[OH] STILL-PRESIDENT of the FOP - Det. Earl reportedly collapses

..."We haven't gotten any confirmation yet that it was a stroke," [Lorain Police Chief Cel] Rivera said, adding that initial reports point to a stroke... Rivera said he's not even sure what caused Earl to collapse. Earl's medical problem comes on the heels of professional and personal issues...

• [OH] There's hate in that suicide threat Laura
• [OH] Dangerous Detective Earl - Protection order lifted & GPS off his ankle?
• [OH] Chief's goal for domestic-terror Detective Earl
• [OH] Detective Earl's wife now says she lied? (I'm not buying it.)
• [OH] The list circulating on Lorain Police Detective Corey Earl
• [OH] Detective Earl - no charge or order seems to stick
• [OH] Regardless of everything, cop Earl returns to his job
• [OH] Passive Chief Rivera says demoted Detective Earl could have court credibility problems?
  

President of Lorain FOP stricken, in area hospital
Morning Journal
Jennifer Bracken
05/29/2008
Corey Earl, president of the Lorain Fraternal Order of Police, is in the hospital after suffering an apparent stroke on Saturday afternoon, according to Lorain police Chief Cel Rivera... Several people were nearby and called for an ambulance. Earl was taken to Lakewood Hospital and later admitted to its Neuro Integrated Intensive Care Unit. Patient information at Lakewood Hospital would not disclose Earl's condition, but confirmed he is in the NICU... Rivera would not elaborate on Earl's condition only to say "he's going to be out for awhile." "We haven't gotten any confirmation yet that it was a stroke," Rivera said, adding that initial reports point to a stroke. According to the hospital's Web site, Lakewood Hospital's Neuro Integrated Intensive Care Unit is for patients who suffer from stroke, cerebral aneurysm, brain injury, epilepsy or other neurological disorders... Chief Rivera said, "His fellow officers are real concerned. Several have already went to visit him. We are all hoping and praying for the best." Earl has faced other difficulties recently. He was disciplined for making threats against a county corrections officer regarding a personal matter. He also was disciplined in January for conducting private business while on duty and using profane language. [Full article here]

Lorain officer Earl collapses, is hospitalized
Chronicle-Telegram
Brad Dicken
5/29/08
...Earl, 46, is in the hospital's Neuro Integrated Care Unit, which deals primarily with stroke victims, according to the hospital's Web site. The hospital would provide no additional information on Earl's condition... Rivera said he could provide no additional information, citing privacy laws that prevent the disclosure of medical information. Lorain Safety Director Phil Dore also would not discuss Earl's condition. "We're real concerned, and a lot of officers have visited him," Rivera said. Robert Phillips, an attorney for the union, said Earl was hospitalized for a medical issue but would offer no more specifics. Rivera said he's not even sure what caused Earl to collapse. Earl's medical problem comes on the heels of professional and personal issues that have plagued the veteran officer since last summer, when his wife, whom he has since divorced, filed for a protection order against him. Earl was later cleared of violating the protection order, which was ultimately dropped. He was also reprimanded for several violations of department policy, including allegedly threatening a county sheriff's corrections officer. [Full article here]

[IN] Officer Dausch - this time charged for domestic battery

...An Aurora Police Officer pleaded not guilty today to battery, drunk driving and, basically, what amounts to a breaking and entering charge.... In 2004 Dausch was investigated by the Dearborn County Sheriff's Department for allegations of battery on his then pregnant girlfriend. Dausch denied those allegations...

[ ANNNND what?]

Aurora, Indiana Officer Arrested
WKRC TV Cincinnati, OH
Last Update: 5/25 11:06 pm
A police officer finds himself on the other side of the law this weekend. Aurora, Indiana Officer Jared Dausch is charged with beating two women and driving drunk. Indiana state police say more charges could follow. Local 12's Lauren Bercarich has more details on what people in the community are saying. State police say a fight with officer Dausch's fiancee, [CG], spiraled out of control Saturday night when he hit [CG] and her friend. Later they say Dausch broke into a home where the two women went for safety. Not long after that, Dausch was pulled over and arrested for drunk driving. Dausch is charged with drunk driving and domestic battery... Aurora police wouldn't comment on Dausch's arrest or his record. But in the department's lobby you'll find Dausch's name on a plaque. In 2006 he was named officer of the year. The plaque won't tell you the year before Dausch was suspended for conduct unbecoming an officer. His four years on the force have been troubled... In 2005, Dausch was suspended for 15 days after investigators found he was showing compromising pictures of a female reserve officer... In 2004 Dausch was investigated by the Dearborn County Sheriff's Department for allegations of battery on his then pregnant girlfriend. Dausch denied those allegations... [Full article here]
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HxOgg-uRkpo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MpY-Zcg-xk

New Charges Filed Against Aurora Officer
WKRC TV Cincinnati, OH
May 28, 2008
...An Aurora Police Officer pleaded not guilty today to battery, drunk driving and, basically, what amounts to a breaking and entering charge. In a developing story, you'll only see on Local 12, Reporter Rich Jaffe found authorities are now concerned that Jared Dausch's arrest will have a major impact on dozens of other cases... Investigators say, Saturday night, when Dausch got off duty, he and another officer met their girlfriends at this Aurora bar. The other officer left. Dausch and the girls went to another bar, where Dausch and his live in girlfriend, [CG], got into a fight. The women left the bar and went to the house [CG] shares with Dausch. Here the fight escalated. Dausch allegedly assaulted both women. The women, [CG] and [KJ] left again, and went to the Greendale house Jackson shares with the other police officer. Police say Dausch shows up here, banging on the doors, and finally entering illegally. Aaron Negangard, Prosecuting Attorney: "They certainly tried to remove themselves from situations, which was causing problems. They left the bar. They left the residence. And in each occasion Officer Dausch followed." When he finally left the Greendale residence, Dausch was arrested for driving drunk. "This case against Jared Dausch is not going to cause problems just for Jared Dausch. It's likely to cause problems in dozens of other cases where Dausch was expected to testify as a police officer"... This isn't the first time Officer Dausch has been in trouble. In 2005, Jared Dausch was investigated for allegedly assaulting a different girlfriend, who was three months pregnant at the time. While no official charges were filed, he agreed to get some counseling. That same year, he got a 15 day suspension for showing inappropriate photographs of a female officer... [Full article here]

[MI] Julie is suing her husband, Officer Essad

...Julie Essad was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for a fat lip, black eye, a broken nose and a bruise on her neck; she was readmitted the next week when it was determined she had suffered a closed-head injury...

Previous entry:
April 17, 2008 - [MI] Combat instructor Officer Essad still TRUSTED after beating bloodying, breaking, balding his wife?

News excerpts from the 14th through the 30th:

Officer to face trial in assault case
The Oakland Press
By ANN ZANIEWSKI
May 14, 2008
A woman tearfully testified Tuesday that her husband, a Shelby Township police officer, slammed her head on the ground and threatened to kill her while holding a gun after the couple left a Rochester bar in April. David Essad, 34, has been charged with felonious assault with a gun, a four-year felony, and aggravated domestic violence, a one-year misdemeanor. His preliminary exam in 52-3 District Court concluded with a judge binding the case over to circuit court... David Essad is free on bond. He has been ordered to wear a tether and have no contact with Julie Essad. Sabbota asked that the tether be removed because of the cost to maintain it, and Carniak denied the request. Sabbota said David Essad, who formerly worked for the Detroit Police Department, was suspended from the Shelby Township Police Department pending the trial's outcome... [Full article here]

Wife testifies at cop's exam
Shelby Township Source Newspapers, MI
By CHRIS WILLIAMS
May 18, 2008
...Julie Essad said that as she sat in the driver's seat, her husband began to pull her hair so violently that it began to come out in clumps. She said he also grabbed her head and slammed it against the driver's side window several times, causing the vehicle to swerve... David Essad then allegedly continued screaming at his wife and bit her ear; photographs were admitted into evidence that showed Julie Essad's bruised ear. Julie Essad testified that once the car was in the parking lot, her husband continued his outburst and allegedly punched in the car's dashboard, knobs, vents and digital display. She said he then reached back and pulled out his service revolver. "He said, "You're a (expletive)-ing (expletive) and you just need to (expletive)-ing die... I thought he was going to kill me with his gun.” Attorneys for David Essad said no mention of the gun was in initial police reports. Julie Essad said she was suffering from injuries at that time and may have left it out of preliminary interviews with police officers, although she said she did discuss it with several people shortly afterward.... Julie Essad testified that she kicked off her shoes and, fearing for her life, ran from the car. David Essad then allegedly pursued her, pushed her to the ground and continued to beat her, smashing her head into the pavement several times. Julie Essad grew emotional as she testified about the incident. “I said, 'Please stop because I think you're crushing my skull.' I said "What about the kids?'" she said. “Nothing fazed him and he continued to beat me into the ground"... Julie Essad was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for a fat lip, black eye, a broken nose and a bruise on her neck; she was readmitted the next week when it was determined she had suffered a closed-head injury. David Essad's attorney, Jerome Sabbota, argued that because his client never made a verbal threat to kill or injure Julie Essad with his gun and never pointed the weapon at her, that there was no intent to injure her with it. Carniak, however, said the gun did constitute a threat and bonded the case to Oakland County Circuit Court. David Essad has been a Shelby Township police officer for eight years; he is currently on unpaid suspension from the department. Julie Essad has also filed for divorce and is suing her husband for more than $50,000. [Full article here]

Supervisor wants authority to discipline cop
Macomb County news briefs
Detroit Free Press
May 30, 2008
SHELBY TOWNSHIP: Township Supervisor Ralph (Skip) Maccarone will ask the Board of Trustees at a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday to grant him permission to discipline or fire a police officer who is on unpaid leave and charged in the beating of his wife last month. "It's a routine request for authority," Maccarone said Thursday. If the board approves it, he will review the personnel file of David Essad, 34, who has worked for the police force since June 12, 2000, according to the Human Resources Department. The supervisor will then decide whether to terminate Essad's employment... [Full article here]

[FL] Guilty: Affair with Deputy Aponte "spiraled into fear and violence"

Woman Testifies In Sex Abuse Trial Of Ex-Deputy
Jose Aponte betrayed her trust, raped her and threatened her with a gun, prosecutors say.
By Jason Geary
THE LEDGER
May 29, 2008
A 41-year-old Poinciana woman testified Wednesday that her affair with a former Polk County sheriff's deputy spiraled into fear and violence. Jose Aponte, 55, is accused of forcing the woman to have sex, and afterward putting the barrel of a handgun to her forehead and threatening to shoot her. The five-year veteran with the Polk County Sheriff's Office lost his job after his arrest in August... Aponte is charged with sexual battery, aggravated assault with a firearm, extortion, witness tampering and violating a restraining order... [Full article here]

Ex-Deputy Found Guilty of Rape, Threats
Jose Aponte, 55, was arrested in August and accused of sexual battery, intimidation against ex-girlfriend.
By Jason Geary
THE LEDGER
May 30, 2008
A jury found a former Polk County sheriff's deputy guilty Thursday of raping and threatening an ex-girlfriend. Jurors deliberated almost two hours before convicting Jose Aponte, 55, of sexual battery, extortion or threats, and violating a restraining order. He was acquitted of aggravated assault with a firearm and witness tampering. Aponte is scheduled for sentencing June 27. The charges of sexual battery and extortion or threats are second-degree felonies; each carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison... A 41-year-old Poinciana woman told jurors that Aponte forced her to have sex, and then pointed his handgun at her and then himself... He denied putting a handgun to her head or pointing it at his head and threatening to commit suicide... Aponte recalled how embarrassed he was when his fellow deputies arrested him later. "They surrounded me like they were birds of prey," he said. [Full article here]

Previous entry:
August 22, 2007 - Polk Deputy Jose Aponte arrested for dv assault, rape, pointing gun

[OH] Captured Deputy Koon admits shooting at girlfriend. Has dv history.

Deputy from cop to con
The Cincinatti Enquirer
BY KIMBALL PERRY
KPERRY@ENQUIRER.COM
May 12, 2008
A Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy will spend at least five years in prison after he admitted today to shooting at his girlfriend. Randy Koon, 24, of Colerain Township, pleaded as charged today to felonious assault. Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Ralph “Ted” Winkler can send Koon to prison to from 5-11 years when he is sentenced June 16. Koon has been on leave without pay since his August arrest. His guilty plea today makes him a convicted felon and he will be fired by the sheriff’s office...In the incident,
Koon, who had a history of being accused of crimes involving woman,
fought with girlfriend, Jessica Barber, in his Colerain Township home. As she tried to leave his home, he shot at her while she was in her car. “It did shatter the driver’s side window,” Assistant Prosecutor Gwen Bender told the judge today... The judge is interested in a psychological evaluation already done on Koon that indicated he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following his military service in Iraq. Koon pleaded guilty as charged and there was no plea deal...
In 2001, Koon was charged with telephone harassment involving a woman. In 2002, he admitted to criminal mischief involving a 20-year-old woman. In 2006, Barber accused Koon of slapping and choking her, resulting in his arrest. He was acquitted in that case when Barber didn’t show up for the trial.
[Full article here]

Previous entry:
Friday, August 10, 2007
[OH] BREAKING NEWS: "Sheriff's Deputy [Koon] May Be Armed And Suicidal" - Koon fired shots at his girlfriend through her car... The shot entered her driver's side window narrowly missing her... he fired a shot at her from what police believed to be a 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Because Koon is armed and has been involved in a shooting incident he should be considered ARMED AND DANGEROUS WITH POSSIBLE SUICIDAL TENDENCIES...

[OH] Officer Flynn fired AGAIN & prison sentence suspended

...The termination marked the second time Flynn has been fired by the city of Cuyahoga Falls. In 2005, he lost his job after being charged with domestic violence... He agreed to the no contest plea in exchange for the dismissal of two counts of domestic violence and a felony charge of endangering children...

Previous entries:

• [OH] Officer Flynn arrested, fired, rehired, & arrested again
• [OH] "I don't think we're sweeping it under the rug"
• [OH] Officer Flynn can stay an officer even after his assault hospitalizes his 2 daughters

Cuyahoga Falls police officer fired
Akron Beacon Journal, OH
By Jim Carney
May 28, 2008
CUYAHOGA FALLS: The city has fired a police officer who last month pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge. Patrolman Ralph E. Flynn III, a Cuyahoga Falls police officer since 1997, was sentenced to six months in prison by Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Spicer on May 5, but the prison term was suspended and Flynn was placed on probation for one year. "We felt it appropriate to terminate him," Cuyahoga Falls Law Director Virgil Arrington said of the firing Tuesday. The termination marked the second time Flynn has been fired by the city of Cuyahoga Falls. In 2005, he lost his job after being charged with domestic violence in Barberton Municipal Court. He ultimately pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and got his job back when the police union won a grievance in that case. Michael Piotrowski, general counsel for the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Labor Council, Inc., said the union, which represents Flynn, "will pursue a grievance regarding his termination" and will demand arbitration. Flynn, 37, was arrested by Norton police on June 8 after two of his three children, 10 and 12 at the time, were taken to Akron Children's Hospital by their mother, Flynn's former wife. According to a police report, the girls were taken to the hospital for injuries they said their father inflicted during a dispute at his Norton home. He agreed to the no contest plea in exchange for the dismissal of two counts of domestic violence and a felony charge of endangering children in that incident...
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement intimate partner abuse state ohio teflon]

DA says murder suspect NYPD Chaparro "lied to police at every turn"

...The evidence will prove the murder charge, she said, adding that Chaparro "lied to police at every turn" during the investigation...

(Sonia was not married to Chaparro - only engaged to be.)

Former cop offers defense in wife's killing
Newsday
BY LUIS PEREZ luis.perez@newsday.com
May 29, 2008
The lawyer for a former New York City police academy instructor said yesterday his client only remembers falling asleep the night his fiancee was shot and killed, and that he had worried about burglars entering their home in the days leading up to her death. The attorney, William Keahon of Islandia, revealed those details, presented to a grand jury after Alexis Chaparro was indicted last year, as he argued that his client was not guilty of second-degree murder by depraved indifference. "No one knows what happened," Keahon said after he asked that Chaparro's $250,000 cash bail be lowered to $75,000. "I believe that he's not guilty of any criminal charge and that the jury will return a verdict of not guilty." Suffolk County Court Judge C. Randall Hinrichs did not allow any change of bail. Prosecutor Janet Albertson asked Hinrichs to raise it to $1 million cash. Chaparro remains in the county jail. Prosecutors say Chaparro and his fiancee, former city police Officer Sonia Garcia, 27, were alone in their home just before 6 a.m. Sept. 27 when Garcia was shot in the heart. All along, Garcia's family has maintained that Chaparro was abusive and the likely killer. Chaparro turned himself in to authorities as he was indicted in December. "He doesn't deserve compassion," said Garcia's father, Luis Hernandez, 49. "He also took the life of two young girls who no longer have a mother," he said of Garcia's children, Jocelin and Ashley, who were 7 and 11 when Garcia was killed. The case is headed to trial this summer. If convicted, Chaparro faces a maximum of 25 years to life in state prison. Albertson said in court that statements Chaparro and his brothers made to police and the grand jury showed he did feel secure at home. The evidence will prove the murder charge, she said, adding that Chaparro "lied to police at every turn" during the investigation. "He's not only a trained police officer who shot his wife dead, but he's also a marksman trained to kill people with that weapon," Albertson said.

Sonia on Myspace

Previous blog entries

• FAREWELL SONIA
• [NYPD] Sad clue in the murder of Precinct Princess Officer Sonia Garcia
• [NY] STAND BY SONIA
• NYPD Sonia Garcia's father: "I trust there will be justice."
• NYPD CHAPARRO ARRESTED FOR KILLING NYPD SONIA GARCIA
• Slain NYPD Officer Sonia Garcia's brother throws a punch in court

[TN] Ex-Deputy Monique Johnson rejailed - for not getting psych help

Convicted killer violates probation, returns to jail
WREG
Theo Travers Theo.Travers@wreg.com
5/28/2008
[Excerpts] The former deputy jailer was released early and was told by a judge to get a job and seek counseling within 60 days. Johnson's attorney, Arthur Horne, III, says she didn't follow those orders. Monique Johnson was taken back into custody during a status hearing Tuesday. The judge decided Johnson hadn't met arguably the most important condition of her early release: seeking psychiatric help. Horne says, "Ms. Johnson had been in a series of volatile relationships. So, I think the judge felt like that was one of the most important conditions of her probation." Johnson killed her boyfriend, nine-year Memphis Police veteran Tony Hayes and stuffed his body into the trunk of his own car. Police say Johnson had her 16-year-old son help move the body. Johnson told News Channel 3 about how her abusive relationship drove her to kill... A judge sentenced Johnson to four years probation after serving 19 months. Not following a judge's order could cost the former deputy jailer more time in prison... Horne says the state will likely file a petition to revoke Johnson's probation... [Full article here]

Previous entries

• 2/13/2008 - [TN] Deputy Johnson on trial for domestic murder of Officer Hayes
• 3/31/2008 - [TN] Deputy Johnson killed boyfriend Officer Hayes & got probation

[NJ] The non-domestic violence of Chief Parker's Capt. son & only female officer, Cheryl Silva

...The suit also claimed McMenamin was unfairly passed over as Parker's successor because of his role as a whistle-blower in an internal investigation of a physical confrontation [DOMESTIC VIOLENCE] and alleged affair between the chief's son, Capt. Larry Parker Jr., and officer Cheryl Silva...

After 2 years, Stafford settles former police lieutenant's lawsuit for $177,000
Asbury Park Press - Asbury Park,NJ
Manahawkin Bureau
By Matt Pais
May 26, 2008
A lawsuit filed more than two years ago by a then-township police lieutenant accusing department members of misconduct and claiming the officer was unfairly passed over for a promotion to chief has been settled. John McMenamin, who spent 21 years with the Stafford Police Department, sought $8.6 million in a suit filed in November 2005. He was awarded $177,000 in the settlement... Mayor Carl W. Block said the township is pleased with the terms of the agreement, which also resolves an outstanding workers' compensation claim related to a July 4, 2005 all-terrain vehicle accident that ended McMenamin's tenure with the department. "We felt this was a case that was very, very baseless. We never thought there was any substance to it," Block said. In the lawsuit, McMenamin charged retiring police Chief Larry D. Parker of covering up drug use, animal cruelty, sex with minors and other misdeeds within a department he presided over for 30 years. The suit also claimed McMenamin was unfairly passed over as Parker's successor because of his role as a whistle-blower in an internal investigation of a physical confrontation and alleged affair between the chief's son, Capt. Larry Parker Jr., and officer Cheryl Silva... [Full article here]

My notes & blurbs as I've followed what happened with Officer Cheryl Silva:

02/12/05
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA - IA WON'T LET IT BE LABELED A "DOMESTIC"
...WHEN (OFFICERS) MCKENNA AND HALDENWANG ATTEMPTED TO LABEL THE SCUFFLE BETWEEN (THE CHIEF'S SON, CPT. LARRY) PARKER AND (OFFICER CHERYL) SILVA AS A DOMESTIC INCIDENT, INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATOR LT. THOMAS CONROY OBJECTED, SAYING THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARKER AND SILVA, THE SOURCES SAID. THE OFFICERS DISAGREED, BUT WERE OVERRULED. SILVA WAS NOT CHARGED WITH A CRIME BUT WAS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, SOURCES SAID...

02/11/05
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA "SCUFFLES" W/3 OFFICERS (INCL. CHIEF'S SON)
...ONE OF THE THREE OFFICERS WHO RESPONDED TO PARKER'S 911 CALL FOR HELP THAT NIGHT FELT HE WAS PRESSURED BY HIS SUPERIORS TO DOWNPLAY THE INCIDENT ON AN INVESTIGATION REPORT. SHIVES SAID HE WAS TOLD IN A MEMO LATE LAST WEEK THAT SILVA WAS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AND THERE WERE POSSIBLE CHARGES OF CONDUCT UNBECOMING AN OFFICER. BUT SHIVES SAID HE WAS NEVER TOLD OF PARKER'S INVOLVEMENT. HE SAID IT WAS ONLY WHEN HIS OFFICE RECEIVED TELEPHONE CALLS FROM REPORTERS AND OTHERS ABOUT THE INCIDENT THAT HE QUESTIONED POLICE...

2/26/05
COP ON COP? OFFICER CHERYL SILVA & CHIEFS SON CPT PARKER
...SAMARITANO SAID IN HIS REPORT THAT LT. THOMAS CONROY, THE PATROL DIVISION'S SECOND-IN-COMMAND AND THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATOR, WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND TOLD HIM THAT THE INCIDENT WAS NOT AN ACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DESPITE WHAT SILVA SAID DURING A 911 CALL... SILVA HAS NOT BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME. CAPT. PARKER TOLD THE OFFICERS AT THE SCENE THAT HE WOULD NOT PRESS CHARGES AGAINST HER BECAUSE "SHE WAS DRUNK AND NOT HERSELF"...

3/2/05
OFFICER SILVA'S DV (SHHH) WITH CHIEF'S SON/CHIEF-TO-BE-IN-NOV.
...AN INVESTIGATION BY THE OCEAN COUNTY PROSECUTOR INTO A FIGHT INVOLVING FOUR POLICE OFFICERS, INCLUDING THE CHIEF'S SON AND THE DEPARTMENT'S ONLY FEMALE OFFICER, HAS CONCLUDED IT IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER, WITH THE TOWNSHIP RESPONSIBLE FOR DECIDING ON DISCIPLINARY ACTION... SILVA WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND LATER TO SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE WAS TREATED FOR INJURIES SUFFERED WHILE RESISTING ARREST...

3/3/05
OFFICER SILVA & CHIEF'S SON - NONE SIGNED COMPLAINTS
...ACCORDING TO TRANSCRIPTS OF A TAPED INTERVIEW OF SAMARITANO, CONDUCTED BY CONROY ON FEB. 14., THE ORIGINAL CALL FROM POLICE DISPATCH SAID THAT THE SITUATION WAS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT. SAMARITANO SAID... WHILE HE WAS AT SILVA'S RESIDENCE, (CHIEF'S SON) PARKER JR. CALLED HIM AND SAID "THIS ISN'T A DV, THIS ISN'T A DV. WE ARE JUST FRIENDS... I'M NOT GOING TO SIGN ANY COMPLAINTS AGAINST HER"...

3/4/05
HERE IT COMES ON OFFICER CHERYL SILVA ( UNH HUNH...)
...SILVA TOLD 911 OPERATORS THAT SHE AND CAPT. PARKER, HER "BOYFRIEND," WERE ENGAGED IN A DOMESTIC DISPUTE. SHE HAS SINCE RECANTED STATEMENTS SHE MADE IN THE CALL. CAPT. PARKER ALSO HAS DENIED A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP.. POLICE CAPT. PARKER JR. ON THURSDAY ENDED HIS BID TO SUCCEED HIS FATHER AS CHIEF, ONE MONTH AFTER A REPORTED SCUFFLE AT THE CAPTAIN'S HOME WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ONLY FEMALE OFFICER... PARKER HAS DENIED HAVING A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH SILVA, TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL AND HAVE QUESTIONED WHETHER HE IS READY TO FILL HIS FATHER'S SHOES...

3/5/05
"KEEP CHIEF OUT OF IT" EDITORIAL
...SHIVES SAID WEDNESDAY HE HAD COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN PARKER'S ABILITY TO RENDER AN OBJECTIVE RULING. WHETHER THE CONFIDENCE IS WARRANTED OR NOT, THE CHIEF SHOULD NOT BE ASKED TO RULE IN A CASE IN WHICH HE HAS A DIRECT PERSONAL INTEREST... GIVEN THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE INCIDENT, THE CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS, THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAPT. PARKER AND SILVA AND THE FACT THAT CAPT. PARKER IS THE POLICE CHIEF'S SON, CHIEF PARKER MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO SERVE AS THE HEARING OFFICER...

3/10/05
CHIEF FORCED TO BACK OFF OFFICER CHERYL SILVA (DV) CASE
... SHIVES SAID HE ASKED THE POLICE CHIEF TO STEP ASIDE VOLUNTARILY AS THE HEARING OFFICER. PARKER DECLINED, TELLING SHIVES HE WOULD HAVE TO ORDER HIM TO STEP DOWN. LATER IN THE DAY, SHIVES SAID HE SENT HIS ASSISTANT, JANET FRITZ, TO THE CHIEF'S OFFICE WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE REMOVING PARKER. "IT WAS A PERSONNEL DECISION, AND AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, IT WAS MY CALL TO MAKE"...

3/14/05
SILVA ON MY MIND.
I CAN'T GET CHERYL SILVA OUT OF MY HEAD. I AM CONCERNED IN THIS TOWN OF STAFFORD, THAT OFFICER SILVA WAS IN FACT PROTECTING HERSELF - AND THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS PROTECTING HERSELF FROM THE SON OF THE POLICE CHIEF, CAPT PARKER, THE WHOLE MACHINE IS TURNED ON HER. THAT WOULDN'T BE "PROFESSIONAL" OF ME TO SAY IF I WAS A PROFESSIONAL, BUT I'M NOT. JUST A CHICK WITH A COMPUTER. AND I COULD BE WRONG. JUST CUZ I'VE READ THOUSANDS OF ARTICLES ON COP FIGHTS DOESN'T MEAN I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT HOUSE THAT NIGHT. ONLY THEY DO. SHE COULD BE A WILD MAN-ATTACKING WHACKO-WHEN-DRUNK AND TRULY COULD HAVE ATTACKED TWO MORE OFFICERS BEFORE THE NIGHT WAS THROUGH. BUT I REALLY IN MY HEART
JUST DON'T FEEL THAT'S THE CASE. I NEEDED TO SAY THAT HERE.
I WORRY WHEN I THINK PEOPLE NEED HELP.
AN EXCERPT FROM ONE OF THE ARTICLES:
...HALDENWANG SAID IN HIS REPORT THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED AT PARKER'S HOUSE, THERE WERE SIGNS A STRUGGLE HAD OCCURRED. "PARKER HAD A BLOODY LIP AND SEVERAL SCRATCHES ON HIS NECK, WHEN HE LIFTED HIS SHIRT A RED WELT WAS APPARENT ON HIS UPPER LEFT RIB CAGE," THE REPORT STATES. "A DISPLAY CASE WITH GLASS DOORS HAD THE LARGE DOOR PANEL SHATTERED." THE HOUSE APPEARED RANSACKED, AND A TELEPHONE HAD BEEN RIPPED FROM A WALL, THE OFFICERS OBSERVED...

3/18/05
OFFICER SILVA'S NON-DV: CHIEF'S SON REJOINS RACE FOR DADS JOB
...POLICE CAPT. LARRY D. PARKER JR. ON THURSDAY RESURRECTED HIS CAMPAIGN TO SUCCEED HIS FATHER AS CHIEF, EXACTLY TWO WEEKS AFTER WITHDRAWING HIS NAME AS A CANDIDATE.... "THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL RESERVE THE RIGHT AT ALL TIMES TO SELECT A CHIEF WHO IS THE BEST CANDIDATE IN THEIR JUDGMENT," SHIVES SAID...

3/24/05
UNBELIEVABLY, ANOTHER TURN IN OFFICER CHERYL SILVA'S CASE
...CHIEF'S SON IS IN AN ALTERCATION SAID TO BE OFFICER CHERYL SILVA'S FAULT. SHE ALLEGEDLY IS THE ATTACKER. (COULD BE. COULD BE NOT. OFFICER SILVA IS THE ONLY ONE NOT HEARD FROM IN ANY OF THE ARTICLES.) SHE SAID IT WAS DOMESTIC, THE OFFICERS WHO WENT ON THE CALL SAID IT WAS DOMESTIC, BUT THE CHIEF'S SON SAID NO IT WASN'T. INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS WOULD NOT ALLOW IT TO BE DOCUMENTED AS A DOMESTIC.
BEFORE ALL OF THIS HAPPENED, THE CHIEF'S SON WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CHIEF COME NOVEMBER.
SO THEN WHAT?
IT WAS GOING TO BE HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY, CHIEF SAID "I GOT THIS."
THEN THE PROSECUTOR STEPPED IN AND TOOK IT,
THEN THE CHIEF SAID NO I'LL HANDLE THIS,
THEN THE CITY MANAGER (OVER THE OBJECTING MAYOR) ORDERED THE CHIEF TO STEP DOWN FROM IT,
THEN A JUDGE WAS ASSIGNED TO IT FROM THE OUTSIDE - TO AVOID ANY "POSSIBILITY" OF THE APPEARANCE OF FUNNY-STUFF (THOUGH WHO WAS THAT JUDGE? THE CHIEF-DEFENDING-MAYOR APPROVED OF HIM, SO HMM...) -
THEN THE PROSECUTOR GOT IT BACK, AND NOW THE PROSECUTOR - DUE TO UNDISCLOSED "NEW INFORMATION" - IS HANDING IT BACK TO THE TOWN TO HANDLE IT ADMINISTRATIVELY.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT?

4/6/05
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA UPDATE: NO COVER-UP OF POLICE FIGHT
...A FLURRY OF ANONYMOUS TIPSTERS LAST MONTH ALLEGED A COVER-UP AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS REGARDING THE FEB. 1 FIGHT BETWEEN CAPT. LARRY D. PARKER JR. AND PATROLWOMAN CHERYL SILVA... IN ADDITION TO CLOSING THE BOOK ON AN ALLEGED COVER-UP AT HEADQUARTERS, SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER SAID THE PROSECUTOR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY EVIDENCE PARKER AND SILVA EVER HAD OR WERE HAVING A ROMANTIC OR SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP... ANY SUCH RELATIONSHIP WOULD HAVE BEEN A VIOLATION OF DEPARTMENTAL PROCEDURES...
NOTE: YA KNOW, I'VE READ EVERYTHING PUBISHED ON THE WEB ABOUT SILVA (21 ARTICLES) AND IMAGINE MY SURPRISE TO FIND OUT THAT THE INVESTIGATION WAS INTO WHETHER THERE WAS A COVER-UP OR NOT. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING WHAT I THINK OF THE RESULTS.

4/27/05
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA - CITY OFFICIALS NEVER TALKED TO HER? -
...PATROLWOMAN CHERYL SILVA IS SCHEDULED TO MEET NEXT WEEK WITH TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE SHE WAS ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING THE POLICE CHIEF'S SON, A CAPTAIN ON THE FORCE, BEFORE THREATENING TO KILL HERSELF WITH HER HANDGUN...

5/13/05
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA ACCEPTS DEAL. KEEPS JOB.
...IN THE STATEMENT WEDNESDAY, SHIVES WAS CRITICAL OF THE LEAKS AND ANONYMOUS TELEPHONE CALLS ABOUT CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT FUELED NEWSPAPER STORIES AND PROMPTED TWO INVESTIGATIONS...

8/20/05
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA IS BACK (THIS IS AWFUL!!!!)
...CHERYL SILVA RETURNED TO WORK AS A POLICE OFFICER THIS WEEK AFTER A 90-DAY SUSPENSION AND AFTER FORFEITING 25 PERCENT OF HER $82,229 ANNUAL SALARY FOR ASSAULTING THREE OF HER COLLEAGUES, INCLUDING THE CHIEF'S SON... THE INCIDENT LED TO ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PERIODS FOR THE STAFFORD POLICE FORCE IN ITS RECENT HISTORY. DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS STRUGGLED WITH UNPRECEDENTED LEAKS OF CONFIDENTIAL POLICE DOCUMENTS TO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND REPORTS OF A COVER-UP AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS...

OCT 30, 2005
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA COVER-UP GETTING BLOWN WIDE OPEN?!?!
...THE LETTER ALSO REQUESTS INFORMATION REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMPLAINTS AGAINST PARKER JR. AND HIS EX-WIFE AND AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION OF A INCIDENT OF TERRORISTIC THREATS BETWEEN PARKER JR. AND THE COURT CLERK MARIANNE CARRICARTE. "I'M NOT SURE IF SOME OF THE THINGS BEING REQUESTED ARE EVEN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS," BLOCK SAID...

NOV 4, 2005
FALLOUT IN STAFFORD PD AFTER COP-ON COP-DV (THE SKY IS FALLING)
...IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE OFFICER CHERYL SILVA WAS THE SCAPEGOAT HERE SINCE HER BOYFRIEND WAS THE CHIEF'S SON & NEXT IN LINE TO BE CHIEF, OFFICERS WERE PREVENTED FROM REPORTING THE INCIDENT AS A DV INCIDENT, IT WAS SHE WHO MADE THE 911 CALL, SHE WAS HOSPITALIZED, AND SHE WAS NEVER TALKED TO - THEY SAY - THROUGHOUT THE INVESTIGATION. I'M NOT DENYING THAT A FEMALE OFFICER COULD DO ALL THAT ATTACKING... BUT DAMN.

NOV 8, 2005
COP-ON-COP DV CONTINUES TO SHAKE OUT STAFFORD POLICE DEPT.
...CITING VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSCIENTIOUS EMPLOYEES PROTECTION ACT OR "WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT," MCMENAMIN CONTENDS HE WAS DENIED PROMOTION BECAUSE HE PROVIDED INFORMATION TO BLOCK AND SHIVES REGARDING A HIGH-PROFILE INVESTIGATION INVOLVING CAPT. LARRY PARKER JR. AND THE DEPARTMENT'S LONE FEMALE OFFICER, CHERYL SILVA... MCMENAMIN ALSO ACCUSED CHIEF PARKER OF FAILURE TO TAKE DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST ANOTHER SON, OFFICER JOSEPH PARKER, WHO ACCORDING TO THE SUIT, BEAT A TUCKERTON DOCTOR WHO WAS HANDCUFFED AND THREATENED TO KILL A DEPUTY COURT CLERK...

JUN 22, 2006
OFFICER CHERYL SILVA / CHIEF'S SON DV - UPDATE ON FALLOUT
A TOWNSHIP POLICE LIEUTENANT, WHO FILED A LAWSUIT CLAIMING HE WAS IMPROPERLY DENIED A PROMOTION TO POLICE CHIEF, IS NOW READY TO RETIRE... LT. JOHN MCMENAMIN, WHO WAS PAID $124,471 IN 2005, HAS BEEN OFF DUTY SINCE A JULY 4 ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS ON DUTY... MCMENAMIN SAID HE WAS NOT PROMOTED BECAUSE HE WAS A "WHISTLE BLOWER" IN A HIGH-PROFILE PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION INVOLVING CAPT. LARRY PARKER JR. AND THE DEPARTMENT'S ONLY FEMALE OFFICER, CHERYL SILVA. MCMENAMIN IS SEEKING $8,652,000 AND PROMOTION TO CHIEF AS SETTLEMENT IN THE CIVIL ACTION...

[TX] Deputy Henry Legg and wife Kathy Lynn die in accidental home fire

Deputy, wife found dead in burned mobile home
Houston Chronicle
By CINDY HORSWELL
May 23, 2008
A veteran Harris County sheriff's deputy and his wife were found dead Thursday morning in their burned Liberty County mobile home, having crawled to within a few feet of the back door, officials said. While officials would not release their names pending notification of relatives, records show the address is listed to Henry Roger Legg, 57, and Kathy Lynn Legg, 59. A preliminary investigation found no foul play in the fire that turned the couple's home in the Knights Forest subdivision near Hardin into an inferno. Arson investigator Kenny Dagle said the blaze appeared to be accidental and was caused by an electrical wiring problem... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety fatality fatalities texas unsolved unresolved]

[WI] Resigned Officer Lee plea bargains down from trying to kill forgiving wife Chao

...FORMER [RESIGNED] WAUSAU POLICE OFFICER CHUENG LEE, 46, ENTERED NO CONTEST PLEAS TUESDAY TO TWO FELONY CHARGES: RECKLESSLY CAUSING GREAT BODILY HARM TO ANOTHER HUMAN AND RECKLESS DRIVING CAUSING GREAT BODILY HARM... HE WOULD HAVE FACED A PRISON SENTENCE OF UP TO 80 YEARS IF CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE, BATTERY AND SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES... FIVE FELONY CHARGES FILED IN OCTOBER IN MARATHON COUNTY AGAINST CHUENG LEE WILL BE DISMISSED...


Update: Deputy tells Chueng Lee jurors about wife's story of crash
Wausau Daily Herald
May 19, 2008
“Oh my God don’t let him go.” Chao Lee begged police at least a dozen times to arrest her husband, Chueng Lee, following a crash into a Shawano County bridge on Sept. 18, 2007. Chao’s conversations with a Shawano County Sheriff’s deputy were captured on a squad video camera and the deputy’s microphone and played during the first full day of testimony at trial today. Former Wausau police officer Chueng Lee’s charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide charge. Shawano County Sheriff’s Deputy Sandra Finger spoke with Chao Lee while assessing her injuries and trying to determine what happened. Finger said Chao Lee had a broken arm and a broken leg, which she described was bent into a “Z.” Chueng Lee complained of chest pain, she said. Finger said she turned on her microphone after Chao Lee made the first comment about the crash being intentional. “I can’t believe (unintelligible) he just tired to kill me,” Chao Lee told Finger on the transcribed video. Later Chao Lee said, “I don’t know, he went to Laos he get married and he came back he do this to me.” A Tigerton EMT told jurors that Chueng Lee requested pen and paper and wrote a series of notes after he was put in the ambulance. The notes ranged from answers to medical questions to Lee saying he saw a deer and that Chao grabbed the steering wheel. Lee said he swerved to miss a deer before crashing... More than 20 people sat in the courtroom behind Chueng Lee, who was dressed in a suit and sitting next to Connell. Only a few people sat with or behind Chao Lee, who is using crutches... [Full article here]
Ex-cop accepts plea deal
Prosecutor recommends 5-to-8-year prison term
Wausau Daily Herald
By Jeff Starck
May 21, 2008
The wife of a Weston man on trial for attempting to kill her in Shawano County is trying to reconcile with him, prosecutors said after a plea deal was reached Tuesday. Former Wausau police officer Chueng Lee, 46, entered no contest pleas Tuesday to two felony charges: recklessly causing great bodily harm to another human and reckless driving causing great bodily harm... He would have faced a prison sentence of up to 80 years if convicted of first-degree attempted homicide, battery and second-degree sexual assault charges... The new charges carry up to a 16-year sentence, including nine years of confinement, but Shawano County District Attorney Gregory Parker said he will cap the time spent in confinement to between five and eight years. Chao Lee was involved in the decision to amend the charges, Parker said. She asked Judge Thomas Grover to drop the no contact order while her husband remains in the Shawano County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. "She wanted (the order dropped) based on trying to reconcile for the interest of the family," Parker said... As part of the agreement, five felony charges filed in October in Marathon County against Chueng Lee will be dismissed. Parker also was acting as special prosecutor in that case. [Full article here]

[NY] Fired, reinstated Officer Lewis arrested for assault on his wife

...Lewis is accused of grabbing and pushing his wife after she apparently tried to prevent him from leaving the home with their 1-year-old son... He allegedly grabbed her around the neck during a later encounter in his vehicle... In 1998, Lewis was fired by then-Mayor Albert Jurczynski on the recommendation of a hearing officer who said Lewis had a history of disciplinary problems... A state arbitrator reversed the hearing officer's decision... Lewis, hired in April 1994, had only one other serious blemish on his record at that time, an unspecified incident that brought him a 24-day suspension in late 1995...

Police officer allegedly grabbed wife
Schenectady Gazette, NY
By Steven Cook
May 2, 2008
A Schenectady police officer whom the city fired and then was forced to rehire 10 years ago has been suspended after his arrest on allegations he grabbed and pushed his wife, police said. John W. Lewis, 38, of Oregon Avenue, was charged Tuesday with one count of second-degree harassment, a violation. He is accused of grabbing and pushing his wife during a dispute over their child just after 3 p.m. on Plymouth Avenue, according to papers filed in court. Lewis had been attempting to leave with their infant son. He also allegedly grabbed his wife in the face and neck area while she was inside of his vehicle with their son, according to papers. Lewis was suspended without pay shortly after, Police Department spokesman Lt. Brian Kilcullen said... The charge came as a result of cooperation by Lewis’ wife, Kilcullen said. The department’s domestic violence policy, which requires arrest regardless of cooperation, did not come into play because the charge was a violation. Lewis was fired by the department in 1998 after he was accused of using a racial slur during an off-duty incident on Feb. 27, 1998, behind the city police headquarters on Liberty Street. Several people overheard the remark. The city, however, was ordered to rehire Lewis when an arbitrator ruled the city was “unduly harsh” in firing him. Lewis, hired in April 1994, had only one other serious blemish on his record at that time, an unspecified incident that brought him a 24-day suspension in late 1995... [Full article here]

Officer faces internal charges
Burlington Free Press
By PAUL NELSON, Staff writer
Friday, May 2, 2008
A city police officer suspended after being charged in a domestic dispute case this week is subject to administrative charges to be decided by Police Commissioner Wayne Bennett... John Lewis, a 14-year-veteran, was charged with second-degree harassment, a violation, Tuesday afternoon in connection with the dispute with his wife inside their Plymouth Avenue home... The couple are going through a divorce. He was suspended Wednesday without pay for 30 days. Lewis is accused of grabbing and pushing his wife after she apparently tried to prevent him from leaving the home with their 1-year-old son, the complaint said. He allegedly grabbed her around the neck during a later encounter in his vehicle. Police officers have due process rights under the civil service law and can't be dismissed without cause... [Full article here]

[PA] Officer Hummer allowed to keep gun while under a restraining order

...Forks Township police Chief Greg Dorney said there has been no change in Hummer's status and the PFA filed against him does not require him to turn in his weapons. "I checked with the Northampton County Sheriff's Department and he is fully authorized to carry a weapon"...

SOME EXCERPTS FROM THIS MONTH'S NEWS:

Forks cop, woman face charges after domestic dispute
Posted by Michael Buck
May 04, 2008
A Forks Township police corporal and a woman face charges after they fought with each other early Sunday morning, Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast said. Forks Township police Cpl. Shawn Hummer, 30, of the 1000 block of Cosenza Court was fighting with Jennifer Ann Sam, 24, of Easton shortly before 3 a.m., police said. Officers were called to the scene for a report of a physical altercation... Forks Township Supervisor Erik Chuss, who is chairman of the public safety committee, said Sam filed an emergency protection from abuse order against Hummer after the incident... Police listed Hummer and Sam as both accused and victims in a news release sent Sunday morning. Police said harassment charges will be filed before District Judge Ralph Litzenberger... Hummer was cited in March 2007 for failure to obey traffic control devices when he caused a three-vehicle crash that injured two women on Route 512 and East Main Street in Pen Argyl. Hummer told the officer who investigated the crash he had two alcoholic drinks before the crash. That officer said Hummer passed the field sobriety tests with "flying colors." [Full article here]

Forks cop ordered to give up weapons
pennlive.com
Michael Buck
May 05, 2008
A Forks Township police corporal will have to surrender his weapons following a judge issuing a temporary protection from abuse order Monday against the officer. While Shawn Hummer, 30, of Forks Township, remains on active duty, it is a question how he can serve if he can't carry a gun. "Obviously, if he is not allowed to carry a gun, that's an issue," police Chief Greg Dorney says... Sam's version of the story was available through PFA paperwork. Sam says she returned home early Sunday morning to find Hummer in bed with another woman. "I kept asking him what he was doing," Sam wrote. "I walked around the side of the bed, he got up and grabbed me by (my) throat." They tussled down the stairs, Sam wrote, with her missing the final few. It was Hummer who asked friends to call police, Sam wrote, and state police entered the investigation because it involves a Forks police officer. No charges had been filed as of today, but police said they were going to file harassment charges against both people. [Full article here]

Forks Twp. officer with PFA need not surrender weapons
pennlive.com
Michael Buck
May 06, 2008
A Forks Township police corporal is allowed to keep his weapons pending a ruling Monday by a county judge during a protection from abuse hearing. Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Taschner said she was incorrect when she said Shawn Hummer, a Forks Township police officer, would need to surrender his firearms because a temporary PFA was filed against him... TASCHNER SAID THE COUNTY JUDGE WHO ISSUED THE TEMPORARY PFA DID NOT STIPULATE THE WEAPONS BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HUMMER. She said if the judge finds enough evidence at a hearing on Monday to extend the PFA, Hummer will be unable to possess firearms. A supervisor in the Northampton County protection from abuse office, who declined to give her name, said Hummer will be able to ask the county judge for an exception that allows him to carry a gun for his job... [Full article here]

Forks cop can keep guns pending hearing
Township Cpl. Shawn Hummer facing protection-from-abuse order
The Express-Times
By Michael Buck
May 07, 2008
A TOWNSHIP POLICE CORPORAL IS ALLOWED TO KEEP HIS WEAPONS pending a ruling Monday by a county judge during a protection-from-abuse hearing. Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Taschner said she was incorrect when she said Shawn Hummer, a Forks Township police officer, would have to surrender his firearms because a temporary PFA was filed against him... Forks Township police Chief Greg Dorney said there has been no change in Hummer's status and the PFA filed against him does not require him to turn in his weapons. "I checked with the Northampton County Sheriff's Department and he is fully authorized to carry a weapon"... [Full article here]

Protection order against cop extended
Cpl. Shawn hummer remains on active duty, can keep his weapons.
The Express-Times
By MICHAEL BUCK
May 13, 2008
A Northampton County judge extended a temporary protection-from-abuse order Monday against a Forks Township police corporal but did not force him to turn over his firearms, allowing him to keep working. Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden granted Jennifer Sam's petition to extend the PFA against Shawn D. Hummer, 30, of Forks Township. McFadden granted a 30-day PFA order. She could have extended it as far as three years. McFadden said she "reluctantly" allowed Hummer to keep his weapons, based on past experiences with similar cases "that have turned sour." Had McFadden not given the exception, Hummer would have had to turn in all of his firearms, including his service weapon... Hummer testified Monday that Sam burst into his bedroom about 2 a.m. and began screaming vulgarities and repeatedly saying "What are you doing?" Hummer said he grabbed Sam by the arm to try to get her out of the bedroom. Hummer said the woman in his bed was a childhood friend who needed a place to stay for the night after being out with friends. He said the pair went to bed "with every intention of just sleeping." [Full article here]

Judge orders 30-day PFA against Forks officer
He won't have to cede weapons, which could have jeopardized job.
Allentown Morning Call
By Joe McDonald
May 13, 2008
...Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden could have issued a three-year PFA against officer Shawn Hummer that confiscated his weapons. McFadden ordered Hummer, 30, to stay away from his former girlfriend, Jennifer Ann Sam, 24... Hummer's lawyer, Gary Asteak of Easton, described what happened between Sam and Hummer as a tussle and didn't rise to the level of abuse that would trigger a PFA that could cost Hummer his job... Hummer's boss, Police Chief Greg Dorney watched the testimony from the rear of the courtroom. Outside the courtroom, Dorney said he will pass on what he heard to the township solicitor for his review. [Full article here]

FROM LAST YEAR:

Police: Forks Twp. officer admitted drinking before wreck
pennlive.com.
Douglas B. Brill
April 30, 2007 16:07PM
A Forks Township police officer was drinking before he caused a crash that injured two people, according to police. Days later, the borough officer who investigated the crash resigned. Shawn Hummer, 29, of the 200 block of Cherry Hill Road in Bushkill Township, told police he had two drinks Feb. 25 before he caused a three-car wreck... Hummer, who was not on duty, admitted to the investigating patrolman, Pen Argyl police officer Ryan Vresics, that he had two beers before the 5 p.m. crash. Vresics said Hummer passed a field sobriety test that included "standard balance tests." No other police officers witnessed the test, Pen Argyl police Chief Philip Viglione said. Those who witnessed the crash, including the injured victims, said they did not see the field sobriety test, either... Police Officer Jonathan Hoadley agreed with Vresics that Hummer was not drunk, according to the report. Viglione said Hoadley did not see a field sobriety test... Joel Fetherman, 33, of the 200 block of Park Avenue in Bangor, who said he suffered minor injuries after Hummer's vehicle hit his, said he smelled alcohol on Hummer's breath after the crash... Hummer was charged with failing to obey traffic control devices, a summary offense that includes fines and costs totaling $112.50. The charge means Hummer, who was cited by mail, does not receive points on his license. Vresics resigned March 2 and has since been hired by Bushkill Township police. [Full article here]

Slate Belt Roundup for May 9: Cop crash raised red flags
Posted by Douglas B. Brill
May 08, 2007 19:38PM
...The Shawn Hummer crash was not as extensively investigated - probably because it couldn't be. Officials, who were predictably tight-lipped for the privacy of personnel issues, had reason to wonder if responding Pen Argyl police officer Ryan Vresics covered up a DUI for Hummer. Here's why: Hummer admitted to drinking before the crash. Vresics at some time before the crash said he would be uncomfortable arresting a fellow officer. Vresics resigned less than a week after the crash. Vresics did not test Hummer's blood-alcohol content. Vresics said he administered a field sobriety test. But the Express-Times didn't come across anyone who saw it. Four crash victims and two crash witnesses said they didn't see the test. Police Chief Philip Viglione said no other cops saw it -- not even Jonathan Hoadley, who assisted at the scene. Steven Horvath, the department's top accident scene investigator, said he didn't see it... Vresics has a bad memory. When I asked him about his stated unease for arresting a fellow officer, he said he didn't recall saying that... Vresics said he doesn't remember where Hummer said he was before the crash. He said he doesn't remember where Hummer said he drank. He said he doesn't remember how Hummer left the scene. He said he doesn't remember who Hummer left with. And how's this for conflicted: Vresics' accident report, which Pen Argyl would not release, listed Hummer's physical condition as "apparently normal" and "had been drinking." Does that mean it's normal for Hummer to drink before he drives? When I asked Chief Viglione and DA Morganelli if there was a cover up, neither said that there was not a cover up. They both said they don't know because they weren't at the scene. "We're kind of stuck with the officer's observations," Morganelli said. Fair enough. That's all they could really say without getting sued... [Full article here]

Nazareth Police Ripping Off Taxpayers
Lehigh Valley Ramblings
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
...Skateboarders felt it before anyone else. On Easter weekend, they were outside Schaeffer school. Some were playing ball while others played around with their shredsleds. When two part-time cops drove by, no one paid much attention. But suddenly, the rules had changed. Cops exploded from their cruiser, including a belligerent Officer Shawn Hummer. He screamed that he's "fuckin' tired" of kids skateboarding at Schaeffer, and proceeded to collect 18 skateboards, chipping away at them and laughing in the process. "Oops. Looks like I just chipped another board," Hummer laughed as he tossed boards in the cruiser. He also seized a bicycle and a very dangerous ball... [From "Comments"] ...Nazareth's own Officer Hummer, who also works in Forks, was involved in an accident in May. Drinking was involved. The officer who refused to cite him had to leave the force. Is that helping people? Officer Hummer, a few weeks ago, was ejected from Flurer's after being in a fight. Again, booze was involved. Is that helping people?... [Full article here]

[SD] Time inching forward on Pam's killer - and husband - Ex-Chief Huber

Motions hearing set for Huber trial
KMEG 14, IA - May 24, 2008

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A pretrial motions hearing is scheduled next month for Ken Huber, the former Highmore police chief accused of killing his wife.

Huber has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and an alternate charge of first-degree manslaughter in the death of Pamela Huber.

The motions hearing will be June 4-6 in Pierre.

Huber's trial is scheduled for September.

Previous blog entries:

• [SD] Chief's wife Pam Huber shot in head - No arrest yet
• [SD] Chief's wife Pam Huber has died, he's free - Fund for their kids
• [SD] Huber Affidavit for Probable Cause for 1st Degree Murder
  
• Pam Huber of Highmore South Dakota
  
• [KY] Ex?-Deputy has murdered his wife Pamela Gayle Copley
  
• [SD] Judge tells Pam's slayer "ex" Chief Huber NO
  
• [SD] Ex-chief Huber pleads not-guilty. Community focuses on Pam's kids.
  
• [SD] Motives of Ex-Chief Huber killing wife Pam begin to emerge

[NJ] "Handguns, shotguns and rifles": Trooper Hrubesh gets to "step down" after MYSTERY CHARGE - gun domestic violence incident

...Despite the dismissal of a temporary restraining order prior to the weapon's discovery, Hrubesh was not permitted possession of any firearms... Defense attorney Thomas Pavics said Hrubesh had reconciled with the victim and chose the plea deal to bring a practical end to the lengthy and costly case... [Assistant Prosecutor Dawn] Solari will recommend that he only serve probation... Hrubesh will be eligible for his full pension...

RANDOM THOUGHTS OUT LOUD:

WHAT WAS THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT POLICE WERE CALLED TO? WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS RESTRAINING ORDER FOR? WHY EVEN BEFORE THE MOST RECENT RESPONSE TO A DOMESTIC AT HIS HOME WAS HE PROHIBITED FROM HAVING WEAPONS? HOW DO YOU TROOPER LIKE THAT? WHO SHOULD BE A TROOPER LIKE THAT? WAS HIS ARSENAL REMOVED FROM THEIR HOME EARLIER AND THAT IS WHY HE SAYS HE BORROWED THE GUN HE WAS CAUGHT WITH? WHY IS THE VICTIM INVISIBLE? WHY STOP NOW - WAS HE DRUNK? DID HE THREATEN? IS THERE HELP FOR HIM? WOULD HE TAKE IT?

IS THERE HELP FOR HER AND HER SON? WOULD THEY TAKE IT? (WHO COULD SHE TRUST? WHO'S POWERFUL ENOUGH TO LIFT SOMEONE FROM THE RING OF FIRE INTO COOL SAFE AIR?

WHERE CAN SHE TURN FOR HELP WHEN THE PROSECUTOR IS FOR THE ACCUSED AND THE NEWSPAPER WON'T EVEN NAME THE ORIGINAL CHARGE?

HOW MANY CALLS HAVE THERE BEEN TO THE HOME?

THERE ARE "40 HANDGUNS, SHOTGUNS, AND RIFLES" INSIDE THEIR HOME AND OUTSIDE THEIR HOME THERE IS A STATEWIDE BROTHERHOOD.

OVER AND AROUND IT ALL
THERE ARE UNSPOKEN UNDERSTANDINGS.

Trooper to retire as part of plea deal Sgt. James Hrubesh had faced charges in domestic dispute.
The Star-Ledger
By Ralph R. Ortega
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
[Excerpts] A veteran state trooper will step down from his post when he is sentenced later this month under the terms of a plea deal in what started out as a domestic violence case against the officer in Hunterdon County. Sgt. James Hrubesh, 53, is scheduled to be sentenced May 30, after police found he was unlawfully in possession of a gun during a domestic violence call to his home in Readington Township more than a year and a half ago. Hrubesh originally faced a third-degree charge [?????] but will have the charge knocked down to a disorderly persons offense, according to the plea deal he signed with the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office. Under the deal offered by Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Solari, Hrubesh must retire from the state police and not work again as a law enforcement officer in New Jersey. In exchange, Solari will recommend that he only serve probation... Hrubesh will be eligible for his full pension. Pavics said the disorderly persons offense should not further affect his client's retirement... Despite the dismissal of a temporary restraining order prior to the weapon's discovery, Hrubesh was not permitted possession of any firearms, wrote Assistant Prosecutor Brian Shevlin, in a January letter to the court... [Full article here]

EXCERPTS FROM OLDER NEWS

Revolver brought to middle school was a trooper's
Stepdad says boy took his gun
The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)
Jennifer Weiss
December 7, 2005
[Excerpts] The .22-caliber revolver an eighth-grade boy carried into the Readington Middle School belonged to a veteran New Jersey state trooper who is the boy's stepfather. Staff Sgt. James Hrubesh said the revolver was one of his collection of 35 to 40 handguns, shotguns and rifles... Hrubesh also confirmed the state Division of Youth and Family Services was notified in January or February that Hrubesh's stepson may have access to guns at his home and investigated. Hrubesh said the agency determined the allegation to be unfounded... State Police spokesman Gerald Lewis said Hrubesh reported the recent incident involving his stepson to the Office of Professional Standards, BUT HE WOULD NOT SAY whether police were conducting an internal investigation. "Our Office of Professional Standards is aware of it"... Hrubesh, a licensed hunter with a number of animal heads and pelts tacked to his walls, said his stepson has shown an interest in hunting. "He uses a gun under my supervision," Hrubesh said, sitting at a table across from his wife, the boy's mother, Brenda Hrubesh... He said he and his wife gave the boy a small gun safe "for his room" last Christmas... He and Brenda Hrubesh agreed their son is a "great kid," not a troublemaker, who has faced difficulties in his life and who now feels sorry for what he did. "He's a good young man. He really does have a heart of gold," Brenda Hrubesh said, crying. James Hrubesh said he and his wife have cooperated with investigators and have advised their son to do the same. "I work in law enforcement. I like to see justice prevail," said James Hrubesh . "If you do something wrong, you figure it out, you get to the bottom of it and you pay the price for what you did."

Gun teen took to school belongs to stepfather, a state trooper
Courier News (Bridgewater, NJ)
Pamela Sroka
December 8, 2005
[Excerpts] ...Hrubesh contends they were not loaded at the time. He said his stepson might have obtained ammunition from another student after arriving at school... State police spokesman Gerald Lewis said Hrubesh, who works in operations at the Troop C headquarters in Hamilton, reported the gun incident involving his son to the Office of Professional Standards, but said an investigation has since been turned over to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office. First Assistant Hunterdon County Prosecutor Steven Lember said Wednesday he could not comment on juvenile matters under law and refused to confirm or deny whether an investigation was continuing...

A Little Law:

2C:58-15. Minor's access to a loaded firearm; penalty, conditions
1. a. A person who knows or reasonably should know that a minor is likely to gain access to a loaded firearm at a premises under the person's control commits a disorderly persons offense if a minor gains access to the firearm, unless the person:
(1) Stores the firearm in a securely locked box or container;
(2) Stores the firearm in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure; or
(3) Secures the firearm with a trigger lock...

[WI] Officer Bramlett's high-tech stalking ex-jailer husband is sentenced to probation

...As part of a plea bargain reached with the prosecution, Farberg can move the court to dismiss the felony stalking charges if he successfully completes his probation on the misdemeanor counts...

From previous entry:
February 18, 2008 - [WI] Officer Bramlett's stalking ex-jailer husband faces felonies
...her husband, during frequent calls to her cell phone, was aware of her whereabouts. She later found a GPS device clipped onto her car's battery... Farberg, using a program that recorded his wife's keystrokes, was able to use her user name and password... Farberg also had accessed his wife's e-mail account...

Man gets probation for stalking his estranged cop wife and her boyfriend
The Capital Times
Mike Miller
5/22/2008
The husband of a Madison Police officer charged with using high-tech gear to stalk the officer and her new boyfriend, also a police officer, was put on probation for three years today. The decision came with numerous conditions, among them that he have no contact with his estranged wife or the Madison Police Department. Dustin Farberg, 34, entered no contest pleas to three misdemeanors in the case and was put on probation on those counts. He also entered no contest pleas on counts of stalking his estranged wife, Amy Bramlett, and Jeffrey Pharo, the man she began seeing after leaving Farberg. As part of a plea bargain reached with the prosecution, Farberg can move the court to dismiss the felony stalking charges if he successfully completes his probation on the misdemeanor counts; The prosecution will not oppose that motion... The conditions include that he not have any contact with Bramlett or members of her family, that he have contact with their daughter only as ordered by the family court handling the couple's divorce proceedings, that he have no contact with Pharo, and that he complete both anger management and domestic abuse counseling. Farber was also banned from a number of specific locations in Madison. He was also ordered not to have a computer except for employment use, and not to possess any global positioning system device or software to allow him to track computer use as he did to his estranged wife. Before being put on probation Farberg told the court he regretted his actions, apologized for them, and said "I just want to move forward with my life"... [Full article here]

[TX] SAPD Officer Garcia arrested for breaking disabled son's jaw

San Antonio Cop Arrested for Injury to a Disabled Person
WOAI, TX - May 7, 2008
The San Antonio Police Department tells News 4 one of its own was arrested Tuesday. Police Officer Jorge Isaac Garcia, a 1 year veteran, was arrested for Injury to a Disabled Person, according to the police department. It's alleged to have occurred in Cibolo, TX. According to the release from SAPD: "The victim, the officer's son, was treated at a San Antonio hospital for a broken jaw. Through the investigation process, Cibolo Police applied for, and was granted, an arrest warrant, charging the officer." "Officer Garcia was taken into custody by SAPD without incident, and then turned over to Cibolo Police." "Garcia will be placed on administrative duty, pending the outcome of both the criminal and administrative investigation."

[TX] Fighting with girlfriend is Officer Hernandez's DWI DEFENSE strategy?

...Hernandez told the officer that he was heading home from a bar on Camp Bowie Boulevard and that he had shifted lanes because he and his girlfriend, a passenger, were fighting... Hernandez also stated that he had done many good things and that the good things should outweigh the bad and that I should show some professional courtesy...

Fort Worth police officer charged with off-duty DWI
Star-Telegram
By DEANNA BOYD
May. 24, 2008

FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth police officer was charged Friday with driving while intoxicated while off duty after being arrested last weekend by a Tarrant Regional Water District officer in northwest Fort Worth.

Guillermo "Bill" Hernandez, 40, has been placed on restricted duty -- he is not allowed to carry a badge or gun -- until an internal investigation is complete, said Lt. Paul Henderson, a police spokesman.

Hernandez could not be reached to comment Friday evening.

According to an offense report, the water district officer was traveling west on Texas 199 behind Hernandez's pickup about 2 a.m. May 17 when he saw the driver swerve onto the shoulder and back into his lane more than once and saw him run a red light while turning onto Boat Club Road.

The report stated that the officer tried unsuccessfully to reach police from the jurisdictions the pickup went through but eventually pulled it over himself on Reef Point Lane after seeing the truck nearly strike another vehicle.

The officer reported that a strong odor of alcohol came from the pickup's cab and Hernandez's breath, and that Hernandez's speech was slurred. Hernandez told the officer that he was heading home from a bar on Camp Bowie Boulevard and that he had shifted lanes because he and his girlfriend, a passenger, were fighting, and that the wheel had been jerked around, the report states. Hernandez said he was unaware that he ran a red light and apologized, the report stated.

A Tarrant County sheriff's deputy arrived and supported the officer's observations about the smell of alcohol and Hernandez's red, watery eyes and slurred speech.

While waiting for a Fort Worth police supervisor to arrive, "Hernandez also stated that he had done many good things and that the good things should outweigh the bad and that I should show some professional courtesy," the water district officer noted in his report.

Hernandez was booked into the Tarrant County Jail but was released after posting $500 bail.

Hernandez first joined the Police Department in 1994 but left to pursue a career in federal law enforcement after attaining the rank of sergeant. He was rehired as a Fort Worth officer in 2006.
dboyd@star-telegram.com
DEANNA BOYD, 817-390-7655

[CA] Officer Ferguson's wife Michelle stands, fears.

...But wife Michelle says she and her children have paid a price for having revealed her husband's alleged acts with minors. "He (Garry) started messing with his duty weapon...he stopped me in the hallway and hid his hand behind a wall to make me believe he had a gun in his hand, and he told me he knew what he was going to do with it"... Ferguson was charged with drug possession in 1999 and petty theft on 2001...

SAY WHAT? ONE MORE TIME:

...Ferguson was charged with drug possession in 1999 and petty theft on 2001...

If you care - get money and free services to Michelle. She does the right thing and now she and her family are afloat. You think someone ELSE must be there for her already? Michelle is in need.

Selected May 17th - May 23rd News bits:

Maricopa officer appeared in court for sex crimes
KGET 17, CA
May 19, 2008
A Maricopa Police Officer who faces 12 charges of sex crimes with children in Kings County made one of his first court appearances Monday. Officer Garry Ferguson seemed very calm in court after being served with orders from a judge to have no contact with the three victims involved in this case. The prosecutor said the District Attorney's office wants to ensure the safety of all the minors involved... Kings County prosecutor Keith Fagundes said Ferguson faces sex crime charges with at least one minor younger than 14-years-old... at least three victims have come forward in the case... Three restraining orders have filed against Ferguson one of them was filed by his wife. Shondra Nelson is a friend of Ferguson's wife who attended the hearing. Nelson said, "A lot of people are very blown away, just trying to get through it all and hold ourselves up"... [Full article here]

Maricopa officer's wife says she believes victims
KGET 17, CA
May 20, 2008
The wife of the Maricopa police officer accused of sex crimes with children is speaking publicly about her husband, Garry Ferguson. Michelle Ferguson appeared in a Kern County courtroom Tuesday morning, for a domestic-violence restraining order she filed in April. She says her husband threatened her with his police-issued handgun. Michelle Ferguson says she feared for her life and the safety of her children... Michelle Ferguson said, "I believe they're true. I reach out to the victims, I know their pain because he makes them believe he loves them. They're going through the same thing I am but I've been with this man for six years"... [Full article here]

Wife of Maricopa Police Officer exposed husband's alleged sex with minors
EyeOutForYou.com, CA
Jose Gaspar, Reporting
May 20, 2008
Married to Maricopa Police Officer Garry Ferguson for six years, Michelle Ferguson says she had enough of her husband's alleged sexual encounters with minors. Michelle called a trusted friend, Shondra Nelson asking for help. "He needs to be turned in because he's not going to stop," Michelle Ferguson says she told Nelson. That led to Michelle going to police in Lemoore and telling them about her husband's alleged sexual encounters with at least one minor. An investigation by Lemoore Police led to 12 felony counts of unlawful sex with minors against the Maricopa Police Officer. The complaint alleges Garry Ferguson had sex with 3 minors in Lemoore, dating as far back as 1998, 2003 and 2005 when the minors were 13, 14 and 15 years old... But wife Michelle says she and her children have paid a price for having revealed her husband's alleged acts with minors. "He started messing with his duty weapon...he stopped me in the hallway and hid his hand behind a wall to make me believe he had a gun in his hand, and he told me he knew what he was going to do with it," said Michelle. Michelle filed for a Temporary Restraining Order against her husband and is seeking to make it permanent. Michelle Ferguson she also did not realize the victims were as young as 13. "I am kind of suprised because that is pretty young," said Michelle. "I felt that there was going to end up being more people hurt, " she said... [Full article here]

Cop accused of rape has multiple restraining orders
Bakersfield Californian
BY STEVE E. SWENSON sswenson@bakersfield.com
May 23, 2008
Four days before Maricopa police officer Garry Snap Ferguson was suspended, his wife threatened to turn him in for sexual acts he committed with children, court documents say. Michelle Ferguson, 27, said her husband pretended to threaten her with a gun as she was getting ready to leave their home with their three children, the documents say. Ferguson, 30, was suspended in April and then arrested on May 3 on 12 counts of sexual abuse with three minors in Kings County... He has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges which allege that between Aug. 1, 1998, and Dec. 31, 2006, he committed sex acts with children. Some of the charges are for acts with children under 16 and some are for acts with children under 14. The charges include forcible molestation, sexual intercourse, oral copulation, sexual penetration and forcible rape. Ferguson is being held in the Kings County Jail on $500,000 bail. A hearing is set May 30 on a defense motion to reduce the bail. In Kern County, two restraining orders have been issued to keep Ferguson from contacting his estranged wife and children in one case and an 18-year-old woman in the second case. The 18-year-old declared in a May 2 filing that Ferguson “played mental mind games to scare me so I would not confess to sexual intercourse and abuse (by Ferguson) while I was a minor.” She also declared she was dating or used to date Ferguson... Meanwhile, [Garry] Ferguson has filed for divorce on May 1, citing irreconcilable differences with his wife... Mrs. Ferguson on May 2 filed for a restraining order against her husband, to prevent him from contacting her, their three children. In that case, she alleged that Ferguson threatened to take the children. She replied that if he tried, she would turn him in. She reported that he said he would hurt her and pretended he had a gun, she said. [Garry] Ferguson denied her version of events. Even so, a judge granted an emergency order earlier this month and extended it this week. Mrs. Ferguson also obtained a temporary order preventing Ferguson from visiting the children. She argued that the children were at risk for abduction because he had no job and a criminal record. That record according to Kings County Superior Court documents shows Ferguson was charged with drug possession in 1999 and petty theft on 2001. The documents say he was diverted from the court process in 1999 for a treatment program, thereby avoiding a conviction. He was convicted of petty theft as a misdemeanor in 2001, but under California law that can be dismissed a year later. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety child molestor sex sexual california state politics pervert repeat history hx]