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Crash kills Santa Paula police officer, lands another in jail on DUI charge www.privateofficer.com
Ventura County CA July 25 2012 A Santa Paula volunteer reserve police officer has been arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter after an off-duty car crash Sunday night killed another officer.
Christopher Blankenship, 44, of Santa Paula, was driving a 1984 Jeep Wrangler east on South Mountain Lookout Road when he apparently lost control and crashed. He was later booked into Ventura County jail, authorities said.
Kimberley Hemminger, 33, a five-year veteran of the Santa Paula Police Department, was partially ejected and pinned under the Jeep. Hemminger, of Oxnard, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It’s real tragic,” said Santa Paula Mayor Robert Gonzales, the city’s police chief before he retired in 2005. “She was a good police officer.”
Hemminger’s death was the second for the department recently, he said. In February, an off-duty reserve officer died in a car accident in the Ventura area. David Bartlett, 42, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 126 in Ventura.
“It really takes a toll on our organization,” Gonzales said.
Police officers are tightknit, he said. They socialize together and rely on another on the job. Although they deal with such situations regularly, accepting them is still difficult, he said.
They, too, are human,” Gonzales said. “They hurt just like everybody else does.”
Officers responded to the single-vehicle crash about 9:15 p.m. Sunday on South Mountain Lookout Road near Coyote Canyon Road, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The driver apparently failed to negotiate a right-hand curve and lost control of the Jeep, officers said. It spun out and rolled over.
Two other women in the Jeep, ages 38 and 19, suffered minor injuries. One had a minor cut on her knee, and the other had bruises and neck pain, authorities said.
None of the four people in the Jeep was wearing a seat belt, according to the CHP.
Seat belts save lives on all types of roads, but they are not required on private roads such as South Mountain Lookout, said CHP spokesman Steve Reid.
Hemminger’s brother, Jason, said his sister was with friends Sunday. He didn’t know Blankenship well but said he thought the two officers were friends.
Jason, a successful tournament fisherman, and Kimberley moved into an Oxnard home together after moving out of their parents’ house about nine years ago, he said. She graduated from Oxnard High School and Ventura College.
When Kimberley Hemminger was younger, she was a cadet for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in Camarillo. She later went to the police academy to become an officer.
“She loved her job,” Jason said.
A patrol officer, Kimberley also was a member of the Ventura County mounted unit and received commendations for her work in Santa Paula, said interim Police Chief Ish Cordero.
“She was a well-liked person, very professional,” and always was lending a hand, he said.
When Hemminger wasn’t working, her life revolved around her horse, Scooby, and her dog, Cammie, Jason said.
“She was my only little sister,” he said. “Everybody loved Kim.”
Blankenship, who was not injured in Sunday’s crash, has been a part-time volunteer reserve officer for more than 10 years, Cordero said. He has been placed on administrative leave.
In addition to volunteering with the Santa Paula police, Blankenship has volunteered at the Ventura County Police & Sheriff’s Reserve Officer Academy, said Bryan MacDonald, an academy instructor and retired Oxnard assistant police chief.
Blankenship has not worked at the academy for several years after leaving in good standing. His regular work commitments increased, and he no longer had the time, said MacDonald, an Oxnard councilman.
Blankenship, who could not be reached for comment, was released from jail Monday morning on $50,000 bail, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Source:www.vcstar.com
Las Vegas police seeking casino robbery suspect www.privateofficer.com
LAS VEGAS NV July 25 2012 – Metro Police are looking for a robber who used a handgun to steal money from a casino cashier’s cage early Tuesday morning.
According to police, the robber walked up to the cashier’s cage about 1:50 a.m., brandished a handgun and demanded money. The cashiers gave him the money and the robber left the casino.
Police did not specify which casino was robbed.
The robber is described as a black man in his 30s, 5 feet 10 inches tall and with a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a black fisherman-style hat, white button-up shirt with vertical stripes, jeans and tennis shoes.
Louisville police investigate deadly shooting on city bus www.privateofficer.com
Louisville KY July 25 2012 Metro Police are looking for two men and a woman they believe were involved in a deadly shooting Monday on a TARC bus. The male victim, a passenger on the bus, was shot multiple times, police said.
Officers found him motionless inside the bus, police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said, adding that the man, whose name was not released, was described as in his late teens or early 20s. The three individuals had fled by the time police arrived. Six to eight people were on the bus but no one else was hurt, police said.
The two men and the woman were captured on the bus camera; they are shown exiting the bus and getting in a white car.
The shooting was reported at 2:54 p.m. on a Route 23 bus on Bardstown Road near Goldsmith Lane, according to a MetroSafe Communications supervisor. Route 23 runs through downtown on Broadway before continuing to Bardstown Road.
Police were unsure when the three or the victim boarded, or if they had a relationship, Mitchell said. Police also did not know where the victim was going.
Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous tip line at 574-5673.
Source: Louisville Courier Journal
Security officer arrested in theft of beach fees in CT www.privateofficer.com
Darien CT July 25 2012 About $320 in beach access fees were stolen by a Weed Beach security guard who police said was giving fake receipts to beach visitors and pocketing the cash.
Police were notified by the town’s Parks & Recreation Department that an employee of Securitas — the company contracted by the town to attend gates at town beaches — was stealing the money. Police said that John Dugdale, 54, was stealing the $40 daily access fee charged to non-residents and issuing his own receipts to these visitors.
A fellow Securitas employee realized what was happening and told the Parks & Rec office. When questioned, Dugdale admitted to the thefts, saying that he had major money problems and was tempted by the cash, police said.
Jim Coghlan, assistant director of Darien’s Parks & Rec department, told The Darien Times that the town would likely continue its contract with Securitas. Police Capt. Fred Komm told The Times that Dugdale voluntarily returned the $320 to the town. It’s still unclear how long Dugdale was stealing cash, but Komm said the thefts took place “over a relatively brief period of time.”
Dugdale turned himself in to police after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was released on a written promise to appear in court on Monday, July 30.
Former Anniston Police officer charged with murder www.privateofficer.com
Anniston AL July 25 2012 A former warrants officer for the Anniston Police Department was in custody in Mississippi Monday in connection with two Calhoun County shootings that led to a manhunt and security lockdowns at the police department and City Hall.
Frederick Boyd, 43, surrendered to officials in Meridian, Miss., before noon Monday, hours after the Anniston Police Department and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for his arrest in two early morning crimes. Boyd faces a murder charge in the Monday morning shooting death of his wife and an attempted murder charge from an incident in Hobson City the same morning.
Calhoun County Chief Deputy Matthew Wade said deputies responded to a call on Martin Luther King Drive in Hobson City around 7 a.m. Monday. A man, identified as a family member of Boyd, said the suspect knocked on his door and opened fire on him. After the man said he shot back, Boyd left the scene in a black GMC Yukon sports utility vehicle, Wade said.
Wade said deputies were going to Boyd’s residence on Chatwood Drive in Saks to question him when they learned of a second shooting that morning at the home already under investigation by the Anniston Police Department.
Anniston police Lt. Fred Forsythe said Boyd was the suspect in the death of his wife, Cormella Boyd, 41.
Police reports state that the Saks shooting occurred between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. and the Hobson City shooting occurred at 7:10 a.m.
Police placed City Hall and the police department’s headquarters on lockdown Monday morning, with officers with assault rifles stationed outside the buildings. Anniston Police Chief Layton McGrady said Boyd had not made direct threats against either building. Police Lt. Shane Denham said the measures were a precaution police took because of Boyd’s history with the department.
Boyd left the police department in August 2011, after a 17-year career. Before his resignation, Boyd’s supervisors had transferred him from serving warrants to a desk job within the warrants division, taking in reports, Denham said.
“There were issues that made us transfer him,” Denham said, noting he wasn’t at liberty to elaborate on what those specific “issues” were. “We really didn’t know what we wanted to do with him.”
The same month that he resigned, Boyd, who is black, filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the department claiming he was repeatedly harassed and denied promotion due to racial discrimination. That month, Anniston City Councilman Ben Little provided The Star with a DVD containing 50 pages of documents recounting Boyd’s experiences with fellow officers and several audio recordings alleged to be proof of racial comments aimed at Boyd.
The audio files were mostly indecipherable.
In November, the EEOC ruled there was not sufficient evidence to prove the police department had discriminated against Boyd.
By 10 a.m., news of the shooting in Saks had spread, and family members had gathered near the blocked-off street. None would discuss the matter with reporters. Two neighbors told a reporter they had seen police officers arriving on the scene prior to 8 a.m. Both men said they didn’t know Boyd personally, but one said he knew the man used to work as a police officer.
Forsythe said that, judging from the time frame, it’s likely Boyd left his house in Saks, went to Hobson City and drove to Mississippi afterward. Forsythe said police are investigating the motive behind the shootings.
Wade said Calhoun County deputies were on their way to Meridian Monday afternoon to extradite Boyd.
Source:Anniston Star
Two TSA Screeners Agree to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Charges in Scheme to Smuggle Narcotics Through Security Checkpoints at LAX www.privateofficer.com
LOS ANGELES CA July 25 2012—Two people who were employed as transportation security officers at Los Angeles International Airport—and a third person who allegedly smuggled marijuana to Boston—were charged today with conspiring to pay bribes to the employees of the Transportation Security Administration.
The three defendants have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in plea agreements that were also filed this morning in United States District Court. Two other drug couriers previously agreed to plead guilty in this case, meaning that five defendants have now been charged and agreed to plead guilty in this investigation.
The three defendants charged today are:
■Dianna Perez, 28, of Inglewood, who was terminated as a TSA employee last October;
■Randy Littlefield, 29, of Paramount, who resigned from TSA last October; and
■Millage Peaks, 24, of Los Angeles, who initiated the bribery scheme when he offered Perez money to allow narcotics-laden luggage to be passed through security checkpoints.
The other two defendants who agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in plea agreements filed July 2 are:
■Charles Hicks, also known as “Smoke,” 24, of Culver City; and
■Andrew Russel Welter, also known as “Drew,” 25, of Fontana.
All five defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court on August 14.
According to court documents, the conspiracy between the drug couriers and the TSA employees began November 2010. “Peaks offered to pay coconspirator Perez a bribe fee of approximately $500 for each bag containing marijuana that coconspirator Perez cleared through airport security for the drug couriers,” according to the statement of facts contained in the five plea agreements.
“Over the course of the next year, conspirator Perez used her position with TSA to help the drug couriers circumvent airport security on approximately nine occasions,” the statement of facts continues. “She did this a number of ways. First, she would instruct the drug couriers how to pack the marijuana so it would not trigger alarms on TSA’s explosive detection system. Coconspirator Perez would also personally screen the bags using TSA’s explosive detection system. Finally, if a bag did alarm, co-conspirator Perez would manually screen the bag and then clear it.”
Littlefield “cleared” bags on at least two occasions in exchange for $200 that was to be paid by Perez, according to the plea agreements.
The charge of conspiracy carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
The case against Perez, Littlefield, and the drug couriers is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received assistance from the Los Angeles Airport Police and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General.
In an unrelated case filed by the United States Attorney’s Office in April, two then-TSA screeners who worked at LAX, two former TSA screeners and three alleged drug couriers were indicted on narcotics trafficking and bribery charges for allegedly taking cash payments to allow large shipments of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana to pass through the X-ray machines at security checkpoints (see: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/2012/051.html). The seven defendants in this case are currently scheduled to go on trial on February 12, 2013.
Source:Federal Bureau of Investigation
Private security in demand for Republican National Convention www.privateofficer.com
TAMPA, Florida July 25 2012 – While police agencies around the Tampa Bay area train for next month’s Republican National Convention, many private security companies are gearing up as well.
But will there be enough in town to go around?
V.I.P.s, state legislators, and other dignitaries not covered by Secret Service have to look for alternatives.
The usual suspects — local, off-duty police — aren’t available the week of the convention because they will all be working. That has hundreds of people and area businesses looking to private security.
“We have a whole database or students that have trained,” said Lenny Bogdanos of International Executive Protection in Clearwater.
The company is spending weekends getting bodyguards ready for the convention.
Bogdanos says he doesn’t know how many will be needed until he gets a call from contractors looking for help. “You have to be prepared for everything,” he said. “We can easily put on another 10, 20, 30 students.”
But London thought it was prepared for the Olympics, too. That was before a security contractor didn’t provide enough trained guards, leaving officials scrambling to call up military in time for the start of the games.
Tampa police told 10 News on Tuesday they are “extremely confident” the same thing won’t happen here.
“I think this is going to be a chance for the Tampa Bay area to shine. To show that not only law enforcement, but people in the private realm, are able to step up and handle it,” said Tony Motley, who also trains bodyguards.
One complication for everyone involved with the convention is the fact that concealed weapons are allowed in the Event Zone. It means protestors and bodyguards can both be armed in the same place, as long as they have the proper permit.
Source:WTSP
Bond denied for man who attacked casino worker www.privateofficer.com
Police Chief Walter Armstrong says Clarence Jones is accused of using a pocketknife in an attack on 23-year-old Jordan Melton on Friday night. Armstrong says Melton is in stable condition at a local hospital with multiple stab wounds.
Jones was denied bond during an appearance Monday in city court.
Armstrong says Melton is Jones’ ex-girlfriend. Police say there was already a restraining order against Jones from Warren County.
Armstrong says Jones showed up at the casino, followed Melton around and then attacked her.
He says casino security and patrons pulled Jones off the woman. Armstrong says the attack was caught on casino surveillance cameras.
South Florida man “Cartjacks” security officer www.privateofficer.com
BOCA RATON, Fla. July 25 2012 - The shine of Bentleys and roar of Ferraris might attract the average automobile thief in South Florida.
But they didn’t attract Michael Bell, an accused “cartjacker” who recently ignored the allure of pricey rides and went straight for the golf cart.
It was just after 3 a.m. on Friday, when police said the 20-year-old Boca Raton resident jumped into the cab of a golf cart driven by 29-year-old Kervens Dorsonne, a security guard with Vistazo At Boca Raton Community Association, Inc. in the 3700 block of Northwest Fifth Terrace.
Bell then knocked Dorsonne out of the cart and took off into the night, driving the cart for a short time before jumping out.
Dorsonne apparently gave chase and took the key out of the ignition after the cart stopped. The guard then called police.
Almost as soon as Dorsonne hung up the phone, police said Bell walked to the cart again and jumped into the driver’s seat. But he couldn’t start the cart without a key.
So, he ran away.
A short time later, as investigators recorded Dorsonne’s statements, patrolling Boca Raton Police officers radioed word that they saw a blonde man running away from area where the cartjacking happened.
An investigator took Dorsonne to see the blonde man. Dorsonne instantly identified him as Bell.
But when police tried to handcuff Bell, he fought back until police were able to restrain him. Police then booked Bell in the Palm Beach County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
Bell stands charged of robbery without a firearm and carjacking, a felony offense.
On Monday, it was still unclear why Bell stole the golf cart.
Attempts to reach representatives with Vistazo and police failed Monday.
Some security professionals assert that guards on carts are trained to defend themselves and disable the cart if attacked by a passer-by.
“You need to get the key out of the cart,” said Ram Marimudu, owner of Ramco Security in Coral Springs. Ramco guards also drive golf carts. “
Dorsonne may not have had the chance. He was unavailable for comment on Monday.
Source:www.wptv.com
Drug dealers in “Armored” Mercedes arrested www.privateofficer.com
Portland OR July 25 2012 Two men are in custody after being arrested Saturday evening in North Portland after fleeing an armored Mercedes sedan with handguns hidden in a compartment under the floorboard Portland gang enforcement officers stopped the 1997 Mercedes Benz S500 at North Vancouver Avenue and Buffalo Street for having illegally tinted windows and failing to signal a turn just after 5:30 p.m., said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a bureau spokesman.
When officers stopped the car, police say the driver, 24-year-old Thomas Earl Cooper, Jr., and his passenger, Antonio Richards, Jr., 20, immediately exited and started to walk away. Both men were known to the officers as gang associates, Simpson said.
Officers, who obtained consent to search the car, noticed a crease in the carpet under the passenger side front floor mat, just under the front seat, Simpson said. The officer was able to lift the floor and found two handguns in a compartment under the front floorboard. Officers were also able to determine that the Mercedes was outfitted with bullet proof armor.
Cooper and Richards were arrested without incident.
One of the handguns was reported stolen earlier this year.
Cooper and Richards were each charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of a loaded firearm and one count of first-degree theft.
The men were booked into the Multnomah County Jail. Richards remains in custody in lieu of $12,500 bail; Cooper was released.
Source:Oregon Live
Suicical man shoots at Utah Highway Patrol helicopter www.privateofficer.com
Salt Lake City Utah July 25 2012 Authorities took a suicidal man into custody Sunday night, but not before he shot at SWAT officers, a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter, a passer-by, and also wounded himself.
Davis County Deputy Scott Harper said a medical helicopter was enroute to treat the man’s three “significant wounds” at about 10:35 p.m. Sunday, moments after the standoff ended in the marshes about four miles north of Salt Lake City International Airport.
Harper said that the man, who was in his 40s, fired at SWAT officers once as they closed in, and they fired tear gas in order to subdue him, but no one else was injured and officers fired no shots.
The incident began about 4:30 p.m. when North Salt Lake police were called to check on the man’s welfare. But when they arrived, he wasn’t home so they pinged his phone and found him in the area of John Glenn Road (6070 West).
An airport police officer approached the man, who was sitting inside the car with a shotgun. The man then drove off.
Later, a man riding on his ATV while working in the marshlands noticed something shiny that he suspected was the roof of a car. But when he stood up on the ATV to get a better look, Harper said, the suicidal man fired a shot at him. The ATV rider fled and called 911.
About 45 minutes later, a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter was called to help locate the man. Harper said the man shot at the copter at least three times — but missed.
Source:Salt Lake Tribune
Mt.Juliet Tn police charge women with impersonating police officer www.privateofficer.com
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. July 25 2012 – A female was arrested over the weekend after she pulled a gun and acted like she was an off-duty police officer at Mt. Juliet’s Charlie Daniels Park.
The incident occurred on Saturday, July 21st, 2012 around 9:30PM when the Mt. Juliet Police Department Communications Center received a call in reference to a female pointing a gun at a male in the parking lot of the city park.
A witness, who called police, told the dispatcher that the female suspect stated she was an off-duty police officer.
Officers quickly responded and located the female suspect inside a white Dodge Neon at the park. She was identified as Holly Hood, 35, of Old Hickory, TN. Also in the vehicle was a male who was identified as Marvin Hood, 40, of Nashville, TN.
Investigation revealed that Holly Hood was not an off-duty police officer. The male, juvenile victim stated that he was driving his vehicle through the parking lot, and Holly Hood yelled for him to stop his car.
After the victim stopped his vehicle, Holly Hood stated that she was an off-duty police officer and ordered him to step out and place his hands on the on top of the car. The victim and many witnesses stated that Holly Hood approached his vehicle and pulled a handgun from her waistband while giving the false impression that she was a police officer.
A search of Holly Hood’s vehicle revealed a .357 Magnum handgun that was described by the witnesses.
Ammunition was also located in her vehicle. Marvin Hood, who was the passenger in Holly Hood’s vehicle, had illegal pills and a small amount of crack cocaine on his person. Marvin Hood is also Holly Hood’s ex-husband.
Neither individual had a valid handgun carry permit.
Residents should be reminded that true Police Officers have both a badge and photo identification card on them. If anyone believes that someone is impersonating a Police Officer, they should call 911 immediately.
Holly Hood and Marvin Hood were arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail and were charged with the following:
Holly Hood, age 35 of Old Hickory, Tenn.
Aggravated Assault
Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
Criminal Impersonation
Marvin Hood, age 40 of Nashville, Tenn.
Simple Possession of a Controlled Substance – Schedule II, III, & VI
Anyone with any information on current investigations or ongoing crime trends is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .
Pasco council OKs park infraction fines; 3 rangers to issue tickets www.privateofficer.com
Pasco WA July 25 2012 Pasco park-goers who have gotten used to letting their dogs run loose or flying remote-controlled model airplanes or tossing empty soda cans soon will be paying for those activities — literally.
The Pasco City Council recently adopted a set of fines for various civil infractions in the city’s parks. Fines range from $87 for something like littering up to $163 for driving where you’re not supposed to.
And the city has three new park rangers on duty to watch out for scofflaws and to issue tickets, said Rick Terway, the city’s director of administrative and community services.
“We have had issues with people driving (in the park), dogs off-leash. The police won’t deal with them because they’re minor,” Terway said.
So the park rangers will be there to patrol the parks and help teach people what is allowed and what isn’t — and to alert police if they spot criminal activity.”The park rangers are going to be our eyes and ears out there,” said Pasco Police Chief Bob Metzger. “
They have radios. They can contact us.”The city had planned to hire state-commissioned park rangers that would carry weapons and have the power to make arrests, but Terway said the city didn’t get enough qualified applicants.
The plan was prompted by an increasing number of problems in Pasco parks, including a gang-related shooting in Chiawana Park on a summer Sunday in 2010.
So as a compromise for this year, the city hired three seasonal park rangers who are military veterans, but who don’t carry weapons or have arrest powers.
The rangers can write tickets for violations, Terway said.
And the Pasco Police Department has a new street crimes unit in the works that could help tackle some of the criminal activity happening in parks.
Metzger said the department has hired officers for the unit and a few other open positions.
The new officers are either going through the police academy or field training, and he anticipates having the new unit up and running by December.
The unit will include four officers who investigate street crimes that could include gang activity or serial crimes such as a rash of burglaries.The $400,000 annual cost for the officers and all of their equipment is covered by Pasco’s portion of the public safety sales tax increase approved by Franklin County voters in November.
“Gangs will be the nexus for what we’re doing,” Metzger said. “Gangs account for a lot of (street crime), but not all of it.”
The officers will patrol in unmarked cars, talking to people and looking for crimes, but won’t respond to calls the way a patrol officer does.Metzger said the unit is part of a three-pronged approach to policing in Pasco that includes the patrol officers taking calls, the street crimes unit investigating crimes and the community being aware and reporting suspicious activity.”It’s a very comprehensive approach,” he said. “Our officers are excited about it.”
Source:www.tri-cityherald.com
Civilian worker arrested in connection with fire that caused $400 million damage to U.S. Navy submarine www.privateofficer.com
Portsmouth NH July 25 2012 A civilian worker has been arrested and charged in connection with a fire that caused $400 million in damage to a U.S. Navy submarine last May, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office inMaine.
Casey James Fury, 24, was arrested by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on suspicion of setting the massive blaze and setting a second fire around the submarine last month, according to a criminal complaint from the U.S. District Court of Maine released to the public Monday.
Fury was working inside the USS Miami on May 23 as a painter and sandblaster while the Los Angeles-class attack submarine was in dry dock at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine undergoing a massive overhaul.
The affidavit charges Fury with two counts of arson and says that he “willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned a vessel, namely the USS Miami, together with building materials and supplies located thereon.”
A Navy news release says the second count will be specific to burned building materials and supplies in and around the USS Miami.
Fury had initially denied involvement in both fires, according to the affidavit, but later confessed. The second fire Fury allegedly started was on June 16 in an area underneath the submarine where he was working. In both cases, he told investigators that he started the fires because he was having extreme anxiety and was trying to get out of work, according to the federal documents.
Naval investigators said Fury was also taking medication for depression and anxiety.
If convicted of either charge, Fury faces life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Initial investigations by the Navy found that the fire may have been started by a vacuum cleaner. But the criminal complaint said Fury admitted to setting fire to a pile of rags near a vacuum cleaner in a stateroom in the submarine.
A criminal investigation headed by NCIS began soon after the fire was reported on May 23 and is ongoing, according to the Navy. Other law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are assisting in this investigation, according to a Navy news release.
The Navy has begun planning repairs with the goal of returning the USS Miami to the fleet.
The submarine was commissioned in 1990 and carries a crew of 12 officers and 98 enlisted personnel, according to the Navy.
CNN
Two Wichita men plead guilty in Craigslist burglary scam www.privateofficer.com
Wichita KS July 25 2012 Two Wichita men have pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, admitting they stole thousands of dollars worth of goods over three years and sold them on Craigslist.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says Jordan Smith, 23, Wichita, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. Co-defendant Thomas Griffin, Jr., 21, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting wire fraud.
The men admitted Smith stole more than $115,964 worth of personal property, including building materials and supplies, machinery, appliances, electronics, jewelry and motor bikes, from 36 victims in a series of burglaries in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Smith then listed the stolen property for sale on Craigslist.
Griffin admitted he allowed Smith to use his telephone number as a point of contact for people interesting in buying the stolen property. Griffin knew that property Smith was selling was stolen.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 15. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Griffin faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Source”KAKE.com
Louisville Metro Police officer arrested in drunken road rage www.privateofficer.com
Louisville KT July 25 2012 A Louisville Metro Police officer was arrested early Sunday and charged with driving drunk and striking another driver with his personal vehicle after a confrontation.
Officer Joseph Pence was charged with assault, wanton endangerment and drunken driving. He had glassy, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, according to the arrest report. Pence’s girlfriend told police he had been drinking, the report said.
He was released from Metro Corrections on Sunday on his own recognizance and will be arraigned Wednesday. Pence said in a telephone conversation that he was “not allowed” to comment on the case.
Pence, who has been with the department for about three years, has been placed on administrative leave and reassigned to desk duties, according to Dwight Mitchell, a police spokesman. His police powers have been limited pending the outcome of the investigation and court proceedings.
Pence was off duty when he got into a confrontation with some people at Bardstown Road and Peabody Lane, according to Mitchell.
The man who was struck, Jason Taylor, complained of hip and rib pain but his status is not known.
Source:Louisville Courier-Journal
Three people arrest selling heroin at NC Chick-fil www.privateofficer.com
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC July 25 2012 – Three people were arrested after being caught in the middle of a drug deal.
According to Sgt. Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, authorities saw Jarvon Andre Everett, an employee of the Chick-fil-a at Market Street and New Centre Drive, selling heroin out the back door of the restaurant.
Detectives spotted the supply source, Darion Jerod Graham, handing Everett a Bojangles chicken box that had 50 bags of heroin stashed inside.
Brewer said Graham, the driver of the car he arrived in, Tashawna Sade Robinson, and Everett were arrested at the scene.
Graham had more than $1,000 in cash on him at the time, and is currently unemployed. He is also a validated gang member of the Bloods and will be referred to Federal authorities for prosecution.
The charges are as follows:
Jarvon Andre Everett
•PWISD Heroin-felony- 2 counts
•Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- misdemeanor -2 counts
•Conspiracy sell/deliver Heroin- felony- 1 count
•Sell or Deliver Heroin- felony- 1 count
•NHCDF $ 25,000.00 Secure Bond
Darion Jerod Graham
•PWISD Heroin-felony- 1 count
•Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- misdemeanor -1 count
•Conspiracy sell/deliver schedule 1- felony-1 count
•Posted $15,000.00 Secure bond
Tashawna Sade Robinson
•PWISD Heroin-felony- 1 count
•Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- misdemeanor -1 count
•Conspiracy sell/deliver schedule 1- felony-1 count
•Posted $10,000.00 Secure Bond
Source:WECT
Crash kills Darlington Co. correction officer www.privateofficer.com
DARLINGTON COUNTY, SC July 25 2012 - The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating after an overnight crash in Darlington County has left one man dead.
Corporal Bob Baras, spokesman for the South Carolina Highway Patrol, reports that a collision occurred on New Market Road just north of Hartsville around 11:50 p.m. Sunday.
Baras continues that a 2005 Chevy Pickup was traveling northbound on New Market Road when the car ran off the right shoulder. The driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, overcorrected causing the vehicle to overturn.
The driver was ejected the vehicle and later died.
Darlington County Coroner JT Hardee identified that driver as 26-year-old Robert Tyson Miller of Hartsville.
Darlington County Sheriff Wayne Byrd confirms that Robert Miller was recently hired as a correction officer at the Darlington County Detention Center on June 11.
“Tyson was excited about starting a career in law enforcement. Although we just got to know him we will miss him terribly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family” said Sheriff Wayne Byrd.
Sheriff Byrd continues to say that the flags at the Sheriff’s Office were lowered to half staff.
The collision remains under investigation by the SC Highway Patrol and the Darlington County Coroner’s Office.
Source:wmbf
Teens take care of deputy diagnosed with cancer www.privateofficer.com
“You can’t put a price on what you gain out here,” said Annie Patton, one of the teens helping out.
16-year-old Annie Patton says she would’ve paid more to help Deputy Mark Ryan.
“He’s just a really cool guy and I’ve loved getting to know him,” Annie added.
“It’s been something that I’m very grateful for and I never could’ve done it by myself, it just couldn’t have happened,” said Deputy Ryan.
WIS viewers will remember the Richland County Deputy who’s now 19 months in to a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
His department and community have supported him along the way and the volunteers from Salkehatchie Summer Service are just the latest example.
Rhonda Gervais says five other teams of teens will also be at work this week at Ryan’s house with a fresh coat of paint to compliment a new roof and French drain.
Work Ryan would’ve done himself, if it were not for his health.
“You can’t even begin to say how thankful I am to have the help to put this together,” said Ryan. “It’s wonderful. It really is wonderful.”
Ryan’s health is improving and now and so is the condition of his home, thanks to a few teens, happy to make a difference.
“It’s not like you’re going to a soup kitchen and serving a plate of food,” said Annie. “You’re building a relationship with someone and it lasts for a lifetime. I still talk to the homeowners I’ve served before and it’s just an awesome experience.”
Source:WISTV.com
Marine Corps creates first law enforcement battalions www.privateofficer.com
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. July 25 2012— The Marine Corps has created its first law enforcement battalions — a lean, specialized force of military police officers that it hopes can quickly deploy worldwide to help investigate crimes from terrorism to drug trafficking and train fledgling security forces in allied nations.
The Corps activated three such battalions last month. Each is made up of roughly 500 military police officers and dozens of dogs. The Marine Corps has had police battalions off and on since World War II but they were primarily focused on providing security, such as accompanying fuel convoys or guarding generals on visits to dangerous areas, said Maj. Jan Durham, commander of the 1st Law Enforcement Battalion at Camp Pendleton.
The idea behind the law enforcement battalions is to consolidate the military police and capitalize on their investigative skills and police training, he said. The new additions come as every branch in the military is trying to show its flexibility and resourcefulness amid defense cuts.
Marines have been increasingly taking on the role of a street cop along with their combat duties over the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have been in charge of training both countries’ security forces. Those skills now can be used as a permanent part of the Marine Corps, Durham said.
The war on terror has also taught troops the importance of learning how to gather intelligence, secure evidence and assist local authorities in building cases to take down criminal networks. Troops have gotten better at combing raid sites for clues to help them track insurgents.
They also have changed their approach, realizing that marching into towns to show force alienates communities. Instead, they are being taught to fan out with interpreters to strike up conversations with truck drivers, money exchangers, cellphone sellers and others. The rapport building can net valuable information that could even alert troops about potential attacks.
But no group of Marines is better at that kind of work than the Corps’ military police, who graduate from academies just like civilian cops, Durham said. He said the image of military police patrolling base to ticket Marines for speeding or drinking has limited their use in the Corps. He hopes the creation of the battalions will change that, although analysts say only the future will tell whether the move is more than just a rebranding of what already existed within the Corps.
The battalions will be capable of helping control civil disturbances, handling detainees, carrying out forensic work, and using biometrics to identify suspects. Durham said they could assist local authorities in allied countries in securing crime scenes and building cases so criminals end up behind bars and not back out on the streets because of mistakes.
“Over the past 11 years of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, some lessons learned painfully, there has been a growing appreciation and a demand for, on the part of the warfighter, the unique skills and capabilities that MPs bring to the fight,” Durham said. “We do enforce traffic laws and we do write reports and tickets, and that’s good, but we do so much more than that.”
Durham said the Marine Corps plans to show off its new battalions in Miami later this month at a conference put on by the Southern Command and that is expected to be attended by government officials from Central American countries, such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize.
Defense analyst Loren Thompson said the battalions make sense given the nature of today’s global threats, which include powerful drug cartels and other criminal gangs that often mix with religious and political extremists, who use the profits to buy their weaponry.
“This is a smart idea because the biggest single problem the Marines have in dealing with low-intensity types of threats is that they basically are trained to kill people,” he said. “It’s good for the Marines to have skills that allow them to contain threats without creating casualties.”
Gary Solis, a former Marine Corps prosecutor and judge who teaches law of war at Georgetown University, said Marines have already been doing this kind of work for years but now that it has been made more formal by the creation of the battalions, it could raise a host of questions, especially on the use of force. The law of war allows for fighters to use deadly force as a first resort, while police officers use it as a last resort.
If Marines are sent in to do law enforcement but are attacked, will they go back to being warfighters? And if so, what are the implications? Solis asked.
“Am I a Marine or a cop? Can I be both?” he said. “Cops apply human rights law and Marines apply the law of war. Now that it’s blended, it makes it tougher for the young men and women who have to make the decision as to when deadly force is not appropriate.”
Durham said that military police understand that better than any Marine since they are trained in both.
“They are very comfortable with the escalation of force,” he said. “MPs get that. It’s fundamental to what we do.”
Source:AP
3 arrested in separate ‘Dark Knight’ incidents www.privateofficer.com
Los Angeles CA July 25 2012 At least 3 men accused of making threats during or after watching the new Batman movie have been arrested in separate incidents, underscoring moviegoers’ anxieties and heightened security in the wake of a deadly mass shooting at a Colorado theater showing the film.
A Maine man was arrested when he told authorities that he was on his way to shoot a former employer a day after watching “The Dark Knight Rises,” Maine state police said Monday.
Timothy Courtois of Biddeford, Maine, had been stopped for speeding, and a police search of his car found an AK-47 assault weapon, four handguns, ammunition and news clippings about the mass shooting that left 12 people dead early Friday, authorities said.
Former graduate student James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire in a theater in a Denver suburb. The shooting also injured 58 people.
Courtois said he had attended the Batman movie on Saturday, although police have not confirmed whether he actually saw the film.
“I guess we’re taking everything at face value,” State Police Lt. Kevin Donovan said. “It’s very scary.”
Police searched Courtois’ home later Sunday and found a machine gun, several other guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
“We don’t know what his true intentions were,” said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. “Based on the arsenal that was confiscated, we brought in our counterparts from the FBI and ATF to assist with the investigation.”
Courtois was charged with speeding and possession of a concealed weapon.
In Southern California, a man at a Sunday afternoon showing of the film was arrested after witnesses said he made threats and alluded to the Aurora shooting when the movie didn’t start.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were called to a cinema complex in Norwalk after moviegoers said 52-year-old Clark Tabor shouted: “I should go off like in Colorado.” They said he then asked: “Does anybody have a gun?”
A security guard saw Tabor with a backpack on his knees in the second row, but deputies who searched the bag, the theater and its surrounding area did not find any weapon.
Separately, moviegoers in Sierra Visa, Ariz., panicked when a man who appeared intoxicated was confronted during a showing of the movie. The Cochise County Sheriff’s office said it caused “mass hysteria” and about 50 people fled the theater.
Off-duty Border Patrol agents tackled Michael William Borboa, 27, who had a backpack with him, according to The Arizona Daily Star. Authorities said it contained an empty alcohol container and a half-empty moonshine bottle.
Borboa was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, and threatening and intimidating.
Despite some jitters over the horrific shooting, moviegoers around the country still flocked to theaters to see the film, which was the final installment of the phenomenally successful Batman trilogy. Warner Bros. reported that it brought in $160.9 million over the weekend, making it the third highest opening weekend ever, after “The Avengers” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2.”
Seattle bank security officer stabbed for no apparent reason www.privateofficer.com
Seattle WA July 25 2012 Police say there was no apparent reason for a man to stab a security guard Tuesday morning at a downtown Seattle Bank of America branch.
Police say the man had inquired about opening an account. He told the teller he would return later to complete the paperwork. As he walked out he stabbed the guard twice in the abdomen without warning.
The 30-year-old guard was rushed to Harborview Medical Center with wounds described as non-life-threatening.
The attacker fled and has been captured.
Police have not released his name yet.
Largo puppeteer arrested in federal kidnapping conspiracy, child porn case www.privateofficer.com
LARGO Fla July 25 2012 — A local puppeteer has been arrested on charges of conspiring to kidnap children and possessing child pornography, federal documents show.Ronald Brown, 57, of 7501 142nd Ave. N, No. 493 in Largo, was arrested last week after federal investigators discovered online chats where he was engaged in “extremely graphic discussions regarding kidnapping, sexually abusing, murdering and eating children,” according to a 29-page criminal complaint compiled by Department of Homeland Security investigators.
The complaint details chat conversations between Brown and another man in the Kansas City area who also was arrested on federal charges.
Investigators looking into Brown’s past in the Tampa Bay area also found that during a 1998 traffic stop, Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies discovered boys’ underwear tucked in his front seat. Brown told the deputies it was clothing for his puppets, documents show.
And in June 2010, the Largo Police Department responded to a complaint about Brown having young boys in his vehicle. Largo police determined that Brown had permission from parents to transport the children to his church.
Officials also found an online profile where Brown described his interest in child pornography and necrophilia.
Investigators searched his Largo home on July 19 and found several child pornography images, including ones where the children “appear to be deceased,” documents show.
Brown is well known in the Tampa Bay area as a puppeteer, working with schools, recreation departments and organizations. Brown was listed in the Pinellas County schools speaker directory, a 62-page list of performers and speakers called on by schools for presentations.
He was removed from the list “as soon as we were informed of his arrest,” Pinellas County schools spokeswoman Melanie Marquez said Tuesday. Brown had been included in the directory since at least 2008.
“It was very concerning that he was included in the directory,” Marquez said. “It was very important to remove him immediately.”
Marquez said the directory’s application process is being reviewed “to see if there are any changes that should be made.”
Brown also was the leader of Smuppets, a Largo-based senior citizen puppet troupe that performed at events across the region. The city paid him $50 per month to run Smuppets, according to Joan Byrne, director of the city’s Recreation, Parks and Arts Department.
Brown has worked on a contract basis for the city since at least 2002. Largo runs regular background checks on contract employees, Byrne said, but that turned up nothing questionable with Brown.
Smuppets classes, held at Largo’s Community Center, are attended by mostly senior citizens, but several children have been involved with the program over the years, Byrne said. The city turned a list of their names and contact information over to Largo police, who gave the names to federal authorities for follow-up.
Brown has no criminal record in Florida, and the criminal complaint filed by Homeland Security makes no allegations that he has harmed a child.
Brown was booked into the Pinellas County jail on Friday and is scheduled to appear at the federal courthouse in Tampa on Tuesday afternoon.
Source:Tampa Bay Times
Off-duty federal police officer accused of killing man www.privateofficer.com
Police say it started as a bar fight that spilled into a Modesto strip mall parking lot at about 1:30 a.m..
The off-duty federal officer told police he was acting in self-defense, but investigators still need to hear from witnesses.
“When all this went down it was just total chaos,” said O’Malley’s bar owner John Boyatt.
Boyatt described to CBS13 what went down just before closing early Sunday morning.
“A man came up to our door, up to my bouncer and identified himself as an off-duty officer. He had an emptied gun and a badge and told him he’d just shot three people at the end of the driveway,” said Boyatt.
One man, also a federal officer, was shot to death, another rushed to the hospital. The man killed was identified Monday as Daryl Chargualaf, 34, who reportedly went to the bar with the shooter and appears to have been accidentally shot by his friend during the fight with the other individual. The shooter’s name hasn’t been released because he’s yet to be arrested.
Modesto police say the shooter is an off-duty federal police officer who works for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency in Tracy, where Chargualaf was also an officer. A public affairs officer with that department referred questions to the Modesto Police Department.
“We are aware of the incident, but we will not comment at this time pending the on-going investigation,” Stacy L. Umstead said.
“We are not treating this as an officer-involved shooting incident,” said Lt. Rick Armendariz of the Modesto Police Department. “We are treating it as a shooting and it just happens to involve an off-duty federal officer.”
Chargualaf’s Facebook page says he served in the Air Force and had studied criminal justice at Solano Community College after graduating from Vanden High School in Fairfield
Source: CBS13
Gunman kills himself on University of Connecticut’s campus www.privateofficer.com
UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz informed the media that a “despondent man” had threatened to “harm himself” before crawling beneath a dock on campus. It is yet unknown if the University of Connecticut gunman is a student or staff member on the Avery Point Campus.
The unnamed Connecticut gunman reportedly communicated with law enforcement officers throughout the night before committing suicide just prior to dawn breaking this morning, according to Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance’s statements to the Norwich Bulletin.
Groton, Connecticut police officers started searching for the campus gunman at approximately 5 p.m. On Monday. The unnamed gunman’s vehicle was found near the campus at Avery Point at approximately 10 p.m. Police officers closed the University of Connecticut campus after locating the vehicle of the armed gunman.
Nearly 50 high school students on the UConn campus attending an oceanography camp were relocated to a different building on the opposite side of campus and placed under guard by law enforcement officers. University of Connecticut spokeswoman Reitz told the Norwich Bulletin the high school students were not in danger at any time. Avery Point is a University of Connecticut regional campus which houses the college’s marine science programs.
Police officers located the unnamed gunman near the shoreline, still armed with his handgun. After speaking with law enforcement officers for many hours, the campus gunman tossed away his cellphone and refused to respond to discussions with officers any longer. The University of Connecticut gunman reportedly began “waving his gun” in the air, prompting police officers to resort to non-lethal means to capture the man. Police officers fired bean-bags at the unnamed campus gunman and eventually released a flash bomb as a diversion
Source:www.inquisitr.com
Security officer attacked with bolt cutters during burglary www.privateofficer.com
The Stockton Police Department said that the 29-year-old security guard observed some suspicious activity Monday night on the 1600 E. March Lane when he saw a man near propane tanks before the assault.
The guard approached the man when he was seen attempting to cut the lock off to access the propane tanks with the bolt cutters, police said.
As he neared him, the guard grabbed the man to pull him away from the tanks. The man then swung the bolt cutters at the guard, striking his right shoulder, police said.
After the attack, the man ran away and was chased by the guard. He is still at large, police said.
Source:www.kcra.com
