[NH] Salem Officer Mulchahey fired again, wants it back (again)

Police Officer Kenneth Mulchahey is fired again and heading back for arbitration to get his job back if he can - again. An arbiter has overturned his firings twice before. In 2002 he "allegedly" ran license plates of his ex-wife's friends. Salem District Court Family Division Judge Gerald Taube also issued a restraining order to Mulchahey's wife who said she was in fear for herself and their kids - for reasons not put in the news. He ordered Mulchahey to surrender all his guns. In 2004 he was caught repeatedly hanging out at home when he was supposedly on-duty. The arbiter worked it to suspend & demote him from sergeant to officer. His wife opted to drop the restraining order - for reasons not in the news.

This year Mulchahey was arrested in Massachusetts on charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct & resisting arrest. It was about an "altercation" where police say Mulchahey tried to grab a cell phone from a girl’s waist during an argument, refused to follow police orders when approached and then "bumped" a sergeant with his car door as he tried to drive away. His arrest on that assault of the girl and the officer came 2 weeks after he returned to work following a 30-day suspension for "insubordination" - an argument between Mulchahey and a sergeant who reprimanded him for altering his police uniform to show more of his biceps.
Town Manager Henry E. LaBranche made the decision last week to fire Mulchahey, ending the $994-a-week salary he collected while on paid suspension.

[WA] WSP Chief John Batiste allegation not investigated

I will write this carefully.

The Washington State Patrol's 2nd part of their investigation into Tacoma Police Chief David Brame's murder-suicide of his wife Crystal has been released after much legal wrestling between Tacoma's News Tribune and Tacoma Police Union Local #26.

In the Washington State Patrol administrative investigation report a statement is given that notes in former Chief Brame's handwriting - that John Batiste, while Assistant Chief of Tacoma Police, (I will add "allegedly") had an incident that involved his (Batiste's) wife in Tacoma's Fircrest Police Station. According to that statement, Brame is said to have done his own investigation of Batiste's incident and a deal was made: Batiste resigns - with a severence package - and info regarding the incident would not be released. (According to the news at the time, Batiste resigned from Tacoma Police for "personal reasons.")

In another document from the Washington State Patrol's recently released investigation, Tacoma City Manager James Walton opted to not have the allegation investigated by the WSP.

Sidenote?

The 2 investigating law enforcement entities releasing reports on the Brame murder-suicide (of who knew what when of Chief Brame's dometic violence, etc.) were the Washington State Patrol and the Washington Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs (WASPC). Batiste is chief of the one, appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire, and executive board member of the other.

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety coverup blue line blue wall teflon state crystal judson WSP]

[FL] Elyse and Ian Terry killed by their Deputy father

October 2005
Orange County Deputy Paul Robert Terry won custody of his kids because Orange Circuit Judge Bob Wattles believed Terry's photo of a scratch on his neck as evidence he was an abused man over the lie detector results of his wife Leigh Ann to show she did not do that, and the judge overlooked Leigh Ann's insistence that she and her children were in danger. Deputy Terry fatally shot his two children Elyse and Ian, then himself.
From a news article: "...When she was told of the deaths, the children's mother, Leigh Ann Terry, broke down in a neighbor's driveway."

MEMORIAL PAGES:

Elyse Erin Terry - 10 forever
August 5 1995 - October 10, 2005.

Ian Tyler Terry - 8 forever
December 30, 1996 - October 10, 2005

Pray always for their mother, Leigh Ann.

PREVIOUS ENTRY:
[FL] Orange County Deputy Terry and his children found dead

Notes:

Oct 11, 2005
...When she was told of the deaths, the children's mother, Leigh Ann Terry, broke down in a neighbor's driveway. "She was hysterical," said neighbor Robert Boos, a retiree who lives two doors away in the gated Windermere Club subdivision... According to Orange Circuit Court records, Leigh Ann Terry filed for divorce Wednesday...

Oct 11, 2005
...The sheriff's office had been called to the home for domestic trouble five times last month. Now Terry's colleagues were reviewing those cases... Judge: "He alleged that she hit him, and he was afraid for himself and his children"... Neighbor: "We don't talk to them because he was so screwy... This person was really not together. He frightened me."... Leigh Ann Terry had approached neighbors for shelter because she was afraid of her husband and his access to firearms...

Oct 12 2005
...The flag was at half-staff at Windermere Elementary School Tuesday because Elyse Terry, 10, and Ian Terry, 8, are both gone... "I understand that there may have been marital problems," said Sgt. Barbara Miller, of the Orange County Sheriff's Office...

Oct 12, 2005
...Records show the violence inside Terry's Windermere home began long before Monday's double-murder suicide. The WESH 2 I-Team obtained call records dating back to 2001 showing deputies responded 10 different times to Paul and Leigh Ann Terry's home...

Oct 12, 2005
Like Brame, Terry used photo to show abuse
...She filed for the divorce last Wednesday, less than a week before the bodies of Paul Terry and his children were discovered... In her response to the domestic-violence complaint, Leigh Ann Terry denied striking her husband and indicated that she had passed a polygraph test regarding what she called her husband's "false accusations."...

Oct 12, 2005
PD defends not taking action on Dep. Terry
...Then, just last month, there were five more calls to the Terry home. Only one involved physical abuse and it was Terry alleging his wife hit and scratched him. According to sheriff's office policy, an officer only loses his service weapon if he's arrested or if an injunction is issued against him, neither of which happened here...

Oct 13, 2005
Family's Minister Says No One Foresaw (?) Terry Tragedy
..."No one saw this coming. No one. That's the last thing I expected. I thought I was going to see a softer side of Paul because he was always a little bit distant and very self-controlled," Brits said.... Brits said Terry was meeting with him, but the injunction filed by Paul Terry against his wife late last month created more problems. "I felt all along that this injunction was brought against his wife, there wasn't an abusive situation," Brits said...

Oct 25, 2005
Susan Milano-Murphy speaks out on Terry case
"...It is the Orange County Sheriff department who should be charged for the crime of not responding and doing their job and as the law requires... Police Departments across the country need to get their act together by being more accountable to the other members of police families..."

Nov 1, 2005
Ian & Elyse Terry - memorialized
A west Orange soccer field will be named today in memory of two young players killed this month by their father. The Roper YMCA is naming the field to honor Ian and Elyse Terry, who played at the sports facility in Winter Garden, a YMCA worker said Friday...

Nov 13, 2005
"Cop suicides can exceed line-of-duty deaths"
...the true number remains unknown because no agency tracks police suicides nationwide... many agencies list them as accidental deaths or don't release any information... "Murder-suicides are on the increase in police families," University of Buffalo professor John Violanti, an authority on police suicides...

Nov 13, 2005
Article I had missed on Ian Terry
This article says some, not much, but some about 8 year old Ian - but more it reminds that everyone is effected... I'm sure it changed the world-view of this little league teams' members forever... How sad...
[See "comments" section for more on Judge Wattles - He may have an ax to grind about divorce and child support, and may be too biased to be in a position to make life and death decisions for others. Because of my own biases - you decide. Since ignoring Leigh Ann/ siding with Deputy Terry, and basically flipping a coin to determine Elyse and Ian's best interest, he's been honored by defense attorneys.]

[SC] Officer Zayas - No jail for gun to girlfriend's head or threats to kill her

October of 2005 Officer Zayas was finally sentenced.

From the warrant excerpt pictured here:
"...DEFENDANT EDWARD "EDDIE" ZAYAS, AN OFFICER WITH THE TIMMONSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHILE ON DUTY... PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY ASSAULTED HIS LIVE-IN GIRLFRIEND... DURING THE ASSAULT, THE DEFENDANT UNHOLSTERED HIS ISSUED DUTY WEAPON THEN POINTED THE WEAPON... THREATENING TO KILL (HER) AND HIMSELF. VICTIM AND WITNESSES ARE WILLING TO TESTIFY TO SAME..."

The event happened in August of last year, this warrant was signed in September, and he wasn't arrested until December. Between August and December there was another incident where he hit his girlfriend in the face, busting her lip, and pictures were taken - and still no arrest was made that night either - despite the state law. That's what often happens when there's no officer-involved dv policy and the local police do the investigation. (And Lord only knows when he jumped out of Timmonsville pd and over to the Lake City Police Department - but it was in the midst of all this somewhere.) Eventually it made it to the prosecutor (long story) and Zayas FACED UP TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON for two felony counts of criminal domestic violence and misconduct in office. Even though Zayas pled guilty to all three charges, NO SENTENCING RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE. Circuit Judge Thomas Cooper sentenced Zayas to three years in prison, but suspended that to two years' probation.
There you have it. For those who think it's a punishment, he did lose his right to have a gun and so did lose his police job. I call that "natural consequences." Busting his woman in the face, assaulting her, and holding a gun to her head - along with the unaddressed "terroristic threatening" - were freebies for Zayas. May she (and he) be safe.

[OH] Police Chief Roosa drunk with gun outside apartment police were called to for fight

November, 2005 (Ohio) - Judge Mark Bogen placed Maineville Police Chief Andrew ("Andy") Roosa on one year of probation after the felony weapons charge was dropped, suspending seven months of jail time between the charges. He also ordered Roosa to undergo drug and alcohol evaluation. Last month Lebanon police responded to a call about a fight involving a gun at an apartment. News articles don't say who he was fighting with. The chief, who refused a breath test to measure the amount of alcohol in his blood, smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. Roosa pled guilty to having a weapon while intoxicated. (That's pretty deep when you pause to think it's the chief. Who sets the standard in Maineville?) My prayers are with him and whoever he was fighting with.

[OH] Marion County Deputy Dennis Potts DV_2005

November, 2005
...a female victim which alleged unlawful restraint, sexual imposition and domestic violence committed by Potts... [Marion County Prosecutor Jim] Slagle wrote in his findings completed Nov. 2 that there was no torn clothing or other physical evidence. The only evidence of physical injury was a slight red mark on the victim's side which was not visible in photographs taken by investigators. "I am satisfied that felony charges are not appropriate as there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a doubt that any felony offense was committed," wrote Slagle in his findings... I am closing my file on this case..."
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder teflon rape ohio state politics]

[NM] Repeat DV Perpetrator Ex-Officer Cordova found guilty of family sex abuse

Nov. 18, 2005
After nine hours of deliberation a Taos County jury convicted Ex-Officer Joel Córdova on six counts of sexual child molestation. The victim, now 21, was 10 years old when the molestation began by Córdova, who was then her stepfather. He was found guilty on two counts of criminal sexual penetration, a first-degree felony, and four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor. He was allowed a brief moment to console family members, including his son who had to be momentarily restrained by sheriff’s deputies during a fit of grief. He faces a maximum 48 years in prison for his crimes. Originally he was charged with eight counts of first-degree rape of a child under the age of 13 and 16 counts of second-degree rape of a child between the ages of 13 to 16. Taos had a history of domestic violence incidents, had his weapon removed and had been reassigned to position that was unarmed. Taos Police Chief Neil Curran said Cordova was not fired over the domestic violence charge, although "we have taken discipline on him several times, and that's a personnel matter."...

[CT] Cop on cop murder-suicide - Trooper Diaz. Officer McDermott

No Longer Here

Newington Police Officer Ciara McDermott

and Connecticut State Trooper Victor Diaz

November 21, 2005
A Connecticut state trooper shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, a Newington police officer, then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide Monday evening.

Ciara McDermott, 30, was found dead around 6:30 p.m. in her house at 348 Ridgewood Road. Sources said she was killed by state Trooper Victor Diaz, who was scheduled to turn himself in to West Hartford police earlier Monday on charges he harassed McDermott.

...a Newington school bus dropped off about 40 officers, some in uniform, some not. They walked quietly and slowly in two straight lines toward McDermott's home, then stood at attention and saluted the tan Colonial house. The officers afterward walked quietly back to the bus...

TROOPER DIAZ HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS BEFORE

Mar. 6, 2005 - State Police Trooper Victor Diaz is charged with reckless driving, engaging in pursuit, interfering with a police officer, threatening and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Mar. 7, 2005 - Trooper Diaz refused to take a breathalyzer test on the side of the road and had to be subdued to be taken into custody. Police said they found an illegal knife in Diaz's glove compartment.

Apr. 1, 2005 - When officers tried to conduct a field sobriety test, Diaz allegedly became aggressive and resisted arrest, police said. It took three officers to subdue and handcuff him. An illegal knife was found in Diaz’ car when it was searched by officers. Diaz continued to be uncooperative when being processed on the charges and made several threatening comments at the officers.

May 27, 2005 -  State Trooper Victor Diaz, who was accused of drunken driving and several other charges while off duty, has received a special form of probation.

NEWINGTON OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED IN WEST HARTFORD
WFSB, CT
November 21, 2005
[Excerpts] State police and West Hartford police remain on the scene of a home where two police officers died Monday night. Authorities are treating the case as a murder-suicide. Investigators believe Newington police officer Ciara McDermott was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend -- a Connecticut state trooper... The call started early Monday evening when police were called here and quickly realized they had a big problem. The first officers to arrive at Ridgewood Road were sent on a medical call. Once they entered the home they quickly realized that the woman inside had been murdered. "At that point in time they checked on the victim and secured the scene," said Jack Casey of the West Hartford police department. Within minutes the huge search for the killer began. Police went door to door... They searched Wolcott Park... The search that paralyzed the area ended when they went back inside the Ridgewood Road home and found a second body.  "They reentered the home found a second victim in the house. Both parties are deceased. The cause and manner of death have not been determined" ... [Full article here]

TWO OFFICERS KILLED IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE
Stamford Advocate, CT
November 22, 2005,
[Excerpts] A state trooper who was accused of drunken driving this year and a high school resource officer were found dead Monday night in what police described as a murder-suicide. The woman was identified Tuesday as Ciara McDermott, 30, a Newington police officer assigned to Newington High School. She was found dead on the first floor of her West Hartford home... In May, Diaz received a special form of probation after he was accused of drunken driving. West Hartford police Capt. Jack Casey said Tuesday that West Hartford police also had a warrant for Diaz's arrest on charges of misusing the computer that state police use to look up license plates and other information on criminals... News of McDermott's death hit hard in the Newington Police Department, where she was the second officer killed in less than a year. Master Police Officer Peter Lavery, 47, was shot to death while responding to a domestic violence call last December... McDermott was the daughter of longtime police officer Peter McDermott, who worked for the West Hartford and Windsor police departments and now teaches at the state Police Academy. Diaz was arrested last March after Cromwell police said he led them on a chase at speeds of nearly 100 mph. Authorities said that during a field sobriety test, Diaz became aggressive and resisted arrest. It took three officers to subdue and handcuff him, according to Cromwell police. [Full article here]

STATE TROOPER SUSPECTED IN WEST HARTFORD SHOOTING WAS SUPPOSED TO ...
WFSB, CT
Nov 22 2005
[Excerpts] ...As police and the community begin to recover from the shock of a murder-suicide involving two police officers, the investigation into how and why Newington School Resource Officer Ciara McDermott was killed by her ex-boyfriend -- suspended State Trooper Victor Diaz intensifies... The department says Diaz was supposed to turn himself in on a warrant yesterday for using a police computer to look up information not related to his job...Instead of turning himself in Monday, Diaz went to McDermott's home, shooting and killing her on the first floor of the home, then killing himself upstairs... Diaz was under suspension for a DWI charge in Cromwell and a source tells Eyewitness News he had turned in his service revolver... [Full article here]

A TROOPER'S RAGE
Courant
By Tom Puleo, Dave Altimari
November 22, 2005
[Excerpts] A state trooper shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, a Newington police officer, then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide Monday evening. Ciara McDermott, 30, was found dead around 6:30 p.m. in her house at 348 Ridgewood Road. Sources said she was killed by state Trooper Victor Diaz, who was scheduled to turn himself in to West Hartford police earlier Monday on charges he harassed McDermott. Diaz, 37, called his attorney, Jeffrey Ment, and left him a message Monday saying, "There's been a change of plans," sources said. He then went to McDermott's home and killed her... Diaz's body was discovered about two hours later, after police called off a manhunt for Diaz and re-entered the home, sources said. It was not clear where Diaz's body was found in the house or why it wasn't found when police originally responded... McDermott's body was discovered by a West Hartford police officer who she had started dating recently. Diaz had been serving a 60-day suspension from his job, the most serious penalty short of firing, following his arrest in March on a DUI charge. He had been ordered to turn his gun in to state police... Diaz had been arrested by Cromwell police after a chase last March. Diaz's car was found a short distance from McDermott's home... Police believe that Diaz parked the car away from the house so he wouldn't be spotted and then walked to McDermott's house. McDermott was the school resource officer in Newington... McDermott had been with the department since August 1998... Late Monday, a Newington school bus dropped off about 40 officers, some in uniform, some not. They walked quietly and slowly in two straight lines toward McDermott's home, then stood at attention and saluted the tan Colonial house. The officers afterward walked quietly back to the bus... McDermott had complained to state and local police that Diaz was harassing her by making threatening calls. Sources said West Hartford police had an arrest warrant charging Diaz with illegally accessing state police records to run a license plate of a car he saw in McDermott's driveway... Those who knew McDermott described her as a qualified police officer who loved her job... McDermott was sworn in as a Newington police officer in August 1998 - one of four new officers who had completed a 20-week training course at the Connecticut Police Academy in Meriden. A Fairfield University graduate, McDermott said at the time that she began thinking at age 12 or 13 of becoming a police officer. She cited as her "inspiration" her father... William Knapp, retired director of the training academy, said McDermott was proud of his daughter, and spoke of her often. "She's such a nice girl, a nice person. She's the human side of law enforcement... But she didn't die because she's a cop. She's a crime victim." [Full article here]

PRIOR TROUBLE:

STATE TROOPER ARRESTED FOR DUI
Cromwell-WTNH
Mar. 6, 2005
A state trooper is facing a series of charges after police in Cromwell say he was uncooperative and belligerent during a traffic stop. 37-year-old Victor Diaz was off duty when he was pulled over for reckless driving and making an illegal turn along Route 372 in a personal vehicle. Police tried to give him a breathalyzer test, but they say the off duty trooper became aggressive. He was subdued, handcuffed and taken into custody. Police also recovered an illegal knife in the car's glove compartment. Diaz was released on $5,000 bond. A spokesperson for the state police say Diaz has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. Diaz is charged with reckless driving, engaging in pursuit, interfering with a police officer, threatening and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. He is due in court March 15. [LINK]

STATE TROOPER ARRESTED FOR EVADING POLICE: Cromwell - An off-duty state trooper was arrested for leading police on a high speed chase and resisting arrest.
Mon, 07 Mar 2005
[Excerpts] Cromwell police released a statement Sunday evening that said Trooper Victor Diaz, 37, of Troop H in Hartford will face a slew of charges. Around 2 a.m. an officer saw a car make an illegal left hand turn out of a Wendy's restaurant, taking off at a high rate of speed... The officer followed the car and the pursuit went on for about a mile and a half, at times reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour... Diaz refused to take a breathalyzer test on the side of the road and had to be subdued to be taken into custody. "There were no significant injuries, just a few minor scrapes from being taken into custody, he did not like being handcuffed and was physically combative and resistant,"said Sgt. Roy Nelson... Diaz's license was suspended for 24 hours after the arrest because he refused the breathalyzer... [Full article here]

TROOPER APPLIES FOR REHABILITIATION
Middletown Press
By Amy L. Zitka
04/01/2005
[Excerpts] An off-duty State Police trooper accused of drunken driving and several other charges last month in Cromwell is seeking a special form of probation. Victor Diaz, a 37-year-old patrol trooper assigned to Troop H in Hartford, applied for the accelerated rehabilitation program Thursday in Middlesex Superior Court. Diaz was charged March 6 by Cromwell Police with driving while under the influence, reckless driving, engaging an officer in pursuit, interfering with a police officer, threatening and carrying a dangerous weapon in a motor vehicle. Accelerated rehabilitation is a program that is available to people charged with a criminal or motor vehicle violation, not of a serious nature, for which a sentence may be imposed, according to state law... A person who is granted accelerated rehabilitation is placed on probation for a period of up to two years, at which time the charges may be dismissed... [Full article here]

TROOPER GETS ACCELERATED REHABILITATION
Middletown Press
By AMY L. ZITKA
05/27/2005
[Excerpts] A State Police trooper who was accused of drunken driving and several other charges while off duty has received a special form of probation... Diaz will be on the special probation until May 26, 2006, court officials said... When officers tried to conduct a field sobriety test, Diaz allegedly became aggressive and resisted arrest, police said. It took three officers to subdue and handcuff him, according to Cromwell Police. An illegal knife was found in Diaz’ car when it was searched by officers. Diaz allegedly continued to be uncooperative when being processed on the charges and made several threatening comments at the officers, police said. An internal affairs investigation into the incident is continuing, said State Police spokeswoman Trooper First Class Donna Tadiello. The internal investigation runs independently of the criminal case. Diaz remains on administrative duties pending the outcome of the internal investigation, she said. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement hx repeat preferential public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide connecticut state politics]

[VA] Newport News Officer Footes, drunk, about to shoot the family dog?

November 21, 2005
A 911 hangup call led to police arriving to find drunk Newport News Police Officer Clinton Foote in the front yard. The allegation is he was armed and threatening to shoot the family dog. They didn't find any weapons on him but two handguns were laying in the grass. Some might say this doesn't sound like domestic violence. Let's just say I hope he has a pivotal life-changing epiphany with this arrest. His family is in my prayers.

[NE] Howard County Deputy Tanner Maly arrested for DV_2005

United in marriage June 18, 2005.

Hall County deputy arrested for assault, put on leave from work
Nov 2005
Hall County Sheriff's deputy Deputy Tanner Maly has been placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation into an off-duty assault of his new wife is conducted. State Patrol Lt. Dennis Leonard: "We simply arrested a man for domestic assault who happens to be employed by the Sheriff's Department." Marcia His wife said she was home with her daughter and Maly returned around midnight, woke her up and said he was "in my face, grabbing my arms, calling me names, telling me to get out of the house, we're over, I want a divorce." She said that he grabbed her ankles and told her to get out. Their daughter was awake and when Marcia Maly went to comfort her Maly came in and told her to get out again. When she said no, he grabbed the bedpost, pulled the bed away from the wall and slammed it back up against the wall. His wife reportedly had visible bruises and cuts.

[MN] Mpls. Officer Matthew Segulia's assault of girlfriend_2005

Nov. 21, 2005
Mpls. Officer Segulia was arrested in St. Paul as two officers there witnessed him throw his girlfriend down in the driveway with her head hitting the pavement. The couple has prior domestic violence as well. The two tried to arrest Segulia as he attempted to get into his pickup. One of them grabbed Segulia's arm, who pulled away and reached for his fanny pack. He fought the two officers and was tasered. A loaded gun was found in his knapsack and his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. After the hearing today in which he pled not guilty, his girlfriend said, "I absolutely love him to death."

[NH] Salem Officer Scott Muir threatened to kill girlfriend

Salem, New Hampshire -
Police Officer Scott Muir.
9/28/05 - The town of Salem agreed to a $90,000 settlement with a police dispatcher who claimed it failed to protect her from Officer Scott Muir. She charged that town workers knew before they hired Muir that the officer had an earlier restraining order lodged against him by his wife, and that the town did not have proper employment procedures in place to guarantee her safety.

Judge John R. Maher had told Muir in court, "You scare me. You scared her. You scare me and I'm very, very, very concerned."

Beginning in or about the summer of 2001, and sometimes while on duty and in uniform, Muir placed his hands around his ex-girlfriend's neck on several occasions and stated it would be so easy to kill her. "Scott told me before that it would be so easy to kill me and cut up my body and burn it because no one knew about the relationship." She said Muir has "threaten to kill me and himself."

Officer Scott Muir also was accused of threatening his wife on two occasions in the early 1990s - She claimed she was, "afraid of physical violence and verbal threats as in the past. He has struck me in the past."

[NV] Deputy Zayas arrested after another domestic violence incident - 2005

Nye County sheriff's deputy Mario Zayas

...THE ARREST CAME AFTER ZAYAS' LIVE-IN GIRLFRIEND SOUGHT TREATMENT AT A MEDICAL FACILITY IN HENDERSON. HER DOCTOR CALLED HENDERSON POLICE... THIS IS NOT THE FIRST COMPLAINT LODGED BY LEBLANC AGAINST ZAYAS; HOWEVER, IN THE PAST THE WOMAN HAS EITHER REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION, RECANTED HER STORY OR OTHERWISE REFUSED TO PROSECUTE ZAYAS...

NYE DEPUTY ARRESTED ON DOMESTIC BATTERY CHARGE
Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Henry Brean
November 17, 2005
[Excerpts] A Nye County sheriff's deputy has been suspended from duty after he was arrested in Pahrump early Monday on a domestic battery charge. Mario Zayas, who was released on bail, faces criminal prosecution and an internal administrative investigation, either of which could cost him his job... Zayas' arrest came after his live-in girlfriend sought treatment at a medical facility in Henderson. [Sheriff's Capt. Bill] Becht said the woman's doctor called Henderson police. Officers then took a statement from the woman and photographed her injuries, which Becht described as "bruises and light lacerations." Becht said there have been two or three incidents in the past year involving Zayas and his girlfriend... Zayas is on paid suspension, but Becht said the department could change that to a suspension without pay... [Full article here]

NYE DETENTION DEPUTY JAILED FOR ALLEGEDLY BEATING HIS GIRLFRIEND
Pahrump Valley Times, NV -
By GINA B. GOOD
11/16/2005
[Excerpts] The Nye County Sheriff's Office in a statement said one of their deputies was arrested Saturday and remains in custody on the charge of domestic battery. Detention Deputy Mario Antonio Zayas, 56, was arrested at his home without incident... This is not the first complaint lodged by LeBlanc against Zayas; however, in the past the woman has either refused to cooperate with the initial investigation, recanted her story or otherwise refused to prosecute Zayas... The Nye County Sheriff's Office is conducting an administrative investigation into the matter. If Zayas is found guilty in either the criminal or administrative case, discipline could be time off without pay, demotion, job reassignment, written reprimand or termination of his employment. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement nevada]

[MD] Cpt. Nelson arrested for assault of husband

Cpt Tara Nelson arrested for assault of husband

From October news:
Nelson, of Woodstock, is accused of running into the motorcycles of her husband and one of his friends and trying to hit the two men with her Lexus... Nelson's husband also told Baltimore County police that she had held her service weapon to his head to get him to sign papers to sell their house about a month ago. He told police he did not report the incident because he didn't "want her arrested,"... Nelson is charged with three counts each of felony assault and second-degree assault. She was released from jail on her on recognizance...

Yesterday's news:
...Nelson's husband refused to testify at a preliminary hearing last week. Prosecutors said he also contradicted his prior statements to police, stating that his wife did not attempt to hit him and he never feared for his life -- leaving the prosecution without a case...

[IN] Deputy Poynter's family violence: resigns before hearing

Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Poynter Resigns before disciplinary hearing
November 14th, 2005
...Court documents state he struck a young girl (his daughter), causing a black eye and other bruises, and threatened her with jail if she reported the incident... The youngsters told police that Poynter had forcibly placed her in his car, choked her, hit her in the face and pushed her head against a car window...

Earlier Report

Oct 26, 2005
Sheriff Doug Carter: "I can only imagine the terror this little girl has lived in and I hope we can bring her some peace," said [Hamilton County Prosecutor Sonia] Leerkamp.

[WA] Sunnyside Sgt. Jose Trevino's dv_2005

November 2nd, 2005 -
The Sunnyside police officer charged with domestic assault in an incident last month has resigned, rendering moot an internal investigation that could have led to his firing, Sunnyside Police Chief Ed Radder said Monday... Radder would not release the investigative report, saying it was part of Trevino's personnel file... "We received a call, but it was not something in progress. No one was being assaulted at the moment," said Chief Radder.

[WA] Firefighter Kirk's wife naked beaten raped bloody

Richard Allen Kirk

...Several Bothell firefighters and members of the woman's family were in court...

Snohomish man pleads guilty to nearly killing wife
November 15, 2005
By Jim Haley
The Herald
A Snohomish man who abducted, beat and raped his wife July 8 pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree attempted murder and first-degree rape. Richard Allen Kirk, 36, could spend between 22 and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 14 by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ronald Castleberry... He signed plea paperwork saying he "took a substantial step toward causing the death of my wife. I did this when I intentionally abducted, assaulted and threatened to kill her." He also wrote that he was in a rage when he assaulted her, but "I decided to end my attack, leave the area and commit suicide."... She suffered numerous broken bones and other injuries...

EARLIER NEWS:

Jul 12, 2005
[WA] Firefighter Kirk's wife naked beaten raped covered with blood
...Shawna Sherow discovered the woman outside her rural Snohomish County home. She says the firefighter's wife was naked, beaten, bloody and scared for her life. "Her whole face was covered in blood, it was horrific," said Sherow. "It was the scariest thing I've ever witnessed in my life."...

Jul 12, 2005
[WA] Frightening details emerging on Firefighter Kirk's attack
According to the documents, the suspect immediately drove to Storm Lake where he asked why he shouldn't kill her, knocking her to the floor and striking her to the head twice. He then raped her. After the assault the victim asked what he would do to her. He said, "I'm going to kill you." The victim once again tried to escape. That's when the suspect straddled her, beating her about the face and head with his fist and forearms, later grabbing her by the throat so forcefully that she thought he was going to break her neck. He then let her go. She ran into the woods and ended up on someone's doorstep...

Jul 15, 2005
[WA] Kirk's Brutal dv attack = Fire Dept. supports wife, kids
..."There's no understanding of this; no comprehension. We've been working very hard to support the wife and family. This department is a whole is a close-knit family," Zsigmondovics said. Several Bothell firefighters and members of the woman's family were in court Wednesday. Although they declined comment, sheriff's detectives investigating the case also were there, and said they came to support the injured woman and the Kirks' six children...

Jul 30, 2005
[WA] Brutal firefighter Kirk's plea, and fund for his family
The assault occurred after Kirk's wife had filed for a legal separation... BeSIDES her BRUTAL rape, she (physically) suffered a fractured skull, broken nose, bite marks and numerous bruises...

[AK] Officer Owens being retried for murder of Sonya Dora Nitcuk Ivanoff

November 13th, 2005
Former Nome Police Officer Matthew Owens 2nd trial is half way through. ...The defense said in its opening argument that Owens was set up by other Nome police officers, one of whom may have actually killed Ivanoff... Prosecutors contend Owens stole the car himself and left a computer-printed note inside as a diversion, along with Ivanoff's pool pass... "Pigs I hate cops I hate everyone of you Sonya was just a person in the wrong place at the wrong time I did not know her as you can see it was easy for me to take your pig car..." Prosecution says he is guilty of tampering with evidence and the investigation right after the murder.

About Sonya on "Behind The Blue Wall":
behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2005/05/ak-sonya-dora-nitc...

[FL] Palm Beach County Cpt. Carhart's cop on cop burglary & cyberstalking

November 11th, 2005
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Captain David Carhart is demoted to leiutenant after smashing his police officer girlfriend's window, sliding into her house drunk through a different one, going through her drawers and putting items on her table including a crayon picture, and using the sheriff office's computer to look up 21 records concerning her (and this case?)... The department says his punishment is harsh and severe but I think not.

From November 11, 2005 article
...While Carhart was disciplined for the criminal charges and driving a sheriff's vehicle while intoxicated, there was no mention of the computer misuse in findings against Carhart announced Thursday. "It was all part and parcel of the whole investigation," Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said, adding that the demotion and other restrictions constituted severe punishment.

[OR] New Portland Asst Police Chief Dorothy Elmore cop-on-cop dv history

Cop dodged ’97 charge
Assistant chief Dorothy Elmore could have been fired after threatening to kill her husband
By JACOB QUINN SANDERS
Issue date: Fri, Nov 11, 2005
Portland Tribune, OR
Dorothy Elmore, promoted last month to a position as an assistant Portland police chief, could have been fired from the force eight years ago after threatening to kill her then-husband, also a cop, prompting him to get a restraining order that barred her from their home and a police precinct... In an interview, Vince Elmore, now a sergeant assigned to Southeast Precinct, declined to say specifically why he declined to pursue his own allegations. "I still have to work here, man, and she’s a big boss now," he said. “You’re putting me in a precarious position right now."...

Who's coming to town and who's leaving.
BY WW EDITORIAL STAFF
newsdesk at wweek.com
10/12/2005
...Elmore was written up in 1997 for domestic violence after she slashed her husband's tires and left threatening messages on his answering machine. Suspecting her husband, also a police officer, of having an affair, she told him she'd shoot him if he came home that night. "I'm sure I said that," Elmore tells Murmurs. "And I'm sure I was extremely upset when I said it. That's what happened." She says the incident stemmed from a painful personal experience and doesn't reflect the patience and skill she brings to her new management position. Elmore has 24 years on the force and was captain of the school police for two years...

[MT] Bozeman Mayor Cetraro dv on pregnant wife

November 9th, 2005
Police arrested Bozeman Mayor Andrew Cetraro early this morning and accused him of striking his wife during a domestic dispute at his northside home. His wife is 10 weeks pregnant. She said Cetraro punched her at least twice with a closed fist and she feared for her unborn baby, according to court records. Her sister backed up that version of the events and said Cetraro hit his wife in the face three or four times. In court this afternoon, Cetraro said little during his arraignment besides calmly answering "No, sir" and "Yes, sir." He pled innocent to the misdemeanor charge.

WI - Detective Maloney found guilty of killing wife Sandra

Nov. 7 2005 - Former Green Bay Police Detective John Maloney, convicted of kiling his wife, is seeking a new trial. Imprisoned prosecutor Joseph Paulus manufactured "incriminating evidence" against John Maloney, depriving him of a fair trial, Maloney's attorney will argue Wednesday before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In court briefs, Maloney's attorney alleges Paulus ordered editing of a key videotape and its transcript to make it appear that Maloney had confessed to killing his wife, Sandra, a Madison native, in 1998 and setting fire to the couch where she lay. However, Assistant Attorney General Daniel O'Brien rejected such a notion in court documents, calling the alleged tape-tampering and other issues raised by Maloney "bizarre allegations (that) have no place in a court of law."...

IN Fort Wayne Police Officer, Union Rep, Derrick Westfield ACQUITTED

November 4th, 2005 Fort Wayne Police Officer and board member for the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association Derrick Westfield is acquitted of violating his ex wife's protection order. It was the 2nd one she had taken against him. Applications for both protective orders allege Westfield physically threatened her, stalked her and caused her physical harm. His estranged wife also filed a police report against him in late July alleging domestic battery. No charges were filed in connection with that report. His ex was disappointed by the acquittal. She said afterward that she simply doesn’t want to be harassed anymore and that when she called police that day, she was expecting to be protected as every other citizen would be. He remained on the job pending the outcome of the case and was not restricted in his duties.

PA Tina Lucas Curran killed by Police Chief ex

2005 - On August 24th, 2005, Bernville Police Chief Richard C. Curran gunned down his ex-wife Tina Lucas Curran in the parking lot of Shamokin Area Community Hospital in Coal Township, Northumberland County, where she worked as a licensed practical nurse. The couple had two daughters, 4 and 8, who were the subject of an ongoing custody battle since May 2002 when Tina filed the action against Richard.

Born in Pottsville on June 21, 1974, she was a daughter of Robert and Bonnie (Lucas) Smith of Mount Carmel. She was a lifelong resident of Mount Carmel.She was a 1993 graduate of Mount Carmel Area High School, receiving her nursing degree in Washingtonville. She was employed as a licensed practical nurse at Shamokin Area Community Hospital at the time of her death, having previously worked at Sunbury Community Hospital and Mount Carmel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by two children, Caitlyn and Alexia Curran, at home; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Tonya and Tim Weidner and Rebecca and Michael Doyle, all of Mount Carmel; a brother, Christopher Lucas of Weishample...

Contributions may be mailed to the Curran Children's Fund, c/o Finance Dept., Shamokin Area Community Hospital, Shamokin 17872.

[SC] Officer Hembree's fiance Molly Wrazen murdered

November 3, 2003, Mt. Pleasant Narcotics Officer Justin Hembree's 911 call started like this: "I just walked in my apartment," he said quickly. "She's got a bullet in her chest apparently, there's a hole in her chest, there's a gun beside her, and she's not breathing."
After Molly's death, investigating agents delivered a report to Charleston County Coroner Susan Chewning: The circumstances were "most consistent" with suicide.

In the following investigation experts testified that Wrazen didn't have gunpowder on her hands and also that the fatal bullet was fired upward into her chest, extremely rare in suicides. Deliberating for only 40 minutes, the six-member jury determined Wrazen was a victim of homicide, but declined an option to name a suspect.

On the day of the ruling, the lead agent investigating Wrazen's death left his job. Two of his superiors were issued reprimands for not following proper procedures. Hembree was placed on paid leave, but now (as of this writing in November of 2005) is back to work.

The attorney general could file charges, decline to do so, or ask for further investigation.

One of Molly's friends: "One of the last times I spoke to Molly, she, in fact, had said to me Justin was stalking her, he was coming to her pharmacy all the time, and he was making it difficult to make a break with him. This relationship was an ongoing problem, particularly on his side. But, in typical Molly, she said, 'I am just so afraid he is going to do something to hurt himself.' That just shows you the type of person she was - always thinking about someone else and someone else's well-being."

FROM OBITUARY:
Molly Wrazen, 28, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., formerly of Laflin, Pa., died Monday, November 3, 2003. Her body was discovered at the residence of an acquaintance. Born September 12, 1975, in Kingston, Pa., a daughter of Robert J. and Ann M. Sharkey Wrazen. She resided most of her life in Laflin, Pa. She was a graduate of Bishop Hoban High School, Class of 1993 and received her degree in pharmacy from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 1998, where she earned Dean's List recognition. A licensed pharmacist, she was employed by Kmart and CVS Pharmacies in South Carolina. She was a member of the SC Pharmacological Society and the Chi Omega Sorority of the University of Pittsburgh. Surviving, in addition to her parents are a sister: Kerry Wrazen of Columbia, S.C.; a brother, Jason Wrazen of Minneapolis, MN; paternal grandmother, Agnes Wrazen of Laurel, MD.
SEE WEBSITE:
Who murdered Molly Wrazen in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina? www.mollywrazen.com

TO THE FAMILY: I am so sorry.

[SEARCH THIS BLOG FOR ALL MOLLY WRAZEN POSTS:
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/search?q=molly+wrazen]

Officer back to full duty as shooting probe continues
The Associated Press
November 03, 2005

A narcotics officer placed on administrative leave while the death of his former fiancee is investigated is back on full duty with the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

"I think 23 months of administrative leave is ample time to investigate and reach a decision," Chief Roddy Perry wrote in an e-mail to Mac Burdette, the town administrator.

Narcotics officer Justin Hembree returned to full duty last week.

Two years ago Wednesday, Hembree found 28-year-old Molly Wrazen's body in the bedroom of his apartment. She had been shot once in the chest with Hembree's gun.

Investigators first treated the death as a suicide, but her friends and family later hired their own lawyer and investigators.

A coroner's jury later determined Wrazen's death was a homicide. The inquest found failings in the State Law Enforcement Division investigation and as a result, one investigator was fired and others reprimanded.

A state-federal task force is now investigating and last summer, a new report was delivered to state Attorney General Henry McMaster.

In an e-mail released to The (Charleston) Post and Courier, Perry wrote he was unofficially told by those near the investigation that Hembree passed three polygraphs, the victim had gunshot residue on her hand and nothing new had been uncovered indicating involvement by the officer.

Hembree's attorney Andy Savage said there is no reason he should not return to duty.

"I know of nothing that has been uncovered, other than emotional statements saying that he was involved," Savage said.

There is no deadline for finishing the investigation, which centers on the death and initial SLED investigation, McMaster's spokesman Trey Walker said.

Prosecutors have not briefed Perry on the particulars, he added.

Wrazen, who worked as a pharmacist, broke her relationship with Hembree days before her death and was preparing to move to Florida where she had found another job, according to friends and family.

They wondered why the gun was found cocked and why she would take her life after making such plans.

After her death, it was discovered Wrazen was buying painkillers over the Internet and that some were sent to Hembree's apartment.

Investigators haven't said why she was buying the pills. An autopsy found she wasn't taking any painkillers.

The family's attorney, Tim Kulp, wondered whether the police weren't acting too soon.

"Hembree's return to full duty would be confusing to our community," he said, noting town officials have repeatedly said they would allow state authorities to handle the matter.
[tags police officer involved domestic violence, oidv, intimate partner violence, abuse, law enforcement, cop, deputy, public safety, homicide, lethal fatality, fatalities, murder, SOUTH CAROLINA state politics, deputy, teflon, usur, unsolved unresolved, alleged suicide]