Why does it take a 3rd violent crime to begin taking action to fire this officer or to consider discipling him? What is the purpose for reducing his charges, especially after the second arrest for family violence which violated his first diversion agreement? Why wasn't the first diversionary agreement's punitive consequences applied after the 2nd arrest? Is it sort-of okay at Columbus Police Department to hurt your family members and still don a badge, wield a weapon, and arrest members of the public for their crimes? It must be. Could Officer Elias assault Columbus City Administrator Evan Capron's wife a 1st and 2nd time without losing his job and being prosecuted?
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT A PERSONAL OR PRIVATE MATTER.
Could Elias break into a local drug store in the evening and get caught twice stealing drugs - a NON-violent crime - and still go back to work as a cop? DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A CRIME. Tough talk now from the city administrator, but it's already clear that a little wife-beating is allowed by officers in Columbus Kansas.
SOME WIFE BEATING ALLOWED, JUST NOT TOO MUCH.
COLUMBUS, KAN. OFFICER SUSPENDED AFTER ARREST FOR DOMESTIC BATTERY
KOAM-TV
By Nina Criscuolo
April 2, 2010
[Excerpts] The city of Columbus suspends a police officer after he is arrested for domestic battery. But this is not the first time he has been arrested for violence. Columbus City Administrator Evan Capron says he asked the officer to voluntarily resign on Friday, but he didn't. Kevin Elias was then suspended and turned in his badge, gun and uniform... Kevin Elias was arrested March 25 after police say he and his wife had an altercation. Both were arrested for domestic battery. Elias has been charged with misdemeanor domestic battery twice before, after injuring his wife and another family member. Those were settled with a diversionary agreement... Domestic abuse expert Rebecca Reedy is the Executive Director of the Crisis Resource Center and she says the position of being an officer should not protect Elias. "I don't think occupation really makes a difference," Reedy says. "Domestic violence is really about power and control over another person and in those relationships the equality is no longer there." Elias is scheduled to be in court on April 16. His March 25 arrest is a violation of the diversion agreement made on his previous two misdemeanor battery charges... [Full article here]
NEW DOMESTIC BATTERY CHARGE RESULTS IN COLUMBUS POLICE OFFICER’S FIRING
Recent incident follows diversionary agreements in two other cases
Joplin Globe
By Roger McKinney
April 01, 2010
[Excerpts] Kevin Elias, a Columbus police officer, last weekend turned in his badge, gun and uniform. “He’s no longer a police officer for Columbus,” said City Administrator Evan Capron. “He’s gone.” Capron said the termination wasn’t final, because there is a grievance procedure in place that the city must follow. Capron said Elias was given the opportunity to resign voluntarily, and he didn’t. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s no longer employed by the city of Columbus,” Capron said... Elias, 37, of Baxter Springs, faces a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery in Baxter Springs City Court in connection with an alleged March 25 altercation with his wife, Elena. Elena Elias also is charged with domestic battery in the case. Both are scheduled to appear Friday, April 16, in court. Elias previously had signed diversionary agreements in two other cases. A misdemeanor domestic battery charge was filed July 6, 2009, in Cherokee County District Court alleging that Elias on Dec. 27, 2008, “intentionally and recklessly” injured his wife. He also had been charged in Baxter Springs City Court with misdemeanor domestic battery in connection with an incident on May 2, 2009, involving another family member. A diversionary agreement was filed Jan. 28 in district court on an amended charge of misdemeanor battery. The diversionary agreement in the city court case was filed Feb. 12. Diversionary agreements allow for the dismissal of charges if a defendant meets the requirements of the agreements... The diversion period for each agreement was 18 months, after which the charges would have been dismissed had Elias met the requirements... Kevin Elias began his employment with the Columbus Police Department on Dec. 1, 2003... [Full article here]
NEWS FROM FEBRUARY:
AGREEMENTS ALLOW COLUMBUS OFFICER TO KEEP CERTIFICATION
Joplin Globe
By Roger McKinney
February 28, 2010
[Excerpts] Diversionary agreements signed in misdemeanor cases against a Columbus police officer allow him to avoid automatic revocation of his police certification... A misdemeanor charge of domestic battery was filed July 6, 2009, in Cherokee County District Court alleging that the officer, Kevin Elias, “intentionally or recklessly” injured his wife, Elena Elias, on Dec. 27, 2008. The incident allegedly took place in Baxter Springs, where Elias lives. Elias also had been charged in Baxter Springs city court with misdemeanor domestic battery in connection with an incident on May 2, 2009, involving a different family member. Attorney Robert Myers prosecuted both cases. Myers is the Baxter Springs city attorney, and he was appointed special prosecutor in the case in district court. Myers entered into diversionary agreements in both cases with Elias and his attorney, JoAnna Derfelt... The agreement was filed Jan. 28 in district court on an amended charge of misdemeanor battery. The agreement requires Elias to pay court costs of $152, a diversion fee of $50 and a fine of $100. He also must complete an alcohol abuse treatment course and an alternative to battering course offered by the Ozark Center in Joplin, Mo. Elias stipulates in the agreement that the allegations in the original complaint are true and that he would not contest them if he fails to follow the agreement. In the Baxter Springs city court case, a diversionary agreement was filed Feb. 12 on an amended charge of disorderly conduct. It requires a fine of $100, court costs of $100, a diversion fee of $150 and a fee of $25 for fingerprinting. Elias also is required to undergo an alcohol and drug safety action program, commonly called ADSAP... Columbus City Administrator Evan Capron said the city has taken no disciplinary action against Elias. He said he would consult with the city attorney about future actions. [Steve] Culp, the executive director of the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, said no one with the city of Columbus had notified the group about the situation with the officer. He said a domestic battery conviction against a police officer results in an automatic revocation of the officer’s police certification. The procedure is more complicated because there technically was no conviction against Elias... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety kansas state history hx repeat accountability rant]
Where is the wife? Is she even worth mentioning in all of this? (Obviously not.) Was she offered help? Did she try to get help? Did she give up looking for help and decide to live with it and do her best from day to day? Does she not even try because there is nothing signaling that she can get help? Nothing that says she can survive leaving?
ReplyDeleteOr
is she willing to gamble on the healing of their relationship,
and just keeps praying and believing in a better day
like so many do...
If she wants this that's fine. If she doesn't though...
such ignorance. This officer is no abuser- just the opposite. YOU DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE FACTS and you don bnot live in this home. This is a good mans reputation you are ruining! Could the wife be a abuser? Could the other family members have issues? Yes, it looks bad, but you do not know the half of it! I hate media sources as such- you only report what you want to! People need to mind their own business and I PROMISE YOU- the wife would back this up! GET A LIFE!!!
ReplyDelete"Facts" can and do get screwed up in the media sometimes.
ReplyDeletehow bout almost a decade of him using his badge to force young women into comprimising positions this is man has used his badge to abuse more than his wife and chief sharp allowed it for almost a decade
ReplyDeletehow long is cherokee county ggoing to defend an abuser of women and children how often has heused that badge to abuse young women by harrasing them until they cooperate to his wishes
ReplyDeleteWow you ppl really need to mind your own business. Families have issues but its their business to work them out NOT yours! No one person is perfect, hitting a loved one is wrong. But is my 15 year old, 6'2" son cured me out, I'm sure I would slap him too! That's whats wrong with children today! To many damn laws and now the children are out of control. He gave those children a home when no one else wanted them! Try living off a cops salary (the ones who save your asses when you dail 911) and raising 3 extra children who aren't even yours!
ReplyDeleteyou are completely right about people needing to mind their own business. That officer is a good man though he slipped up. But his wife is just as guilty as he is, because she got arrested too, this isn't a cop abusing his wife, this is what you call mutual combat. Sadly sometimes when fault can't be determined both get arrested and because he was a cop, he was an example to be made of. All this started over his son who is bigger than him trying to beat up his dad. I'm sorry but if my kid did that I would put him in his place too.
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