Month: May 2015

Forida man threatens suicide, cops shoot him dead

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Justin Way was in bed with a knife. His girlfriend called a non-emergency number to try to get him into a hospital. Minutes later, cops shot him dead.
On May 11, Justin Way was drinking and threatening to hurt himself. His father, George Way, said his son was a recovering alcoholic and had been alcohol-free for five weeks.

“He just lost his job, and he had a setback,” he said.

Way’s live-in girlfriend, Kaitlyn Christine Lyons, said she’d caught Justin drinking a bottle of vodka, which she took away from him to pour out. She said he was drunk, lying in their bed with a large knife, saying he would hurt himself with it. She called a non-emergency number in an attempt to get her boyfriend to a local St. Augustine, Florida, hospital for help—and told them she did not feel threatened.

“My brother has been Baker Acted three times because he was threatening to hurt himself so I figured that would happen with Justin,” said Lyons. Florida’s Baker Act allows the involuntary institutionalization of an individual, and it can be initiated by law enforcement officials.

“The only person Justin threatened was himself and I honestly don’t think he wanted to die.”

Minutes later, two St. Johns County Sheriff’s deputies, 26-year-old Jonas Carballosa and 32-year-old Kyle Braig, arrived at the home, armed with assault rifles, and told Kaitlyn to wait outside.

“I thought they were going into war,” she remembered thinking when she first saw the large guns. Within moments, Justin was shot dead.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/28/man-calls-suicide-line-police-kill-him.html

At least they went home safe that night. You can’t be too careful……

Cleveland Police Promise To Stop ‘Pistol-Whipping’ Suspects As Part of Justice Department Agreement

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Posted by Deborah Lee Jarrett

“In breaking news, the Cleveland police department has announced that it will stop “pistol-whipping” suspects as part of their deal with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The deal, known as a “consent decree”, says that officers will stop hitting suspects anywhere on their heads and faces from now on. They also promise to document any time a weapon is unholstered.

The DOJ found during the course of their 21-month investigation, that the Cleveland police commonly pistol-whip and otherwise bash suspects on the heads with their firearms.

In some cases, there have actually been accidental discharges resulting from these pistol-whipping incidences, according to the 58-page report released in December.

Tuesday’s announcement comes after five months of negotiations between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Cleveland Police. As for the new “consent decree,” it says the following.

“The policy will expressly provide that using a firearm as an impact weapon is never an authorized tactic. Officers will be trained that use of a firearm as an impact weapon could result in death to suspects, bystanders and themselves.”

Part of the decree mandates the officers cannot draw their weapons unless they believe lethal force is necessary. They cannot draw a weapon just to intimidate a suspect.”

http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/05/cleveland-police-finally-agree-to-stop-as-part-of-doj/

I really think that Andy Griffith would frown on the practice of pistol whipping the good people of Mayberry…. Don’t you?

What kind of sick, psychopathic scum would have ever thought that pistol whipping was appropriate?

This is the state today of our freedom and our law enforcement agencies.

Remember this the next time you have an encounter with LEO.

Officer disciplined in beating case gets promotion

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Posted by Deborah Lee Jarrett

“A Milwaukee police officer characterized by the prosecutor in the Frank Jude beating case as the embodiment of a department “code of silence” was promoted to sergeant by the city’s Fire and Police Commission on Thursday.

The commission approved the promotion of Officer Bradley Blum on a 4-1 vote without debate. Commissioner Michael O’Hear cast the lone objection, saying after the meeting that the October 2004 beating of Jude by several officers — in which Blum failed to intervene — “was too severe.”

Jude’s attorney Jon Safran voiced his opposition, saying Blum was the only officer at the scene who refused to answer questions in a 2009 deposition, asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

“It should raise a concern that this officer, who appeared to support the apparent code of silence within the Police Department, will now be responsible for leading and acting as an example to other officers,” he said.

http://m.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/panel-delays-decision-on-promoting-officer-disciplined-in-jude-case-b99505159z1-304651601.html

They are always saying that it is just a few bad apples that are spoiling the bushel. I think it is exactly the opposite.

Maybe a few good ones and they are afraid to speak up.

Polk county Florida- Officer arrested for child porn

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Posted by Deborah Lee Jarrett

“Deputies say “James King” online is really Joshua Smith, 32, an Oakland police officer near Orlando who has been on the force for 9 years.

“It is appalling and outrageous to all law enforcement who worked this case and will outrage others around the country,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.

Authorities say he sent this message unknowingly to an agent on social media: “No limit perv dad here, looking for someone like minded to talk with. Hit me up if interested.” And he sent sexual images of a 2 year old to prove he had a live child. And the affidavit also mentions talk of sexual acts committed.

“What we found was absolutely startling, we had photos of a very young child and when detectives and FBI went into his residence we found that very young child wearing the exact same clothes. We won’t say the relationship, other than it is a 2 year old he had access to.”

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/2015/03/19/oakland-officer-joshua-smith-child-porn/25013093/

It makes you wonder if he has any cases pending that he arrested someone for. This is the person who in court is given the moral high ground because he is a “Sworn officer of the court.”

His testimony is considered truthful in a he said , she said, situation before the court.

Man has stroke and crashes, cops pepper spray and Tase him

~ deborahleejarrett ~ 3 Comments

“A Fredericksburg police officer has resigned after attempting to tase and then using his pepper spray on a 34-year-old man who was suffering from a medical emergency during a traffic stop.

The Fredericksburg Police Department said Thursday that the incident occurred on May 4, near the intersection of Cowan Boulevard and Powhatan Street just off of Route 1.”

http://wtop.com/virginia/2015/05/va-cop-who-tased-pepper-sprayed-man-with-medical-emergency-resigns/

You know, you can never be too careful.

FWC officer arrested for lewd battery on a 14-year-old girl

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“PORT CHARLOTTE, FL. – Charlotte County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a State Wildlife Officer they say was having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

In July 2012, investigators say they saw FWC Officer John Hoover leaving an abandoned house with a young girl.  At the time, the 37-year old Hoover told them, he’d caught the girl inside with another man, and that he would handle the investigation.   But new details surfaced in January that eventually led deputies to determine that Hoover had sex with the girl.

The incident that was almost swept under the rug, but after repeated questioning, the 14-year-old gave officials enough information to make an arrest.”

“According to the police report, the first sexual encounter happened in an FWC truck while the officer was on duty.  They were parked down a dirt road near Collingswood Boulevard.

The second encounter happened at a vacant house off  Foxglove Road. The report goes on to say the girl showed investigators the room where she and the officer would have sex.

She also said after one of the encounters she was given $160.  The incidents resulted in Officer Hoover being arrested and charged with 2 counts of Lewd Battery.”

ABC 7 my suncoast the rest is here : http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/south_newsroom/fwc-officer-arrested-for-lewd-battery-on-a–year/article_cf929fd2-8733-11e2-989c-001a4bcf6878.html

Ahh! The unimpeachable honor of Florida’s finest on display here.

In 2012 the FWC was given new police powers and they should soon be racking up all of the misconduct and corruption that the local P.D.s already are.

Fish and Wildlife officer fired after investigation of violent Honeymoon Island arres

~ deborahleejarrett ~ 3 Comments

Posted by Deborah Lee Jarrett.

“An officer who was involved in the violent arrest at Honeymoon Island of a man who later died was fired last month from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Joseph Tactuk lost his job as an FWC officer after a Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office investigation concluded that he used poor judgment March 17 when he tried to arrest James Barnes.

Barnes, 37, died at the hospital two days after he struggled with Tactuk on the beach at Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area.

“While I have found no criminal wrongdoing on the part of the officer, I do believe Officer Tactuk exercised poor judgement,” wrote State Attorney Bernie McCabe in a letter to the FWC’s inspector general’s office.

Based on McCabe’s findings, FWC officials fired Tactuk.

Though he was an officer with the Department of Environmental Protection at the time of the incident, Tactuk became an FWC officer in July when the agencies merged their law enforcement divisions.

The March incident began when Tactuk noticed Barnes flailing and shouting profanities at the water’s edge, where Barnes’ aunt, Paula Yount, was trying to coax him to shore.

Yount had dunked Barnes under the water during a baptismal cleansing ritual, authorities said. When she asked him to come out of the water, Barnes shoved her, saying he wanted to be dunked more. That’s when Tactuk came to make the arrest.

The two men began to struggle. The officer dragged Barnes out of the water by his head. Barnes continued to writhe and scream as Tactuk handcuffed him haphazardly with his hands over his head, authorities said.

At some point, Tactuk sat on Barnes, officials said.

Moments later, Pinellas County sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Kubler arrived and ordered Barnes to stop fighting or he would be shocked with a Taser. Barnes continued to buck and kick his legs, sheriff’s officials said, so Kubler shocked him three times.

Barnes went unconscious and stopped breathing. He was taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where he died two days later.”

From Dan Sullivan Tampa bay times. Whole story here: http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/fish-and-wildlife-officer-fired-after-investigation-of-violent-honeymoon/1246097

This is dedicated to Deputy Elrod of the Pinellas County Sheriffs office who on July 5th 2014 threatened to tase me off a chair I was sitting on while handcuffed wearing a swim suit and ( not under arrest ) .  then later laughed with the FWC  ” I should have tased her while I had the chance”.  The only reason he didn’t was because I starting telling people he was threatening me with violence because I dared to ask for my Mirranda to be read to me before I answered any questions.  Elrod is also a filthy liar in court along with Martinez Rivera and Tsongranis.  They all openly committed perjury in court with the approval of Judge Horrox .

New york cop pepper sprays, arrests man for giving him the finger

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Posted by Deborah Lee Jarrett

May 18, 2015     “Saratoga Springs police released the camera they had confiscated on Saturday, showing officer Nathan Baker pepper spraying a man sitting in his car before grabbing the man’s arm and twisting it out the window.

Officer Baker claimed he was arresting Adam Rupeka for disorderly conduct. Rupeka had flipped him off while driving past him.

And while the New York statute for disorderly conduct includes a line about making an “obscene gesture,”  the  2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which encompasses New York, ruled that flipping cops off is protected by the Constitution.

And that is just one of many court rulings that decided the same, so Baker should have known better.

But he didn’t know or seemed to care, which, of course, gives us even more reason to want to flip him off.

But Baker was the one punished, if you want to call it that,  when he was placed on paid administrative leave this week after police viewed the video.”

Photography is not a crime : http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/05/new-york-police-release-video-showing-cop-pepper-spraying-man-for-asking-questions/

I know what I posted yesterday. It makes it pretty clear that the cop knew too. They also , contrary to recent supreme court rulings, confiscated his cell phone.

This guy definitely gets a ” Bad cop, no donut” award.

Court: Flipping a cop off does not warrant arrest

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Posted by Deborah Lee Jarrett

“A New York man arrested after he gave the finger to a police officer can sue police for malicious prosecution, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, overturning a lower-court decision that deemed the officer’s response reasonable.

In its decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that giving someone the finger is an “ancient gesture of insult” and “is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.”

The incident took place in May 2006, court documents say, when John Swartz and his wife, Judy Mayton-Swartz, were driving through the upstate village of St. Johnsville, N.Y., to the home of Judy’s son.

Swartz was in the passenger seat when he noticed a local officer, Richard Insogna, in a police car using a radar device. Expressing his displeasure, Swartz reached “his right arm outside the passenger side window and extending his middle finger over the car’s roof,” according to court documents.

The couple continued their drive. They were not speeding or committing other traffic violations, but upon reaching their destination and getting out of the car, they saw an approaching police car with its lights flashing.

Ordering them to get back into the vehicle, Insogna told the couple this was a traffic stop and requested their documents. Swartz told his wife not to show the officer anything, prompting Insogna to say, “Shut your mouth, your ass is in enough trouble.” Then, after checking the woman’s license and registration, Insogna called for backup, according to court documents. Three other officers soon appeared.

After being told he and his wife were free to go, Swartz tried to speak with Insogna, but the other officers stepped in front of him.

Swartz was arrested after he either muttered or shouted, depending on whose account one reads, that he felt “like an ass.”
At the station, he was told he had been arrested for disorderly conduct, a charge that was later dismissed.

Swartz’s lawyer, Elmer Robert Keach III, praised the court’s decision, The Associated Press reported.

“It reaffirms that just because you insult a police officer [it] doesn’t give that police officer the right to detain you or arrest you and take away your liberty,” Keach told The AP, calling the decision an “important victory for civil rights.”

NBC news : http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/04/16348364-court-flipping-the-bird-at-a-cop-doesnt-warrant-arrest?lite

What  can I say that is more eloquent than the statement made by the late and great Johnny Cash?