The former girlfriend of an Albany police officer [Officer Robert L. Schunk] testified Tuesday that he held her face down on the floor of his Albany residence two years ago and threatened to kill her while grinding the barrel of a loaded handgun against her skull...EX-GIRLFRIEND OF ALBANY COP RECALLS TERROR OF GUN THREAT: Former girlfriend of Albany cop recalls terror of gun threat
Albany Times Union
By Brendan J. Lyons
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
[Excerpts] The former girlfriend of an Albany police officer testified Tuesday that he held her face down on the floor of his Albany residence two years ago and threatened to kill her while grinding the barrel of a loaded handgun against her skull. Barbara Waters said her former boyfriend, Officer Robert L. Schunk, later threatened in a voicemail message to kill her and her young son if she told anyone about the incident or jeopardized his job... Waters, 37, said Schunk held her on the floor with his knee in her back and she prayed for help from her father, who had recently died... The encounter turned violent, Waters said, when Schunk shoved her down a flight of stairs as she started to leave without the belongings she had gone to his residence to retrieve. She had gone there to break up with Schunk... Waters testified that she and Schunk reunited after the gun incident and entered therapy. "I loved him," she testified... Ten days later, Waters went to a doctor's office and reported her injuries and what happened to a physician's assistant, Karen Kasarda, who testified about treating Waters for the injuries... Officer Christian Mesley, president of the Albany Police Officers Union, testified that he drove Schunk home to meet with Waters the night of the incident. Mesley said that before leaving, and while Schunk and Waters argued in a car outside, he took Schunk's loaded service weapon off a kitchen counter and disabled it by removing internal parts. Mesley said he put the magazine back in the weapon, with 11 rounds inside, and placed the gun back on the counter after hiding the gun parts in the house. Schunk did not know the weapon was inoperable when he held it to Waters' head, the prosecutor said... [Judge Stephen W.] Herrick has not allowed the jury to hear evidence about other documented domestic violence incidents involving Schunk. That includes criminal charges filed against him last April for allegations he attacked Waters at her Halfmoon apartment in a jealous rage. Hours later, Waters was arrested in Albany after breaking into Schunk's residence to retrieve belongings and allegedly damaging his property. James Lyman, a former Albany detective and executive director of Council 82, which is the umbrella union for the Albany police union, also testified Tuesday. Lyman said he went to Mesley's house the night of the incident when Schunk showed up there emotionally distressed and that he had been drinking. Lyman said he and Mesley drove Schunk home and that he saw Mesley disable Schunk's gun before they left as the couple argued... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety lethal repeat hx teflon brutal new york state horror fear afraid]
Jury acquits Albany officer
ReplyDeletePanel takes only two hours to find Robert E. Schunk II not guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend
By ROBERT GAVIN Staff Writer
Updated:10:28 p.m., Thursday, February 10, 2011
Albany police Officer Robert E. Schunk II was acquitted Thursday of grinding a loaded .40 caliber pistol against the head of his ex-girlfriend two years ago... [LINK]
Final Arguments In Schunk Case...and a Decision
ReplyDeleteAlbany Citizen One
Thursday, February 10, 2011
[Excerpts] ... Apparently, the first report of this incident was to a Glenville cop...which, apparently, they can't find. Coleman goes through the strategy of the victims...and the lack of documentation. She points that the testimony was well-crafted after-thought. She reminds the jury that the permitted hearsay testimony by Steve Waters is based on what Barbara Waters told him and that you must believe Barbara to believe him. Coleman charges Waters as practiced in the art of deception... Coleman points out that the one bruise that was viewed by the PA, was one large round bruise which the DA claims were caused by Schunk's hands grabbing her. She points out that there were no finger marks... Coleman reminds the jury that this is not a victim of domestic violence... Coleman points out that he showed his weaknesses on the stand yesterday in front of his fellow officers. He showed his vulnerability... The Prosecution takes the floor claiming that Schunk is guilty... The prosecuter asks the jury to listen to the consistencies of Waters testimony... The prosecutor makes a good point, both Waters testified that when Schunk held the gun to her head, he pulled it away twice to check it. Neither of the two knew that the gun was disabled. She also notes that the Albany Police never canvassed the neighbors, never took pictures of the scene…perhaps the reason Waters gave for not calling the APD was true…Schunk’s buddies would show up and do nothing... [LINK]
ALBANY OFFICER IN TROUBLE AGAIN: Suspended Albany cop is accused of violating protection order in case
ReplyDeleteTimes Union
By Brendan J. Lyons
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
[Excerpts] n Albany police officer who has been suspended for nearly two years related to a series of domestic abuse incidents was arrested late Tuesday by Glenville police for allegedly violating an order of protection. The arrest of Robert E. Schunk II relates to an order of protection on file in Halfmoon, where Schunk was arrested in April 2010 by Saratoga County sheriff's investigators on charges including trespassing, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. The incident related to an incident that sheriff's investigators said involved domestic violence... Glenville police arrested Schunk after linking him to a series of emails that were received recently by Schunk's former girlfriend, Barbara Waters... The department is seeking to fire Schunk for the domestic incidents and other allegations. The department and Schunk have been waiting months for a decision by an arbitrator on whether he should be fired. During his criminal trial in Albany, Schunk admitted pointing a loaded gun at Waters during an alcohol-fueled fight. A jury found him not guilty of assault. Schunk was not charged with menacing and a judge declined a special prosecutor's request to add that charge to the case after Schunk admitted pointing a gun at Waters... A judge declined to allow the jury to hear information about the domestic incident at the woman's apartment in Halfmoon. Despite his acquittal the department has not allowed Schunk to return to active duty... An investigation by Saratoga County sheriff's deputies revealed information about the 2009 incident at Schunk's Albany residence, which involved the use of his service weapon... [Full article here]
FROM MARCH 2012
ReplyDeleteALBANY COP CONVICTED OF HARASSING EX-GIRLFRIEND
WNYT
By: Mark Mulholland
Posted at: 03/09/2012
[Excerpts] ... The last straw may have come Thursday night in Halfmoon. A jury found [Albany Police Officer Robert] Schunk guilty of criminal mischief and harassment related to an attack on the woman at her apartment in 2010. "She ran in the bathroom, slammed and locked the door and he crashed into the door, kicked and knocked it down, obliterating it and he pounced on her," said Murphy... "He fails to recognize that domestic violence is a crime and that the laws of New York State apply to him," said Murphy. The victim in the case, 38-year-old Barbara Waters, spoke to us by phone Friday afternoon."He had threatened me several times that he would kill me," said Waters. Waters says she wants to warn others that Schunk is dangerous. "He should not be a police officer. He should not be able to carry a gun. And any woman who dates him will now know who he is"... [Full article here]
SUSPENDED ALBANY COP CONVICTED OF HARASSING, ATTACKING HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND
SaratogianNews
By Emily Donohue
Saturday, March 10, 2012
[Excerpts] ...[Albany Police Officer] Robert Schunk II was convicted of misdemeanor harassment and criminal mischief after a four-day jury trial in Halfmoon Town Court. The jury deliberated for several hours and returned the verdict at 11 p.m. Thursday. According to District Attorney James A. Murphy III, Schunk attacked his former girlfriend April 3, 2010, during an argument at her Lookout Lane home. Schunk grabbed her violently by the waist and arm, causing bruising and pain, and then forced her against a wall. She escaped and locked herself in a bathroom, but Schunk kicked the door down and pounced on her. The victim was again able to escape and ran out of the house. In a statement released to the press Friday, Murphy said Schunk had a history of violence against the victim. “We were able to show the jury that this man had been threatening this woman before on two specific occasions that were never charged: June 2009 and January 2010,” Murphy said. “Police officers are supposed to enforce the laws, not think they are above them. I am pleased to say 99 percent of the police I know are law-abiding, ethical and do an outstanding job. I know they join me in wanting to remove these kinds of people from the force”... [Full article here]
SUSPENDED ALBANY COP CONVICTED OF COUNTS IN HALFMOON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE
ReplyDeleteTimes Union
By Brendan J. Lyons
Friday, March 9, 2012
[Excerpts] ...[Albany police officer] Robert E. Schunk II, 40, of Albany was convicted of the charges, a violation and a misdemeanor, at the end of a four-day jury trial in Halfmoon Town Court. It's the second time in a year Schunk has faced trial for charges related to domestic violence... Schunk was acquitted on charges of criminal trespass and reckless endangerment. The latter charge was filed by Saratoga County sheriff's investigators who accused Schunk of nearly running over his former girlfriend, Barbara Waters, with a pickup truck. The case was prosecuted by Saratoga County Assistant District Attorney Lyn Murphy. Schunk's attorney, Cheryl Coleman of Albany, could not be reached for comment. Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said his office will ask town Justice Lester Wormuth to sentence Schunk to a year in jail... "We've always believed this victim. ... She's extremely brave," Murphy said. "In this particular instance, the level of violence was shocking and criminal. No one should act like this, especially a police officer. We're going to ask for a year in jail. I don't think he should be a police officer." Several Albany police officers, including Christian Mesley, a police union official, sat in the town courtroom... Schunk was not charged with assault by sheriff's deputies although Waters said he grabbed and kicked her, causing bruising and cuts, when he broke through the locked door of a bathroom where she was hiding. Waters told police the incident took place after Schunk had poured a drink over her head at a town bar in a fit of jealousy. Neighbors who told police they often overheard the former couple arguing and fighting testified at the trial this week. Police reports obtained by the Times Union two years ago showed deputies and State Police had responded to Waters' residence several times for domestic incidents. A year ago, an Albany County jury acquitted Schunk of assault for a violent incident in January 2009 at Schunk's Albany residence where he admitted pointing a loaded handgun at Waters but denied grinding his departmental weapon against her skull... Waters faced arrest herself... after she drove to his residence and allegedly caused damage. She paid restitution and her case in Albany City Court was dismissed... Two weeks ago, Schunk was re-suspended without pay after Glenville police charged him with violating an order of protection for allegedly sending emails to Waters... The departmental charges against Schunk include administrative allegations he solicited a drug-addicted prostitute he picked up in Albany in August 2010 while on suspension. Schunk said he was giving the woman a ride out of sympathy. The 23-year-old woman was carrying a hypodermic needle and empty bags that once contained heroin when a Colonie police officer found her and Schunk in his truck in a Kmart store parking lot at 2:30 a.m. Schunk had withdrawn cash from an ATM shortly before the Colonie officer approached his pickup truck. The officer arrested the young woman after she gave a fake name and was found in possession of drug materials. Schunk was not charged... [Full article here]
Officer's history of troubles:
ReplyDeleteFebruary 1998: Robert L. Schunk hired as Albany police officer.
June 2002: Colonie police respond to domestic incident involving Schunk and a woman. Police said Schunk appeared intoxicated, was physically violent and broke a vase. No arrest.
April 2005: Schunk suspended, arrested for off-duty DWI. His vehicle slammed into two parked cars in Albany.
August 2005: Schunk pleads guilty to driving while ability impaired. Returns to duty.
June 2007: Saratoga County police respond to residence of Schunk's brother as two men fought. Both appeared intoxicated and Schunk allegedly "threatened to shoot his brother with a pistol." No arrest.
June 2009: Saratoga County deputies respond to domestic involving Schunk and then-girlfriend. Alleged victim showed deputies bruises on her body. No arrest.
April 2010: Violent domestic incident as Schunk arrested by Saratoga deputies for harassment, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. Suspended from duty.
May 2010: Schunk indicted by Albany County grand jury for felony assault, accused of grinding loaded pistol against girlfriend's head during alcohol-fueled incident at Schunk's Albany residence in January 2009.
August 2010: Albany police internal investigation of allegations Schunk solicited prostitute. No charges filed.
February 2011: Albany County jury acquits Schunk of felony assault.
February 2011: Albany police internal probe into allegations on-duty officers drank alcohol at Schunk's residence. No charges filed.
February 2012: Schunk arrested in Glenville for violation of order of protection from 2010 domestic incident in Halfmoon.
March 2012: Schunk convicted of harassment and criminal mischief in Halfmoon Town Court.
April 2012: Schunk fired by arbitrator with Public Employees Relations Board.