There is way too much of this crap going on and way too little reprimanding
I have personally sat in court while a judge told an attorney” I don’t care if it’s legal, I’m a judge, I can do anything I want”
I have personally sat in a court while a judge allowed a cop to perjure himself and change sworn testimony that was given earlier
I have personally sat in a court while the judge allowed hearsay evidence in over the objections of an attorney
I have personally sat in a court and had a judge let a cop illegally give a victims impact statement when there was no victim other than the state of Florida
I have personally sat in court while a Judge used something that I wrote on my website during the sentencing of someone else
These scumbag judges are just as bad if not worse than the cops
The judges are the ones who empower the cops and allow them to lie
And then have the judicial system profit from it
The Florida supreme court makes a big deal about the peoples trust and all that
“A Pinellas sheriff’s deputy who was fired from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of driving while impaired eight years ago resigned Saturday after being accused once again of driving under the influence in Naples, authorities said.
Jose Javier Berrios-Collazo, 33, was arrested about 2 a.m. Saturday, according to a report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. A Collier deputy said Berrios-Collazo may have been speeding in a black Jeep.
The Jeep was pulled over. Deputies at the scene said they could smell alcohol in the car, and Berrios-Collazo slurred his words when he spoke. His eyes were glassy, according to the report, and he failed field sobriety tests. He refused to take a breath test, deputies said.
A deputy also found loose marijuana and a glass pipe in the Jeep, according to the report. Collier deputies said they could not determine if it belonged to Berrios-Collazo or a passenger, so they did not arrest either on drug charges.
Hours after his arrest, Berrios-Collazo resigned from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He declined to comment on Thursday. He joined the agency in June 2012.
In 2008, while he was a Pasco deputy, Berrios-Collazo was stopped in Tarpon Springs when a Pinellas sheriff’s sergeant spotted him speeding at 98 miles per hour and weaving in traffic. The sergeant did not investigate Berrios-Collazo for DUI, though, and no charges were filed.”
Here are the 16 reports of police misconduct tracked for Tuesday, July 26, 2016:
Laurel, Montana: An officer was arrested for allegedly beating his girlfriend. ow.ly/bIz5302Chgc
New Haven, Connecticut: The chief was suspended for 15 days for berating a waitress and other actions unbecoming an officer. ow.ly/fL6u302Co3i
Love County, Oklahoma: The sheriff was arrested for harboring a fugitive and allowing drug use in his home. The case is before a grand jury. ow.ly/jAOQ302CoBm
Update: Reynoldsburg, Ohio (First reported 02-19-16): An officer was suspended as part of an ongoing investigation into falsified warrants and embezzlement. ow.ly/bEOZ302Cp1R
Whitehouse, Texas: An officer resigned while under IAD investigation for sexual impropriety, including harassing a female gas station attendant. ow.ly/uptV302CpZ5
Massachusetts State Police: A trooper was indicted on a bevy of rape and assault charges. ow.ly/TXR2302CqD7
Ottawa County, Ohio: A deputy was suspended and demoted for threatening an officer responding to a domestic disturbance call at his home. According to the report, the deputy has a history of suspensions for misconduct. ow.ly/ijCt302Cryf
Update: Covert Township, Michigan (First reported 07-21-16): An officer was charged with sexual assault and kidnapping after attacking the female passenger of a DUI suspect. ow.ly/R0KQ302Ct4i
Tucson, Arizona: An officer was arrested after being found slumped over the wheel in a car that had struck parked vehicles while off duty. ow.ly/eJUU302CvjM
Horry County, South Carolina: A federal judge accepted two of three lawsuits filed by female (now-former) inmates who participated in catfights for money at the behest of a now-former detective. ow.ly/6dQj302Cudx
Update: Harris County, Texas (First reported 06-08-16): An officer’s firing for having sex with a female witness in the investigation of his colleague’s murder was upheld. ow.ly/JC7F302Cw9B
Gary, Indiana: An officer was placed on leave after his domestic violence arrest. ow.ly/XAkc302Cx3U
Pinellas County, Florida: A deputy who was previously fired from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for DUI resigned after another DUI arrest. ow.ly/dY5a302Cxxd
Providence, Rhode Island: The City settled two lawsuits. One suit was brought by a man who was beaten unconscious by police. That settlement was for $255,000. The second suit was filed by an officer who claimed he and his son were racially profiled and arrested without cause. That settlement was for $50,000. ow.ly/Ufo0302Cytb
Washington (DC) Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: An officer pled guilty to assault for pulling his service weapon during a road rage incident. ow.ly/5wzA302CA6y
Las Vegas, Nevada: An officer pled not guilty to insurance fraud and arson charges. ow.ly/YBz1302CAGG
Here are the 18 reports of police misconduct tracked for Monday, July 25, 2016:
West Linn, Oregon: An officer was suspended after referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as “target practice” on Facebook. ow.ly/ElC6302yvX1
Update: Santa Ana, California (First reported 06-12-15): Three officers who were criminally charged for theft and other misconduct during a raid on a marijuana dispensary are no longer with the department. ow.ly/2rcQ302w7yJ
Cotton Plant, Arkansas: The chief was arrested and fired for pocketing civil fines that had been turned in to him. ow.ly/hoI3302yviK
Update: Bald Knob, Arkansas (First reported 03-16-16): The now-former police chief was given six months of house arrest and three years of probation for possession of a stolen gun. His plea agreement also ordered that he must reimburse an insurance company $12,000 for a truck fire to avoid arson charges. He can never work in law enforcement again. ow.ly/TFcc302yw7b
Nashville, Tennessee: An officer was suspended five weeks for making sexual comments to school employees when he served as SRO. He has been transferred out of school details. ow.ly/FsF0302ywl4
Update: Taylorville, Illinois (First reported 07-08-16): An officer was fired after his arrest for domestic battery. ow.ly/z6eW302ywIH
Update: Providence, Rhode Island (First reported 10-02-14): A now-former officer pled guilty to criminal charges for stealing from evidence. He was sentenced to seven years of incarceration. He will serve one year in home confinement and the remaining six years of his sentence was suspended. He will spend that time on probation. ow.ly/Vx3T302yx56
Update: Bullitt County, Kentucky (First reported 12-17-15): A now-former deputy was found guilty of civil rights violations for retaliating against a man who insulted him by breaking into his home, tasing him, and then falsely arresting him. He is scheduled to be sentenced October 17th. ow.ly/G8Xd302yxkH
Spokane County, Washington: A deputy was fired for having a sexual relationship with a suspect who had an outstanding warrant. ow.ly/5kuX302yxC1
Martin County, North Carolina: A deputy was fired for having inappropriate relationships with two female (now-former) inmates. ow.ly/vUM6302yxQE
Manchester, Ohio: An officer was terminated for misrepresenting his arrest history. ow.ly/xbCd302yy6x
Trenton, New Jersey: The City settled two excessive force lawsuits for a total of $218,000 ow.ly/neG5302yyvs
Columbia County, Florida: A deputy was arrested for smuggling tobacco into jail for a friend who had been arrested. ow.ly/jXxq302yyGx
Update: Utah State Police (First reported 10-15-12): The State settled lawsuits with people who had been wrongly arrested for DUI by a now-former trooper who made a number of flawed arrests for $200,000. ow.ly/JxP2302yyZ9
Mount Hope, West Virginia: An officer was arrested for stalking her ex-girlfriend in Fayette County. ow.ly/dJxi302At2F
Sumter County, Alabama: The sheriff is undergoing an impeachment trial for misconduct and mismanagement of jail. ow.ly/F6fS302Atvt
Cambridge, Massachusetts: An officer was placed on leave after his arrest for assaulting a restaurant employee. ow.ly/cEdW302AtLT
Cherokee County, Georgia: A deputy confessed to stealing prescription drugs from evidence after his arrest for the crime. ow.ly/LJi3302AKWQ
Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, July 22, 2016:
Pocomoke City, Maryland: A lieutenant and a now-former chief were charged with conspiracy and misconduct for interfering in an investigation. ow.ly/2X0R302tKn3
San Mateo, California: An officer was charged with 22 counts of rape and other sexual assaults on duty over more than two years.ow.ly/z3nm302uhkS
Austin, Texas: Two officers have been placed under investigation after a video of questionable and violent 2015 arrest of a female African-American teacher emerges. One officer said that the reason blacks are treated more harshly is because they have “violent tendencies.” ow.ly/L0Xs302ui4W
Update: Edison, New Jersey (First reported 04-01-14) officer who has been suspended since 2014 for criminal retaliation against an officer in another jurisdiction has been awarded unemployment benefits. His criminal trial is slated for September 2016. ow.ly/EkjJ302uirD
Update: Reading, Pennsylvania (First reported 05-26-16): An officer had tampering, false reporting, and criminal mischief charges that had been dismissed refiled against him. He is accused of seizing and smashing the phone of a bystander who recorded him in the course of his duties. ow.ly/xXcc302uiGg
Santa Fe County, New Mexico: A deputy was arrested for domestic violence against his wife. ow.ly/CkeO302uiP4
Citrus County, Florida: A deputy was arrested for solicitation and fired. ow.ly/lCmw302uiV6
Prince George’s County, Maryland: An officer was charged with taking “upskirt” pictures of women, including during traffic stops.ow.ly/ngvW302uj2t
Update: Orangeburg County, South Carolina (First reported 07-01-16): A now-former deputy was charged with felony misconduct for orally raping a woman by threatening her with her boyfriend’s arrest if she did not comply. ow.ly/Xn5u302ujap
Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Thursday, July 21, 2016:
North Miami, Florida: An officer shot Charles Kinsey, a health care worker who was lying on the ground with his hands up attempting to aid an autistic man. Kinsey survived. By his account, when he asked the officer why he shot him, the officer replied “I don’t know.” ow.ly/uEhL302sYIo
Covert Township, Michigan: An officer was accused of sexually assaulting an arrested driver’s girlfriend. He has resigned. ow.ly/a0ur302sXS7
Silver City, New Mexico: The City will not terminate officers for a botched DWI investigation of a district attorney who was cited for reckless driving. ow.ly/3TWa302t8A7
Yorktown, Texas: The chief and one lieutenant have been suspended. The chief is accused of having a woman show him her breasts on a number of occasions in exchange for community service credit. The lieutenant was allegedly present when this happened on at least two occasions. ow.ly/D2Iw302t9ek
Miami-Dade County, Florida: An officer was arrested for breaking into her ex-boyfriend’s home and causing $5,000 in damages. The ex-boyfriend is also the former mayor. ow.ly/rntD302taLv
Loudon County, Virginia: A deputy was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. ow.ly/7bY7302tdFv
Dane County, Wisconsin: A deputy was fired and charged with five criminal counts for bringing contraband to jail inmate with whom she had a relationship. ow.ly/T9xq302teyn
Las Vegas, Nevada: A metro officer was arrested for DUI and three hit-and-run crashes on I-15. ow.ly/1ULR302thKB
Update: New York, New York (First reported 07-07-16): The City is being sued for wrongful death by the widow of Delrawn Small, who was killed by an off-duty officer in an alleged road rage incident. ow.ly/PrLA302ttWj
Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for July 20, 2016:
New York, New York: An officer was charged with eight criminal counts for a DUI incident in which he ran onto a sidewalk, killing one and injuring three other pedestrians. ow.ly/EPsA302qC7M
Update: Massachusetts and New Hampshire State Police (First reported 05-12-16): One trooper from each department was charged with assault for actions after an interstate chase ended with the video-recorded beating of a driver on live television. ow.ly/Gfey302qCBL
Cleveland, Ohio: An officer was arrested for DUI after an off-duty crash. ow.ly/tt8z302qE42
Pittsylvania County, Virginia: A deputy was arrested for DUI. He is no longer with the department. ow.ly/nT04302qGyD
Fort Pierce, Florida: The chief was suspended five days for intimidating a restauranteur. A City memo recommended suspension or termination for the incident. ow.ly/Q43r302qIcJ
Lee County, Florida: Several deputies are accused of seizing a bystander’s phone without a warrant. ow.ly/YeWu302qJ5g
Tulsa County, Oklahoma: The now-former sheriff Stanley Glanz pled no contest to charges for refusing to release information regarding the qualifications and training of his friend, Robert Bates, who became a reserve deputy. Bates was convicted for killing Eric Harris during a chase on foot. Glanz was given a one-year suspended sentence. ow.ly/QUCw302qKoK
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: An officer who was involved in the in-custody death of Derek Williams has been fired for undisclosed reasons. No one from the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Police Association, or the Fire and Police Commission would say whether termination relates to the Williams case or a disputed duty disability claim. ow.ly/aH25302rk4L
Mandan, North Dakota: An officer was arrested for breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s garage. He was fired. ow.ly/s45G302rl95
Heather MacDonald, who is based at the Manhattan Institute, has a new book out titled, The War on Cops. Is there a war? John Stossel notes that the “war on cops” narrative is overblown: “‘War’ means killing. The attack on officers in Dallas was despicable, but, even including those five deaths, it is still safer to be a cop today than in years past. According to FBI records, 2015 was one of the safest years ever recorded.”
MacDonald seems to recognize that. Her primary aim is to push back against the critics of the criminal justice system. She says we need more proactive policing and stricter incarceration practices to protect our cities from what she calls “mass destruction.” I have a review of the book over at Reason and outline several problems with MacDonald’s thesis.
Here’s an excerpt:
In 2013, a federal district court ruled that the NYPD’s [stop & frisk] tactics were unconstitutional. The court noted that cops were evaluated by their “productivity”—that is, finding contraband and making arrests. Officers were not disciplined for stops that turned up nothing, and innocent persons had no practical legal recourse for brief detentions and patdowns of their clothing. Thus, the police had job pressures to stop a lot of people, suspicious or not, to see what might turn up. That helps to explain why, of the 4.4 million police stops between January 2004 and June 2012, there was no further action taken, such as an arrest or summons, in a whopping 88 percent. Mac Donald does not address these points.
That 88 percent might actually be an underestimate, because the police do not necessarily file the proper paperwork where a questionable stop turns up nothing. Recall that when NYPD officers roughed up former tennis pro James Blake last year in a case of mistaken identity, they did not report the encounter. As far as police records showed, it never happened. Fortuitously, the incident was captured by a hotel security camera and Blake’s wife urged him not to drop the matter, arguing that it would highlight a type of abuse that black men had been complaining about.
Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Tuesday, July 19, 2016:
East Providence, Rhode Island: An officer was charged with simple assault after a domestic violence incident. ow.ly/B5gt302ogiy
Update: La Crosse, Wisconsin (First reported 06-21-16): An officer who was arrested for OWI and hit-and-run has resigned. ow.ly/FlfH302ohe0
Honolulu, Hawaii: An officer was charged with third-degree assault and unauthorized entry of a vehicle after off-duty road rage incident. His trial is set for September 12. ow.ly/8oXP302ohMr
Update: Mission, Texas (First reported 07-21-15): A now-former officer who also served as a DEA task force member was found guilty of cocaine distribution conspiracy. He and another man plotted to steal 15 kilograms of cocaine from dealers under the guise of a legal seizure. ow.ly/t7L3302oiwR
Sunbury, Pennsylvania: An officer was suspended for inappropriate Taser use against a man. ow.ly/GiLp302ojju
Austin, Texas: An officer was suspended after pursuing a suspect going the wrong way down I-35. ow.ly/ixdM302ok7R
Fort Worth, Texas: An officer was charged with domestic violence after he pulled a gun on his girlfriend in February. He was fired last week. ow.ly/jtQl302ol50
Prince George’s County, Maryland: The officer who killed a fellow officer in a friendly fire incident will not be indicted. ow.ly/dIJw302om0A
Terre Haute, Indiana: An officer was fired after his arrest for DUI after driving through an Air National Guard base gate. ow.ly/Eu7o302omB8
Here are the ten reports of police misconduct tracked for Monday, July 18, 2016:
Update: Atlanta, Georgia (First reported 07-14-16): A now-former officer was charged with murder and related charges for fatally shooting Deravis Rogers while on duty. ow.ly/cNYk302klKg
New York, New York: An officer pled guilty to exploiting children and buying child pornography. ow.ly/bGqx302lRCT
Update: Baltimore, Maryland (First reported 05-01-15): Lt. Brian Rice has been acquitted of all charges for his role in the death of Freddie Gray. http://bsun.md/29TpTiC
Santa Barbara, California: An officer was charged with workers’ compensation fraud. ow.ly/2M3B302lSEP
Laurens, South Carolina: An officer has been suspended for misconduct. He allegedly used a racial slur, drove drunk, and was involved in a domestic dispute while off duty and in the presence of other officers. ow.ly/TtRV302me6v
Update: Colfax County, New Mexico (First reported 03-06-15): A now-former deputy pled guilty to drug trafficking and theft for extorting suspected drug dealers. ow.ly/aFUs302mpl1
Barnwell City, South Carolina: An officer was arrested for domestic assault. The victim has subsequently asked for the charges to be dropped. ow.ly/BMDq302muAW
University of Maryland: An officer was suspended after inappropriately pepper-spraying and arresting a person at a party after officers received a false call about a fight and weapons at the predominantly black student party. ow.ly/B59m302myJd
Update: Los Angeles County, California (First reported 02-11-16): A now-former sheriff’s plea deal has been rejected by a judge. The judge said that the sentence of six months in jail was too lenient. ow.ly/YPkw302mM1y
Update: Union County, Arkansas (First reported06-13-16): A now-former deputy has his trial date for August 10.. He is accused of child pornography possession. ow.ly/t55V302mzgG
Here are the eight reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, July 15, 2016:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: The department moved to fire an officer who gave pills to an informant. Criminal charges were dismissed last year. ow.ly/4t88302fWM1
Fresno County, California: The County settled a lawsuit filed by an attorney who was roughed up and arrested by a deputy without justification. The settlement was for $250,000. ow.ly/QClY302husV
Update: Cleveland, Ohio (First reported 03-22-16): An officer was acquitted of assault, kidnapping, and abduction. He had been accused of slamming woman’s head into car bumper. ow.ly/5TH7302hwF8
Update: Knox County, Tennessee (First reported 04-11-14): A now-former deputy lost a legal motion to suppress the search of his home. The judge denied the motion because, as a police officer, the deputy knew the implications of his consent. He is accused of child rape. ow.ly/FT1O302hCoV
Richland Parish, Louisiana: A deputy pled guilty to animal cruelty and false reporting for the death of a K-9 from heat exposure. ow.ly/Y6ym302hCRP
Detroit, Michigan: The now-former deputy chief will not face perjury charges for actions that led to the wrongful conviction and incarceration of Devontae Sanford in a quadruple murder. ow.ly/qDtY302hDJR
Sandusky County, Ohio: A homicide detective is under investigation by an unnamed outside agency. The high-profile murder investigation he was leading has been taken over by the state attorney general.ow.ly/jBgZ302i9aL
Brantley, Alabama: An officer was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property. ow.ly/WKxB302i9wX
Here are the eight reports of police misconduct tracked for Thursday, July 14, 2016:
Lake County, Indiana: A deputy was arrested for DUI and hit-and-run on a pedestrian. ow.ly/xhjo302eYnp
Florence, Alabama: An officer entered pretrial diversion after a guilty plea for domestic violence. He was given 90 days in jail, which was suspended for two years, at which time it will be expunged if he stays out of trouble. He remains on unpaid leave.ow.ly/SqzG302f6da
Baton Rouge, Louisiana: The City is being sued by the state ACLU and other organizations for actions against protesters in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling. ow.ly/6Q37302f74q
Prince George’s County, Maryland: An officer was charged with domestic assault for pointing a gun to his wife’s head during an argument. ow.ly/9L7q302f7z4
Update: Grand Rapids, Michigan (First reported 03-03-15): A now-former officer’s sentence of 18-84 months for child pornography will be served concurrently with his two sentences of 2-15 years for sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The illicit material in question were pictures of a 17-year-old whom he had been seeing. ow.ly/oWyK302fcXF
Dallas County, Texas District Attorney’s Office: A now-former investigator pled guilty to fixing a case after taking a bribe. ow.ly/fliJ302fdNG
Update: Fresno, California (First reported 06-29-16): The police department released the body cam video of the fatal officer shooting of Dylan Noble. ow.ly/lqxG302fxOI
Atlanta, Georgia: An officer was fired for fatally shooting a fleeing suspect. ow.ly/QzdP302fWnL
Some content on this page was disabled on October 4, 2016 as a result of a DMCA takedown notice from Matthew Zalewski. You can learn more about the DMCA here:
“BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Two weeks before he was killed on the job, Baton Rouge police officer Montrell Jackson wrote on Facebook what it was like to be black and a cop.
Two days later, black militant Micah Johnson shot and killed five white police officers in apparent revenge for Sterling’s death and that of Philando Castile, who was also killed by police.
That was the week Jackson was reflecting on when he took to Facebook.
“I’ve experienced so much in my short life and the past 3 days have tested me to the core,” he wrote. “I swear to God I love this city but I wonder if this city loves me. In uniform I get nasty hateful looks and out of uniform some consider me a threat.”
“A former Broward County sheriff’s deputy who pleaded guilty to 14 counts of armed false imprisonment could still get his state retirement benefits, under a ruling by an administrative law judge.
Jonathan Bleiweiss was accused of committing the crimes while in uniform and driving a marked police car.
The ruling Tuesday by Administrative Law Judge John Van Laningham provided little detail about the allegations, but the Sun Sentinel reported last year that Bleiweiss had been accused of intimidating undocumented immigrants into performing sex acts.
The Sun Sentinel reported that he entered a plea deal that included five years in prison. After the plea, the state Division of Retirement made a preliminary decision that Bleiweiss had forfeited his benefits in the Florida Retirement System because of the conviction.”
“An Ault police officer has been arrested in connection with a fatal two-vehicle crash Wednesday in Weld County that authorities suspect was prompted by road rage.
Officer Blair Jackson, 48, is accused of second-degree murder and reckless driving resulting in death, according to the sheriff’s office. He is being held at the Weld County jail.
Jackson had just ended a shift when the crash happened near the intersection of U.S. 85 and Weld County Road 32½ — between Gilcrest and Platteville — about 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Authorities say two vehicles were involved — a black Ford Ranger and a green Subaru driven by Jackson.
“During the incident, the Ford Ranger rolled, and the driver was later declared deceased at the scene,” the sheriff’s office said.
The county coroner said Esteban Moreno Jr., 39, of Evans died after losing control of his pickup after a collision with another vehicle.
Jackson is the only suspect in the crash.
The sheriff’s office said its preliminary investigation found the crash was the result of road rage.”
Do they go out of their way to find psychopaths to populate their precincts?
I guess this is what happens when you start to turn your local P.D.s into bases for domestic warriors instead of the source for your local public service officers
A totally different hiring criteria is being used for our new and improved militarized police forces
Portland Police Chief Larry O’Dea may be in hot water after accidentally shooting a close friend in a hunting accident.
O’Dea neglected to tell deputies responding to the call that he had shot his hunting companion and instead suggested that the man had shot himself.
O’Dea never even identified himself as an officer when questioned by deputies who responded to the shooting on April 21.
The responding deputy was unaware that O’Dea was the police chief and the actual shooter until May 16 when he interviewed the wounded man.
The officer, a Harney county Deputy, said in a statement to the Oregonian/Oregon live that the shooting “didn’t happen the way it was originally portrayed,”
Deputy Ward also stated that “”The victim made it pretty clear he didn’t shoot himself,” Ward said. “The victim knew who shot him.”
It was at this point that the Harney county Sheriff decided to bring in the state police.
“As soon as we found out who was involved, and the victim’s statement was different than the statements that had been made at the scene, I contacted Oregon State Police for help in investigating it,” Ward said. “We are in no way willing to participate in, or have been involved in any type of cover-up.”
Apparently O’Dea told his boss, the mayor, four days after the shooting that he was responsible but never informed the investigating deputy.
Who the shooter actually was did not come to light until almost a month after the shooting when O’Dea was questioned by reporters.
O’Dea has not been fired or suspended as of yet but may face disciplinary action or even criminal charges.
Many in the community are appalled that the chief would lie and cover up such an event.
The Portland police Dept. has a long history of abuses and misconduct.
In 2012 the Dept. of justice filed a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations against disabled people.
“In a widely publicized press conference June 8, 2011, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas E. Perez announced the launch of an investigation to determine whether the Portland Police Bureau engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive or unnecessary use-of-force in their interactions with persons in a protected class, people with actual or perceived mental health disabilities, and whether such conduct deprived individuals of their rights secured by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.[2]
The 18-month-long investigation was prompted by the high number of Portland police officer-involved deaths that involved individuals with mental illness, including Kendra James, James Jahar Perez, James Chasse, Raymond Gwerder, Keaton Otis, Jack Dale Collins, Aaron Campbell, Darryel Ferguson, Thomas Higginbotham, and Brad Morgan.
On September 13, 2012, DOJ issued a Findings Letter with the results of the investigation, stating investigators found reasonable cause to believe Portland police had engaged in unconstitutional conduct. The letter identified serious deficiencies in policy, training, and officer accountability measures that substantially contributed to the unconstitutional conduct by police.[3] That same day, DOJ and the City of Portland released a joint statement declaring the parties’ mutual intent to reach a negotiated settlement agreement to resolve these issues.” Wiki
The saga continues in the case of the now suspended Sheriff of Marion county.
On May 24 , following the arrest of Marion county Sheriff Chris Blair on perjury charges, 2 majors were suspended by the new interim Sheriff.
Sheriff Emery Gainey, appointed by Governor Rick Scott, suspended Maj. Don Maines and Maj. Tommy Bibb within hours of taking command.
Gainey would not comment as to the reasons for the suspensions of the 2 majors, but did make a general statement
““In my assessment of the command staff, I simply made a decision that I felt was best as we move forward,” he said. “I made a determination not to include those two majors at this time.”
The arrest of the Sheriff and removal of the Majors dates back to the 2014 arrest of Dustin Heathman.
Heathman was arrested after a failed warrant serving attempt by a SWAT team that turned into a stand off
Heathman was subsequently beaten by Marion county officers while detained in handcuffs.
Heathman alleges that when he was taken to a patrol car deputies began to beat him while defenseless and in handcuffs.
Heathman suffered a fractured eye socket,multiple cuts , a knee injury and various other injuries.
It is apparent from his booking photo that his face at the time was swollen and blackened.
Blair was arrested after giving testimony under oath that he was unaware of the severity of the beating Heathman endured.
In his testimony, Blair stated that he had seen nothing but the back of Heathman’s head sitting in a patrol car.
Later, surprise video was released that showed Blair and Heathman come virtually face to face as Heathman was put into a waiting van.
Blair has since resigned following his removal from office.
The Marion county Sheriff’s office has a long history of complaints of excessive force including a recent case with video of deputies severely beating a man
Ironically, the former sheriff said in a statement issued following the indictment of the 5 officers involved in the beating
“The abusive and unprofessional actions they displayed shocked me to my core, and there was absolutely no hesitation for me to immediately inform the Florida Department of Law Enforcement of their actions, to immediately suspend those former deputies without pay and, ultimately, to request their resignation and/or termination”
Hopefully, with the arrest of Sheriff Blair and the suspension of other officers with possible involvement, the Marion county Sheriff’s Dept. can move forward.
With the increased scrutiny that is going to be upon them they now have the opportunity to be seen in a new light.
They should strive now to be seen not as domestic warriors fighting the enemy
But rather as public servants, here to protect and serve the citizens of Marion county
If they adopt that attitude they will be much less likely to suffer these problems in the future
Here are the ten reports of police misconduct tracked for Monday, May 23, 2016:
Berwyn, Illinois: An officer is being sued for allegedly targeting and harassing the daughter of his lover and the daughter’s boyfriend. According to the suit, the behavior was triggered by the younger couple’s disapproval of the mother’s relationship with the officer. ow.ly/5vXa300u3Qm
Update: Ansonia, Connecticut (First reported 09-17-15): An officer pled guilty to larceny and other charges for stealing items from the evidence room. He was given a one-year suspended sentence. ow.ly/IEW2300ugkX
Update: Baltimore, Maryland (First reported 04-21-15): Officer Edward Nero was found not guilty of all charges in a bench trial for his role in Freddie Gray’s death. ow.ly/l3eW300uo7b
Hull, Massachusetts: A now-former officer pled guilty to larceny for stealing $116,000 from the police union. He was sentenced to one year of home confinement and five years of probation. ow.ly/r8eS300ujNr
Update: Massachusetts State Police (First reported 05-12-16): A trooper has been suspended for his role in the televised beating of Richard Simone after a high-speed interstate chase. ow.ly/Xmw8300ulAu
Palm Beach County, Florida: A sergeant was suspended for improperly releasing a Boynton Beach officer who was caught in a solicitation sting. The Boynton Beach officer was fired from his department, as reported here on April 21. ow.ly/MiKt300uAv3
Upshur County, West Virginia: A deputy was arrested for allegedly choking a woman. ow.ly/bYGg300uD1h
Lane County, Oregon: The County settled a lawsuit brought by a 77-year-old man who was injured by a deputy while he was an inmate in the jail. The settlement was for $95,000. http://ow.ly/XmCp300uDCq
New York, New York: A plainclothes officer was suspended for brandishing his weapon and threatening bystanders filming an arrest he was assisting. http://ow.ly/ORTD300uRhq
Cleveland, Ohio: An officer was charged with obstruction of justice for actions related to an off-duty incident. She was working security at a bar and told a witness to an assault to erase the footage from their cell phone. She subsequently filed a false report about the incident. http://ow.ly/CD5C300uRS1
“A Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputy was charged with sexual assault after he allegedly took inappropriate photos of a woman while on duty.
Josh Nelson, 31, was also charged Tuesday with violation of oath of office and possession of methamphetamine, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a release.
Nelson pulled over to a dark road and asked the woman to take off her clothes in the backseat of his squad car, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“He said he needed to take pictures for evidence,” Hayley Boe said. “I thought he meant like my pants and my shirt, and once when I got those off he [said] ‘you need to take everything off.’”
Boe said Nelson took pictures of her with his cellphone and at one point touched her breasts.
“It’s one of the worst days of my life already,” she said.
Nelson said the pictures didn’t take and took more as they got closer to the hospital, Channel 2 reported.”
“A Richfield police officer who helped start Shop With A Cop — a now-regional program designed to help low-income youngsters bond with law enforcement by brightening their Christmas — is accused of stealing money from the charity.
Officer Michael Simmons, 41, of Stow has been charged with a felony count of theft in office for allegedly taking more than $25,000 from the Richfield Police Department’s Shop With A Cop account.
Special agents with the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) launched an investigation in January at the request of Richfield Police Chief Keith Morgan.
Morgan asked for the assistance after becoming aware of unauthorized financial transactions in the department’s Shop With A Cop bank account, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said. The BCI investigated two police officers who were signers on the account before filing the charge against Simmons in Akron Municipal Court on Monday.
In a 2009 Akron Beacon Journal story, Simmons said he helped start the program in Summit County seven years earlier.
“We were thinking of ways to help children,” Simmons was quoted saying. “It bothered me that kids were waking up Christmas morning with no Christmas presents. We wanted to do something to eliminate that.”
Simmons couldn’t be reached Monday for comment.
On Monday, DeWine said the program was meant to help kids bond with and trust police, “but this defendant violated that trust on so many different levels. Our investigation found that, for years, this officer not only deceived those who generously donated to this charity, but he also stole from the children whom this program was created to help. Many more kids could have benefited from this charity had this defendant not spent thousands of dollars in donations on himself.”
Deborah Lee Jarrett 