[IN] Officer Brooks' ominous calls and visit result in no arrest

...Brooks was taken to police headquarters, questioned and released an unknown time later. Brooks was not arrested or booked... In the internal investigation, police owe it to the citizens of Anderson to explore whether Brooks should have been charged immediately and to give a full explanation as to why he wasn’t.

News from April 7th & April 12th

Police officer under investigation after incident
Anderson Herald Bulletin, IN
By SHAWN McGRATH
April 07, 2008
The Anderson Police Department has launched an internal investigation into an officer after he was found Monday morning banging on a man’s door, attempting to instigate him into a fight. Police were called to the 1200 block of Home Avenue at about 5 a.m. by resident Mark A. Kumkoski, 39, after he reported Officer Lincoln Brooks banging on his front door and trying to start a fight. Brooks, who is dating Kumkoski’s ex-wife, took a protective order out against Kumkoski on March 24, but the details of why he took out the order weren’t immediately known late Monday. Kumkoski said Brooks was intoxicated when he came to his home, and banged on his door. While the incident was going on, Kumkoski said Brooks called his cell phone and left a pair of profanity-filled messages, calling Kumkoski a coward. Kumkoski played the messages purportedly left by Brooks for The Herald Bulletin... “I’m outside your house (and) you’re a (expletive)... I’m dropping the restraining order tomorrow. I’m not a policeman anymore. I gave (Kumkoski’s ex-wife) my badge... You’ve ran your mouth long enough. Call the police, I don’t care. I’ll go to jail, just like you did, but I won’t (expletive) part like you did... I won’t have you (expletive) arrested, don’t have me arrested. I’m outside your door”... Hey, Mark, you’ve hidden behind my badge forever... just don’t call police. Be a man, come out. Back up what you’ve said. Just don’t call the police department on my (expletive), (expletive)”... Detective Joel Sandefur, Anderson Police Department spokesman, said Brooks was taken to police headquarters, questioned and released an unknown time later. Brooks was not arrested or booked into the Madison County Jail on suspicion of committing any crime, Sandefur said. Sandefur said he didn’t know if he has been placed on suspension. “There was an allegation lodged against him,” Sandefur said, “and we’re looking at that. To the best of my knowledge, he was not arrested. I don’t know if charges are warranted. I don’t know the full story”... [Full article here]

EDITORIAL: Police owe citizens explanation
Anderson Herald Bulletin - Anderson,IN
April 12, 2008
...Many readers at this point will have cynical thoughts about police protecting their own, treating their own differently than they would treat John Q. Public if he were the suspect in the Monday case. And that appears to be what happened. Assistant Chief Keith Copeland made the decision not to file preliminary charges against Brooks but has not publicly explained his rationale. "That's a discretionary decision he (Copeland) made," said APD spokesman Joel Sandefur. "That's a decision other officers have made"... In the internal investigation, police owe it to the citizens of Anderson to explore whether Brooks should have been charged immediately and to give a full explanation as to why he wasn’t. In the criminal investigation, Brooks’ case should be held to the same standards as if he were John Q. Public. And again, the rationale for filing or not filing charges should be made 100 percent clear to the people of Anderson. [Full article here]

OLDER:

Police: Man Killed By Officer Had Knife, Not Gun
theindychannel
April 12, 2007
A weapon that a man was holding as a police officer fatally shot him Wednesday was a knife -- not a gun as the officer initially believed -- Anderson police said. Police said Cheyenne Lee Miller, 26, pulled out a knife that looked like a gun as two officers -- who had just chased him into a garage -- ordered him to put his hands up Wednesday night. Anderson police Officer Lincoln Brooks thought the knife was a gun, so he shot Miller in the chest, killing him... [Full article here]