Welcome to the force
Month: October 2016
Florida:Hero in blue cops plea on Roid rage shooting after firing at another officer
“MIAMI (WSVN) – A South Florida police officer has pleaded guilty after a road rage shooting in 2014.
Officer Jonathan Lang admitted to discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle, assault and tampering with evidence.
In exchange, he’s expected to face a lighter sentence.
Lang was off-duty when he cut off a Miami-Dade corrections officer on the Florida Turnpike in July 2014.
The corrections officer flashed her high beams and Lang fired his gun, shooting out her tail light.”
South Florida police officer pleads guilty to shooting at corrections officer’s vehicle
Welcome to Florida where the motto is “Come on vacation, leave on probation”
You can truly find some of the finest serving here
Better hope that you or yours don’t encounter one of Florida’s boys in blue on some dark stretch of highway
This is the caliber of whom they think is appropriate to hire
What was it about this guy that made them say “Gott’a have him”?
Seriously, someone this raged out isn’t throwing red flags?
Or is it because he fit the bill on so many other levels?
Either way, a P.O.S. destined to catch a round while raging on somebody
The crooked blue line
Read the reports from below
These are from 3 days of news reports from Oct. 2016 from the CATO institute’s police misconduct site
That’s right 3 days
Makes you feel safe doesn’t it?
That is a bona fide hero with his lights on behind you
Remember these heroes the next time you see someone in uniform
Remember that you are only as safe as the officer says you are
(https://www.policemisconduct.net/)
Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Wednesday, October 26, 2016:
- Ripley, Mississippi: An officer was indicted on tampering and burglary charges for breaking into police offices to steal drug evidence. ow.ly/qdG5305yaTX
- New York, New York: An officer resigned after she was caught using a fellow officer’s American Express card during a shopping spree that racked up over $3,400 in purchases. She was charged with petty larceny and possession of stolen property. ow.ly/Tfas305yb5f
- Joliet Junior College (IL): A now-former campus police officer pled guilty to misdemeanor theft from the school. ow.ly/iHAL305yllR
- Update: Miami-Dade County, Florida (First reported 01-14-15): A now-former officer pled guilty to unlawfully discharging a firearm, assault, and tampering with evidence for an off-duty road rage incident. ow.ly/VMAf305ymp7
- Update: Clark County, Ohio (First reported 10-12-15): One deputy who was fired for gross employee misconduct has been reinstated. ow.ly/Ldln305ys17
- Update: Bakersfield, California (First reported 11-23-15): A now-former officer was sentenced to five years in prison for dealing methamphetamine. His partner previously pled guilty and also received a five-year term. ow.ly/kzUA305yugV
- Prince George’s County, Maryland: An officer was indicted for a “theft scheme” and suspended without pay. ow.ly/1q6D305yFrT
- Louisville, Kentucky: A detective was charged with solicitation of prostitution. ow.ly/Khge305yQ2i
- Update: Santa Ana, California: The City agreed to pay the owners of a marijuana dispensary $100,000 after a raid during which officers stole and consumed edible merchandise. ow.ly/gc2j305yR8l
National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 10-25-16
October 26, 2016 @ 6:16 PM
Here are the eight reports of police misconduct tracked for Tuesday, October 25, 2016:
- Pennsylvania State Police: A trooper was placed on leave after being charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment. ow.ly/plRt305tYvd
- Update: Austin, Texas (First reported 09-16-16): Two more officers were suspended for their actions that resulted in pepper-spraying a man during the SXSW festival. One officer was previously suspended for the incident. ow.ly/WYjz305vWGJ
- Update: Warren, Ohio (First reported 05-16-16): An officer was reinstated by a labor arbitrator. He was fired in May for lying about a use of force incident. ow.ly/Eih8305vXJk
- Franklin, Indiana: An officer was arrested for a domestic violence incident at his home. ow.ly/EPHn305vYiw
- Montville Township, New Jersey: An officer was arrested for DUI on duty while in an unmarked police car. ow.ly/vPAB305vYWo
- Blaine County, Idaho: A now-former deputy was indicted for misusing Police Athletic League funds while he was on the force. ow.ly/Azup305w6vY
- Update: Elgin, Illinois (First reported 05-23-13): The now-former deputy chief was urged by a judge to settle a pending lawsuit against him. He had previously pled guilty to identity theft for hacking into the email of his lover’s husband. Charges of official misconduct and abusing a law enforcement database were dropped in exchange for the plea. The lawsuit is directly related to that case. ow.ly/ogpH305w7jH
- Update: Flint, Michigan (First reported 10-10-14): A now-retired officer pled guilty to 16 counts of sexual abuse of children for incidents that occurred over many years he was on the force. ow.ly/kyr8305w9aC
National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 10-24-16
October 25, 2016 @ 5:10 PM
Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Monday, October 24, 2016:
- Washington, District of Columbia: A metro officer was arrested for DUI while on duty. ow.ly/obra305tgGb
- Nelson County, Kentucky: A deputy was arrested on a fourth-degree assault charge for actions against a woman while off duty. He is prohibited from carrying a firearm or contacting the woman while the case is pending. ow.ly/WPxB305thjj
- Update: Jackson, Mississippi (First reported 09-25-15): A now-former officer was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for stealing cash from purported drug suspects in an FBI sting. ow.ly/DmMa305tiye
- Update: Gladstone, Oregon (First reported 12-15-11): A now-former officer was found guilty on all counts for hiring someone to kill his estranged wife. ow.ly/YMT5305tkrN
- Sonoma County, California: A deputy was fired for tasing and beating a man in his own home. The now-former deputy may face criminal charges as well. ow.ly/6esK305tNil
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana: A now-former officer failed to appear in court on fraud charges for allegedly making $1,450 in unauthorized purchases on department gas card. He is alleged to have used the card improperly to fill personal vehicles over 50 times. ow.ly/wisw305tQt3
- St. Petersburg, Florida: An officer was arrested for DUI after being found passed out in his car on the road. It is the officer’s second arrest for DUI. ow.ly/pCdR305tRwM
- Dearborn Heights, Michigan: An officer was suspended after an off-duty drunk driving crash without injury. Criminal charges are expected to be filed. ow.ly/Rdk8305tSUx
- Scottsdale, Arizona: Several officers were reprimanded for giving special treatment to a former Mesa officer who had been sentenced to jail after pleading to enhanced DUI charges. The wife of the former Mesa officer, who is an active detective in the Mesa Police Department, is under internal investigation because she was granted special access to her husband while he was in jail. The report also alleges that the Scottsdale officers released the former officer before his sentence was complete. ow.ly/3TpG305tV3J
Blue privilege: Special rules for special people
“The wife of a former Mesa police lieutenant has suddenly found herself accused of disgracing her own department.
Mesa police Sgt. Diana Williams confirmed to 12 News, the department initiated an internal affairs investigation against homicide detective Teresa Van Galder.
It stems from a series of 12 News investigative reports regarding her husband, Rick Van Galder who was arrested for drunk driving by Gilbert police on Feb. 12, 2016. Teresa was also in the car, drunk. The two had been golfing and admitted to drinking throughout the day and the night before in Scottsdale.
The arrest was captured on Gilbert police body cameras. Rick tried to pull the cop card and get professional courtesy, repeatedly attempting to wiggle his way out of the arrest. But Gilbert police officers and their supervisors did not cave into pressure. Teresa can be seen on the video slurring her words and fumbling around in her purse looking for her cell phone and driver’s license.
In fact, the arresting officer noted in his report, while trying to talk to Teresa, that he witnessed, a chewed piece of pizza fall out of her mouth and onto the seat between her legs. Gilbert police had to have the couple’s car towed because Teresa was also inebriated. Her daughter picked her up from the scene of the traffic stop. Rick’s blood alcohol level was .306 following a blood draw that was taken 46 minutes after he was pulled over.
In August, Rick Van Galder resigned before Mesa police could terminate his employment.
“But a 12 News investigation uncovered he did not fulfill his jail sentence. Scottsdale city jail detention sergeant Don Vogel sprang Van Galder from his jail cell the morning of Aug. 5 and Van Galder was put up in detention manager Jeff Landrum’s office which was not even in the jail. He was also given a key card which allowed him to come and go as he pleased.
And he had a visitor: his wife. No visitors are allowed at the Scottsdale jail. In September, Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell confirmed to 12 News that Teresa Van Galder accessed Landrum’s office and brought her husband food on at least two occasions. Sources also tell 12 News Teresa brought donuts for jail staff during one of those visits.”
Special rules for them
But if you “Resist”
You will be shot down like a dog
Time to start dumping the bad apples out of the bushel
Better empty than rotten
To Perve: Man alleges that cop who sparked Milwaukee riots raped him
“A Milwaukee police officer who shot and killed a man in August — setting off protests in the city — allegedly sexually assaulted incapacitated victims, tried to pay for sex and snapped nude photos of unsuspecting acquaintances, according to authorities.
Dominique Heaggan-Brown, 24, a two-year department veteran who once performed as an amateur rapper, shot and killed Sylville Smith as he fled from a traffic stop on Aug. 13.
Authorities said Heaggan-Brown shot 23-year-old Smith after he refused orders to drop his gun, though the encounter sparked police brutality protests in the city that turned violent.
An unidentified man who said that he watched TV coverage of the protests with Heaggan-Brown at a bar the night after the shooting claims that the officer raped him, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.”
“The man told authorities that he left A bar with Heaggan-Brown and woke to Heaggan-Brown trying to penetrate him, “struggling to breathe as the defendant raped [him],” according to the complaint.
He repeatedly told him “no,” but the cop didn’t listen, the victim told investigators.
The accusations set off an internal investigation. As police investigated — and after Heaggan-Brown confirmed having the man’s belt, shirt and cell phone in his car — he allegedly texted a mentor: “F—ed up big time … But need to handle this the most secret and right way possible.”
“Authorities claim that evidence from the officer’s phone led to offenses including his attempts to pay for sex, secretly recorded sex footage, and nude photos of numerous victims, authorities allege.
One victim alleged that they went out drinking with Heaggan-Brown and other friends in July, and “could not recall” how they ended up in his bed, naked.”
Stop resisting!
Hero in blue: Former Berrien County Sheriff sentenced to 30 months imprisonment
“VALDOSTA – A former Berrien County sheriff was sentenced Wednesday after pleaded guilty to federal charges in June.
Anthony Heath pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the civil rights of two non-resistant arrestees by using excessive force against them. Heath was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment, a $200 assessment fee and three years of supervised release, according to the United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia.
According to Heath’s guilty plea, on Jan. 12, 2012, Heath and deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) were engaged in a foot chase of an individual identified only as M.V., who had been banned from traveling through the county. During the chase, Heath saw M.V. and called out to him, “You better not run or I will beat your a**,” or words to that effect. M.V. responded by running into a nearby wooded area.
Heath and multiple BCSO deputies followed M.V. into the woods, where a BCSO deputy eventually saw M.V. and arrested him without incident. When a deputy reported that M.V. was in custody, Heath ordered deputies to wait and hold M.V. in the woods. When Heath arrived, M.V. was lying face-down on the ground, with his hands handcuffed behind his back and was not resisting arrest. Heath kicked M.V. in the ribs, punched him in the head with a closed fist multiple times and forcefully kneed him in the ribs multiple times, causing M.V. to experience pain and have difficulty breathing.”
Pinellas deputy arrested on theft, drug charges after pawning his service pistol
Bay News 9- By Josh Rojas, Reporter
Last Updated: Thursday, October 13, 2016
Last Updated: Thursday, October 13, 2016
DUNEDIN — A Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested Wednesday.
- Pinellas deputy arrested on theft, drug charges
- Steven Smith, 32, is accused of selling his duty-issued gun
- Smith had been Pinellas deputy since 2012
Steven Jared Smith, 32, is accused of selling his duty-issued gun to a pawn shop, in addition to stealing drugs.
According to the sheriff’s office, Smith was fired Wednesday evening.
Investigators said Smith sold his agency-issued Glock 30 .45-caliber pistol for $250 to Silver Dollar Pawn Shop in New Port Richey.
A deputy since 2012, Smith is also accused of stealing a bottle of hydrocodone pills at the north district station in Dunedin. Smith was supposed to destroy the pills.
The rest of the story here: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2016/10/13/pinellas_deputy_arre.html
Seriously?
Who hired this guy?
He looks like a candidate for psychopath of the year
Man, Pinellas county sure can pick them
Tony Soprano must have his “Guy” in the personnel Dept.
Hero cop has medal rescinded when leaked dash cam video shows him shoot man on his knees in the back
October 10, 2016 The free thought project
“Birmingham, AL — In May 2015, officer Daniel Aguirre was given a Combat Cross Medal after he said in a police report that he successfully fended off a struggle in which he and his partner were in danger. However, someone on the inside leaked Dashcam footage showing Aquirre shooting a man in the back as he lay prostrate on his hands and knees. Still, Birmingham police charged their victim, Aubrey Williams, with attempted murder.
But, last week, after spending more than a year in jail for a crime he never committed, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office finally showed a semblance of logic and dropped the charges against Williams.
“After an extensive review of all the evidence in this case, the state is unable to meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to the press release issued by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office late Friday.
“This man stayed in jail for more than a year and a half on some trumped up charges by these Birmingham police officers,” Anthony said. “Not all police officers are bad, but when they make a mistake they should own up to it,” he said, according to AL.com.
According to the entirely fabricated police report, Aguirre began to struggle with a man named Aubrey Williams who pulled a gun and pointed it at his partner officer Richard Haluska. When he ordered the man to drop his gun, the suspect then pointed his gun at Aguirre. Aguirre fired and struck the suspect.
Newspapers reported on it, and the local media hailed Aguirre as a hero. However, the dashcam video of the incident was released in November that contradicted Aquirre’s claims. Immediately after the dashcam was released, Aguirre was stripped of his medal. However, the department still pursued murder charges against a man innocent of murder — and neither of the cops was disciplined for lying.
On April 24, 2014, Aguirre and Haluska were in search of suspects involved in a robbery when they encountered Aubrey Williams and Devon Brown. That much of the story is true.
But the dashcam video shows what really happened after the encounter. A struggle ensued and Haluska had Brown under control when Aquirre approached Williams, who was on his hands and knees.
Aguirre then unnecessarily feared for his life and fired two rounds into a man complying with his orders, on his hands and knees.
Williams wasn’t pointing the gun at anyone, and the department had to have known this, but they gave Aguirre the award anyway.
The dashcam was leaked to AL.com from a confidential source inside the department. After it had been posted on their website, the department had no choice but to issue a statement saying they are taking back the award.
“In regards to the officer involved shooting that took place on April 24, 2014, the award is rescinded until further review by the Awards Committee,” said Officer Lt. Sean Edwards at 10:57 p.m. last November.
Aguirre’s attorney issued a statement to AL.com on Saturday.
“Officer Aguirre stands firm on the justification for having to use lethal force in this instance,” Aguirre’s attorney, Scott Morro, stated. “Officers are called upon to make split second decision with regard to their own safety and the safety of others. Ultimately those who decide to prosecute or not do so after scrutinizing much more information then what the officer on the scene has. Officer Aguirre has no control over those prosecuting decisions.”
“Any suggestion by anyone that officer Aguirre is a “bad cop” is completely and utterly false and defamatory,” Morro wrote.
Apparently, according to Morro, ‘good cops’ lie on police reports and receive medals for shooting non-threatening men in the back.
“This video provides evidence that Police Officer Daniel Aguirre shot Aubrey Williams twice despite the fact that Williams was on his hands and knees and not in a position to fire a weapon,” Frank James Matthews of the Outcast Voters League said in a statement in November. “It is clear that the Birmingham Police Department attempted to prevent the release of this footage, and it seems that Officer Aguirre’s actions were rewarded based on outright lies.”
Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/53140-2/#Ev6VJVPmK8vioxLR.99
And here is the best part:
The cops had the video the whole time
That’s right, these degenerates knew the truth all along
They sat on that dash cam video
And let the guy who got shot go to jail for over a year
Just a few bad apples, right?
Most of them are stand up honest guys, right?
Until you have a whole P.D. that covers something like this up
Now that we live in the video age it is becoming harder and harder to sell the whole
“Few bad apples” narrative
There is a very good chance that any time you have contact with police
Your life is in danger
Who is behind that gun?
Officer friendly, sworn to serve and protect?
Or some malicious psychopath who wears a badge and a gun
for a lot darker reasons?
If you get pulled over somewhere on a lonely highway
you should hope it is not the latter
You can see from the video above that even complying won’t save you
From the CATO institute: Worst police misconduct for Sept. 2016
Worst of the Month — September
October 6, 2016 @ 12:25 PM
“For September, we have selected the Connecticut State Troopers who were caught on tape harassing a protester and fabricating charges against him.
According to news reports, Michael Picard was protesting near a DUI checkpoint. He had his cell phone camera out and was recording the scene. When a trooper noticed what he was doing, he angrily approached Picard and seized his phone saying it was illegal to record him. This is when things got interesting. Unbeknownst to the trooper, Picard’s cell phone was still recording as the trooper went back to his patrol car to confer with his colleagues. The troopers were anxious to “hit” Picard with some kind of charge, but they became frustrated with their options. Picard had a firearm, but a valid concealed carry permit. Picard did record them with his cell phone, but that’s legal too. What to do? To “cover their ass,” they decide to fabricate a story that several citizens were complaining about Picard’s supposedly “disruptive actions,” but these “witnesses” did not want to stay on the scene, so the troopers had to take action on their own.
The charges against Picard were quickly dismissed. The ACLU has now filed a lawsuit on behalf of Picard.
The cell phone recording of the incident can be found here. Because the phone is evidently sitting on the roof of the patrol car, the value is in what can be heard, not seen. Listen and decide for yourself.”
And here is CATO’s website, an invaluable resource : http://www.policemisconduct.net/
2 Police Officers Are Shot and Killed in Palm Springs, Calif.
“The police in Palm Springs, Calif., are mourning two officers who were shot and killed on Saturday while responding to a call about a domestic disturbance. One of the victims was a young mother and the other a veteran months away from retirement.
Dozens of law enforcement officers converged on the scene, where a third officer had been wounded, to help search for the gunman.
“I am awake in a nightmare right now,” said Chief Bryan Reyes of the Palm Springs Police Department.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which took over the case, said on Sunday that a suspect, John Felix, 26, of Palm Springs, had been arrested.
The police said that Mr. Felix had been injured while exchanging gunfire with the officers, but that his injuries were not life-threatening and that he was being treated at a local hospital. Mr. Felix will be charged with two counts of murder of a peace officer, the police said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Mr. Felix had a criminal record. He was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2009 and sentenced to two years in prison.
The episode began shortly after noon on Saturday when a woman called the police about her adult son.
Three officers — Jose Gilbert Vega, 63; Lesley Zerebny, 27; and a man whose identity has not been released — responded to the call. A person at the house refused to open the front door and threatened to shoot them through it, Chief Reyes said.
Within 10 minutes, shots had been fired and all three officers had been hit.
“It was a simple family disturbance and he elected to open fire,” Chief Reyes said.”
The rest here:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/us/palm-springs-police-officers-shot.html
Now it’s starting to get dangerous out there
“It was a simple family disturbance and he elected to open fire,”
You never know when someone has had enough
The old “They risk their lives every day” might actually become truth
Police fatalities up to 2016 have been at historic lows
It as actually more dangerous to be a bartender than a cop
But times they are A-changin’
Deborah Lee Jarrett 