justifiable homicide. The case has been handed over to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Walker’s 19-year-old brother told Fox 6 that Jacquares was in the front yard of their home Friday night with some friends and told his family they were going to the store. The brother says Jacuares never came home.
Source: WBRC
Dangerous Salt and Ice Challenge concerns police-EMS www.privateofficer.com
PHOENIXVILLE, PA May 2 2012 - School officials and health care experts are warning parents about a dangerous game they say is gaining popularity among middle school and high school students called the Salt and Ice Challenge.
The game is played by putting salt on the skin, pressing ice on top of it and holding it in place until the ice melts or until the pain becomes too severe.
Numerous people have posted youtube videos of themselves participating in the challenge, which experts say can cause severe burns to the skin, similar to frostbite.
Officials at Phoenixville Middle School in Phoenixville, PA became concerned after they say they heard students talking about the game.
They quickly took action and sent a letter warning parents.
“Our goal is to provide you with this information in order to facilitate open communication at home to ensure the safety of our students,” said Dr. Frank Garritano of the Phoenixville School District.
Source:NBC
US Marshal’s kill wanted man in Louisiana www.privateofficer.com
Seale was scheduled to appear in federal court, where prosecutors expected him to plead guilty to money laundering and wire fraud charges. He never showed up. That’s when a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Marshals never had a chance to ask Seale why he missed his court date. When they found Seale in a field near his house, they said he wielded a gun. Marshals and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office are tight-lipped about the shooting. They will not say who fired the first shot or how many, only that Seale is dead.
Seale was accused of laundering $130,000, filing false tax returns and making false statements about a $900,000 loan.
Gwinnett County Sheriff’s deputy arrested for having sex with inmate
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. May 2 2012
Channel 2 Action News has learned that a Gwinnett County Sheriff’s deputy who was arrested by his own agency for having a sexual encounter with an inmate committed the act in front of other inmates.
Gwinnett sheriff’s officials are still trying to determine if any employees were present when Duone Clark, 40, allegedly had sex with the inmate, whose identity is being withheld for his safety.
“The witnesses included definitely other inmates. I’m not sure about other deputies,” Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Lt. Sean Smith told Channel 2′s Kerry Kavanaugh.
The inmate, who is serving time for financial identity fraud, theft by deception and probation violations, reported the incident to authorities, Kavanaugh said.
Now, Clark is jailed on charges of violation of oath by a public officer and sexual assault, sheriff’s officials confirmed early Thursday as a result of the incident that happened Jan. 13, arrest warrants state.
Officials said they are not ready to say if the sexual encounter was consensual, but either way, it is still considered a crime, officials said.
An internal investigation into this accusation was launched immediately, officials told Kavanaugh.
Officials said they are not ready to tell whether the sexual encounter was consensual. But regardless of whether the inmate did give his consent, the act is considered a crime, according to the law.
“Consent is not a defense in this case, said Attorney Jackie Patterson, who is not connected with the case. “The legislature said that even if the inmate consent to the sex it is still a crime by the agent.”
Authorities secured enough evidence along with witnesses’ statements to secure warrants for Clark’s arrest. He was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail and given a first appearance hearing, authorities said.
“I’m very disappointed this would occur”, Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway said.
Clark, who is being held without bond at the Oconee County Jail for his own safety, has subsequently resigned from the sheriff’s office.
Source:wsb
Three NY state troopers investigated for promoting a prostitution ring www.privateofficer.com
ALBANY NY May 2 2012– Three state troopers from western New York were suspended Thursday as part of a State Police investigation into allegations that at least one trooper, and possibly more, were involved in promoting a prostitution ring in which female prostitutes were transported from Canada to the Buffalo area.
Two people with knowledge of the case said the investigation involves up to five troopers but is centered on Trooper Titus Z. Taggart, 41, an 18-year veteran and the son of a former State Police colonel. Taggart is assigned to Troop T in Buffalo, a unit that patrols the New York State Thruway. The other two troopers, Jeremy C. Smith, 34, and Michael L. Petritz, 33, were both suspended without pay for misconduct. State Police officials said they were not involved in organizing the alleged prostitution ring.
Taggart’s father, Arthur L. Taggart, 72, is a retired State Police colonel who was a special assistant to Thomas Constantine, a former State Police superintendent.
A State Police spokesman said Taggart was suspended without pay “as a result of an internal investigation that alleges he organized parties that may have involved the promotion of prostitution, while off-duty.” The spokesman said there have been no arrests. Josh Vlasto, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, declined to comment.
The investigation began about five months ago as investigators sifted websites with postings that promoted parties where alleged prostitution was being offered, according to a person briefed on the case. State Police investigators have examined allegations that Taggart may have facilitated bringing prostitutes from Canada to the Buffalo area, the person added.
Federal law enforcement organizations also are involved in the investigation.
New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association President Thomas Mungeer said he was not told of any arrests.
“From what I understand there’s an investigation into off-duty conduct, and if and when somebody calls for PBA representation for administrative purposes we’ll be involved,” Mungeer said. “They might have made an arrest. I’m getting kind of hearsay.”
Titus Taggart could not be reached for comment. He joined the State Police in September 1993. Taggart’s Facebook page depicts several photographs in which he is holding what appears to be bottles of alcohol. One photo depicts a sexually charged cartoon rendering of a woman holding a gun and wearing a police uniform augmented with lingerie. The depiction shows the woman standing in front of a heart that is adorned with yellow police tape and the words “busted.”
In a brief telephone interview Thursday Arthur Taggart said he was unaware his son had been suspended and that he planned to call State Police headquarters for information on his son’s case. He declined additional comment and said he would try to reach his son.
In December 2010, Gov. Andrew Cuomo tapped his former chief investigator from the attorney general’s office as State Police superintendent. The appointment of Joseph D’Amico, a former New York Police Department deputy chief, followed a series of high-profile political scandals involving the State Police and the governor’s office.
The first matter involved Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s release of information on the use of State Police aircraft by former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, who later resigned from public office in the face of a federal criminal investigation.
The second incident centered on allegations a trooper with Gov. David Paterson’s security detail had contacted a woman who was involved in a domestic incident with a top Paterson aide.
An outside probe found no criminal wrongdoing by State Police in the domestic incident case.
18-month-old child has dies after being shot by her 2-year-old brother www.privateofficer.com
Memphis TN May 2 2012 An 18-month-old child has died after being shot by her 2-year-old brother.
Police officers were told that the child was shot Sunday evening by her brother on the 1400 block of Lapaloma Circle.
The child was taken to the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital where neighbors say she died.
“I just don’t know what to say because I’m so shocked and hurt by what’s happened to this child,” said neighbor Shirley Craig.
That’s how many neighbors describe the shooting death of an 18 month old girl who many of them know as “Calvionna”.
“I knew this little girl real well,” said Randy Lark. “She was a sweet and wonderful little girl.”
“I hate it because they close to me and the mother is a beautiful person. She takes time with her children, plays with them, sit in the grass with them. She’s sweet,” said Vernita Burns.
WMC-TV’s Jamel Major went to the family’s home, but they did not answer.
“All we can do now is have faith, depend on God,” said Shirley Craig. “He knows best.”
No charges have been filed in the shooting.
Source: WMC
Dallas security guard stops woman involved in homicide www.privateofficer.com
Police records show the incident happened about 5 p.m. Saturday at a motel on Interstate 30. Cristal Paulette Richardson of Dallas is booked into the Dallas County jail on a murder charge with bond set at $200,000. Messages left with her attorney, Paul Johnson of Dallas, weren’t returned Monday night.
A police report said a security officer reported a commotion was heard coming from a third-floor room and saw Richardson emerge from the room naked and bloody.The security guard notified police and stopped the women.
Police arrived to find 34-year-old Cedric Lamont Owens dead in the room with stab wounds to his chest, his throat cut and his genitals severed.
Buffalo man arrested for assaulting bar security www.privateofficer.com
Dominic T. Minor, 22, was arrested by Buffalo Police Officers David Acosta and Stephen Schultz outside the bar shortly before 3 a.m.
Minor allegedly got into a verbal argument inside the bar with another patron and was asked to leave, according to a Buffalo police report. He initially refused “after being asked numerous times,” and once outside slugged the security guard escorted him out, police reported.
source-buffnews.com
Oklahoma City woman charged with shoplifting, assaulting security agent www.privateofficer.com
Oklahoma City OK May 2 2012 A 24-year-old is accused of stealing nearly $900 worth of jewelry from a northwest Oklahoma City department store and assaulting a security guard who tried to stop her.
Mallory Nicole Griswold, 24, was charged Monday in Oklahoma County with grand larceny and assault and battery in connection the incident at Kohl’s, 9001 NW Passage Road, court records show.
When the guard tried to stop Griswold from leaving the store without paying for the merchandise, she kicked and swung her fists at him, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The guard took her to the ground, and Griswold bit him on the hands several times, police said.
Fla security consultant says Tampa area needs to prepare for violence during RNC
TAMPA Fla May 1 2012 - In Miami in 2003, thousands of violent protestors rioted in the streets during Free Trade negotiations.
“The majority of them were anarchists — professional protestors that were out to destroy, damage, vandalize,” said Rod Reder.
Reder was a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy back then, called in to observe and learn. He’s now retired after nearly 30 years on the job.
“We were dodging a lot of slingshots that were shooting ball bearings, metal ball bearings and very heavy ones. There was a lot of urine, tennis shoes. Whatever they could get their hands on, they were throwing,” explained Reder.
Now he runs a private security firm, Reder Investigations and Security Consulting, and is planning for a busy summer. He believes Tampa will see similar unrest during the RNC Convention.
“If you want any security for maybe your residence, your condo association, your neighborhood, your business, you need to reach out to security companies, private investigators. There’s thousands of them in Florida. Start making plans because they’re going to be booking pretty quickly,” he said.
Reder noted security companies are licensed by the state, which you can confirm by checking with the Department of Agriculture.
Tampa Police put out a letter that should land in mailboxes this week letting local businesses know they need a backup plan, because off-duty police officers won’t be working private security during the week of the convention.
Small business owner Craig Sheridan sent out mailings too. The front of the postcards read “The RNC is coming… Is your security ready for it?” The back says, “At the 2004 RNC there were 1800 arrests, in 2008 there were 800 arrests, What kind of mayhem will Tampa see in 2012?” They list contact information for Sheridan’s company, CMS Technologies.
“If someone throws a garbage can through your plate-glass window, you have evidence that it was a vandal, it wasn’t by your own doing,” he said.
Sheridan installs security and surveillance systems including cameras. He says video helps when filing insurance claims.
Reder agrees: Homeowners and businesses may need extra eyes if this August in Tampa is anything like Miami in 2003.
“One thing that protestors like to do is break glass,” said Reder.
Source:www.abcactionnews.com
