Ellen has talked to the news, surely as the only thing she hopes may help her now. The prosecutor, judge and police department have all let her husband, Kalamazoo Police Officer Steven Luthy, know that he can do whatever he wants without paying the price. He got a six month paid vacation and Ellen got the message.
[MI] Kalamazoo Officer arrested for domestic violence. Wife declined offered medical treatment.
NEWS EXCERPTS FROM AUGUST 2011
THROUGH FEBRUARY 2012:
THROUGH FEBRUARY 2012:
KALAMAZOO OFFICER ARRESTED, SUSPENDED: Steven V. Luthy accused of domestic violence
WOODTV
By Leon Hendrix
Updated: Thursday, 04 Aug 2011
Published : Wednesday, 03 Aug 2011
[Excerpts] A Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officer is on administrative leave after police said he got into a fight with his spouse and assaulted her. Steven V. Luthy was arrested July 31 when police responded to his home... Van Buren County sheriff's deputies found that Luthy's spouse had visible injuries. Luthy was then taken to the Van Buren County Jail. Luthy was charged with domestic violence - a misdemeanor... He was released from custody and placed on administrative leave, as a KDPS internal investigation continues. "It's certainly troubling for all parties," KDPS Chief Jeff Hadley said. "It's an unfortunate incident, not only for Mr. Luthy, but for his wife and family and for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety"... [Full article here]
KALAMAZOO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER ARRESTED, PLACED ON LEAVE PENDING PROBE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALLEGATION
Kalamazoo Gazette
By Rosemary Parker
Published: Thursday, August 04, 2011
[Excerpts] A Kalamazoo police officer was arrested in Van Buren County after his wife placed a 911 call... Van Buren County Undersheriff Gabrielle Rought said "probable cause existed, so an arrest was made" by sheriff's deputies upon their arrival at the home of Officer Steve Luthy, a 10-year veteran of Kalamazoo Public Safety. Rought said she would not release further details about the case, which is at the Van Buren County Prosecutor's Office for review. Luthy's wife declined to seek medical treatment, which "was offered," Rought said... [Full article here]
KALAMAZOO OFFICER'S PRETRIAL SET FOR MONDAY IN ALLEGED DOMESTIC ASSAULT MATTER
Kalamazoo Gazette
By Rosemary Parker
August 04, 2011
A 37-year-old Kalamazoo police officer arrested in Van Buren County after his wife placed a 911 call shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday, is scheduled to be back in court Monday. Court records show that Steve Luthy is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Aug 8. He was was arraigned Aug. 1 in Van Buren County District Court on one count of misdemeanor domestic violence in front of District Judge Robert T. Hentchel. Hentchel released Luthy on a personal-recognizance bond... [Full article here]
WIFE FILES PPO AGAINST ARRESTED COP: Steven Luthy accused of domestic violence
WOODTV
By Ryan Takeo
Updated: Friday, 05 Aug 2011
[Excerpts] After a Kalamazoo public safety officer was arrested for allegedly beating his wife, she filed for a personal protection order that details what happened... Van Buren County sheriff's deputies found Luthy's wife had visible injuries... In the PPO, signed by Judge Paul Hamre Monday, Luthy's wife explains what happened. He came home drunk, she wrote. "I asked if he had fun, he started following me, I called my sister. He hit the phone out of my hand, smashed the side of my face, pushed me down the stairs and we fought. He punched me in the face." When asked if Luthy had ever threatened her specifically, and what his exact words were, she wrote: "Everyone in our family would be better off if you were dead. I get excited thinking of coming home and seeing your brains splattered anywhere." And when asked how she would describe her emotions, she wrote, "Thank God they took the guns because if he loses his job because he was arrested, he'll hunt me down and kill me." Luthy was released from custody and placed on administrative leave, as a KDPS internal investigation continues. [Full article here]
TRIAL DATE SCHEDULED FOR KALAMAZOO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; COURT FILING DETAILS ALLEGATIONS
Kalamazoo Gazette
By Rex Hall Jr.
Monday, August 08, 2011
[Excerpts] A Kalamazoo Public Safety officer is scheduled to stand trial in October on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in connection with an incident involving his wife last month... Attorneys in the case of Steven V. Luthy, 37, met behind closed doors Monday during a pretrial hearing in Van Buren County District Court in South Haven. Luthy is scheduled to appear for a second pretrial hearing Sept. 28 and is to stand trial Oct. 6... He was arrested July 31 at his home in Bloomingdale and later released on a personal-recognizance bond... Luthy's wife, Ellen Luthy, petitioned Van Buren Circuit Judge Paul E. Hamre for a personal-protection order against her husband on Aug. 1, a day after the incident at their home. Hamre authorized the request the same day. The filing alleges two other incidents of domestic violence going back two years. Court documents indicate the couple has been together five years and that there are three children in the home. In the filing, Ellen Luthy wrote that her husband has punched her in the face, spat on her... In the July 31 incident, Ellen Luthy wrote that "he came home drunk, I asked if he had fun, he started following me, I called my sister. He hit the phone out of my hand, smashed the side of my face, pushed me down the stairs then we fought — he punched me in the face — my sister called the police — he smashed my phone which was actually his.... Your honor, I am requesting a PPO against my husband, Steve," she wrote to Hamre. "He was arrested yesterday for physically assaulting me. I am truly in fear for my life with the severity of this situation and numerous prior assaults and threats on my life. I am even more so concerned, considering his position and knowledge and access to firearms and weapons. I feel that if his job is in jeopardy that it will displease him to a point of an emotional breakdown. He has shown many times his inability to control his emotions and my family and myself have a great concern of what he is capable of doing." Included with the PPO petition were photos taken by authorities that show injuries to Ellen Luthy's forehead, knee, chin, leg, arm, ankle, elbow, foot, eye, and back... [Full article here]
KALAMAZOO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO LESSER CHARGE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE
Kalamazoo Gazette
By Rex Hall Jr.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
[Excerpts] A Kalamazoo Public Safety officer scheduled to stand trial Thursday for misdemeanor domestic violence instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, authorities said. Steven V. Luthy, 37, of Bloomingdale, appeared in Van Buren County District Court in South Haven and entered a guilty plea to one count of disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail... A judge ordered Luthy to pay fines and costs in the case after he entered his plea. Luthy, a 10-year veteran of KDPS, was originally charged with domestic violence, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail, in connection with a July 31 incident involving his wife at their home.... “We will, in short fashion, complete the internal investigation and have a decision relative to discipline in the near future,” KDPS Chief Jeff Hadley said Thursday of Luthy's status with the department... [Full article here]
KALAMAZOO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER GETS 5-DAY SUSPENSION FOLLOWING GUILTY PLEA IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE
Kalamazoo Gazette
By Rex Hall Jr
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
[Excerpts] A Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officer who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in a domestic violence case was given a five-day suspension Tuesday by Chief Jeff Hadley. Steven V. Luthy, 37, of Bloomingdale, was charged with domestic violence following his arrest July 31 for an incident involving his wife at the couple's home. On Jan. 19, Luthy, a 10-year veteran of KDPS, pleaded guilty in Van Buren County District Court to a lesser charge of disturbing the peace. After he entered his plea, a judge ordered Luthy to pay fines and costs in the case... Hadley said he expects Luthy to return to duty within a week to 10 days. He said Luthy, who has been on paid administrative leave since July, will lose five days worth of pay with the suspension... [Full article here]
'DISORDERLY' OFFICER BACK ON DUTY: Steven Luthy originally charged with hitting wife
WOODTV
By Leon Hendrix
Monday, 27 Feb 2012
[Excerpts] A Kalamazoo Public Safety officer charged with domestic violence in 2011 has had the charges against him lowered and is now back on duty. Sheriff's officials released the case details at the request of 24 Hour News 8 now that the case is closed.... Ellen Luthy said she feared for her life the night of the attack. "It was a pummeling far beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life," she said. Luthy claimed that Ellen started the fight by throwing something at him, investigation documents show... Ellen, who filed for a personal protection order against her husband in August 2011, told 24 Hour News 8 that prosecutors contacted her about lowering the charges. "I adamantly said that I felt very, very uncomfortable with that," said Ellen. "I felt it was up to the judge to decide what his fate should be." Had the original charge of domestic violence stuck, Luthy would likely no longer be a police officer. Now, after a five-day suspension and a fine of less than $300, Luthy is back to work. Ellen said she thinks that Luthy's charge was lowered, in part, because he is a police officer. "There are certain positions, I believe, that there is a moral and ethical standard that's higher," she said. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Jeffrey Hadley told 24 Hour News 8 that the discipline from the department was appropriate... [Full article here]
Praying that somehow things will be alright. The Kalamazoo Police department is corrupt in allowing a known wife beater to patrol the streets. The chief is responsible because it's his department. It is his responsibility now to insure the safety of a frightened mother. If anything happens to her or the children this will be a department related wronful death lawsuit of millions of dollars - but there is no amount of money that can restore lives. This is how monsters are created - by giving them the sense that there are invincible. The courts are corrupt for allowing an officer to plead down to disorderly conduct in order preserve a job he no longer qualitifes for - a position of public trust. This all abuse of power. This is all the blue wall.
FROM COMMENTS:
...this should be watched to see he gets the same treatment the average citizen gets...
...how is paid leave different then a vacation?...
...Dial 911 and a citizen sheep can never tell what kind of person will show up at your door...
... He can plead whatever he wants, he's still a woman beater. Can protect the public by day and beat the $#@ out of the wife by night. Sick...
..."Luthy has been on paid administrative leave at KDPS since his arrest in July" Must be nice to get a six month paid vacation...
...Don't hire thugs and quit protecting the ones who are already in the system...
...For assaulting a woman no less. Freaking coward...
...It just doesn't seem right that taxpayers have to pay for his time off when committing such a violent crime. I think if guilty money should be paid back..
...Six month paid vacation for beating the snot out of your wife. Maybe if he'd broken a few bones he could work that up to a whole year...
...Great news...Now he can express his anger/rage where it belongs: OUT IN THE STREETS...
...Once again, taxpayers are screwed by corrupt cops, and the unions which support their bad behavior. This thug gets a 6-month PAID vacation after beating his wife, and now gets to return to "duty."...
...Kalamazoo's finest? How about Kalamazoo's most protected? How about Kalamazoo's most coddled? Most thuggish?...
...When our police lose their credibility due to an incident like this, it does not bode well for our community...
...Ellen, I hope that you are reading this and realize that there are a lot of people in the OIDV community who are thinking of you and are here for you...
...If she had injuries this should not have been taken lightly. People in positions of authority abuse the system all the time. I have family that are good police officers too.
But there are ones that abuse their power...
...I hope that her decision to make this newsworthy has an effect on the officer's job. Sometimes, unfortunately, it has to be made into a public outrage to make any kind of a difference. They can dismiss a few angry people and hide the incident, but when the media gets ahold of it....They can't pretend it didn't happen...
...I applaud her for fighting back. And I pray that her soon to be EX volentarily removes himself from the department and tries to become the "better person" by showing the public the right way to do things...as our protectors...because God knows we don't need any (more) trigger happy cops out there with an attitude! Good luck to all in this situation...
...Absolutely pathetic they let this guy back on the beat. You've got wife-beating cops in Kalamazoo...
...Yet another example of government corruption. This slime bag "officer" should have been fired and charged with a felony yet because he is a police officer, the judge (a corrupt official as well) used the "he's my buddy" defense and let him off easy. This is what our government does folks, they treat their own like kings and treat the common man like garbage. This makes me sic...
...I don't think all Judges would cover something like this up... I do think they look at the past criminal history of the person as well... But this guy doesn't deserve his job at all. He should have been charged with a felony because as a State Employee myself, we can be fired for conduct unbecoming of an officer. Also, it's not just the Judge who probably covered this guy's butt... usually most State Employees are in Unions.... so the Union probably helped him keep his job as well...
...honey stay far away from him....
...Love and prayers in behalf of Ellen, her family and their safety.
Michigan Officer Involved Domestic Violence Project.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/
Lane Judson Made His Daughter Crystal A Promise.
[Father of slain wife of Tacoma Police Chief David Brame].
http://www.lanejudson.com/ ...
For officers in crisis: Safe Call Now.
http://www.safecallnow.org/
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As a domestic violence advocate in Massachusetts
ReplyDeleteI have seen this all too often...same holds true
if the defendant is an attorney..the arrogance is appauling.
This is utter bull...As survivors we have the right to speak out whoever the abuser is...If many victims and survivors continue to speak out against the abuse...they will have no other choice but to hear our cries. Washington, DC will get involved. Our President Obama will not tolerate this one bit....Thank you my sister.
ReplyDeleteSorry Ass Situation,to say the Least! The Cop should be Fired!
ReplyDelete