[TN] Murfreesboro Police Officer Whitehead accused of beating 9 year old daughter he has custody of

...[Rutherford County Sheriff's] Detective Lisa McCallum investigated the report and presented her findings to a grand jury Nov. 7. Those findings included that [Murfreesboro Police Officer Anthony] Whitehead had disciplined his daughter, causing what McCallum deemed “excessive bruising on her buttocks and ... thighs.” Officer Anthony Whitehead, who was indicted on a single count of misdemeanor child abuse last week, has custody of the daughter he is accused of abusing has been locked in a custody dispute with the girl’s mother... Whitehead was also decommissioned in March 2008 for an incident during a traffic stop... "He made me lay on the ground and kept telling me 'Fight me. Just go ahead fight me, resist me. Make my day.'"... Officials with the Murfreesboro Police Department said Whitehead's personnel file contained disciplinary write-ups throughout his 11 years on the force... Whitehead’s personnel file showed he received numerous disciplinary action and suspended days off without pay...

OFFICER INDICTED ON CHILD ABUSE CHARGE HAS CUSTODY OF GIRL: Facebook users defend officer charged with abuse of 9-year-old daughter
DNJ.com
Written by Mark Bell
9:45 PM, Nov 12, 2012
[Excerpts] A number of Facebook users are coming to the defense of a Murfreesboro Police officer accused of abusing his 9-year-old daughter as he battles with his former wife for custody of the child. Still other posters are saying the judicial system should be allowed to work. Documents obtained by The Daily News Journal reveal MPD Officer Anthony Whitehead, who was indicted on a single count of misdemeanor child abuse last week, has custody of the daughter he is accused of abusing and that he has been locked in a custody dispute with the girl’s mother, Whitehead’s ex-wife, for several months... RCSO Detective Lisa McCallum investigated the report and presented her findings to a grand jury Nov. 7. Those findings included that Whitehead had disciplined his daughter, causing what McCallum deemed “excessive bruising on her buttocks and ... thighs.” While the sheriff’s office and McCallum haven’t said exactly how Whitehead disciplined his daughter, family members of Whitehead’s ex-wife, Christie Neese, have claimed in a public Facebook posting that Whitehead spanked the 9-year-old with a belt... Among the posters defending Whitehead are former MPD Officer Timothy Meeks, the wife of a current Murfreesboro Police officer, and a woman identifying herself as an officer. Another individual, identified by some on the page as a magistrate, also made a comment defending Whitehead. Her identity could not be independently verified by The Daily News Journal... Tracey Elkins, the poster who identified herself as a police officer, wrote, “He (Whitehead) is a good man and a good dad, the truth will come out.”... Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans has since confirmed that Tracey Elkins is actually Tracey Womack, an officer with the Murfreesboro Police Department... Whitehead remains employed at MPD pending adjudication of the case. He is on decommissioned status, meaning he has no police powers and that he is not carrying a badge or his service weapon... Whitehead will be arraigned in Rutherford County Circuit Court later this month. [Full article here]

MURFREESBORO OFFICER DECOMMISSIONED AFTER CHILD ABUSE CHARGES
NewsChannel 5 WTVF-TV
Posted: Nov 08, 2012 1:43 PM PST
Updated: Nov 09, 2012 4:01 AM PST
[Excerpts] An officer with the Murfreesboro Police Department has been decommissioned after being indicted on misdemeanor child abuse charges. Police department spokesperson Kyle Evans said Officer Anthony Whitehead, age 39, went to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office to be served with the indictment rather than be served papers by a deputy. Officials said Whitehead was decommissioned and placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the case. A report filed on September 16 with the Sheriff's Office said Whitehead was accused of physically abusing his 9-year-old daughter... Whitehead was also decommissioned in March 2008 for an incident during a traffic stop. He was investigated for allegedly going too far during a traffic stop... Whitehead stopped the truck driver and confronted him out of view of the squad car dash camera. Driver James Snowden said he was ordered out of the cab at gunpoint and handcuffed for misdemeanor failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. "He made me lay on the ground and kept telling me 'Fight me. Just go ahead fight me, resist me. Make my day.' I'm thinking ease up now. If I did something wrong I'll take a ticket," Snowden said... Officials with the Murfreesboro Police Department said Whitehead's personnel file contained disciplinary write-ups throughout his 11 years on the force. [Full article here]

UPDATE: MURFREESBORO OFFICER ACCUSED OF MISDEMEANOR CHILD ABUSE
WGNS Radio
Published: November 8, 2012
[Excerpts] A Murfreesboro police officer has been accused of child abuse. Officer Anthony Whitehead was indicted by a grand jury in Rutherford County. The charge Whitehead faces is a misdemeanor charge of child abuse, according to Sgt. Kyle Evans. The Murfreesboro Police Department has decommissioned Officer Whitehead until the court case has concluded. Whitehead has been placed on administrative duty. Whitehead turned himself in at the Sheriff’s Department and was released on bond Thursday afternoon... According to a 2008 article in the Murfreesboro Post, "Whitehead’s personnel file showed he received numerous disciplinary action and suspended days off without pay for missing court, being late to work and abusing the city’s sick leave"... A hearing is scheduled Nov. 19 in Circuit Court. [Full article here]

2008:

OFFICER LOSES POLICE POWERS OVER TRAFFIC STOP 
Murfreesboro Post
By: Lisa Marchesoni
March 6, 2008 - 4:02 PM
[Excerpts] A Murfreesboro Police officer lost his police powers Wednesday after he allegedly cursed a truck driver who pulled his rig out rather than move over for the officer’s siren Feb. 29 onto South Church Street. Chief Glenn Chrisman ordered Officer Anthony Whitehead to be relieved of duty. Under the order, Whitehead was ordered not to carry a firearm on city property, carry a badge, wear a uniform or work in a law enforcement capacity while he’s under investigation by Internal Affairs.... Whitehead pulled in front of the truck on the I-24 bridge. Out of the camera view but on the audio, Whitehead ordered the driver out of the car and onto the ground in an apparent felony stop. Officers routinely draw their weapons during a felony stop... Whitehead told the driver he wouldn’t “get out of my d--- way.” The officer said the city judge will kick out the citation and the county (judge) won’t hear a failure to yield citation. Despite his comments, Whitehead wrote the driver a citation for failure to yield... Whitehead’s personnel file showed he received numerous disciplinary action and suspended days off without pay for missing court, being late to work and abusing the city’s sick leave... [Full articlehere] 

By: grandefille on 3/10/08 
While the alleged cussing was inappropriate and unprofessional, I'm more concerned that the officer allegedly unholstered his weapon while making the stop. Did he believe the truck driver might be violent or otherwise dangerous? Otherwise, the combination of the cussing, turning a traffic stop into a felony stop and then having to have a supervisor called in to settle things down might smack of a need for some anger-management classes. (I'd suggest those classes for ALL of us who drive in Rutherford County, by the way, myself included.)
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety children divorce child abuse years old tennessee state politics repeat hx history]

[FL] Will Orlando Police Officer Sidders finally be held accountable?

I can't help but wonder who will protect those who live in fear of him.

ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER DANNY SIDDERS WAS ARRESTED AGAIN FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. HE STARTED PREPARING TO BOND OUT ON HOME CONFINEMENT, BUT HE ENDED UP IN FRONT OF A JUDGE AT THE JAIL AGAIN, FACING NEW CHARGES... SIDDERS CALLED A FELLOW OFFICER AND ASKED HIM TO REMOVE A GUN AND AMMUNITION FROM SIDDERS' APARTMENT... THE OFFICER WENT TO SIDDERS' APARTMENT, GOT THE GUN AND TURNED IT OVER TO ORLANDO POLICE AND REPORTED SIDDERS' REQUEST... [SIDDERS] BROKE INTO HIS GIRLFRIEND'S HOME, BEAT HER UP AND SPIT ON HER... HE WAS MARRIED TWICE BEFORE AND BOTH WIVES ACCUSED HIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE... SIDDERS WAS INVESTIGATED FOLLOWING ACCUSATIONS THAT HE BATTERED HIS FIRST WIFE AND EVEN RAPED HER FOLLOWING THEIR SEPARATION... ORLANDO POLICE DID NOT INVESTIGATE ANY OF THE INCIDENTS, AND SIDDERS WAS NEVER DISCIPLINED FOR ANY OF THEM...

PREVIOUS POST:
[FL] Officer Sidders arrested by fellow officers after girlfriend with cuts and bruises reports him - The report states that when she went to bed, Sidders pulled her out of the bed and shoved her down the hallway and she hit the walls and doors. Officers stated the victim was bruised and cut...

From Video:
"...His own department says it caught him covering up that he had a gun in his apartment.. The alleged gun coverup has the jail reconsidering whether he's eligible for home confinement if bonds out... It appears up until now Sidders has sidestepped criminal consequences in spite of facing other accusations of domestic violence, including rape - made by another ex-wife, and an accusation of grand theft... He was investigated another six times here for other violations, was found to have committed all of them, was disciplined six times. He on paid leave, but he is still an Orlando police officer."

NO BOND YET FOR OPD OFFICER ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WEAPON VIOLATION
WFTV.com
Monday, Nov. 12, 2012
[Excerpts] It's been six days, and jail officials are still trying to decide whether it's safe to allow an Orlando police officer charged with domestic violence to bond out of jail... Sidders is now facing a felony charge for evidence tampering, as well as misdemeanor charges for domestic violence and violating a court injunction. WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said he expects the gun issue to lead to a tighter rein on Sidders if he bonds out, such as GPS monitoring. “If he's released on bond, it needs to be a higher monetary bond, and there needs to be very restrictive conditions of release to ensure the safety of the citizens of this community,” said Sheaffer. Sidders is on paid leave, but he is still an Orlando police officer. [Full article here]

FROM LAST WEEK'S NEWS:

ORLANDO OFFICER ARRESTED AGAIN ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES
WFTV Orlando
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012
[Excerpts] An Orlando police officer was arrested for the second time this year on charges of domestic violence. Apopka police said they arrested Danny Sidders on a battery charge Tuesday morning after he broke into his girlfriend's home, beat her up and spit on her. Police said Sidders then got into an altercation with another person inside the home. Sidders was first arrested on battery charges back in January... Court records show he was married twice before and both wives accused him of domestic violence. The most recent wife even got an injunction after she said Sidders threatened to bury her. This is the seventh time Sidders has been investigated. Internal affairs documents show he was also investigated on accusations of sneaking into his ex-wife's home and punching her boyfriend. Orlando police suspended Sidders for a day because of that, and after his arrest in January, took him off the job again for a week. He also made news in 2009 after he said he was forced to shoot his police dog named Viper... [Full article here]

ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE FACES NEW CHARGES: Officer Danny Sidders is now facing evidence tampering and firearm charges.
Orlando Sentinel
By Bianca Prieto
November 8, 2012
[Excerpts] Orlando police officer Danny Sidders, who was jailed earlier this week on a domestic violence battery charge, is facing evidence tampering and weapons charges for violating an earlier injunction. Officers were listening in when Sidders made a jailhouse phone call Tuesday night to his neighbor and asked the man to remove a handgun and ammunition from his pantry so a court-ordered inspection team would not find it and hinder his release from the Orange County Jail... An August domestic violence injunction filed by his ex-wife ordered Sidders not to possess any personal firearms... Sidders was initially jailed just after midnight Tuesday, accused of spitting in his girlfriend's face, grabbing her by her arms and slamming her against a wall. It was the second time Sidders was arrested this year on allegations of abusing the same woman. A judge ordered Sidders to be placed on home confinement upon release from the jail. The night of his most recent arrest Orlando Police Chief ordered Sidders be stripped of his police power and placed on paid leave until further notice... Earlier this year, he was ordered to go to a rehabilitation facility to deal with alcohol dependency for seven months. He returned to Orlando in August and days later began harassing his ex-wife... Sidders' ex-wife, whom he marred in 2003, separated from in 2009 and divorced in 2011, told the court their two young sons had witnessed their father physically abuse his girlfriend numerous times, often when he was drunk. Days after he returned from rehab in August, his ex-wife filed a domestic violence petition because Sidders called her and threatened to "bury both you and your mother." "Just because he has yet to give me a black eye does not mean he is not scaring me day in and day out," the woman wrote. "He is violent and has been for a long time"... Rooney cannot yet fire Sidders and must conduct an internal investigation and follow the state statutes and agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police... The earlier criminal charges against Sidders were dropped because the alleged victim failed to cooperate. An internal investigation found he violated a police policy and he was suspended for 40 hours without pay... [Full article here]

ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED AGAIN
WFTV
Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 5:57 p.m.
[Excerpts] Orlando police Officer Danny Sidders' troubles just keep getting deeper and deeper. Sidders was arrested again this week, accused of domestic violence. It happened as he started preparing to bond out on home confinement, but he ended up in front of a judge at the jail again, facing new charges. The new charges came about because officials say he violated a court injunction, ordered three months ago in another domestic violence case, which banned him from possessing a gun unless he was on duty for the Police Department. According to Orlando police, he not only violated that injunction, but he tried to cover it up so it wouldn't interfere with his home confinement... Sidders called fellow officer -- and asked him to remove a gun and ammunition from Sidders' apartment, before the home confinement inspection. WFTV's Kathi Belich learned that [the officer] went to Sidders' apartment, got the gun and turned it over to Orlando Police and reported Sidders' request. Now, Sidders might not get out of jail, and he's been relieved of duty with pay... Sidders was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff's Office after accusations of stealing from the city of Orlando... Sidders pocketed a $1,500 insurance check meant for the city of Orlando... Sidders was also investigated following accusations that he battered his first wife and even raped her following their separation. The reports show that the case was forwarded to the state Attorney's Office, but Sidders was not arrested. Orlando police did not investigate any of the incidents, and Sidders was never disciplined for any of them. Reports show that Sidders has been investigated by his department six times prior to the current investigation. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse repeat hx history teflon law enforcement public safety professionalism florida politics]

[AL] 4 years ago today Marshall County Sheriff's Investigator David Lowe was shot and killed by his wife Kathy

4 years ago today Marshall County Sheriff's Investigator David Lowe was shot and killed by his wife Kathy. I thought I'd look up whether the case had been resolved yet and it has. After two mistrials, Kathy Lowe pleaded guilty last March to manslaughter in her husband’s death. Judge Tim Jolley sentenced her to three years probation, and gave her credit for time served in jail.

Previous post:
[AL] Kathy Lowe will be tried 3rd time in shooting death of her Sheriff's Investigator husband, David - Kathy Lowe will face a third trial in November for the November 11, 2008 death of her husband David Lowe. David, a former Marshall County Sheriff's Office deputy and investigator for the Marshall County District Attorney's office, was found shot twice in the back and side, at the Horton home the couple shared.

KATHY LOWE TO PLEAD GUILTY
The Sand Mountain Reporter
By Elizabeth Summers
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
[Excerpts] GUNTERSVILLE — Kathy Lowe was expected to plead guilty to manslaughter Wednesday... David Lowe had served as an investigator for the Marshall County Sheriff’s office and District Attorney’s office prior to his death. “Given the circumstances, this is a fair resolution to the case,” [Blount County District Attorney Pamela] Casey said Wednesday. “Now the state, Kathy Lowe and the families involved can move on with their lives.” Casey said Lowe was expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison but would be allowed to petition for probation. “I wanted her to have that felony on her record,” Casey said. “We won’t oppose if she asks for probation. “But this way, we will have a resolution, and she won’t be entitled to any of the life insurance money.” Kathy Lowe had been on trial in September 2010 and December 2011. Both trials ended in mistrials after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict... “I was going to ask she be put in jail until the trial because she was doing things to try and taint the jury pool”... Kathy Lowe admitted shooting David following a day-long argument and alleged she had been held hostage by David most of the day at gunpoint. Her defense attorney, John Paul Burson, also argued Kathy Lowe had suffered emotional and physical abuse at the hands of David Lowe for much of their married life. During both trials, prosecutors countered Kathy Lowe had plotted to kill David Lowe over several months so she could cash in several life insurance policies. Since David Lowe’s death, the family’s Horton home had burned to the ground. The fire, reported just before 3 a.m. on March 4, 2011, was deemed arson by the Marhsall County Arson Task Force. No one has been charged... The couple’s son, Brian, died Nov. 3 following a lengthy battle with a chronic illness. [Full article here]

KATHY LOWE PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER
WHNT
by Carson Clark
March 14, 2012
[Excerpts] Kathy Lowe has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in her husband’s death. She entered the plea Wednesday afternoon in Marshall County. Lowe was put on trial twice for the 2008 death of her husband, David Lowe.  However, both trials ended in hung juries. A manslaughter plea carries a sentence of 10 years.  However, Judge Tim Jolley sentenced her to three years probation, and gave her credit for time served in jail.  Lowe will not have to serve another day behind bars. She will have to pay a $5,000 fine. Lowe admitted to killing her husband, David, but claims she acted in self-defense. The crime happened in Marshall County, but the Blount County District Attorney’s office prosecuted the case because David Lowe was an investigator for the Marshall County DA’s office. Prosecutors contend Lowe shot her husband to collect insurance money.  However, the defense says Lowe was a battered wife who couldn’t take the abuse any longer. [Full article here]

‘SLAP ON THE WRIST’: KATHY LOWE GETS PROBATION; SENTENCE UPSETS VICTIM’S BROTHER, HIS WIFE
The Sand Mountain Reporter
By Elizabeth Summers
Friday, March 16, 2012
[Excerpts] Curtis Lowe will always remember his brother, David Lowe, as a friend to many, willing to help in any way possible. But on Wednesday, he felt his brother’s memory was forever tainted when David’s wife, Kathy Lowe, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case involving her husband’s death in 2008 and received what Curtis feels is a “slap on the wrist” for punishment... [Judge Tim] Jolley then handed down a 10-year suspended jail sentence and ordered Kathy Lowe to spend three years on supervised probation and pay a $5,000 fine, court costs, $750 to attorneys and a $100 victim-assessment fee. “Justice wasn’t served,” Curtis Lowe said... Patricia Lowe, Curtis’ wife, had hoped a third trial would end with a guilty verdict and a sentence of jail time for Kathy Lowe. “I would have liked to have seen a third trial,” she said. “I think she should have served some time in jail. She hasn’t spent a day there yet, that I am aware of. But she will have to face the Lord and she won’t be able to walk away from that.” Lowe pleaded guilty to Marshall County Circuit Judge Tim Jolley to the Class B felony. She was represented by Albertville attorney John Paul Burson... Patricia Lowe said she felt disappointed with the case’s outcome. “We felt she might try to make a plea deal, and that is what she did in the end,” Patricia Lowe said. “Knowing she will have a felony on her record, knowing she won’t ever be able to vote again and knowing she won’t get any of the insurance money means a lot to us”... From the beginning, Kathy Lowe and her defense attorneys maintained she and her children, Amanda and Brian, suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of David Lowe over the years. She claimed she acted in self-defense that night in 2008, following a daylong fight with David Lowe, where he allegedly held her hostage and threatened her with a gun during the day. Prosecutors painted her as an adulteress who had plotted to kill David Lowe for months as a way to collect on more than $100,000 in life insurance policies... [Full article here]
officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder female perp perpetrator alabama state politics]

[MO] Dana Ison's police officer husband quit his job, shot her mother, killed Dana, then killed himself

Dana Thompson-Ison

Dana Thompson-Ison's husband Landon quit his 9-year Lamar Missouri police officer job in August of 2012 by just not showing up. Both his friend - Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw, and Landon's boss - Lamar Police Chief Ron Hager, say they didn't pry by asking Landon Ison why he didn't report for work. 2 months later, on October 9th 2012, Landon Ison shot and killed his wife Dana, shot and critically wounded her mother Cheryl Thompson, then left the home with his shotgun and shot and killed himself. Landon and Dana Ison have two sons and yes, they were present at the home at the time of Dana and Cheryl's shooting.

WHERE

COULD

DANA AND CHERYL

HAVE 

TURNED

FOR

HELP?

CHIEF HAGER:
...said Ison had offered no explanation for failing to report in August, thus relinquishing his job, and that Hager had not asked for one...

CHIEF HAGER:
...said Ison was a good officer in the more than nine years he served on the Lamar police force...

SHERIFF SHAW:
...“because of the close personal relationships we all had with Officer Ison”...

SHERIFF SHAW:
...said he was aware that his friend had quit his job with the Lamar police. He said Ison never told him why, and he chose not to force the issue by asking... 

SHERIFF SHAW:
...said he was strongly affected by the events because he went to both death scenes and that he and his family "have known the Isons forever. "This is a terrible surprise, a terrible thing... It was a friendship"...

SHERIFF SHAW:
...acknowledged being a close friend of the couple, said he did not necessarily know all that was going on in their relationship...

Dana, never forgotten

Dana Ison worked at AOK Youth Development Services, an organization that works with under-privileged children... 

...Dana graduated from Pittsburg State College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services and later received her Master’s Degree in Social Services from Missouri State University. She was a social worker for About Our Kids Youth Development Services in Lamar and director of After School care... [LINK]

...Dana was the Director Social Worker for the About Our Kids Youth Development, Director of After School Care and PEP Coordinator in Lamar, Missouri. She always enjoyed working with and helping children... [LINK]

I invite those who pray

to keep Cheryl's recovery,

the Ison children,
and everyone brokenhearted
by this
in your hearts

and on your list. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ison Children Fund at Metropolitan Bank, 1105 Gulf, Lamar, Mo. 64759

FORMER LAMAR POLICEMAN INVOLVED IN MURDER-SUICIDE; MOTHER-IN-LAW HAS LIFE THREATENING INJURIES [LINK]
koamtv.com
October 9, 2012
12:11 PM CST:
Authorities are investigating an overnight shooting death in southwest Missouri. The Missouri Highway Patrol is leading the investigation of a shooting outside of Lamar shortly after 1 a.m...
1:50 PM CST:
The Missouri Highway Patrol confirms two people are dead and another person is in critical condition at a Springfield hospital. A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m...
3:10 PM CST:
A former Lamar policeman has shot and killed his wife [Dana Ison], shot and injured his mother-in-law [Cheryl Thompson], then shot and killed himself... It's unclear why Thompson was at the home but she went to get help from neighbors who called 911 before 1 a.m... Landon Ison's body was found at a different location at about 2:30 a.m.  Authorities say he shot himself with a rifle. In August Landon Ison resigned from the Lamar Police Department, but authorities say he just stopped coming to work. Landon and Dana Ison had two children.  They were at the home at the time of the shooting but were not injured are currently with family...  While the couple was still married, that had separated earlier in October. Dana Ison worked at AOK, an organization that works with under-privileged children
5:15 PM CST:
Statement released by Kathy Jenkins, AOK Board of Directors President: "Dana Thompson Ison was a beloved friend, coworker, daughter, sister and mother. She was an invaluable member of the AOK family as a social worker and school-age program coordinator. She also led the mentoring program and offered counseling and assistance to anyone in need. She loved the children and they loved her. She was passionate about making a difference in their lives and she did. Words cannot express our sorrow at her passing"...

WHERE

COULD

DANA AND CHERYL

HAVE 

TURNED

FOR

HELP?

Lamar Police Officer Landon Ison

ONLINE FIRST: FORMER LAMAR POLICEMAN SUSPECTED IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE
Nevada Daily Mail
By James R. Campbell
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
[Excerpts] A somber panel of law enforcement officers announced Tuesday afternoon that a former Lamar city policeman was suspected of shooting his estranged wife to death, seriously wounding his mother-in-law and then driving to a remote area of Barton County before turning his rifle on himself about 90 minutes later. Landon Ison, 32, a member of the Lamar Police Department for 9 1/2 years until inexplicably failing to report for duty Aug. 7, was found near his blue Ford Explorer by a Barton County deputy sheriff about 2:30 a.m., Tuesday. Reading from preliminary reports, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Watson said the man was suspected of going to his 33-year-old wife Dana's home about 6 1/2 miles southwest of here shortly before 1 a.m., Tuesday, and shooting her to death. Flanked by Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw and Lamar Chief of Police Ron Hager, Watson said Ison was also suspected of shooting his mother-in-law, 67-year-old Cheryl Thompson of Springfield, who was airlifted to Cox South Hospital in her hometown. Watson said Thompson was listed in serious condition... Cheryl Thompson had managed to walk to a neighbor's house after she was shot and that the neighbor called 9-1-1... The Isons' two juvenile boys were in the home when their mother and grand-mother were shot... Watson declined to say what type of rifle was believed to be the murder-suicide weapon, how many times Mrs. Ison and her mother were shot or what room of the house the shootings were believed to have taken place in. Hager said Ison had offered no explanation for failing to report in August, thus relinquishing his job, and that Hager had not asked for one... The chief said Dana Ison had worked for AOK Youth Development Services in Lamar... Shaw said he was strongly affected by the events because he went to both death scenes and that he and his family "have known the Isons forever. "This is a terrible surprise, a terrible thing," the sheriff said. "Everyone knows the family. They're hard-working, good people. It was a friendship"... [Full article here]

WHERE

COULD

DANA AND CHERYL

HAVE 

TURNED

FOR

HELP?

FORMER LAMAR OFFICER KILLS WIFE, WOUNDS MOTHER-IN-LAW; EX-POLICEMAN TAKES OWN LIFE
The Joplin Globe
By Jeff Lehr news@joplinglobe.com
October 9, 2012
[Excerpts] Landon L. Ison never offered a reason for abruptly quitting his job as a Lamar police officer two months ago. He moved out of the house he shared with his wife and two sons at the start of this month. Then shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, emergency responders were called to the troubled family’s home about a mile southwest of Lamar after Ison reportedly shot and killed his wife, Dana I. Ison, 33, and critically wounded her mother, Cheryl J. Thompson, 67... [Lamar police Chief Ron] Hager said Ison was a good officer in the more than nine years he served on the Lamar police force since being hired in January 2003. Before that, he had served as a dispatcher with the Barton County Sheriff’s Department... Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw said he asked the state patrol to serve as the lead investigative agency in the shootings “because of the close personal relationships we all had with Officer Ison”... Landon Ison filed for divorce in January. Court records indicate that Ison and his wife both submitted parenting plans to the court. But the record shows that the case was dismissed by both parties on July 11. Shaw, who acknowledged being a close friend of the couple, said he did not necessarily know all that was going on in their relationship. “Whenever I was around, they seemed to have a good relationship,” Shaw said... The sheriff said he was aware that his friend had quit his job with the Lamar police. He said Ison never told him why, and he chose not to force the issue by asking... Dana Ison worked for AOK Youth Development Services. Kathy Jenkins, president of AOK’s board of directors, released a statement praising her contributions as a social worker and school-age program coordinator. “She loved the children and they loved her,” the statement read. “She was passionate about making a difference in their lives and she did. Words cannot express our sorrow at her passing”... The Lamar Police chief and the Barton County sheriff said there have been no previous reports of domestic violence involving Ison and his wife. [Full article here]

AND REALLY?

THE SHERIFF AND CHIEF

DIDN'T KNOW,
THEY DIDN'T ASK,
THEY DIDN'T TRY,
THEY WON'T ADMIT?
IT DOESN'T
MAKE SENSE. 

JANUARY 2008 CASEWORKER OF THE MONTH DANA ISON
Adoption Exchange Association
Pittsburg, Kansas
We have been lucky enough to have the same worker, Dana Ison, thru all of our adoptions. We are about to finalize our 2nd and 3rd adoptions next month. We have known Dana for over 4 years now. She has always made her self available to anything we need or want. She is always friendly and offers whatever support we need at anytime, and makes time for us no matter what, even if we just need to talk to someone. Dana is great at getting in contact with our children’s workers, when we need or want something and are unable to get in contact with them ourselves. Our children all look forward to visits with her, even our oldest who at one time had a great fear of caseworkers. After some struggles we have witnessed with other families and their workers, we know we are truly blessed to have been given Dana, and hope that with our next adoption we will be able to work with her... [LINK]

TOPIX EXCERPTS  [LINK]
Posted in the Independence Forum

...Statement released by Kathy Jenkins, AOK Board of Directors President: "Dana Thompson Ison was a beloved friend, coworker, daughter, sister and mother. She was an invaluable member of the AOK family as a social worker and school-age program coordinator. She also led the mentoring program and offered counseling and assistance to anyone in need. She loved the children and they loved her. She was passionate about making a difference in their lives and she did. Words cannot express our sorrow at her passing"...

...Dana used to babysit my son and daughter during summer breaks! I never had to worry about my children in her care! She was the sweetest girl! My kids loved her! She will be greatly missed! Prayers go out to Cheryl and the family!...

...Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw said he asked the state patrol to serve as the lead investigative agency in the shootings “because of the close personal relationships we all had with Officer Ison”...

...Does anyone know Cheryls condition?...

...My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, especially those precious boys. Also praying for a full recovery for Cheryl. So very tragic and so so sad...

...wondering if anyone knows how Cheryl is doing? lets continue to pray for her and all this family...

...Cheryl is in a medical induced coma. They have reapplied her tongue and inserted a feeding tube. They plan to ship her to St. Louis for reconstructive surgery. Cheryl graduated from IHS in 63. Beautiful person both inside and out. Please everyone pray for the family as well as Cheryl. Going to be a long haul...

...Dana's service will be Tuesday the 23rd. Please coninue to pray for Cheryl...

...I agree Cheryl is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. I am praying for her and family...

...Thank you so much for the updates on Cheryl. Since many of us do not want to intrude on the family's privacy during these extreme times, it is great that we can be informed about Cheryl and her recovery. Please tell her family many friends and coworkers from Standard Motors think of her and pray for the family daily. Again thanks so much for keeping us informed and God Bless.

EXCERPTS FROM FACEBOOK POSTS:

We have a long road ahead of us. But you guys along with our friends have been our rock. I cant explain, dont have answers as to why this happened...

...She is off the vent. Waking up more...

...Update on Cheryl: she made it thru her first surgery with no problem. They fixed her boned around eyes, cheek, and face. Put metal plates in where needed...

...Cheryls doing great. Alert, awake, writing sentences on paper. She will be moved out of the ICU today to an observation room. Surgery next week will be major. They r building her a jaw/cheek bone...

...These past couple of weeks have made me look at life differently. PLEASE tell ur loved ones that u love them every day. Dont take them for granted. If u fight, make up b4 you leave or go to bed. You never know if its ur last day on earth. God bless!...

...Update on Cheryl: she made it thru her 12 hr reconstructive surgery without difficulty. They were even able to do some skin grafting...

...Cheryl is finally waking up since her 12hr surgery on Wednesday. She is doing good... She is writing up a storm!...

...Cheryl continues to progress well. She is awake and alert. Has been up in her chair. Skin graft is taking. She is well aware of things... I ask for continued prayers for the family...

...Cheryl continues to progress well. She is truely a miracle. She is a woman of faith...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide missouri state politics relatives children child abuse]

[WA] Benton County Sheriff's Deputy Abel Campos resigned Friday before he could be fired for allegedly hitting his wife

"It's very difficult for me. Part of me believes when someone does something, they should be fired and not given an opportunity to resign."
~ Benton County Sheriff Steve Keane

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[WA] Benton Co. Sheriff's Deputy Campos walks away from domestic violence charges - Benton County sheriff's Deputy Abel Prieto Campos walks away from domestic violence charge despite hair pulled out of his wife's head and signs of physical assault on the side of her head because she recanted and her mother backed away...

BENTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY RESIGNS
Tri-City Herald, Bellingham Herald
By Paula Horton
Published: November 3, 2012
[Excerpts] A Benton County sheriff's deputy resigned Friday before he could be fired for allegedly hitting his wife earlier this year... Sheriff Steve Keane waited until after the criminal case was resolved to complete the internal investigation and make a decision on any disciplinary action. Keane said he intended to terminate Campos, but Campos turned in his resignation when he reported to the disciplinary hearing Friday morning. "I believe an assault did occur," Keane told the Herald. "I believe Abel assaulted his wife and I believe I had enough to terminate him"... The sheriff said if he had not let Campos resign, the deputy could have filed a grievance and an arbitrator would have decided if the firing was justified. Arbitration is a "very expensive process," and when a witness changes her story five different times, there's no guarantee sheriff's officials could get an arbitrator to agree with the decision, he said. "It's very difficult for me. Part of me believes when someone does something, they should be fired and not given an opportunity to resign," Keane said... "The biggest thing an officer has is his credibility. People want to know you have honest officers," Keane said. "If he's been arrested for a crime and have victims recanting, I think it leaves doubts in citizen's minds. It left doubt in my mind"... The criminal case was dismissed Oct. 12 just before the trial. Richland's prosecutor said he had to drop the charges because the witnesses backed out of testifying... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety recant washington state politics teflon police union arbitration fop]