[NY] Saying goodbye to NYPD Griselda Espinal - Death by murder-sucide

New York Police Detective Griselda Espinal was buried last week. Her husband killed her earlier this month. The children were there. After he stabbed her he left the room, one of the boys said he's going to get moms gun, dad came back into the room, the kids ran out screaming, "He's killing her! He's got her gun!" - except one. Their eight year old daughter was laying across her bleeding mother begging for someone to help her and shouting "No! No! No!".

He flung their daughter off, shot Griselda in the head, went out into the yard. When he put the gun to his face, their 12 year old son yelled out, "Papi, no, no!"

The police had been there before, for a knife incident where Griselda was cut, but there was no action taken and no report.

Could things have gone differently if it had not been treated lightly?

I don't know.

Good-bye Griselda - and blessings to your family - a prayer that they are surrounded with love and one day find their way past even some of the trauma and deep sorrow.

Amen.

"About 750 uniformed police officers gathered at St. Patrick's Cathedral Thursday to mourn Griselda Espinal, who was stabbed and shot to death last Friday by her husband, Francisco, 37, police said. The shooting took place in front of the couple's three children and their 65-year-old baby-sitter..." (Source: NEWSDAY, August 18, 2006)

[MI] Gun-to-wife's-head Deputy Harvey got to make a DEAL?

Last week Antrim County Deputy Michael Harvey pled guilty to assault charges and a misdemeanor count of domestic violence after having pushed his wife to the ground, striking her in the face, pointing his weapon at her (head?), and threatening to kill her "while on duty." (?) The most recent news didn't mention what happened to the original reports that he also pointed a taser gun at his two year old son. He HAD been charged with two felony counts of assault, a felony firearm charge, and two counts of domestic violence. (Those 2 dv charges were against another woman, not his wife, who the news doesn't tell anything more about.)

What Harvey's said to have said to his wife:

"If I get the (expletive) papers in the mail,

I am going to (expletive)

kill you

and your mother,

and I'm going to kill these two boys

and then I am going to kill myself...

You need to stop the attorney,

stop the divorce,

stop everything."

What did police carry out of his house? - What too many frightened spouses know - an arsenal: 57 firearms, both loaded and unloaded. (Pause and just iMAGine that!)

The DEAL that he got to make with the court? DROPPING "one count of felonious assault; one felony firearm charge; and a second domestic violence charge."

Sweet, hunh?

[NY] Buffalo Officer Roman's bail doubled on his FOURTH arrest

It was in the news 3 days ago that Buffalo Police Officer Antonio Roman's bail was doubled after the prosecutor and judge agreed that he was a serious risk to public safety - with the prosecutor bringing up "PAST INSTANCES" of problems. He pled not guilty to 2nd degree menacing and unlawful imprisonment - both from the accusations that he was holding a gun to his girlfriend's head.

IT'S THE FOURTH TIME HE'S BEEN ARRESTED.

When he was arrested for beating his wife the charge was dropped.

When he pulled a shotgun on another officer (male? female?) he was cleared.

Another time he barricaded himself in a house with a girlfriend and no telling what happened to that case - but I can say

he's still a cop!

(Roman's Erie County Sheriff's Deputy brother killed his own estranged wife Norma in 1998.)

[FL] Did I mention that Miami-Dade Detective Flynn got 35 years? I want to.

"I had a fully loaded firearm stuck in my mouth, somebody asking me if I was ready to die.
Only God decides that."
...Miami-Dade Police Narcotics Detective Michael Flynn's kidnapped and beaten girlfriend Elaine

Previous blogger post here.

This isn't my only police dv project so I don't usually follow up with the cases on Blogger. They are here just to let the world know that there IS a problem - but I think for Elaine I really want to follow up with Detective Flynn.

Back in June he left - expected to serve 30 of his 35 year sentence. This is rare and worth posting for sure. What SHOULD have happened DID:



Drug Dealing Officer Is Sentenced
Jun 16, 2006
Evan Bacon Reporting
A Miami-Dade Police officer convicted of peddling drugs while on duty and threatening to kill his own girlfriend was sentenced to 35 years... Michael Flynn, a 23 year veteran of the City of Miami Police force, had pleaded guilty to buying and selling heroin... while on duty. He also admitted to forcing the barrel of his gun down his girlfriend’s mouth, while threatening to kill her. “I did it and I take responsibility for what I did,” Flynn testified during Friday’s sentencing hearing. “I did it. I did it. I did it”... (more)

"...Only God..."

[IL] Drinking and domestic arguing preceded Trooper Schulte's suicide

What can we do to make things better?


From this month's news:

Clinton County Coroner's Jury Rules...
WJBDRadio.com, IL
EXCERPT:
"...The coroner's jury also ruled the July first death of 32-year-old State Trooper Chadwich Schulte of Aviston a suicide from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home. Schulte's wife of three weeks, Tammy, testified that the two had argued in a cell phone call and when he came home from Carlyle Lake that evening. She reported her husband became upset again just before the shooting when talking to an ex-girlfriend. Schulte had a blood alcohol level of point-085, over the legal limit of intoxication..."

Tammy and son are okay physically - missing Trooper Schulte, and full of questions.

[NY] Watertown says it's READY now for an officer-involved domestic violence policy

Watertown Police Officer Michael Vanwaldick

Watertown has been in media chaos since Officer VanWaldick kidnapped his ex-girlfriend, shot a man in the chest several times, and became the subject of a manhunt in December of 2004. What made it a NATIONAL scandal and opened the city to lawsuits was that Watertown police were already aware that VanWaldick had serious problems before he committed this more noticed set of crimes. The scandal was that his past domestic violence acts had been effectively pushed under the rug by his department.

VanWaldick most likely had become convinced, by the lack of response to his past acts, that he could do whatever he wanted to. He had come to live in a mental world of lawlessness because there was no consequence for his prior crimes. He could climb into his ex's window to kidnap her in camoflauge clothing, bulletproof vest, and a MASK with the intent of lethal harm to his ex's friend.

For example, just a couple of days before the shooting VanWaldick called in sick, came to his ex-girlfriend's JOB, and threatened to kill her and himself. Plenty of police came to the scene - using cell phones instead of police radios, not talking to the victim, letting it all just blend into the another day in Watertown. Now he's sentenced to 15 years and people's lives are changed. Covering for his past acts was no favor. He could be getting help while working a new job instead.

Because of a complaint filed by a city council member the New York State Commission of Investigation probed and reported on the incident.

According to the investigation results: ...many Watertown police officers who responded... "gave preferential treatment to VanWaldick because he was a police officer."It goes on to say investigating officers failed to properly document, review, or coordinate their investigations of the incidents... (Source: Feedback: State Says Watertown PD Response To VanWaldick 'Inadequate,' WWNYTV.net, July 20, 2006)

From yesterday's news: ...Monday night the council revealed a draft of a new policy stating how police will handle domestic cases involving one of their own in the future. The policy calls for more outreach to the District Attorney's office, and the families of the officer, as well as better training. Councilor's say they're ready to get a policy in place so something like this never happens again... (Source: Council comments on state's report of mishandling VanWaldick case, News 10 Now, August 22, 2006)

That's a big ideological leap for the city compared to 7 months ago: ..."I know absolutely nothing about it," Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham said. He downplayed the significance of the investigation. "What is it that you're going to find?" he asked. "A guy went out and did something stupid, it's tragic." He later said: "A finger-pointing session about what happened before isn't going to make my life or anybody else in the community's better than before"... (Source: A YEAR LATER, NO REPORT YET ON CITY POLICE, VANWALDICK, Watertown Daily Times (NY), Cory Nealo, February 9, 2006)

The hope is that Watertown will follow through with the report's recommendations, and also will put a specific policy in place to be a guide to them in officer-involved domestic violence cases - that they can move to being proactive and preventative in the future. Hopefully others will look to Watertown and benefit from what this city found itself learning the hard way.

Officer-Involved DV Document To All States!

Monumental Step Regarding
Officer-Involved Domestic Violence Policies

The powerful document below, a letter signed by top government representatives of Washington State, has been sent out INDIVIDUALLY to every United States Governor, every State Attorney General, and every State Insurance Commissioner in the nation. It is encouraging that all states join Washington State by implementing "strong and enforceable policy" regarding officer-involved domestic violence.

This Letter Is A Huge Step
In Fighting Domestic Violence.
Your Support Is Needed To Make It Work.

Please contact the officials for YOUR state to let them know your personal or agency's support for clear policy and procedure, and pass this document and request along to others who will also take action - helping it reach it's full potentially nation-sweeping effect. Let's get it done!

(Click to see full-sized scanned document)

(Recipient information has been removed from this document.)

Link to printable document:
http://www.policedomesticviolence.com/TOALLSTATES.jpg

To contact your State Governor
http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Governors.shtml

To contact your State Attorneys General

http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php

To contact your State Insurance Department Commissioners
http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm


IMPORTANT NOTE: A policy would also protect and add services for the many law enforcement officers who are victims of domestic violence, or engaged in mutual family problems.