Police Officer Involved Domestic Violence.
Lighting a candle of remembrance for those who've lost their lives to domestic violence behind the blue wall, for strength and wisdom to those still there, and a non-ending prayer for those who thought they had escaped but can't stop being afraid.
...Nadine Glass obtained the protection order at a hearing Friday during which she presented a two-page document listing [Ex-Lorain Detective & Police Union President Corey] Earl’s alleged harassment of her dating back to May. Under the terms of the order, Earl must stay 500 feet away from Glass, and he isn’t permitted to possess a firearm...
I had to delete what I wanted to say here. I'll just post this.
Previous entries:
[OH] There's hate in that suicide threat Laura- Suicidal, sadistic, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 president, ex-SWAT, ex-Strike Team member, once-U.S. Marshal, current Lorain Police Detective Corey Earl is on paid "medical" leave and is not supposed to carry a gun after his wife Laura filed for a protection order.
[OH] Chief's goal for domestic-terror Detective Earl- She told police he was armed with a handgun and threatened to kill himself [while holing her up in the bathroom and insisting that she WATCH HIM DO IT]...
[OH] The list circulating on Lorain Police Detective Corey Earl- ..."I've been married to Corey for 23 years. He's aggressive, controlling, extremely jealous. He has rage. He has been abusive... Corey has said many, many times to me that nobody will ever have me except him"...
[OH] Detective Earl - no charge or order seems to stick- ...A civil stalking protection order filed against Lorain police Officer Corey Earl has been dropped... In his initial complaint, Pruitt wrote that Earl had made threats against him to his captain and others, including a police officer. Pruitt wrote that Earl had told the captain that “he should take a baseball bat to me and end his problem”...
[OH] Regardless of everything, cop Earl returns to his job- Lorain patrolman Corey Earl is being returned to full active duty status, about two weeks after being placed on paid leave after being accused of making threats against a county corrections officer...
[OH] Passive Chief Rivera says demoted Detective Earl could have court credibility problems?- ...[Lorain Police Chief Cel] Rivera said [former police union president, demoted detective, jailbird, psychiatric inpatient, multiply-suspended, sometimes-suicidal, burglarizing, repeatedly threatening, timebomb Lorain Police Officer Corey] Earl's recent problems, both legally and with adhering to departmental policy, could create problems for him, especially when he has to take the stand in a criminal case and defense attorneys bring them up...
[OH] STILL-PRESIDENT of the FOP - Det. Earl reportedly collapses- ..."We haven't gotten any confirmation yet that it was a stroke," [Lorain Police Chief Cel] Rivera said... Rivera said he's not even sure what caused Earl to collapse. Earl's medical problem comes on the heels of professional and personal issues...
[OH] Detective Earl's name will stay in the news until WHAT?- ...Lorain police Officer Corey Earl is facing misdemeanor criminal charges for allegedly making harassing phone calls to his ex-wife... Laura Earl has complained to police about her ex-husband several times in the past...
[OH] Ex-police union president Det. Corey Earl blah, blah, blah - gets PLEA DEAL - Former Lorain police Officer Corey Earl pleaded no contest Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of telephone harassment for a series of harassing phone calls he made to his ex-wife. Earl, 47, avoided jail time but was ordered to pay $250 in fines and will be monitored by Oberlin Municipal Court officials for three years. He also was ordered not to have any contact with his ex-wife, Laura Earl...
EX-COP'S EX-GIRLFRIEND ASKS FOR PROTECTION Chronicle-Telegram - Brad Dicken June 30, 2009
ELYRIA - The ex-girlfriend of former Lorain police officer Corey Earl has obtained a civil stalking protection order against him.
Nadine Glass obtained the protection order at a hearing Friday during which she presented a two-page document listing Earl’s alleged harassment of her dating back to May.
Under the terms of the order, Earl must stay 500 feet away from Glass, and he isn’t permitted to possess a firearm.
Glass wrote that Earl, 47, routinely drives by her home, regularly sends her text messages ranging from angry to threatening to apologetic to delusional, calls her repeatedly and is stalking her and her children.
She said they haven’t dated in more than a year.
Glass accused Earl, who took disability retirement earlier this year after suffering a series of strokes last summer, of leaving a rose on the windshield of her car while it was parked in her garage on Mother’s Day.
He also knocked on her door two weeks later and asked to be let inside, leaving only because she threatened to call police, according to Glass. She said after Earl left, he went to her ex-husband’s home and began crying.
Glass also said Earl began calling her new boyfriend’s work and leaving him messages saying he needed to warn him about her.
Glass also said Earl followed her on June 10 and began honking his horn at her.
Earl also allegedly left clothing, including new underwear that did not belong to her, on her driveway while she was away on vacation. Her ex-husband found the underwear when he and her children went to her house to feed her dogs.
Glass said in the court documents that she had asked Earl’s friends, including attorney Mike Duff, to get him to stop harassing her.
Duff called Glass’s allegations “not truthful.”
“He has not been harassing her and has not been bothering her,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Glass has made a complaint against Earl. Late last year, she filed a complaint with Lorain police accusing him of leaving her unwanted voicemails and text messages. Earl wasn’t charged in that case, but he did plead no contest to telephone harassment in March to making harassing phone calls to his ex-wife, Laura Earl.
Earl avoided jail time and was ordered to pay $250 in fines and Oberlin Municipal Court officials plan to monitor his behavior for the next three years.
Earl’s ex-wife obtained a protection order in the summer of 2007 after he reportedly threatened to kill himself in the couple’s Amherst home.
Charges he had violated that protection order were later dropped.
A county sheriff’s corrections officer also sought - and later dropped - a protection order against Earl after Earl allegedly told three sheriff’s captains that he was going to beat the corrections officer with a baseball bat.
Earl had a string of disciplinary problems during his final years with the Lorain Police Department, including writing a joke traffic ticket and pulling over his ex-girlfriend’s ex-husband.
A full hearing on the latest protection order, which also bars Earl from coming near Glass’s children, is set for Thursday.
FORT WORTH OFFICER FACES FELONY CHARGES Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX By Deanna Boyd dboyd@star-telegram.com Jun. 26, 2009 [Excerpts] A Fort Worth police officer who garnered attention and awards after pulling an Arlington officer from a burning car in 2004 now faces felony charges after police say he assaulted his wife and shot a gun at an acquaintance. Cpl. Yatashka Jefferson, who has been with the Fort Worth Police Department for about eight years, surrendered at the Tarrant County Jail on Thursday afternoon on warrants accusing him of aggravated assault, assault and burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony other than theft. He was immediately released after posting bail... The major-case unit is conducting the criminal investigation, and the internal-affairs unit is handling the administrative investigation. Jefferson, who had most recently been assigned to the criminal tracking unit, was placed on restricted duty. He is prohibited from wearing a uniform or carrying a gun or badge... [Full article here]
The judge is being asked to believe that in order to "defend himself and to remove the gun from his homicidal/ suicidal wife” Leon County Deputy Mark Thompson had to handcuff her, drag her across the floor, break two bones in her arm, break both of her eye sockets by punching her face repeatedly, crush her spleen to the point it had to be surgically removed, kick her up and down her body leaving multiple bruises, beating her from August 10th into August 11th.
FORMER LEON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ON TRIAL IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE Tallahassee Democrat Elizabeth M. Mack June 30, 2009 [Excerpts] Objections were on the rise Monday during the trial of former Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Thompson as his ex-wife testified before the court in a domestic-violence case against Thompson. Thompson’s ex-wife sat nervously before jurors as she testified about the events that took place the night of her August 10, 2007, birthday and in the days afterward. While fighting back tears, she said she was terrified for her life. “I was scared to death, I thought he was going to kill me,” she said. “My main focus was staying conscious and alive”... She said she “knew it was going to be bad” and that her husband was in one of his moods... She was later hospitalized after being beaten by Thompson... Thompson’s attorney painted the ex-wife as controlling, irrationally jealous and abusive. “We believe that the evidence will show that (Thompson) never put a gun to (his wife’s) head nor beat her with an intent to kill, but only to defend himself and to remove the gun from his homicidal/suicidal wife” Thompson’s attorney Bruce Ellison said... Thompson was arrested at his parent’s travel trailer at Big Bend Oak RV on North Monroe Street where he threatened to kill himself during a 30-minute standoff with members of his former department, according to the LCSO. [Full article here]
LEON COUNTY DEPUTY FIRED, ARRESTED ON STALKING CHARGES By Matt Gilmour June 20, 2009 [Excerpts] A Leon County deputy was arrested June 10 on a misdemeanor charge of stalking, the same day he was fired after an unrelated internal-affairs investigation, said Tony Drzewiecki, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. Eldridge "Lee" Fuller, 38, was arrested on charges of stalking and harassing communications and booked at the Leon County Jail, Drzewiecki said. He was placed on pre-trial release June 11. The Sheriff's Office began an investigation after receiving a complaint May 23 from a former girlfriend of Fuller's... "(Investigators) discovered that his contact and continual inquiries to maintain contact with her had risen to the level of stalking," Drzewiecki said... Meanwhile, an internal-affairs investigation found that Fuller violated standards of conduct, disregarded job duties and was untruthful in an unofficial proceeding, Drzewiecki said. The investigation began after the Sheriff's Office received phone calls April 5 about a marked patrol car that had been parked outside a woman's residence... Lt. Todd McKissack drove to the residence and found Fuller's patrol car parked outside. McKissack asked dispatch to have Fuller state his location over the radio, and Fuller responded by saying he was at another location... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement florida]
...[Louisville Police] Lieutenant Jerald Fifer is facing charges of domestic violence, and members of his wife's family say he has allegedly threatened to kill them.... [Sheri Fifer’s attorney, Bart] McMahon said with Jerald Fifer no longer in custody, his client fears for her safety and that of her three young children...
JUDGE EXTENDS PROTECTION FOR POLICE LT.'S WIFE Jerald Fifer Faces Felony Battery Charges WLKY.com June 29, 2009 [Excerpts] A judge extended emergency protective orders against a Louisville Metro Police Department lieutenant, preventing him from having contact with his wife and her relatives. Lt. Jerald Fifer was not in custody Monday morning when he walked into family court. Fifer is facing felony charges of false imprisonment along with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He also has been accused of battery-domestic violence, a misdemeanor charge. Monday in court, an attorney representing Fifer's wife, Sheri, asked a judge to extend the current emergency protective orders against him for an additional two weeks, until divorce proceedings are under way in Clark County. "Since they live in Indiana, we wanted to make sure the Fifer family had the protection of this court in the meantime until everything can get lined up in Indiana. So, in two weeks we hope to have that done. So that they can have what they need and they feel secure and they have an enforceable order against Mr. Fifer in the meantime,” said Sheri Fifer’s attorney, Bart McMahon... According to his wife, Jerald Fifer abused her in the past... McMahon said with Jerald Fifer no longer in custody, his client fears for her safety and that of her three young children. "Anybody who files for a protective order has a great deal of fear and given what's occurred to her, she has fear, but at the same time wants to handle this as privately as she can," said McMahon... He's due back in Jefferson County court in two weeks... [Full article here]
MORE RESTRAINING ORDERS AGAINST LMPD OFFICER; WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE WAVE Posted By Mike Dever Posted: Jun 29, 2009 [Excerpts] ..."On June18, we were driving down the highway on vacation, he struck me in the side of the head. I was driving. He pulled a .38 out and told me he was going to kill himself waving the gun around in the car. The gun ended up on the dashboard and I was able to knock it off onto the driver's side floorboard. Jerald then kicked me on the right side of my body. He grabbed me and strangled me. He was screaming...I pulled over and exited the vehicle and was running looking across the highway for someone to help me. He came back toward me... caught me and carried me back to the vehicle and threw me back into the truck. We were pulled over by police and he told me, 'Don't be stupid b.....' He was taken into custody. He's been abusive in the past... I am very much afraid of him." Sheri Fifer filed for divorce on June 29. She is also filing restraining orders in Clark County where the two own a home together. [Full article here]
Video:
From the video, quoting Lt. Fifer's father-in-law:"He told my daughter that he was going to kill her and then kill me. Then he said he was going to ride out in the country and kill my other daughter and her entire family and my wife. I believe he took my daughter to Florida to kill her, and dump her body. I want him to stay away from me and my entire household. I fear for everyone involved. He has access to many weapons and I believe every word he says."
How dangerous is this? As dangerous as it gets. Where is the protection? It's not on a piece of paper. Even if deputies are assigned to these family's homes those deputies are at risk because Lt. Fifer can't see himself returning to his career now. So the question is... why isn't Fifer in custody, and if he is reported to be suicidal and homicidal, why isn't he AT LEAST under hospital inpatient observation - whether he wants to be or not? If he's a hair from suicide, and two hairs from familicide and no one takes control who will raise their hand to take the blame (and liability)?
The courts better act fast to do something to save everyone involved or at least buy them some time to plan their own safety.
I'm shaking my head. How many murders will it take?
NEWS FROM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS:
LOUISVILLE POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED IN TAMPA courier-journal.com By Jessie Halladay jhalladay@courier-journal.com June 19, 2009 [Excerpts] A Louisville Metro Police lieutenant was arrested Thursday night in Tampa in connection with a domestic violence-related incident. Advertisement Tampa Police said that the Florida Highway Patrol arrested Lt. Jerald Fifer on June 18 and charged him with false imprisonment, domestic violence and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Officials with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office said Fifer is being held in the county jail, and no bond has been set... Fifer was suspended for 29 days in 2003 after he was charged with drunken driving... Fifer was off-duty... In February 2006, Fifer, who has been an officer since 1991, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant... [Full article here]
LOUISVILLE POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN FLORIDA WHAS11 coverage Saturday, June 20, 2009 [Excerpts] An 18-year veteran of the Louisville Police Force remains in a Florida jail on Saturday and is on paid administrative leave after being arrested in Tampa. Police say Lieutenant Jerald Fifer is facing domestic violence charges. According to Florida officials, a motorist along I-75 reported a Ford Excursion stopped on the side of the interstate. Witnesses said Fifer dragged a woman to his vehicle and forced her inside... He's facing charges of false imprisonment, domestic and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon... Metro police are now conducting an internal investigation. [Full article here]
EPO FILED AFTER LMPD LIEUTENANT FACES CHARGES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHAS11 coverage June 25, 2009 [Excerpts] A Louisville Metro Police Lieutenant already in legal trouble is facing even more allegations. Lieutenant Jerald Fifer is facing charges of domestic violence, and members of his wife's family say he has allegedly threatened to kill them. Sheri Fifer's family has now petitioned for emergency protective orders against him. Court records describe a family in fear... Lieutenant Jerald Fifer's wife says her family was vacationing in Florida when Lieutenant Jerald Fifer allegedly struck her in the head. Fifer's wife Sheri says Lieutenant Jerald Fifer then allegedly pulled out a gun. Fifer's wife Sheri says Lieutenant Jerald Fifer then allegedly grabbed her and strangled her. Fifer's wife Sheri then got out of their car. According to Fifer's wife, Jerald Fifer then allegedly chased her down on the highway and pulled her back to the truck. Fifer's wife Sheri says her husband, Lieutenant Jerald Fifer, told her, "Don't be stupid," when they were pulled over by police in Florida. Fifer's wife Sheri has now petitioned for emergency protective orders against her husband Jerald Fifer. And Fifer's wife Sheri isn't the only one, as her two sisters and her parents also filed for an EPO saying Lieutenant Jerald Fifer allegedly threatened to kill them. Sheri Fifer's father says in his petition, "I believe he took my daughter to Florida to kill her and dump her body." Sheri Fifer's father goes on to say Lieutenant Jerald Fifer has access to many weapons and Sheri Fifer's father believes every word Jerald Fifer says... The petition filed by Fifer's wife alleges that Fifer was threatening to kill himself before she says Jerald Fifer attacked her. Fifer's wife says her husband has allegedly been abusive in the past... [Full article here] OLDER ARTICLE EXCERPTS:
POLICE SERGEANT CHARGED WITH DRUNKEN DRIVING Fifer is suspended, gives up leadership position in union The Courier-Journal Shannon Tangonan April 3, 2003 [Excerpts] A Louisville Metro Police sergeant was charged with drunken driving and suspended yesterday after an early morning wreck in southern Louisville. Sgt. Jerald Fifer - a city officer since 1991 and until yesterday the vice president of the city police union - was off-duty and driving a personal car when he crashed into a miniva... Responding officers administered a field sobriety test because Fifer "smelled of (an) alcoholic type beverage," according to his arrest citation. The citation said Fifer 's eyes were jerky and glassy, his left fingertip missed his nose during a "finger-to-nose test," and he was unsteady on his feet...
OFFICER IN CRASH HAD 0.24% BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL The Courier-Journal Shannon Tangonan April 8, 2003 [Excerpts] A Louisville Metro Police sergeant had a blood-alcohol level at three times the legal threshold when he crashed a car into a minivan and was arrested for drunken driving last week... He was jailed, then released on his own recognizance, records show.
LOUISVILLE POLICE SERGEANT PLEADS GUILTY TO DUI Fifer serves home incarceration, has license suspended The Courier-Journal Shannon Tangonan May 9, 2003 [Excerpts] A Louisville Metro Police sergeant has served three days of home incarceration after pleading guilty to a drunken-driving charge stemming from a wreck in April, his lawyer said yesterday. Sgt. Jerald Fifer, a city officer since 1991 and former vice president of the city police union, pleaded guilty last Friday to driving under the influence-first offense... Fifer had been scheduled to appear in court today, but the hearing was moved up because he "wanted to accept responsibility for the mistake he had made and move on with his life"... Fifer's driver's license was suspended for 30 days, and he paid the standard fines and court costs. Attending an alcohol program also is mandatory, and Fifer showed proof that he had completed a program during his court appearance, [his attorney Steve] Schroering said...
POLICE SERGEANT SUSPENDED Fifer was driving drunk, involved in wreck with van The Courier-Journal Shannon Tangonan May 29, 2003 [Excerpts] A Louisville Metro Police sergeant who caused a wreck and was charged with drunken driving last month must serve a 29-day unpaid suspension, the department confirmed yesterday... "Any further violations of this nature shall warrant your termination," [Police Chief Robert] White said in the letter... White wrote Fifer that he "mitigated your discipline due to your personal circumstances that clearly had you under a substantial amount of stress... Further, the fact that you have sought out assistance in addressing your alcohol consumption was also a factor in my mitigation of this discipline," White said...
PROMOTED OFFICERS WERE SUSPENDED Chief says they earned advancement The Courier-Journal Jessie Halladay Friday, February 17, 2006 [Excerpts] An officer suspended for drunken driving and another for harassment are among the 15 officers to be promoted by Louisville Metro Police today. In a ceremony this morning, Jerald Fifer will be promoted to lieutenant and Kirby Shobe to sergeant, despite past discipline from the department. Police Chief Robert White said both men have been solid officers since they were disciplined and have earned their promotions. "They have done what was asked of them. They paid their price," White said. "We have a responsibility to acknowledge what they did wrong and hold them accountable. But we also have a responsibility to give them an opportunity to continue their careers"... [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement kentucky lmpd lpd lethal teflon]
Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Lane's girlfriend reported that he was choking her. He has been arrested and charged with domestic violence. There is an (in-house) internal investigation in progress. [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement arizona]
...At his first trial in 2002, Camm was convicted in Floyd County of murdering his wife, their 7-year-old son, Bradley, and 5-year-old daughter, Jill, in the garage of their Georgetown home. But the conviction was overturned by the Indiana Court of Appeals in August 2004...
CAMM'S 2ND CONVICTION OVERTURNED Court finds someevidence speculative By Ben Zion Hershberg June 26, 2009 [Excerpts] The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday threw out former Indiana state trooper David Camm's second conviction for the September 2000 murders of his wife and their two small children, sending the case back to Floyd County for a possible third trial. In a 4-1 decision, the court said "speculative" evidence that Camm molested his daughter a day or two before the murders should not have been allowed by the judge because it could inflame the jury. The court also said a friend's statement that Camm's wife, Kimberly, expected to see him at 7 to 7:30 the night of the murders should not have been allowed because it was hearsay that couldn't be challenged because Kimberly Camm is dead... Camm "was stunned, happy and relieved"... At his first trial in 2002, Camm was convicted in Floyd County of murdering his wife, their 7-year-old son, Bradley, and 5-year-old daughter, Jill, in the garage of their Georgetown home. But the conviction was overturned by the Indiana Court of Appeals in August 2004... In Friday's ruling, Chief Justice Randall Shepard dissented from the majority, arguing that "two reversals entered by the appellate courts in this case have unnecessarily sanitized the evidence" against Camm. Shepard said at least some of the evidence about affairs on which Camm's first trial was reversed should have been allowed and that the affairs not long before the murders could be proof of a motive. He also said alleged evidence that Camm's daughter was molested was allowable as "an inference" about a motive. The majority disagreed, however, saying there was no connection of Camm to the molestation. Still, the majority also said there was enough evidence for a reasonable jury to convict Camm... [Full article here]
JURORS IN 2ND CAMM TRIAL REACT TO OVERTURNED VERDICT WAVE By Janelle MacDonald Jun 27, 2009 [Excerpt] ...WAVE 3 spoke by phone to two members of the jury from Camm's trial in Warrick County. One, Dianna Gelarden, said she wasn't surprised by the court's decision. Gelarden said Camm's family said after the trial they'd keep trying until he was set free. Another, James Sturgeon, said he still has a hard time talking about the trial and feels for another jury that would have to hear the case if there is a third trial. Friday, prosecutors said they will ask the Indiana Supreme Court to reconsider its decision before deciding if David Camm will face a third trial... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder familicide indiana state police trooper]
TRIAL FOR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FIRED LEON COUNTY DEPUTY MARK THOMPSON WHO ALMOST BEAT HIS WIFE TO DEATH BEGINS... SHE HAD SAID SHE WAS SCARED TO REPORT IT BECAUSE HER HUSBAND IS A DEPUTY... DEPUTY THOMPSON'S WIFE SAID HE WAS IN "ONE OF HIS MOODS"... HER MOTHER SAYS IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME.
Video: Ex-Deputy Mark Thompson Trial For Brutal Dv Begins
FORMER SHERIFF'S DEPUTY BEGINS TRIAL FOR BEATING WIFE WTXL.TV June 26, 2009 Tallahassee, FL (WTXL)--The trial begins June 26th for Mark Thompson, the former Leon County sheriff's deputy charged with beating his wife nearly to death in early August 2007. June 26 marks the first day of jury selection, and opening arguments were given from both sides... Thompson is charged with domestic battery, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a firearm and aggravated battery. [Full article here]
JURY SELECTED IN TRIAL INVOLVING FORMER LEON CO. DEPUTY WCTV.TV Denise Wong denise.wong@wctv.tv Jun 26, 2009 Opening statements will begin Monday morning in the trial of a former Leon County Sheriff's Deputy accused of beating his wife... Thompson is accused of beating his wife in August of 2007 to the point that she had to be hospitalized. Prosecutors say Thompson punched his wife, held a gun to her head, handcuffed her to the bed and beat her. Thompson has been in jail for two years awaiting trial. [Full article here]
WHAT THIS TRIAL IS ABOUT - WHOSE BLESSED-TO-BE-ALIVE LIFE IT IS IN BEHALF OF:
Video Deputy Thompson's wife BEATEN & BROKEN
DEPUTY ARRESTED ON DOMESTIC-BATTERY CHARGE Tallahassee Democrat By Nic Corbett August 17, 2007 [Excerpts] A Leon County deputy was arrested early this morning on charges relating to domestic violence, according to the Sheriff's Office. He was fired soon afterward... Armed with a handgun, Thompson threatened to kill himself and held detectives at bay during a brief standoff... Sheriff Larry Campbell received a tip about a domestic-violence incident involving Thompson... Thompson's wife suffered a ruptured spleen that required removal, fractures of both eye sockets, impaired eyesight, two bones broken in her right arm, a swollen face and several bruises on her body. Thompson's charges include domestic battery, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a firearm and aggravated battery...
DEPUTY FIRED AFTER STANDOFF Wife in hospital after domestic dispute Tallahassee Democrat By Nic Corbett ncorbett@tallahassee.com August 18, 2007 [Excerpts] ...At the time of Thompson's arrest, his wife was in guarded condition at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries... At first, she insisted that doctors not report him but a staff member at TMH finally convinced her to come forward... Here is what Thompson's wife said happened. Aug. 10 after the couple had been out celebrating her birthday with two of her friends: While she drove home, Thompson said something about a look she had given him earlier at a restaurant. She said she "knew it was going to be bad" and that her husband was in one of his moods. During the drive,Thompson grabbed the steering wheel and jerked it around, struck his wife in the forehead, fired a handgun out of the car window and then put the gun to her head. After she pulled into their driveway, he got out and she quickly reversed, driving off... When she returned, he wasn't there, but the house was torn apart - clothes had been swept off the closet racks and items had been knocked off the bathroom counters. She heard him returning. She told investigators that she "had never hidden in the front closet before," but this time she did. He found her, but she ran outside, accidently letting his dog out... She said her husband handcuffed her to the bed and left. He then returned with the dog and demanded, "How could you do this to my dog?" He took off the handcuffs, dragged her to the living room, kicked her several times and then straddled her and started hitting her head and face. He finally stopped beating her and asked if she wanted to go to the doctor. She said she wanted to rest.The next day, she went to visit a friend, who took her to the Capital Regional Medical Center... She told the doctor not to report the incident...On Monday, she went to the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic, where her broken arm was put into a cast. She told doctors there to not report her injuries. Thompson's wife was then taken into surgery for her ruptured spleen... She had said she was scared to report it because her husband is a deputy. When four deputies knocked on the door to Thompson's parent's trailer Friday morning, he came to the door armed and threatened to kill himself. He said he was sorry and that he did not remember what he had done to his wife, but he believed it was bad because she was in the hospital. He said his life was over and that he did not want to go to prison...."The deputy's reported actions give our agency and, for that matter, law enforcement in general, a black eye," Chase said. "There are 600 hard-working, dedicated employees here who must take the shame of his behavior."
DEPUTY ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BOND wctv.tv Julie Montanaro julie.montanaro@wctv.tv Aug 21, 2007 A Leon County deputy arrested for beating his wife so badly she had to be hospitalized has been ordered held without bond. In court Tuesday morning, the victim's mother made a tearful plea to keep him behind bars, saying this was not the first time he had beaten her. She said her daugther was still in the hospital... Thompson faces life in prison if he's convicted on all counts... A sheriff's office spokesman says the beating happened Friday, August 10 and into Saturday, August 11.Arrest papers say the couple left Cafe Cabernet and Thompson punched her and held a gun to her head in the car on the way home. Those papers say he then handcuffed her to the bed when they got home and brutally beat her... Thompson is charged with domestic battery, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a firearm and aggravated battery.
Previous post here. [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement lethal suicidal fear afraid terroristic brutal]
NORTH CAROLINA - ROBESON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY CHARLES BERNARD SHAW WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ASSAULT BY STRANGULATION AND ASSAULT BY INFLICTING SERIOUS INJURY TO HIS GIRLFRIEND. [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement lethal north carolina]
...Richardson's attorney, Dan O'Neil, argued self defense and said he was pleased with the verdict. "He may still have a career in law enforcement"...
Previous post: [MI] 1 day after Deputy Richardson fired for dv, he's arrested again- ...After deputies went to the home and interviewed Richardson, they arrested him for domestic violence... Richardson posted bond and was released from jail, but was arrested again after deputies were called back to the home at 4:16 p.m. Thursday...
FORMER CLARE DEPUTY NOT GUILTY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE by The Bay City Times, The Saginaw News Thursday June 25, 2009, 4:48 PM An Isabella County jury has delivered a not-guilty verdict the trial of a former Clare County sheriff's deputy accused of domestic violence. Jeremy B. Richardson had worked for the sheriff for about eight months when, Feb. 4, he was accused of assaulting his wife at their Nottawa Township home, records show. The 31-year-old was relieved of his duties after Isabella County prosecutors authorized misdemeanor domestic violence charges against him, records show. [LINK]
FORMER CLARE DEPUTY FOUND INNOCENT ON ASSAULT CHARGE The Morning Sun By Susan Field Thursday, June 25, 2009 4:37 PM EDT A former Clare County Sheriff's deputy was acquitted of a domestic violence charge Wednesday after a two-day trial. A jury in Isabella County Trial Judge Mark Duthie's courtroom found Jeremy Brickey Richardson, 31, innocent of assaulting his wife, Ashley Richardson, in February... Richardson's attorney, Dan O'Neil, argued self defense and said he was pleased with the verdict. "He may still have a career in law enforcement," O'Neil said... Richardson lost his job at the sheriff's department, where he worked for about eight months, after being arrested Feb. 4 for allegedly assaulting his wife. He ended up back in the Isabella County Jail two days later, for allegedly violating a bond condition, Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said at the time of Richardson's second arrest on Feb. 6... He had been ordered to stay away from his wife, the sheriff said at the time of the second arrest. Domestic violence is a 93-day misdemeanor. [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement teflon cleared MOUNT PLEASANT michigan]
...A Highlands County grand jury returned an indictment late this afternoon charging former Avon Park police officer James Parker with the murder of 22-month-old Kaedyn Short... Parker is still on administrative leave without pay from the Avon Park Police Department pending the outcome of the case...
FORMER [?] AVON PARK POLICE OFFICER INDICTED IN CHILD'S DEATH Mother indicted on two felony charges Highlands Today By BRAD DICKERSON June 24, 2009 Updated: 06/25/2009 12:22 pm SEBRING - Jenifer Sue Short, 28, the mother of 22-month-old Kaedyn Short, has been indicted on two felony charges of failure to report child abuse and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. Two day care workers, Sara Vasquez and Linda Payne, have also been indicted for failing to report child abuse. A Highlands County grand jury returned an indictment late this afternoon charging former Avon Park police officer James Parker with the murder of 22-month-old Kaedyn Short. The grand jury also charged Parker, 32, with aggravated child abuse. He is set for a first appearance Thursday and still remains in the Highlands County Jail in lieu of a $250,000 bail stemming from his initial child abuse charge. Short died May 27 at a hospice home where she was being cared for in her final days. She was the daughter of Parker's former live-in girlfriend and had been on life support at a St. Petersburg hospital for some time after being hospitalized for severe injuries she suffered March 29... [Full article here]
MORE ARRESTS MADE IN 'BABY K' DEATH News-Sun Ed Baldridge, Trey Christy June 25, 2009 James H. Parker III, former Avon Park Police Officer, was indicted late Wednesday afternoon, charged with first degree murder stemming from the death of 22-month-old Kaedyn Short. The Highlands County grand jury also charged Short's mother, Jenifer Sue Short, 28, Sebring, with not reporting child abuse, and failure to secure medical services/ failure to protect a child from child abuse. "After hearing a days worth of evidence (the grand jury) indicted not only Parker for murder but Ms. Short for two things," said Steve Houchin of the State Attorney's Office. "The second charge is a combination, medical services that should have been and for the child abuse... We have a very strong case regarding Mr. Parker," he said... Parker is still on administrative leave without pay from the Avon Park Police Department pending the outcome of the case... [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder florida]
...a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Police Department, said Rogers was placed on indefinite suspension June 19, a disciplinary action tantamount to firing...
Previous post:
[TX] Police arrest Officer Rogers for assaulting his ex girlfriend - ...The ex-girlfriend told police while she was dancing Rogers came up to her and pushed her down... the woman had cuts on her arms, knee, and side... Several witness accounts were identical to the ex-girlfriend's story, Trevino said, giving police probable cause for an arrest warrant...
POLICE OFFICER INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED Officer suspended over alleged assault on woman San Antonio Express-News By Michelle Mondo Jun 25, 2009 [Excerpts] A 27-year-old police officer accused last year of assaulting a former girlfriend at a bar has essentially been terminated from the department, officials said. Rory Rogers, who at the time of the Dec. 27 incident had been a member of the force for five years, was charged with assault after the ex-girlfriend and several witnesses told police that Rogers, while off-duty, went to a Stone Oak bar and pushed the 21-year-old woman, authorities said. The woman cut herself on glass when she fell, authorities said at the time, and as she got up, Rogers was accused of pushing her down again before leaving the bar. Sandy Gutierrez, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Police Department, said Rogers was placed on indefinite suspension June 19, a disciplinary action tantamount to firing. The decision was based on the criminal charge of assault bodily injury, she said... "The opportunity will be there for an arbitrator to rule whether (the indefinite suspension) was appropriate or not," [San Antonio Police Officers Association President Mike] Helle said. "He's got a criminal case that is still out there that he has to take care of first. If that case gets dismissed or if it goes to trial and he's acquitted, it helps his [internal] case." First Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg said the criminal case against Rogers,
which also includes a deadly conduct charge,
remains under investigation by the district attorney's office... Although he admitted nothing, police arrested him because of a tighter domestic violence policy adopted in January 2007 requiring officers to secure arrest warrants immediately for most family violence suspects. [Full article here]
...During 90 minutes of testimony the sheriff said his department takes complaints of domestic violence against its deputies seriously and that he does not condone his subordinates violating people’s rights in the course of enforcing laws...
(Plaintiff Krista Osborne appears to have formerly been a Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy and a lieutenant with the Federal Way Police Department.)
PIERCE COUNTY SHERIFF ON THE WITNESS STAND COURTS: Domestic violence complaints against his deputy handled properly, Pierce County boss says The News Tribune Adam Lynn adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com Published: 06/26/09 [Excerpts] Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor took the witness stand Thursday to explain the actions of his department and himself in handling a domestic violence complaint brought against one of his deputies five years ago. During 90 minutes of testimony the sheriff said his department takes complaints of domestic violence against its deputies seriously and that he does not condone his subordinates violating people’s rights in the course of enforcing laws. Pastor’s testimony came as part of a civil lawsuit brought against Pierce County and sheriff’s deputies Lloyd Bird and Tom Seymour by Bird’s ex-wife, Krista Osborne... Trial in the case began earlier this month before Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Sally Olsen, in Tacoma. Earlier this week Olsen upheld her previous ruling that Seymour violated Osborne’s Fourth Amendment rights... The sheriff testified at length about how criminal and internal affairs investigations against Bird prompted by Osborne’s complaints were “farmed out” to other law enforcement agencies at the request of Osborne’s attorney. Osborne has complained that the internal affairs investigations took more than two years to complete... Testimony is expected to continue Monday. [Full article here] [cop-on-cop police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement washington state david brame territory crystal judson murder-suicide]
In August of 2004 a papa wrote for help from those who are empowered to make big things happen. He wrote United States Senators and Congresspersons, asking for a federal law bearing his daughter's name after she was fatally shot in her police chief husband's murder-suicide.
What this father wanted made sense, was clearly needed, and together with the collective sorrow and horror of what appeared likely to be his daughter's NEEDLESS death, they agreed to act.
The resulting federal legislation is named The Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program. It was added to the Department of Justice's Violence Against Women Act, allowing law enforcement agencies, registered nonprofit victim agencies, and local governments access to federal grant money for addressing officer-involved domestic violence [oidv] through training and services.
It is beautiful that this federal action bears Crystal's name because her story absolutely ignites change in the hearts of victims everywhere, over and over again. Her remembrance makes us wiser, braver, and more alert for our lives.
I cannot count the number of women who have told me that hearing about what Crystal went through, together with her ultimate fate, changed or saved their lives.
It is awesome that these available funds can be accessed now, though not by victims directly, nor by those working with these victims on a grassroots level where they tend to feel more secure and hidden. We don't know who does access the funds, if they are accessed, or how they are used by any of the narrowly defined recipients.
But I do know that things have not gotten any better yet. I am the story-keeper. I do know that this special class of victims are still terrified, still being murdered, still have no supported / protected place to turn, and are still constantly overcome with hopelessness.
It is a battle to breathe.
EVERY ADVANCE IS A GOOD ADVANCE AND EVERY EFFORT SO FAR HAS BEEN A STEP FORWARD - WITH NO REGRETS, yet I am going to be the first one to say this out loud:
NO PART of what he asked for was granted him in behalf of all the victims like his daughter living in fear for their lives. This, below, is what he asked for, and it is still the foundation of what we need.
HE has done his part. He has begun the process. He should spend more time now loving his adoring wife, his lovely living daughter, and his 2 beautiful grandchildren who no longer have their mother or father.
We should let him rest his broken heart in the circle of those who need him most.
The rest of this is left to us now.
Dear Congressperson
On April 26, 2003 my daughter Crystal DeEtte Brame ( nee Judson ) was brutally murdered by her husband, David Brame, then-Chief of Police in Tacoma Washington, leaving two very beautiful children as orphans and a memory of their mother and father both bleeding profusely from gunshots to the head. The children were nearby as their father brought them with him to the parking lot where he ran into Crystal and fatally shot her and then himself. The children were the first ones on the scene to witness this horrific tragedy. My goal is to do everything I can, as I promised crystal in the hospital, towards making sure that no other families are left as unassisted as my daughter was. My daughter is gone, but there are so many others living just as she did, feeling they have nowhere to turn.
I had a vision while holding my daughter Crystal's hand as she struggled for her life at Harborview Hospital in Seattle - a strong fight that she lost. I promised her that I would do everything I can to help others like her be able to access help, and survive: "The Crystal Clear Act"
That is one of the largest obstacles for those impacted by officer-involved domestic violence - where to turn for help. All the victims of this form of domestic violence that I have talked with directly or have read about in the many articles since my daughter's murder, share the same fears and obstacles as my Crystal did. They find it frighteningly futile, or too high-risk to try to get help from the local police and neighboring police agencies who work closely together. They don't have confidence in regular domestic violence services and shelters because they know that law enforcement personnel have such wide-spread access to people and information that would be inaccessible to others, and often other officer's wives may volunteer there. Reporting a domestic violence incident puts the victim at more risk. In this 21st century, we need legislation that would minimize these dangers and fears, and allow a reporting method that helps both the victim as well as the accused of domestic violence within all our police agencies.
In the aftermath of this heinous crime, the State of Washington has taken on a profound leadership role in addressing this problem with all police agencies in this state. This was accomplished by an Ad Hoc committee of more than 60 members - consisting of lawyers, law enforcement personnel, judges, State Representatives, attorneys, city employees, domestic violence advocates, and many others - working together to develop a law for the legislature to enact and then to be signed by Governor Gary Locke, which happened on March 15, 2004.
I personally thank each and every one of the members of the committee, the legislature and our Governor, who made Washington State's law happen in less than one year. It is strong leadership that has taken the position that domestic violence is an issue that affects every one in our community. All other police agencies in Washington will have there policies in place in the near future.
Federal Legislation: The Crystal Clear Act
The vision of The Crystal Clear Act is that any law enforcement agency in the United States - from border to border and from coast to coast - that requests any kind grants, matching funds, or other assistance from the Federal Government must have an effective domestic violence policy and set of clear procedures in place before any funds are issued.
The federal government could establish a basic standard that all jurisdictions at all levels must have in place as the standard. The basic standard is required as part of the contract to receive any funds. This standard should include but not be limited to:
- Education, Training, and Retraining - Methods to report abuse without retribution - Counseling and assistance with safety for the said victim - Intervention and support for the said accused - A formal accountability system
Each jurisdictional level of government would be responsible to implement their own processes and procedures to meet the minimum requirements of this legislation.
Education, Training, and Retraining
The minimum education and training requirements required can probably best be defined by people such as the authors and contributors of Tacoma Washington's policy, since months of specific and indepth research was gathered to select what would be most effective and workable. I imagine that would include training on officer-involved domestic violence, preventative measures, early warning signs, and what the effects of domestic violence are on the community and in the workplace. The training should include current domestic violence laws, prevention of domestic violence and where the victim can get help. Retraining should be done continuously on new or revised laws, an update on community domestic violence resources and a signing form that says they have received the training.
Methods to report abuse without retribution
Victims of abuse must have a place that they can report the abuse and have it investigated by a unbiased organization. Here again, current advocacy groups may be the best source of information to establish a standard. We don't want to tell them how to do their job, but give them the guidelines of what is expected, and where and how to report abusive situations, even if it is a neighbor, friend, or relatives in need of help. The victim must be protected from the abuser, and understand that the report will be kept in strict confidence. Most victims of officer-involved domestic violence, understandably, have very serious reservations about picking up the phone and dialing 911 to report the abuse.
Counseling and Assistance
In order to best avoid tragedy, career loss, or an abusive relationship, as well as the resulting liabilities, all parties of an intimate partnership need a place where they can get quality counseling. Ideally this would include minors effected by the relationship as well. Counseling should be provided by an agency outside of the involved law enforcement department, and assuredly confidential. Without these tools most caught in domestic violence will never heal the relationships or their lives on their own. New skills and information is mandatory.
Accountability System
Accountability would be at the local, state, county, city, township, or municipal government level that requested the initial funds, matching funds, or method(s) that funding was requested from. What this means is that any law enforcement agency that requests funds must assure that they do not knowingly have any employee(s) currently engaged in any form domestic violence against a spouse, relative, friend, neighbor, or other persons to their knowledge. Any agency that has an employee that commits domestic violence, and the city, county, or state it represents makes no attempt to intervene, would be required to repay the federal funds to the government and/or be fined an additional amount for failure to abide by this law if they knowingly had information that police perpetrated domestic violence was being committed at the time the funds were requested.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC, CAUSING HEALTH PROBLEMS, ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, AND DESTROYING COUNTLESS LIVES IN WAYS IMMEASURABLE.. It affects men, women, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, neighbors, friends, and co-workers across our nation, OF EVERY SOCIAL STATUS, ETHNICITY, AND BELIEF SYSTEM.
Federal funds are the taxes that all Americans pay to insure that we have laws in place to protect our citizens from things such as domestic violence. With your help we can take another step toward making the quality of life better across these United States.
As my daughter Crystal D. Brame nee (Judson) and I feel we are the co-authors/owners of this idea, we would ask if it could be called "THE CRYSTAL CLEAR" law or act in her honor for leading the way to help all those who are abused and afraid to come forward and report police perpetrated domestic violence.
Periodic Psychological Evaluations
And lastly, though I am not sure how or if it can be incorporated into legislation, Crystal's mother - my wife Patty Judson, keeps asking (insisting) that I add the idea of officers being required to take post-hire psychological evaluations at least at the time of their promotions. Others have suggested to me every two or three years regularly because of all the trauma and stress that law enforcement officers are continuously exposed to. (Also pre-hire psychological evaluations are not, but should be, required in every state.)
I INVITE AND IMPLORE the Washington delegation of Congresspersons and Senators TO TAKE THE LEAD in behalf of this federal effort that could have such a profound and direct effect on both agencies and people's lives across The United States.
Thank you for your time and your interest in this national health problem; One that costs millions if not billions every year in lost time from work, productivity, increased health care costs and most importantly, the quality of life of it's victims - if they survive at ALL. Let there be no mistake: domestic violence kills.
..."I can't believe this man was looking at charges carrying life in prison and got probation. What is the message that this has given other victims and police officers?" [Renee'] Harrington said the advocacy group [Michigan Officer Involved Domestic Violence Corp.] had contacted state legislators and other officials to try to intervene before Tuesday's sentencing - but she said no response was received... [See previous blog posts on Steele's crimes here]
PROBATION DEAL ANGERS WOMEN'S ADVOCATE GROUP HomeTownLife.com By Darrell Clem dclem@hometownlife.com June 25, 2009
A suspended Detroit police officer who had been charged with firing shots and trying to kill his ex-girlfriend inside her Canton home has been placed on probation for one year - a move that has angered at least one women's advocacy group.
Gary Allen Steele, 42, was sentenced Tuesday by Wayne County Circuit Judge Ulysses Boykin after earlier pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless discharge of a firearm.
Steele, off duty when he was accused of attacking Kimberly Ann Golematis in March 2008, could have faced penalties ranging up to life in prison if he had been convicted of original charges including torture, assault with intent to murder and other felony counts.
Golematis didn't appear for Tuesday's sentencing, Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Maria Miller said, but the victim had said during an earlier preliminary hearing that Steele was "a good person who made a really bad choice."
Nonetheless, a network calling itself the Michigan Officer Involved Domestic Violence Corp. has criticized what it considers a two-tiered system that favors law-enforcement officers charged with such crimes.
"It is an outrage," the group's director, Renee Harrington, said. "I can't believe this man was looking at charges carrying life in prison and got probation. What is the message that this has given other victims and police officers?"
Harrington said the advocacy group had contacted state legislators and other officials to try to intervene before Tuesday's sentencing - but she said no response was received.
Steele, who earlier spent months in jail before he was able to post bond, could have faced 90 days in jail when he was sentenced Tuesday. He was ordered by Boykin not to contact the victim.
Miller said Boykin accepted the no contest plea because there's still potential for civil action against Steele.
"The plea was offered by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in the best interests of justice," Miller said.
Steele remains suspended and still could face other disciplinary actions, according to the Detroit Police Department.
Golematis testified during an earlier preliminary hearing that Steele choked her, straddled her when she fell to the ground and fired shots near the left side of her head. The incident happened when Steele went to her home to get the last of his belongings after their relationship dissolved.
Golematis earlier testified that Steele appeared to "snap" back to reality after she told him that he was hurting her. She said he told her that he loved her and "would do anything for us."
...Just days after learning he would not face charges of domestic assault a Nuckolls County Sheriff's Deputy is fired...
Is there a safety net for her? Is there one for him? What happens to them each now? Who is in Nebraska for police family domestic violence?
DEPUTY WON'T FACE ASSAULT CHARGE Omaha World-Herald Published Tuesday June 23, 2009 NELSON, Neb. — The chief deputy of the Nuckolls County sheriff won't be charged with domestic assault involving his wife. The prosecutor said there isn't enough evidence to try 48-year-old Scott Stemper of Nelson. Stemper was arrested last month after an investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol. He has been free on bail. Court documents say Stemper's wife, Christina, told a patrol investigator on May 16 that she and Stemper had squabbled around midnight about a pack of cigarettes. She says he threw the pack at her, striking her head. Christina Stemper said her husband then shoved her, held a knife above her throat and yelled at her. He told the investigator that she had taken the knife from a drawer and threatened to kill herself. He said he took the knife from her, and he denied pushing, grabbing or threatening his wife. Scott Stemper has been with the Nuckolls County Sheriff's Office for 23 years. He is a former mayor of Nelson who was recalled in 2005. [LINK]
NUCKOLLS COUNTY DEPUTY'S EMPLOYMENT TERMINATED KHAS-TV 6/24/2009 Just days after learning he would not face charges of domestic assault a Nuckolls County Sheriff's Deputy is fired. The Nuckoll's County Sheriff said Scott Stemper of Nelson is no longer a county employee. He would not give any other details. Stemper was arrested last month on suspicion of domestic assault. The Thayer County Attorney who was appointed as special prosecutor in the case decided this week not to file charges due to a lack of evidence. Stemper had been with the Nuckoll's County Sheriff's Office for 23 years. He did not return News 5's calls for comment. [LINK] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement nebraska]
..."She had some bleeding from her nose, blood on her shirt and her face was puffy and swollen," said Maplewood Police Chief David Thomalla, who was attending a biweekly City Council meeting when the victim walked into City Hall, where the police department also is located. Rinehart's wife, who complained of rib pain, too, was taken to St. John's Hospital in Maplewood... He said officers have to be careful when dealing with other officers because they are often armed... In 2001, Rinehart was one of three officers disciplined for not reporting the use of force in arresting an 18-year-old Illinois man. And twice during the past two years, his canine partner, Sarik, has bitten the wrong person...
ST. PAUL OFFICER ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC ABUSE myfoxtwincities.com 23 Jun 2009 [Excerpts] SAINT PAUL, Minn. - A Saint Paul police officer was arrested Monday night in Maplewood for domestic assault. Isaac Rinehart has been placed on administrative duties until an investigation is completed. Rinehart works with Saint Paul's canine unit. The Maplewood police chief says Rinehart's showed up to a city council meeting with a bloody nose and swollen face, asking for help. She told police her husband had beat her up... [Full article here]
ST. PAUL POLICE OFFICER IS ACCUSED OF ASSAULT IN MAPLEWOOD Wife of a member of K-9 force says he hit her in face Pioneer Press By Mara H. Gottfried mgottfried@pioneerpress.com Updated: 06/23/2009 11:43:41 PM CDT [Excerpts] Isaac Rinehart was arrested Tuesday at the Maplewood Police Department. A woman walked into the Maplewood Police Department on Monday night, reported that her husband had assaulted her and said he was a St. Paul police officer. She had visible injuries to her face, Maplewood police Chief Dave Thomalla said Tuesday. About 90 minutes later, officer Isaac Rinehart came to the police department and was arrested. Maplewood police cited him for misdemeanor domestic assault, and he was booked into the Ramsey County jail. The woman, whom Thomalla didn't name, told police she and Rinehart had been arguing, Thomalla said... St. Paul police have relieved Rinehart, a K-9 officer, of his regular assignment and placed him in an administrative position pending the outcome of the case, said Sgt. Paul Schnell, police spokesman. He's also the subject of an internal affairs investigation after his K-9 partner bit a 13-year-old boy when Rinehart was off duty in March... Rinehart's wife walked about three-quarters of a mile to the Maplewood police station... Paramedics took the woman to St. John's Hospital, where she was evaluated and released... A judge denied Rinehart's request for a public defender, ordered Rinehart not to have contact with the victim and set bail at $1,000, which Rinehart posted. He was released pending a July 27 court appearance... In December 2007, [Officer Rinehart's K9] Sarik slipped from Rinehart's grasp while he was responding to a fight call in downtown St. Paul and bit a man who wasn't involved... [Full article here]
ST. PAUL OFFICER ACCUSED OF BEATING HIS WIFE ST. PAUL (WCCO) Heather Brown Jun 23, 2009 [Excerpts] A St. Paul police officer is on desk duty after accusations he beat his wife. Officer Isaac Rinehart was arrested Monday night after turning himself in at the Maplewood Police Department. Around 10 p.m., his wife walked into the Maplewood Police Department. Maplewood Chief Dave Thomalla saw her and noticed something was wrong. "She had facial injuries. She had some bleeding from the nose and some swelling in her face," he said. "Obviously, she'd been assaulted." She told him she'd been hurt by her husband at the home where he was staying. She said they'd been in a fight and she'd walked a mile to the police station. Maplewood officers took her to the hospital. While she was being checked out, Thomalla called St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington to tell him what happened. Harrington called Rinehart's commander, who then called Rinehart. Within the hour, Rinehart had turned himself in. Thomalla said while all domestic cases are different, his officers did not handle this one differently because Rinehart is a police officer. He said officers have to be careful when dealing with other officers because they are often armed... Thomalla said Rinehart didn't give police a statement and requested his lawyer. In his 15 years with St. Paul Police, Rinehart's personnel file shows he's been commended 16 times. He's also been reprimanded four times. One was a 4-day suspension in 1996 for conduct unbecoming of a police officer. Privacy rules prevent police from releasing any more details on that suspension. Rinehart is also under investigation after his police canine bit a child earlier this year... Once the criminal case is closed, St. Paul Police will begin their own investigation... [Full article here]
A COURT DATE WAS SET FOR THE ST. PAUL OFFICER, WHOSE WIFE WENT TO MAPLEWOOD CITY HALL TO REPORT SHE HAD BEEN BEATEN. Minneapolis Star Tribune By Anthony Lonetree Last update: June 24, 2009 - 9:09 PM [Excerpts] A July 27 court hearing has been set for a St. Paul police canine officer charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. Isaac D. Rinehart, 42, was arraigned in Ramsey County District Court Tuesday after his wife went to Maplewood City Hall about 10 p.m. Monday claiming he had beaten her. "She had some bleeding from her nose, blood on her shirt and her face was puffy and swollen," said Maplewood Police Chief David Thomalla, who was attending a biweekly City Council meeting when the victim walked into City Hall, where the police department also is located. Rinehart's wife, who complained of rib pain, too, was taken to St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, where she was treated and released... Last fall, Rinehart was among several St. Paul K-9 cops to be featured on an Animal Planet TV series. But he has been the subject of less flattering news coverage, as well. In 2001, Rinehart was one of three officers disciplined for not reporting the use of force in arresting an 18-year-old Illinois man. And twice during the past two years, his canine partner, Sarik, has bitten the wrong person... Asked why the officer faced a misdemeanor charge, as opposed to a felony, the chief said "the injuries appeared to reach the misdemeanor level." He added, however, that his department also has requested the victim's medical records for review, and if the injuries were more severe than initially believed, the case could be sent to the county attorney's office for consideration of felony charges [Full article here]
FROM LAST MARCH:
ST. PAUL POLICE K9 POLICIES UNDER REVIEW AFTER ATTACK KSTP.com By: Nicole Muehlhausen 03/19/2009 [Excerpts] The St. Paul Police Department's K9 polices will go under review after a teenager was attacked by one of it's dogs Sunday night. Thirteen-year-old Mitch Fitzgerald told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he still hurts after being attacked by an unleashed police K9 named Sarik. The boy had to have 13 stitches in his arm and five in his lip after the assault. "I thought I felt his teeth hit the bone and he kept gnawing, gnawing and gnawing," Fitzgerald said. His mother, Terri, says she's even angrier after 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS discovered this isn't the first incident. In December of 2007, Sarik also bit a man while waiting for the bus... St. Paul Police spokesman Pete Panos says after the first incident, there was no formal investigation and both Sarik and his handler Officer Isaac Rinehart are still on the job. "This is very regrettable. It's a very bad accident and we take it very serious," Panos said. After spending two nights in the hospital, Fitzgerald says he still loves dogs but worries someone else may end up like him. "If it struck two people, it's going to strike three people probably. [The dog] should always be on a leash especially if it's in a neighborhood," he said... [Full article here]
FROM LAST APRIL:
SOUTH ST. PAUL / ST. PAUL OFFICER NOT CITED IN DOG BITE Pioneer Press By Mara H. Gottfried mgottfried@pioneerpress.com Posted:04/08/2009 10:08 PM [Excerpts] South St. Paul police closed their investigation Wednesday into a St. Paul police dog that bit a 13-year-old boy. They did not issue a citation to the officer. Police treated the case as they would handle any dog bite, said Lt. William Messerich... Mitch Fitzgerald got three stitches on his lip and 13 on his arm after off-duty officer Isaac Rinehart's K-9 partner, Sarik, bit him about 9 p.m. March 15... Rinehart was in uniform and driving a marked squad car when he stopped by to let Sarik out. "Before doing so, Officer Rinehart checked the area visually with the squad's spotlight and verbally by announcing, 'anybody out there'... Seeing no one and hearing no one, Sarik was released from the vehicle." Rinehart heard a scream "within a short period of time" and called Sarik back "as he ran towards the scream"... [Mitch's mother Terri] Fitzgerald said she hadn't heard from South St. Paul police that the investigation was over... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement minnesota]
...Jones allegedly hit his wife in the head with his gun, court records said. As a result of the injury, Jones’ wife has apparently lost hearing in one ear and may need surgery...
$750K BOND FOR CHICAGO COP IN BEATING OF ESTRANGED WIFE myfoxchicago.com Tuesday, 23 Jun 2009 Chicago, IL. - Bond was set at $750,000 Tuesday for a Chicago Police officer allegedly involved in a domestic altercation with his estranged wife Friday night. Officer Jason Jones, 38, appeared in bond court Tuesday after being charged Monday with aggravated domestic battery and home invasion in the June 19 incident, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin. Jones allegedly went to his estranged wife’s home in the 9200 block of South Aberdeen about 7 p.m. Friday to get his mail, according to court records. His wife of 18 months, also a police officer, did not want to let him in the home, so Jones allegedly went to the back of the home and kicked the door in because he believed she was not alone. When Jones entered the home and found another man in her bed, he allegedly pulled out his gun and told the other man to get out, prosecutors said. The couple then got into an argument and Jones allegedly hit his wife in the head with his gun, court records said. As a result of the injury, Jones’ wife has apparently lost hearing in one ear and may need surgery to correct the problem. Jones and his wife have been estranged for the last three months, prosecutors said. [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement cop-on-cop illinois]
Bernita is always referred to as Bernita White - and legally that was her name when she was murdered. But she had filed divorce... so to me - and I believe for her, she is Bernita Sims.
It's an open case and Det. Sgt. Artis White is still THEE only named person of interest & is still on the job.
REMEMBERING BERNITA WITH EXCERPTS FROM OLD ARTICLES:
...BernitaWhite was shot just outside the entrance of the Potter Park Zoo. She was with her 5-year old child. Her husband, Artis, a Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. at the time, was considered a suspect. Lansing Police Lt. Bruce Ferguson says,"...there's been no one fully excluded..."
A state trooper's wife visiting a crowded zoo with her daughter was killed by a rifle shot fired from a nearby wooded area. Her mother died of a heart attack when she was told of the shooting...
...The warrants quote BernitaWhite's mother, 67-year-old Barbara Sims of Detroit, as saying "Artis had her killed," when a trooper informed her of her daughter's death. Sims died after getting the news... ...Mother and daughter were buried in the same week...
...Artis White left Potter Park just minutes before Bernita White was shot in front of her 5-year-old daughter at about 3:15 p.m. outside the zoo's entrance... White did admit that he hired a private investigator to follow his wife. At a custody hearing for the couple's children, Artis threatened to show a videotape of his wife with another man...
...He told investigators he attended a picnic with his wife in the early afternoon and left to pick up their other daughter. He arrived at the zoo about an hour after the shooting... Authorities have said marital problems and a custody dispute over couple's two young daughters were possible motives...
...Police believe that Artis White had enough time to fire the shot, the search warrants said. Hall said investigators still consider Artis White a suspect in the shooting. No one has been charged in the killing. The search warrant lists a pending divorce and a private investigator hired by White as possible motives in the killing...
...The warrant requests, unsealed last week, portray White as obsessive. Priebe wrote that White admitted hiring a private investigator to follow his wife and "that he had been inappropriately using police facilities such as Law Enforcement Information Network records to check on his wife and persons she was seeing"...
...Artis White admitted using the Law Enforcement Information Network to check on his wife's whereabouts...
...White did admit that he hired a private investigator to follow his wife. At a custody hearing for the couple's children, Artis threatened to show a videotape of his wife with another man... Artis White told police he was having an affair with a Michigan State Police employee, search warrants showed...
...Investigators determined that the fatal shot came from a rifle in a wooded area north of the zoo's ticket booth... "We're confident the shooter was a long distance away"...
...Artis White, a Michigan State Police trooper, has maintained his innocence and criticized police for focusing on him while, he said, the real killer got away...
"I know that we continue to live our lives ... and we're just taking one day at a time," White said, referring to himself and his two daughters, ages 9 and 7. Investigators want to intervie.w White further... But Artis White said he refuses to talk with police while they consider him a suspect. Public spotlight on the case had slowed until Artis White released a book about the homicide and the ongoing investigation earlier this year. White said he wrote "Who Killed My Wife?" because he believes police have had enough time to find his wife's killer - and hopes the project will help do just that...
My name is Artis White and I am the author of "Who Killed My Wife?"- The Unsolved Murder of Bernita White. "Who Killed My Wife?" is a true story. It is about my wife, Bernita who was killed with a high powered rifle while walking with our daughter in a crowded zoo in Lansing, Michigan. The murder, which occurred on June 23, 2001, has not been solved, and that is the premise of my book... Anyone who is interested in true crime will be interested in this book. The book is reported as: "Captivating as told through the eyes of a husband and the heart of a father with the knowledge of a trained investigator"...
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement michigan]
...After he threatened her with a personal firearm that was at the house, Mrs. Greenwood called LPD for help... "We took what action we felt needed to be done," said Virgil Gammon, chief deputy for the Sheriff's Department. "With 400 employees, you're going to run into this"...
Small world. Rutherford County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Greenwood was the deputy that went out into the woods with another deputy to check on a distraught woman I've talked with, Michelle Roderick, and shot her. We'll get back to Michelle in day or two.
SHERIFF’S DEPUTY ACCUSED OF PULLING GUN ON WIFE newschannel5.com June 20, 2009 06:14 PM [Excerpt] LAVERGNE, Tenn.- A Rutherford County Sheriff's deputy is off the job tonight after La Vergne Police arrested him. Michael Greenwood, 34, was fired for being arrested on charges of aggravated domestic violence. The Sheriff's Department says Greenwood threatened his wife with a firearm after finding out Friday she was having an affair... [Full article here] DEPUTY FIRED, SERGEANT RESIGNS murfreesboropost.com Saturday, June 20, 2009 1:18 pm [Excerpts] A 34-year-old dayshift deputy sheriff was fired today after being arrested by La Vergne Police Department officers for committing aggravated domestic violence against his wife, a sheriff's office nightshift patrol sergeant. The 31-year-old female sergeant resigned after sheriff's office supervision became aware of facts behind the incident... It is our understanding Greenwood became aware Friday that his wife, former Sgt. Heather Greenwood, was involved in a romantic affair with a subordinate deputy on her shift. Greenwood left their home and went to a motel room but returned to the La Vergne house they shared and confronted Mrs. Greenwood again early this morning. After he threatened her with a personal firearm that was at the house, Mrs. Greenwood called LPD for help...[Full article here]
DEPUTY FIRED FOLLOWING ASSAULT ARREST The Daily News Journal BY CHASITY GUNN - CGUNN@DNJ.COM June 21, 2009 A Rutherford County Sheriff's Deputy was fired Saturday after being arrested for domestic assault against his wife... Michael Greenwoord's wife, Sgt. Heather Greenwood, 31, resigned Friday after Sheriff's Office supervisors learned she was having an affair with a subordinate employee... The subordinate deputy, 23-year-old Joseph Vann, Jr., was suspended for one week without pay for violating department conduct policy. Michael Greenwood, 34, was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center. Before he was fired, sheriff's supervisors placed him briefly on unpaid suspension, decommissioned him and seized his issued firearms, uniforms, law enforcement ID and patrol car, according to the press release. "We took what action we felt needed to be done," said Virgil Gammon, chief deputy for the Sheriff's Department. "With 400 employees, you're going to run into this"... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement lethal tennessee cop-on-cop michelle roderick]
BALTIMORE POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING WIFE Baltimore Sun Annie Linskey June 21, 2009 A Baltimore police officer was arrested on a domestic violence charge after allegedly assaulting his wife, who is also a city police officer, said Anthony J. Guglielmi, a police spokesman. The officer arrested, Arnold L. Ford Jr., 39, has been on the force two years. He was taken into custody about 2 p.m. Saturday in the 3800 block of Grantley St. in Northwest Baltimore, police said. Police commanders took his badge and gun, and his police powers have been suspended, Guglielmi said. Other details about the incident were not immediately available. Police did not release the name of his wife, who is 40 and has been a city officer for 21 years. She was treated at a local hospital for an injury to her hand, police said. [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement maryland cop on cop jail]
...[Myron] Stenhouse, 45, shot his estranged wife, Hunter Stenhouse, to death at his house... Hunter Stenhouse had moved out of the house about six months ago, and she and her husband were getting a divorce and sharing custody of their daughter... Neighbors also said the suspect was a retired police officer...
ST. PETE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING ESTRANGED WIFE suncoastpinellas.tbo.com By Peter Bernard | WFLA Published: June 19, 2009 Updated: 06/19/2009 09:25 pm ST. PETERSBURG - Myron Stenhouse called 911 this afternoon and told police something had happened to his wife. Police say that something was that Stenhouse had shot her to death. He has since been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. During the 911 call, the 45-year-old Stenhouse mentioned a knife, put down the phone and left an open line, police say. A male voice could be heard in the background. Then Stenhouse got back on the line "and said something about his wife 'laying on the floor'"... He said he wanted the police to come out,'' said police spokesman Bill Proffitt. "He didn't say why. And then the line went open for a while. Then he came back to the line and made some kind of bizarre statement. And then the line went open again." Stenhouse, 45, shot his estranged wife, Hunter Stenhouse, to death at his house... Hunter Stenhouse, 35, of Brandon, was dead inside the home. She had suffered a gunshot wound to her upper body... Hunter Stenhouse had moved out of the house about six months ago, and she and her husband were getting a divorce and sharing custody of their daughter... Police are continuing to investigate and are unsure what the motive was for the shooting... [Full article here]
POLICE:MAN CALLS 911 AFTER SHOOTING ESTRANGED WIFE ABC Action News - Chad Cookler Chad Cookler ccookler@abcactionnews.com Last Update: 6/19/2009 10:22 pm ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- A St. Petersburg man called 911 after he shot and killed his estranged wife while their young daughter was home... When officers arrived at Stenhouse's home on 6236 20th Way South, Stenhouse was standing in his driveway, holding his 14-month old daughter, detectives said. "He was very distraught. He was very upset. You could tell he was very taken-aback by the whole situation." said a neighbor. They then went inside the home and found the body of his estranged wife Hunter Kelli Stenhouse, dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. A semi-automatic weapon was recovered from the home... Neighbors told ABC Action News that the Stenhouse's were sharing custody of their daughter and were working on their marriage, spending time together on the weekends. According to St. Pete Police spokesman Bill Proffitt, she had brought their daughter to his home to switch custody. Neighbors also said the suspect was a retired police officer and a retired US Marine. Officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun from the house... Myron Stenhouse is charged with 2nd-degree murder. [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder florida knife gun weapon child toddler shared custody divorce estranged]
...Police said [Vincent] Smothers listed his last job as the slaying of Rose Cobb, the wife of a Detroit police officer, the day after Christmas in 2007. Smothers said he got $50... Defense lawyer Gabi Silver doesn't dispute the words but claims Smothers, 28, was coerced with promises that his wife would not be charged with helping him...
Vincent Smothers
..."We still have unanswered questions as to why," said Rose Cobb's niece, Adrian Gary, who attended the hearing Friday. "We want justice. We plan to be here. ... I kinda feel sorry for him, but our anger is for the man who hired him"...
DETROIT MAN TO COPS: I'M A HITMAN Man Confesses To Eight Paid Slays, Police Say; Lawyers Want Confession Thrown Out Jun 19, 2009 10:19 am US/Eastern CBS News Interactive: Crime Beat [Excerpts] Hours after police plucked him out of a suburban alley, Vincent Smothers dropped a bombshell confession: "I don't have a profession," he told an investigator. "I kill people for money." Then, police say, he laid out details of how each of eight hired hits happened. He stalked his victims before shooting them at close range. He killed some while talking on his cell phone and fired on others even when they appeared to be lying lifeless on the ground... His last alleged slaying-for-hire was Rose Cobb, the 47-year-old wife of a Detroit officer, on the day after Christmas 2007, according to the confession. She was sitting in her van outside a pharmacy when Smothers, wearing a ski mask, broke a window with a tire iron and shot her in the head. "My stomach was in knots," he told police. "I felt like she was innocent. ... All the rest were dope dealers." Smothers said Cobb's husband, David Cobb, arranged the killing while having an affair. The sergeant was never charged but hanged himself in September. The confessions were evidence at a series of hearings over the past year where judges found probable cause to put Smothers on trial. Police also have tapes of the interviews. Defense lawyer Gabi Silver doesn't dispute the words but claims Smothers, 28, was coerced with promises that his wife would not be charged with helping him. "The interrogation was extremely long and unfair. ... The confessions were the product of duress," Silver said in a recent filing in Wayne County Circuit Court, where Smothers faces six trials. He spent nearly four hours in April 2008 confessing to Cobb's death, then went on to talk about the other killings, chief investigator Ira Todd said. Smothers seemed remorseful, he said. "I knew at the time these crimes were committed they were wrong and that there would be a price to pay," he wrote. "After Cobb's wife, I could no longer have anything to do with murdering people. "I can't bring them back," Smothers wrote, "but I hope this allow their families to know that someone is going to pay behind what happened to their loved ones... [Full article here] CONFESSION IN SLAYINGS DISPUTED Police in Wayne court deny lawyer's assertions that accused hit man's statements coerced The Detroit News Ed White / Associated Press June 20, 2009 [Excerpts] A Shelby Township man accused of killing eight people as a hired hit man talked freely -- even laughed -- when he confessed to police, officers testified Friday as a judge considered whether to toss the statements. Wayne County Circuit Judge Craig Strong heard an hour of testimony in the case of Vincent Smothers, who faces six trials in eight fatal shootings. Police say he claimed he was paid a total of $60,000 to kill his victims over two years. All but one were involved in drug disputes... Police deny any coercion was involved. In testifying about his interview in one death, Sgt. Michael Martell said Smothers was "very cooperative." Officer Kelly Mullins said Smothers didn't appear tired and never asked for a lawyer while talking to her about two killings... Police said Smothers listed his last job as the slaying of Rose Cobb, the wife of a Detroit police officer, the day after Christmas in 2007. Smothers said he got $50... "We still have unanswered questions as to why," said Rose Cobb's niece, Adrian Gary, who attended the hearing Friday. "We want justice. We plan to be here. ... I kinda feel sorry for him, but our anger is for the man who hired him." [Full article here]
Previous blog entries:
[MI] SGT COBB'S WIFE SHOT DEAD IN PARKING LOT- ...One of the videos mentions that David Cobb was formerly charged with harrassment of and solicitation of sex from a minor, but was cleared, and another of the videos announces that Cobb IS now a person of interest in the murder of his wife Rose, but not a suspect.
[MI] Sgt. Cobb not at vigil for his murdered wife, Rose- "DON'T BE A COWARD. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, AND YOU NEED TO TURN YOURSELF IN. YOU TOOK SOMEONE THAT WE LOVE WITH ALL OUR HEARTS AWAY FROM US. SHE DID NOT DESERVE THIS. TURN YOURSELF IN."
[MI] Investigator of Sgt.'s wife - Rose Cobb's - murder warned: "This thing is bigger than you. Trust me." - ...During a 90-minute interview Thursday in Stefani's Royal Oak office, [chief investigator, Detective Ira] Todd, 50, claimed his supervisors pressured him to turn over a written report documenting his investigation into hit man Vincent Smothers, who told police he was responsible for 10 murders, including the 2007 fatal shooting of Rose Cobb, the wife of Detroit Police Sgt. David Cobb... Todd said he was interrogating him at police headquarters when [Cmdr. James] Tolbert interrupted the interview. "I've never had that happen; you never want to stop someone when they're in the middle of a confession..."
[MI] Update on hit-murder of Rose Cobb, wife of Detroit Police Sgt. David Cobb - ...David Cobb was arrested a day after Smothers was, but Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said there was not enough evidence to charge him. Cobb remains free but suspended. He has said through his attorney that he never met Smothers...
[MI] So maybe Sgt. Cobb's demons, after having Rose murdered, did kill him after all- ...[Detroit Police Sgt. David] Cobb had already schooled [confessed hit man Vincent] Smothers on police interrogation techniques, the importance of getting rid of the gun and wearing gloves and arm sleeves to avoid gunpowder residue, they told police... To this day, Rose Cobb's family has no idea where her remains or any of her personal possessions are. They didn't go to Cobb's funeral, but did attend the viewing. They said they just had to see his body...
...Merritt was convicted even though his wife testified that it never happened... A 911 recording played in court contained Merritt's sobbing wife telling a dispatcher that Merritt had hit her on the side of the head and had threatened to kill her. She refused to tell the dispatcher where he worked as a police officer but said he had hit her before...
ALGONQUIN COP CONVICTED OF DOMESTIC BATTERY RESIGNS Northwest Herald By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com June 17, 2009 [Excerpts] An Algonquin police sergeant who was convicted of domestic battery last month has resigned. Wade Merritt, 46, submitted his resignation from the Algonquin Police Force last week, Police Chief Russell Laine said. "It has been accepted," Laine said. "It's effective today." Merritt, of the Oakwood Hills area, allegedly hit his wife of seven years on the left side of her head hard enough that she fell to the ground March 4. Merritt was convicted even though his wife testified that it never happened. However, Merritt's 10-year-old son testified that he saw his father raise his hand and saw his stepmother lying on the hallway floor soon thereafter... "He made a decision that it was in his best interest to resign, ... and now the police commission will not be holding a hearing," Laine said... [Full article here]
ALGONQUIN COP RESIGNS Northwest Herald By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com June 18, 2009 [Excerpts] ...Before his resignation, Merritt had been suspended without pay for more than a month by police commissioners. They were scheduled to discuss the fate of his job at a termination hearing Wednesday, but now won't need to... A 911 recording played in court contained Merritt's sobbing wife telling a dispatcher that Merritt had hit her on the side of the head and had threatened to kill her. She refused to tell the dispatcher where he worked as a police officer but said he had hit her before. McHenry County Judge Gordon Graham convicted Merritt of a single count of domestic battery, and said the son offered "almost a classic case" of collaborative evidence... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement illinois recant]
To the media: Whether Florida's Mulberry Mayor Julian Mullis is the victim of domestic violence or the victim of assault by a roommate, he is a victim. Stop having fun with it. The media is being so inhumane that I can't even post excerpts from the articles. The press is treating him as if he is the one who broke the law.
...[Murdered] Irma Rodriguez's youngest child and her sister wrote they are "terrified of Norberto Rodriguez"...
Previous posts:
[IL] The life of Irma Arroyo Rodriguez has been stolen and our sorrow is one soul heavier - The Cook County medical examiner’s office this morning tentatively identified the body found in the car trunk as Irma Rodriguez... [Police] said they had not been able to talk to her estranged husband, Norberto, a former Chicago police officer who was charged with trying to kill her in 1997... An internal police investigation of the incident concluded, "Officer Rodriguez unlawfully shot his wife, Irma Rodriguez, with his firearm during a domestic dispute"... Tuesday [June 2nd, 2009] was the day Ms. Rodriguez was supposed to be in divorce court. Proceedings began more than a year and a half ago...
[IL] Norberto Rodriguez, where are you? - ...the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and Oak Forest police are keeping mum about their investigation... [Oak Forest Police Chief David] DeMarco said police do not have any new developments. He does not know where [slain Irma's husband, ex-Chicago Police Officer] Norberto Rodriguez is...
FAMILY OF MURDERED MOM FEARS HUSBAND Southtown Star By Kristen Schorsch kschorsch@southtownstar.com June 17, 2009 [Excerpts] The family of Irma Rodriguez, an Oak Forest mother of three who was found shot dead in the trunk of her car earlier this month, fear so much for their safety that they have filed an emergency order of protection against Rodriguez's estranged husband. Irma Rodriguez's youngest child and her sister wrote they are "terrified of Norberto Rodriguez," according to the June 9 petition, which says police recommended the sister seek an order on behalf of Irma Rodriguez's youngest child and her family. The boy is "is fearful because he believes that his father brutally murdered his mother"... It's not clear where Norberto Rodriguez is... Police have yet to name any suspects... A Will County judge granted the protection order June 9. It requires Norberto Rodriguez to stay away from his late wife's sister, her husband, daughter and son as well as Irma Rodriguez's two minor children... Norberto and Irma Rodriguez were due in divorce court the day her body was discovered. The convicted heroin dealer and ex-Chicago cop lost his job on the force after a 1997 incident in which he shot his wife in the hand during an argument, though he was acquitted of criminal charges in the case. Irma Rodriguez got a protective order against her then-husband in 2001, claiming he threatened to kill her and dragged her out of the house and down stairs by her legs. She terminated the order three weeks later... [Full article here]
...In the settlement, Blanchette, 43, was declared retired as of April 25, one day after his 20th anniversary with the department. He was demoted to a patrol officer and given a 40-day unpaid suspension... Previous posts:
[CT] DV charges erased, Lt. Blanchette moved on to other crimes - Riddle: Keep a cop that breaks the law and what do you get? It's crazy that this officer is getting the package he is, after his heroin-related escapades, ESPECIALLY (WATCH THIS) BECAUSE he has threatened that if he DOESN'T get the golden egg he is going to SING on what he knows about the department. He THREATENS, and then GETS the respected exit of retirement?...
[CT] Norwich Police Lt. Blanchette allowed the respectability of "RETIREMENT"?- In the OUTRAGEOUS RESOLUTION of Norwich Police Lt. Michael R. Blanchette's heroin-connected scandal - AN OFFENSIVE-TO-ALL "RETIREMENT" WITH PENSION - only one of the two recent articles BOTHERS to mention Lt. Blanchette's prior domestic case in a short blurb - at the end: ...In 2004, Blanchette was arrested on domestic charges related to allegations he was harassing his estranged wife. The charges were later dismissed when he agreed to go to counseling...In 2004 it wasn't just a domestic "harassment" incident as the recent article says... Please see the article excerpts that I have included from 2004 that follow (below) these recent news excerpts.
FORMER OFFICER'S PENSION APPROVED Blanchette's eligibility OK'd as stipulated in retirement agreement The Day, CT By Claire Bessette Published on 6/17/2009 Norwich - The city Personnel and Pension Board did not want to see the settlement agreement between the city and former police Lt. Michael Blanchette before deciding that Blanchette qualified for a regular retirement pension - as stated in the agreement. Blanchette and city and police officials reached the settlement in May after Police Chief Louis Fusaro initially sent Blanchette a termination notice in March. The letter and subsequent settlement followed a lengthy investigation into Blanchette's connection with known drug dealers and users in the region. In the settlement, Blanchette, 43, was declared retired as of April 25, one day after his 20th anniversary with the department. He was demoted to a patrol officer and given a 40-day unpaid suspension. City pension staff had planned to hand out the agreement at the start of Tuesday's discussion on Blanchette's retirement application, but Chairman Paul Shroder immediately proposed a motion that the board not review or discuss the settlement. Shroder argued that the pension board should review Blanchette's eligibility on its own merits, regardless of the city's actions. He said he did not want the board to be liable for any conditions in the agreement. A few minutes later, the board unanimously approved Blanchette's retirement on condition that he pay back the $13,097 he owed to his pension while he was on workers' compensation leave. Blanchette has been on medical leave since January 2007 following knee-replacement surgery. The settlement contained the same provision, along with a requirement that Blanchette forfeit the remaining $12,001 from what would have been a lump sum distribution for unpaid sick and vacation time to cover his 40-day suspension... In the police union contract, officers are eligible for regular retirement after 20 years of service regardless of how they leave the department. The pension contract contains no language for a scenario of a 20-year veteran being terminated for disciplinary reasons... Michael Blanchette was found in possession of a cut-off straw with heroin residue. He later pleaded guilty in New York court to a disorderly conduct charge and paid a $100 fine... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement connecticut brass cop]
FORMER POLICE OFFICER FACES DRUG AND FIREARMS CHARGES Honolulu Advertiser Tuesday, June 16, 2009 A former Honolulu police officer was charged yesterday with federal firearms and drug offenses. Rik Mikio Orton was first arrested by HPD officers last week on domestic violence charges after his live-in girlfriend, also a former HPD officer, said that he had physically abused her at their La'ie home. The girlfriend also charged that Orton was using anabolic steroids and marijuana and had three firearms. She also told police that Orton said he would shoot any police officers who came to his home... Orton's former wife told police that Orton used illegal drugs "on a weekly basis" when they were married, according to Torco's affidavit. [Full article here]
FEDS CHARGE EX-HPD OFFICER Honolulu Star-Bulletin By Leila Fujimori Jun 16, 2009 Federal authorities yesterday charged a former Honolulu police officer who has a history of reckless use of firearms, drug use and abuse, for allegedly using illicit drugs and possessing three handguns, including one with a defaced serial number. Rik Mikio Orton, once hailed as a hero for capturing a prison escapee, was arrested Thursday after a five-hour standoff at his Laie home. He allegedly had threatened to shoot police officers who responded to his girlfriend's call for help after he allegedly abused the 40-year-old woman, who is also a former police officer, and a 17-year-old girl. Orton was charged yesterday with one count of possessing a firearm that had its serial number removed, obliterated and altered... He was also charged with being an unlawful user of drugs in possession of firearms. On Thursday, Orton allegedly had physically abused his girlfriend of eight months, evidenced by bruising and redness on both her arms... She disclosed Orton, allegedly under the influence of OxyContin, had abused her since November when they began living together, often pulling her hair, slapping her, grabbing her throat and choking her. Police recovered three loaded guns from under a mattress at Orton's Laie house, as well as ammunition, a marijuana pipe and what appeared to be marijuana and vials of suspected steroids, needles and syringes hidden in the drawer of a platform bed... Court records show several TROs have been filed by different women against Orton. In 2004, then-police officer Orton pleaded guilty in Circuit Court to reckless endangering for intentionally discharging a firearm Sept. 26, 2003, on or in the direction of a public roadway... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement hawaii cop on cop]
A suspended Arcadia police officer with one ex-wife beating charge under his belt will continue to draw his pay even though the chief wants him fired for a second violent confrontation with his former wife...
Previous posts:
[LA] DA wants to know how Asst. Chief Rogers avoided state charges for battering his wife -...Police Chief Victor Rogers regarding Asst. Police Chief Andre Rogers paying a fine for battering his wife: ..."If you're charged with simple battery, you can go ahead and pay it. ... It's like a speeding ticket"... Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers said Andre Rogers paid a fine Monday morning in city court -- a speeded-up time frame that has caught the attention of the D.A.'s office, which was considering handling the case in state district court...
[LA] Asst. Chief Rogers strangling ex-wife in front of 3 year-old is his 3rd domestic attack - Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers has suspended one of his officers for the second time in less than three months... The police chief said he hopes Andre Rogers will resign. If not, a recommendation for disciplinary action...... Additionally, court records indicate Andre Rogers’ problems with his ex-wife did not start last year. In 2004, she was granted a temporary restraining order against him...
ARCADIA COUNCIL DOES NOT CONSIDER OFFICER'S TERMINATION Shreveport Times By Vickie Welborn vwelborn@gannett.com June 10, 2009 [Excerpts] ARCADIA - A suspended Arcadia police officer with one ex-wife beating charge under his belt will continue to draw his pay even though the chief wants him fired for a second violent confrontation with his former wife. Police Chief Victor Rogers on Tuesday night recommended the termination of officer Andre Rogers, who's been on paid leave since late February for allegedly battering his ex-wife. As elected chief, Victor Rogers can recommend disciplinary action and hiring and firing but it takes the Town Council to take formal action. The council declined to take up the matter because of the absence of the town attorney... Victor Rogers has twice submitted requests to Smith to have officer Andre Rogers' employment status placed on the agenda. [Mayor Eugene] Smith's response was to ask the chief to perform an internal investigation... "I did that and recommended termination," said Victor Rogers, who is no relation to Andre Rogers. "I told him it needed to be placed on the agenda as soon as possible." How much longer he'll have to wait is uncertain. The status of Andre Rogers' criminal case is unknown. Assistant District Attorney Tammy Jump did not return a telephone message left with her office Wednesday afternoon. Andre Rogers' first arrest was on Nov. 29 on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery after he pulled his former wife from a vehicle and hit her. Rogers resolved the case within three days by signing a guilty plea and paying a $500 fine... Rogers was demoted from assistant chief to an officer and his pay reduced from $15 to $12.50 an hour. He also was ordered to complete psychological testing and attend anger management classes. Andre Rogers attended two classes and returned to work. In late February, Andre Rogers was charged with a felony count of domestic abuse battery after Bienville sheriff's deputies said he beat and attempted to strangle his ex-wife. Andre Rogers spent several days in jail. The council - minus Maggie Roberson, who is Andre Rogers' mother - placed him on paid administrative leave. At the recommendation of the town's insurance carrier, Risk Management, Victor Rogers said he sent a letter to Andre Rogers and his attorney suggesting that he attend additional counseling sessions. "But he didn't show up. He's not contacted me since he was arrested," Victor Jones said... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement teflon louisianna]
...after only a few witnesses took the stand, Kim decided to take a settlement with a restraining order against her by her now estranged husband...
Previous post: [TN] Domestic Violence Deputy Kim Keith arrested for DV- ...Kimberly Lamay Keith, 33, of Shannon Dr., Cookeville, was arrested at 9:49 p.m.last Friday at her residence and charged with domestic assault in a warrant taken by Putnam Deputy David Gibbons... A police report indicates that her husband told investigators that she assaulted him. "My husband and I got into an argument," she said. Keith insisted that her husband is trying to get back at her because she wanted out of the marriage...
Domestic Violence Officer Arrested Again Kim Keith Charged With Domestic Violence WSMV, TN June 11, 2009 COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- A one-time domestic violence officer has been arrested for the second time in a year on the same charges she once focused on investigating. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office arrested its former deputy, Kim Keith, earlier this week. She has been charged with domestic violence. A judge dismissed similar charges against Keith in August stemming from an argument with her estranged husband. The sheriff's office said Keith resigned her position as Putnam County's domestic violence officer about six months ago. [LINK]
Video from after the first arrest, in 2008 - it's all about her, with no word from him past the original report:
An interesting article that came out since the last post:
Domestic Violence Officer Receives Restraining OrderWTVF Oct 17, 2008 PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. - She was accused of attacking her husband, but Friday morning a Putnam County domestic violence officer was off the hook. Deputy Kim Keith said she never laid a hand on her husband, Michael, and Kim planned to take the case to trial to prove her innocence. But after only a few witnesses took the stand, Kim decided to take a settlement with a restraining order against her by her now estranged husband. Kim was also suspended from her job in August. No word Friday morning on whether she's back on the job. [LINK] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement tennessee deputy jail]
COP ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE KRQE Web Producer: Devon Armijo Friday, 12 Jun 2009, 4:31 PM MDT A Durango police officer is in a lot of trouble after he was arrested for domestic violence on Thursday. Police said the incident involving Travis Carpenter happened at his home in Bayfield, Colo. The La Plata County Sheriff's Office is investigating... [Full article here]
DURANGO COP ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE The Denver Post By Howard Pankratz hpankratz@denverpost.com 06/12/2009 A Durango police officer identified as Travis Carpenter was arrested Thursday for domestic violence... The 34-year-old Carpenter was charged with harassment, a class-three misdemeanor. Due to the nature of the incident, a domestic violence count was also added... Durango police said Carpenter is on paid administrative leave pending completion of the investigation... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement colorado]
...Gary Steele, 42, could face 90 days in jail and fines when he is sentenced June 23... PREVIOUS POSTS:
[MI] Officer Steele faces life for domestic torture and shots fired - ...An off-duty Detroit Police officer was arrested in Canton Township Tuesday for allegedly striking his girlfriend with a baseball bat and firing three rounds from his service revolver... Assistant Prosecutor Scott Ehlfeldt argued for the high cash bond saying [she] is terrified of Steele... The charges against Steele include torture and assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, weapon/firearm discharge in or at a building, and weapons-felony firearm...
[MI] Media forgetting Officer Steele hit her with a baseball bat too? - A Detroit police officer charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend was suspended Thursday without pay. The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners suspended Gary A. Steele, 42, of Canton. He was charged earlier this month with torture and assault with intent to commit murder...
[MI] Kim is entitled to walk the earth in no fear of Officer Steele - ...Judge Ronald W. Lowe denied the request to lower Steele's $5 million bond. "Until this shakes out, (Golematis) is entitled to walk the Earth in no fear of him," he said, adding that he fears for the Canton woman's safety because she's the main thing standing between Steele and his freedom... "I don't like the way it ended... I wish them luck and I've moved on. The price we pay for peace... I just walked away from nine years of my life. I really don't have a plan right now, but that's OK because I'm home with my kids"...
[MI] Terrifying Officer Steele's jury trial will be in December - ...After placing the gun inside her mouth and to her head, Golematis said Steele appeared to "snap" back to reality when she told him that he was hurting her. "He said 'I love you. I just love you so much. I would do anything for us'"... He supposedly hit her left leg with a baseball bat and then began choking her...
DETROIT COP PLEADS IN ASSAULT ON GIRLFRIEND Observer By Darrell Clem June 14, 2009 A suspended Detroit police officer accused of trying to kill his estranged Canton girlfriend pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless use of a firearm. Gary Steele, 42, could face 90 days in jail and fines when he is sentenced June 23 by Wayne County Circuit Judge Ulysses Boykin. Numerous felony charges including torture, assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, felonious assault and felony firearm are expected to be dismissed at sentencing, Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Maria Miller said Friday. Steele could have faced penalties ranging up to life in prison if he had gone to trial and been convicted as charged... He was jailed until he posted bond in May, but Boykin had then ordered him to wear a tether... [Full article here]
Last Year: BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS Minutes of the Regular Board of Police Commissioners Meeting Thursday, March 20, 2008 [Excerpts] ...Prior to March 4, 2008, the Complainant stated that during the six months that she had been dating Police Officer Steele, she noticed that he had a violent temper and sudden outbursts of anger, which scared her... Officer Steele re-entered the garage using the keypad, grabbed the bat, and hit the Complainant on her right thigh bringing her to her knees. Officer Steele then picked up the Complainant by her throat, dragged her toward the interior door, and smashed her head through the garage wall. He then choked her and pushed her through the door onto her back. Officer Steele then got on top of her, held her by her throat, and repeatedly pushed her head into the floor. Officer Steele drew his revolver and fired three shots into the floor next to the Complainant's head. He placed the gun to her head and stated, "I will kill you. Do you hear me Kim? I will kill you." Officer Steele then told the Complainant to open her mouth so that he could blow her "fucking brains out"... Members of the Canton Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the Grand Prix. Officer Steele was ordered out of his car and onto the ground. He was placed in custody and escorted to the scout car. A .38 caliber revolver was found in a holster on Officer Steele's right hip. When Officer Steele was asked if he had fired any shots at the house, he responded by saying, "Yes, it was a stupid thing to do." The Canton Police Department recovered the following firearms from the trunk of Officer Steele's vehicle and placed them on hold "Safe Keeping... On March 5, 2008, Lieutenant Lynda Hicks, badge L-12, and Sergeant Diaz Graves, badge S-28, both assigned to the Northwestern District, responded to the Canton Police Department and suspended Officer Steele. On March 5, 2008, Detective Michael Wells, of the Canton Police Department, obtained a seven count felony warrant against Officer Steele charging him with the following: Count 1. Torture Count 2. Assault with Intent to Commit Murder Count 3. Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm less than Murder Count 4. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Felonious Assault) Count 5. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Felonious Assault) Count 6. Weapons-Firearms-Discharge in or at a building Count 7. Weapons-Felony Firearm [LINK] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement LETHAL TEFLON MICHIGAN]
From the last post: [MD] Deputy Arnold charged with cop-on-cop domestic violence charges - Wicomico County Sheriff's deputy Joel Arnold was arrested last Monday for allegedly choking his police officer girlfriend, keeping her from leaving the house they share, and threatening to kill her...
I put quote marks around "resigned" in the title because when there is any merit to the allegations that an officer used two hands to choke his police officer girlfriend and hurled terroristic threats at her in the same fight, if he's going to leave the department he should be FIRED. Instead he, and many law enforcement officers across the country, are ALLOWED to resign before an internal investigation can be completed and put on their work record.
Arnold's 4 charges were dropped without explanation to the public that pays the law enforcement officers. Arnold is clean and ready to be hired, put on a new impressive uniform in another department or, since the charges were dropped, rehired or reinstated into the same department.
What crime?
And what about secondary victims who, because he is all dressed up like someone they can trust, have no idea what may happen to them if they argue with him.
And my deepest grief in this: When a police officer or deputy is the VICTIM, and there is STILL no consequence, where does that leave the non-sworn victims of officer-involved domestic violence?
This is more about Wicomico County's Sheriff's Office and their prosecutor than Arnold. Arnold's a man who allegedly attacked his girlfriend. But when the sun rises the sheriff and prosecutor have a job to do for the public. It is by THEIR choice that Arnold legally walks from this like there were never any allegations. If he did commit this crime, and next time chokes longer or harder, who will lose their life without warning, and who will be liable because the victim never had a chance to see it coming? If he's law abiding and honorable enough to don the uniform, he must be okay to trust (and date), right?
To the residents of Maryland - even if you don't care about this special class of domestic violence - if Arnold gets his badge, weapon, and powers of arrest back - you have some questions to address concerning the public's trust and who is allowed to detain you at night on the side of the road. If Arnold is hired back, while you are figuring it out, remember to not argue with any officers. Just say YES, YOU'RE RIGHT, and THANK YOU. That's probably best, regardless.
CHARGES AGAINST FORMER WICOMICO DEPUTY DISMISSED Man was accused of assaulting girlfriend delmarvanow By Sharahn D. Boykin June 5, 2009 [Excerpts] Charges filed against a 32-year-old former Wicomico County Sheriff's Office deputy who submitted his resignation a little more than a week after he was accused of choking and threatening his girlfriend were dismissed by the state... William Jones, the prosecutor and temporary state's attorney for Dorchester County, did not return phone calls from The Daily Times... Arnold was charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment and malicious destruction of property on April 5... He allegedly grabbed her by the neck, with two hands, and started choking her, according to court documents. After she broke free, Arnold allegedly grabbed her by the neck a second time, according to the documents. Eventually, the victim was able to escape from the home and call police from a neighbor's house. sboykin@dmg.gannett.com 410-845-4656 [Full article here]
I am so thankful that she was able to break free. [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement attempted murder maryland teflon]
A Day of Healing for Survivors of Suicide Loss Around the U.S. and the World
On Saturday, November 21, 2009, simultaneous conferences for survivors of suicide loss will take place throughout the U.S. and internationally. This unique network of healing conferences helps survivors connect with others who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss, and express and understand the powerful emotions they experience. Each conference site is organized locally, but they’re all connected in spirit as participants across the globe watch a special 90-minute AFSP broadcast together on that day. In the U.S., conference sites will show the broadcast together from 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and international sites will show it from 1-2:30 p.m. local time... Click here to find a conference site near you. (This list is continually being updated as new cities sign up.) For those survivors of suicide loss who don't live near a conference site or who find it difficult to attend in person, the 90-minute broadcast will also be available live on the AFSP website... Click here to register to watch from your own computer... If you have questions please email survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org. If you would like to organize a local conference site, please visit www.afsp.org/survivorconference.
National Survivors of Suicide Day is a day of healing for those who have lost someone to suicide. It was created by U.S. Senate resolution in 1999 through the efforts of Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who lost his father to suicide. Every year, AFSP sponsors an event to provide an opportunity for the survivor community to come together for support, healing, information and empowerment.
CHEIF JOSTEN PLEADS GUILTY
WKZO News, Michigan
Saturday, June 13, 2009
[Excerpt] The Chief of Police in Bloomingdale has entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor domestic assault count, and has been ordered to get counseling, stay away from alcohol or drugs, and stay away from his wife or risk violating probation and going to jail. At a pre-trial hearing Friday, John Josten admitted an argument with his wife turned violent earlier this year. His wife is an Allegan County Deputy, and she knew a crime when she saw one... [Full article here]
POLICE CHIEF ENTERS GUILTY PLEA
WWMT (NEWSCHANNEL 3)
June 12, 2009
[Excerpt] ...Josten must complete a probationary period where he attends counseling, does not contact his wife, and doesn't consume drugs or alcohol. If Josten successfully completes the probationary period, the misdemeanor will be erased from his record. [Full article here]
SINCE THE LAST POST:
POLICE CHIEF SUSPENDED IN BLOOMINGDALE AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH ASSAULT
Kalamazoo Gazette
by Rex Hall Jr.
Thursday May 28, 2009
BLOOMINGDALE -- Bloomingdale's police chief has been suspended from his duties pending the outcome of an assault charge against him... "We're all awaiting the outcome," Rock, reached Wednesday, said of the charge against Josten. "We have no more information than you do on the situation." Josten turned himself in at the Allegan County Sheriff's Office last Friday after the prosecutor's office authorized a warrant based on an investigation by the Michigan State Police, Lt. Dave Greydanus said. Police began investigating Josten on May 15 after troopers received a report alleging he had been involved in an assault on a family member, Greydanus said. He declined to give the exact relationship between Josten and the family member... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement brass history teflon repeat michigan van buren county]
...the investigation that led to the arrest began when a woman filed a report about harassing phone calls... Detectives then began investigating and discovered additional victims...
PORTLAND POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH MISCONDUCT AND HARASSMENT by The Oregonian Friday June 12, 2009, [Excerpts] Portland police have arrested one of their own, charging an officer with 71 counts of official misconduct in the second degree and 62 counts of telephonic harassment. According to Detective Mary Wheat, a spokeswoman for the Police Bureau, 28-year-old Joseph E. Wild, a four-year veteran of the bureau, was arrested this afternoon at the Justice Center in downtown Portland... Wheat said the investigation that led to the arrest began when a woman filed a report about harassing phone calls. Her report led to an investigation that indicated the calls were being made by a city employee. Detectives then began investigating and discovered additional victims... Residents may report any perceived misconduct to the Independent Police Review Division at 503-823-0146. [Full article here] oregon
[Prior Lake police officer Michael Alan] Ficken, 35, was charged with misconduct of a police officer, fifth-degree assault (causing fear), disorderly conduct and damage to property... Ficken previously lived at this home and was asked to remove all his belongings by June 15. Ficken had been to the home in the past month and had a key... When Ficken arrived at the woman’s home in his squad car, he saw a vehicle he did not recognize and allegedly did a computer check on the license plate... he then entered the home and demanded to be let into the bedroom, which was locked. When the victim refused, he allegedly broke through the door... Ficken was in uniform and was wearing his gun and Taser...
(I hope someone talks to the ex-girlfriend about what to not do when you're breaking up.)
POLICE OFFICER CHARGED IN INCIDENT AT EX-GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE By Frederick Melo fmelo@pioneerpress.com Updated: 06/12/2009 03:12:53 PM CDT [Excerpts] A Prior Lake police officer faces charges he broke into his former girlfriend's home while on duty June 10. The incident occurred in Prior Lake, but the Dakota County Attorney's office is handling the case for Scott County because of the potential conflict of interest. Michael Alan Ficken, 34, of Prior Lake, was charged with misconduct of a public officer, a gross misdemeanor. He also faces three misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, damage to property and fifth-degree assault... On June 10, he called his girlfriend but she did not answer the phone. He arrived in his squad car at 7 a.m., while still on duty, and allegedly ran the license plate of a car that was parked there. The charges state he then entered the home and demanded to be let into the bedroom, which was locked. When the victim refused, he allegedly broke through the door as she attempted to hold it shut. Ficken found a man in the room. Ficken made his first court appearance on Friday in Scott County, where District Court Judge Richard Perkins released him on his own recognizance. Ficken's next court appearance is June 22 in Shakopee... [Full article here]
PRIOR LAKE POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH MISCONDUCT Star Tribune By Joy Powell, June 12, 2009 [Excerpt] ...When he saw a car he did not recognize in the driveway, he ran the plate, then entered the house to try to contact the woman. He allegedly broke down a bedroom door as the woman tried to hold it shut, then yelled at her and a man who also was in the room. Ficken was in uniform and was wearing his gun and Taser at the time. He did not draw the weapons, though he placed his hand on his gun, court papers say. Because of a potential conflict of interest, the case is being prosecuted by the Dakota County attorney's office. Ficken was released from jail on his own recognizance today after appearing in Scott County District Court. [Full article here]
PL OFFICER CHARGED WITH MISCONDUCT Shakopee Valley News - Shakopee,MN,USA By Shawn Hogendorf orshogendorf@swpub.com June 12, 2009 ... At about 7 a.m. on June 10 while Ficken was on duty as a police officer, he allegedly called his former girlfriend, and when she didn’t answer her phone, he drove his squad car to her house. Court records state that Ficken previously lived at this home and was asked to remove all his belongings by June 15. Ficken had been to the home in the past month and had a key to the home, but always contacted the woman before entering the home, the complaint stated. When Ficken arrived at the woman’s home in his squad car, he saw a vehicle he did not recognize and allegedly did a computer check on the license plate. There was no known work-related reason to run the license plate, the complaint stated. Ficken then allegedly entered the home and attempted to make contact with the woman who was in a lower-level bedroom with the door locked. According to court records, Ficken asked the woman to be let into the bedroom, and she said, “No.” Ficken then allegedly broke through the bedroom door while the woman attempted to hold it shut. While inside the bedroom, Ficken began to yell at the woman and a man who was inside the room with her... Ficken began swearing and pointing at the man while in full uniform and wearing a firearm, according to the criminal complaint. The man told police Ficken was furious. The man also stated that he feared Ficken at the time. Ficken was later arrested and made his first court appearance Friday in Scott County District Court, said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom. Ficken was released on his own recognizance subject to several conditions set by Scott County District Court Judge Richard Perkins... If convicted, Ficken faces a maximum of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine for misconduct by a police officer. He also faces a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each of the counts of fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement minnesota breaking up technology tactics]
...According to court records, Angie Clark took out a domestic violence protective order against her husband in 2001 and last December. In the most recent case, she said her husband shot at her car. She also claimed he threatened to "kill all of you" before paying child support... The order alleging the three incidents was dismissed voluntarily in February, which means Angie Clark dropped it. Michael and Angie Clark have five children...
LEE COUNTY DEPUTY ACCUSED OF FATALLY SHOOTING HUSBAND WRAL.com Reporter: Bryan Mims Photographer: Michael Joyner Web Editors: Kelly Hinchcliffe, Minnie Bridgers Jun 11, 2009 [Excerpts] An off-duty Lee County sheriff's deputy is on paid administrative leave Thursday night after investigators say she fatally shot her estranged husband at their home in Broadway. Harnett County deputies responded to the home of Michael and Angie Clark at 8 Bee Hive Lane at 10:22 p.m. Wednesday after a report of a shooting there. Michael Clark, 44, died at the scene... Michael Clark's father said that the couple had a rocky marriage which involved "physical abuse on both ends... We don’t know if it was a justified shooting or an unjustified shooting... I hate my son is gone"... According to court records, Angie Clark took out a domestic violence protective order against her husband in 2001 and last December. In the most recent case, she said her husband shot at her car. She also claimed he threatened to "kill all of you" before paying child support. In January, however, she voluntarily dismissed the case. Jerome Clark said the two had been married about six years and had five children. They were separated and living separately, he added. "He loved his kids very dearly... Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter said he knew the couple had been separated, but was not aware of any serious problems. "And she's done a good job. She gets along well with people in her shift and in the community, and we've been real pleased with her”... [Full article here]
LEE DEPUTY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HUSBAND VIOLENT The Daily Record 6/12/2009 [Excerpts] An off-duty Lee County deputy who killed her husband might may have been the victim of an abusive relationship... According to news reports, Mrs. Clark and her husband had been estranged, but were working on repairing their relationship. The reports said court records showed Mrs. Clark had filed two domestic violence protection orders against Mr. Clark in the past eight years. The report said an order filed in 2001 was involuntarily dismissed and another order alleging three incidents was dismissed voluntarily in February by Mrs. Clark. Lee County Sheriff's Chief Randall Butler said Mrs. Clark had been a good deputy... Chief Butler said Mrs. Clark was on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation. http://www.mydailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=107900&TM=51326.56
LEE DEPUTY SHOOTS ESTRANGED HUSBAND FayObserver.com By Venita Jenkins jenkinsv@fayobserver.com June 12, 2009 [Excerpts] A Lee County deputy sheriff shot and killed her estranged husband this week in their home, Harnett County lawmen said Thursday. A family member says the deceased husband had been trying recently to reconcile with his wife. No one has been charged in the shooting. Angie Clark, who is 40, was off duty at the time of the shooting, which happened about 10:22 p.m. Wednesday. Her husband, Michael, who was 44, was pronounced dead in their home at 8 Beehive Lane in Broadway. The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office is investigating... The couple had been separated, [Lee County Sheriff Tracy] Carter said. “I know there have been some domestic issues but definitely nothing this serious,” he said... The marriage has been rocky, court records show. Angie Clark had filed two domestic violence orders over the past eight years. An order filed in 2001 was involuntarily dismissed. Information about that order was not available Thursday. She filed a second order in December alleging that Michael Clark threatened to kill her on three occasions last fall. In the first instance, Michael Clark came to her home in October and shot the vehicle in her yard and threatened her verbally, records show. In the second instance, she and one of her daughters were riding with her husband to Smithfield in November when they began arguing about child support. He threatened to kill her and the children, according to court records. And in December, he threatened her following a court proceeding, records show. The order alleging the three incidents was dismissed voluntarily in February, which means Angie Clark dropped it. Michael and Angie Clark have five children. Their oldest is 24, said Jerome Clark. He lives next door to his son. The elder Clark was at a friend’s home down the street watching television when the shooting happened. He looked out the window and saw fire trucks near the street... Detectives told him that there was broken glass inside the home and that it looked like self-defense, Jerome Clark said... He said that Michael Clark was a good son who looked out for his family. “It is going to take me a long time to get over this,” he said. “I will never completely get over it, because he was my son”... [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence abuse sheriff's office department law enforcement fatality fatalities murder self defense north carolina history]
RALEIGH POLICE OFFICER, ACCUSED OF ASSAULT, RESIGNS WRAL Posted: Jun. 11 2009 [Excerpts] A Raleigh police officer accused of assaulting a man at his ex-wife's apartment earlier this year has resigned. Senior Officer Andrew R. Caruana submitted his resignation, effective immediately, Thursday morning, following a Feb. 24 arrest on charges of assault, assault by pointing a gun and communicating threats. Raleigh police said Caruana, 32, was off duty when, his ex-wife claimed, he showed up at her apartment... beat up her male friend and destroyed her bedroom during a fight... He is expected to go to trial on the charges next week. [LINK]
...According to a report filed at the Richmond County Sheriff 's Office, Stroud's wife called deputies after he grabbed the other woman around the neck with his hands and pushed her to the ground...
BURKE COUNTY DEPUTY CHARGED WITH BATTERY Across the area From Staff Reports Friday, June 12, 2009 A Burke County sheriff's deputy has been arrested for simple battery in Richmond County. Sgt. Gregg Stroud, of the 5000 block of Mike Padgett Highway, was picked up by Richmond County sheriff's deputies Wednesday, according to sheriff's Sgt. Calvin Chew. Sgt. Stroud is accused of pushing a woman to the ground on May 29, after an argument involving the woman, himself and his wife, Sgt. Chew said. Sgt. Stroud's wife and the victim had come to confront him about an affair when the discussion turned violent, Sgt. Chew said. [LINK]
He was arrested a couple of days ago:
A BURKE COUNTY DEPUTY HAS BEEN ARRESTED True Citizen June 10, 2009 [Excerpts] A Burke County deputy has been arrested in Richmond County... Sgt. Stroud was jailed Wednesday afternoon for a single count of simple battery, according to Lt. Scott Peebles of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. Sgt. Stroud has since been released on bond. [Full article here]
It happened last week:
DEPUTY SUSPENDED FOR ALLEGED BATTERY True Citizen By Anne Marie Kyzer June 3, 2009 [Excerpts] A Burke County deputy has been suspended following an incident in which he allegedly grabbed a woman by the throat... According to a report filed at the Richmond County Sheriff 's Office, Stroud's wife called deputies after he grabbed the other woman around the neck with his hands and pushed her to the ground... [Full article here]
[Ex-Ventura County Sheriff's Deputy Claudia Valenciana] who was exonerated last week in the stabbing death of her lover in self-defense says, domestic violence advocacy groups abandoned her in her time of need. Claudia Valenciana claims several groups would not help her when they found out she may be facing murder charges...
Claudia Valenciana news conference Part 1
Part 2
PREVIOUS ENTRIES:
[CA] Trial to start for Detective Perez's 2007 cop-on-cop armed standoff /domestic battery - ...Police have said that Robert Perez used a firearm to keep his then-girlfriend, Denise Shadinger, also an Oxnard police officer, from leaving. The charges against him include assault with a firearm, false imprisonment by violence, three counts of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, battery, resisting arrest and domestic violence...
[CA] Cop-on-cop Perez trial - Assault with firearm, false imprisonment, battery...- ...He is accused of barricading himself in the residence with a handgun, gas mask, bulletproof vest and an assault rifle after Ventura police responded to a report of a domestic dispute at the home... He is charged with assault with a firearm, false imprisonment by violence, three counts of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, battery and resisting arrest...
[CA] UPDATE: Ex-Detective Perez stabbed to death - A former sheriff’s deputy who owns a Ventura home where an ex-Oxnard police officer was found fatally stabbed this week has retained a lawyer. Claudia Valenciana had not been arrested or named as a suspect in the slaying of Robert Perez Jr., 37, but she believes police are looking at her as a suspect...
EX-FIANCE OF SLAIN OFFICER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ABUSE KEYT Tracy Lehr Jun 5, 2009 Ventura, CA-- A former Ventura County Sheriff's Deputy says she fatally stabbed a former Oxnard Police Officer in self defense. During a press conference at her attorney's office, Claudia Valenciana said she was abused by Robert Edward Perez for nearly two years. In March, Valenciana became the prime suspect in Perez' death, but this week the district attorney announced that it did not have enough evidence to press murder charges. The 36-year-old says thoughts of her son gave her the will to fight back. Valenciana says she was trying to break up with Perez, who was on probation for holding another female police officer hostage. Now Valenciana is fighting to get her job with the sheriff's department back. [LINK]
EX-MURDER SUSPECT SAYS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GROUPS OVERLOOKED HER CLAIMS KEYT Jun 8, 2009 [Excerpts] An ex-sheriff's deputy who was exonerated last week in the stabbing death of her lover in self-defense says, domestic violence advocacy groups abandoned her in her time of need. Claudia Valenciana claims several groups would not help her when they found out she may be facing murder charges... [Full article here]
STATEMENT OF CLAUDIA VALENCIANA:
Thank you everyone for coming. I asked for Ron to have everyone here so I could make a statement because I think it’s important for others to know a little of my story to hopefully prevent anyone from experiencing what I had experienced for the better part of two years.
I am a victim of domestic violence. I was abused by the man I loved over a majority of my relationship with him. I suffered both physical and mental abuse. Nobody wanted to believe that a woman like me could be abused. I know I did not’t want to believe it, so I understand why my friends, family, and my employer did not want to believe it.
I was embarrassed about being the victim of abuse, believing that as a police officer, a person who prided herself on demonstrating a strong image and personality would allow herself to be abused. I realize how it’s hard for others to understand how a woman in my profession could be a victim of abuse, I didn’t understand it myself. After this incident, when I sat down and actually talked about the number of times I had been hit, threatened, thrown down, kicked, and humiliated I was shocked at what I accepted. It is hard to explain to those around me why I would tolerate such behavior, but for the longest time I thought he would change, that his promises to stop would be kept, that I could be happy with a man I thought I loved.
My employer ignored the obvious signs of abuse, and when my abuser tried to segregate me from my friends and my family, my employer attempted to segregate me from colleagues. My employer was aware that police were called to my house on a report that I was being attacked. They were aware that officers contacted me and that I said everything was ok and there was no need to come in my house. Terrified, I said this with my abuser standing just a few feet away from me, knowing that the officers would take my word for it because I was a fellow cop. Had I been anyone else the officers would have demanded entry into my house, completed a follow up investigation to make sure I was safe, and spoken to JR.
My employer ordered me to first leave my abuser. When I could not, for like most victims of domestic violence I felt trapped and helpless, my employer attempted to prevent me from working in my profession. By telling me I could not work and ordering other officers not to speak to me, my employer effetely helped my abuser segregate me from some of my closest friends my fellow officers. I was paralyzed with fear, knowing even if I left JR he would never let me go. He would find me.
I of course fought my employer’s attempts to terminate me. However, even at that time I could not admit what was truly happening. In going through that process I realized how important it was for me to keep JR’s secret. I felt compelled not to tell anybody that he was an abuser, and that I was his victim and that compulsion cost me my job.
I have also realized through my recent experiences that those who claim to be advocates for victims of domestic violence only advocate for victims who they perceive can be victims. When I attempted to reach out to some of these advocates for help and advice local advocacy groups told me that there were not interested in helping me; apparently thinking that a woman who appeared capable of defending herself from her attacker could not be a victim of domestic violence. Maybe now they will realize that women who appear strong on the surface, women in professions that are traditionally male dominated, like police officers or firefighters can be abused. I hope those so called advocates of abused women realize that all victims of domestic violence deserve their help and the effectiveness of their advocacy.
I know many of you are here to hear what I have to say about the day of the incident and what actually happened. I will speak to that now for the first time publically. The weekend prior to Monday March 2nd, I was attacked by JR both in my home and at a hotel out of the county. I attempted to end my relationship with JR that weekend, and when I took a strong stance on that he made it clear that he would not allow me to leave him. He first attacked me on that weekend at a hotel in Long Beach. A security guard came to our room and asked if I needed help That security guard may have saved my life. When I returned home, JR came with me and would not leave. He proceeded to keep me in my house, his prisoner throughout the night of March 1st and through the early morning of March 2nd. I attempted to defend myself but I was no match for him. I began to fear and then believed that I was not going to survive this attack.
JR left my house early on the morning of March 2nd, and I believed he was going to report to his probation officer. I believed at that time that his probation officer would notice the scratches I had left on him when I was attempting to defend myself. He was on probation for domestic violence so I believed that the probation officer would notice the marks and arrest him for violating his probation since he had no plausible explanation for why he had visible scratches on his body.
To my shock JR returned to my home that morning after his probation appointment. He was just as angry as he was the night before, and when I tried to prevent him from entering my house he overwhelmed me and forced his way into my home. He then attacked me. I knew at some point that I was not going to survive this attack. I am a trained officer, have practiced martial arts, and have even boxed professionally, but JR’s size and strength was too much for me. He was enraged and he made it clear that he was going to hurt me, and I feared he was going to keep his word and that he would actually kill me. He often told me that if he could not have me nobody could. At that point on that morning all I could think of was that I wanted to live, that I needed to do everything I could to see my son again. I will not give specific details, but I will say I fought for my life that morning.
When I saw JR bleeding, I was the one who called 911, even though JR begged me not to do so saying his probation was going to be violated for this. When we were waiting for help to arrive, JR told me what to say to the police and like always I told the police what JR told me to say. I am now aware that it was the same statement that JR said to one of the people who arrived to render aid.
I still mourn JR’s death, which I know is hard for people to understand. Even though he was the person who physically abused me, I did love him. As hard as it is for you to understand that and until recently it was even harder for me to understand it is a fact of my life. I am grateful to my doctor who has assisted me through therapy with dealing with the trauma leading up to and including March 2nd and also the affects of long term abuse. I am starting to understand what I experienced and more importantly how I can help others prevent it from happening to them.
I was fortunate that much of the abuse I reported to my lawyer and his investigator that occurred during the course of my relationship with JR could be corroborated; I was surprised at how many people had seen so much. I do realize how difficult a decision it was for the District Attorney to find that JR’s death occurred during an act of self defense. I realize that if my history of abuse at the hands of JR could not have been corroborated by the investigators on both sides of this case, and if Investigators ignored or missed some of the evidence found in my home that the DA may have reached a different conclusion. What I have learned through this case is that a good investigation is not one motivated by a desire to convict a suspect it is motivated by a desire to find the truth. I will take that lesson back with me when I resume my career in law enforcement.
I want to thank all of my family, friends, and fellow Officers who expressed their support and offered me help during this time. I want to thank Ron and the people of his office for their guidance and advice and Ron’s investigator Gene Thayer for his efforts in investigating my case. I put a great deal of trust in these people and I am grateful for their support.
As for the future, I will attempt to get my job back. I will do so by attempting to educate my department on the effects of domestic violence and how they can do more to help employees who may be victims of abuse. It is also my desire to be the voice for other women who are suffering at the hands of their abusers, and maybe I can play a small part in preventing other women from suffering what I have experienced. I plan on helping others who are silent victims of abuse, to let them know that there are people who will listen, and that they can break the cycle of violence by getting help.
Once again thank you for coming, I am sure many of you have questions but on the advice of Ron with my pending hearing coming up I will not be answering them. I will leave you with Ron and hopefully he can answer any of the remaining questions you all may have.
Thank You [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder self defense mental health ptsd dv community cop on cop]
"...I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT GUILTY OF THE ASSAULT CHARGES; SECONDLY IT IS MY VIEW THAT THESE CHARGES AND THE RESULTING CONVICTIONS GROW LARGELY OUT OF A HISTORY OF ANTI-LATINO AND ANTI-PEOPLE OF COLOR PREJUDICE DEEPLY ROOTED WITHIN THE GREENSBORO POLICE DEPARTMENT. FINALLY, I BELIEVE THESE FALSE CHARGES ARE ALSO A FORM OF RETALIATION AGAINST ME FOR VIEWS I HAVE EXPRESSED AGAINST BAD LAW ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES BY THE GREENSBORO POLICE DEPARTMENT’S GANG UNIT... IF THE OFFICERS WHO WERE PRESENT ACTUALLY BELIEVED THAT I WAS “OUT OF CONTROL,” WHY DID THEY ALLOW SANDRA AND ME TO DRIVE OFF TOGETHER? NO COMPETENT POLICE OFFICER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED A MAN “OUT OF CONTROL” AND WHO HAD JUST ASSAULTED A WOMAN TO LEAVE WITH THAT WOMAN IN THE CAR... I APPEAL TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY OF ALL RACES AND NATIONALITIES TO EXAMINE CAREFULLY WHAT I HAVE SAID AND NOT ALLOW PREJUDICES TO CLOUD YOUR MIND. THIS ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN ME...."
Previous post: [NC] AT COP CLUB, (RACIST?) OFFICER AHMED BLAKE ATTACKS GIRLFRIEND & WOMAN WHO TRIES TO HELP - HE'S NOT ARRESTED & GETS A 2 WEEK SUSPENDED SENTENCE -(This officer is reported to have attacked two women and was not arrested that night).... [Greensboro Police Officer Ahmed Joseph "AJ"] Blake’s two-week sentence will be suspended for three years... The assaults were said to have occurred as the party was ending... Blake allegedly hurls racial slurs at his Hispanic girlfriend. Does this make it a hate crime?... How many drunk police had their firearms that night? If a cop assaults his wife or girlfriend they are supposed to be arrested on the spot. There are no rules allowing anything else....
PUBLIC STATEMENT BY GREENSBORO POLICE OFFICER A. J. BLAKE Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Good afternoon. Thanks to all of you for coming. I am Greensboro Police Officer A. J. Blake.
I have asked the media and the public to come here today because I have been slandered and wrongly convicted. Many false and malicious reports about me have appeared in the press. I have not made any public statement previously, but I believe that I must now state clearly the important facts and the circumstances surrounding this incident.
Having acknowledged my faults, I want to state as strongly as I can that I am absolutely not guilty of the assault charges; secondly it is my view that these charges and the resulting convictions grow largely out of a history of anti-Latino and anti-people of color prejudice deeply rooted within the Greensboro Police Department. Finally, I believe these false charges are also a form of retaliation against me for views I have expressed against bad law enforcement practices by the Greensboro Police Department’s Gang Unit of which I was a part. I feel that if I do not speak out about the pattern of anti-Latino prejudice and the resultant harassment and mistreatment of residents of our city by police personnel, their behavior is not likely to change.
Officer Christopher Schultheis testified that I grabbed Lorraine by the neck and threw her back inside the door to the floor. Officer Schultheis’s testimony is false, perhaps due to the fact that he was so severely intoxicated. There was no grabbing of the neck and no picking up of anyone. I was simply using the minimum force necessary to keep Ms. Galloway from attacking me. I closed the door and walked eight to ten feet away from the door (to get out of her reach) in the event Ms. Galloway opened the door and attempted to assault me.
When the door was opened again, the boyfriend of Ms. Galloway, Officer Craig Myrick, walked out the door and started to approach me with his arms folded in what I interpreted as a threatening manner. Officer Myrick was followed by Officer Christopher Schultheis, retired police officer Phil Goins, and Sergeant Ronald Sizemore, my immediate supervisor on the Gang Unit. There were tense moments of staring between me and the other police officers. There was some conversation, but for the most part I was silent. After several minutes all the officers went back inside the building. Sandra and I then left the premises. Because I too had had several drinks while at the club, Sandra drove me home. That is essentially what happened.
However, some Greensboro police officers, complicit with Lorraine Galloway, have spun a completely different story. Lorraine testified in court that Sandra followed me from the building, which is not what happened. Once I was outside the building, Ms. Galloway alleges that Sandra turned and started back into the building and that I turned and ran back towards Sandra, jumped up and karate-kicked Sandra in the back, knocking her down. Ms. Galloway testified that the reason for her rushing towards me in an aggressive manner was to keep me from attacking Sandra again. This story by Lorraine is a fabrication. It simply did not happen. I never kicked or hit Sandra.
According to the investigative report, the Greensboro Police Officers who had come outside went back into the building and discussed the situation and then decided to make a telephone call for an officer to come out and investigate. Why did these officers need to discuss this among themselves? Among them there was over 100 years of police experience. Either they saw an assault, or they did not.
I have been engaged in continuous training in several forms of marshal arts. If I had karate-kicked Sandra, who is small – about four feet, eleven inches – there would have been some bruise marks or some evidence to indicate that an assault had occurred. Sandra never alleged that I attacked her in anyway. In spite of the fact that Officer Schowcho, the investigating officer, said that he saw no evidence of an assault, after about three weeks District Attorney Douglas Henderson ordered Officer Schowcho to bring charges of assault on Sandra against me.
It is clear that Ms. Galloway could only justify approaching me with her hands raised in an aggressive manner if she were doing so to protect another person from being assaulted. Without the false charge of assaulting Sandra Sanchez, Ms. Galloway’s behavior would logically be interpreted as aggression towards me. I believe the order from the D.A. to the investigating officer to charge me with assault on Sandra Sanchez was done to give legitimacy to the charges that Lorraine Galloway, a white woman, made against me.
As I stated previously, there were 25-30 people present, most of them police officers. It was stipulated in district court that while some of the officers present heard the argument between Sandra and me, none of the police officers saw me assault anyone, neither Ms. Galloway nor Sandra. Also on the morning of the investigation, January 17th, in order to photograph any injuries, a crime scene investigator worked the area. She testified in court that she used an alternate light source to attempt to find injuries and could not find any evidence of an assault on Lorraine Galloway or Sandra Sanchez. It is worth noting that the Internal Affairs Department of the Greensboro Police never attempted to interview Ms. Sanchez.
D.A. Henderson reported that the police officers present told him that I was “out of control.” If that statement is true and if the officers who were present actually believed that I was “out of control,” why did they allow Sandra and me to drive off together? No competent police officer would have allowed a man “out of control” and who had just assaulted a woman to leave with that woman in the car.
In April of 2008 Greensboro Police Officer Christopher Schultheis shot and killed a 22 year old black man, James Paschal, Jr. Officer Schultheis was the only witness to the incident. He said that James Paschal, Jr. would not follow orders to remove his hand from his pocket and that he kept walking towards him; therefore, he shot him nine times. It turned out that James Paschal was not armed. There were other tools that Officer Schultheis had available to him to contain Mr. Paschal, including pepper spray. Officer Schultheis killed an unarmed man who was a distance away from him for advancing on him in an aggressive manner. He was not charged with a crime. I pushed a person who was within inches and who was advancing on me in an aggressive manner, yet I was charged with assault.
I have been suspended without pay since January 17th. I have had no way to care for my family. Several years ago, Officer Tate, a white officer, was charged with assault against his wife. He was tried in District Court and found guilty. He appealed the case to Superior Court. He was suspended, but Officer Tate was suspended with pay. The District Attorney dismissed the charges against Officer Tate; so he never went to Superior Court. I ask why was Officer Tate, who was charged with assault, suspended with pay when I was suspended without pay and made to suffer from the very beginning for flimsy, false charges brought against me by drunk, vindictive people at a drunken police party. This seems wrong on its face.
All of these charges grow from an anti-Latino and anti-people of color prejudice and hostility within certain quarters and among certain officers in the Greensboro Police Department. I am a Latino from Honduras. I was employed by the Greensboro Police Department in 2001. I have personally experienced this prejudice and hostility for some time.
In 2006, I filed a complaint against Sergeant Hafekaneyer for describing Latinos as “wet-backs” and for saying that we all looked like illegal aliens to him. I also filed a complaint against Officer Ashley Brown. He said that because I am from Honduras I must be a gang member and that he considers everyone from Honduras to be gang members.
Over the last eighteen months or so the Greensboro Police Department’s Gang Unit has had a stepped up focus on gang activity. This has been focused mainly on Latino gangs. When I indicated that there was other more serious gang activity than the harassment type activities in which we were engaged, Sergeant Sizemore said that his image of a gang member is a Latino male.
Once when I was interviewing Cesar Herrera, a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN), I was interrupted by Officer Sizemore who took over the interview. Officer Sizemore began shouting at Cesar and said that he wished that Jorge Cornell, the leader of the ALKQN who had been recently shot, had been killed. It was not said in a joking manner.
I have tried to be a good Greensboro Police officer. I believe my record will support that. I know that there will be great efforts to discredit me. I appeal to the citizens of this city of all races and nationalities to examine carefully what I have said and not allow prejudices to cloud your mind. This issue is bigger than me. I have attempted to do my part to make this a better city. I only ask for justice, nothing more.
Finally, I wish to express my appreciation to Rev. Cardes Brown and the NAACP, Rev. Gregory Headen and the Pulpit Forum, and to Rev. Nelson Johnson and the Beloved Community Center for their support.
Thank you. [police officer involved domestic violence north carolina racial discrimination ahmed joseph lawsuit appeal assault on of a female]
...The victim's girlfriend, Araceli Sanchez, says she was there with [slain Angel] Erevia when he ran into his estranged wife, who was reportedly there with Castillo...
RESERVE DEPUTY CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER BAR BRAWL, SHOOTING KHOU / 11 News By Shern-Min Chow 05:25 PM CDT on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 [Excerpts] A Precinct 6 reserve deputy has been charged with murder in connection with a shooting last week at a North Shepherd bar. Jose Castillo, 39, is accused of killing Angel Erevia Jr., 31, following a disturbance at Buffalo Fred's Ice House... He was off-duty at the time. Police said a brawl broke out inside the ice house early Friday morning. The victim's girlfriend, Araceli Sanchez, says she was there with Erevia when he ran into his estranged wife, who was reportedly there with Castillo... Castillo was terminated for failure to follow departmental guidelines and for being charged with a felony. Constable Trevino is stunned and says Castillo had no previous complaints or issues as a deputy. [Full article here]
TEXAS RESERVE DEPUTY CHARGED WITH MURDER click2houston.com Posted: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Updated: June 9th, 2009 10:49 AM EDT His job was to uphold the law, but a Harris County Precinct 6 reserve deputy constable is now on the other side of the law, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday. Angel Erevia, 31, had a daughter, Angelina, who just turned 1 on Sunday. Now she's left without a father. "He was a sweet person," said Erevia's mother, Santos Rodriguez... "I don't have no alternative but to terminate him," Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino said.... "He seemed like a family guy, a hard working guy," said Trevino. "I was shocked." Castillo is no longer a peace officer. Instead, he's charged with murder. "They need to put him away. He took a life," said Sanchez. Castillo made an arrangement with HPD to turn himself in. He'll be held on $100,000 bond. HPD said he already admitted to the shooting in a written statement, but said it was self-defense. [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence county sheriff's deputy texaslaw enforcement fatality fatalities murder alcohol]
...the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and Oak Forest police are keeping mum about their investigation... [Oak Forest Police Chief David] DeMarco said police do not have any new developments. He does not know where [slain Irma's husband, ex-Chicago Police Officer] Norberto Rodriguez is... Investigators are asking witnesses who might have seen someone driving Rodriguez's car - a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate TITA 6 - or walking away from the vehicle...
Previous post: [IL] The life of Irma Arroyo Rodriguez has been stolen and our sorrow is one soul heavier - The Cook County medical examiner’s office this morning tentatively identified the body found in the car trunk as Irma Rodriguez... [Police] said they had not been able to talk to her estranged husband, Norberto, a former Chicago police officer who was charged with trying to kill her in 1997... An internal police investigation of the incident concluded, "Officer Rodriguez unlawfully shot his wife, Irma Rodriguez, with his firearm during a domestic dispute"... Tuesday [June 2nd, 2009] was the day Ms. Rodriguez was supposed to be in divorce court. Proceedings began more than a year and a half ago...
MORE RECENT:
POLICE CALL ON WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD IN OAK FOREST WOMAN'S SLAYING Southtown Star By Kristen Schorsch June 4, 2009 [Excerpts] ...The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force continues to investigate Rodriguez's death. Wednesday, acting Oak Forest Police Chief David DeMarco called on any witnesses who might have seen someone driving Rodriguez's car - a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate TITA 6 - or anyone walking away from the vehicle to contact police. "That's where they're really focusing all their attention on," DeMarco said, adding that police have no suspects. He did not know if the task force has talked to Rodriguez's estranged husband, Norberto Rodriguez... Without a report of neglect or abuse to a child, a state Department of Children and Family Services spokesman said law prevented him from saying anything about Rodriguez's two minor children, including whether they remain at their home. Besides the eighth-grade boy, Rodriguez also has a daughter who will be a senior at Oak Forest High School this fall and an older son in his 20s. Funeral arrangements are pending... [Full article here]
A NICE LADY FOUND DEAD IN A CAR TRUNK Southtown Star Phil Kadner June 5, 2009 [Excerpts] ...Norberto Rodriguez, a former Chicago police officer, was arrested in 2002 and convicted in 2004 of conspiring to distribute four kilograms of heroin. A rented car Rodriguez was driving from California was stopped by Illinois State Police in LaSalle County and, according to a Drug Enforcement Agency agent, Rodriguez agreed to let the trooper inspect the trunk. A black briefcase was found with four packages that turned out to be heroin. Rodriguez cooperated with police and helped lead them to two other men involved in the drug deal, at one point wearing a hidden wire, authorities said. Rodriguez went to prison in May 2004 and was released in January 2007, according to federal prison records. Although Irma had been shot in the hand and threatened by her husband before his drug arrest, she still bailed him out of jail on the heroin charges... [Full article here]
SLAIN OAK FOREST MOTHER HAD TROUBLED PAST WITH ESTRANGED HUSBAND Southtown Star By Lauren Fitzpatrick June 5, 2009 [Excerpts] Police won't name any suspects in the brutal murder of an Oak Forest mother found stuffed in the trunk of her own car. The SouthtownStar has unearthed troubling details about the husband she was divorcing, a man her neighbors and relatives have not seen in days, a convicted drug dealer who once shot her and threatened to do so again. "He threaten to ... if I come back he'll shoot me again," Irma Rodriguez wrote on a 2001 petition for an emergency protection order. "I'm very fearful for my life and my children." Oak Forest acting police chief David DeMarco told the SouthtownStar officers had before been called to the Rodriguez home in the 15400 block of Alameda Drive, but would not say how many or what kinds of calls they responded to. Norberto Rodriguez, 49, has not been named as a suspect in his estranged wife's disappearance and death. In fact, Norberto Rodriguez has not been seen around the neighborhood in Oak Forest, his last known address, nor could he be reached at several phone numbers listed to his name. No one has been charged, and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and Oak Forest police are keeping mum about their investigation, except to say they distributed fliers Thursday to dozens of homes around 148th Street and Kilpatrick Avenue. DeMarco said police do not have any new developments. He does not know where Norberto Rodriguez is, emphasizing that police continue to gather as much evidence as they can. Investigators are asking witnesses who might have seen someone driving Rodriguez's car - a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate TITA 6 - or walking away from the vehicle, specifically toward St. Damian Church near 155th Street and Long Avenue in Oak Forest, to call police. In five years, Norberto Rodriguez went from Chicago police officer to convicted heroin dealer. During an argument about flowers an ex-girlfriend sent him for his birthday in 1997, he shot his wife through the hand. Police said at the time that Norberto Rodriguez threatened to kill himself and his wife during the confrontation. Though Rodriguez was acquitted of all charges, including attempted first-degree murder, the incident cost him his job... [Full article here]
HERE'S AN ARTICLE BLAMING IRMA, NOT EVEN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBLITY THAT IF IRMA HAD LEFT EARLIER SHE MAY HAVE ALSO DIED EARLIER:
Slain mother's fate could teach victims a lesson In 2001, she wrote: 'If I come back he'll shoot me again' Chicago Sun-Times By Mary Mitchell June 7, 2009 [Excerpts] Under the circumstances, it wouldn't be a rush to judgment to suspect that Irma Rodriguez was a victim of domestic violence. On Monday, the 45-year-old mother of three was found dead in the trunk of her car, which was parked on a street in Midlothian. She and her husband of 13 years, Norberto Rodriguez, were going through a divorce. The couple were due in court the day before Irma was killed. Now, Norberto Rodriguez has dropped out of sight... That's strange behavior for a man whose son graduated from elementary school last week... I'm confident the police will catch up to him. I'm less confident that abused women who can still save themselves will learn from this tragedy. Irma Rodriguez's best chance to save herself came in 1997, when her husband was arrested and charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, armed violence and aggravated battery... Seems to me that Irma Rodriguez should have packed up the kids and got away from this man long before the case went to trial. But domestic violence counselors will tell you that it doesn't do any good to tell a woman to leave an abuser. She has to figure that out for herself... A woman who claims to have known the murder victim contacted me on Facebook with this lament: "I worked with Irma at Palos Hospital for many years and she was the definition of sweet," the woman said... "She never gossiped. Never called off. She now leaves three children motherless and all of us who knew her are in shock and are filled with pain"... Although a judge granted the order of protection, Irma Rodriguez had it terminated three weeks later. When her husband went to prison, she drove the children to prison to see him... If it turns out Norberto Rodriguez had anything to do with the death of his wife, it is incredibly tragic. As is the case with other domestic violence tragedies, the children will be left orphans. These children will need years of counseling to overcome the burden their parents' relationship has put on them. To the women who are too caught up in their own violent relationship to see they are in danger, consider Irma Rodriguez. Had she taken her stand years ago, it might have saved her life. [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder fugitive history repeat illinois]
From one of Kelly Wing's emails to her husband, Appleton Fire Lieutenant Scott Schmidt: "...You have never loved me and I am done living like this. I don't want your e-mails. I am sorry if that sounds mean, it is time I stood up for myself and my kids, long past due..."
...Kelly told police [that her husband, Appleton Fire Lt. Scott] Schmidt threatened to kill the family dog, and threatened to kill her if she ever filed for divorce... Court records show that Schmidt had threatened to kill his wife by shooting her in the head... "When she threatened to report him, Scott would say, 'Who's going to believe you? I'm a firefighter'"... Schmidt, a lieutenant and decorated 15-year veteran of the fire department, has had a series of legal and marital troubles recently. He was convicted in September of domestic disorderly conduct... His probation from the disorderly conduct conviction was revoked on March 11 and he was ordered not to possess guns. A judge also had ordered Schmidt to undergo alcohol and other drug abuse counseling and have a domestic abuse assessment... Appleton city and fire department leaders knew about Lt. Scott E. Schmidt's personal and legal problems and had encouraged him to seek counseling through an employee program that protects a person's anonymity, Mayor Tim Hanna said... "We were monitoring that very closely," Hanna said, noting Schmidt had nothing in his criminal or job performance record to prompt disciplinary action... Hanna said the same assistance programs are offered to all city employees. Ultimately, he said, it is up the employee to take advantage of counseling, provided through Employee Assistance Center, a private counseling service... Once the employee enters an assistance program the situation becomes a private matter between the employee and counselors...
NEWS EXCERPTS APRIL THRU JUNE 2009
UPDATE: TWO HURT, ONE IN CUSTODY IN SHOOTING NBC15 Posted Friday, April 17, 2009 [Excerpts] Two people are hurt and an armed man is in custody following a shooting outside a house in Grand Chute Friday... The armed man put the gun down after police arrived and was arrested... UPDATED Friday, April 17, 2009 - An off-duty Appleton firefighter is in custody after the fatal shooting of his estranged wife and wounding of his mother-in-law in the driveway of the home the couple formerly shared... Scott Schmidt, 38, was booked into the Outagamie County Jail late this afternoon on preliminary charges of first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree attempted homicide. Police say he shot his 39-year-old wife, Kelly Schmidt, in the head and his 66-year-old mother-in-law, Barbara Wing, in the chest... Kelly Schmidt died at a hospital after the shooting. Schmidt had been convicted of disorderly conduct in September stemming from a domestic abuse case. The Post-Crescent of Appleton says he's a lieutenant and 15-year member of the Appleton Fire Department... UPDATED Saturday, April 18, 2009 - Officials say an Appleton firefighter held in the fatal shooting of his estranged wife and wounding of his mother-in-law had been offered help for the personal problems he was known to be going through... Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna said the 38-year-old Schmidt was referred for counseling shortly after being convicted last September of disorderly conduct in a domestic abuse incident, and the city also knew of a recent charge against him of causing injury by drunken driving. But it ultimately is up to the employee to take advantage of counseling. UPDATED Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - A 38-year-old Appleton firefighter accused of killing his estranged wife and attempting to kill her mother has resigned from the department. Appleton police spokesman Pat DeWall said Tuesday the city offered to scrap a termination hearing before the city police and fire commission if Lt. Scott Schmidt resigned. Schmidt took the deal... [Full article here]
Barbara Wing, Kelly's mother
[WI] Firefighter Scott Schmidt arrested - POLICE UPDATE
I WILL REMEMBER YOU April 22, 2009 by mamaliberty [Excerpts] ...Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna says city leaders knew that Scott Schmidt was unstable before Friday’s shooting. The mayor says that Schmidt was referred to counseling. All the signs were there but it was too late, Kelly and her mother, Barbara Wing, were both shot... This is the beginning of the reform that Wisconsin needs for abused women and their abusers. I have taken the responsibility to make sure that nobody forgets this crime and that the abuser is held accountable for his actions. I will make this my mission, this is why I fight. My heart pours out to Barbara Wing and I hope that she will find the strength, courage and love to join our cause and make our legislators aware of the epidemic of murders by estranged partners. NEVER GIVE UP, SHUT UP OR GO AWAY! Enough is Enough! [LINK]
WING FAMILY FUND [Excerpts] Websdite dedicated to the Wing Family Fund. Its purpose is to collect donations for the Wing family. Scott Schmidt was charged Monday, April 20, 2009, with first-degree intentional homicide in the slaying of his estranged wife, Kelly Wing-Schmidt, outside her Grand Chute home. He is also charged with first-degree attempted homicide in the wounding of his mother-in-law, who attempted to intervene in a fight between the couple.. Kelly now leaves behind five children. To learn more about her tragic death, Google Search or visit PostCrescent.com... Kelly was a member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church, Appleton. She was employed as an early childhood teacher for many years throughout the Fox River Valley. Kelly was also employed as a CT and EMT at Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah and St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton. Kelly woudl have graduated in June 2009 as a Paramedic... Those who would like to contribute to a fund for Kelly Wing Schmidt's children can send checks to: Community First Credit Union PO Box 1487 Appleton, WI 54912 Please make checks payable to the credit union. Place "In memory of Kelly Wing" in the memo line. OR donate now using your Paypal Account or Credit Card LINK
OFF-DUTY FIREFIGHTER SCOTT SCHMIDT FATALLY SHOT HIS WIFE, HURT HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW IN GRAND CHUTE DRIVEWAY, POLICE SAY Suspect had recent history of legal and marital issues Appleton Post-Crescent By J.E. Espino and Jim Collar Post-Crescent staff writers April 18, 2009 [Excerpts] An off-duty Appleton firefighter shot and killed his estranged wife and wounded her mother Friday in the driveway of the home the couple once shared... Scott E. Schmidt, 38, of Chilton, parked his car about a half-mile from the home... Police do not know how long he was there or when he approached the home... Police say he shot his wife, Kelly Schmidt, 39, in the head and his mother-in-law, Barbara Wing, 66, in the chest. Kelly Schmidt was taken first to Appleton Medical Center, then transferred to Neenah's Theda Clark Medical Center, where she died at about 3:25 p.m. [Barbara] Wing's injuries are not life-threatening and police said she was released Friday... Schmidt, a lieutenant and decorated 15-year veteran of the fire department, has had a series of legal and marital troubles recently. He was convicted in September of domestic disorderly conduct. He previously had threatened to kill his wife, according to documents filed by his probation officer. His probation from the disorderly conduct conviction was revoked on March 11 and he was ordered not to possess guns. A judge also had ordered Schmidt to undergo alcohol and other drug abuse counseling and have a domestic abuse assessment. Schmidt is due to appear on May 11 in Calumet County Court for causing injury with intoxicated use of a vehicle... [Outagamie County Dist. Atty. Carrie Schneider] said it would represent no problem for her office to prosecute the case, even though it involved an Appleton firefighter... While Appleton police were first to respond, Grand Chute police took over the investigation because the home is located in the town near its border with the city... [Full article here]
STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY OF FIREFIGHTER SCOTT SCHMIDT ON THE DEATH OF KELLY SCHMIDT Appleton Post-Crescent April 18, 2009 The family of Scott Schmidt would like to make a statement. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Kelly’s family during this tragic time, but we also would like everyone to know that Scott is not the monster that he is being portrayed by the media. There are two sides to every situation and the entire truth will eventually come out. [LINK]
APPLETON MAYOR TIM HANNA SAID CITY KNEW ABOUT FIREFIGHTER SCOTT E. SCHMIDT'S PROBLEMS PRIOR TO FATAL SHOOTING, BUT OFFICIALS' HANDS WERE TIED Appleton Post-Crescent By Steve Wideman swideman@postcrescent.com April 18, 2009 [Excerpts] Appleton city and fire department leaders knew Lt. Scott E. Schmidt was grappling with personal and legal problems and had offered counseling through an employee program that protects a person’s anonymity, Mayor Tim Hanna said. “We were well aware of and were monitoring his situation,” Hanna said late Friday... Schmidt is in the Outagamie County Jail on preliminary charges of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Hanna said Schmidt was referred for counseling shortly after he was convicted in September 2008 of a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct stemming from a domestic abuse incident. Court records show that Schmidt had threatened to kill his wife by shooting her in the head. Hanna said the city also knew that Schmidt had recently been charged with causing injury by drunken driving. He was due May 11 in Calumet County on that charge. “We were monitoring that very closely,” Hanna said, noting Schmidt had nothing in his criminal or job performance record to prompt disciplinary action, particularly because Schmidt does not drive fire department vehicles and has not been convicted of the drunken driving charge. Sandra Niesen, the city’s human resources director, said employees can be forced to enter employee assistance programs “by our policy only if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol while at work or there are issues with workplace violence.” Generally, unless a criminal conviction is related to an employee’s job performance, the city has no reason to take disciplinary action, Niesen said. “We can’t take any action... The fire department union has its own employee assistance program and a chaplain. The assistance program can help firefighters if they have work-related, marital, alcohol, financial and other personal problems.” Hanna said the same assistance programs are offered to all city employees. Ultimately, he said, it is up the employee to take advantage of counseling, provided through Employee Assistance Center, a private counseling service... Niesen said the referral process generally begins with the employee’s supervisor discussing the situation with the employee. “The supervisor reminds the employee of our assistance programs,” Niesen said. Once the employee enters an assistance program the situation becomes a private matter between the employee and counselors... [Full article here]
POLICE SAY GRAND CHUTE SHOOTING SURVIVOR BARBARA WING CENTRAL IN INVESTIGATION Appleton Post-Crescent By Dan Wilson dwilson@postcrescent.com April 19, 2009 [Excerpts] The same day she survived a shooting that claimed her daughter's life, Barbara Wing provided police the fullest picture of what happened... Kelly Schmidt, 39, and Wing, 66, were shot in the driveway at 909 E. Edgewood Drive... Police said Scott Schmidt had parked his car at Appleton Fire Station No. 6, 4930 Lightning Drive, before making his way more than a mile west to his estranged wife's home before the shooting... "Kelly was shot before the mother-in-law and at some point the mother shouted at Scott to stop and he turned the weapon on her and shot her," said [Grand Chute's Interim Police Chief, Greg] Peterson. When an Appleton police officer confronted Schmidt, he threw down the handgun... [Full article here]
CO-WORKERS REMEMBER KELLY WING-SCHMIDT WLUK Reporter: Lindsay Veremis Updated: Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 6:42 AM CDT Published : Wednesday, 22 Apr 2009, 8:49 PM CDT [Excerpts] She's remembered as a ray of sunshine with an infectious smile and endearing giggle. But those who worked with Kelly Wing-Schmidt say the way she died has cast a dark cloud. "It was just so unexpected and so tragic and not what she deserved," co-worker Andrea Ebeling said. "She deserved so much better out of life and she deserved to live a long, long life and do what she wanted to do which was help people and be a paramedic." A month shy of that goal, police say Scott Schmidt shot Kelly multiple times in the driveway of her home. She died later that day, but co-workers at Theda Clark Medical Center say she lives on in their memories. Wing-Schmidt worked there as a certified nursing assistant for the past two years. "Kelly was so many things that were right and good and she was also a hero in the very last moments of her life, she did what came naturally, she was a hero, she protected her children, she drew gunfire away from her children," co-worker Jessica Hawes said. Hawes says Kelly's five kids were the joy of her life, but she worries Kelly's 2-year-old daughter may be too young to remember her mother. Theda staff hope to help by sharing their memories in a diary they will give to her children. "She was helpful and caring and kind and compassionate and such a good mother," Ebeling said. The staff is also wearing ribbons in her honor, purple to symbolize domestic violence with a dove to represent Kelly, a woman they say handled everything with grace and class. "She left all her pain and personal life at home like most of us do on the job," Ebeling said. Co-workers plan to cling to happy memories, but say the job won't be the same without Kelly. Donations for Kelly Wing-Schmidt's children are being collected at Community First Credit Union. [Full article here]
Kelly's mom Barbara Wing with Kelly's daughter
911 RESPONSE WAS CORRECT IN GRAND CHUTE MURDER OF KELLY WING SCHMIDT Oshkosh Northwestern By Duke Behnke dbehnke@postcrescent.com April 24, 2009 [Excerpts] The Outagamie County Sheriff's Department has no plans to implement additional crisis training for 911 dispatchers on the heels of Friday's homicide at a Grand Chute residence. Capt. Mike Jobe, who oversees the department's communications center, said the dispatcher who answered the emergency call and the colleagues who assisted her responded swiftly and professionally. "These people are highly trained, and they get the information that is needed," Jobe said. "I believe this entire situation was handled appropriately." Jobe identified the dispatcher, a position called telecommunicator in the profession, as Tami Schurer. She is a 25-year veteran of the communications center, and Jobe said she received the Greenville Lions Club Telecommunicator of the Year award in 1997. Schurer fielded a 911 call from Barbara Wing, who reported that her son-in-law Scott E. Schmidt had shot her and her daughter, Kelly Wing Schmidt, who later died at a hospital. Police arrested Schmidt at the scene, and he faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted homicide, as well as bail jumping. Postcrescent.com posted a recording of Wing's 911 call online, and many listeners quickly criticized Schurer's performance, saying she did not listen to the information provided by Wing or take control of the situation during the frantic seven-minute call. Schurer, who is not identified in the recording, repeatedly asked questions about the location of the incident, the number of victims and the shooter's identity, all of which were provided by Wing early in the dialogue. "I was getting frustrated with the dispatcher just listening to the tape," a reader wrote at postcrescent.com.. "I can't imagine the poor woman on the other end. 911 needs to get a dispatcher that actually listens." Others faulted Schurer for talking over Wing and for being rude and short. Jobe said the 911 tape provides an incomplete picture of the full response from the communications center. He said the dispatcher who answers a call first must verify the computer-generated address that accompanies the call and then keep the caller on the line to gather as much information as possible. "What you don't hear on the 911 tape is what the other telecommunicators in the room are doing," he said. "The instant that they realize someone has been shot, the other telecommunicators immediately begin dispatching the proper units for the response." Jobe, who has reviewed Wing's 911 call, said law enforcement and medical personnel were dispatched in a timely manner. He declined to say how quickly the first officer arrived, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. "It is easy but erroneous to assume that no help was sent until the end of that call," Jobe said. "That was absolutely not the case." Several postcrescent.com readers praised Schurer's professionalism. "Most people would have completely lost their cool and crumbled under the pressure if they took this call," a reader wrote, "but the dispatcher stayed calm and relayed all the important information to her partners and officers." "The dispatcher's immediate and precise actions may very well have prevented Schmidt from having enough time to go after his kids!" another wrote. "She deserves nothing but praise, and she needs to be recognized for potentially preventing any further tragedy."... [Full article here]
LETTERS: SCOTT E. SCHMIDT'S BEHAVIOR SHOULD WARRANT ACTION Appleton Post-Crescent April 28, 2009 Mayor Tim Hanna's comment that Scott E. Schmidt "had nothing in his criminal or job performance record to prompt disciplinary action" concerns me both as an Appleton resident and taxpayer. If being convicted of domestic violence, threatening to kill a human being and being charged with causing injury by drunken driving does not warrant disciplinary action, what type of behavior does?... [LINK]
MEDICAL REPORT: SCOTT E. SCHMIDT FIT FOR TRIAL IN GRAND CHUTE MURDER CASE Scott E. Schmidt competent when wife gunned down in Grand Chute, court-appointed psychologist says Appleton Post-Crescent By Steve Wideman swideman@postcrescent.com May 9, 2009 [Excerpts] Scott E. Schmidt is mentally competent to stand trail in the April 17 shooting death of his estranged wife, Kelly Wing Schmidt, a court- appointed psychologist concluded in a report filed Friday... Defense attorney Gregory Petit said Smail's report failed to include information required by state law outlining the results of tests Smail gave Schmidt in jail... The defense won a moral victory on the issue of whether jail medical records accessed by Smail violated Schmidt's privacy rights... [Full article here]
TRAGIC END FOR SCOTT SCHMIDT AND KELLY WING SCHMIDT - A COUPLE DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHERS Appleton Post-Crescent By Steve Wideman swideman@postcrescent.com May 31, 2009 [Excerpts] ...Scott Schmidt pulled the revolver's trigger five times in quick succession shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 17, hitting his estranged wife three times in the head and wounding Barbara Wing in the chest. Kelly Wing Schmidt died five hours later at Neenah's Theda Clark Medical Center, where she worked as a certified nursing assistant. Barbara Wing still carries the bullet that would have hit her heart had it not glanced off one of her ribs and lodged in her side. Schmidt remains in the Outagamie County Jail on a $1 million cash bond... A March 30 e-mail message from Scott to Kelly, sent from a computer at the Appleton fire station where he served as a lieutenant, provides a glimpse into the couple's stormy relationship in the weeks leading up to the shooting. Scott pleads with Kelly to let him return home after she kicked him out of the house. Schmidt admits to unleashing anger and frustration at Kelly following his November 2008 drunken-driving crash that seriously injured a woman whose Chevy Trailblazer he struck with his Ford F-250 truck on a rural Calumet County road. "The last four days have been pure hell," Schmidt wrote. "Friday, I slept in the car. … I have no money to buy food or anything. … I was wrong in so many things, from my anger to my actions to just about everything I did. Since the accident I have been angry at myself and you have taken the brunt of it. … I will show you and you will see my heart is true and I do love you." "I am not your wife," Kelly tersely fired back in an e-mail message minutes later. "You have been sober since November and you are just as mean now as ever. … I am not going to be hurt anymore. I AM NOT YOUR WIFE! Your wish came true." Eighteen days later, under a late spring sky, two people who had dedicated themselves to helping others — Kelly as a future paramedic and Scott as a decorated firefighter — found that they were unable to help even themselves... [Full article here]
[WI] Fire Lieutenant Schmidt had history before double shooting X
TROUBLED RELATIONSHIPS MARK LIVES OF SCOTT SCHMIDT AND GRAND CHUTE SHOOTING VICTIM KELLY WING Appleton Post-Crescent By Steve Wideman June 1, 2009 [Excerpts] ...In June 2002, Schmidt was suspended for three 24-hour workdays and prevented for 18 months from being considered for promotion to lieutenant after he was caught smoking at one of the fire stations. Schmidt signed a last-chance employment agreement... Two months later, on Dec. 26, 2002, an Appleton woman, [S.P.], obtained a restraining order against Schmidt. Citing circumstances eerily similar to those that would plague Kelly Wing through her stormy relationship with Schmidt, [S.P.] accused Schmidt in court documents of incessant harassment. "I broke up with Scott and he came to the house and tried to get in, pounding and banging on the door, scaring the kids... He drove in my driveway and called me up to 30 times in one hour from his truck. At times when I've wanted to get away from Scott, he has physically blocked me, so I couldn't leave. He tried to control me by isolating me from my friends." Two weeks after her daughter's death, Barbara Wing would use almost the exact same words as she described Schmidt's relationship with Kelly Wing. "Scott didn't like Kelly being with her friends. He just cut her off... He called Kelly a million times to check where she was. He threatened her for years." Joann Hull, one of Wing's childhood friends, recalls one incident a year ago when she and Kelly, whom she called "my movie buddy," were at the Hollywood Ultrascreen Cinema... "During a break in the movie we went out to get some popcorn and Scott called just when the popcorn man starting talking to us. Scott yelled at her, 'Who are you talking to? I can hear a man.' Anytime we did anything together Scott would be calling and calling and calling"... Scott's mounting frustration in his relationship with Kelly boiled over on Aug. 11, 2005, when police arrested Schmidt and charged him with disorderly conduct after he argued with Wing over custody issues involving [CHILD K]. Schmidt had jumped on Kelly Wing's car, demanding to know who she was talking to as she called police from a cell phone inside the vehicle. He entered into a deferred prosecution agreement resulting in the dismissal of the disorderly conduct charge after he completed 40 hours of community service and a domestic violence intervention program. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, the court ordered Schmidt not to possess any guns. Despite the Aug. 11, 2005, incident, Schmidt and Wing flew to Las Vegas and married at the Garden of Love Wedding Chapel on April 21, 2006, three years to the day before Kelly Wing's body was laid to rest. Barbara Wing said she doesn't know why the couple decided to get married in Las Vegas, "but Scott hated to pay child support." At the time of their marriage, Kelly Wing was carrying her second child by Schmidt. [Full article here]
[WI] Murder accused Fire Lieutenant Schmidt ordered to take psych eval
STRUGGLES ESCALATE; A LIFE ENDS TRAGICALLY E-mails give glimpse of couple's feelings toward each other as marriage heads to divorce The Appleton Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI) - Steve Wideman Tuesday, June 2, 2009 [Excerpts] ...Appleton Fire Lt. Scott] Schmidt reached out through a series of e-mails to his estranged wife, Kelly Wing Schmidt, in an attempt to save their marriage, scorched by allegations of cheating and physical abuse. "Please do not shut me out. I beg you," Schmidt wrote in an e-mail dated March 30. Late one morning two weeks later, prosecutors allege, the couple's soured relationship ended tragically with Kelly Wing Schmidt's shooting death in the driveway of her suburban home... A week before Schmidt sent his estranged wife the pleading e-mail, Kelly Wing Schmidt kicked him out of the couple's house on E. Edgewood Drive, frustrated by a relationship that police reports suggest had grown abusive years earlier... "Scott lived in and out of the house for the three years they were married," said Barbara Wing, Kelly's mother. "He wanted the freedom of a house he owned in Stockbridge"... Schmidt didn't allow Kelly to visit the Stockbridge home and was open with Kelly about his friendships with other women... On April 25, 2008, Schmidt argued with Kelly, hitting her in the face after she accused him of cheating with another woman, according to police reports. Kelly told police Schmidt threatened to kill the family dog, and threatened to kill her if she ever filed for divorce. In September, Schmidt was convicted of disorderly conduct and placed on probation for 18 months, which was scheduled to end March 2010. Schmidt, who admitted to being an alcoholic, was ordered to undergo alcohol abuse counseling and complete a domestic violence assessment. Kelly, though, struggled to end the relationship... "When she threatened to report him, Scott would say, 'Who's going to believe you? I'm a firefighter,'" Wing said. Schmidt's life spun out of control when, in a drunken haze on Nov. 17, he suffered serious injuries when his Ford F-250 pickup truck slid through an icy intersection in Calumet County and struck a Chevy Trailblazer, seriously injuring a woman passenger. He admitted to drinking at least two whiskey and Cokes at a nearby tavern, and two more at home, before the crash. Drinking was a violation of his probation... While the court considered revoking Schmidt's probation, he was placed on an electronic-bracelet monitoring program Dec. 22 and confined to the couple's home... "That never made any sense to me, to confine Scott to this home when abuse was happening here," Barbara Wing said. On Feb. 17, Schmidt's probation was revoked. The probation officer recommended a 90-day jail term and counseling, but the jail refused to take him because he still was recovering from the injuries he suffered in the crash. At a March 11 probation revocation hearing, Schmidt avoided jail when Outagamie County Judge Mark McGinnis sentenced him to time served on the bracelet program... A series of e-mail messages obtained by The Post-Crescent through open records requests illustrates the couple's troubled relationship... "I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how much I have missed you and the kids. … I miss you so much. … love Scott (Your Husband),'"... "Life is short. Love the people who love you … forget the ones who don't," Kelly replied to Schmidt's initial message. "You have never loved me and I am done living like this. I don't want your e-mails. I am sorry if that sounds mean, it is time I stood up for myself and my kids, long past due." ... "Kelly. I do love you and our kids, all of them," Schmidt replied. "Please do not shut me out I beg you. … I will never be the same person I was before. … I love you more than you will know. I will spend the rest of my life proving it to you." Twenty minutes later, Schmidt sent an e-mail telling Kelly "the last four days have been hell. I vow to you I will never take my anger out on you or the kids again. … I miss you and our dreams for the future," Schmidt wrote. Kelly replied minutes later telling Schmidt: "Do not insult my intelligence by making promises you will not keep. I have heard all this before"... [Full article here]
[WI] FUNDRAISER FOR KELLY WING SCHMIDT 1
FRIENDS, FAMILY 'CAN'T DESCRIBE' PAIN OF LOSING GRAND CHUTE SHOOTING VICTIM KELLY WING SCHMIDT Appleton Post-Crescent By Steve Wideman June 3, 2009 [Excerpts] ...Only Scott knows for certain what raced through his mind the morning of April 17 as he walked from the fire station where he had worked to Kelly’s house on E. Edgewood Drive in Grand Chute. But whatever torments drove him that day, they were implacable. “I had to do it,” Schmidt said to the police officer who arrested him as he hovered over his wife, who lay dying on her driveway mortally wounded by several gunshots... A few days earlier, Schmidt brought a pellet gun into Kelly's house and set it menacingly beside a pot-bellied stove in the family room filled with toys and dolls belonging to the couple's children... When Barbara Wing phoned her daughter the morning of April 17 after making copies of a job application for Kelly, she heard Schmidt's voice in the background. He and Kelly were arguing... She ended the call, climbed in her car and drove to her daughter's house. "Scott's car was not there when I got to Kelly's house. I thought he had left," Wing said. But when Wing entered the house she found her daughter cornered by Schmidt in the bathroom, the couple's two children cowering inches away from the .22-caliber revolver in Scott's hand. Wing shouted so her daughter could escape. Kelly ran, trying to draw Scott away from the children, Wing said. "Why don't you get out of here before someone gets hurt?" Wing recalls yelling at Scott. Schmidt ran outside, catching Kelly in the driveway. A sharp report from the gun, aimed at Kelly's head, sounded the irreversible end of the couple's chaotic life together. Bursting out of the house, Barbara saw her daughter prone on the driveway. "What have you done?" she screamed. Barbara said Scott then turned the gun away from Kelly, pointed it at her and fired. Wing, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest, ran screaming toward cars passing on E. Edgewood Drive, but none slowed. She quickly changed direction, ran into the house, locked the door to protect the children and called 911. She watched through a kitchen window as Schmidt dragged her still-breathing daughter across the driveway and into the garage before sitting and talking to Kelly. Moments later, an Appleton police officer driving nearby heard the 911 dispatch. He sped toward the home, and found Schmidt in the driveway, gun in hand, near Kelly's body... [Full article here]
[WI] COWORKERS SAY KELLY WING SCHMIDT SAVED HER KIDS & IS A HERO
SCOTT SCHMIDT TO STAND TRIAL FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF ESTRANGED WIFE KELLY WING SCHMIDT IN GRAND CHUTE Last minutes detailed at hearing Appleton Post-Crescent Dan Wilson Thursday, June 4, 2009 [Excerpts] Former Appleton firefighter Scott Schmidt shot his estranged wife execution-style as she lay wounded on her back outside her home, according to testimony today at Schmidt's preliminary hearing on homicide charges. Outagamie County Judge John Des Jardins ordered Schmidt to stand trial on charges of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide after hearing testimony from Barbara Wing, the mother of Kelly Wing Schmidt, 39. Wing said she arrived at the Grand Chute residence about 10:30 a.m. April 17 and found Schmidt and Wing Schmidt arguing in the bathroom. When Schmidt backed out of the bathroom with a gun in his hand, Wing Schmidt bolted for the door and Schmidt followed her. Wing said she heard the shot that felled her daughter and went out to try to stop Schmidt, who then shot her in the chest. "He just calmly raised his gun and shot me," she said. "And Kelly was on her back and he raised the gun and he shot her again in the head"... The Grand Chute detective who first talked to Schmidt, 38, after the shooting also testified briefly. Det. Michael Bartlein said Schmidt told him "that an argument escalated and he shot his wife"... [Full article here]
[WI] Co workers remember Kelly Wing Schmidt
DAN FLANNERY COLUMN: 'GATHERING STORM' SERIES GIVES INSIGHT INTO DOMESTIC ABUSE Appleton Post-Crescent June 7, 2009 [Excerpts]...Sunday through Wednesday, we examined the tragic relationship between an estranged married couple, Scott Schmidt and Kelly Wing Schmidt... It was not an easy or comfortable series to read, and we heard from readers who were angered over our decision to devote so much time and space to the story... We think it's time our community understands the causes, sees the warning signs, and challenges the "look the other way" philosophy that only enables domestic abuse perpetrators to damage — and sometimes, end — the lives of victims... Telling this story, in this way, on the front page of The Post-Crescent for four straight days, is unlike anything we've done on domestic abuse. But we're doing it to raise awareness, and to help our community deal positively and proactively from now on... It is possible, we hope, that this series will save a life... [Full article here]
[WI] Coworkers remember Kelly Wing Schmidt (2)
KELLY WING FUNDRAISER DAY WITH THE WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS!! Sunday, August 2nd (2009) Timber Rattlers game starts at 1:05pm Parking lot opens at 10:30am (tailgate) and stadium gates open at 11:30am. Enjoy the day with co-workers, friends and family of the late Kelly Wing. August 2nd we all come together to celebrate the life of Kelly Wing and pay tribute to her with a moment of silence prior to the game, a very special "first pitch" and a day full of smiles and laughter remembering her. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will donate $3 from every ticket purchased using this form to the children of Kelly Wing. Form: http://www.wingfamilyfund.com/FundraiserDonationForm.dsp Don't forget your check book!!! During the game stop by the silent auction table to bid on great gifts also benefiting the children of Kelly Wing. Tickets to this great event are just $7!!! Parking is $3 per car and $6 per bus. To purchase tickets please contact the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at 800-948-4623 or e-mail ahahn@timberrattlers.com. When ordering tickets PLEASE mention "Kelly Wing Fundraiser"!!! Tickets are subject to availibility and must be ordered by July 31, 2009 For questions or concerns please contact event coordinators, Cindy Krantz (RN, St. Elizabeth) at ckrantz@new.rr.com or Nichole Loftin (daughter of Cindy Krantz) at nloftin@chicagostorm.net. Thank you for your support! [LINK]
[firefighter public safety officer involved domestic violence official brass lt. murder fatality fatalities family secondary victims wisconsin repeat offender history cold blooded FAMILY MOTHER]
A Martin County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputy was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of pushing his wife and ripping off her bikini top... Edward Farren, 41, was arrested by police in Port St. Lucie on a misdemeanor battery charge...
MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY, WIFE, ARRESTED IN DOMESTIC DISPUTE
TCoast Talk, tcoasttalk.com
June 8th, 2009 by Ana X. Ceron
[Excerpts] A Martin County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested on a domestic battery charge over the weekend. Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Edward Farren, 41, allegedly pushed his wife to the ground after an argument on Saturday night. His wife, Michelle Farren, had spent the night at her husband’s Port St. Lucie home after he called her and asked her to come over, the woman told police. Michelle Farren said she showed up at his house despite a restraining order that he has against her because she wanted to be with their three children... One of the children told police his father “went at” his mother... The children were left with a relative while couple was booked into the St. Lucie County jail... Edward Farren faces a domestic battery charge and his wife faces a charge of violating the injunction... [Full article here]
OFF-DUTY MARTIN CORRECTIONS DEPUTY CHARGED IN DOMESTIC INCIDENT
tcpalm.com
By Will Greenlee
Posted June 8, 2009
[Excerpts] A Martin County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputy was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of pushing his wife and ripping off her bikini top... Edward Farren, 41, was arrested by police in Port St. Lucie on a misdemeanor battery charge... She spent the night at his home and got up Saturday to take their children to the beach, according to the report. Edward Farren started an argument involving the topic of sex before ripping off his wife’s bikini top, the report stated. She tried to put it back on, but Farren again ripped it off. After his wife put on a shirt, Edward Farren put her arms behind her back and pushed her down, Michelle Farren told police. He pulled her up and then pushed her outside... He is on administrative leave without pay. [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement humiliation port st. lucie florida state]
LOS ANGELES POLICE DETECTIVE STEPHANIE ILENE LAZARUS HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH KILLING HER FORMER BOYFRIEND'S WIFE,
SHERRI RAE RASMUSSEN
..."This individual was investigated and arrested by L.A. police officers who were going where the truth took them," [LAPD Police Chief William] Bratton said. "It reflects very positively on the department. It doesn't reflect too well on her, in terms of what we allege that she did, but it has no negative reflection on the department, rather it has a very positive reflection on us in the sense that we take our efforts very seriously and we go where the truth takes us. Sometimes it's painful"...
OFFICER CHARGED WITH KILLING RIVAL IN 1986 timesoftheinternet.com LOS ANGELES, June 5 (UPI) -- [Excerpt] A Los Angeles police detective was charged Friday with killing her former boyfriend's wife in 1986 when she was a young patrol officer. Stephanie Ilene Lazarus, 49, was arrested at Parker Center, the police headquarters building, the Los Angeles Times reported. She allegedly beat and shot Sherri Rae Rasmussen, whose body was found by her husband in their condominium apartment... [Full article here]
LAPD DETECTIVE ACCUSED OF KILLING ROMANTIC RIVAL Los Angeles Times June 5, 2009 [Excerpts] Police allege that [Los Angeles Police Department Detective Stephanie Ilene] Lazarus beat and fatally shot Sherri Rae Rasmussen, a hospital nursing director, according to sources familiar with the investigation. "It's very bittersweet. Our goal is to always bring people to justice, but this is somebody we know," said Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, who oversees the detective bureau. Rasmussen's badly beaten body was found by her husband in the living room of the couple's Van Nuys condominium on Feb. 24, 1986. Shortly after the slaying, two men robbed another woman in the area at gun point and homicide detectives came to believe the pair had killed Rasmussen... [Full article here]
LAPD DETECTIVE ARRESTED IN MURDER CASE She's accused of killing ex-BF's wife in 1986. myfoxla.com Text story by City News Service Posted by: Scott Coppersmith Friday, 05 Jun 2009 [Excerpts] ...[Sherri Rasmussen] was discovered by her husband, who had a long-term relationship with Lazarus prior to the marriage, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, who oversees the detective's bureau... "We are going to go where the truth and the facts take us," police Chief William Bratton said... A DNA sample taken from the crime scene - police declined to specify what the sample was or where it was found - was reanalyzed and police detrmined that the killer was a woman, not a man as previously believed. According to the Los Angeles Times, detectives trailed Lazarus last week and obtained a sample of her DNA from a discarded cup or straw, and it conclusively matched the sample taken from the crime scene... "You cannot know a person for 26 years ... you can't know a person for that long, know their family, and not be affected by this," Beck said. "There will still be a period of disbelief and then internal mourning for a lot of people on this." Beck declined to say whether Rasmussen's husband was being investigated by police... "This individual was investigated and arrested by L.A. police officers who were going where the truth took them," Bratton said. "It reflects very positively on the department. It doesn't reflect too well on her, in terms of what we allege that she did, but it has no negative reflection on the department, rather it has a very positive reflection on us in the sense that we take our efforts very seriously and we go where the truth takes us. Sometimes it's painful"... [Full article here]
VETERAN DETECTIVE'S ARREST IN 1986 KILLING STUNS THE LAPD Police allege Det. Stephanie Lazarus, 49, shot her ex-boyfriend's wife, then harbored the secret for more than two decades. Los Angeles Times By Andrew Blankstein andrew.blankstein@latimes.com and Joel Rubin joel.rubin@latimes.com June 6, 2009 [Excerpts] Shortly after she sat down at her desk on the third floor of LAPD headquarters Friday morning, Det. Stephanie Lazarus was told a suspect in the basement jail had information on one of her cases. The 25-year police veteran went quickly downstairs. As Lazarus removed her firearm to pass through security, she unknowingly walked into a trap. There was no suspect - only questions about a terrible secret police believe she has been harboring for more than two decades. Now disarmed, Lazarus, 49, was confronted by homicide detectives and arrested on suspicion of the 1986 slaying of a woman who had married Lazarus' ex-boyfriend... To minimize the chances that word of the reopened investigation would leak, only a small circle of detectives and high-ranking officials were made aware of it... Asked at an afternoon news conference whether Lazarus had been either deliberately or mistakenly overlooked because she was a cop, Beck said: "I don't know the answer to that at this poin"... Until her death, [Sherri] Rasmussen was director of critical-care nursing at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. Her slaying stunned colleagues, who referred to her as a vital member of the staff, according to news reports. On the day she was killed, she had reportedly stayed home from work after straining her back in an aerobics class. In an article about the family's reward, her father said Rasmussen had entered college at 16 and had taught for a period at UCLA. "It's safe to say we have some closure," said Ruetten, the victim's husband, when reached at his home in San Diego. "It's been a horrible thing to go through it all again." [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder washington jail lapd california cold case]
...Officials said he had cut off his ankle monitor... He was last spotted at a bus station in Phoenix, Az. Authorities believe he could be anywhere between Phoenix and Los Angeles or even in Mexico...
FUGITIVE TOOK BUS HEADING WEST Atlanta Journal Constitution Ex-deputy wanted in double slaying.Tape shows Yancey leaving area, but trail grows cold out West. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution By Rhonda Cook Friday, June 05, 2009 [Excerpts] Former DeKalb County sheriff's deputy and now fugitive murder suspect Derrick Yancey escaped Atlanta on a westbound Greyhound bus and then vanished somewhere between Phoenix and Los Angeles, Sheriff Thomas Brown said Thursday. Yancey, who worked in the DeKalb County Jail until a year ago, is accused of shooting his 44-year-old wife and a day laborer. At the time, Yancey claimed he shot 20-year-old Marcial Cax-Puluc after the Guatemalan immigrant shot and killed Yancey's wife, Linda, during an attempted robbery at their home. His story fell apart and Yancey was charged with two counts of murder. He was released on $150,000 bond and ordered to wear an ankle bracelet monitor. Police say Yancey removed that ankle bracelet at 5:41 a.m. April 4 and left his mother's Clayton County house... The first image recorded Yancey, using the name "David Brown," at the Atlanta bus station at 7:10 a.m. buying a ticket to the West Coast. Other bus station cameras tracked Yancey to Dallas, to Amarillo, Texas, and then to Phoenix, where he transferred to a 12:40 p.m. Greyhound to Los Angeles. Yancey was not seen after that because the four stops on the route to Los Angeles did not have cameras, Brown said... Yancey might have headed into Mexico, considering he's fluent in Spanish... A $10,000 reward is being offered for his capture and the television show "America's Most Wanted" (9 p.m. Saturdays on Fox) will broadcast an unscheduled segment... The sheriff said family members also might have helped Yancey get away and, if they did, they will be charged. Investigators suspect Yancey may have altered his appearance... The video from the Atlanta bus station showed him with a new mustache, longer hair and the beginnings of a beard... Most likely, the sheriff said, Yancey will be captured during a traffic stop. [Full article here]
VIDEO SHOWS DERRICK YANCEY LEAVING Family May Have Helped Yancey Escape, Sheriff Says WGCL June 4, 2009 [Excerpts] Derrick Yancey, the ex-deputy accused of killing his wife and a day laborer, is seen on video leaving the area, officials say... Security guards at the bus station didn't even notice him, and with good reason -- Yancey had quite the head start on authorities. Officials said he had cut off his ankle monitor, but 11 hours would pass before the monitoring company would report the breach to authorities. He was last spotted at a bus station in Phoenix, Az. Authorities believe he could be anywhere between Phoenix and Los Angeles or even in Mexico. "We do know that he is quite proficient in the Spanish language," Brown said. Yancey's wife Linda, who was also a DeKalb County deputy, and a day laborer were shot to death in Yancey's home in Stone Mountain in June 2008... "Weeks before he disappeared, he applied to receive a lump sum payment of his pension that he had contributed to DeKalb County," Brown said... [Full article here]
VICTIMS:
Marcial Cax Puluc
Marcial Cax Puluc is the man who is believed to have been killed as a part of a contrived story Deputy Yancey told authorities, as a cover-up in his (premeditated?) murder of his own wife, Dekalb Sheriff's Officer Linda Yancey. Marcial is more than a dead prop. He was a young man with a family who loves him - who was here to help them by earning money to send home. Linda was much more than a wife. She's a mother, sister, friend, and missed co-worker. Her sweetness lingers heavy in the air over all of this.
[GA] Linda Ann (Thomas) Yancey - "I will never forget that beautiful smile of hers" - ...Linda was a wonderful person, and one of the most professional and polite officer that had ever worked for me. I thank God for allowing me to speak with her and the family recently before her untimely death. I will never forget that beautiful smile of hers, and her charming personality. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16...
[GA] Who believes Deputy Yancey didn't murder Linda & Marcial? - ...FOX 5 NEWS HAS LEARNED DEKALB POLICE WANT TO TALK TO DEPUTY DERRICK YANCEY ABOUT THE DOUBLE KILLINGS AT HIS HOUSE, AGAIN. IT APPEARS HIS ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT IS BEING QUESTIONED...
[GA] "Resigned" Deputy Yancey indicted for double murder of Linda and Marcial. - ..."This is a case that's going to lean heavily on the forensics and ballistic evidence, which we have quite a bit of, and it's powerful. It will prove beyond a reasonable doubt what we've thought all along -Deputy Yancey's guilty"...
[GA] Trial delays for double-murder accused Deputy Yancey - This short article's author didn't mention the names of Deputy DY's (alleged) victims. That has to be wrong. (It just has to be.) May these two stolen lives never be considered incidental in the prosecution or coverage of this case... Who's NOT in a jail right now? Derrick Yancey.
...Martinez, 32, pleaded guilty to "causing corporal injury to a roommate"... If accepted to the program, he could keep a job and live at a county-provided "confinement home"...
SHERIFF'S DEPUTY PLEADS GUILTY TO BEATING GIRLFRIEND signonsandiego.com By Mark Arner 6:20 p.m. June 4, 2009 [Excerpts]Imperial Beach Sheriff's deputy Leanno A. Martinez pleaded guilty in Chula Vista Superior Court Thursday to a felony charge of beating a live-in girlfriend. As part of a plea bargain he agreed to serve 180 days in jail, authorities said. Martinez, 32, pleaded guilty to "causing corporal injury to a roommate," before Superior Court Judge H. Ronald Domnitz, said Deputy District Attorney Enrique Camarena. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 14. Domnitz issued a restraining order banning Martinez from having any contact with his former girlfriend, Camarena said. Domnitz also required Martinez to take a year-long class that teaches the effects of domestic violence and how to avoid it. Martinez will be placed on probation for three years... Sheriff's officials would not say how long Martinez has worked for the department, or whether he has been on leave since his arrest... The plea bargain will allow Martinez to enter a work furlough program and avoid serving his sentence at a county jail. If accepted to the program, he could keep a job and live at a county-provided "confinement home," Camarena said. He would only be permitted to leave the home to go to court or go to work. [Full article here] [police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement california jail]
The savory smell of marinated chicken often lingered along Alameda Avenue in Oak Forest whenever Irma Rodriguez cooked a meal. She was a great chef and often shared food with neighbors... The Cook County medical examiner’s office this morning tentatively identified the body found in the car trunk as Irma Rodriguez... [Police] said they had not been able to talk to her estranged husband, Norberto, a former Chicago police officer who was charged with trying to kill her in 1997... An internal police investigation of the incident concluded, "Officer Rodriguez unlawfully shot his wife, Irma Rodriguez, with his firearm during a domestic dispute"... Tuesday [June 2nd, 2009] was the day Ms. Rodriguez was supposed to be in divorce court. Proceedings began more than a year and a half ago...
Much love to the involved families and friends. Irma is more than a victim. The woman she was while she was living is not represented here in these news articles. If people who know and love Irma want to use this blog to share anything I can post that for you. I know it's only words right now - but I am so so sorry for who has been stolen from you. If there is anything that I can do, just whisper, and I will do it.
AUTHORITIES FINALLY ID WOMAN’S BODY IN TRUCK Chicago Tribunal By Admin on June 3, 2009 [Excerpts] ...The Cook County medical examiner’s office this morning tentatively identified the body found in the car trunk as Irma Rodriguez, 44, of the 15400 block of Alameda Avenue, a mother of three who had been missing since Sunday evening. Family members earlier had said that the body was hers... Oak Forest Acting Police Chief David DeMarco said police had executed a search warrant at the Rodriguez home, but said police had no suspects “right now” in the shooting death. They said they had not been able to talk to her estranged husband, Norberto, a former Chicago police officer who was charged with trying to kill her in 1997 — a charge he was acquitted of in a bench trial, court records show. The body was found Monday night in the trunk of Irma Rodriguez’s white Pontiac Grand Am... She had been shot several times in the back... Irma and Norberto Rodriguez were going through a divorce and were due in court Tuesday... Norberto Rodriguez allegedly shot his wife in the hand after a domestic dispute at their then-home on the South Side in 1997, but Irma Rodriguez later claimed she’d been accidentally shot during a struggle. He was charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of armed violence, but was acquitted on all charges on July 2, 1998... She’d been trying to prevent him from killing himself when the gun went off, she said during a Police Board hearing where he was fired after his acquittal... [Full article here]
MIDLOTHIAN BODY NOT ID'ED YET AS MOM MyFoxChicago.com Updated: Wednesday, 03 Jun 2009, 6:27 AM CDT Published : Wednesday, 03 Jun 2009, 5:54 AM CDT [Excerpts] The savory smell of marinated chicken often lingered along Alameda Avenue in Oak Forest whenever Irma Rodriguez cooked a meal. She was a great chef and often shared food with neighbors as their noses perked up to the aroma coming from Rodriguez's kitchen. "She always smelled up the neighborhood," recalled 30-year-old neighbor, Kurt De Grott, as he took a break from trimming the grass along his fence. "My daughter would be like, 'what smelled so good?' and [Rodriguez] would be like, 'come here' for a taste." Sunday night he saw Rodriguez's children arguing with her husband, Norberto Rodriguez. Their 44-year-old mother was missing. So was her car, a 2002 white Pontiac Grand Am. Then police showed up... Irma Arroyo was born in Puerto Rico in April 1964... Irma Rodriguez filed for divorce from Norberto Rodriguez in Sept. 2007 after 13 years of marriage, records show. They were due in family court Tuesday morning at the Daley Center. Carmen Quinones, Irma Rodriguez's attorney in the divorce, did not return phone calls for comment. Norberto Rodriguez was representing himself... Oak Forest police called on the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force to investigate. About 20 officers are working the case... At the time of the filing, she had been working as a secretary at Palos Community Hospital for about two and a half years, according to court records. A Palos Community spokesman confirmed Tuesday Irma Rodriguez still worked there. He declined to provide further details... Forest Ridge Elementary School District 142 Supt. Margaret Longo said. Rodriguez was an involved parent and a "terrific mom," Longo said... [Full article here]
YESTERDAY & THE DAY BEFORE:
POLICE SEEK MISSING OAK FOREST WOMAN The Southtown Star June 1, 2009 Sun-Times News Group Police are involved in the search for a 44-year-old Oak Forest woman last seen at home Sunday evening. Irma Rodriguez, 44, was last seen about 7 p.m. Sunday in her Oak Forest home, acting Police Chief David DeMarco said Monday evening. "She has no health or other problems, and no unusual circumstance. It is unusual for her not to be in contact." Rodriguez is described as a Hispanic female about 5-foot-1 and 125 pounds, DeMarco said. She has brown eyes and brown hair. Also missing is her white 2002 Pontiac Grand-Am four-door, he said. The car has Illinois license plate TITA6. Anyone with information is asked to call Oak Forest police Lt. Mark Jensen at (708) 687-4050, Ext. 1207. [LINK]
BODY FOUND IN MIDLOTHIAN, WOMAN STILL MISSING FROM OAK FOREST Chicago Sun Times June 2, 2009 [Excerpts] The body of a woman in her 40s was found in south suburban Midlothian, nearby Oak Forest where police have been searching since Sunday for a 44-year-old missing woman... Her identity was not available Tuesday morning and the medical examiner’s office would not provide further details as to where or when the body was found or how she died... Irma Rodriguez, 44, has been missing from her Oak Forest home since about 7 p.m. Sunday, Deputy Police Chief David DeMarco said Monday evening. "She has no health or other problems, and no unusual circumstance. It is unusual for her not to be in contact"... Article commenter - ...Kids were out riding bikes and playing kick ball sunday evening when we returned form laundromat approx 6:15pm now what I do know is that Midlothian police are up and down kilpatrick writing tickets they even go into the private lots checking tags now its one day before the first of the month and most people are renewing registrations if this woman was reported missing at the actual time she went missing how on earth did they miss that neatly parked car on the street that was sitting there all day Sunday,uhm further more she was found last night not this morning I returned from work at 5;30pm went across the street to the store at 7:20pm there were no cops in site I return shortly before 8 roughly eight 10 and CSI is swarming the first cop car I saw said oakforest Police not midlothian,in addition a gentleman shows up frantically and says did they find her? my friends mother has been missing for two days well Sunday to Monday is one day then he says Verbatim her Husband turned himself into police around noon today with a Lawyer ironic... 6/2/2009 12:18 PM CDT on suntimes.com [Full article here]
BODY, MISSING MOM'S CAR FOUND IN MIDLOTHIAN | UPDATED STORY Chicago Breaking News June 2, 2009 12:43 PM [Excerpts] The woman's body found shot to death in the trunk of a car belonging to a missing Oak Forest woman still has not been conclusively identified as that Irma Rodriguez, police said this morning. Earlier, however, a relative said family members had been told by police that the body was hers... Rodriguez, a mother of three, is the wife of a former Chicago police officer dismissed from the force after he allegedly shot Rodriguez in the left hand during an argument... At a late morning news conference, Oak Forest Acting Police Chief David Demarco said police had executed a search warrant at the Rodriguez home, but said police had no suspects "right now" in the shooting death... Family members reported her missing because she never before had left the house without her purse and failed to answer her cell phone, he said. He said police had not recovered the cell phone... Demarco said there was no identification on the body. An autopsy was being conducted... [Full article here]
Woman's body found with apparent gunshot wound in Midlothian ABC7chicago.com June 2, 2009 [Excerpt] ...Court records from 2007 show that Rodriguez filed for a divorce from her husband, a former Chicago policeman, and there was a court hearing on the matter scheduled for Tuesday. "She's so nice. I mean, she's a mother of three children. Nobody wants to see that. She's a very nice lady. My neighbor just came over here a couple of minutes ago, she was crying because she had just talked to her," said Kelly Degroot, neighbor... [Full article here]
BODY FOUND IN TRUNK OF MISSING WOMAN'S CAR ABCLocal By Ben Bradley June 2, 2009 [Excerpts] ...The woman found in the trunk car is believed to be Irma Rodriguez. She was married to a former police officer and in recent years their relationship had allegedly turned violent. But if police think the husband played a role in her disappearance, they're not ready to say so. On their hands and knees, searchers scour an Oak Forest creek and nearby retention pond. Presumably, they're looking for evidence - possibly a murder weapon - after a woman's body was found in the trunk of Irma Rodriguez's car. It was parked in nearby Midlothian... Tuesday was the day Ms. Rodriguez was supposed to be in divorce court. Proceedings began more than a year and a half ago. Her husband was a Chicago police officer, until he was fired for allegedly shooting at his wife. Weeks after the divorce proceedings began, Officer Norberto Rodriguez was charged - but not convicted - of shooting his wife in the hand... An internal police investigation of the incident concluded, "Officer Rodriguez unlawfully shot his wife, Irma Rodriguez, with his firearm during a domestic dispute." Police say they haven't spoken to Mr. Rodriguez and have not called him a suspect. Still, Tuesday's discovery of the body, and water search, indicate police have a theory about what happened... [Full article here]
BODY, MISSING MOM’S CAR FOUND IN MIDLOTHIAN Chicago Tribunal June 3, 2009 [Excerpts] ...Authorities would not identify the woman but family members confirmed her identity as Irma Rodriguez, 44, of the 15400 block of Alameda Avenue, a mother of three who had been missing since Sunday evening... She had been shot several times in the back, and her death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner’s office... Rodriguez’ lawyer, Carmen Quinones, said she had been informed that her client was missing before the Daley Center hearing this morning. The woman’s husband also did not show up... The judge hearing the case postponed the case until next month at Quinones’ request. Norberto Rodriguez allegedly shot his wife in the hand after a domestic dispute at their then-home on the South Side in 1997, but Irma Rodriguez later claimed she’d been accidentally shot during a struggle. He was charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of armed violence, but was acquitted on all charges on July 2, 1998, after a bench trial in front of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Reyna... [Full article here]
I was off exploring whether we could get together for new federal legislation. I'm back, full of plans for an alternative, looking at days of news I missed, and a packed email inbox.
The very first email I opened this morning was also my last - from Susan Murphy-Milano alerting me to Irma... Another life lost. I started collecting Irma's information and just felt so helpless to make this stop.
...Nadine Glass obtained the protection order at a hearing Friday during which she presented a two-page document listing [Ex-Lorain Detective & Police Union
President Corey] Earl’s alleged harassment of her dating back to May. Under the terms of the order, Earl must stay 500 feet away from Glass, and he isn’t permitted to possess a firearm...
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