Archive
Smithsonian Museum security officer fatally shot himself www.privateofficer.com
A security guard at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden shot and killed himself Monday afternoon in a basement locker room, according to authorities.
The shooting forced hundreds of patrons to evacuate and drew a large contingent of federal and local police to the area. Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. John said the incident occurred about 3:05 p.m. in an area of the museum that is off limits to the public and well away from where any might wander.
She said the guard, whose has not been identified, was 31 or 32 years old. He was alone at the time, she said, and shot himself with his department-issued service revolver.
The museum, located at 7th Street and Independence Avenue SW, normally closes at 5:30 p.m. It was still closed as of 4:15 p.m., and it was unclear whether it would reopen Monday.
Prince George’s County police officer killed in vehicle pursuit www.privateofficer.com
Prince George MD Aug 20 2012 Prince George’s County police said one officer was killed and another injured in a crash on Interstate 95 that occurred while they were following possible suspects in a theft case, authorities said.
Prince George’s County Police Chief Mark Magaw said the officer who died was 23-years-old and had been on the force for more than two years. He also had been in the Police Explorer’s program, geared to youths who want to be officers, as a teenager, Magaw said.
A second officer involved in the crash is expected to survive, Magaw said.
Police said the pair were investigating an attempted break-in to a car and that witnesses described a vehicle they thought the suspects were driving. The officers thought they saw the car, Magaw said, and were trying to catch up when they lost control and veered into a ravine. The officer who died was ejected from the cruiser and suffered head injuries, Magaw said.
Albany Oregon teacher faces sex crime charges www.privateofficer.com
ALBANY, Ore. August 20 2012 A shop teacher faces accusations he paid a teen girl money for explicit photos and videos of herself sent from her cell phone over the course of several years.
David Wesley Wright II, 45, of Albany was booked into the Linn County Jail on charges of using a child in a sexual display and third degree sex abuse. The first charge comes with $100,000 bail, according to jail records.
Detectives say he paid a 16-year-old family acquaintance money in exchange for sexually explicit photos and video that she sent from her cell phone.
Investigators told KVAL News the exchange happened over the course of “a couple years.”
Detectives have not determined how much money Wright allegedly paid, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
Linn County Sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant at Wright’s house Thursday with the help of Albany Police.
During the search, detectives seized three laptops and multiple cell phones.
Detectives think Wright received 200 to 300 illegal images.
Police made the arrest during the search of Wright’s home. Police said that Wright was cooperative during the investigation.
Wright works for South Albany High School as a metal shop teacher.
Detectives ask anyone with information related to this case to contact Linn County Sheriff’s detectives at (541) 967-3950.
Source:KVAL.com
San Berardino youth pastor charged with lewd acts with young boys www.privateofficer.com
Caleb Douglas Hesse, 52, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, Aug. 20 in San Bernardino County Superior Court on four counts of committing a lewd act on a child under age 14. He faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison if he is convicted.
Hesse was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail. His bail was set at $2.5 million.
According to a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department news release, Hesse had been a first grade teacher at the Friendly Hills Elementary School in the Morongo Unified School District from 1987 until recently, although the reason for his departure from that job was not disclosed.
Hesse has been a youth volunteer since the early 1980s with the Evangelical Free Church in Yucca Valley, the news release said. He was involved in “countless overnight outings that took place throughout California,” the release said. Investigators believe the majority of the victims were involved with the church youth group.
Church officials did not immediately respond to a phone call Saturday, Aug. 18 seeking comment and information about whether Hesse is still involved with the church.
“The crimes are believed to have occurred between the early 1980s and as recently as one week ago,” the sheriff’s news release said. “Some of the victims may now be 30 (to) 40 years old.”
The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone who may be a victim or has information about the case to contact detectives at 909-387-3615.
source-press-enterprise
Woman killed in South Carolina nightclub shooting www.privateofficer.com
RAVENEL, S.C. Aug 20 2012 – Early Saturday morning at approximately 4:05, Charleston County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at Club Frazier’s in Ravenel in regards to a fatal shooting.
Officials say club security guards heard gunshots in the parking lot and saw a male running from a vehicle. A K-9 track was conducted through the woods behind the business near Moberry Road.
The Coroner’s Office reports that 25-year-old Dominique Grant of West Ashley was found with fatal injuries. Grant died at the scene from a gunshot wound. The Coroner says an autopsy is scheduled for the victim Saturday afternoon.
A motive for the shooting is not known at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office at 843-202-1700 or Crime Stoppers at 843-554-1111.
Source:wciv
Frederick police charge man with carrying gun in mall www.privateofficer.com
FREDERICK, Md. Aug 20 2012 - A Hagerstown man has been arrested after police say he was carrying a handgun inside a popular shopping mall.
At about 2:00 p.m. today Maryland State Police Troopers responded to the Francis Scott Key Mall for the report of a man carrying a handgun in the waste band of his pants.
With assistance from Mall security, Troopers located Justin Gross and found that he had been illegally carrying a loaded pistol.
There were no reports that Gross had brandished or threatened any persons with the handgun.
Source: WMAR
Colorado Springs police illegally arrest man for “Open Carry” www.privateofficer.com
Guns can be openly carried in city parks.
“I share some concerns about what happened,” Carey said during the City Council meeting after a citizen raised concerns about the arrest.
“I have a responsibility to make sure my guys are trained and they have the right resources, that they’re taking the right action,” Carey said.
During PrideFest, police arrested a 24-year-old man under an outdated law banning guns in parks. The arrest was captured on video.
“I also saw that video, more than once, and I do have some concerns,” Carey said.
“I promised the mayor and I’ll promise you I’m going to take care of it,” Carey told the man who raised the concerns during the citizen discussion portion of the meeting.
Source:www.gazette.com
Former college security guard pleads guilt to sexual abuse www.privateofficer.com
Daniel Frederick Druck, 42, of the 1200 block of Holland Street in the Crum Lynne section of Ridley Township, was arrested Feb. 15 after county Detective Joe Walsh found a computer on the Gnutella network sharing 19 files, two of which had previously been flagged as “files of interest.”
The host computer was traced to Druck’s Holland Street address, where members of the Delaware County Internet Crimes against Children Task Force executed a search warrant on Feb. 8.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Druck told task force supervisor Lt. David C. Peifer he knew the images he was viewing and sharing were illegal.
Authorities confiscated five computers, 33 CD/DVDs, six flash drives, three cell phones, and three digital cameras. Druck was subsequently charged with four counts of dissemination of child pornography, 200 counts of possession of child pornography and 204 counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Gallantino said he would recommend a sentence of nine to 23 months, to be split between incarceration and electronic home monitoring.
Judge Patricia Jenkins set a sentencing date of Nov. 19 pending the results of a psychosexual evaluation and examination by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine if Druck is a sexually violent predator.
Police arrest 3 in Apple store theft at Willowbrook Mall www.privateofficer.com
Wayne NJ Aug 20 2012 A man working in a group walked into an Apple computer store at Willowbrook Mall Tuesday morning and began stuffing a bag with iPods before a store attendant noticed him, setting off a car chase that involved police in three towns, police said.
Samuel Perez, left, Pedro Lopez, center, Kenneth Torres Officers arrested three men in Clifton they suspect are involved in the theft and recovered 36 of 37 stolen iPods valued at more than $8,000. Police say they are investigating a possible connection involving the three suspects to a similar theft at the same store two weeks ago, said Capt. Jim Clarke, Wayne police spokesman.
Pedro Lopez, 48, of Newark; Kenneth Torres, 38, of Fellsmere, Fla.; and Samuel Perez, 40, of Belleville, each were charged with theft, Clarke said. The iPods were valued at $8,664.
Lopez allegedly cased the store at about 8:15 a.m. while the store’s staff was conducting a seminar on how to use Apple products, Clarke said. Lopez left and Torres allegedly entered the store and started piling the iPods into a bag. A store employee saw the theft in progress and alerted other store workers, Clarke said.
Torres ran out of the store and got into a silver Nissan Pathfinder driven by Lopez, with Perez as a passenger, the captain said. As the vehicle sped away, the store staff called police and Wayne dispatchers notified other departments to be on alert for the Pathfinder.
A Little Falls police officer soon after spotted the vehicle based on the description and with the help of a Clifton patrolman pulled the vehicle over on Route 3 near Grove Street in Clifton.
Police said the iPods were in “plain view” when the officers stopped the car.
The three suspects were transferred to Wayne police for processing. Police recovered 36 of the 37 iPods, which were inventoried and returned to the store, Clarke said.
Lopez, Torres and Perez were released on summonses on the theft charges. Torres was wanted on an outstanding warrant in Newark and was released on $400 bail. Lopez also was wanted on a warrant from Wayne and posted $268 bail.
Employees of the store told police Tuesday’s theft was similar to a theft at the store two weeks ago. Detectives are investigating possible connections between Tuesday’s theft and the earlier one,
Source:northjersey.com
Georgia Tech student indicted on 25 counts of online sex crimes www.privateofficer.com
Dougherty County GA Aug 20 2012 A fifth year mechanical engineering student at Georgia Tech has been indicted on 25 counts of online sex in Dougherty County.
Atlanta police arrested Adam Morse, 22, in early June after investigators say the Meldrim, Ga., native sent two dozen pornographic pictures of himself and lots of sexually explicit conversation messages to whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but was in fact a member of the Dougherty County Police Internet Crimes Against Children team.
He was later transported to the Dougherty County jail. On Thursday according to Albany’s WALB News, prosecutors brought charges against Morse including obscene internet contact with a child and distribution of material depicting sexual conduct or nudity.
He is free on bond, but if convicted could face 20 years in prison.
According to the news report, Morse did not try to arrange a visit with the minor, but police say that he “could have possibly moved in that direction in the future.”
A graduate of South Effingham High School, Morse was an ROTC member at Georgia Tech. According to his Twitter account, he has plans to be an officer in the Army after graduation.
Hotel security officer nabs auto burglar www.privateofficer.com
At about 10:15 p.m., an armed security guard at a local hotel in the 1500 block of Fairgrounds Drive heard windows breaking. He then saw four men around a car parked in the hotel’s parking lot, police said.
The group fled but the security officer was able to detain one of the men and handed him over to the police.
He was identified as Christopher Newt, 25, and was arrested and booked into Solano County jail.
Police are still looking for the other suspects.
Police charge Phoenix man with threats against security www.privateofficer.com
Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies said 43-year-old Darren Murphy, of Surprise, is being held on suspicion of threatening or intimidating.
They said Murphy was trying to enter the Central Court building through the public entrance Friday when security staff found an empty bullet shell casing in his pocket.
Staff told Murphy that he wasn’t permitted to enter the building with the casing and he had to either return it to his car or check it in with them.
Murphy became agitated and allegedly told security that he would go get his gun.
Deputies were called and say they found Murphy outside the building in possession of a handgun.
Source: AP/CBS5
At least 10 people hurt in crash during Orlando street racing www.privateofficer.com
Orlando Fla Aug 20 2012 At least 10 people were hurt in a late-night crash tied to drag racing near Orlando International Airport.
Orlando police Lt. Arnold Alvarez said it appeared a car left the roadway and ran into spectators watching illegal street racing along Heintzelman Boulevard south of Orlando International Airport.
The crash happened about 3 a.m. near the intersection of Wetherbee Road. The vehicle that ran into spectators is believed to have left the scene, as did some victims.
Alvarez said “walking wounded” were showing up at hospitals around the area following the crash. One critically injured person went to a hospital in the Poinciana area, then was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, he said.
Police earlier said one person had been killed at the scene, but now say that’s not the case.
Orlando police closed Heintzelman Boulevard to traffic as investigators worked the scene.
It’s not the first crash of it’s kind in Central Florida. In May, three men were critically hurt in an apparent street-racing crash on Colonial Drive just near Bennett Road. The car struck a pole, and one of the men was ejected.
A 2008 crash on Forsyth Road that killed a 15-year-old bicyclist led to the 2010 passage by the state Legislature of the Luis Rivera Ortega Street Racing Act, which increased fines for multiple violations and makes a third violation punishable by license revocation. The driver in the crash that killed Luis was sentenced to 10 years in prison in April.
Earlier this month, Orange County commissioners voted 7-0 to reject drag racing at the Central Florida Racing Complex in southeast Orange County.
While nearby residents complained about noise and concerns about drunken driving, fans of racing had hoped the venue would be an alternative to street racing.
Source:tribune.com
Unlicensed Atlanta security guard charged with murder www.privateofficer.com
Atlanta GA Aug 20 2012 A security guard with a criminal record has been charged with murder in the death of a 26-year-old man whose body was found in an auto parts yard in Fulton County.
Fulton County police arrested Mr. Marvin Copeland, 46, of College Park, late Saturday in the deadly shooting of Mr. Daniel Exum, spokesman Sgt. Scott McBride said.
They charged him with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Sgt. McBride said.
Though it was unclear what the convicted felon was doing with a weapon, it was also unclear what prompted the deadly shooting. And police have yet to determine what the victim was doing at the location, which is owned by the suspect’s brother.
“Mr. Copeland is the brother of the business owner and was working security on the property overnight,” Sgt. McBride said.
Around 8:30 a.m. a passerby spotted the man’s body just inside All Start Automotive at 4455 Roosevelt Hwy. and called police, Sgt. McBride said.
When officers arrived they found Mr. Exum dead at the scene, Sgt. McBride said.
Neighbors told police they heard shooting in the area earlier that morning, but no one called police.
Dairy Queen employee shoots-kills robber armed with samurai sword www.privateofficer.com
LAS VEGAS NV Aug 20 2012 — A masked man attempting to rob a Dairy Queen with a samurai sword was shot in the chest and killed, according to Metro Police.
The incident happened around 12:19 p.m. Sunday at the Dairy Queen on South Maryland Parkway near Karen Avenue. Police say they believe the clerk fired at the man a total of two times.
The suspect was transported to Sunrise Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Source:8NewsNow.com
Wyandotte Co. Deputy Gets Probation For Sex With Inmate www.privateofficer.com
The Kansas City Star reports 25-year-old Robert Saladrigas also will have to complete a sexual offender treatment program as a condition of his probation.
Saladrigas pleaded guilty in June to one felony count of unlawful sexual relations. He was sentenced Friday in Wyandotte County District Court.
His attorney called the crime, which happened in early May, a “horrible lapse of judgment” for which Saladrigas was remorseful.
Saladrigas could spend 32 months in jail if he violates conditions of his probation.
Source:kake.com
Busch Gardens lost and found guru- Security officer John Hale www.privateofficer.com
TAMPA Fla Aug 20 2012 — Busch Gardens wants every guest to leave with great memories of their visit.
Lose a cell phone, wallet or favorite pair of sunglasses, and that fun experience fast becomes a headache.
Enter John Hale.
He’s a security officer in charge of the park’s lost and found. It’s a full-time task that’s more involved than just putting a bin at the front desk. He juggles thousands of items per year and often makes more than 150 phone calls a day trying to reunite people with stuff they left behind.
Busch Gardens’ guest services handled lost and found until about two years ago, when the security department took over. Security director K.C. Newcomb said the task got too big. Everyone carries an expensive phone.
“When we added new coasters, especially Cheetah Hunt, it’s a phone eater,” he said. “In spite of our pleases and signage for guests not to take their stuff on rides, they still end up losing a lot of phones, car keys and sunglasses.”
Newcomb chose Hale for the job because of his background in law enforcement and retail. He worked as a police officer for a small city in southeastern Illinois and as a longtime manager for the former Dexter Shoe Co. in New Hampshire.
Hale, 71, moved to Florida about nine years ago to escape the snow and joined Busch Gardens’ security team soon after. He works out of a tiny office near the front entrance packed floor-to-ceiling with things left at the park.
Few items surprise him. The wheelchairs and strollers? They were likely substituted for more expensive ones owned by the park. The leg boot brace? Someone probably took it off to ride the flume and forgot it.
Hale handles about 600 to 700 lost-item reports submitted by guests every month. Each yellow card lists a description and, sometimes, a tale of woe. Hale matches the lost item reports with things found in the park. For anyone who can’t retrieve an item in person, he will mail it at no charge.
Yes, shipping to California, Brazil and even Dubai can get expensive, he says. But imagine the goodwill it creates.
Newcomb nominated Hale for the Bern Laxer Awards of Excellence given to employees in the hospitality and tourism industry. He and seven others received the honors at the 2012 National Tourism Week Luncheon in May.
Hale spoke with the Tampa Bay Times recently about the rewards of the job and the interesting finds, which included a plastic bag containing a phone, Busch Gardens Fun Card and $50 bill brought in during the interview.
What’s the most commonly lost item?
Phones. On a really busy day, especially a Saturday or Sunday, it’s not unusual to get 30 to 75 items, and out of those items you might have 25 or 30 phones. A lot of times I can go into a phone that’s not passcode locked and go through the address book. Usually I’ll try to call mom or dad or look in the favorites.
Do you get a lot of desperate callers?
They are all desperate. Everybody’s emotional about their phone because their whole life is in their phone. I get calls sometimes four or five times a day from people asking if we’ve found their phone. Unfortunately, I tell them I can’t do anything about it until I have a phone in my hand because I don’t go out and do the searches. The people at the rides do. When they bring stuff in, then I can go to work.
What’s the most interesting item you’ve found?
I’ve had a couple sets of false teeth brought in. We reunited one set that was lost on the Montu ride. The pair that we didn’t reunite was found in the SheiKra area. The person was eating and he took his teeth out and covered them with a napkin. A seagull came by and grabbed the napkin and flew off with the teeth. As he flew off, it fell and one of the plates hit a guest in the head. Someone brought them to me in a plastic bag.
What about the other pair lost near the Montu rollercoaster?
The guy was just screaming and his teeth came out. (Laughs)
What do you with unclaimed items?
We give them to the police department and they donate them to the R.I.C.H. House (a safe haven for children and families). If it’s clothing, shoes or hats that we can’t reunite, they launder them and give them to underprivileged kids and other people who need it.
How do people react when you have found their lost item?
Some are really thrilled. They can’t believe that we would do something like that for them. We get a lot of cards and letters. But a smile or a tear or a “thank you” is all it takes, and I get a lot of those. When it comes to little kids who lost a stuffed animal or sippy cup, I always try to keep two or three of each color so if they come in and lost a cup, I say, ‘I know this is probably not yours, but if you take it home and wash it, you can have it.” Or if they lost a little bear or monkey, I usually have some to give them.
What’s your advice for keeping belongings secure?
We tell everyone to leave their valuables with a nonrider or in a locker. We get people all the time who try to take a picture on a ride with their phone and all of a sudden they scream and it goes flying. If you’ve got a $600 phone, 50 cents (for a locker) is a small price to pay.
Footnote: After the original interview, the Times called Hale back to ask if he had found the owner of the phone, Fun Card and $50 bill.
I found him that day.
Source:Tampa Bay News
Hollywood director of “Top Gun” Tony Scott jumps to his death www.privateofficer.com
LOS ANGELES CA Aug 20 2012 – Tony Scott, director of blockbusters “Top Gun” and “Days of Thunder”, jumped to his death Sunday from the Vincent Thomas Bridge, authorities said.
According to the Associated Press, Scott, 68, climbed a fence on the bridge and jumped around 12:30 p.m. One report quoted a coroner’s report that said Scott jumped “without hesitation.”
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jennifer Osburn told the Daily Breeze that a suicide note was found inside Scott’s black Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge.
Authorities used sonar equipment to find Scott’s body in the port’s murky waters. Divers recovered his body about 4:30 p.m.
Scott directed “Beverly Hills Cop II” and the remake of
“The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.”
