Before I say anything else, the redundant part of collecting these stories is that they are almost always about the law enforcement officer. As I point out that Lawrenceville Police Detective Zellous still has his job, between every word I am thinking, "Where's his ex?, Is she safe?," and"WHERE CAN SHE TURN FOR HELP?"
And when you see Zellous' own case involving his ex-girlfriend it becomes sickening that he is showing up today in the news to discredit an alleged domestic violence victim.
DETECTIVE ZELLOUS HAS ENOUGH CREDIBILITY TO BE THE SOLE AND DETERMINING WITNESS IN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE?
GET OUTTA HERE!!!!
GET OUTTA HERE!!!!
WHERE I SPIED ZELLOUS IN CURRENT NEWS:
Fist fight between brothers turned deadly, officer testifies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By ANDRIA SIMMONS
05/24/08
[Excerpt] A Lawrenceville man pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed his brother six times when it became obvious he was losing a fist fight, a police detective testified on Friday... Lawrenceville police detective Cornelius Zellous was the sole witness at a preliminary hearing on Friday... Brittany Pirkle initially told police that her husband [Tracy Pirkle] struck her in the neck as she turned to walk away. However, Zellous said she later backed off that statement and said she didn't know who or what had hit her, because her back was turned... Lawrenceville police have gone there numerous times to answer complaints about fights between Tracy and Brittany Pirkle... [Full article here]
WHERE I REMEMBER ZELLOUS FROM, AND HOW I REMEMBER HIM - NOT SO LONG AGO:
Detective accused of assault
Gwinnett Daily Digest
Andria Simmons
12/23/2005
...Zellous faces charges in Walton County of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and two counts of cruelty to children. According to the police report, the officer’s ex-girlfriend arrived home from Christmas shopping with her daughter on Sunday to find Zellous in her upstairs bathroom. - sitting on the edge of the bathtub reading her mail, and a pistol was lying on the counter, the report said. The girlfriend claimed Zellous began questioning her heatedly about whether she was sexually involved with the principal at a local middle school. Zellous allegedly grabbed the pistol and then stuck it in his pocket. As his ex-girlfriend began walking backward out of the bathroom, he began to speak louder. He followed her into the bedroom, head-butted her and pushed her into the bedroom window, the report stated. Zellous then allegedly pushed her down onto the bed, grabbed her by the neck and began choking her with one hand while pointing a pistol at her with the other. Zellous said, “I will take you out, the man you’re sleeping with out and then take myself out,” according to the police report. His ex-girlfriend said Zellous then telephoned the principal and told him she was sleeping with him, too. While the altercation was happening, his ex-girlfriend’s daughter overheard the commotion. She was trying to get inside the room to help her mother. A friend of the daughter who was spending the night also heard the argument, according to the report. Once the daughter came into the bedroom, Zellous left in his black Ford Mustang. Zellous was jailed later that evening...
Officer arrested in Walton
The Walton Tribune
Brian Arrington
January 1, 2006
...Zellous has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, according to reports Zellous’ attorney Matt Crosby provided the Tribune with a written statement. “Of course Detective Zellous would like to personally respond to the charges, but I have advised him not to comment at this stage since the case is pending,” Crosby wrote. “We acknowledge that the allegations are serious, but they are just that — allegations, allegations which Detective Zellous adamantly denies. My client looks forward to the opportunity to address each and every one of the charges in the proper forum as soon as possible.” ZELLOUS WAS RELEASED after posting bond folliwng his arrest, sheriff’s department officials said.
Lawrenceville detective has day in court
The Walton Tribune
Brian Arrington
February 1, 2006
A Lawrenceville police detective who is accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend had his case bound over to Superior Court last week following a preliminary hearing... "The alleged victim testified and the two officers on the scene testified," Zellous' attorney Matt] Crosby said. Zellous was arrested for aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and two counts of cruelty to children Dec. 18. The two counts of cruelty to children and the terroristic charges were not bound over by Walton County Magistrate Judge Michael Burke... Crosby said he expects his client's case to face a grand jury later this month.
Case bound over for detective accused of assault
Gwinnett Daily Post
By Andria Simmons
01/27/2006
The case against a Lawrenceville police detective accused of threatening an ex-girlfriend with a gun was bound over to Superior Court on Thursday by a Walton County magistrate judge. However, there was not enough probable cause to hold Cornelius Zellous, a Lawrenceville burglary detective since 2000, on a charge of terroristic threats and two counts of cruelty to children... The alleged victim testified during the hearing, but Zellous did not...
THEN THIS CASE DROPPED OUT OF VIEW, OFF THE TABLE, OFF THE MAP, OUT OF SIGHT SO OUT OF MIND, SPILLED MILK, WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE...
Really?And where is she?
What did this process teach her about her own worth?
Who's in charge? Responsible?
The article states, actually, that the officer was the sole witness to testify at the preliminary hearing. He didn't actually witness the killing at all; he was just there to read the reports.
ReplyDeleteHe's obviously no saint, but neither is any one of the three Pirkles involved in this incident. Each of them has an extensive record of domestic violence and criminal convictions. These are the kinds of folks who live their disputes, divorces, custody issues, and deaths in the courts. The 20-year-old wife and her 27-year-old sister were, in fact, arrested on May 27 on charges that they attempted to influence the one and only neighbor who DID witness the killing. She doesn't look much like a grieving widow in her mug shot.
This is all from the Gwinnett Daily Post, May 29.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=84&ArticleID=15470
Family in legal tangle
Police: Wife arrested after bullying witness
By Josh Green
Staff Writer
LAWRENCEVILLE - Brittany Pirkle joined her husband's alleged killer - her brother-in-law - in the confines of Gwinnett County Jail this week.
Pirkle, 20, was arrested Tuesday alongside her sister, Jessica Clanton, 27, for allegedly intimidating a neighbor who witnessed her husband's May 16 stabbing death.
Police say the victim, Tracy Pirkle, 30, was killed by his brother, Jason Pirkle, 31. The elder Pirkle allegedly plunged a pocket knife into his brother six times during a drunken, shirtless brawl at the family's Hampton Square Drive apartment.
A stab to Tracy Pirkle's heart caused him to bleed to death about an hour later, Lawrenceville police Detective Neil Zellous said last week.
Zellous testified during Jason Pirkle's probable cause hearing Friday that a neighbor named Beverly Franklin witnessed the men fighting and called 911. Franklin told police she witnessed Jason Pirkle fighting his brother from his knees, unable to keep his younger brother from
pummeling him without using the four-inch pocket knife, the detective said.
The victim's wife and her sister, who both attended the court hearing, allegedly paid the witness a visit sometime late Friday or Saturday morning, according to their arrest warrants.
The women attempted to sway Franklin into changing her statement to police, "causing the witness to feel intimidated," the warrant said.
Brittany Pirkle and Clanton were arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of influencing a witness. They both posted $2,850 bond and were released from jail the same day.
It wasn't clear Wednesday exactly what the women allegedly said to the witness. Lawrenceville police did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday. A police report detailing the arrest won't be available for several days, a department representative said.
Brittany Pirkle did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday.
Jason Pirkle faces one count of murder for allegedly killing his brother, whom he lived with. A judge bound his case to Gwinnett Superior Court at the Friday hearing.
Police said the deadly fight was triggered when Tracy Pirkle struck his wife after the couple argued about a misplaced wallet.
The victim's wife denies that. She claims Jason Pirkle was fueled by alcohol and prescription Xanax pills when he attacked his brother.
Thank you for the update...
ReplyDeleteCloud_Writer,
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe that you are engaged in a laudible undertaking, and you truly are trying to do good and right, I would implore you to understand that not EVERY accusation is truthful and not every case is as easy as the evil man beating on the hapless woman.
Unfortunately, there are law enforcement officers who engage in domestic violence. There are also mechanics, doctors, lawyers, lunchroom workers, and journalists who do so too. Is it worse when committed by a law enforcement officer? I think so, as law enforcement officers should be held to a somewhat higher standard, as they are sworn to enforce the very laws they are breaking when committing such an act.
That point aside, some law enforcement spouses, estranged lovers, ex-girlfriends, etc. know the quickest way to ruin a law enforcement officer's carreer is to cry domestic violence. Sadly, this happens all too often. Federal Law prohibits a person convicted of domestic violence from possessing a firearm - no exceptions. Therefore - career gone. Unfortunately this gets used a tool. Likewise, I am sure you have heard of cases where someone accuses an ex spouse of child molestation in order to get more favorable visitation or divorce settlement.
I cannot speak to the facts of the Zellous case; however, I think you might should look deeper before you run around thinking the sky is falling. I am sure the vast majority of the cases you cite on your blog are heinous and look bad for the profession of law enforcement. I think that not all fit the same mold, however. I only ask you to conisder that.
Thanks!
I'm putting a copy of your comment under the top post in the blog:
ReplyDelete"Keeping this display of officer-involved domestic fatalities on top from now on..."
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-am-keeping-this-display-of-officer.html
There are dirty departments and professional departments represented without bias here - and everything between... like departments that didn't see it coming or didn't intervene when they could & should have. There are coverups and cleanups.
ReplyDeleteAfter all is said - it comes down to the brass and how they operate. An officer can't make a department look bad. It ultimately rests on the chief and those who have the power to effect her decisions.
This blog is necessary and many good things have come from it. It addresses a very specific area because over and over law enforcement agencies claim dv is not a problem in their ranks, appear in the news SURPRISED when the worst happens, victims echo one another that too often they cannot get anyone to help them, etc...
This blog however also GLIMMERS with case after case of departments that do not tolerate this behavior, who DO listen to victims, and serve as exaples of how things can be handled without a negative reflection on the department. A department defines itself by how it responds to officer who need help, and those who commit crimes.
The blog demonstrates high and low hiring standards. Professional and cowboy training methods. The blog shows officers who hop from department to department and rulings that remove a rogue's certification forever.
Both. All.
This blog includes abused officers, cleared officers, convicted officers, officers never charged, officers with a list of charges, officers who kill, officers who blow the whistle, officers who are murdered, departments who initiate new officer-involved domestic policies, and departments that probably never will.
The blog is opportunity. In it's hundreds of posts you won't find me saying police suck.
Know why? I bet you can figure it out.
I have the support of many officers - officers who don't want criminals in the ranks, officers who want better services for troubled officers and families, officers who hope for changes, and officers who are proud they work for a department that has already done all they can to anticipate and remedy inhouse dv.
Your comment assumes that after all of this I haven't looked "deeper" and assumes I'm freaking out about the sky falling. I don't know what you mean or are referring to.
I started the serious collecting when our police chief committed murder suicide on his wife after many were aware of allegations of abuse.
There was no policy here. There is now. There was no federal legislation, but now there is - in his wife's name: The Crystal Judson Brame Domestic Violence Protocol Program.
Before that happened can you IMAGINE how many people said
just drop it or move on?
Sometimes good things come from bad. Sometimes birth involves pain. Rarely can anyone fix what isn't evident, and sometimes people don't know how to make positive change without seeing it in action elsewhere.
OK,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting my comment, and thank you for the reply. I understand what you are doing, and for the most part I applaud it. My only point of contention is that you seemed to assume the guilt of Zellous and therefore his lack of credibility based on some news reports. I give you more credit than to believe everything that is written. You even ponder about the news on the case going silent. I would submit that this was due to the truth being revealed, the charges being dropped, and Zellous being exonerated. Why can this not follow to your site?
Again, I agree with you on most points, but I would urge caution in finger pointing without ALL of the facts. Based on your reply, I am certain you can understand my feelings and from where I come.
I am interested in your thoughts.
Do you know where I can get a copy of these articles??? I can't find them any longer on the Gwinnett Digest or Walton Tribune.
ReplyDeleteDetective accused of assault
ReplyDeleteGwinnett County, Georgia
Gwinnett Daily Digest
By Andria Simmons
andria.simmons@gwinnettdailypost.com
12/23/2005
LAWRENCEVILLE - A Lawrenceville police detective was arrested this week after an ex-girlfriend alleged that he choked her and threatened her with a gun.
Cornelious Lenon Zellous, a burglary detective employed by Lawrenceville police since January 2000, faces charges in Walton County of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and two counts of cruelty to children.
According to the police report, the officer’s ex-girlfriend arrived home from Christmas shopping with her daughter on Sunday to find Zellous in her upstairs bathroom.
Zellous was sitting on the edge of the bathtub reading her mail, and a pistol was lying on the counter, the report said. The girlfriend claimed Zellous began questioning her heatedly about whether she was sexually involved with the principal at a local middle school.
Zellous allegedly grabbed the pistol and then stuck it in his pocket. As his ex-girlfriend began walking backward out of the bathroom, he began to speak louder. He followed her into the bedroom, head-butted her and pushed her into the bedroom window, the report stated.
Zellous then allegedly pushed her down onto the bed, grabbed her by the neck and began choking her with one hand while pointing a pistol at her with the other.
Zellous said, “I will take you out, the man you’re sleeping with out and then take myself out,” according to the police report. His ex-girlfriend said Zellous then telephoned the principal and told him she was sleeping with him, too.
While the altercation was happening, his ex-girlfriend’s daughter overheard the commotion. She was trying to get inside the room to help her mother. A friend of the daughter who was spending the night also heard the argument, according to the report.
Once the daughter came into the bedroom, Zellous left in his black Ford Mustang. Zellous was jailed later that evening. He has since been released on $15,000 bond.
Matt Crosby, an attorney representing Zellous, issued a written statement on Thursday.
“Of course Detective Zellous would like to personally respond to the charges, but I have advised him not to comment at this stage since the case is pending,” Crosby said. “We acknowledge that the allegations are serious, but they are just that - allegations, allegations which Detective Zellous adamantly denies. My client looks forward to the opportunity to address each and every one of the charges in the proper forum as soon as possible.”
Zellous has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, said Maj. Paul King of the Lawrenceville Police Department.
“This is a serious matter, and we are taking it seriously,” King said. “We are conducting an internal investigation into the allegations that were made which led to his arrest. A hearing will be held to determine his status at that point.”
Officer arrested in Walton
ReplyDeleteWalton Tribune, GA
The Walton Tribune
By Brian Arrington
Published January 1, 2006
WALTON COUNTY — Sheriff’s officers arrested a Lawrenceville police detective after he allegedly choked an ex-girlfriend and threatened her with a gun.
Cornelious Lenon Zellous, 37, of Winder, was arrested for aggravated assault, terroristic threats and cruelty to children Dec. 18, according to officials.
According to published reports, Zellous was in his ex-girlfriend’s bathroom with a gun when she and her daughter came home from Christmas shopping.
Zellous was reportedly sitting on the edge of the bathtub, a pistol lying on the counter.
Upset about a possible relationship with another man, Zellous allegedly began physically abusing the woman, choking her and threatening to kill her, her alleged lover and himself, according to published reports. Zellous left the home and was arrested at 12:11 p.m., according to police reports.
Zellous has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, according to reports
Zellous’ attorney Matt Crosby provided the Tribune with a written statement.
“Of course Detective Zellous would like to personally respond to the charges, but I have advised him not to comment at this stage since the case is pending,” Crosby wrote. “We acknowledge that the allegations are serious, but they are just that — allegations, allegations which Detective Zellous adamantly denies. My client looks forward to the opportunity to address each and every one of the charges in the proper forum as soon as possible.”
Zellous was released after posting bond folliwng his arrest, sheriff’s department officials said.
Case bound over for detective accused of assault
ReplyDelete01/27/2006
Gwinnett Daily Post
By Andria Simmons
Staff Writer
andria.simmons@gwinnettdailypost.com
LAWRENCEVILLE — The case against a Lawrenceville police detective accused of threatening an ex-girlfriend with a gun was bound over to Superior Court on Thursday by a Walton County magistrate judge.
However, there was not enough probable cause to hold Cornelius Zellous, a Lawrenceville burglary detective since 2000, on a charge of terroristic threats and two counts of cruelty to children.
“We just presented all the evidence to the judge on all the charges,” said Walton County Assistant District Attorney Robert Rogers. “Those were not bound over by the
magistrate.”
The alleged victim testified during the hearing, but Zellous did not, Rogers said.
According to the initial police report, the officer’s ex-girlfriend arrived home from Christmas shopping with her daughter on Dec. 18 to find Zellous in her upstairs bathroom. The girlfriend claimed Zellous began questioning her heatedly about whether she was sexually involved with someone else.
Zellous allegedly grabbed his pistol and then stuck it in his pocket. As his ex-girlfriend began walking backward out of the bathroom, he followed her into the bedroom. He then head-butted her and pushed her into the bedroom window, the report stated.
The victim claimed Zellous then pushed her down onto the bed, grabbed her by the neck and began choking her with one hand while pointing a pistol at her with the other.
Zellous said, “I will take you out, the man you’re sleeping with out and then take myself out,” according to the police report.
Zellous was jailed later that evening. He has since been released on $15,000 bond.
Matt Crosby, an attorney representing Zellous, could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Last month, Crosby issued a prepared statement saying he had advised Zellous not to speak publicly about the case.
“We acknowledge that the allegations are serious, but they are just that — allegations; allegations which Detective Zellous adamantly denies,” the statement said. “My client looks forward to the opportunity to address each and every one of the charges in the proper forum as soon as possible.”
Zellous has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, said Maj. Paul King of the Lawrenceville Police Department.
Lawrenceville detective has day in court
ReplyDeleteThe Walton Tribune (Monroe, GA)
Brian Arrington
February 1, 2006
WALTON COUNTY - A Lawrenceville police detective who is accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend had his case bound over to Superior Court last week following a preliminary hearing.
The case concerning Cornelious Lenon Zellous , 37, of Winder, was bound to Superior Court Thursday, according to his attorney Matt Crosby.
"The alleged victim testified and the two officers on the scene testified," Crosby said.
Zellous was arrested for aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and two counts of cruelty to children Dec. 18. The two counts of cruelty to children and the terroristic charges were not bound over by Walton County Magistrate Judge Michael Burke.
The Lawrenceville police detective was arrested after he allegedly choked his ex-girlfriend and threatened her with a gun. According to published reports, Zellous was in his ex-girlfriend's bathroom with a gun when she and her daughter came home from Christmas shopping.
Zellous was reportedly sitting on the edge of the bathtub, a pistol was lying on the counter.
Zellous allegedly began choking her and threatening to kill her after he apparently was upset over an alleged relationship between the woman and another man.
He left the home and was arrested later at 12:11 p.m., according to police reports.
Zellous has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, according to reports.
Crosby has admitted the allegations are serious but "they are just that."
"My client looks forward to the opportunity to address each and every one of the charges in the proper forum as soon as possible," he said. "My client steadfastly maintains his innocence."
Crosby said he expects his client's case to face a grand jury later this month.
In case I didn't say thank you, thank you for those.
DeleteIf it hadn't happened to me in Lawrenceville by a Detective with the Lawrenceville Police Department I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. I can tell you that they do coverup for each other and they will punish and try to intimidate the victim if it gets their friends off. The LT I met with tried to bully me because I had a lot of evidence on his friends. I have since gone to the FBI's public corruptions unit and they are putting a case together on them. They move very slow but they get it done. I have to meet with them again Monday. I tried the GBI but felt they were too close to the department to leave it with them. Noone is above the law. They just think they are.
ReplyDeleteLet me know here or in my email (cloud_writer@yahoo.com) of how that FBI deal follows through. They rode into town during our own tragic police mess in Tacoma - even using the media to say channel all public tips directly to them and that they were the "new sheriff in town", but then slipped away silently without so much as a report being made known.
ReplyDeleteI have heard mainly GOOD things about their involvement though.
Ever wonder exactly wht it was that the charges were 100% dropped against Detective Zellous? Only he and the "victim" know exactly what happened that day, but I find it really unsettling that she would file a report without hestitation and then when questioned in detail about the incident drop the charges. There is more to her than you all are even considering. I realize that there are alot of valid domestic violence cases out there and some may involve officers of the law, but this one is just a little too fishy don't you think?
ReplyDeleteWhat I understand are the dynamics of being the victim in an officer involved dv case. Most recant because even their own attorney often wants to save the officer's career, regardless. The judge wants to save it, even fam and friends. It's a lot of pressure... not to mention the fear of the original aggressor, or hoping withdrawing cooperation will make him favorable towards her. (If so, it's short lived.)
Delete... and just to add to the last comment -- let's note that she is so terrified of him that he has babysat on numerous occasions after the day in question all of her children. If I was a mother in this situation and what she said happened really did, the last thing I would do is leave me children with him. It doesn't make any sense.
ReplyDeleteWas he threatening children? That's the way the court sees it, and it's the way a lot of "victims" see it too, always hoping things are better now and that he's back to his nicer self. Some live. Some die.
DeleteIt's not odd at all.
ReplyDeleteAny reason I should leave this blog post up? It appears he's been a mail carrier for 6 years with no new assaults that I can see.
ReplyDelete