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PINNED POST. CLICK HERE: Keeping these 3 videos of officer-involved domestic violence fatalities on top from now on...

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

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Saturday, October 31, 2009

[NM] Officer Davis charged with wife battery, criminal damage, & interference with her being able to call for help

CARLSBAD POLICE OFFICER FACING CHARGES
abqjournal.com
By Bruce Daniels
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 06:32
[Excerpts] Patrolman allegedly assaulted wife, smashed her cell phone last week. Carlsbad Police Officer David G. Davis, 30, has been charged with assaulting his wife, then forcibly taking her cell phone and smashing it so she couldn't call for help last Wednesday... Davis is charged with battery against a household member, criminal damage to the property of a household member and interference with communication... There was no word about Davis' standing with the police department, but he faces a hearing before Judge Henry Castaneda on Jan. 14. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement new mexico]

[FL] Florida Attorney General McCollum's mulit-agency domestic violence fatality review team will include officer-involved cases

1st Row: Florida Attorney General ; Bill McCollum; 2nd row: Tiffany Carr, President of Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Antoinette Ross - slain last week by Chattahoochee Police Lt. Barry Moore; 4th Row: Florida Police Chiefs Association President Pinellas Park Police Chief Dorene Thomas, and emblem for the Florida Sheriff's Association

...The death of Antoinette Ross is a prime example of the kind of case that will be examined over the next year by a statewide domestic violence review team... With representatives from the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriff's Association present, the issue of domestic violence cases involving law-enforcement officers were raised as ones that will be examined. "Obviously, based on Ms. [Antoinette] Ross' death, we as law enforcement have to look at it," Department of Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil said...

How right it is to lift these tragedies up into the light in hopes of being able to save the lives of others in the future. Florida, you are leader.

AG, TEAM TO STUDY FATALITIES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES Multi-agency group to review local fatality cases
Tallahassee Democrat
By David Sáez
October 28, 2009
The death of Antoinette Ross is a prime example of the kind of case that will be examined over the next year by a statewide domestic violence review team, according to a state victim advocate. Tiffany Carr, the chief executive officer of Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, also says that establishing this team will help the state get a handle on domestic violence homicides. Carr mentioned Ross during a Tuesday press conference where Attorney General Bill McCollum announced that his office would lead a multi-agency, multi-sector team in reviewing local fatality cases. McCollum said it would be the first in the nation.... Ross was killed last week, and it's believed her death was related to a relationship with Lt. Barry Moore of the Chattahoochee Police Department, who was the father of one of Ross' children. Ross worked in DCF's ACCESS office, which distributes food stamps and cash assistance. Ross' death is one of three fatal or near-fatal local domestic violence cases that have occurred in the past two months... "What our highest law-enforcement officer is saying is that this is enough," Carr said. McCollum introduced the review team by citing Florida Department of Law Enforcement data that show an 8.9-percent increase in domestic-violence homicides between January and June 2008 to January and June 2009. With representatives from the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriff's Association present, the issue of domestic violence cases involving law-enforcement officers were raised as ones that will be examined. "Obviously, based on Ms. Ross' death (this past week), we as law enforcement have to look at it," Department of Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil said. Throughout the state, local fatality review teams work to analyze and recommend responses to domestic violence locally, but a statewide perspective could reveal new information that could lead to new approaches for dealing with domestic violence. "We don't know if other (strategies) can help shelter and prevent domestic violence cases," McCollum said. "We don't know if we're missing something, but we can't sit back and wait for California or New York to lead us." The group, which will include everyone from government agency representatives to direct-service providers, will have its first meeting on Dec. 9 and will release a final report by September 2010. [Full article here]

AG, TEAM TO STUDY FATALITIES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES
Multi-agency group to review local fatality cases
Florida Capital News
By David Sáez
October 28, 2009
The death of Antoinette Ross is a prime example of the kind of case that will be examined over the next year by a statewide domestic violence review team, according to a state victim advocate. Tiffany Carr, the chief executive officer of Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, also says that establishing this team will help the state get a handle on domestic violence homicides... "Last week (the Department of Children and Families) lost one of its own," Carr said. "We have lost someone in our own backyard. And we're here as a group to say, 'No more.'" Ross was killed last week, and it's believed her death was related to a relationship with Lt. Barry Moore of the Chattahoochee Police Department, who was the father of one of Ross' children. Ross worked in DCF's ACCESS office, which distributes food stamps and cash assistance. Ross' death is one of three fatal or near-fatal local domestic violence cases that have occurred in the past two months. In previous incidents, the co-owner of a Havana bar was shot by her husband in late August and, in September, a Florida State University student was choked to death by her boyfriend. "What our highest law-enforcement officer is saying is that this is enough," Carr said... [Full article here]

ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL MCCOLLUM NEWS RELEASE
McCollum, Partners Launch Statewide Initiative to Combat Domestic Violence Fatalities
October 27, 2009
Media Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Joined by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence and numerous state agencies and law enforcement organizations, Attorney General McCollum today announced his office will create and lead a statewide domestic violence fatality review team. The team will conduct fatality and near-fatality reviews and will ultimately create policy recommendations to address issues which may prevent domestic violence homicides.

“There is an urgent need to identify strategies that will address the brutality of these homicides, and will ultimately help us save lives,” said Attorney General McCollum.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement data comparing Jan-June 2008 to Jan-June 2009 reflects 8.9 percent increase in domestic violence homicides, 100 percent increase in domestic violence manslaughters, and 38 percent increase in stalking which often serves as a precursor to homicide. These statistics indicate there is an urgent need to identify strategies to address the brutality of these homicides.

“The domestic violence community is overwhelmed by General McCollum's foresight to create a statewide domestic violence fatality review team. Florida has experienced some of the most brutal domestic violence homicides in our state's history and there has never been a more important time to shine a light on domestic violence fatalities,” said Tiffany Carr, CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “We have no doubt this will be the first step to reverse the increase of domestic violence homicides in Florida. As always, we applaud Attorney General McCollum for his commitment to end violence against women.”

Reviews conducted by local fatality review teams in Florida are a critical component in helping communities to understand the events that may have led to a domestic violence homicide, and ultimately to determine how to prevent such homicides. However, local fatality review teams, comprised almost exclusively of volunteers, have limited resources to conduct reviews, and the focus of their conclusions and recommendations is to effectuate change at the local level.

Section 741.316, Fla. Statutes authorizes the establishment of a domestic violence fatality review team at the state level to review fatal and near-fatal incidents of domestic violence. With the establishment of a Statewide Fatality Review team, Florida will be the only state in the country to have both statewide and local fatality review teams. Representatives of the domestic violence advocacy community will provide the leadership to the team because it will be critical to view systemic response to domestic violence through the eyes of victims of domestic violence.

In addition to the Attorney General’s Office, team members will include, at a minimum, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Education, representatives from the Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, Prosecuting Attorneys, and Public Defenders Associations, Florida Legal Services, certified domestic violence centers, batterers’ intervention programs, the Office of State Court Administration, a clerk of the court, a medical examiner, a child death review team representative, a physician, a psychologist or other mental health professional, a sexual assault counselor, and a survivor of domestic violence. The initial organization meeting will occur on December 9, 2009 in Tallahassee and will be hosted by the Attorney General.

The Statewide team will be separated into two working groups – one group will conduct case review of selected cases, and the subsequent group will review the data from local fatality review teams to ascertain trends and systemic gaps. A final report is anticipated by September 2010. [LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder suicide florida state]

Friday, October 30, 2009

Tomorrow's grief: Funerals for 4 killed in officer-involved domestic violence

FLORIDA - Chattahoochee Police Lieutenant Barry Moore Sr. killed his girlfriend Antoinette Clarissa Ross on October 23rd, and while police searched his property he also shot and killed himself.

HAWAII - Recently resigned Maui Police Sgt. Barry Alford killed his wife Karolyn and himself on October 20th.


ANTOINETTE CLARISSA ROSS
Tallahassee Democrat
October 29, 2009
Visit Guest Book
Antoinette Clarissa Ross QUINCY - Ms. Antoinette Clarissa Ross, 34, died Thursday, Oct. 23, 2009, in Quincy. The service will be a 2 p.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 31, at Tabernacle Church of Christ Written in Heaven in Gretna, Fla., with burial at the church cemetery. A private viewing will be held at Williams Funeral Home in Quincy (850-875-4849). Survivors include a son... two daughters... mother... and father... a brother... and four sisters...

BARRY MOORE SR.
Tallahassee Democrat
October 29, 2009
Visit Guest Book
Barry Moore Sr., 47, of Mount Pleasant, died on Friday October 23, 2009. The service will be 11 a.m. EDT Saturday October 31, 2009, at St Mary Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant, with burial to follow at the Moore's Cemetery in Mount Pleasant. He is survived by his wife... his sons... his daughters... his mother... his father... brothers... and three grandchildren. Bradwell Mortuary of Quincy is in charge of the arrangements.

KAROLYN MARIE ALFORD
The Maui News Obituaries
POSTED: October 27, 2009
Karolyn Marie Alford, 58, of Makawao, died Oct. 20, 2009, at her residence. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kahului Baptist Church, with a service over urn at 11 a.m. Ballard Family Mortuary is assisting with the arrangements. Mrs. Alford was born March 26, 1951, in Colorado. She was an accountant for Kapalua Land Co. She is survived by a daughter... three stepsons... her mother... a brother... and six grandchildren.

BARRY W. ALFORD
The Maui News Obituaries
POSTED: October 27, 2009
Barry W. Alford, 59, of Makawao, died Oct. 20, 2009, at his residence. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kahului Baptist Church, with a service over urn at 11 a.m. Ballard Family Mortuary is assisting with the arrangements. Mr. Alford was born Aug. 12, 1950, in New Mexico. He was a retired police officer with the Maui Police Department. He is survived by three sons... a stepdaughter... his mother... a brother... four sisters... and six grandchildren.
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder suicide funeral memorial]

[MA] Officer Bayer's reinstatement raises question: Are officers who are victims of domestic violence entitled to same rights as other victims?

...[Police Union Attorney representing reinstated Officer Craig Bayer, Marc] Greenbaum noted that the Bayer case could raise novel issues, including whether a police officer really is on duty 24/7, especially when he is a crime victim or a victim of domestic violence...

Previous post:
[MA] Chief Pawlina fired (abused) Officer Bayer for a "troubling pattern" but arbitrator rules he gets his job back - ..."Think about the outcry if Craig was a female police officer who was fired over the same thing," said Bayer's lawyer... His record was spotless except for another domestic dispute in 2008 with the same woman, then a girlfriend, whom he's known since 2002...

OFFICIALS: CHATHAM POLICE ON DUTY 24/7
Cape Cod Times
By Susan Milton
smilton@capecodonline.com
October 22, 2009
[Excerpts] CHATHAM — In this town, police officers are expected to act as police officers even when they are off-duty, the town's police chief and town manager said yesterday. The two officials were reacting to an arbitrator's recent decision reinstating Chatham police Officer Craig Bayer after he was fired in March following a domestic incident at his house. The arbitrator's "strained interpretation" that the department's rules do not apply to off-duty conduct isn't consistent with the department's rules or expectations, Chief Mark Pawlina and Town Manager William Hinchey said yesterday in a joint written statement. But the union lawyer for Chatham police officers said the town already lost the same argument earlier this month when arbitrator Marc Greenbaum reinstated Bayer. "It is often the refrain that police officers are on duty 24/7 insofar as what you do off-duty could lead to on-duty discipline," lawyer Patrick Bryant of Boston said yesterday. "But here, as the arbitrator showed, the town sought to apply rules that apply to on-duty officers to an officer who was off-duty"... Greenbaum noted that the Bayer case could raise novel issues, including whether a police officer really is on duty 24/7, especially when he is a crime victim or a victim of domestic violence. The department's own policies permit victims of crime and domestic violence to decline police assistance and provide reports later, his decision stated. Yesterday, Pawlina and Hinchey disagreed with him. "We reject the arbitrator's view that a police officer, even in difficult circumstances, can fail to report a crime or can choose silence when he or she is aware that another person is covering up a criminal act by lying to the police," their statement said. "We expect a higher level of integrity than that from our police officers"... [Full article here]

CHEERS & JEERS: KEEP THE BAR HIGH
Cape Cod Times
October 30, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Kudos to the Chatham police chief and town manager who, in their efforts to maintain high standards, were recently undermined by an arbitrator. The arbitrator reinstated Chatham police Officer Craig Bayer after he was fired in March following a domestic incident at his house. The arbitrator's "strained interpretation" that the department's rules do not apply to off-duty conduct isn't consistent with the department's rules or expectations, said Chief Mark Pawlina and Town Manager William Hinchey. On Jan. 31, Bayer was slapped by a former girlfriend who also forcibly escorted another woman out of his house. Bayer reportedly failed to tell police called to the scene about the assaults on him or the second woman. He filed a written report later that day. The delayed report violated police department rules, Pawlina said, and he fired Bayer on March 3. "We reject the arbitrator's view that a police officer, even in difficult circumstances, can fail to report a crime or can choose silence when he or she is aware that another person is covering up a criminal act by lying to the police," their statement said. Less than a month ago, we wrote about the basic social contract between citizens and the police: "The contract places immense power in the hands of a select few and, therefore, we expect those people to not only abide by the law but also be above even the hint of reproach. Trust is the cornerstone of respecting authority, and it must be carefully fostered and guarded by those in power." [Full article here]

CAPE COD TIMES LETTER
October 22, 2009
It's great that Officer Craig Bayer is being reinstated after being wrongly dismissed. But how will the town of Chatham and Chief Pawlina get his house back, his credit fixed and his reputation restored?... [LINK]
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[IN] Just-fired Officer Klaehn will not be charged with hitting wife several times

NO CHARGES AGAINST EX-OFFICER KLAEHN
Times-Union Newspaper
Jen Gibson
10/29/2009
[Excerpts] FORT WAYNE - Domestic battery charges against a former Warsaw probationary police officer have been declined by the Allen County Prosecutor's Office... [Joseph Robert] Klaehn was accused of hitting his wife and was booked into the Allen County Jail on one count of domestic battery at 2:35 a.m. Friday... [Full article here]

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A CRIME, NOT JUST A BAD CAREER MOVE. BECAUSE HE WILL NOT BE CHARGED, IF JUST-FIRED WARSAW POLICE OFFICER JOSEPH KLAEHN COMMITS A DOMESTIC ASSAULT IN THE FUTURE IT WILL TECHNICALLY BE A FIRST OFFENSE. IF HE APPLIES FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT JOB THERE WILL BE NOTHING THAT PREVENTS HIS BEING HIRED. OFTEN THE LOGIC GOES - HE LOST HIS JOB, THAT'S ENOUGH. BUT IT'S APPLE'S AND ORANGES.

NOT ONLY IS THE VICTIM'S SAFETY NOT MENTIONED, OR WHAT IF ANY SERVICES AND SAFETY WERE OFFERED HER - BUT THERE IS NO MENTION OF WHETHER OR NOT HER FACE BORE EVIDENCE. WHY?


Previous post:
[IN] Police Chief Hunter fires new Officer Klaehn the same day domestic assault was reported - ...Klaehn was arrested early Friday morning at his Fort Wayne home for allegedly slapping his wife several times... According to the police report, Klaehn allegedly made threats and struck his wife in front of their child....
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[WI] Ex-Officer Kasprzak to stand trial on 6 felonies for barrage of bullets when his ex wouldn't open the door

(Big bad wolf I'll huff and I'll puff and BLOW UP YOUR SENSE OF SAFETY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE with my assault rifle if you don't let me in, "retired" - in - the - midst - of - protection - order - violation - allegations) Milwaukee Police Officer Jack Kasprzak was scheduled to go back to court 2 days ago. I was waiting to see what the news would say, but I can't find any evidence of an October 28th hearing in the news - so here's the latest that I do have.

...Jack Kasprzak is charged with 6 felonies and could face more than 80 years in prison if convicted. He waived his preliminary hearing Monday [Oct. 12] morning. He's due back in court for arraignment October 28th. Well known defense attorney Gerald Boyle (of Jeff Dahmer fame) is representing the former cop...

Previous post

[WI] "Retired" Milwaukee Police Officer Jack Kasprzak shoots at ex-wife's house & 2 neighbor's homes. 2 injured - ...Police said the 53-year-old man retired from the Milwaukee police force about four years ago. At about the same time, officers said the man was arrested and accused of violating a restraining order in place to protect his ex-wife... police are recommending charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and recklessly endangering safety...

RETIRED OFFICER ACCUSED OF SHOOTING UP HOUSE APPEARS IN COURT
Officer Is Accused Of Shooting Up His Estranged Wife's House

WISN.com
October 12, 2009
[Excerpts] A former Milwaukee police officer will stand trial on charges he shot up his estranged wife's house. Retired Officer Jack Kasprzak appeared before a judge Monday afternoon. Police said Kasprzak went to the woman's home at 46th and Manitoba streets on the city's south side last month. Investigators said he started shooting when she wouldn't let him inside. She escaped through a back window and ran to a neighbor's house to call 911. [LINK]


OFFICER ACCUSED OF SHOOTING UP HOUSE APPEARS IN COURT
UPDATE: A judge bound him over for trial

CBS 58
12 October 2009
The former Milwaukee police officer accused of opening fire on his ex-wife’s house as well as houses nearby has been bound over for trial. Jack Kasprzak is charged with 6 felonies and could face more than 80 years in prison if convicted. He waived his preliminary hearing Monday morning. He's due back in court for arraignment October 28th. Well known defense attorney Gerald Boyle (of Jeff Dahmer fame) is representing the former cop. [LINK]

Since the last post:

EX-COP ACCUSED IN SHOOTING WON'T GET PUBLIC DEFENDER

Jack Kasprzak Has Complaints About Jail

September 22, 2009
[Excerpts] A retired Milwaukee police officer accused of shooting up a neighborhood is not qualified to get a public defender, a judge ruled Tuesday. Retired Officer Jack Kasprzak now has two choices -- hire his own attorney or have one appointed. "If it's going to go that route, I would rather pick my own attorney," Kasprzak said in court. Meanwhile, Kasprzak went to court armed with complaints about his stay in jail, beginning with a personal identification number to make jail house calls that he said doesn't work.... "The water in my cell -- there's a problem with it. I don't want to move. I like my cell. I like that area. They don't want to fix it," Kasprzak said... In one [911] call, bullets could be heard flying through windows on the house next door to the estranged wife, while the woman inside was on the phone with dispatch. "Now he’s blowing my windows out," the caller said after screaming. In another call, Kasprzak’s estranged wife told authorities she escaped the house through a back window...
Operator: "You don't know the direction he was traveling?"
Ex-wife: "No, I don't know. No. Oh my God."
Operator: "Janet, just stay where you are, where you are safe, and we have help responding to you."
Ex-wife: "OK."
The woman suffered minor injuries... Prosecutors said Kasprzak's wife got a collect call from for the county jail since her husband has been behind bars... Kasprzak was told not to contact his wife or other alleged victims following his arrest. [Full article here]
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[CT] REINSTATED OFFICER BEPKO'S ATTORNEY: "HOW SWEET IS THAT !"

(...Standing before the judge, the woman, identified only as "L.S.," trembled as she told of her fear of Bepko...)

...The 40-year-old [Bridgeport Police Officer Douglas] Bepko was fired by the Board of Police Commissioners on Aug. 7, 2007, at the recommendation of then-Police Chief Bryan Norwood. His dismissal took place after Bepko was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, criminal possession of a firearm, violation of a protective order and threatening...

BRIDGEPORT ORDERED TO REHIRE COP FIRED OVER GIRLFRIEND INCIDENT

Connecticut Post
By Daniel Tepfer
Updated: 10/29/2009 11:10:43 PM EDT
BRIDGEPORT -- A Superior Court judge has ordered the reinstatement of a city police officer fired two years ago after he was charged with choking a former girlfriend. In a 14-page decision, Judge Richard Gilardi on Thursday upheld a state arbitrator's decision ordering the city to rehire Douglas Bepko, a 13-year veteran of the police force. "How sweet is that!" exclaimed Bepko's lawyer, Michael Fitzpatrick, on hearing of the judge's decision. "It's well deserved and I'm sure officer Bepko is anxious to get back to work because he enjoys being a cop and serving the community." Fitzpatrick said because of the decision the city will be responsible for compensating Bepko for lost pay, although he was not immediately sure how much that will be. City Attorney Mark Anastasi said the city plans "to file an appeal... The 40-year-old Bepko was fired by the Board of Police Commissioners on Aug. 7, 2007, at the recommendation of then-Police Chief Bryan Norwood. His dismissal took place after Bepko was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, criminal possession of a firearm, violation of a protective order and threatening. He later pleaded guilty to reduced charges of violating a protective order and breach of peace. After completing a 26-week intensive domestic violence program, however, the charges were further reduced to the misdemeanor charge, violation as a condition of release. An independent arbitrator later ruled the city should not have fired Bepko because the charge he eventually pleaded guilty to did not constitute a fireable offense... Bepko was arrested Nov. 3, 2006, after being accused of choking and kicking his former girlfriend outside her city home... [FULL ARTICLE HERE

DUSTING OFF MY OLD BEPKO NOTES - EXCERPTS FROM PAST NEWS:

[CT] 2 OFFICERS - BEPKO & RODRIGUES - CLEARED IN EXCESSIVE FORCE CASE
05/26/2006 - Two city officers accused of using excessive force nearly two years ago have been cleared by the Board of Police Commissioners. Damien Sanchez claimed Officers Douglas Bepko and Bruno Rodrigues used excessive force while arresting him... The police board concluded that Sanchez's injuries were consistent with the officers' story... Meanwhile, the same two officers, along with Officer David Uliano, now face similar charges...

[CT] OFC. BEPKO ARRESTED FOR BEATING UP EX-GIRLFRIEND. HAS HISTORY.
11/11/06 - City police Officer Douglas Bepko has been suspended with pay following his arrest late last week on charges he choked and kicked his 37-year-old girlfriend... Police said the woman-- told them... Bepko told her, "You got two seconds to get out or I will hit you with this flashlight," then grabbed her by the hair and hit her head against the truck's window... When she demanded he release her, Bepko grabbed her by the throat and dared her to hit him, the report said. She asked why, and he allegedly replied, "So you can leave marks and I could get you arrested." He then kicked her out while grabbing her arm, causing bruises on her body, arm and shin....

[CT] CHIEF WANTS OFFICER BEPKO FIRED FOR "EXTENSIVE" DV HISTORY
11/17/06 - Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood recommends 12-year Officer Douglas Bepko be fired, following his recent arrest on an assault charge and the officer's "extensive" history of domestic violence and civilian complaints. Norwood also suspended Bepko without pay as of Tuesday after the department's Office of Internal Affairs charged him with departmental violations stemming from his Nov. 3 arrest... "As a result of the seriousness of [the charges] and Officer Bepko's extensive history of civilian complaints of domestic violence, I have determined that I will recommend Officer Bepko be terminated," Norwood said...

[CT] UNION SAYS OFFICER BEPKO'S SUSPENSION FOR DV IS ILLEGAL
11/23/06 - The unpaid suspension of city Police Officer Douglas Bepko... is illegal, a police union lawyer said Tuesday. The union will present its case to three members of the Board of Police Commissioners at a 10 a.m. Friday... [Police Chief Bryan] Norwood wants Bepko fired, but the termination must be approved by the police board. He said Bepko has a history of excessive force complaints from civilians, as well as domestic violence. The officer also cannot carry a firearm because of a court-imposed restraining order resulting from his arrest. A 15-day suspension was the most the chief could impose at the time he disciplined Bepko. But now he can suspend personnel for up to 30 days...

[CT] UPDATE ON OFFICER BEPKO (WHO THE CHIEF CAN'T FIRE) 3/19/07
City Police Officer Douglas Bepko, facing criminal and departmental charges from an alleged domestic assault, has been suspended for seven months without pay and will be fired if convicted in court... Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood wanted the panel to fire Bepko. The chief can at most suspend officers... "It's clear to me the Board of Police Commissioners is not prepared to make decisions which will positively affect the demeanor and discipline of the officers of the city of Bridgeport," said Norwood... the woman Bepko is accused of assaulting said she was "disgusted." After the hearing, the chief told her, "I'm sorry"... Bepko, 39, an officer for 13 years, is accused of pushing, choking and kicking his girlfriend... subsequently arrested for allegedly violating a protective order...

[CT] TOWARDS IACP ZERO TOLERANCE OF COP DV ON BRIDGEPORT PD
3/21/07 - People with a record of domestic violence should be barred from the city's police force, according to two City Council members. Robert S. Walsh and Elaine Pivirotto, both D-132, have renewed their call for the Board of Police Commissioners to adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy among the ranks of city law-enforcement personnel. They initially proposed the crackdown in December 2005 when it appeared Deputy Police Chief Anthony S. Armeno might have been a candidate for chief. Armeno had been disciplined, but not arrested, for several domestic violence incidents involving a female city officer 10 years earlier... The council members reiterated their request at Monday's council meeting in City Hall, after a police board committee last Friday suspended veteran Officer Douglas Bepko for seven months...

[CT] TO BRIDGEPORT COUNCILMEMBERS PIVIOTTO & WALSH
3/21/07 - Dear Councilmembers Piviotto & Walsh, Saw you both - AGAIN - taking on the task of raising the bar concerning eradicating domestic abusers from among the ranks of the Bridgeport Police Department... I wrote you in December 2005 also and that email is attached below... Here is my list of Connecticut officer-involved dv cases that I have gathered the informaion on in the past few years - any of which is available to you at your request...

[CT] BRIDGEPORT TAKES STAND AGAINST OFFICER-INVOLVED DV
4/4/07 - The commission voted unanimously to approve a zero tolerance measure after a 13-year veteran officer, Douglas Bepko, was arrested for beating his girlfriend. Instead of being fired, as recommended by the chief, Bepko was suspended 7-months. The Public Safety Commission says that is not enough... The IACP standards bar departments from hiring people with a domestic violence background, promoting officers involved in domestic violence and terminating those convicted of it... The police board, which sets department policy, is not obligated to abide by the resolution... "We will be sending a strong message to the Board of Police Commissioners to act and to act now," said City Council member Elaine Pivirotto, D-132, who co-sponsored the resolution with her colleague, Robert S. Walsh... The woman Bepko is accused of punching, choking and kicking attended the council committee meeting Monday, but did not speak...

[CT] CONTACTING THE TWO STANDING UP FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
4/5/07 - [132nd District] Robert S. Walsh (D) 56 Redding Place Bridgeport, CT 06604 (203) 368-0014 Res. EMAIL [HERE] -- Elaine Pivirotto (D) 2625 Park Avenue Unit 9E Bridgeport, CT 06604 (203) 336-2843 Res. EMAIL [HERE]

[CT] COUNCIL WANTS IACP STANDARD FOR COP DOMESTIC ABUSE
4/20/07 - Trying to spur the city's Board of Police Commissioners to crack down on officers committing domestic violence, the City Council has approved a resolution that calls for offending officers to be more sternly disciplined. The resolution, adopted unanimously - recommends the police board, which oversees discipline in the department, adopt stricter standards drawn up by the International Association of Chiefs of Police... Mayor John M. Fabrizi praised the resolution and said he would sign it as soon as it hit his desk... But Fabrizi wouldn't commit to a proposal from Robert S. Walsh, D-132, calling for him to veto any appointments to the police board who would not back IACP standards... An appeal by the most recently suspended officer, Douglas Bepko, is pending...

[CT] BRIDGEPORT [COP] "DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROPOSAL OPPOSED"
5/27/07 - The vice chairman of the city's Board of Police Commissioners says that he opposes enacting a stricter policy for police officers accused of domestic violence than for civilians. Two City Council members and the council's Women's Caucus urged the panel at its meeting this week to adopt stricter standards dealing with offending police officers that could require terminating officers convicted of the crime and block the hiring of domestic violence offenders... Board member Daniel Roach asked the council members to check if other Connecticut municipal police departments have adopted the IACP policy. The council members promised to review it...

[CT] PRESSURING BRIDGEPORT TO HANDLE COP DV AS A CRIME
6/10/07 - The president of the Greater Bridgeport chapter of the NAACP is circulating a petition demanding that the entire membership of the city's Board of Police Commissioners be removed or step down... the board's failure to fire police officers accused of crime, such as domestic violence and drug law violations, creates a chain reaction that leads to distrust of the police and poses a hurdle to officers doing their jobs effectively... Kelly did not mention specific officers in the petition, but the NAACP branch has opposed the board's punishment of Officer Douglas Bepko...

[CT] JUDGE DENIES SPECIAL PROBATION FOR OFFICER BEPKO
6/15/07 - ...A Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied special probation for Douglas Bepko... Judge Brian Fischer ruled the accusations against the 40-year-old Bepko are too serious to warrant granting him either accelerated rehabilitation or the family violence education program. Under either program, completion of a period of probation would have meant the charges against Bepko would have been dismissed. He is charged with third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, criminal possession of a firearm, violation of a protective order and threatening... Standing before the judge, the woman, identified only as "L.S.," trembled as she told of her fear of Bepko. "I feel very threatened by him"...

[CT] COULD IT BE TRUE? OFFICER BEPKO FINALLY FIRED FOR DV?
8/8/07 -
...Bepko, a 13-year-police veteran, faced charges of third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, second-degree unlawful restraint and violation of a protective order with regard to a Nov. 3 incident in which he reportedly choked and kicked his 37-year-old girlfriend outside her home. Bepko pleaded guilty to at least one of the charges in court Monday, Kanasky said. The chairman said the board's decision was in keeping with a policy set by the International Police Chief's Association, which states an officer should be terminated upon conviction of a domestic violation offense...

[CT] OFFICER BEPKO'S CHARGES COULD BE DROPPED ENTIRELY
8/11/07 - ...charged with third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, criminal possession of a firearm, violation of a protective order and threatening... He said if Bepko successfully completes the program and fully complies with the conditions, the charges against him will be reduced to misdemeanors and he will be put on probation... FITZPATRICK CONTENDS IT IS POSSIBLE THE CHARGES AGAINST BEPKO COULD BE DROPPED ENTIRELY once he complies with the court directives... The charges stem from an incident last Nov. 3 when Bepko, a 13-year veteran of Bridgeport's police force, was arrested for allegedly choking and kicking his 37-year-old girlfriend...
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[CO] Officer Tonello arrested for harassing ex-girlfriend, but not for stalking

...The woman said she received two more knocks on her door early that morning... she heard a police radio and went to the door, armed with her loaded handgun. She opened the door to [Palisade Police Officer James] Tonello and asked what he wanted. Tonello said he wanted to talk to her... The woman said Tonello had previously sent her text messages in a similar fashion since they had broken up and that “it has come to the point where it needs to stop,” the affidavit said. She said, however, that she didn’t want to cause problems for Tonello or see him lose his job... Sheriff’s officials wrote in the affidavit that they discussed whether to pursue stalking charges against Tonello but concluded there wasn’t enough evidence...

Video:


PALISADE OFFICER HARASSED HER, WOMAN ALLEGES
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
By Mike Wiggins
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
[Excerpts] A Palisade police officer has been arrested on allegations he harassed his ex-girlfriend with text messages and by calling her and knocking on her apartment door in the middle of the night. Mesa County sheriff’s investigators arrested Stephen James Tonello... on Friday on suspicion of harassment, a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. He spent Friday night in the Mesa County Jail and was released Saturday morning after posting a $200 bond... Palisade Police Chief Carroll Quarles said he placed Tonello on paid administrative leave Friday while he conducts an internal investigation. “When I finish with the personnel issue, whatever disciplinary action that needs to be taken will be taken, if any,” he said... Tonello’s ex-girlfriend called police last Friday to report that he had been harassing her over the phone. She said she had recently broken up with him because he was too controlling, indicating that he tried to control what she ate and where she went... She told investigators that around 4 a.m. Friday she began receiving text messages and a phone call from Tonello. About an hour later, she said, someone knocked on the exterior door to her bedroom... She said she asked who was there but didn’t receive a response... The woman said she received two more knocks on her door early that morning... she heard a police radio and went to the door, armed with her loaded handgun. She opened the door to Tonello and asked what he wanted. Tonello said he wanted to talk to her, but then said “never mind” and left after he saw the woman’s new boyfriend standing behind her, the affidavit said. The woman said after she called police, Tonello sent her a text message that contained disparaging, vulgar language. He sent another message while deputies were meeting with the woman at her apartment that read, in part, “Now I can finally move on. Thanks. Noe (sic) regrets.” Deputies reviewed the text messages and found that Tonello had sent six of them between 3:45 a.m. and 8 a.m.... The woman said Tonello had previously sent her text messages in a similar fashion since they had broken up and that “it has come to the point where it needs to stop,” the affidavit said. She said, however, that she didn’t want to cause problems for Tonello or see him lose his job. Deputies contacted Tonello at his apartment, and he admitted to going to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, calling her and sending her text messages. He said she had not told him not to contact her, the affidavit said. Sheriff’s officials wrote in the affidavit that they discussed whether to pursue stalking charges against Tonello but concluded there wasn’t enough evidence, the affidavit said... [Full article here]

PALISADE COP ARRESTED FOR HARASSMENT A Palisade Police officer is facing harassment charges after being arrested by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.
Reporter: KKCO tips@Nbc11news.com
Posted: 2:21 PM Oct 28, 2009
[Excerpts] ... Palisade Police Chief Carroll Quarles says Tenello is a stellar officer and employee and until this allegation of harassment he has never had a complaint against him. Tenello has worked with the Palisade Police Department since April. Tonello is out on bond and will be back in court on Friday. His arrest affadavit is below... Tonello is the third officer in the Grand Valley to be arrested this year. Courtney Crooks was arrested on Aug. 28 on harassment charges. He is scheduled for trial and has resigned from the Grand Junction Police Department. On Oct. 1, Grand Junction Police Officer Glenn Coyne was arrested and fired after allegations of sexual assault. Days after being released from jail he took his own life. [Full article here]

THIRD GRAND VALLEY POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED
KJCT8
By Sara Goldenberg sgoldenberg@kjct8.com
Posted: Oct 28, 2009 09:31 AM
Updated: Oct 28, 2009 05:15 PM
[Excerpts] ... Right now the sheriff's office is conducting a criminal investigation into the case against Officer Tonello. The Palisade Police Chief tells us he's on paid administrative leave and will not return to duty until the criminal case wraps up. Residents from the small town of Palisade are shocked. "I'm really concerned about how this is slipping by. I'm just wondering what sort of screening they really do," said Judy Harris, who works in Palisade... "I know that police officers are human beings, one of my children is a police officer. I know that she hates when she hears one's arrested," Harris said... Harris says something is not working at our local police departments. "A lot of people are attracted to being a police officer because it puts them in a power situation. During their testing, those are the people that are supposed to be weeded out" she said... [Full article here]
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Taking some days off...

The last few days I've posted next to nothing. I keep trying to make my way back but some things are going on behind the scenes so instead of thinking I should be updating this blog I've decided to give myself permission to not. I'll be back soon.

Feel free to send me relevant news or info in the meantime.

Much love,
Cloud

Monday, October 26, 2009

[NY] Just fired ex-NYPD Fowler stealthed golf course, entered gated community, to shoot estranged wife, Dr. Fowler, 5 times

...A former city cop shot his estranged college-professor wife five times because he was angry over being fired after she had him arrested for following her... Ms. Fowler was offered safe housing and a panic alarm, but she declined and left the precinct... retired NYPD officer Darryl Fowler made his way into the gated Strathmore on the Green community by sneaking onto the surrounding golf course... Fowler broke down the door to the home and shot the woman five times...

Previous post:
[NYPD] Michelle's estranged retired cop husband tried to kill her but she survived - ...Michelle's ex-husband... said she was shot five times, but was expected to survive. "She's the mother of my two kids; she's a good mother, so thank God," he said. "Did she deserve this? No. It's just a bad situation." The couple have two teenage daughters; the 16-year-old was home during the Tuesday attack but not hurt...

..."Our family is sorry for the other family, Michelle's family.... [We] want to extend their hopes that Mrs. Fowler makes a full recovery"...

EX-COP 'SHOOTS' ESTRANGED WIFE
New York Post
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 11:05 AM, October 22, 2009
Posted: 3:03 AM, October 22, 2009
[Excerpts] A former city cop shot his estranged college-professor wife five times because he was angry over being fired after she had him arrested for following her, police said yesterday... The Tuesday night shooting came on the same day that the suspect was canned from working as a test proctor at Suffolk County Community College, where she's a professor and administrator. [Full article here]

Video:


EX-NYPD OFFICER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO SHOOTING WIFE
Newsday
By Andrew Strickler and Sophia Chang. andrew.strickler@newsday.com, sophia.chang@newsday.com
October 24, 2009
[Excerpts] The former city police officer who police say shot his estranged wife several times in the Middle Island home they once shared pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Saturday. Darryl Fowler, 43, who left the NYPD 10 years ago, burst into the house through a locked door just before 11 p.m. Tuesday and shot his wife, Michelle, 46, five times as she lay in bed, prosecutors say. She survived and remains hospitalized at Stony Brook University Medical Center. At Fowler's arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip, a Suffolk prosecutor said Fowler "kicked in the door" of the home before opening fire. He drove away, only to sideswipe an ambulance rushing to the scene and crash into a tree, the prosecutor said. Fowler was found with a revolver in his waistband, officials said. Fowler, who was treated at Stony Brook for a head injury, was charged with attempted murder, burglary, assault, aggravated criminal contempt and criminal use of a weapon. He was ordered held on $1 million bail or $2 million bond. A grand jury is expected to hear the case this week. Orders of protection were issued against Fowler in April and on Sept. 29, stemming from two domestic disturbances at the house... About a dozen Fowler family members and supporters attended the hearing. Afterward, an elderly man whom Doddato identified as Fowler's father, Teddy, sat down on a bench outside the courtroom and appeared to have trouble breathing... Another man in the group who declined to give his name said, "Our family is sorry for the other family, Michelle's family." Doddato said members of the Fowler family "want to extend their hopes that Mrs. Fowler makes a full recovery."... [Full article here]


COPS: RETIRED NYPD OFFICER SHOT WIFE BEFORE FLEEING SCENE
Woman had filed complaint with police just hours earlier
North Shore Sun
By Peggy Spellman Hoey
October 22, 2009
[Excerpts] Darryl Fowler wrote about learning from bad relationships on his Facebook page Tuesday morning. Hours later, Suffolk Police say, the retired NYPD cop entered the Middle Island home of his estranged wife and shot her multiple times with a .38-caliber handgun. Det. Sgt. James Madden of the Sixth Squad in Selden said Wednesday that Michelle Fowler, 46, was shot inside her Dorado Court home shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday night. Her husband then attempted to flee the scene but his 2001 GMC Yukon 4x4 sideswiped an ambulance headed to treat his wife for her injuries, police said, preventing him from getting away... Hours before the shooting, Ms. Fowler had filed a complaint about her estranged husband at the Sixth Precinct, reporting that he had just violated an order of protection by telephoning her, police said. The shooting follows a recent history of domestic disturbances at the home Ms. Fowler shared with her two teenage daughters daughter from a previous relationship and, until recently, her husband. Mr. Fowler, 46, who had recently returned to live in his hometown of Amityville, was charged Sept. 28 in another instance of domestic violence. In that incident he was charged with criminal mischief for damaging property, second-degree criminal contempt for disobeying a court order and fourth-degree criminal mischief for preventing an emergency call. Det. Sgt. Madden said police began actively looking for Mr. Fowler after Ms. Fowler notified them Tuesday evening. After the interview, Ms. Fowler was offered safe housing and a panic alarm, but she declined and left the precinct... Mr. Fowler has been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree assault, aggravated criminal contempt and first-degree criminal use of a weapon for his role in the incident... Mr. Fowler, who advertises his services online as a handyman, had recently been hired on a per diem basis as a test proctor at Suffolk County Community College. Mary Lou Araneo, vice president for institutional advancement at the college, said he had worked just one day before the shooting. A peek at Mr. Fowler's page on the social networking site Facebook reveals recent struggles in his life, including posts from himself and others about his marriage breaking up and financial difficulties... [Full article here]

Video:


EX-COP ACCUSED OF TRYING TO KILL ESTRANGED WIFE
News12
(10/21/09)
[Excerpts] A Middle Island woman is in critical condition after police say her estranged husband broke into her home and shot her Tuesday night. Authorities say retired NYPD officer Darryl Fowler made his way into the gated Strathmore on the Green community by sneaking onto the surrounding golf course. According to police, Fowler broke down the door to the home and shot the woman five times in the torso. The two worked at Suffolk Community College, police say, and Fowler just learned he was fired because his wife took out an order of protection against him... [Full article here]

EX-COP 'SHOOTS' ESTRANGED WIFE
New York Post
By KIERAN CROWLEY
Last Updated: 11:05 AM, October 22, 2009
Posted: 3:03 AM, October 22, 2009
[Excerpts] A former city cop shot his estranged college-professor wife five times because he was angry over being fired after she had him arrested for following her, police said yesterday... The Tuesday night shooting came on the same day that the suspect was canned from working as a test proctor at Suffolk County Community College, where she's a professor and administrator. [Full article here]

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

[VA] Blacksburg Officer charged with sexual and domestic crimes against his girlfriend

Blacksburg Police Officer Johnnie Self is facing charges of sexual battery and domestic assault.

BLACKSBURG POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL BATTERY
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said the Blacksburg officer turned himself in.
Roanoke Times
By Shawna Morrison
October 23, 2009
[Excerpts]
A Blacksburg police officer was charged this week with aggravated sexual battery, a felony, and misdemeanor domestic assault and battery. Johnnie Lee Self Jr., 37, was arrested Tuesday by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and released on $100,000 bond the same day. He is on leave from the Blacksburg Police Department, Chief Kim Crannis said... The charges stemmed from a report made to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office... Self was charged after an investigation by the sheriff's office and consultation with a special prosecutor, he said. Self is accused of sexually abusing the woman through her mental incapacity or physical helplessness... He was in a relationship with the woman... The county commonwealth's attorney's office recused itself from the case, which is being handled by the Carroll County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office... Self maintains his innocence. [Full article here]
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[IN] Police Chief Hunter fires new Officer Klaehn the same day domestic assault was reported

...[Warsaw Police Chief Perry] Hunter, who was in contact with Fort Wayne police, told [Warsaw Police Officer Joseph] Klaehn to meet him at the police station Friday night and instructed Klaehn to bring all WPD-issued items such as his weapon and uniform... Klaehn was fired Friday night during a closed door meeting with Police Chief Perry Hunter. Klaehn was arrested early Friday morning at his Fort Wayne home for allegedly slapping his wife several times... According to the police report, Klaehn allegedly made threats and struck his wife in front of their child....

WARSAW POLICE OFFICER FACES FELONY CHARGE AFTER ALLEGED ASSAULT

Indiana News Center
By Scott Sarvay
Oct 23, 2009
[Excerpts] A Warsaw police officer faces a felony charge after allegedly assaulting his wife with their two young children in the house... Klaehn was arrested Friday morning after police say he slapped his wife several times across the face. The domestic battery charge is a felony because the alleged incident took place while the couple's 3-and 5-year old sons were in the home. [Full article here]

WARSAW OFFICER ARRESTED IN DOMESTIC DISPUTE, FIRED
Michael Zennie
The Journal Gazette
October 24, 2009
[Excerpts] A Warsaw police officer is free on bail after Fort Wayne police arrested him early Friday on a charge he hit his wife. Warsaw Police Chief Perry Hunter said he fired Joseph Klaehn, 31, of the 1600 block of Echo Lane in Fort Wayne, after learning of the arrest... A friend of Klaehn’s wife called officers and urged her to file a police report. The couple’s two small children were asleep at the home during the assault, police said... Klaehn joined the Warsaw Police Department in March and was scheduled to go to the police academy in January. He was still a probationary officer, so the department can fire him immediately instead of waiting for public safety board proceedings... Klaehn was formerly an Allen County confinement officer. He was booked into the Allen County Lockup about 3 a.m. on a single count of domestic battery. He was released on $2,500 bond... [Full article here]

OFFICER FIRED FOR ALLEGED BATTERY Warsaw Officer faces felony domestic battery
Chris Hopper
23 Oct 2009
[Excerpts] NewsChannel 15 has learned Warsaw Police Officer Joseph Klaehn was fired Friday night during a closed door meeting with Police Chief Perry Hunter. Klaehn was arrested early Friday morning at his Fort Wayne home for allegedly slapping his wife several times... According to the police report, Klaehn allegedly made threats and struck his wife in front of their child.... [Full article here]

WPD OFFICER ARRESTED, FIRED AFTER FORT WAYNE INCIDENT
Times-Union
Daniel Riordan
10/24/2009
[Excerpts] A Warsaw Police Department probationary officer was fired Friday after his arrest in Fort Wayne for allegedly assaulting his wife. Joseph Robert Klaehn was booked into Allen County Jail at 2:35 a.m. Friday and charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery. Friday afternoon WPD Chief Perry Hunter told the Times-Union he believed the charge was a felony which would have kept Klaehn in jail for at least 72 hours... Hunter, who was in contact with Fort Wayne police, told Klaehn to meet him at the police station Friday night and instructed Klaehn to bring all WPD-issued items such as his weapon and uniform. During the 15-minute meeting Friday night, Hunter informed Klaehn he was fired... According to a redacted report from the Fort Wayne Police Department, dispatch received a call from a complainant stating that a woman was at his home was assaulted... [Full article here]
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[FL] Another Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy arrested for domestic violence

HILLSBOROUGH DEPUTY CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ABC Action News
Reported by: Don Germaise
Email: dgermaise@abcactionnews.com
Contributor: Jeff Butera
10/22/2009 Last Update: 6:09 am
[Excerpts] HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL -- A Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy is off the job and behind bars today. Corporal Vivino Millan is charged with domestic battery. He was arrested Wednesday night, accused of back-handing his girlfriend... According to a Sheriff's Office statement, the officers determined that the woman and Corporal Millan had been "riding together in a vehicle when Millan hit her on the lip with the back of his hand." Millan was not there when deptuies arrived. They contacted him on his cell phone and met him in a parking lot in the Westchase area next to his county-assigned car... The sheriff confirmed deputies took Millan's badge and gun at the time of his arrest. Millan has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the internal investigation. [Full article here]

HILLSBOROUGH DEPUTY AND WIFE ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ABC Action News
Reported by: Carly Timmons
Email: ctimmons@abcactionnews.com
January 28, 2009 1:30 pm
[Excerpts] MULBERRY, FL - The Polk County Sheriff's Office has arrested a Hillsborough County Deputy and his wife for domestic violence. Deputies responded to the Mulberry residence of Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy, Craig D. Henson, and his wife, Joycelyn Henson on Tuesday morning after receiving a call about an alleged domestic violence incident. The investigation showed that an altercation between the two ensued after Joycelyn Henson attempted to answer her husband's ringing cell phone. The caller hung up when she answered. Deputy Henson told deputies that his wife became angry over the incident and threw something at him striking him in the face. Joycelyn Henson said the object was a child's rubber ball... Joycelyn Henson also told Polk County Sheriff's Deputies that Deputy Henson kicked her in the stomach. Deputy Henson admitted that he "kicked at" his wife, for hitting him with the object, but wasn't sure if he hit her or not. Both have been charged with Battery... [Full article here]
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Friday, October 23, 2009

[NYPD] Michelle's estranged retired cop husband tried to kill her but she survived

...Michelle's ex-husband... said she was shot five times, but was expected to survive. "She's the mother of my two kids; she's a good mother, so thank God," he said. "Did she deserve this? No. It's just a bad situation." The couple have two teenage daughters; the 16-year-old was home during the Tuesday attack but not hurt...

EX-COP ACCUSED OF SHOOTING WIFE IN MIDDLE ISLAND
LongIslandPress.com
Written by Timothy Bolger
October 21, 2009
[Excerpts] Suffolk police arrested a retired New York City Police officer after he allegedly broke into his estranged wife’s Middle Island home and shot her on Tuesday night. Darryl Fowler, 43, of Amityville, broke into the victim’s Dorado Court South home and shot 46-year-old Michelle Fowler multiple times shortly before 11 p.m., according to 6th Squad detectives. Fowler fled the scene... and sideswiped a southbound ambulance that was responding to aid his estranged wife... A short time later, the Yukon also struck a tree. The victim was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center where she was listed in stable condition... Fowler was charged with second-degree attempted murder, burglary, assault, aggravated criminal contempt and criminal use of a weapon... The former officer was charged with criminal contempt and criminal mischief for allegedly kicking his estranged wife’s door on Sept. 28, which violated a year-long ”refrain from contacting” order of protection that a judge issued in April... After that incident, a judge also issued a “stay away” order of protection [Full article here]

COP CHARGED IN SHOOTING FACED 2 ORDERS OF PROTECTION
Newsday
Andrew Strickler
October 21, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Suffolk police said orders of protection were issued in April and September against Darryl Fowler, 43, arrested in his hospital bed Wednesday at Stony Brook University Medical Center and charged with trying to murder his wife... Police said Fowler, who retired from the NYPD 10 years ago, burst through the locked door of the Middle Island home the couple once shared just before 11 p.m. Tuesday. He then went upstairs and shot her as she lay in bed. Minutes after his wife's teenage daughter called 911, Fowler was at the wheel of a sport utility vehicle on Bartlett Road a short distance away when he sideswiped an ambulance rushing to assist her, swerved off the road and crashed head-on into a tree... Michelle, 46, survived the shooting and was airlifted to Stony Brook... In April, police said, Darryl Fowler called 911 from the house and reported his wife bit him; she told officers he'd pushed her, said Det. Sgt. James Madden. They agreed to resolve the matter, and no charges were filed. The next day, a Suffolk family court judge issued Darryl Fowler a stay-away order. Police were again called there on Sept. 28 by a 911 call from Michelle; the report indicated Fowler damaged the front door when entering, police said. Fowler, who no longer lived at the home, was arrested and charged with criminal contempt for violating the order of protection and criminal mischief. The next day, a Suffolk criminal court judge placed a second order of protection against him. Michelle's ex-husband, Wayne Cummings of Coram, said she was shot five times, but was expected to survive. "She's the mother of my two kids; she's a good mother, so thank God," he said. "Did she deserve this? No. It's just a bad situation." The couple have two teenage daughters... Fowler was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary, assault, aggravated criminal contempt and criminal use of a weapon. Police said he will be arraigned in the hospital bed if he does not get medical clearance to go to court. [Full article here]
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Thursday, October 22, 2009

[HI] Recently resigned Maui Police Sgt. Barry Alford has killed his wife Karolyn and himself


From video:
"...Police now say one of the dead was one of their own..."


...Alford's daughter was on the phone with her mother Karolyn at the time of the shooting and quickly called 911. "I was just speaking with my mother and I could hear them screaming and then I think I heard a gun, a gun shoot”... Barry Alford worked for the Maui police department off and on from 1985 until April of last year...

EX-OFFICER'S DEATH A SUICIDE, WIFE'S A HOMICIDE, POLICE SAY
Honolulu Advertiser
October 21, 2009
[Excerpts] A former Maui police officer shot his wife and himself in an apparent murder-suicide Monday, the Maui Police Department said yesterday. Officials yesterday identified the victims as , 59, and Karolyn Alford, 58. The two were found dead of gunshot wounds in their Makawao home Monday night... Karolyn Alford was a former employee of Kapalua Land Co. [Full article here]

...Karolyn Alford was "a very nice, sweet woman." "During the holidays she made Christmas fudge and brought us a pan... she would always come over and give me a hug. I'm heartbroken and sad to know what happened to good neighbors like that"...

MAUI COUPLE SHOT TO DEATH Bodies of ex-officer, wife found at home in apparent murder-suicide
Honolulu Advertiser
By Christie Wilson
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Maui police said officers responding to a 911 call at 10:15 p.m. Monday found the couple inside their home... Since investigators were still waiting yesterday to formally identify the victims, the Police Department said it would not issue any information on Barry Alford's employment record until their names are released. Autopsies are scheduled for today. However, several police officers told The Advertiser that Alford resigned from the Maui police force years ago and was hired back, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant. He resigned a second time to move to Las Vegas, then returned to Maui and was rehired as a sergeant. He resigned a third time, within the past year, said the police officers, who did not want to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak about the case... Becky Serrato, 53, said the Alfords were "nice neighbors" and that Karolyn Alford was "a very nice, sweet woman." "During the holidays she made Christmas fudge and brought us a pan. She knew we had boys... I work at the floral department at Foodland (in Pukalani) and she would always come over and give me a hug. I'm heartbroken and sad to know what happened to good neighbors like that"... [Full article here]

..."It's a sad day for the Maui Police Department, being that Barry Alford was a former employee of our department," Maui County Police Chief Gary Yabuta said Wednesday. "We just want to continue to support the family through this terrible tragedy"...

MURDER-SUICIDE INVESTIGATED AT MAKAWAO HOME
Maui News
By Lila Fujimoto and Melissa Tanji
October 21, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Another neighbor, Kanani Keau, said she didn't hear anything unusual Monday night. But she did see many police cars at the home. "I knew something bad wen' happen," she said Tuesday morning. She said she didn't know the man well but knew his wife, Karolyn. She said the woman brought her plants and flowers for special occasions and also fudge. Keau said she house-sat for the couple about two years ago, taking care of their two dogs... [Full article here]


EX-OFFICER SHOOTS HIS WIFE BEFORE KILLING HIMSELF, MAUI POLICE SAY
starbulletin
By Rosemarie Bernardo rbernardo@starbulletin.com
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 22, 2009
[Excerpts] ...In a statement, Maui Police Chief Gary Yabuta said, "We are saddened for the family of the late Barry and Karolyn Alford. The department will be missing a fine former employee. Former Sgt. Alford was a dependable employee until he decided to resign in April 2008"... The couple is survived by a daughter.
[Full article here]

... Alford had worked as a police officer for more than 17 years during three employment stints with the Maui Police Department...

911 CALL OF THE MOMENTS AFTER MAUI MURDER-SUICIDE
khon2.com
Last Update: 10/21 10:10 pm
...Alford's daughter was on the phone with her mother Karolyn at the time of the shooting and quickly called 911. "I was just speaking with my mother and I could hear them screaming and then I think I heard a gun, a gun shoot,” said the victim’s daughter in the 911 call. “And I could hear screaming and fighting in the background and I just tried calling her and now her phone is busy.” Barry Alford worked for the Maui police department off and on from 1985 until April of last year. [Full article here]

FORMER OFFICER SHOT WIFE, THEN SELF
Maui News
By Lila Fujimoto
POSTED: October 22, 2009
[Excerpts] WAILUKU - A former Maui police officer shot himself once in the head after shooting his wife twice in what police are investigating as a murder-suicide Monday night at a Makawao home... Police said autopsy results showed Barry Alford died from a self-inflicted single gunshot wound to his head. Karolyn Alford was killed by two gunshot wounds, to her head and her chest, police said. "It's a sad day for the Maui Police Department, being that Barry Alford was a former employee of our department," Maui County Police Chief Gary Yabuta said Wednesday. "We just want to continue to support the family through this terrible tragedy." Alford had worked as a police officer for more than 17 years during three employment stints with the Maui Police Department. According to police, he first joined the department on April 16, 1985, before resigning on July 14, 1987. He was rehired on June 16, 1990, and was promoted to sergeant and then lieutenant before resigning on Nov. 3, 2000. He was again rehired as a sergeant on Feb. 18, 2003, and worked at the receiving desk of the Wailuku Police Station before resigning on April 30, 2008... "He always seemed pleasant at work," said Capt. Charles Hirata. "I think it's sad." Capt. Larry Hudson, who got to know Alford both on and off the job, said he was surprised to hear about what happened. "He was very professional, and he was personable at the same time," Hudson said. "It's very sad for all the families involved." Noting that the deaths occurred during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Lucy Feinberg, Maui regional director of Parents And Children Together, said the tragedy underscores the message to "stop the silence on domestic violence"... She said neighbors can help by looking out for each other and calling 911 if something seems wrong. "You never know - you might be in a position to save someone's life," Feinberg said. "If you hear something that seems very odd, it's better to call and let the police investigate. If it's nothing, then it's a few minutes of people's lives." She said some people mistakenly believe only certain people are affected by domestic violence. "It happens any time and anywhere," Feinberg said. "We know that it's across all incomes, all ethnic groups"... [Full article here]
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