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Officer-Involved Domestic Fatalities - 1 Officer-Involved Domestic Fatalities - 2 [WA] Tragedy Will Occur If They Don't Have ...

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Sunday, November 26, 2006

[CA] Richmond Police Officer Harper has been murdered by ex-boyfriend


Friday Richmond Police Officer Kaliah Ashante Harper was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in a parking lot after leaving a funeral for two youth in the community. Another stolen life - Quartus Lee Hinton is accused of "shooting her multiple times in the upper body and head at point-blank range." She had broken up with him a few weeks before. He fled, there was a manhunt, and last night he was arrested.
Her department refers to her as a "rising star" - working narcotics before she was even off of probation, a stack of commendations, and from the news articles, very loved not only for who she was, but very respected for her professionalism.
(I know there will be more to tell. Anything that can be learned from this domestic violence tragedy for other officers facing personal dangers in their lives needs to be lifted and known.)
I am adding her people to my prayers.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

[IN] Deputy Lambert "resigns" in midst of 3 felony dv charges

Clay County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Lambert has resigned. That's today's new news.

Following a 14-hour standoff at his home a couple of months ago he's charged with threatening to kill his girlfriend so she would have sex with him - telling her she deserved to die, restraining her, forcing her to touch him, and choking her - leaving red marks around her neck. She says that she made it outside, and that Lambert told her to call her ex-husband, took her phone, her car keys and drove her car toward her, missing her by 3 to 4 feet. Somehow she managed to call her mom - who called for help.

The sheer scope of this standoff and the charges is frightening. 60 or so law enforcement officers - including two SWAT teams - came & set up a perimeter around his house after he refused to come out. Indianapolis police officers, State Conservation Officers and deputies from Putnam, Vigo and Clay counties came. Roadways were blocked. Three or four bus routes were rerouted. Officers set up powerful lights to flood the house with light.

Are you feelin' this?

When he finally came out and fired a "long gun," went back inside, and came out again firing a handgun. (What would have happened at that moment if he was not a deputy?)

My heart goes out to Lambert's girlfriend. Dealing with him at first alone, fearing reporting him, fearing when she did report him, seeing his defiance even to law enforcement, the thoughts as she hears he's firing a gun, and wondering will tonight be the night she dies? Will he get out? Should she leave? Does he have buddies that will hold this against her?

Lambert is charged with felony sexual battery, felony criminal confinement, felony intimidation, domestic battery, and criminal recklessness. His jury trial is scheduled for January.

My THANKS go out to all the law enforcement that responded.
My prayer is for her safety and for his healing (in a different line of work).

[NJ] Millville Police Sgt. Vanaman charged with murdering wife, Barbara

Excerpts from yesterday and today's news:
...Millville police officer Robert Vanaman pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder during his arraignment in Cumberland County Superior Court this morning. His cash bail remains $750,000. The police sergeant has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of his upcoming trial. He is also charged with hindering an investigation; suppressing, concealing, destroying or tampering with evidence of a crime; tampering or fabricating physical evidence; and filing a fictitious report with law enforcement in connection with the May 11 shooting death of his wife, Barbara Vanaman.... "We feel confident after a review of the evidence collected we can overcome the burden of disproving self-defense... We don't believe it was self-defense."... on stab wounds Robert Vanaman suffered in the incident were inflicted by Barbara Vanaman during the altercation - "We believe we can disprove (Barbara Vanaman) inflicted the injuries to him"...

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[NJ] Barbara Vanaman shot & killed by police officer husband