[NY] Cop-on-cop: Cpt. Brian Martin shot his corrections officer wife in the face - She's in critical condition

New York City Corrections Cpt Brian Martin has shot his unnamed Corrections Officer wife in the face and she is in critical condition. So far Martin is charged with first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal attempted murder cop on cop new york state politics]

[U.S.][D.C.] Police Officer Lawrence indicted for trying to kill his wife and assaulting his daughter

Metropolitan D.C. Police Officer Samson Lawrence has been indicted - charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault, two counts of possessing a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, wearing and carrying a dangerous weapon with the and child abuse.

...The victim [his wife] suffered a cut on her head that required five staples and a hairline fracture to her right wrist that she suffered while trying to protect her head. The victim said her husband has put the family through a lot over the years... “He pinned me against a wall and slid a butcher knife across my face and said, ‘I might as well finish it off,’”... [Officer Lawrence allegedly told daughter during separate assault on her] “You are disrespectful. You don’t deserve to breathe”...

SAMSON LAWRENCE, MPD OFFICER, CHARGED WITH TRYING TO KILL WIFE
WJLA
By Roz Plater, Stephen Tschida
December 20, 2013
[Excerpts]  A D.C. police officer has been indicted on charges that he attacked, beat and tried to kill his wife in Prince George's County just before Thanksgiving. Samson Lawrence, a 23-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, has been charged with first and second degree attempted murder and several other charges after the Nov. 24 incident, during which he allegedly beat the victim with metal light fixtures and held her at knifepoint... By the time authorities responded to the home, Lawrence was gone, but he was found and taken into custody the next day... [Full article here]

D.C. POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF TRYING TO KILL WIFE
NBC
Saturday, Dec 21, 2013
A D.C. police officer tried to kill his wife last month, using Lysol, a metal light post and knives to attack and restrain her in their home, according to prosecutors. Officer Samson Lawrence has been indicted in Maryland on charges of attempted first- and second-degree murder in connection with the Nov. 24 attack, Prince George's County State Attorney Angela Alsobrooks announced Friday... The victim suffered a cut on her head that required five staples and a hairline fracture to her right wrist that she suffered while trying to protect her head. The victim said her husband has put the family through a lot over the years, News4’s Mark Segraves reported. Lawrence has also been charged with wearing and carrying a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure and first- and second-degree assault... [Full article here]

D.C. POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF TRYING TO KILL HIS WIFE IN PRINCE GEORGE’S HOME
The Washington Post
By Peter Hermann and Lynh Bui
Published: December 20
A D.C. police officer has been indicted on a charge of attempted murder after allegedly trying to kill his wife with a metal light fixture and threatening her with knives in their home... Prosecutors announced the indictment Friday against Officer Samson Edwards Lawrence III... The 23-year veteran is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and two counts of possessing a dangerous weapon with intent to injure... Lawrence and his wife argued over her not knowing where household screws were stored. The documents say that when she tried to talk, he sprayed Lysol in the air, making her cough and choke, and then asked her to make lunch. As she headed into the kitchen, he followed her and told her: “Say one more [expletive] word, I dare you. You know you are scared”... The documents say his wife tried to break free but was pushed to the ground and hit over the head five or six times with a metal light fixture, causing her to bleed from the back of the head. “I’m going to finish it right now,” the officer allegedly said... The court documents state that the suspect held two large knives to her throat. “He pinned me against a wall and slid a butcher knife across my face and said, ‘I might as well finish it off,’”... Prince George’s police said they also filed a separate child-abuse charge against Lawrence after learning that he allegedly became physical with the 16-year-old during an argument a month earlier. Police said the teen was allegedly shoved into a hallway wall so hard that her head left an indentation and added that she fell down the stairs trying to run away. The officer “came down the stairs after her, pulled her hair, and began choking her,” police records say. The daughter said she couldn’t breathe, to which the suspect allegedly replied: “You are disrespectful. You don’t deserve to breathe.” Attempts to reach Lawrence were unsuccessful... [Full article here]-f0feafdd1394

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal repeat hx brutal maryland federal u.s. state politics]

[TX] Two Dallas Officers accused of domestic violence in separate incidents

Dallas Police Officers Rashad Allen and Edgar Garcia-Martinez, both of the South Central Patrol Division, have recently been accused of domestic violence. Officer Allen received a family violence assault "citation" in DeSoto on Saturday and on Monday Officer Garcia-Martinez was arrested and charged in Dallas with family violence assault against his girlfriend. [LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety texas state politics]

Interview: New York Times Reporter Walt Bogdanich on cop domestic violence and Michelle O'Connell case

[Audio] The Leonard Lopate Show - WNYC
Police Officer-Involved Domestic Violence 
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
"Pulitzer Prize winning Frontline correspondent Walt Bogdanich discusses “A Death in St. Augustine,” a collaborative project with The New York Times that investigates police officer-involved domestic violence. He discusses the hidden problem of officer-involved domestic violence, and the story at this investigation's heart: that of young single mother Michelle O'Connell who was found dead from a gunshot after she broke up with her boyfriend, who was a cop. The sheriff’s office ruled it suicide—but was it?" [LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder said suicide florida state politics st johns sheriff's deputy jeremy banks sheriff david shoar]

[FL] From Frontline and the New York Times: What Happens When the Police Investigate One of their Own?

The New York Times and PBS Frontline collaborate to take a closer look into the shooting death of Michelle O'Connell, departing girlfriend of St. Johns County sheriff's deputy Jeremy Banks. The question and argument for 3 years has been was it murder or suicide? In a set of accompanying articles they also present related problems, solutions, and what they have discovered using multimedia and the best investigative journalism many of those I've talked to have ever seen.

Updated Nov. 24

PREVIOUS POST:
[FL] It's that simple? Anonymous deputy says his anonymous girlfriend killed herself and the anonymous investigators believe him.

Television Documentary:
- on PBS ChannelFrontline and The New York Times investigate:
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
On the night she broke up with her Sheriff's Deputy boyfriend, 24-year-old Michelle O’Connell was found dead from a gunshot in the mouth. Next to her was her boyfriend’s semi-automatic service pistol.

ONLINE NOW: PBS Frontline Website Documentary: 
You may also see the full version online now at PBS.org:
"A Death in St. Augustine."

Two Gunshots On a Summer Night
A Deputy’s Pistol, a Dead Girlfriend, a Flawed Inquiry
New York Times /Frontline Multimedia Indepth reporting:
By Walt Bogdanich and Glenn Silber
NEWS OF THE SHOOTING ARRIVED via police radio as Deputy Debra Maynard and two other officers were sipping late-night coffee at the Hess gas station, a brightly lit outpost on a slumbering stretch of Dixie Highway on St. Augustine’s south side.

Departments Are Slow To Police Their Own Abusers
New York Times / PBS Frontline
By Sarah Cohen, Rebecca R. Ruiz and Sarah Childress
Dottie Davis, a former deputy police chief of Fort Wayne, Ind., said she was battered by her domestic partner, also an officer. When the police chief in Tacoma, Wash., shot and killed his wife in a parking lot after years of abusing her, the shock from that event 10 years ago mobilized national support for a more aggressive response to domestic violence in police households...

Frontline: How to Combat Officer-Involved Domestic Violence
Mark Wynn helped to write a national policy on officer-involved domestic violence... As a police officer, did you ever have occasion to respond to domestic violence calls?
Thousands over the years...

Frontline: One Survivor’s Story
What is it like when your abuser worked in law-enforcement? Here, one woman shares what happened to her and how she escaped.

Frontline: How Should You Investigate a Death?
by Sarah Childress and Alexander Hyacinthe
...When a police officer is involved, an accurate death investigation is important, especially from a liability standpoint, says Vernon Geberth, a retired New York police lieutenant commander who wrote the widely used textbook, Practical Homicide Investigation. To make sure it’s done right, an outside agency should be called in to take on the case immediately... “You can’t possibly investigate a member of your department the same way you investigate an average case... Because people know each other as friends, you leave yourself open to criticism... You do it right the first time. You only get one chance.”

[[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder said suicide  St. Johns County  deputy jeremy banks sheriff david shoar florida state politics]]

[TX] Asst. Police Chief Hawthorne charged with domestic assault and bodily injury

From News: Arlington Assistant Police Chief James Hawthorne  is accused of attacking his wife with his “hands, fist, and feet” in the wee hours of November 17th. According to the offense report Hawthorne “was found to have intentionally and knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury” including but not limited to swelling and redness. "Police did not give details of the victim’s injuries." Assistant Police Chief Hawthorne was arrested by his own department's police officers for family violence, put on administrative leave, and charged with assault and bodily injury. Officers also seized a .38 special revolver and five unfired rounds from the scene. Mrs. Hawthorne, who is also a professional in the community, was given a 61-day emergency protective order against her husband and the case will now go to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.

ARLINGTON POLICE POLICE CHIEF WILL D. JOHNSON
"I am deeply disappointed that an Arlington assistant police chief was involved in an incident of domestic violence. Regardless of who you are or where you work, domestic violence will not be tolerated or ignored in our community."

INFO FROM PROTECTION ORDER:
James Emanuel Hawthorne is prohibited from committing family violence, stalking or sexual assault, prohibited from communicating directly in a threatening or harassing manner with anyone in the household or communicating a threat through any person, prohibited from possessing a firearm "unless the person is a peace officer actively engaged in employment as a sworn full-time paid employee..." and prohibited from going within 500 feet of ANY residence, buisness, household or place of employment of the victim or member of the household.

  (That sounds like he still call and text her. Hopefully he can't have guns while he's on leave.)

SOURCES: 

• Arlington's Asst Police Chief arrested for family violence, myfoxdfw, Jenny Anchondo, Nov 17, 2013 
• Arlington assistant police chief put on leave after family violence arrest, Dallas News, Liz Farmer, 17 November 2013
• Documents: Arlington assistant police chief assaulted his wife, star-telegram, Deanna Boyd, Nov. 19, 2013
• Documents: Arlington police assistant chief accused of attacking wife, WFAA, November 19, 2013
• Updated: Arlington police supervisor arrested in a family violence dispute, Dallas News, Liz Farmer, November 19, 2013

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety beat down brass mum professional texas state politics]

[PA] Charges say Philadelphia Police Lt. Newsome brutally beat girlfriend

Philadelphia Police Lt. Marques Newsome appears to have brutally beat his girlfriend, and despite the serious injuries it took a over a week to arrest and fire him. His attorney says the victim "does not wish to pursue this matter."

..."If it was anyone else, 

they would have been 

arrested on the spot"...

...Newsome allegedly pummeled the woman badly enough that she suffered a broken nose, orbital bone and jaw. She was left with black eyes and gashes that required stitches, and had to be taken to an area hospital by police for treatment...  Newsome told detectives that the woman attacked him first, and that she was injured when she slammed into a wall after he pushed her off him in self-defense... Newsome was interviewed by detectives Saturday and released...

Philadelphia Police Lt. Marques Newsome's attorney Anthony Voci:

"Lt. Newsome is a decorated, 16-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, and enjoys a healthy relationship with the alleged victim in this matter, as they are the parents of an 11-month-old child. The District Attorney's Office was advised that the alleged victim does not wish to pursue this matter, and has signed a notarized statement of renunciation of all prior statements, both verbal and written. We look forward to meeting with the District Attorney's Office to discuss an amicable resolution to this matter."

PHILLY COP FIRED FOR ALLEGED BEATING
Philly.com
By David Gambacorta
November 08, 2013
[Excerpts] Marques Newsome, a veteran Philadelphia police lieutenant, was given his walking papers yesterday and locked up on domestic-abuse charges. The Daily News reported last week that Newsome, 35, had been stripped of his police-issued firearm and placed on desk duty while Internal Affairs investigated an incident that unfolded Oct. 27 inside his girlfriend's house... Patrol officers, Internal Affairs investigators and members of Southwest Detectives were among those who responded to the scene of the alleged assault... Newsome told detectives that the woman attacked him first, and that she was injured when she slammed into a wall after he pushed her off him in self-defense... [Full article here]

EARLIER:

PHILADELPHIA POLICE LIEUTENANT CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING GIRLFRIEND
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)
November 6, 2013
[Excerpts] A lieutenant with the Philadelphia Police has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. On Wednesday, Nov. 6th, Philadelphia police lieutenant Marques Newsome, a 16-year veteran of the department, was arrested... Newsome is now facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, possessing an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, and stalking. Police department officials say he has been suspended for thirty days with intent to dismiss. [Full article here]

EARLIER:

POLICE LIEUTENANT ALLEGEDLY ROUGHED UP GIRLFRIEND
philly.com
By Morgan Zalot,David Gambacorta
November 01, 2013
[Excerpts] A Philadelphia police lieutenant was placed on desk duty earlier this week over allegations that he brutally beat his girlfriend while he was off-duty. Lt. Marques Newsome, assigned to the 35th District, headquartered at Broad Street and Champlost Avenue, was at his girlfriend's parents' house in West Philadelphia Saturday night when the two got into an argument that quickly turned violent... Newsome allegedly pummeled the woman badly enough that she suffered a broken nose, orbital bone and jaw. She was left with black eyes and gashes that required stitches, and had to be taken to an area hospital by police for treatment, the sources said.... The woman's parents were in the house ... at the time of the assault, and rendered aid to their badly injured daughter immediately afterward... Newsome was interviewed by detectives Saturday and released. Sources said that in his statement to investigators, he claimed that the woman attacked him first... A police source said Newsome's gun has been taken from him, and that he's been placed on restricted duty... The lieutenant has not been criminally charged in the incident, raising eyebrows among some of his fellow police officers. "It was a bad domestic," said one source familiar with the investigation. "If it was anyone else, they would have been arrested on the spot" Newsome is at least the 12th police officer accused of assaulting a woman since 2011... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety philadelphia state politics recant noncooperative uncooperative]

[OK] Police Chief Sheppard charged with domestic abuse, assault and battery

North Miami Oklahoma Police Chief Kevin Joe Sheppard was arrested on October 14, 2013, jailed in the Ottawa County  jail, and charged with one count of domestic abuse and one count of assault and battery. His injured ex-girlfriend reported that he pushed her down and her head hit the corner of a table as she fell [flew?]. She says she and Sheppard had been dating for several months but that she had recently[?] tried to break up with him. District Court Judge Culver set bond was set at $5,000 and granted an emergency protective order for his ex.

Information sources:

North Miami police chief is accused of domestic abuse
Tulsa World
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 [Full article here]

North Miami police chief officially charged with domestic abuse
KOAM
Oct 16, 2013 [Full article here]

North Miami, OK, police chief arrested on domestic violence complaint
NEWSOK
October 15, 2013 [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal brass oklahoma state politics]

[TX] HPD Police Officer Sealy resigned, and 3 days later arrested on felony domestic strangulation

Houston Police Officer Jason Sealy resigned 3 days prior to being arrested for assaulting a family member by strangulation.

...Jason Sealy, 36, was charged with assault of a family member — impeding breathing... He is accused of throwing his wife onto the stairs at their home and causing her to temporarily lose consciousness by squeezing her neck with his hands...

Is she safe now?

FORMER HPD OFFICER ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF ATTACKING WIFE
by KHOU.com
October 14, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Police say [former Houston Police Department officer] Jason Sealy, 36, choked his wife when they got home from a bar... Sealy and his wife went out with a group of friends... "he broke a glass table, and then also started physically assaulting his wife”... She was allegedly choked so hard she couldn’t breathe for 30 seconds. Witnesses at the scene were able to stop the assault and called 911... The couple has been married 1.5 years and had just moved into the neighborhood a couple of weeks ago. Sealy was being held without bond Monday. In August, he was charged with two felony counts of tampering with government documents.  Police said he was relieved of duty, and just last week he resigned... http://www.khou.com/news/crime/Former-HPD-officer-arrested-accused-of-attacking-wife--227749031.html

MAN FACES FELONY, ACCUSED OF CHOKING WIFE AFTER NIGHT OUT AT BAR: Jason Corey Sealy, a Houston Police Department officer, is charged with assault of a family member, a third-degree felony.
abclocal
Monday, October 14, 2013
[Excerpts] A man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly choked his wife... Jason Corey Sealy was arrested on one charge of assault of a family member after officers responded to a disturbance call at his house in the 500 block of Cypresswood Brook... Officers say they found visible injuries on Sealy's wife. She was granted an emergency protection order, which is effective for 61 days... http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=9286791

EX-HPD OFFICER ACCUSED OF STRANGLING WIFE
Click2Houston.com Staff
Published On: Oct 14 2013
[Excerpts] HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A former Houston police officer is accused of strangling his wife ... Sealy was arrested and taken into custody. He’s charged with assaulting a family member by strangulation which is a third degree felony. Authorities said an emergency protection order was granted for the victim and Sealy’s bail was set at $0... http://www.click2houston.com/news/ex-hpd-officer-accused-of-strangling-wife/-/1735978/22430486/-/tfill0z/-/index.html

FORMER HPD OFFICER ACCUSED OF CHOKING WIFE
Houston Chronicle
By Mike Glenn
October 14, 2013
Updated: October 15, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Jason Sealy, 36, was charged with assault of a family member — impeding breathing after Harris County deputy constables were called to the home in the 500 block of Cypresswood Brook on Sunday night... He is accused of throwing his wife onto the stairs at their home and causing her to temporarily lose consciousness by squeezing her neck with his hands... The arrest wasn't Sealy's first brush with the law. He turned in his badge on Thursday, three days prior to the arrest on the family violence charge. The resignation came after Sealy had already been relieved of duty by HPD officials following an internal affairs investigation into phoney government documents... According to the criminal complaint, the motive was to "defraud and harm another." In August, Sealy was charged with two counts of tampering with government records. Bail was set at a combined $4,000 for both cases. He remains at the Harris County Jail without bail for the family violence charge. On Tuesday, Sealy is expected to be in court. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Former-HPD-officer-accused-of-choking-wife-4895422.php
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal strangulation strangle repeat hx alcohol texas state politics]

[KS] Andale Police Chief Bailey arrested after domestic incident

Andale Police Chief Robert Bailey was arrested for domestic violence battery involving a female at his home in Colwich last Friday and then released from the Sedgwick County Jail on his own recognizance. According to a news source Baily hasn't yet been formally charged and was already on leave for an undisclosed reason when the domestic incident happened. No mention is made in any of the small articles about the victim, whether there was injury, or whether there are any safety options or extended protections.

Andale is a very small town - about 1000 people, with 2 full time law enforcement officers, 2 part-time, and 1 reserve. One of the part time officers also works full time for the the agency that arrested Bailey and that is investigating the domestic incident, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

[I can't imagine. You call the police and the alleged aggressor bounces right back out of jail without even having to pay a bond or bail. Then what?]

I hope this works out and everyone is safe. These really small towns in states that are not usually in national news headlines are just one of the reasons that I believe officer-involved policies should be mandated from a federal level. It will take forever for the tiny towns in  rural communities to establish protocol of what to do if, for example, the person who is accused is the chief of police.

• Andale Police Chief Arrested For Domestic Violence, KAKE TV, October 11, 2013
• Andale police chief arrested in DV case, KSN, October 11, 2013, 
• Andale police chief arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, The Wichita Eagle, Oct. 11, 2013 
• Facebook: Andale police chief arrested in DV case
• THE ANDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT 

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety brass repeat hx small town kansas state politics]

[CA] Deputy Sizeuala and wife injured in single car crash

San Joaquin County sheriff's Deputy Clinton Sizeula was arrested and placed on administrative leave after a single-vehicle accident that involved alcohol and injured both he and his wife.

DEPUTY ARRESTED AFTER DUI CRASH INJURING WIFE
recordnet.com
By Jason Anderson,
October 11th, 2013
[Excerpts] ...[San Joaquin County sheriff's Deputy Clinton] Sizeula sustained a laceration to the forehead and a concussion... Sizeula's wife suffered a severe laceration to the forehead, a small laceration to her liver, a potential fracture to her left hip, a broken nose, and multiple cuts and bruises... Both occupants had to be extracted from the vehicle before they could be taken to a hospital for treatment... Authorities said the case has been referred to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office for review. The District Attorney's Office will decide whether to file charges... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal alcohol california state politics]

[IN] Deputy Roeger arrested and charged after domestic incident

Indiana - Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Roeger of Greenfield was arrested and faces charges of intimidation, criminal mischief and residential entry after breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home. Roeger punched some damage to structures and belongings in the woman's home and now has been placed on paid suspension.

Alcohol isn't mentioned in the news articles but it happened about 2 a.m. after a Saturday night.

One of the questions then would be how did he get to her home.


One of the questions now would be - what safety options are offered her.

I'm opting to not post his mugshot.

POLICE ARREST HANCOCK CO. DEPUTY
WISHTV.com
Updated: Monday, October 7, 2013
[Excerpts] ...The female resident told police Roeger walked in her house and became angry because she had another male guest at her home. He punched the door to a bedroom, found the man in the room, and began to break things. He then went down the stairs and started punching pictures on the wall. The resident told him to leave and Roeger told the man in the home that "he didn't know what he had gotten himself into" and that he was "done for"... The woman told police she believes Roeger used a plastic card to unlock the door, as he did not have a key or her garage code... [Full article here]

SCOTT ROEGER FACES FELONY CHARGE AFTER VIOLENT OUTBURST AT WOMAN'S HOME
Daily Reporter,
By Noelle Steele
October 06, 2013
Updated: October 07, 2013
[Excerpts] A special prosecutor has been asked to handle the criminal case against a sheriff’s deputy [Scott Roeger]... Roeger, who was off duty at the time, punched a hole in a bedroom door and also hit a number of glass-framed portraits hanging on the walls, breaking the glass and lacerating his hand... http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/local_story/Deputy-arrested-on-intimidatio_1381077505

HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ARRESTED AT HOME OF EX-GIRLFRIEND
indystar.com
Oct. 6, 2013
[Excerpts] ...[Hancock County Sheriff Mike] Shepherd said Roeger was booked into the Hancock County Jail and will remain there until he appears in court this week, at which time his bond is expected to be set... [Full article here]

SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ARRESTED AFTER DISTURBANCE AT EX-GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE: ROEGER PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
RTV6, TheIndyChannel.com
Posted: 10/07/2013
[Excerpts] ...Officials said he only hurt himself in the incident. Roeger spent the night in the Hamilton County Jail and posted bond on Monday. Roeger was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety indiana state politics]

[CT] Police officer threatens suicide at wife's home. Norwalk and Newton Police intervene.

NEWTOWN POLICE: NORWALK COP THREATENS SUICIDE AT HOME
Norwalk Patch
October 07, 2013
[Excerpts] ... Officers here are wearing full tactical gear and it appears a SWAT team is forming in the area. Paramedics have just arrived on scene. At least two dozen police officers are at the location... Newtown police requested assistance from a state police tactical team, but local police are handling the case, according to state police. NBC Connecticut is reporting police responded to a report of a "barricaded man"... On 10/07/2013 [Monday] at approximately 1016 hours [10:16 a.m.] the Norwalk PD contacted Newtown Police and advised them that one of their off duty Officers had threatened to harm himself. That this individual was on his way to his wife’s home on Jo Mar Road, Newtown ,CT... The Connecticut State Police Emergency Services Unit and the Norwalk Police Negotiation Team were contacted for assistance and responded. Norwalk Police negotiators were able to make contact with the subject who later surrendered without further incident. He was transported to Danbury Hospital for evaluation. Two weapons, a hand gun and a shot gun were seized at the scene and turned over to Norwalk PD... Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik issued this statement... "It was an off duty incident occurring in Newtown. My comment would be that we are very thankful that the incident came to a safe conclusion and appreciate the assistance of The Newtown Police Department and members of the Connecticut State Police. We are fortunate that our officers who responded were able to quickly intervene and assist. The officer will be receiving all the assistance necessary and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as they work through some very difficult times ahead." [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal suicidal professional professionalism connecticut state politics]

[MA] Officer Farrar already experiencing consequences of being charged with a domestic

Worcester Police Officer Robert Farrar was granted bail with house arrest and electronic monitoring in a domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to assault and battery, aggravated assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon - a belt, and possession of Percocet. Farrar got around having to face a dangerousness hearing because the said-victim agreed to letting him be bailed out and put on house arrest with some conditions. They say he has turned in his weapons, is under a protection order to stay away from home and some schools, has a monitoring device, gets to leave his zone for work and appointments and is scheduled to be back in court November 12 for a pretrial hearing.

It's agonizing to realize the ramifications for all in this situation and I can only hope that there is some good that can come out of it's being public. Perhaps other officers will gaze beneath that hoodie, see themselves - and make changes.

And I have to pause and give props for the police and courts appearing at this stage to be handling domestic assault as a crime instead of a private matter. I wish the best outcome for all involved.

WORCESTER OFFICER GRANTED BAIL IN DOMESTIC ASSAULT [Full article here]

$5,000 BAIL SET FOR WORCESTER POLICEMAN ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC ASSAULT [Full article here]

LAST MONTH:
WORCESTER POLICE OFFICER HELD AFTER ALLEGED ASSAULT AND BATTERY WITH DANGEROUS WEAPON [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety preferential professional massachusetts state politics]

[MI] Mother of murdered DPD Officer Catherine Williams wants freeze lifted so she can sue

 Catherine "Katie" Ryan Williams
June 18, 1976 - September 22, 2009

...Patricia Williams, a Detroit police officer, was “extremely brutally” murdered by her husband in 2009... The suit from Patricia's mother claims two Detroit Police ranking officers protected [Catherine's husband, Detroit Police Detective] Ed Williams from criminal prosecution when he assaulted his wife in the days leading up to killing her... Ryan, argues the police department is liable for a “state-created danger” for not hospitalizing Ed Williams after a string of domestic violence and suicidal incidents...

PREVIOUS POSTS:

• [MI] Officer-Involved Murder-Suicide: Detroit Detective Williams' note to give his possessions to his mother "wasn't quite a suicide note"?
• [MI] One year ago today Detroit Police Officer Patricia Catherine "Katie" Ryan Williams was stolen away
• [MI] Family of slain Officer Williams is suing Detroit for not preventing her death

MURDERED POLICE OFFICER'S FAMILY WANTS TO SUE CITY OF DETROIT: Family wants bankruptcy judge to lift lawsuit freeze
ClickOnDetroit, Local 4
Published On: Oct 02 2013
[Excerpts] The family of a Detroit police officer murdered in 2009 has asked federal bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes to lift a freeze on lawsuits against the city of Detroit so they can pursue their case. Officer Patricia Kate Williams was shot and killed outside the Canton Township public library by her police officer husband, Ed Williams, who then committed suicide. Officer Williams' mother, Deborah Ryan, still feels the pain. "My daughter is missed by many," Ryan said. Deborah Ryan is suing Canton Township and the city of Detroit.  She says two days before the killing, her daughter told Canton Township police she had been battered'... According to the lawsuit, Canton police put the name of Ed Williams into the lien system, but Deborah Ryan said Detroit police advised them to remove it. "If they would have followed the same rules that would have applied to me as a person who did not wear a badge, that they would have arrested him," Ryan said. Now, Deborah Ryan believes the city is trying to hide behind its bankruptcy filing. "The city still needs to answer questions. Why? Be accountable for what you have done to our family," Ryan said... [Full article here]

BANKRUPTCY JUDGE: UNION CAN PURSUE RETIREE BONUS CHECKS
The Detroit News
October 2, 2013
[Excerpt] ...The family members of a slain Detroit police officer wants [U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven] Rhodes to let their lawsuit against the city and police personnel proceed despite the historic bankruptcy case.
Attorney William Goodman asked the judge for permission to seek restitution for the estate of slain Detroit officer Patricia Williams, who was killed by her husband, Ed Williams, a Detroit homicide detective, in a murder-suicide in the Canton Public Library parking lot on Sept. 23, 2009.
Patricia Williams’ mother, Deborah Ryan, is pursuing a lawsuit against the city, arguing the Police Department is liable for a “state-created danger” for not hospitalizing Ed Williams after a string of domestic violence and suicidal incidents. Goodman said the bankruptcy case’s automatic stay violates the family’s constitutional rights to due process. Rhodes set another hearing for Tuesday on the matter... [Full article here]

DETROIT BANKRUPTCY JUDGE HEARS SLAIN COP SUIT, RULES ON 13TH CHECKS
Detroit News
OCT 2, 2013
[Excerpts] Detroit's historic bankruptcy case is being held before U.S. District Judge Steven Rhodes. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes heard several requests today to unfreeze lawsuits against the city, including one filed by the family of a Detroit police officer killed by her estranged husband, a homicide detective...
8:44 am
SLAIN COP'S FAMILY FIGHTS TO PURSUE CASE AGAINST DETROIT
[Excerpts] The family of a slain Detroit police officer wants U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes to let their lawsuit against the city and police personnel proceed despite the historic bankruptcy case. The request, which you can read here, will be heard this morning, more than four years after Detroit homicide Detective Ed Williams, 36, of Canton Township, shot his wife, Patricia, 33, before turning the gun on himself. The shootings followed an argument in the Canton Public Library parking lot Sept. 23, 2009. Patricia Williams’ family filed a lawsuit in 2011 accusing two Detroit sergeants of protecting Ed Williams from possible criminal prosecution following reports he had assaulted his wife in the days leading up to the shooting. The 22-page complaint chronicled the last three days of Ed’s and Patricia Williams’ lives. The time was marked by allegations of domestic violence against the husband and a statewide law enforcement alert prompted by the discovery of what appeared to be a suicide note written by Ed Williams. A Detroit police sergeant convinced Canton Township Police to cancel the alert, and Ed Williams eventually shot and killed his wife, according to the lawsuit...
10:10 am
ATTY: SLAIN DETROIT COP 'EXTREMELY BRUTALLY' MURDERED BY HUSBAND
Patricia Williams, a Detroit police officer, was “extremely brutally” murdered by her husband in 2009, a lawyer for the late woman’s family told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes today. Attorney William Goodman wants permission to pursue a lawsuit against the city and police personnel while the Detroit bankruptcy case is pending. The lawsuit is two years old but was frozen after Detroit filed Chapter 9 bankruptcy in July. The bankruptcy case’s automatic stay violates the family’s constitutional rights to due process, said Goodman... The city is fighting the family’s request for relief... The judge said he would issue a written order soon.
4:44 pm
DETROIT BANKRUPTCY JUDGE SEATS HEARING IN SLAIN OFFICER LAWSUIT
[Excerpts] U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes scheduled an Oct. 8 hearing before deciding whether to unfreeze a lawsuit filed by the family of a slain Detroit police officer. The hearing will give Detroit lawyers a chance to prove the city would be harmed if the lawsuit continues in federal court. Attorney William Goodman asked the judge for permission to seek compensation for the estate of slain Detroit officer Patricia Williams... Patricia Williams’ mother, Deborah Ryan, argues the police department is liable for a “state-created danger” for not hospitalizing Ed Williams after a string of domestic violence and suicidal incidents. The lawsuit is two years old but was frozen after Detroit sought bankruptcy protection on July 18. [Full article here]

NEW EMAIL RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HIRING OF KEVYN ORR AND JONES DAY IN DETROIT BANKRUPTCY
WXYZ
10/02/2013
[Excerpts] ...The suit from Patricia's mother claims two Detroit Police ranking officers protected Ed Williams from criminal prosecution when he assaulted his wife in the days leading up to killing her... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder michigan state politics]

[KY] Not forgetting Jefferson County Police Officer Pamela Dawn Powell

[OCTOBER 2nd, 2001] Jefferson County Police Officer Pamela Dawn Powell appeared to investigators to have been shot in her sleep with her own service weapon. Her husband Robert "Bobby" Powell first claimed she had committed suicide, then claimed they had a suicide pact but that he just couldn't follow through when it was his turn. Pamela Powell's sister said "He's lying. She would never commit suicide," that her sister had been planning to leave him and had already packed her daughter's clothing. Robert was sentenced to life in prison.

...[Pamela] Powell will be remembered for her volunteer work and her generosity, [Officer Molly] Dentinger said. She spent a lot of time working on the department's Youth Summit this year and last year helped with Adam District's Christmas party for underprivileged youths... Last Christmas, Powell spent days sewing a bright green Grinch costume and elf get-ups for fellow officers to wear at the party... "She's really going to be missed in the community... She was jovial, crazy and fun"... 

[PAMELA POWELL'S 2 LAWSUITS AGAINST HER CHIEF]
SMALL TOWN DIDN'T TELL RESIDENTS OF LAWSUITS: Former officer got $75,000 in 2 cases against police chief 
The Courier-Journal
Scott Wade
February 21, 2000
[Excerpts] In the past three years, the city of Graymoor-Devondale has twice settled lawsuits against its police chief, Joseph Renzi - one for sexual harassment, the other for defamation... But Graymoor-Devondale leaders have never informed city residents about the lawsuits or settlements, nor told them that the chief was reprimanded for misconduct and insubordination for failing to get counseling. And Renzi remains police chief... "You just don't throw a guy out when he hits a little adversity or hits a bump in the road - you give him a break," said former City Council member Mike Kennedy... BOTH LAWSUITS were filed by Pamela Powell, who was fired by the city in September 1995 just hours after she filed the first suit. In the first lawsuit, Powell accused Renzi of making unwanted sexual advances in 1994 and '95... Powell filed the second lawsuit against Renzi and the city in July 1998 after she learned that Renzi had placed her picture on a dartboard in the police office above a hand-drawn picture of breasts and a sign with the words "Stick the Slut." That lawsuit, which claimed defamation, was settled Dec. 23 of last year... Powell, now a Jefferson County police officer, declined to comment... [Mayor John] Vaughan said there was no need for the city to publicize the matter... Council member [Thelma] Poe this week complained that the newspaper's reporting made the volunteer City Council "look bad... If we (told citizens what was happening), that would be like gossiping about our employees," she said... But Graymoor-Devondale resident Sally Craxton, who didn't know about the recent suit or settlement until told about it by a reporter, said residents should have been informed. "This is our city and our police chief and we wouldn't have known about it if it weren't for The CourierJournal," she said. "We have a right to know... As a woman, I'm affronted by the way he feels about women," she said. "Also, I think our police chief should be an exemplary person. Is this what we want our youth to see as an example of the person who is supposed to be enforcing the law?"...

MILLENNIAL MOTHERHOOD: Policewoman-mom-businesswoman-racing enthusiast enters Mrs. Kentucky contest for motivation 
The Courier-Journal
Mark Coomes
February 29, 2000
[Excerpts] Even by the standards of our turbo-charged times, Pamela Powell lives an outrageously fast, full life. She juggles five kids, a full-time job and vital roles in three family businesses. She also packs a gun, races motorbikes and hopes to be crowned Mrs. Kentucky 2000... Powell, 39, is a truly arresting figure: 5 feet 9 and 120 pounds, with raven hair and cinnamoncolored skin. She cuts quite a dash in her Jefferson County police uniform. And her racing gear. And her pageant gown. Her nightgown? Don't ask. That question might stump even Powell's husband, Bobby. He's usually asleep when she finally hits the hay around 1 a.m., and barely awake when she rises at 6:30 to get the children off to school. Thus begins a typical 18-hour day, typically packed with a week's worth of activities... "I'm a people person," she said. "If I was locked in a room where I couldn't talk to people, I'd probably climb the walls and start talking to myself." Powell needn't worry about the tortures of silence and solitude. Her Crestwood farm is home to a menagerie of children and critters, all lodged in a rustic A-frame overlooking a small pond. The Powells exchanged more than wedding vows in May 1998. Pamela had two children from a previous marriage... Bobby had three... "I guess we're sort of a modern-day Brady Bunch," Pamela Powell said... Her patrol rotation is six days on and one off... She races four-wheel ATVs... Bobby Powell plans to turn pro in the spring and already has lined up sponsors and an agent... "Oh, Bobby is a real hotshot," Pamela Powell said. "He thinks he's Evel Knievel." Powell is pretty Evel-minded herself... She decided to enter the Mrs. Kentucky pageant this June...

PAGEANT NEWS BUREAU
Offstage Archive
October - December 2001
Pamela Powell, a police officer in Kentucky who was Mrs. Jefferson County Globe 2000, has died. She placed third in the Mrs. Kentucky Globe Pageant and won the Family Values Award.

JEFFERSON POLICE OFFICER , NATIVE OF WOODFORD, FOUND FATALLY SHOT
Lexington Herald-Leader
Thursday, October 4, 2001
[Excerpts] A Jefferson County police officer was found dead Tuesday in her home in Oldham County, authorities said. Pamela Dawn Powell , 41, was fatally shot, but police would not say whether her death appeared to be a homicide or suicide... Mrs. Powell was found in her Crestwood home about 8:20 a.m. Tuesday. Police would not say who found her... Mrs. Powell was a Woodford County native and a graduate of Bryan Station High School in Lexington. She had been a police equipment magazine model and had worked for the Scott County sheriff's department at one time. Mrs. Powell had been a Jefferson County officer for about five years. She also had worked with several youth programs, Biven said. Mrs. Powell , a finalist in the Mrs. Kentucky 2000 pageant, lived with her husband, Bobby... Mrs. Powell, then Pam Conway, had been fired by the Graymoor-Devondale City Council in September 1995, just hours after filing a lawsuit against the city and Police Chief Joseph Renzi...

POLICE OFFICER FOUND FATALLY SHOT AT HOME: Pamela Powell on county force about five years 
By Shannon Tangonan
The Courier-Journal
[Excerpts] ..."The men and women of the Jefferson County Police Department are saddened" by her death, [Jefferson County police spokesman Officer Robert] Biven said. Powell, a finalist in the Mrs. Kentucky 2000 pageant, lived with her husband, Bobby, in a two-story house next to her in-laws. They had several children between them in what she once told a reporter was a "modernday Brady Bunch" family... Last year Powell operated a tanning salon and did bookkeeping for her husband's excavating firm, as well as police work. Before joining the county force, she was a deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department... Before that, she was employed by the Graymoor-Devondale Police Department, Yates said...

POLICE AWAIT TESTS IN OFFICER'S DEATH: Powell's friends recall work with children, jovial personality 
By Shannon Tangonan
The Courier-Journal
10/4/2001
[Excerpts] Investigators were awaiting laboratory test results yesterday to help determine whether a Jefferson County police officer [Pamela Powell] found fatally shot in her Crestwood home Tuesday was killed or committed suicide. There were no updates... Meanwhile, friends reflected on the loss of a dedicated officer who often volunteered to work with children... "Any time you lose another officer like this, it's a shock to everyone," [Jefferson County Police Capt. Bob Schutte] Schutte said. Officer Julie Schmidt, of the Jefferson County police canine unit and a friend of Powell's, said she helped family members make arrangements yesterday.... "I paged Pam and I called her house and nobody answered. That's when I knew it was true, and I was devastated"... Officer Molly Dentinger, who had known Powell for about four years, said she last saw Powell on Friday when they both arrived to assist another officer on a run. "Pam came flying to quickly back this officer up," Dentinger said. While on that run, "she handed me an invitation to her Halloween party"... Powell will be remembered for her volunteer work and her generosity, Dentinger said. She spent a lot of time working on the department's Youth Summit this year and last year helped with Adam District's Christmas party for underprivileged youths... Last Christmas, Powell spent days sewing a bright green Grinch costume and elf get-ups for fellow officers to wear at the party... "She's really going to be missed in the community," Dentinger said. "She was jovial, crazy and fun."

SLAIN OFFICER'S HUSBAND ARRESTED
The Courier-Journal
By Chris Kenning
Tuesday, October 9, 2001
[Excerpts] The husband of a Jefferson County police officer found dead at her Oldham County home last week has been charged with her murder. Police initially said tests were under way to determine if Officer Pamela Powell's shooting death was a homicide or suicide. Oldham County police arrested Robert L. Powell, 34, about 3 p.m. yesterday and charged him with first-degree murder... According to an arrest slip filed in Oldham District Court yesterday, Robert Powell shot "her in the head with a 9mm pistol"... Officer Robert Biven, a spokesman for Jefferson County police, said the arrest provided a measure of relief to a department that had been left with disturbing questions about Powell's death. The charges help "bring some closure," he said. Biven said Jefferson County detectives and evidence technicians helped with the investigation, and he praised Oldham County police for working quickly... [Pam's friend, Jefferson County police officer Julie] Schmidt said she hadn't spent much time with the Powells when they were together and wouldn't say if Pamela Powell had talked about any domestic trouble. "I'm just glad that her children will now know she didn't abandon them," she said...

SLAIN POLICE OFFICER'S HUSBAND HAS RECORD OF ASSAULT ARRESTS: Those charges were dismissed; he is now held in wife's death 
The Courier-Journal
By Shannon Tangonan
Wednesday, October 10, 2001
[Excerpts] An Oldham County man charged with the murder of his wife, a Jefferson County police officer, had two arrests in the last eight years involving domestic violence, court records show. Both cases of fourth-degree assault eventually were dismissed, and neither involved Officer Pamela Powell, whose body was found Oct. 2 at the home in Crestwood she shared with her husband, Robert L. "Bobby" Powell. She had been shot in the head... Pamela Powell's sister, Dana Scherrer, 39, of Ossian, Ind., said she never mentioned any domestic or financial trouble... Court records in Oldham County show Powell was arrested in two domestic disputes, one dating to 1993 involving a former wife, and the other in 1995 involving a woman with whom he shared a child. According to an arrest warrant filed in Oldham County District Court in March 1993, Stacy Powell said Robert Powell became angry with her and "grabbed her by the throat causing pain and slapping (her) when she tried to defend herself." She told police he also threatened to "rip her head off"... In the 1995 case, a domestic-abuse report stated that Melissa Holstein said that Powell pushed her "to the floor and held her there by the neck causing red marks." The report said the assault occurred as part of an ongoing confrontation...

PAMELA POWELL 
The Woodford Sun
October 11, 2001
[Excerpts] Pamela Dawn Powell, 41, of Oldham County, formerly of Woodford County, a Jefferson County police officer, wife of Bobby Powell, died Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001, at her residence of a gunshot wound. Authorities were investigating. Born Aug. 11, 1960, in Woodford County, she was the daughter of Amalid Garcia, Versailles. She formerly worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son... a daughter... two step-daughters... a step-son... three brothers... three sisters...

OFFICER'S HUSBAND PLEADS INNOCENT
Enquirer
Kentucky News Briefs
Friday, October 12, 2001
[Excerpts] A Crestwood man accused of killing his wife - a Jefferson County police officer - pleaded innocent on Wednesday in Oldham District Court.
A judge ordered Robert L. Powell, 34, to remain in the Oldham County jail under a $1 million cash bond... Mr. Powell is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 41-year-old Pamela Powell...

SPOUSE PLEADS GUILTY TO OFFICER'S MURDER: Victim's family rejects his claim that she had agreed to suicide pact 
The Courier-Journal
Shannon Tangonan
April 27, 2002
[Excerpts] Saying they both planned to take their lives because of "mental, emotional and financial problems," Robert L. "Bobby" Powell changed his plea to guilty yesterday in the October murder of his wife, Pamela, a Jefferson County police officer. "As she was raising the gun, my hand touched her hand and we put it to her head and the gun went off," Powell said in court. But when he put the gun to his own head, "I could not do it," Powell told Oldham Circuit Judge Paul W. Rosenblum. The judge accepted Powell's guilty plea, but Pamela Powell's tearful relatives and friends could not accept his explanation of what happened. And commonwealth's attorney Kim Snell told the court that evidence gathered by investigators conflicted with Bobby Powell's story that his wife was a willing participant... Pamela Powell's sister, Tonya Jones, said she knew all along that her brother-in-law was guilty, and wasn't buying his story. "He's lying. She would never commit suicide"... She said her sister had been planning to leave Bobby Powell, and had already packed her daughter's clothing... Steve Jones, the husband of Tonya Jones, said Pamela Powell hadn't talked as if she were preparing to kill herself. She was planning for Thanksgiving and collecting toys for needy children for Christmas, he said...

MAN SENTENCED FOR KILLING WIFE, POLICE OFFICER PAMELA POWELL: Oldham killer claimed they had suicide pact 
The Courier-Journal
Tonia Holbrook
June 6, 2002
[Excerpts] Robert L. "Bobby" Powell was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for the murder of his wife, Pamela Powell, a Jefferson County police officer. Saying "the loss of Pam Powell can only be described as tragic," Oldham Circuit Judge Paul Rosenblum handed down the maximum sentence. Bobby Powell will be eligible for parole in 20 years... Pamela Powell, then Pamela Conway, married Bobby Powell in May 1998 and helped him run his excavating business. They had five children from previous marriages and lived in Crestwood. Court records show that Powell had been arrested twice in the last eight years for domestic violence against his ex-wife and a woman with whom he had a child. He also was arrested in 1998 on a charge of flagrant nonsupport of that child, and again last year on a charge of nonpayment of child support. In court yesterday, Powell said nothing except to state his name and answered a question from Rosenblum with a soft "No, sir." After more than an hour of testimony by friends and relatives on behalf of Bobby and Pamela Powell, [Commonwealth's Attorney Kim] Snell said that while justice had been done, it was a sad day for everyone involved. "The rest of Pamela Powell's natural life is what he took, and the rest of his natural life is what he should forfeit for it," Snell said. Pamela Powell's brotherin-law, Steve Jones, agreed with the ruling, but said "there's never any satisfaction in a situation like this." Her friends and family told Rosenblum that she had planned to leave her husband - that he wasn't pulling his weight in the family's finances and that she was no longer happy. Her ex-husband, Ray Caudill, said that's why Powell shot her. Those who spoke on Bobby Powell's behalf said that they also grieve over his wife's death, and pleaded with Rosenblum to send him to an institution close by so that his family could visit him often... Pamela Powell's sister, Dana Scherrer, tearfully told Bobby Powell that she doesn't feel sorry for him. "I'll never forgive you for what you've done to us. I don't want anybody to see you - not unless they have to see you the same way I have to see my sister," Scherrer said.

APPEALS COURT BACKS NEW HEARING: Man wants murder conviction set aside
The Courier-Journal
By Andrew Wolfson
2004/12/04
[Excerpts] The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that Robert L. Powell is entitled to a hearing on his motion to set aside his conviction for murdering his wife, a Jefferson County police officer. Powell, 37, contends that he was given ineffective counsel when he pleaded guilty to the Oct. 2, 2001, murder of his wife, Pamela. In his motion, Powell claimed his lawyer failed to adequately investigate whether he acted under extreme emotional disturbance. But Oldham Circuit Judge Paul Rosenblum denied his motion without a hearing... Powell pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence, which he is serving at the Northpoint Training Center in Burgin. Snell said in an interview yesterday that he is confident Powell's plea will stand. If Powell had been convicted of murder while under extreme emotional disturbance, the conviction would be reduced to manslaughter, for which the penalty is 10 to 20 years in prison. Kentucky law says a person acts under extreme emotional disturbance when in a temporary state of mind "so enraged, inflamed, or disturbed as to overcome one's judgment, and to cause one to act uncontrollably" from the emotional disturbance "rather than from evil or malicious purposes." The law says there must be a "a reasonable explanation or excuse" for the state, "the reasonableness of which is to be determined from the viewpoint of a person in the defendant's situation." Pamela Powell, 41, had served as a Jefferson County police officer since 1993. She was shot with her service weapon.

COURT LETS MURDER CONVICTION STAND
Courier-Journa
Andrea Uhde
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
[Excerpts] An Oldham County Circuit Court judge has denied a motion to set aside the conviction of Robert L. Powell, a Crestwood man who murdered his wife, a Jefferson County police officer. Judge Karen Conrad ruled on March 30 that Powell's attorney, Jerry McGraw, adequately represented him during his trial, despite Powell's allegations to the contrary. "The Court can find no fault with the representation of defense counsel and finds that the Defendant was given more than ample opportunity to pursue a defense of extreme emotional disturbance had he so desired," Conrad wrote in her 16-page decision. Powell, 40, was sentenced in June 2002 to life in prison for murdering Pamela Powell. He is eligible for parole on Oct. 4, 2021...

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities alleged said suicide convidtion murder kentucky state politics]

[U.S.] Too Many Said-Suicides of Law Enforcement Officer's wives, girlfriends, dates, and ex's

It happens too frequently that women in the lives of public safety officers or public officials are said and believed, even without an investigation, to have killed their self.

I will be adding names to this post that I still have in my files - women who were said to have taken their own life - some were declared to be suicides - even on the same day, some never publicly identified, some proven through the courts to have been murdered, some "undetermined" forever.

All loved. All missed. All never forgotten.

JASMIN NICCOLE CEELY
"Investigators have not been able to determine if the death of a McComb police officer's wife was a suicide or homicide..." [MS] "NIKKI" CEELY SHOT DEAD WITH COP HUSBAND'S SHOTGUN, BUT - WHAT? (Husband is Frank Ceely)

MICHELLE O'CONNELL

[FL] St. Johns County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Banks called 911 to report that his girlfriend, Michelle O'Connell had shot and killed herself. The initial very short news article gave no names: "The girlfriend of a St. Johns County sheriff's deputy died overnight in an apparent suicide... it was the deputy's service weapon that was involved.." Investigators were quoted in that article as having had *believed* the deputy – that he was in another part of the house at the time the gun was fired. See PBS Frontline / New York Times page with link to online documentary and related articles [[[ HERE ]]].

MELISSA MESSINEO VARRONE

[NY] Rotterdam Police Officer told police his new wife Melissa Messineo Varrone fatally shot herself - At her husband Anthony Varrone's word of what had occured, Melissa's death was ruled a suicide 1 day after it happened. Her family says she would never have left her son, the love of her life. FROM NEWS: "State police said a 26-year-old woman died Saturday in her Floral Avenue home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No charges were filed stemming from the incident... The Times Union is withholding the name of the victim as a matter of privacy..."

MOLLY YOUNG

[IL] Over 25,000 people would like a deeper investigation into the said-suicide of Molly Young - Carbondale Police Dispatcher Richard “Richie” Minton's lovely right-handed ex-girlfriend Molly Young died by a gunshot wound to the top left side of her head in his residence after he texted her to come over around 3 a.m. Minton says Molly killed herself. There were no fingerprints on the gun, no residue on their hands, there were bruises on her body, scratches on his body, and many other concerning dynamics. I am typing this in July of 2013 and Minton, who lawyered up the morning of Molly's death, has still not cooperated with the police investigation. [See Justice For Molly Facebook group]

ANGIE KOLHAGEN [MI]

Detroit Police Officer William "Billy" "Z" Zeolla's girlfriend Angela "Angie" DeWald Kolhagen was said to have killed herself at their residence with Zeolla's service weapon. Neither of their names were reported in the news, though the event itself briefly was. "During the initial search of the property, police spent several minutes in the backyard. Sources told Fox 2 that is where the victim shot herself before the officer carried her to the front of the house. Several police vehicles responded to the scene. Neighbors said the response time was very fast." Video: [M]I Detroit officer's girlfriend fatally shot in apparent suicide 

CARLI ANNE BITTERMAN DENNIS

[PA] Dallas Township Police Officer Jeffrey Dennis said he didn't kill his wife Carli - that Carli had shot herself. Carli's best friend said Jeff Dennis told her that Carli died because of what she did to him. Another witness said Dennis threatened to shoot her and make it look like she did it. Jeff Dennis was convicted. He can't possibly understand whose life he stole.[Photo is of Carli and her mother]

SHARI BETHEL CARTMELL

[TN] Nashville Police Officer Deon Cartmell called 911 to report that his wife Shari Bethel Cartmell was shot. Officer Cartmell first said that Shari shot herself, that he didn't do it, but he ended up giving conflicting accounts about what occurred. He was convicted for 2nd degree murder. Video: [TN] Officer Cartmell Reports Wife Shari's Death - "...My sister was not suicidal..."

CHELSIE MARIE RAIDIGER

[AZ] Chelsie Raidiger is said to have used her deputy boyfriend's service weapon to kill herself - As stated in news: "Chelsie Raidiger, 22, took her own life almost a year ago by firing a handgun into her chest... Raidiger lived in a Vail home owned by her boyfriend, Michael Kleinberg, who was reportedly in Ohio at the time of her death. Kleinberg is an Oro Valley Police Department officer - and Raidiger used his duty weapon to end her life..."

CATHERINE WEILAND

[IL] Chicago Police Sgt. Steven Lesner says that Catherine Weiland killed herself with his service weapon while he was in her bathroom. He washed his hands before he was checked for gun shot residue and no fingerprints were taken from the weapon. His fellow officers did swab the gun for DNA but they never provided the results to the state crime lab. The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications has declined to release the recording of his 1:42 a.m. 911 call. The detective assigned to lead the investigation played on a police union sports team with Lesner. The State Police say they were never given Lesner’s clothing to test for gunshot residue and Catherine wasn’t examined to determine if  there had been sexual contact.

MARLO SANDRA YNIGUEZ GALLAGHER

[WA] Tenino Police Chief  Sean Gallagher’s wife Marlo died of a shotgun blast to the head at their home in Lacey. Investigators quickly concluded that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted and the police lieutenant spokesman told the media that he doesn’t know who owns the shotgun that killed Marlo. She and her husband were the only people in the home at the time of her death. Sean immediately moved in with his Yelm Police officer girlfriend - who was also Marlo's friend - and they have since married. 

THE SAME DAY, ONE HOUR'S DISTANCE FROM MARLO:

SUSAN MCMAHON

[WA] Fire Marshal's wife Susan McMahon said to have committed suicide by engulfing herself in flames at her ex-husband's home - Susan was found on the ground outside of a backyard shed that was fully engulfed in flames. The residence was her ex-husband's - where she had been staying with him. Her body was covered 100% with burns. Her husband, King County Fire and Rescue [IKCFR] Deputy Fire Marshal Melvin “Mel” McMahon was said to not be home at the time assistance was called for. Mapquest shows his station is 2 minutes from home and it was his station that first responded to the fire. Susan's name was never published in the news, and her husband was referred to only as a firefighter. Within 1 day, Susan's death was ruled a suicide.

BRITTANY MAXWELL 

[TN] 25 year old Murfreesboro Police Officer Brittany Maxwell was found dead in her residence. She is said to have been dating a fellow officer from her department and that relationship was not going well. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate her death but details were not made known and it is handled as a suicide. Many do not believe Brittany did not kill herself, and that it's completely out of charachter for many reasons - her dispostion, strength, upcoming plans, selfless projects for the less fortunate --  but it appears the case is closed and decided. Brittany started The Christmas Tree Project to collect artificial trees for those children and families who otherwise would not have a tree.

GEORGIA SKANDON 

1910

[Susanville, CA] "A coroner's jury returned a verdict today to the effect that Mrs. Georgia Skadon, wife of Under Sheriff Skadon, committed suicide. Mrs. Skadon's body was found on a bed Saturday with a rope about her neck. Death was caused by strangulation." Date of death 4 June 1910 [San Francisco Call 7 June 1910]

DETROIT POLICE OFFICER TABITHA MCCREE

News reports didn't mention directly that Tabitha's husband Jaimy McCree is a Detroit Police officer, but he is. EXCERPTS FROM ARTICLES: A female police officer died today after she shot herself following an argument with her husband. Tabitha McCree, 37, argued with her 44-year-old husband Jaimy at the Southwest District at 11 a.m., police officials said. McCree, who was off duty, then took her car and went to a secluded area near West Vernor Highway and St. Anne Street where she got out of the car and shot herself in the stomach. "It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," said Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings... Jaimy McCree initially was a suspect in his wife's death, but investigators have since backed off that theory... Soon after, sources began saying that McCree, who had been taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, told police that her husband, who is also on the force, may have shot her...

POLICE OFFICER AMY RUFF

[IL] Wayne Police Officer Amy Ruff, wife of DuPage County Sheriff’s Hazardous Device Unit Commander Jim Ruff, was found dead in their DuPage County home near West Chicago. About 20 police cars came to the scene and spent close to 20 hours there. The Major Crimes Task Force of her husband's sheriff's department is the main investigating agency and told the media that Amy appears to have shot herself and released no other details. Amy's boss Wayne Police Chief Dan Callahan would not discuss any details, and the DuPage County coroner's office made no official statement. Amy, mother of two daughters, had been with the Wayne Police Department for 10 years.

TIANNA RICHIE

[GA] Fired a week before the shooting - for steroids - ex-Cobb County Police Detective Tracey Richie told police that his wife Tianna took her own life by shooting herself in the Temple with his service revolver. He was also suspended recently for "a boisterous" fight with her and the report concluded "All accounts indicate you are exhibiting intense anger towards your wife." Tianna's family say they believe that she was murdered. “She was strong-willed. Very caring, and loved her kids, I mean, immensely loved her kids, and we don’t believe she’d do that without at least leaving some kind of note.” Family said she has no history of depression.

MEGAN OWEN BARRY

[VA] Fairfax County Sheriff Stan G. Barry's wife was found shot to death in their Centreville home, and police investigated the case as a suicide. Barry called police and reported a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The sheriff said he had stepped outside briefly and returned to find his wife lying fatally wounded inside. Megan Owen Barry was an associate at the Falls Church and Richmond offices of the Reed Smith law firm and had been working as a lobbyist at the state Capitol.

PA TAMI MAYKUTH 

Tami L. McNeese Maykuth, wife of Ambridge Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Maykuth, was said to have been found dead by her husband in the family van parked outside of their home, and her death was ruled by the coroner to be a suicide - shooting herself in the chest. Her husband Joseph, weapons instructor and armorer for Ambridge Police, took his own life 3 months later by shooting himself also in the chest and also in a vehicle - leaving a note never made public. They are survived by 3 children.

NYPD OFFICER SONIA GARCIA

[NYPD] Sgt. Alexis Chaparro was the only one in the house when fiance' Officer Sonia Garcia was fatally shot, but he claimed he didn't do it. "He said he heard a shot and found her in the bedroom.” Even though responding officers stated at the scene that they didn't believe it was a suicide, Chaparro wasn't charged until six months later. He pleaded down to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to a mere 10 years with credit for time served. Sonia is the mother of two beautiful daughters.

TERA CHAVEZ 

[NM] Albuquerque Police Department officer Levi Chavez's department-issued Glock was found next to his wife, Tera Chavez's, body and her death was considered suicide. Tera's family said they never believed she killed herself. APD Officer Chavez was indicted, stood trial and was acquitted of Tera's murder. He has yet to face a civil wrongful death trial in January of 2014. This is a complex case in that many others are accused of having some role in events before and after Tera's death.

JENNIFER MARIE WEBB AND UNBORN BRAXTON 

[MI] Buena Vista Township Police Officer staged Jennifer Marie Webb's suicide, causing also the death of their unborn son Braxton James Donald Webb - Jennifer was Pregnant with Buena Vista Township Police Officer Kenneth "Ken" Bluew near-full term son when he staged Jenny's suicide at a gun range. Responding officers had some doubts so turned the case over to Michigan State Police. Bluew was charged and convicted of 1st-degree premeditated murder, assaulting a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth of a fetus or embryo, and two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Bluew was given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for murder plus 65 to 100 for the additional crimes.

CYNTHIA RUTH WALLACE WELCH 

[LA] "Shreveport police officer [Michael Welch]'s gun believed used in suicide... Shreveport police are at the scene of a suicide on the west side of town, one in which an officer's wife died... Police spokesman Randy Patrick said the victim used a Glock and that efforts are now under way to determine whether it was her husband's service weapon. At 9:20 am there were 10 Shreveport police units on the scene..." In one of the several articles about his domestic violence incidents with another woman after his wife's death, it stated that "Welch is a widower. His wife died this past January in what was determined to be a suicide using Welch's department-issue pistol. Cynthia Welch, 30, was found in the bathtub of the couple's mobile home with a gunshot wound to the head...

POLICE OFFICER MICHELLE HAYWARD

[FL] Many who knew Tarpon Springs Florida Police Officer Michelle Hayward don't believe that she committed suicide. Michelle had reported that her ex-boyfriend, Tarpon Springs Police Sgt. John Spatz punched her in the stomach when he came to pick up his clothes. No arrests were made. Charges of misdemeanor battery were forwarded against both of them. Both were put on paid leave for about 10 days then reinstated before the prosecutor's inquiry was even completed. Days later Michelle was found dead by gunshot. Police said that it was self-inflicted.

HARRISON COUNTY JAIL COMMANDER CHRISTINE BRITTON

[IN] Believing Harrison County Sheriff's Deputy John Britton when he tells 911: "My wife shot herself..." - Harrison County Indiana Sheriff's Deputy John Britton called 911 to say that his wife, Harrison County Jail Commander Christine Britton, had shot herself. He said they were arguing, she had threatened to kill herself, he said he told her to go ahead and do it and then left his weapon on the bed. There is only his side of the story because the dead can't testify and Deputy Britton was was found guilty only of assisting a suicide. Video: [IN] Deputy Britton 911 call "My wife shot herself..."

LORI MEULMAN DEKLEINE

[MI] Lori DeKleine, wife of Holland Michigan Police Officer Ken DeKleine, said days before her death that if she comes up dead, to investigate her husband. Amid a "bitter divorce and custody battle" While being allowed to repeatedly violate Lori's protection orders against him, Ken convinced others Lori was suicidal and unstable in preparation of executing his plan. He laid in wait and ambushed her. He didn't expect a fight - that would leave her bruised and him bitten. He also made some technical miscalculations of the staged suicide scene, was charged, convicted of murder and given life in prison without parole.

NATALIE WAGNER

[WI] Shorewood Police Officer Natalie Wagner was killed by shotgun blast in the presence of her boyfriend Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Quigley. Quigley was cleared (and then changed his name to Michael Patrick Austin). From Natalie's parents, Melinda and Robert Wagner: "The Milwaukee Police Department proclaimed Natalie's death a suicide within three days. Later, when we read their reports, we discovered that they did no fingerprinting and collected no blood evidence. The senior fingerprint expert, who was called at home to come to the scene, was turned away at the door. He later told a friend of his, 'This whole thing stinks.'"

VASHTI FORREST SEACAT

[KS] Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputy Brett Seacat claimed his wife Vashti Forrest Seacat killed herself - but was convicted - Vashti filed for divorce 16 days before her death. Her husband, claimed Vashti wrote a suicide note, set a fire in their home, and then fatally shot herself down the hall from their two young sleeping sons. Vashti's sister said that Vashti had plans for the future, loved her children and would never commit suicide. Brett was found guilty of  first-degree murder, aggravated arson and two counts of aggravated child endangerment. Brett Seacat was a police trainer for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center at the time of Vashti's murder.

[Everyone on this page is so much more than a victim of suicide or murder; they are loved, and missed.]

JENNIFER AYDIN PICCINI

[PA] Which version of what happened to officer's wife Jennifer Aydin Piccini is true? -  When I first read news about Jennifer Aydin Piccini's death, my impression was her husband was a police officer, she went to his station, he wasn't there, that she had a confrontation with "police" and then fatally shot herself. After reading everything that I could find it seems the stories don't mesh. Most news reports didn't point out that the number of police present during her fatal wounding was two, OR that one of those two officers was her husband.

PATSY TINSLEY BRADLEY

is said to have committed suicide but few believe it. Ex Woodfin NC Police Chief Pete Bradley was convicted in March 2007 of assaulting his wife Patsy in their Biltmore Forest home, about a month before Patsy Bradley died of what officials assume, but haven't officially ruled, was suicide. At the assault trial prosecutors said Pete Bradley struck Patsy in the head leaving a lump the size of a golf ball. Officers said they found Patsy Bradley that day scared and crying in her car at a neighbor's house.

LISA KORESSEL

[CA] 22-year-old Orange Police Department Dispatcher Lisa Koressel  died of a gunshot wound to the head in a remote area of Riverside County while said to be target practicing with her husband, 23-year-old Buena Park police officer William Koressel. Riverside County Sheriff's Department  investigated it as a suicide at her husband's word, and concluded that Lisa died almost instantly. Friends and former co-workers of Lisa expressed disbelief that she had killed herself. William Koressel told investigators that Lisa Koressel's gun "had been removed from the scene, from where she was." The gun was located in their car.

AMANDA GRAHAM BARKER

[NC] Amanda Graham Barker, Dispatch Supervisor
 is said to have shot herself with her Red Springs Assistant Police Chiefs' service weapon - Amanda was living with and engaged to Red Springs Asst. Police Chief Kevin Locklear, when he called 911 and reported that Amanda had shot herself in the head while he was in another room. It was his service revolver. Amanda was a dispatch supervisor for Cumberland County EMS and mother of 2. In 2009 Locklear was fired from his position as police chief of the Raeford Police Dept. after he was charged with the 2007 injurious assault of his then-wife.

MOLLY WRAZEN

[SC] What happened to Molly Wrazen? - Mt. Pleasant Narcotics Officer Justin Hembree's 911 call started like this: "I just walked in my apartment, She's got a bullet in her chest apparently, there's a hole in her chest, there's a gun beside her, and she's not breathing." ... Experts testified that Wrazen didn't have gunpowder on her hands and also that the fatal bullet was fired upward into her chest, extremely rare in suicides. Deliberating for only 40 minutes, the six-member jury determined Wrazen was a victim of homicide, but declined an option to name a suspect...

CATHRYN MOORE
[FL]Daytona Beach Police Officer Chris(topher) Reeder said his girlfriend Cathryn Moore shot herself with his weapon while he was in the shower. Before there was an investigation, police were already saying it looks to be what Officer Reeder said it was. “A policeman whose girlfriend killed herself with his service weapon was issued a written warning for leaving his gun unsecured.”  Cathryn was studying for her nursing degree at Daytona State College. Cathryn was well known throughout her life for her great love of animals, especially her beloved horse, Moonlight, and her two dogs, Brandy and Keoke.

LYNDA JEAN CONRAD WALKER 

[PA] Police Sgt Walker's wife Lynda did NOT commit suicide 30 years ago. Now he gets short jail term. Montrose Pennsylvania Police Sgt. John David Walker was arrested in 2012 for the 1983 murder of his wife Lynda Jean Conrad Walker. Lynda's death had been ruled a suicide even before her autopsy was performed. In 2011 the grand jury had Lynda Walker’s body exhumed, she was re-examined, and found to have died by homicide. Sgt. Walker was allowed a plea deal in 2014, escaping trial and a possible life sentence, pleading "no contest" to voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to serve 2 to 4 years in a county jail. Information from Sgt. Walker's next wife helped police reopen the case. She said Walker told her that investigating police had no evidence BECAUSE he obtained the evidence police seized from the scene many years ago... DOD Nov. 13, 1983.

VALARIE FIORENZA

[MA] “Our daughter, Valarie Fiorenza... Her body was found hanging from a floor joist in a basement storage room in the home of her estranged live-in boyfriend, Saugus Police Officer Paul R. Bennett. The Saugus Police Department was the investigating agency and proclaimed the death a suicide even before the autopsy. The newspapers and TV were not contacted, because the police did not want anyone to know that Valarie's body was found in the home of a police officer." Valarie's death came 3 days after filing a restraining ordder against Officer Bennett.

KAREN FLORES 

[AZ] PimaCounty Sheriff's Deputy Luis Lopez called in to authorities to report his girlfriend Karen Flores had killed herself, shooting herself in the chest with his service weapon. Tucson Police investigated it initially as suspicious, and Lopez was terminated one day after the alleged suicide - for failing to successfully complete his probationary period. Lopez and Flores were involved in a fight before the shooting, and at the scene Lopez was reportedly uncooperative with deputies when asked where the gun was. His father had to direct police to the gun in a back room. [That's it.]

SANDRA KAYE GILL 

[AR] Sandra Kaye Gill was murdered by her husband, Ex-Fordyce Police Chief Paul Douglas “Doug” Gill, who had tried to stage it as a suicide. Doug Gill said the he found Sandra in bed with a gunshot wound to her head. He called 911 and said that he thought his wife had killed herself. Interviews with those close to Sandra said that she had a vacation planned, was working on a graduate degree, was expecting a grandchild, had strong religious beliefs, hated guns, and had never fired a weapon. Her husband was found guilty of 1st-degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

YVONNE MANSFIELD  

[OK] Yvonne Hart Mansfield of Altus died of a gunshot wound to the head and her husband, Jackson County sheriff's deputy James Mansfield sustained a gunshot wound in his hand. James called 911 and said his wife had shot herself. The gun used was James Mansfield's service weapon. Police said it wasn't determined who discharged the weapon. Jackson County Sheriff Morris Roberts said: "James has been a good employee." and that if the investigation clears Mansfield, he will be welcome to come back to work. Someone close to her: “We loved her dearly and miss her so much. The 2 year old child was her son, not James Mansfield's. The ER nurses told me James reeked of alcohol that night.”

POLICE OFFICER PAMELA POWELL

[KY] Jefferson County Police Officer Pamela Dawn Powell appeared to investigators to have been shot in her sleep with her own service weapon. Her husband Robert "Bobby" Powell first claimed she had committed suicide, then claimed they had a suicide pact but that he just couldn't follow through when it was his turn. Pamela Powell's sister said "He's lying. She would never commit suicide," that her sister had been planning to leave him and had already packed her daughter's clothing. Robert was sentenced to life in prison.

[Not forgotten] ELEANOR JAMES
[NC] Long time wife of Police Chief Jesse James - chief of Burlington and then Charlotte, Eleanor James was ruled to have killed herself. She was found “shot once in the chest by a bullet that passed through her body and lodged in the mattress of her bed. Coroner Dr. W. M. Summerville ruled the death a suicide.” Chief James stepped down from his Charolette job a year earlier. He and Eleanor had two sons, 11 and 16 years old.

JAN MARIE WRIGHT
[OH] According to Columbus Police Officer Richard Wright, his wife Jan Marie Wright - a Rural Metro Ambulance driver, died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to her chest. Wright, had argued with his wife before the shooting. He says he got in his car, placed the gun in the middle, sat in the driver's seat, and that Jan entered the passenger side, grabbed the gun and was shot in the upper chest during a struggle for it. "My wife went to get my gun from me, and she shot herself..." Jan's stepfather said investigators should have given Wright a polygraph test. Wright pleaded guilty to first-degree misdemeanor negligent homicide and got 6 months in jail.

ARIANA SUTTON (2023)
Ariana is said to have killed herself due to postpartum depression 9 days after giving birth to twins. Excerpts news: The 36-year-old, whose "greatest joy was spending time with her family," shared three children with Easton police officer Tyler Sutton, per her obituary... Her husband’s brother, Jason Sutton, described Ariana as a "very gentle, kind human being. Ariana wanted these kids so badly... She lived to be a mother"...

AMANDA MEDINA

[NM] 24-year-old Albuquerque Police officer Frank Baca Jr. called 911 reporting hisgirlfriend, 24-year-old Amanda Medina, had just committed suicide by shooting herself. The weapon was Officer Baca's service weapon. I would love to know about her life or have a photo of her. Amanda lived in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

KATHY FERGUSON

[AR] Kathy Ferguson, ex-wife of Arkansas State Trooper Danny Ferguson and then-current girlfriend of Sherwood Police Officer Bill Shelton, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the right temple in Sheldon's home. Officer Bill Shelton, who is said to have found Kathy dead, allegedly shot himself once in the head at her grave a month later.


THERESA FLANNERY 
Theresa, a lieutenant with the NYPD, was found in her apartment with two gunshot wounds to her head... Long Island cops believe she shot herSELF in the face. Bleeding and in pain, she put the gun behind her ear and pulled the trigger yet again, striking herSELF in the back of the head. Friends and family say, NO WAY. The New York Post reported that Lieutenant Flannery had broken up with her husband, also a police lieutenant, was dating a city police officer who is married. Neighbors had heard a commotion, breaking glass and two shots.

LAURA RAWLS
[FL] Police officer's wife Laura Rawls said to have killed herself with husband's service weapon (1957) "The 43-year-old wife of a Miami police officer took her own life early today, police reported. The victim was identified as Mrs. Laura Rawls, of 3021 NW 1st St. She was found dead, lying on her bed, at 7 a.m. by her husband, Officer E. J. Rawls, police department drunk-o-meter technician...

DORIS THOMPSON SHRYOCK
[OH] Kettering Police Chief's Wife, Doris Thompson Shryock, Said-Suicide - 1974 - On September 5th, 1974 Doris Thompson Shryock died by a gunshot wound to the head. Kettering Police Chief John Russel Shryock says she told him she was going to kill herself and that she has had "complete mental disorientation" since a car accident years prior to her death. One month after her death the chief sued the driver in that accident for $300,000.
[unsolved, unresolved, faked usur, police, officer involved, domestic violence, oidv, intimate partner violence, ipv, abuse, law enforcement, public safety, lethal, fatality, arkansas, arizona, california, florida, georgia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, louisiana, massachusetts, michigan, new mexico, new york police, north carolina, oklahoma, pennsylvania, south carolina, tennessee, virginia, washington, wisconsin state politics, united states, attorney general, special class of crime, perpetrator, cop on cop, nypd, nyc, alleged suicide, said suicide, Trooper Danny Ferguson was co-defendant with President Bill Clinton insexual harassment lawsuit by Paula Corbin Jones]