I had ran into my own fair share of "Cops with attitudes".
Having grown up with a father who was a cop for 25 years, I was a Military Police Officer and then a Private Invistigator in the state of Ohio, I know first hand when I am dealing with a cop who just abuses his/her authority.
I have seen cops flat lie about an incident and get away with it just cause they are cops.
Why has an incident that happened in Webster, TX. have me so bothered? Well i'll tell you. The woman that was shot in the face IS MY COUSIN!!!!!!
The cop that shot her is flat out lieing about what happened.
My unarmed and non agressive cousin was deliberatly shot in the face and nearly lost her life because of a rookie idiot with a gun. The 40cal bullet entered her left cheek and exited out the back of her neck just below her hair line. It missed her brain stem by 1/4" and also her carotid artery by 1/4".
[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 03-13-2011).]
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03:35 PM
Mar 21st, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Wow! Paris Hilton prosecutor arrested for buying cocaine. It must be one of those, "do as I say, but not as I do." I guess he'll get off easy and claim Paris influenced him. In all we have some in law enforcement using and selling cocaine, crime lab techinian stealing & smoking it, and now a district prosecutor.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Las Vegas deputy district attorney who prosecuted Paris Hilton for cocaine possession was arrested over the weekend after allegedly buying a rock of cocaine, authorities said on Monday.
Clark County Deputy District Attorney David Schubert, 47, was taken into custody in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon and booked on one count of cocaine possession.
Schubert, who has prosecuted Hilton and pop star Bruno Mars on similar charges, was released on Sunday after posting bail and was scheduled for an initial court appearance on Monday.
"I'm very disappointed to learn one of our prosecutors was allegedly buying rock cocaine," Clark County District Attorney David Roger told Reuters in a telephone interview. "This is an individual I placed a great deal of trust in by assigning him to a state and federal drug task force."
"That said, he was arrested and he will be charged and prosecuted like any other individual," he said. "We believe no one is above the law, including a deputy district attorney."
Roger said his office would charge Schubert and then turn the case over to Nevada's attorney general to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. He has been suspended pending termination.
According to an arrest report, Schubert was spotted picking up another man, identified as Raymond Streeter, while driving his white BMW in a neighborhood known for narcotics dealing.
The pair were followed to an apartment complex, where Streeter allegedly bought cocaine for Schubert. Both men were arrested after a traffic stop turned up cocaine in the car.
Streeter later told police that Schubert, who he knew as "Joe" would have him purchase $40 worth of cocaine, several times a week, according to the arrest report.
Las Vegas defense attorney David Chesnoff, who represented both Hilton and Mars, told Reuters he wished Schubert well.
"I don't know the facts but I believe in the presumption of innocence," Chesnoff said.
Hilton, 30, was arrested last August after Las Vegas police found 0.8 grams of cocaine in her purse during a traffic stop. She was fined $2,000 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty in September.
Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, was arrested for cocaine possession in September after a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock Hotel spotted him with a bag of white powder.
The 25-year-old singer pleaded guilty in February and was ordered to serve probation, perform community service and undergo drug counseling.
Cameron sentenced to 16 years in prison By Betty Adams badams@centralmaine.com
BANGOR — The state's former top drug prosecutor will spend 16 years in federal prison for his conviction on charges of possession and transmission of child pornography.
James M. Cameron, 48, formerly of Hallowell and Rome, was sentenced Thursday in federal court.
He indicated he will file appeals.
Police began investigating former Cameron, an assistant attorney general at the time, after Yahoo! reported finding images of child pornography in the photos section of an account holder later identified as Cameron's wife.
That led to James Cameron's Feb. 11, 2009, federal indictment on 16 counts of transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty and had been free on bail with certain restrictions.
Since the charges surfaced, Cameron lost his post as a prosecutor with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, ended his 26-year marriage, was forced to wear an electronic monitor, surrendered his passport and had only supervised access to the Internet. His current employment is selling watches online, according to court documents.
His annual income — about $108,000 in salary and benefits when he worked for the state in 2006 — is now listed as $25,000 in divorce documents.
Divorce records in Augusta District Court indicate he signed over to his former wife his ownership in their Hallowell home and in a home they owned in Echo Valley Estates, Rome. He also gave her his ownership — a 35 percent share — of Arrow Jewelry Findings LLC, a Michigan corporation.
His two children live primarily with their mother.
The Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar confirmed Thursday that Cameron's license to practice law remains active.
Cameron's defense lawyers, Michael A. Cunniff and Shaun Garry, had objected on constitutional grounds to the admission of evidence collected by Yahoo!, saying that Yahoo! improperly acted as a government agent in reporting the presence of the pornographic images via its search of photo albums on its network. But the court rejected that claim.
Cameron was initially represented in the case by attorney Peter Rodway. Cunniff and Garry took over his defense in February. The prosecutors were assistant U.S. attorneys Donald Clark and Gail Fisk Malone.
The charges stated that, "on or about Aug. 11, 2007," Cameron "knowingly transported child pornography in interstate commerce by means of computer, specifically by transmitting digital images of child pornography using Google Hello, an Internet-based chat and file-sharing service."
He wasn't indicted until February 2009.
More than a year prior to Cameron's indictment, Cameron moved away from his wife and children to his native Michigan to live with a brother.
After appearing in U.S. District Court in Bangor to respond to the indictment, he was released to the custody of his brother and agreed to forfeit $75,000 if he failed to show up for court dates.
In February of this year, Cameron won permission from a federal magistrate judge to move back to Hallowell, where his ex-wife was to be responsible for him. His Hallowell home was to be equipped with phone lines required for pretrial electronic monitoring.
In the meantime, the case went through a series of pretrial motions.
Cameron failed to get a judge to suppress evidence collected Dec. 21, 2007, when investigators searched his Hallowell house and seized four computers. Cameron also claimed he was a victim of vindictive and selective prosecution, another claim rejected by the judge. An order by a federal judge dated Sept. 28, 2009, provides some of the investigation's history:
"It begins with two referrals from the (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) to the Maine State Police on August 3, 2007, and September 6, 2007, which itself had been triggered by a report from the Internet Service Provider Yahoo. Yahoo reported locating numerous images of child pornography in the photos section of a Yahoo! account.
"The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit undertook an investigation and ultimately identified the owner of the account to be Barbara Cameron, the defendant's wife. Further investigation confirmed that Mr. Cameron was an assistant attorney general for the state of Maine, and that some of the pornography involved children as young as 4 to 6 years old engaging in sexual conduct.
"On December 21, 2007, the state executed a search warrant and seized four computers. When the computers were examined, there was evidence of Internet chat between two users about sex with children, images of child pornography and related topics.
"In one of those conversations, the person identified himself as a married 45-year-old man with a daughter, a description that fits Mr. Cameron."
Since awaiting trial, Cameron had been involved in the sale of watches on the Internet. Occasionally, he is seen in a taped, televised segment of the CNBC series "American Greed" talking about a childhood friend, Barton Watson, whose CyberNet scam netted him $100 million. Watson committed suicide Nov. 24, 2004.
Cameron is writing a book about Watson, according to information posted on a CNBC website.
The 13 charges of transportation and receipt of child pornography carried minimum penalties of five years in prison — with a maximum of 20 years — and a fine of up to $250,000 or both. The charges of possession of child pornography carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or both.
David Crook, a former district attorney in Kennebec County who is now a defense lawyer, described Cameron as "a man of integrity, a totally honest man, I knew his wife and his son. He had a good family."
"When Jim worked for me six or seven years, he was a very good assistant DA. When he went to the AG's office, he was a very good drug prosecutor. I never knew James Cameron to ever tell me a lie or tell a falsehoods in any way shape or manner."
Crook said he had no knowledge of what may have occurred on the Internet, and said he had not seen Cameron lately.
"Since he lost his job, he has avoided contact with all of his former professional relationships," Crook said.
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10:07 PM
Apr 8th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
The staff at the Colorado elementary school said no one could calm 8-year-old Aidan Elliott.
He had just thrown a TV and chairs and was now trying to use a cart to bust through a door to an office where teachers had taken some young students for safety.
They called the police.
The officers found him with a foot-long piece of wood trim with a knife-like point in one hand and a cardboard box in the other.
"Come get me, f-----," he said.
When they couldn't calm him down, one squirted Aidan with pepper spray. He blocked it with the cardboard box.
A second squirt hit the youngster in the side of the head, and down he went, according to an account of the Feb. 22 standoff in a police report first obtained by KUSA-TV.
Aidan and his mother went on national talk shows on Wednesday to say using pepper spray on an unruly 8-year-old was too much.
Police in the Denver suburb of Lakewood and officials at Glennon Heights Elementary in Lakewood say it could've been worse.
"Had the officers chosen to be hands-on with him, the potential for him getting some type of injury and, maybe even officers, would have been much higher," police spokesman Steve Davis said.
"It was the best choice made," he said.
It wasn't the first time officers had been called to pacify Aidan, Davis said. They'd been able to talk him down in two other incidents.
Mandy Elliott said she wished authorities had chosen to talk him down in the latest incident. She also wanted police to get special training in dealing with children. Aidan has since transferred to another school.
When asked about the pepper spray and what he did, Aidan said: "I kind of deserved it."
Aidan started acting up while on the bus to school, the police report said. He began screaming and then continued after breakfast while throwing chairs at his teachers.
"He was being very aggressive, very violent," said Melissa Reeves, the school district spokeswoman.
There were eight students with Aidan in the classroom, Reeves said, and teachers removed them after he became violent. They barricaded themselves in an office, as he tried to bust in, Davis said.
Aidan was swearing and shouting expletives at his teachers and threatening them, Davis said. He taunted police when they arrived.
"I wanted to make something sharp, like if they came out, `cause I was so mad at them," the boy said on NBC's "Today" show. "I was going to try to whack them with it."
After hitting him with the second squirt, officers took Aidan outside for some fresh air to help dissipate the spray. Paramedics were treating his red, irritated face with cool water when his mother arrived.
According to the report, Mandy Elliott asked her son what he did.
Back in my day he would not have been allowed to return to school after acting like that. He was a danger to himself and others and needs some serious counseling or drugs to prevent this from happening again.
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08:19 PM
May 20th, 2011
avengador1 Member
Posts: 35468 From: Orlando, Florida Registered: Oct 2001
An Alabama police officer beat an 84-year-old man after he called 911 to report a car accident outside of him home that involved an intoxicated driver.
Dorsey Henderson called 911 to report the accident after he noticed that the driver was severely drunk. Henderson told the driver that he was under citizen’s arrest and told him to remain near the vehicle until the police arrived.
Minutes later Fairhope Police Officer Trent Scott arrived. Henderson explained the driver appeared to be very intoxicated and had been acting belligerent, and that he placed him under a citizen’s arrest. The officer however scolded Henderson and told him there is "no such thing as citizen's arrest in Alabama," and to "get out of the way, old man," according to the Courthouse News Service.
The man said he was merely trying to help. But, the officer did not care. He responded to Henderson’s aid by grabbing him and throwing him to the ground breaking both his nose and glasses, all while Henderson’s wife watched helplessly from her wheelchair inside the home.
His wife, on the phone with 911, told the dispatcher that the cop was "beating the hell out of my husband."
Following the beating the officer cuffed Henderson and put him in the back seat of his patrol car. He was never placed under arrest.
When an ambulance arrived the officer sent it away, telling the medics that the “old man” had no need for medical assistance.
Sometime later a superior officer arrived at the scene and ordered the ambulance to return. After Henderson was taken to the hospital he was found to have a broken nose, multiple contusions and a torn rotator cuff.
The police officer remains on duty without reprimand from the department.
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08:12 PM
ShadowHawk Member
Posts: 376 From: Broward County, Florida Registered: May 2011
"San Leandro cop charged with drug-related crime surrenders to authorities."
Updated: 05/20/2011 07:42:46 PM PDT
SAN LEANDRO -- A narcotics detective has been charged with transporting and furnishing marijuana to a confidential informant for sale, authorities said.
Jason Fredriksson, 38, surrendered to authorities on a $50,000 warrant Friday at the Hayward Hall of Justice, San Leandro police Chief Sandra Spagnoli said.
Fredriksson, a member of San Leandro's vice and narcotics unit since 2008, had been under criminal investigation by the police department and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office since March 18, when a San Leandro resident "personally notified" the police chief that the drug detective was involved in criminal activity, Spagnoli said.
Five days later, authorities searched Fredriksson's Danville home and found items that supported the charge against him, police said.
Investigators found that Fredriksson provided more than one pound of marijuana to a confidential informant -- a woman with whom he had a personal relationship -- for her to sell, Spagnoli said.
The police department is investigating whether his relationship with the informant was improper.
Authorities also are investigating whether the marijuana given to the informant once was evidence or if it might have been taken from the police department's lab.
"We're working to find out where the marijuana was obtained," Spagnoli said.
The department also has launched an ongoing internal investigation into the felony charge filed against Fredriksson.
Since March 21, he has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation, Spagnoli said.
His wife, Sheryll Fredriksson, is a San Leandro police employee and a previous winner of the department's Dispatcher of the Year award.
She has not been charged, but she has been placed on administrative leave until the internal investigation is completed, Spagnoli said.
San Leandro police said they could not comment on the internal investigation while it is ongoing.
Jason Fredriksson, a graduate of San Ramon Valley High School, has been a San Leandro officer for nine years.
From 2000 to 2002, he was an Alameda County sheriff's deputy, which included a work assignment at the Glenn E. Dyer jail in Oakland, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.
Fredriksson's case somewhat mirrors corruption charges filed recently against several narcotics officers in the now-suspended Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team, or CNET.
Authorities said Friday that they have no evidence connecting Fredriksson to that criminal probe.
"We believe that Detective Fredriksson was acting alone and not with anyone with the San Leandro Police Department or with any police agency, local or federal," Spagnoli said.
"We believe that this is an isolated incident."
Harry Stern, Fredriksson's attorney, also is representing San Ramon police Officer Louis Lombardi, a former CNET officer arrested May 4 on suspicion of a number of offenses, including stealing guns, selling drugs and embezzlement.
Were on God green earth can a person get paid while allegedly committing a crime? If I committed a crime at work and I'd be out on my ear. The only way to attack the problem with corrupted officer is to hit them in their pockets. Every officer should carry video cams and when an allegation occurs of "misconduct" and should be reviewed ASAP by an independent group.
If found guilty all pay and retirements should be revoked, their names plastered on WebPages, news media, and listed as a criminal for they are worst than the common thief and should be thrown in the same prison cell.
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12:51 PM
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, unnamed police officers told the paper Fredriksson was one of the first on the scene for the tragic killing of Dan Niemi, the officer murdered after a traffic stop on Doolittle Drive in 2005. The paper also reported Fredriksson is an avid motorcyclist who goes by the nickname, “Big Dirty.”
S.F. police scandal widens - 26 more cases dropped
A San Francisco judge dismissed 26 more felony cases Friday involving police plainclothes officers who allegedly lied about the circumstances of drug searches and arrests or stole from suspects, bringing the number of prosecutions lost in the widening scandal to nearly 120.
Superior Court Judge Lillian Sing granted the dismissals at prosecutors' request. Outside court, prosecutors said the cases - nearly all of them involving drug charges - had been dropped largely because of potential credibility problems with an undercover officer at the Mission station, Ricardo Guerrero, whose testimony in a preliminary hearing this year was called into question by videotape evidence that defense attorneys secured.
Prosecutors had already dropped eight cases in which Guerrero was involved since the video surfaced this month.
The video was of an arrest that Guerrero and other undercover officers from the Mission station made at a Tenderloin residential hotel Dec. 30. It shows Guerrero carrying a gym bag from the suspect's room that he did not account for and was not booked as evidence.
Guerrero testified that he had removed only drugs and drug-related evidence from the room. However, the man who was arrested that day later said an iPod, a bottle of Tequila, 2 pounds of coffee, ball caps and T-shirts had disappeared from his room, and he suspected they were in the bag Guerrero carried out.
'Finally we got justice'
One case dropped Friday involved Harvey Salazar, 32, who had been held since March on drug charges. His mother, Mariette Tenorio, and stepfather, Javier Tenorio, said at a news conference that Guerrero and other Mission officers had stolen items from their home in August while conducting a search for evidence against Salazar.
The Tenorios filed a complaint about the search with the city's citizen-run police watchdog agency in February, before the wider scandal broke. In it, they said the Mission officers had taken two iPods, a camera, five ball caps, a jar of quarters and other items that police did not account for in their arrest reports.
"It's good - finally we got justice," Javier Tenorio said after Salazar was ordered freed Friday. "We will wait and see what happens about getting our stuff back."
Gascón's concerns
District Attorney George Gascón, who was police chief when the alleged misconduct occurred, said he felt it was his obligation to ask the court to dismiss cases involving the Mission unit.
"We are concerned that there were allegations that these officers were stealing property," Gascón said. "If we have officers that in fact are stealing property, that obviously ... puts into question their credibility in everything else that they do."
Gascón said he had referred the allegations about the Mission undercover unit to the FBI. The agency is already investigating allegations that undercover officers at Southern Station lied about the circumstances of searches that led to drug arrests.
Those allegations led prosecutors to drop 85 cases in March and April. Prosecutors also dropped eight other cases involving Guerrero before Friday.
Gascón said that it was common for undercover officers to remove bags during searches without booking them as evidence. But he added, "Obviously, that is a bad practice."
Credibility seen as key
"Look, our entire criminal justice system rests on the credibility of the prosecution," Gascón said. "If you have people that are involved in the prosecution, whether it's an officer, whether it's an independent witness, whether it's a prosecutor, who is doing something that puts into question the credibility of the process, we need to stop and we need to make sure that does not occur."
The Police Department issued a statement saying it believes the cases could be revived if the undercover officers are cleared of wrongdoing.
If "any officer is proven to be dishonest, in any way, they will be disciplined," the statement said. "This discipline will be swift and severe, up to and including termination from the Police Department."
Guerrero, 45, a 17-year veteran, has been put on desk assignment, police say. Other members of the Mission unit have been reassigned to patrol duties.
"He's the common denominator on the cases dumped today," Public Defender Jeff Adachi said Friday of Guerrero.
Adachi released video from another case Friday that shows Guerrero approaching a man in the Tenderloin who was eventually arrested for allegedly dealing drugs. The police report of the arrest on April 22, 2010 - written by another officer - said the man, Jesus Inastrilla, spit a $20 rock of crack cocaine into his hand as Guerrero approached, but the videotape doesn't show that.
Instead, the video - taken by a city-installed street camera - appears to show Inastrilla with a cell phone in one hand and his other hand in his pocket during the encounter.
Officer couldn't find drugs
The case was dismissed in May 2010 after Guerrero told prosecutors that he couldn't find the drugs that police allegedly had seized, Adachi said.
After prosecutors dropped the case, Inastrilla's lawyer filed a complaint against the officers. A spokesman for Police Chief Greg Suhr said Friday that the citizen-run Office of Citizen Complaints had upheld the complaint and sent it to Suhr for possible action.
Ummmm?? Dunno....maybe we as a society have had about all of the fascist thug crap we are gonna take from these a-holes and are starting to fight back...personally, its been 10 years since I started thinking the best way to keep them in line is to target their families.........taser a child, we break your wife's leg. Kick the crap out a senoir in a wheelchair, yer daughter gets raped in prison. Shoot an unarmed man in the back, yer parents house gets burned down..<thats only partly tounge-in-cheek>
These azzholes are beyond needing a sheetkicking....its long past time to put the jackbooted thugs back in thier place.
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07:55 PM
May 30th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Who would've thought that a communist country has better rules of engagement. Amazing.
Sunglasses ban for Vietnam police: media – Sun May 29, 2:33 am ET HANOI (AFP) – Communist Vietnam has banned police from wearing black sunglasses, chatting, smoking and putting their hands in their pockets while they are on duty in public places, a media report said.
Under a new order from the Ministry of Public Security, officers must also "keep appropriate manners and be in the right position when on duty," said the English-language website of state-controlled Tuoi Tre newspaper.
"This means traffic cops must not hide behind trees to ambush" and issue fines.
The report, published on Saturday, also said on-duty police were now banned from reading books, making or answering non-work related phone calls, drinking alcohol or eating at restaurants that illegally encroach onto pavements.
Vietnam's traffic police are seen by citizens as notoriously corrupt.
Last year US-based Human Rights Watch urged Vietnam to investigate "widespread police brutality", saying it had documented 19 incidents of reported brutality by law enforcers over the previous year, resulting in 15 deaths. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp...tnampolicebanoffbeat
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03:02 AM
May 31st, 2011
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
after my little fiasco with some small town thug cops, I no longer have any respect for police. They will lie (even swear to it) to screw with you. They will never allow me on a jury because I will not believe one word they testify in court. Id judge someone on facts and evidence as I believe them. Given an even score, ill tend to go with defendant.
This reminds me of a run-in I had 9yrs ago or so. I was driving down the road to my gf's place at the time and a drunk driver swerved in my lane. To advoid the accedent I swerverd over and hit the tall curb got some road rash on my rims and fender dented in. I followed the lady cause she didn't stop and I called 911 reporting a drunk driver hit and run and told the dispactor what happened. She told me none where avaliable at the moment but should be there in 5 minutes to check it out. I followed her to her appartment parkinglot and she got out of the car couldn't walk fell flat on her butt, threw up and got back in her car and passed out. (told dispatcor location of the drunk) I waited 20 min for police to arrive and none came.
I went to go look for a cop and found 2 squad cars 4 blocks away sitting down a dark road looking for crusiers (illegal to cruse in that area) I asked em if they where busy and they told me No. I told them the story and showed them the damage on my car and they asked if I knew where she was I said yup passed out in her car in the parkinglot with the car running. And there response was well if she is no longer on public roads we cant do anything about it. Young and dumb at the time I didnt know what other options I had so I left pissed and swqueeling my tires in front of the cops. I was so mad and ended up having to fix my car out of pocket. Nice knowing where our tax dollars go. So much for protecet and serve huh. Must have been to much paper work they didnt want to do.
Sold weed to cops on vacation two summers ago. State Troopers. Four or five of em were at a local sporsts bar with their wives from out of state. NH or Mass I think. Guy says its for his wife. A friend of mine and I were there outside on the patio and they were at the table next to us. My buddy sold em a couple joints worth of some good greens. A few beers later I started messing with em and kept saying, "Hey officer!" They all looked over automatically everytime! How great that was.
Crooked ganster hoodlums is all.
Best way to deal with cops is never deal with them!
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12:05 AM
Jun 6th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Witnesses said they were forced to hide video after Beach shooting
Two witnesses to Monday’s fatal shooting on South Beach say police tried to intimidate them and force them to give up an up-close video of the incident. Police officials say the couple has not lodged a complaint.
A West Palm Beach couple who filmed Monday morning’s deadly officer-involved shooting on South Beach has accused officers of intimidation, destroying evidence and twisting the facts in the chaos surrounding the Memorial Day shootings – a charge that police officials say they know nothing about.
Meanwhile, a South Carolina man charged with DUI in a second officer-involved shooting that morning says he is innocent.
On Thursday, The Miami Herald spoke to the couple that saw the end of the 4 a.m. police chase on Collins Avenue, then watched and filmed from just a few feet away as a dozen officers fired their guns repeatedly into Raymond Herisse’s blue Hyundai. They say the only reason they were able to show the video to a reporter is because they hid a memory card after police allegedly pointed guns at their heads, threw them to the ground and smashed the cell phone that took the video.
The three-minute video captured on Narces Benoit’s HTC EVO phone begins as officers crowd around the east side of Herisse’s car with guns drawn. Roughly 15 seconds into the video, officers open fire.
Benoit filmed the incident from the sidewalk on the northeast corner of 13th Street and Collins Avenue, close enough to see some officers’ faces and individual muzzle flashes.
Shortly after the gunfire ends, an officer points at Benoit and police can be heard yelling for him to turn off the camera. The voices are muffled at times. The 35-year-old car stereo technician drops his hand with the camera and hurries back to his Ford Expedition parked further east on 13th Street.
The video shows Benoit get into the car, where his girlfriend, Ericka Davis, sat in the driver’s seat. He raises his camera and an officer is seen appearing on the driver’s side with his gun drawn, pointed at them.
The video ends as more officers are heard yelling expletives, telling the couple to turn the video off and get out of the car.
“They put guns to our heads and threw us on the ground,” Davis said.
Benoit said a Miami Beach officer grabbed his cell phone, said “You want to be [expletive] Paparazzi?” and stomped on his phone before placing him in handcuffs and shoving the crunched phone in Benoit’s back pocket. He said the couple joined other witnesses already in cuffs and being watched by officers, who were on the lookout for two passengers who, police believe at the time, had bailed out of Herisse’s car. It is still not known whether any passengers were in the car.
Four bystanders were shot in the gunfire and three officers suffered minor injuries.
Benoit and Davis said officers smashed several other cell phones in the ensuing chaos.
Benoit said the officers eventually uncuffed him after gunshots rang out elsewhere and he discreetly removed the SIM card and placed it in his mouth.
Officers again took his phone, demanding his video. He said they took him to a nearby mobile command center, snapped a picture of him, then took him to police headquarters and conducted a recorded interview while he kept the SIM card in his mouth. He insisted his phone was broken.
He was given a copy of a police property record receipt dated May 30. The couple has hired an attorney.
“We just want the right thing to be done,” Davis said. “That was just too much.”
Police Chief Carlos Noriega said the couple’s allegations were the first he’d heard of officers allegedly threatening people or destroying cameras or cell phones. If Benoit made a complaint, Internal Affairs would investigate, the chief said.
The scenes from the couple’s video that a reporter described to Noriega reflect the tension officers went through early Monday morning as they tried to get a handle on the pandemonium..
“I was there during the second shooting and it was quite a chaotic scene,” he said. “We were trying to figure out who was who and it was a difficult process. Not once did I see cameras being taken or smashed.”
He also said “a lot of our officers had their guns drawn, including myself.”
Noriega also noted that Benoit’s video is evidence and that it could help investigators.
But, Benoit said he is considering an offer from a website to sell the video.
Police say the chase Benoit and Davis saw began around 16th Street after Herisse hit a Hialeah officer with his car during a traffic stop and then peeled off down Collins Avenue, hitting or nearly hitting four other officers before skidding to a stop amid gunfire near 13th Street.
Police say they received reports that Herisse was shooting from his car, and on Wednesday they found a black Berretta 92-F semiautomatic pistol in his Hyundai.
Police also learned Thursday that he is believed to be the gunman in a November armed robbery at a BP gas station in which a clerk was shot in the face. Police say the clerk identified Herisse in a photo lineup after detectives recognized the slain 22-year-old in The Miami Herald.
Ballistics tests will be needed to prove that Herisse indeed shot the gun, and could take weeks.
But Benoit and Davis said that while they saw “bullets flying everywhere” as Herisse drove south for two blocks, the only ones they saw doing any shooting were police.
The couple was able to film the shooting because they were slowly driving north on Collins Avenue near 13th Street when gunshots rang out. They reversed east down 13th Street to get away from Herisse’s oncoming Hyundai.
“They were shooting at him the whole time,” Benoit said.
Also on Thursday, police released an arrest affidavit for Carlos King, 45, who allegedly drove his 2007 Mercedes Benz in a drunken stupor into a police perimeter on Washington Avenue, leading an officer to shoot at him before crashing into an empty squad car.
No one was injured.
Police say King, a 17-year-veteran and fire captain with the North Charleston Fire Department, smelled like alcohol and admitted to drinking and crashing after swerving around a car he thought was travelling too slow.
King’s lawyer, Saam Zangeneh, said his client wasn’t guilty of charges of driving under the influence and refusing to take a breathalyzer. He said he expected further probing by himself and others would portray “a more accurate depiction of what transpired that night.”
Looking forward to seeing the video. I wonder how hard it would be to have video sent live to a secret location somewhere to keep the police from destroying evidence by destroying the camera/recording media?
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01:51 PM
MidEngineManiac Member
Posts: 29566 From: Some unacceptable view Registered: Feb 2007
Looking forward to seeing the video. I wonder how hard it would be to have video sent live to a secret location somewhere to keep the police from destroying evidence by destroying the camera/recording media?
Just damn doesnt even begin to cover what has happened to our continent in the past 12 years...even the fracking gestappo or stazi never pulled this kind of crap....these azzholes seem to be above any law, do what they want, and use lethal force to back up thier power.....really, it cant go on much longer before the "real" people start to put them back in thier place...this isnt Europe, we dont have a history of submission to state authoratianism...this is North America and we were built on overthrowing tyrany, freedom, bills of rights and constitutions....the fascist pigs need to remember that.
[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 06-07-2011).]
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01:59 PM
Jun 13th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Talk about lazy over paid officers. Gees, this person partically handed the suspect to them!
Tracked by stolen laptop's camera, suspect nabbed
(06-01) 13:46 PDT OAKLAND -- Oakland police have arrested a suspected laptop thief whose slack-jawed face became an Internet sensation after software that the owner had installed took photos of the suspect, which the victim posted on his blog.
Muthanna Aldebashi of Alameda was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing stolen goods, police spokeswoman Holly Joshi said. The 27-year-old taxi driver is being held in Alameda County jail.
A Web campaign to catch the alleged thief was launched by Joshua Kaufman, who filed a police report in late March stating that someone had broken into his North Oakland apartment and stolen his Apple MacBook computer.
Kaufman said he had installed software called Hidden that followed the computer's movements through a tracking device, and took pictures of the suspect's face while the man used the laptop.
In one of the photos, the suspect appears to be driving with the laptop opened in his lap. In another, he peers into the screen while shirtless, and in yet another he's asleep on a couch.
The campaign picked up in earnest Tuesday after popular Web sites linked to Kaufman's blog, and Twitter users forwarded pictures of the bearded suspect to other users.
Kaufman wrote on his "This Guy Has My MacBook" blog that Oakland police were unable to arrest the suspect because of a lack of resources, despite receiving Kaufman's tips on the laptop's location.
Joshi said that after numerous media outlets called the department Tuesday afternoon to verify Kaufman's story, investigators learned that Kaufman's original report had been incorrectly closed. The investigator had given higher priority to other stolen goods cases, despite the strong leads about Kaufman's laptop, Joshi said.
On Tuesday, undercover officers had Aldebashi's taxi company send him for a pickup, and they arrested him when he arrived. They found the laptop at his home, Joshi said.
"It shows that when the system works, it works great," Joshi said. "The diligence of Mr. Kaufman is exactly what we need - people who are engaged and are making an effort to reduce crime."
Joshi said she expected an uptick in reports of stolen laptops from those who have installed the same software as Kaufman.
"If they bring us solid leads, that makes it easier on us to investigate," Joshi said. "We hope they use that technology."
Kaufman did not respond to e-mail messages seeking comment. On his blog, he left a message celebrating his laptop's recovery.
Not surprised. After being burglarized twice in 18 hours the extent of the police investigation was to suggest that I check local pawn shops for my stuff. The second break-in was while my house was under "close watch", as was the third break-in attempt 48 hours later. That attempt failed because I boarded up the house. They tried to knock the boards loose but didn't have the tools apparently.
Some police officers in my town make nearly $100,000 a year, and I regret every penny of that that I pay with my taxes.
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10:23 AM
PFF
System Bot
Jun 17th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
New Orleans police face trial in post-Katrina killings
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) – Five New Orleans police officers accused of indiscriminately shooting people in the chaos unleashed by Hurricane Katrina face a high-profile trial in the coming week.
The deadly 2005 shooting on the Danziger Bridge and resulting cover-up came to epitomize the city's failure to protect its citizens and exposed deep-rooted corruption in the police department which many say remains unaddressed.
"This trial is going to show the country and the world that we have a serious problem with our police department," said Eddie Jordan, the city's former District Attorney.
"This department is engaged in horrendous acts against its citizens."
Fear soon followed the deadly floodwaters which swallowed 80 percent of New Orleans and left thousands stranded on their rooftops after Katrina smashed through the city's poorly maintained levees on August 29, 2005.
Reports of widespread looting and armed gangs roaming the city shifted the government's already botched response from humanitarian aid to a military operation.
Then-Governor Kathleen Blanco sent in National Guard troops, announcing "These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will."
Warren Riley, then-second in charge of the New Orleans police department (NOPD) reportedly instructed officers to "take the city back and shoot looters."
In the following days, six people -- almost all of them African American -- were killed under suspicious circumstances in incidents involving police. Scores more were injured.
"We had more incidents of police misconduct than civilian misconduct," Jordan, the former district attorney, told AFP. "All these stories of looting, it pales next to what the police did."
The Danziger Bridge case is the most notorious of at least nine incidents being investigated by federal agents.
A group of officers, who had apparently heard a misleading radio report about shootings in the area, began firing on two families who were simply trying to escape the floodwaters.
Ronald Madison, a mentally challenged man, was shot in the back at least six times, then stomped and kicked by an officer until he was dead, officers who pleaded guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence have testified.
James Brissette, a high school student, died after he was shot seven times.
Four others were badly wounded, including Susan Bartholomew, 38, whose arm was shot off her body.
For years, family members and advocates called for official investigations and were rebuffed.
That changed when President Barack Obama's newly appointed attorney general took over in 2009 and the US Justice Department decided to look into the accusations.
It has been one of the most wide-ranging investigations of a police department in recent US history. Dozens of officers are facing lengthy prison terms, and corruption charges have reached to the very top of the department.
In a scathing 158-page report released in March, the Justice Department declared that the New Orleans police department has deep structural problems beyond what has been revealed by the Danziger incident.
"Basic elements of effective policing -- clear policies, training, accountability, and confidence of the citizenry-have been absent for years," the report concluded.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman said public distrust in the police department is real.
"We see the effects of that on a daily basis in criminal court. When we question jurors, there are jurors that say they don't trust the police."
But positive changes have already taken hold, Bowman said.
"You have to look at an entire criminal justice system that is reforming itself," he told AFP.
Criminal justice reformers disagree, saying that the problems are systemic and that even the Justice Department investigations, which have focused mostly on the NOPD, don't go far enough.
They complain of judges who are too close to prosecutors, a coroner who sides with the police version of events, and a city jail that is the largest per capita jail in the United States.
"Danziger is not something that happened in isolation," said Rosana Cruz, the associate director of V.O.T.E., an organization that seeks to build civic engagement for formerly incarcerated people.
"Everyone's job in the criminal justice system depends on there being a lot of crime in the city. As long as that's the case, we're not going to have safety."
Jury selection in the Danziger Bridge trial begins Wednesday and opening arguments are expected the following week.
Sergeants Kenneth Bowen and Robert Gisevius and Officers Anthony Villavaso and Robert Faulcon are accused in both the shooting and the cover-up and face life sentences if convicted.
Sergeant Arthur Kaufman, who was not present at the shooting, is accused only in the cover-up, and faces a maximum penalty of 120 years in prison.
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03:03 AM
Jun 28th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Law enforcement has reached an all time low. Assault? She must've sprayed the officers in the eyes, hehe.
Not Guilty Plea In Breast Milk Spraying Case
Posted: 9:05 am EDT June 28, 2011 Updated: 4:41 pm EDT June 28, 2011
DELAWARE, Ohio -- A central Ohio woman accused of spraying sheriff's deputies with breast milk has apologized while pleading not guilty.
Stephanie Robinette, 30, said in Delaware County court on Monday that she has no criminal record and takes the charges very seriously. According to multiple news reports, she also pledged to seek help for alcohol abuse.
The county sheriff has said deputies responding to a domestic dispute call early Saturday tried to remove Robinette from a car.
According to the sheriff, she wouldn't cooperate, said she was a breast-feeding mother, then exposed part of her chest and sprayed deputies with breast milk.
The suburban Columbus woman pleaded not guilty to charges including domestic violence, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault. A judge released her on her own recognizance. http://www.whiotv.com/news/...xntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss
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05:36 PM
Jun 30th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Here they go again. Please count the number of officers involved. i'm counting 10.
Atlanta Police take action against officers in gay bar raid
ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) - The Atlanta Police Department has placed seven officers on administrative duty and ordered them to turn in their guns and badges for their actions in a controversial gay bar raid.
An independent investigation released this week concluded 10 members of the Vice Unit and the Red Dog Team, including three supervisors, violated APD's policy regarding truthfulness in the 2009 raid at the Atlanta Eagle club on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown.
According to a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, Atlanta Police chief George Turner placed seven of the ten officers on administrative duty pending the outcome of a disciplinary review. The officers were required to return their guns and badges and will not work in a law enforcement capacity until resolution of this matter.
The officers are Lt. Tony Crawford, Sgt. Willie Adams, Sgt. John Brock, Officer Jeremy Edwards, Officer Dimitri Jacques, Officer Vicente Marcano and Officer Cayenne Mayes.
Of the remaining three officers, the department has already dismissed James Menzoian and Brandon Jackson as a result of a separate, unrelated investigation. The third officer, Bennie Bridges, is currently suspended without pay as a result of a separate, unrelated investigation.
Chief Turner has also demoted the commander of the units which oversaw the operation from the rank of Police Major to the rank of Police Lieutenant.
According to the release, today's actions are preliminary decisions. The release states "Chief Turner continues to digest the findings contained in the OPS and Greenberg reports and will determine the appropriate final disciplinary action for each of the accused officers."
Police said the raid was conducted based on reports that men were engaging in sex at the bar while others watched.
Customers and employees said they were detained and forced to lie on the floor for as long as an hour while officers checked for criminal histories and taunted them with slurs about their sexuality.
An internal investigation conducted by the Greenberg Traurig law firm found that some officers did use offensive language and slurs directed at some of the bar's patrons. One officer was quoted as saying, "Raiding a gay bar was more fun than raiding ******* with their crack." Another officer was quoted as saying, "Mmm, mmm, mmm, look at all this loving going on." There was another officer quoted as saying, "That's the one that said I … had no rights, that's the one that kept telling me to shut the **** up."
The report found that there was enough evidence to support allegations that 10 police officers deleted cell phone pictures, text messages, and other data about the raid. Plus, there was no search warrant executed which is a violation of the fourth amendment.
Chief Turner told CBS Atlanta on Wednesday, "What we want everyone to know is that we will deal with these officers accordingly if they are in violation of the standard operating procedures."
I was enjoying my day off when I saw this on the news. At first glance you'd think the suspect had reached over and tried to strangle the officer, but that's not the case. The suspect spits on officer and he lost control of the cruiser. What is this, Dukes of Hazards?
Richmond police officer flips car after prisoner spits at him from back seat Updated: 07/05/2011 06:10:37 AM PDT
RICHMOND -- A Richmond police officer transporting a prisoner to the county jail in Martinez lost control of his car and crashed Monday morning on Highway 4.
The police cruiser flipped over on the eastbound lane of the freeway after the prisoner in the back seat began spitting at the officer, police Lt. Bisa French said.
"He was distracted by a suspect in the back seat of his vehicle who was spitting at him," French said. "He tried to get something to block the spit from coming through the back seat but lost control and ending up flipping over."
Police declined to name the officer who crashed or the suspect in the back of his car. Neither was seriously injured.
Ex-NFL player dies after early-morning fight with Sheriff's officers BY JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer jburger@bakersfield.com | Sunday, Jul 10 2011 01:54 PM Last Updated Sunday, Jul 10 2011 06:51 PM
David “Deacon” Turner was a star running back at Shafter High School, Bakersfield College and the San Diego State University before he played three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1978 to 1980.
But he’d been down on his luck since then — out of work and repeatedly in trouble with the law throughout the ‘80’s, 90’s and 2000’s according to Kern County Superior Court online records.
On Sunday morning, the man that his former Bakersfield College coach Gerry Collis said looked like boxer Joe Frazier, got into an altercation with Kern County Sheriff’s deputies that ended when Deputy Wesley Kraft fatally shot the former NFL player outside an east Bakersfield convinience store.
“He’s the best running back I coached at BC, but heck I only coached there 27 years,” Collis said.
Collis, who’d kept in touch with Turner and tried to help him get on his feet, said his former player was hoping to get some sort of retirement from the NFL.
“He was a marvelous kid. I loved that kid,” Collis said. “He called me a couple times and I didn’t get back to him. I wish I had now.”
Sheriff’s reports state that shooting occurred after deputies responded to reports of 10 to 15 juveniles asking adults to purchase alcohol and cigarettes for them at the busy store at the corner of Niles Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue.
According to Sheriff’s Lt. Bart Camps, the Fastrip is the only store in that neighborhood that is open that late and can be very busy at night and early in the morning.
When deputies arrived at the store they encountered David Lee Turner, 56, coming out of the store with his 19 year-old son, a 16-year-old juvenile and bags of items Turner had just purchased, including alcohol.
Deputies detained Turner and the two teens while they investigated the situation. According to reports, Turner first complied with deputies’ directions but then attempted to leave the area.
When deputies tried to stop Turner from leaving, he fought with them, Sheriff’s reports stated.
During the scuffle Deputy Aaron Nadal, who has worked for the Sheriff’s Department for three years, was reportedly hit in the back of the head with a bag containing two 24-ounce cans of beer.
Deputy Wesley Kraft, a four year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, responded by drawing his handgun and firing at Turner twice. Turner was struck and fell to the ground.
He was rushed to Kern Medical Center nearby, where he died around two hours later. Collis said the situation just didn’t sound like the David Turner he knew.
“It is not like him. He was not a trouble-maker,” Collis said. “The deputy must have provoked him.” Nadal was taken to Memorial Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released.
Sheriff’s reports state the incident is under investigation by Sheriff’s detectives and Kraft has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. My Yahoo Print
Ex-NFL player dies after early-morning fight with Sheriff's officers BY JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer jburger@bakersfield.com | Sunday, Jul 10 2011 01:54 PM Last Updated Sunday, Jul 10 2011 06:51 PM
David “Deacon” Turner was a star running back at Shafter High School, Bakersfield College and the San Diego State University before he played three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1978 to 1980.
But he’d been down on his luck since then — out of work and repeatedly in trouble with the law throughout the ‘80’s, 90’s and 2000’s according to Kern County Superior Court online records.
On Sunday morning, the man that his former Bakersfield College coach Gerry Collis said looked like boxer Joe Frazier, got into an altercation with Kern County Sheriff’s deputies that ended when Deputy Wesley Kraft fatally shot the former NFL player outside an east Bakersfield convinience store.
“He’s the best running back I coached at BC, but heck I only coached there 27 years,” Collis said.
Collis, who’d kept in touch with Turner and tried to help him get on his feet, said his former player was hoping to get some sort of retirement from the NFL.
“He was a marvelous kid. I loved that kid,” Collis said. “He called me a couple times and I didn’t get back to him. I wish I had now.”
Sheriff’s reports state that shooting occurred after deputies responded to reports of 10 to 15 juveniles asking adults to purchase alcohol and cigarettes for them at the busy store at the corner of Niles Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue.
According to Sheriff’s Lt. Bart Camps, the Fastrip is the only store in that neighborhood that is open that late and can be very busy at night and early in the morning.
When deputies arrived at the store they encountered David Lee Turner, 56, coming out of the store with his 19 year-old son, a 16-year-old juvenile and bags of items Turner had just purchased, including alcohol.
Deputies detained Turner and the two teens while they investigated the situation. According to reports, Turner first complied with deputies’ directions but then attempted to leave the area.
When deputies tried to stop Turner from leaving, he fought with them, Sheriff’s reports stated.
During the scuffle Deputy Aaron Nadal, who has worked for the Sheriff’s Department for three years, was reportedly hit in the back of the head with a bag containing two 24-ounce cans of beer.
Deputy Wesley Kraft, a four year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, responded by drawing his handgun and firing at Turner twice. Turner was struck and fell to the ground.
He was rushed to Kern Medical Center nearby, where he died around two hours later. Collis said the situation just didn’t sound like the David Turner he knew.
“It is not like him. He was not a trouble-maker,” Collis said. “The deputy must have provoked him.” Nadal was taken to Memorial Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released.
Sheriff’s reports state the incident is under investigation by Sheriff’s detectives and Kraft has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Here's a Jack of all trades. Counciman, a paramedic, and state correctional officer.
Tehachapi councilman arrested on suspicion of sexual assault BY JASON KOTOWSKI, Californian staff writer jkotowski@bakersfield.com | Friday, Jul 08 2011 10:54 AM Last Updated Friday, Jul 08 2011 05:31 PM
Tehachapi City Councilman and Kern County firefighter Daniel Shane Reed has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy, police said.
Reed, 41, was taken into custody at his Tehachapi home Thursday. Bakersfield police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said the teen's parents informed police of the alleged abuse.
Reed was introduced to the boy through a mutual acquaintance, DeGeare said. The abuse is believed to have started in February, police said.
Kern County Fire Deputy Chief Mike Miller said Reed has been employed with the department for 10 years and worked out of the fire prevention bureau. His job involves performing fire inspections at businesses.
"We're as surprised as anyone else," Miller said of the arrest, adding that it's the first time the department has heard of allegations against Reed.
"From what I know of him, he seemed like a normal, hardworking engineer," Miller said.
Reed is currently on personal leave, he said.
Tehachapi Mayor Ed Grimes said Friday that he had heard of the arrest but had no further comment at this time.
"This is all happening so fast," Grimes said.
Reed was booked on suspicion of three counts of sodomy and five counts of oral copulation with a victim under the age of 18, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Department's website. He was being held on $275,000 bail.
Reed declined an interview request from jail.
The city of Tehachapi website says Reed was sworn in on Dec. 15, 2008, and his term expires in November 2012. The website says he has also worked locally as a paramedic and state correctional officer.
Scrapping the bottom of the barrel-yeah for 14k per month they couldn't find somebody better. Funny thing is-I was in Elk Grove last week.
Atherton's interim police chief comes with controversial past
Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 07/12/2011 03:00:00 AM PDT
The former head of Santa Rosa's police department has been tapped to serve as Atherton's interim police chief while the town searches for someone to permanently replace retiring Chief Mike Guerra.
Ed Flint, 60, will begin his new assignment next week, Atherton spokeswoman Theresa DellaSanta said.
Flint's departure from the Sonoma County city in August 2008 was mired in controversy, according to newspaper reports. Four gender-based discrimination complaints had been filed against Flint and two against one of his captains. The city paid the six complainants a total of more than $120,000 to resolve their cases, according to the Press Democrat.
At the time, Santa Rosa's city manager said Flint was leaving his post by "mutual agreement," the newspaper reported.
Flint will be paid $14,500 a month to temporarily lead Atherton's police department, according to DellaSanta. He will not receive additional compensation such as housing, health or pension benefits from the town, she said.
Information about whether Flint is currently receiving a pension was not immediately available Monday.
The length of Flint's assignment has not yet been determined because the council still needs to establish a timeframe for finding a permanent replacement for Guerra, DellaSanta said.
Flint has been in law enforcement for about 35 years, according to a town press release. He began his career in Redwood City with the California Highway Patrol,
then joined the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department ,where he was eventually promoted to captain. He also has been an assistant chief of police for Citrus Heights and chief for Elk Grove.
Flint became Santa Rosa's police chief in January 2004.
Atherton City Manager John Danielson announced Guerra's resignation Thursday without citing a reason. He simply said the police chief is moving on "to the next chapter of his career."
The Big Payback: The Elk Grove files . Please count the number of people involved for a .01 gram of drugs.
Brian Bothun charge dismissed in court
The probation violation charge that resulted from the search of journalist Brian Bothun's Atherton home last October was dismissed in San Mateo County Superior Court on Monday, Jan. 24.
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office had determined that there was "no reasonable likeliness" that the .01 gram of a drug found in a plastic bag in Mr. Bothun's closet during the search would lead to a conviction, said Mr. Bothun's attorney, Dan Barton of Palo Alto.
The trace of the controlled substance "was residue," Mr. Barton said, adding that the search turned up no drug paraphernalia and no evidence of current use.
Mr. Bothun was near the end of an 18-month probation period for a misdemeanor drug conviction when county probation department and sheriff's officers with a police dog, along with three Atherton police officers, descended on his home, searching his computer and iPhone as well as the house itself.
Mr. Barton and a number of Atherton residents have criticized the search, citing the number of officers present and the use of a dog, as well as the scale of the search. "This was for a misdemeanor drug conviction," Mr. Barton said.
He said he believed the police action was "part of a vendetta against Brian for his work as a journalist ... for exposing (the wrongdoing) of a police chief" -- a reference to Mr. Bothun's work as a local reporter in revealing that then-Police Chief Steve Cader voted illegally in an Atherton election. Mr. Cader was ultimately charged with voter fraud, and left the department under a cloud.
Atherton Police Chief Mike Guerra responded that his department didn't initiate the October search, but assisted in it at the request of the probation department.
Mr. Bothun's probation ended Nov. 28 after he completed drug treatment; his arrest and conviction have been wiped from his record, Mr. Barton said.
Bryan Stow DNA Confirmed on Bloody Dodgers Jersey Found at Cleaners
So-called Suspect Number One in the Bryan Stow beating, which took place on opening night of the major league baseball season following a San Francisco Giants loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the parking lot after the game, was characterized as wearing a white Dodgers jersey. Since then, parolee Giovanni Ramirez washas been arrested in connection with the case, and police say he is Suspect Number One. The arrest took place on May 22.
The latest news in the case is that a bloody Dodgers jersey has been found at a dry cleaners. Suspicious, instead of cleaning the jersey, the establishment alerted the authorities. DNA tests have shown that the blood on the jersey belongs to Bryan Stow.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two months to the day after an emotional Police Chief Charlie Beck trumpeted the arrest of a suspect in the savage beating of a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium, he pronounced the man innocent Friday and prosecutors charged two others with the crime.
The charges came nearly four months after the beating of Bryan Stow, a paramedic who suffered a brain injury and remains in serious condition.
Another man, Giovanni Ramirez, was arrested in May but wasn't charged in the attack in a stadium parking lot.
For months, police Chief Charlie Beck had steadfastly maintained his confidence that Ramirez was the right suspect.
"In policing, it's just as important to exonerate the innocent as it is to implicate the guilty," Beck said Friday at a terse news conference. "I want to tell the world that Giovanni Ramirez is no longer a suspect in this case."
Prosecutors charged Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, both of Rialto, with one count each of mayhem, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, and battery with serious bodily injury, all felonies. Both were being held on $500,000 bail after being arrested Thursday.
The complaint alleged both men personally inflicted great bodily injury on Stow.
A message left at a number for the parents of Sanchez was not returned, and contact details for Norwood's family could not be found.
Dorene Sanchez, believed to be the sister of Louie Sanchez, had been arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact then released. She was not charged.
Beck did not provide details on the evidence against the two men but said more details would be released Monday.
"The Los Angeles Police Department never gave up on this case," District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a prepared statement.
Earlier in the day, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said police have no forensic evidence against the latest suspects but they had made incriminating statements.
The attack has captured national attention as the Los Angeles Police Department and the Dodgers sought to ease fears about violence at the storied stadium.
Stow, 42, a resident of Santa Cruz and the father of two children, remained hospitalized in San Francisco. His family said in a blog post Friday that he appeared to mouth his last name and might have tried to give a thumbs-up.
On Monday, he underwent emergency surgery for fluid buildup in his head. Doctors have kept him under heavy sedation since the attack to prevent seizures.
Police released no details about the latest arrests in the case until the news conference. The delay came in sharp contrast to the fanfare surrounding the arrest of Ramirez on May 22.
However, the investigation faltered after Ramirez provided almost a dozen statements from friends and family members saying he was nowhere near Dodger Stadium on the night of March 31. Ramirez also volunteered for and passed a polygraph test.
No charges were filed against him in the beating, but he was returned to prison for a parole violation — having access to a firearm.
Court records show Norwood was sentenced in 2006 to three years' probation and served 118 days in jail after pleading guilty to one felony count of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.
In 2003, Louie Sanchez pleaded guilty to one felony count of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, and the following year he pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.
Despite those run-ins with the law, neighbors described the men as friendly, baseball-loving fathers.
Neighbor Danyelle Dickson said Louie Sanchez and his family are quiet, friendly people, with whom she had exchanged greetings but had little other contact.
She often saw Sanchez playing catch on the family's lawn with a woman and boy whom she believed to be his wife and son.
"It's just a really nice family, a really quiet family," she said.
Sanchez also was charged Friday with two misdemeanor counts of battery stemming from a separate incident the same day as the beating.
Meanwhile, Soledad Gonzalez, the mother of Ramirez, said she was upset about the arrest of her son in May.
"If you don't have any proof, why did you put the picture of him in public?" she asked at a separate news conference. "That's wrong. There's a big, big mistake that they made."
She said her son would have to decide whether to sue the LAPD.
"We can live with them sending us a letter of apology," said attorney Anthony Brooklier, who represents Ramirez.
Brooklier said attorneys plan to file a writ next week challenging the parole board's decision to keep Ramirez in prison for 10 months after police investigating the beating found a gun in the house where he was staying.
Conclusion. The Mayor, chief of police, and LEOs will lie till there's no end. Plaster your picture on the news and make you out as the suspect. Still, no love for the criminal, but it can happen to honest people too.
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01:22 AM
Jul 28th, 2011
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
I've been watching this story for some time. I'd like to know who supplied Rojas with the information. Lately, DMV has been shown that a few people working for them have little or no integrity. It would be nice for a change to see fellow LEO outside the courthouse condeming Rojas, but as expected we hear crickets. Any other business people line-up to condem those for doing wrongful acts.
Ex-Santa Clara cop convicted of giving DMV info to Hells Angel
A former Santa Clara police officer has been convicted in federal court of passing confidential information to a member of the Hells Angels because he owed the biker money. Check out what Rojas' attorney said after the conviction, "We're very disappointed in the verdict," said Rojas' attorney, Daniel Jensen.
Clay Rojas, 37, who had served five years with the Santa Clara Police Department, was convicted Wednesday by a U.S. District Court jury in San Jose of 12 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, illegal use of a computer for financial gain and improper computer access.
Rojas will be sentenced in November.
"We're very disappointed in the verdict," said Rojas' attorney, Daniel Jensen.
Rojas supplied private Department of Motor Vehicles information about people to William Bettencourt, 39, a member of the Santa Cruz chapter of the Hells Angels.
Rojas, who formerly worked as a San Jose police officer, sent text messages containing criminal history and motor vehicle information to Bettencourt between July and October 2010 "in exchange for Bettencourt's forbearance on a debt Rojas owed to him," according to the grand jury indictment.
Bettencourt then passed along some of the information electronically to Viviana Rodriguez, 32, of San Jose, a co-worker and associate of Bettencourt, authorities said.
The officer continued to send Bettencourt confidential information "in return for an extension on repaying that financial obligation," the indictment said.
Bettencourt even asked Rojas to look up the biker's own criminal status, court records said. On Aug. 19, Bettencourt texted Rojas, "Can u r my name and check status?" according to the indictment.
But during the trial, Rojas testified that there was no connection between the records checks and any outstanding loans. Rojas told jurors that he had mislead police investigators because he didn't want police to suspect that he was a Hells Angels informant, his attorney said.
Another cover-up. Suspect buys crack cocaine, arrest is made, suspect ends up with multiple cracked ribs, dies from his injuries, yet no mention in the report about the use of force, info is hidden from the mother of the suspect and the statute of limitation expires. FBI is given a tip. Court OKS suit over Oakland police killing
An appeals court is allowing an excessive use of force lawsuit filed by the mother of a drug suspect killed 11 years ago by Oakland Police to proceed despite the statute of limitations.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an alleged police cover up prevented the suspect's mother from filing the suit within two years of her son's death.
Police arrested Jerry Amaro on March 23, 2000 for allegedly attempting to buy crack cocaine. The police report mentions no use of force.
However, numerous witnesses said several officers beat Amaro severely after his arrest, and Amaro died a month later. An autopsy concluded Amaro's death was caused by multiple rib fractures.
Another cover-up. Suspect buys crack cocaine, arrest is made, suspect ends up with multiple cracked ribs, dies from his injuries, yet no mention in the report about the use of force, info is hidden from the mother of the suspect and the statute of limitation expires. FBI is given a tip. Court OKS suit over Oakland police killing
An appeals court is allowing an excessive use of force lawsuit filed by the mother of a drug suspect killed 11 years ago by Oakland Police to proceed despite the statute of limitations.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an alleged police cover up prevented the suspect's mother from filing the suit within two years of her son's death.
Police arrested Jerry Amaro on March 23, 2000 for allegedly attempting to buy crack cocaine. The police report mentions no use of force.
However, numerous witnesses said several officers beat Amaro severely after his arrest, and Amaro died a month later. An autopsy concluded Amaro's death was caused by multiple rib fractures.
I didn't know there was a statute of limitations on murder...
None for murder but there is one for the civil suite that the mother filed. The story mentions 2 years for the statute of limitation. The 9th Circuit is allowing the civil suite to go forward.
The FBI is still investigating the murder charges.
Not that I've read the thread, but...if I were a cop, it wouldn't take long of putting up with unnecessary attitude and bull @#$% before I started throwing it back at 'em, and after a year or two(or a month, maybe) before I started responding with unecessary violence. Plus it'd ruin my view of people/humanity even more.
Guess I ain't cut out to be a cop?
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11:33 PM
Doug85GT Member
Posts: 9704 From: Sacramento CA USA Registered: May 2003
Not that I've read the thread, but...if I were a cop, it wouldn't take long of putting up with unnecessary attitude and bull @#$% before I started throwing it back at 'em, and after a year or two(or a month, maybe) before I started responding with unecessary violence. Plus it'd ruin my view of people/humanity even more.
Guess I ain't cut out to be a cop?
I think you made a smart choice not to become a LEO. I know that I would not be a very good LEO myself because when I was younger I would not have been able to deal with some of the scum that cops deal with on a daily basis. As Dirty Harry once said, "a man has got to know his limits."
I think anyone that has anger, authority or attitude issues should be excluded from becoming a LEO. IMO a good LEO should be the most mild members of society.
In all we have some in law enforcement using and selling cocaine, crime lab techinian stealing & smoking it, and now a district prosecutor. 
What is this, Dukes of Hazards?
FBI is given a tip.
