• Mcallen, Texas: A federal grand jury indicted three more law enforcement officers on drug conspiracy charges. The indictment charges them with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. ow.ly/iwtrK
• Update: Bourne, Massachusetts: A state trooper who was reported for driving erratically has pleaded not guilty to drunken driving charges. http://ow.ly/iwFrK
• Miami, Florida: Two police officers were arrested in the first-ever federal case of identity theft and tax-refund fraud involving South Florida law enforcement. They are accused of stealing people’s identities from police databases and using the information to file fraudulent tax returns with the IRS. ow.ly/iw4zb
• Chalfont, Pennsylvania: A police officer was sentenced to nine to twenty-three months in prison for lying about being shot in an elaborate hoax. ow.ly/ivXja
• Orono, Maine:  Police say that an officer has been fired after being arrested on a drunken driving charge. ow.ly/ivMd4
• Winton-Salem, North Carolina: A police officer who faces an assault charge following a bar incident has resigned. The police said in a statement that “the diagnosed injuries to [the victim] met the statutory threshold for ‘serious injury.” ow.ly/ipjNh
• Bethel Township, Delaware: A former police officer is accused of stealing thousands from a little league. He allegedly used his position as the treasurer of the league to steal $13,000. ow.ly/ioPpK
• Update: Little Rock, Arkansas: An officer pleaded not guilty on manslaughter charges in connection to the death of a 15-year-old boy. ow.ly/ioLDK

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 03-07-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

More here.

CBS News: Bad Cops on the Job is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a nationwide campaign to assess police militarization in the United States. Starting Wednesday, ACLU affiliates in 23 states are sending open records requests to hundreds of state and local police agencies requesting information about their SWAT teams, such as how often and for what reasons they’re deployed, what types of weapons they use, how often citizens are injured during SWAT raids, and how they’re funded. More affiliates may join the effort in the coming weeks.

Additionally, the affiliates will ask for information about drones, GPS tracking devices, how much military equipment the police agencies have obtained through programs run through the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, and how often and for what purpose state National Guards are participating in enforcement of drug laws.

“We’ve known for a while now that American neighborhoods are increasingly being policed by cops armed with the weapons and tactics of war,” said Kara Dansky, senior counsel at the ACLU’s Center for Justice, which is coordinating the investigation. “The aim of this investigation is to find out just how pervasive this is, and to what extent federal funding is incentivizing this trend.”

For additional background, check out  Radley Balko’s study, Overkill, which is found on the right margin of our home page.

ACLU Looks into Militarization Trend in Police Depts is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Denver, Colorado: A police officer has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual assault and kidnapping. He was in uniform when he came into contact with the victim and discovered she had an outstanding arrest warrant. He then took her to an isolated area and coerced her into “performing a sexual act to avoid being taken to jail,” said the DA’s office. http://ow.ly/ioOiI
• Albuquerque, New Mexico: An officer has been convicted of obstruction of justice and sent to jail. He tipped off a friend about a federal drug investigation. http://ow.ly/ioMZc
• Watertown, Massachusetts: An officer will be charged. He allegedly stole an ID while he was on the force, and then used to it get oxycodone and other prescription drugs. http://ow.ly/ioJQm
• Morehouse Parish, Louisiana: An officer has been arrested on one count of theft and one count of conspiracy. He has resigned from the force. http://ow.ly/ioKKF
• Miami County, Ohio: An officer pleaded not guilty to fifth-degree felony charges that occurred while he was on-duty. He allegedly stole a digital camera from the Sheriff’s office, as well as trash bags and paper reams. If convicted, he faces a year in prison, fines, and restitution. He has been fired. http://ow.ly/ioMgM
• Update: Eric, Pennsylvania: A trooper has pleaded no contest to homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence. He crossed the middle line while driving, striking another car, and killed the driver. http://ow.ly/ioJ0C
• Cave City, Kentucky: A trooper was arrested and charged with DUI 1^st offense. His blood alcohol content was more than two times the legal limit. http://ow.ly/ioIvE
• Update: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A police officer has been fired after his conviction. While responding to a burglary call he stole cash from the register of a convenience store. ow.ly/io8My
• Waynesboro, Virginia: An officer has been charged with reckless driving. She crashed into another car and sent a 71-year-old woman to the hospital. ow.ly/ioaUM
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: An officer has been fired for driving drunk and causing a car accident. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of causing injury while operating under the influence. ow.ly/inT6L
• Cincinnati, Ohio: A police officer has been indicted on two counts of obstruction and four counts of unauthorized use of property. He has been accused of accessing the police data base for his own purposes and helping two men avoid prosecution on robbery charges. ow.ly/inPQ3
• Blackwell, Oklahoma: A police officer has been charged. He brought a Russian-made AK-47 machine gun into the country illegally from Afghanistan. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. http://ow.ly/iocrS
• Bourne, Massachusetts: A state police trooper who was on leave for a knee injury has been charged with drunken driving. http://ow.ly/ioI1g

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 03-05-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

The runner-up comes from Bozeman, Montana.   At first, the complaint was about excessive force by certain officers.  Then, in response to that complaint, the police went back and intentionally altered an audio tape–deleting the portions they did not want the judge and jury to hear.   If civilians engaged in conduct like that, the government would call it obstruction of justice, spoliation of evidence, and possibly perjury.

Worst of the Month – February 2013 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Newbern, Tennessee: The police department said that it fired one police officer for reportedly falsifying time sheet documents. “The police department is tasked with protecting the citizens from dishonest people and from thieves, so when something like this goes on inside the police department, that’s dishonest and replicates a theft of city money and of taxpayer’s money, we simply can’t tolerate it,” said the investigator. http://ow.ly/ijPEo
• St. Louis County, Missouri: A police officer is facing a stealing charge. He has been accused of reporting overtime hours that he did not actually work. He has since resigned from the police department. http://ow.ly/ijQHY
• North Forest ISD, Texas: An officer who allegedly conspired to steal $10,000 from a group has now also been accused of robbing a home at gunpoint, while fully dressed as an officer. http://ow.ly/ijRLi
• Update: Carter County, Missouri: A sheriff has been charged with two felonies of distribution of a controlled substance, and possession of meth with intention to distribute. He previously pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from evidence and selling them. http://ow.ly/ijM0C
• Nez Perce County, Indiana: A sheriff’s deputy was fired after receiving a second driving under that influence charge. http://ow.ly/ijMC2
• Update: Prince George’s County, Maryland: Prosecutors have dropped a resisting arrest charge and alcohol-related charges against a veteran D.C. police officer who is suing PG County police officers that took him into custody. He alleges the officers hit him in the face and beat him in the incident. http://ow.ly/ijNOc
• Long Island, New York: A police officer has been accused of punching his 3-year-old son in the face at their home. The child suffered bruising and swelling to his right eye, cheek, and nose. http://ow.ly/ijO2s
• Queens, New York: An officer has been arrested and charged with patronizing a prostitute. He was on-duty, and the prostitute was actually an undercover officer. http://ow.ly/ijOED
• Update: Lake Como, New Jersey: A suspended state trooper has admitted he was drunk when he hit two parked cars and crashed his unmarked state police vehicle into a creek while he was off-duty. ow.ly/ik4p6

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 03-02-13 to 03-04-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A judge says that a veteran cop is not guilty of punching a woman in the face after a parade. The incident was caught on video, and many people are upset about the ruling. ow.ly/i9dr2
• Carthage, Texas: The sheriff has been arrested in a public corruption investigation involving alleged theft, abuse of power and fraud. Texas Rangers and the FBI arrested the sheriff, who took office in January. He faces charges of tampering with a government record, defraud/harm, abuse of official capacity, and theft by a public servant. He’s free on $50,000 bond. http://ow.ly/iboNq
• Greenville County, South Carolina: Deputy turned himself in on charges related to a relationship he had with a felony suspect who he should have arrested, but instead helped by providing her with information, according to the Sheriff. ow.ly/ibfVl
• Franklin County, Kansas: The sheriff has been charged with felony counts of official misconduct and making a false report. The official misconduct charge alleges he unlawfully used “confidential information acquired in the course of” his duties for “the private benefit or gain” of himself or another public employee. ow.ly/ibuNT
• Garland, Texas: A police officer who fired 41 shots at a chase suspect has been fired after an internal investigation into the shooting. ow.ly/ibu9Q
• Key West, Florida: Two off-duty road patrol deputies were charged after a road-rage incident in which one allegedly brandished a gun. http://ow.ly/ijWhp
• Washington County, Minnesota: A deputy is charged with stealing drugs. Investigators say he was taking them from a bin set up for the public to drop off unused prescription medications. ow.ly/iaHrv
• Update: Jackson, Mississippi: Two former officers were sentenced to 10 years in jail after pleasing guilty to taking brides. A third officer was given nine years in the same case. They accepted thousands of dollars from men they thought were drug dealers, but really were FBI undercover agents posing as drug traffickers. ow.ly/iaDhk
• Memphis, Tennessee: An officer has been fired on intimidation charges after he allegedly flashed his gun at a motorist during an on-duty confrontation. ow.ly/iaCOm

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 03-01-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Somerset, Massachusetts: The police officer who is facing felony drug charges after allegedly convincing an elderly man to hand over expired prescription drugs resigned from the police force. ow.ly/i9cz5
• Atlanta, Georgia: A former state trooper who was accused of causing a crash that killed a woman and injured three others has been indicted by a grand jury. He has been charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and violating his oath as a public officer. ow.ly/i98rf
• Lawrence, Massachusetts: A police officer is accused by authorities of raping a teenage girl. He is now facing charges of committing sexual battery on a juvenile between the ages of 12 and 18 and giving alcohol to an underage person. He has been jailed with no bail set. ow.ly/i95qm
• Sophia, West Virginia: An officer was arrested after he left a restaurant without paying. He was found guilty of defrauding an innkeeper and terminated. ow.ly/i8DgK
• Monterey Park, California: Parents of a student who was shot and killed by police officers have filed a lawsuit against the city. They accuse the city of civil rights violations, denying due process, battery, wrongful death, and infliction of emotional distress. ow.ly/i8Cpg
• Eagle Pass, Texas: An officer pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm. He faces up to 10 years in prison after admitting that he tried to sell an M1 carbine that he knew was stolen. ow.ly/i8AmP
• Wilmington, Delaware: Police say an officer has been arrested for having two wives. He has been charged with bigamy and related charges, and has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. ow.ly/i8xCo
• Dallas, Texas: A police officer has confessed to filing a fraudulent tax return, according to federal documents. He resigned from the force, and agreed to plead guilty to one count of willful presentation of a false of fraudulent tax return. ow.ly/i7h2B
• Durham, North Carolina: An internal investigation has found that a former police officer accused of beating a woman during an arrest at a party used excessive force. A news release said the department had “taken, and continues to take, any allegations of misconduct seriously, and works deliberately to ensure that all complaints are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action is taken when needed.” ow.ly/i7gTt

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-28-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Benton, Arkansas: An officer was fired for violating polices and procedures after he was pulled over and arrested for driving while intoxicated. ow.ly/i6C2g
• Corona, California: The city fired a police corporal who was convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse. She was found guilty of failing to tell authorities that a fellow member of her church had told her that he suspected a boy, then 13, had been assaulted. ow.ly/i6BFs
• Cornwall, Pennsylvania: A state trooper is facing charges following a hit-and-run incident he was involved in while off-duty. ow.ly/i6Bj8
• Reading, Pennsylvania: An officer who was placed on paid leave following his recent arrest in a New Jersey nightclub was suspended without pay. He was charged in Atlantic City with resisting arrest following a disturbance. ow.ly/i6lVx
• Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: An officer faces theft charges and has had her police powers suspended after she was accused of using gift cards that were reported stolen. “We obviously don’t like to hear any allegations that are negative involving our police officers,” said the chief. “But we take these things very seriously and will investigate it thoroughly and completely.” ow.ly/i6l8K
• South Bend, Indiana: A police officer has been arrested for a second time for driving drunk. When he was pulled over he allegedly whispered to the arresting officer, “Man, I’m a South Bend Police Officer.” ow.ly/i6hGz
• Miami County, Ohio: A former sheriff’s deputy has pleaded not guilty to a charge accusing him of stealing property from the sheriff’s officer. He was fired after the conclusion of an internal investigation. ow.ly/i68hG
• Celina, Ohio: The police chief remains on administrative leave because of what the city’s safety service manager is characterizing as “potential job-related misconduct.” There is an investigation still ongoing. ow.ly/i6CP8
• Ecru, Mississippi: A police officer has pleaded guilty to depriving the rights of two people he pulled over for traffic offenses. He was accused on two occasions of pulling over people, then taking cash from them in lieu of writing a traffic citation. ow.ly/i4JeO

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-27-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• St. Louis, Missouri: A suspended patrolman disgraced the department and should be fired for striking a man with a baton, choking him, and slamming his head into the bumper of a squad car, a police department lawyer said. The lawyer says he used excessive force, racial slurs, and obscenities while arresting a handcuffed trespassing suspect. http://ow.ly/i4tbZ
• Dekalb, Illinois: A grand jury re-indicted a Northern Illinois University officer for rape just days after the school fired the police chief for allegedly mishandling the case. http://ow.ly/i4HIO
• Update: Gary, Indiana: A police officer will admit he knowingly sold a gun to a felon and sold that same person drugs later the same day. http://ow.ly/i4Im6
• Update: Tupelo, Mississippi: A lawsuit accuses a former state trooper of beating a man who drove around road block, and his supervisors of looking the other way. The trooper is also facing charges accusing him of kicking a woman and ‘stomping her head against the floor’ in a jail. http://ow.ly/i4cAm
• Torrington, Connecticut: A police officer was charged with drunken driving and speeding. http://ow.ly/i4sWN
• West Sacramento, California: A police officer has been arrested after an investigation into assault and kidnapping charges involving six women. He allegedly carried out the acts while performing uniformed patrol duties. ow.ly/i4bwd
• Clarksville, Arkansas: A deputy was arrested and charged with perjury. She was serving as the bailiff on a murder trail, and during the trial told jurors information about the murder suspect’s behavior and certain security measures in place. ow.ly/i46PH
• Bridgeport, Connecticut: Five years ago, a heavily armed weapons and tactics team raided a home, and killed a man. Five towns are now paying $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the victim’s family. ow.ly/i42ij
• Conroe, Texas: A police sergeant was charged with having an improper sexual relationship with a student. “The law clearly states that sexual relationships are prohibited between employees of educational facilities, like high schools, and their students,” said the DA. ow.ly/i3OfY
• Hampton County, South Carolina: A deputy was indicted on one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor between 11 and 14, committing a lewd act on a minor, and misconduct in public office. The incidents occurred while he was working as a school resource officer. ow.ly/i2XHi
• Update: Brattleboro, Vermont: A state trooper received a suspended sentence of six to twelve months after he pleaded no contest to charges that, while on duty, he assaulted two men who used his canoe without permission. http://ow.ly/i4qCr

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-26-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Houston, Texas: An officer has been accused of telling two women, including an undercover HPD investigator, he would tear up their traffic tickets in exchange for sexual favors. ow.ly/i2cDI
• Los Angeles, California: Police officers bought and sold guns from the police armory for profit, and told the lieutenant in charge of the armory to “watch his back” after he reported it, the 25-year LAPD veteran claims in court. ow.ly/i29IG
• Des Plaines, Illinois: A now-former police commander is accused of padding DUI arrest records to get federal grant money and has been charged with one count of making false information, federal authorities said. ow.ly/i289g
• Irwindale, California: A former police sergeant and two current officers are the subject of criminal investigation – two for alleged sexual improprieties and one for the alleged theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars, officials confirmed. The police chief, in reference to the sexual improprieties allegations, said, “We took this matter very seriously. As soon as the allegation was brought to our attention the employee of concern was placed on administrative leave and we immediately launched an administrative investigation.” ow.ly/i1HhN
• Dallas, Texas: Two police officers are under criminal investigation. A judge determined that they repeatedly lied in sworn testimony about a drug arrest they made. After listening to other witnesses, the judge ruled, “there is doubt as to whether any illicit drugs that were alleged to have been found belonged to Williams, as opposed to having been planted.” ow.ly/i1FVN
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A police officer was suspended for 30 days without pay with the intent to dismiss. Several fellow officer voiced suspicions that the accused officer was stealing clothing, sneakers, and jewelry from the homes of suspected drug dealers during raids and warrant executions. ow.ly/i1yB1
• Colonie, New York: An officer has been suspended without pay and is facing a misdemeanor assault charge following his arrest stemming from a bar brawl. ow.ly/i1xHS
• Rialto, California: A former officer pleaded no contest to committing a series of sex acts with a teenage relative starting a decade ago. He accepted responsibility for two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object against the victim’s will, and one count of lewd act on a child age 14, according to court records. ow.ly/i1tMi
• Update: Long Beach, California: An officer has been sentenced to 11 year and 8 months in state prison for sex crimes involving underage girls. He pleaded guilty to forcible rape, meeting a minor for lewd purposes, using a minor for sex acts, possession of child pornography, and false imprisonment by fraud or deceit. ow.ly/i1qnM
• Boulder, Colorado: Two police officers charged with driving under the influence in separate cases have resigned. ow.ly/i15yN

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-23-13 to 02-25-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

Mayor Anthony Foxx is questioning how Charlotte’s Citizen Review Board handles allegations of police misconduct.

Also, the review board’s chairman says the panel will consider drafting reform proposals for City Council to consider.

In his first public comments on the issue, Foxx said Friday that he has asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe to respond to last Sunday’s Observer investigation showing that the oversight panel has ruled in favor of police every time in its nearly 16-year history.

More here.

Citizen Review Board Rules for Police 16 Years and Counting is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Indianapolis, IN: A suspended police officer received an eight-year sentence after he was found guilty earlier this month of two counts each of robbery and official misconduct. Three years of his sentence will be spent in prison, with a year of home detention. He will be on probation for the remaining four years. ow.ly/hYgUf
• Albemarle, Virginia: A now-former fourth grade teacher and police officer will spend three years in prison for possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to two of the ten felony counts against him as part of an agreement. He received two ten-year sentences, each with all but 1.5 years suspended. ow.ly/hXwIw
• Update: Jackson, Mississippi: A now-former police detective is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars. A jury found him guilty of capital murder in the death of his 1-year-old daughter. ow.ly/hY84m
• Mobile, Alabama: A second state trooper has been convicted of using his state credit card to buy gasoline for personal use. He pleaded guilty to a felony ethics charge. ow.ly/hXtZu
• South Bend, Indiana: The city’s Board of Public Safety accepted the suspension of a police officer who was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. ow.ly/hWqIc
• Update: Asheville, North Carolina: A police officer admitted to physically abusing a 3-year-old girl left in his car. He avoided jail time, but must do 24 hours of community service and pay a one hundred dollar fine. The child must stay in therapy, and he can never be an officer again. ow.ly/hXwXe
• Peoria, Illinois: A newly retired Peoria police officer was sentenced to 90 days in the Peoria County Jail for attempting to mislead investigators probing a drunken driving crash. ow.ly/hWqlB
• Update: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: An inquest jury recommended that there police officers should be criminally charged with failure to render aid in connection with an in-custody death. The man in custody died gasping for air in the back of a squad car. ow.ly/hY019
• Newark, New Jersey: A police officer has been convicted of aggravated assault for striking a city resident in the face with his service weapon. ow.ly/hWquP

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-22-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Memphis, Tennessee: A police officer who was involved in a car crash that killed two people has been fired. ow.ly/hVmCK
• Nassau County, New York: A jury has convicted the former deputy police commissioner on two counts of official misconduct and one count of conspiracy. The conviction was in connection with his role in preventing the arrest of a teenager whose father was a personal friend and financial benefactor of the police. ow.ly/hVngh
• Greenville, North Carolina: A police officer was placed on administrative leave after his arrest for drunk driving. “None of us are above the law and we hold each other accountable for our actions,” said the police chief in a statement. ow.ly/hV9ZH
• Lea County, New Mexico: A jury has found a now-former deputy guilty; he was arrested following the investigation of a claim that he sexually assaulted a 9-year old girl, and her 16-year-old sister. He faces a prison sentence of 18 years and a lifetime of parole and sex offender registration requirements. A second, separate trial involving the allegations of the 16-year-old girl is still pending. ow.ly/hTU7f
• Update: Melbourne, Florida: A former police officer who was fired for having sex with a prostitute while on the job took a plea deal. He will get 6 months probation and treatment for sex addiction. ow.ly/hTw6J
• Lubbock, Texas: The parents of a man fatally shot filed suit for wrongful death, seeking $1 million and access to investigative records. The police say they shot his son in defense of another person. http://ow.ly/hVoVq
• Dekalb County, Georgia: An indictment in federal court states that officers worked together to protect drug dealers during cocaine transactions. In return for their protection, the men were given thousands of dollars in payouts. They were arrested after a year-long investigation. http://ow.ly/hVDCr

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-21-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Washington Park, Illinois: Court documents show a police officer was accused of violating a woman’s civil rights by allegedly arresting her with no justification, then shooting her twice with a taser while she was handcuffed and sitting in the back of a police car. http://ow.ly/hTqLl
• Update: Oxford, Mississippi: Court records show an ex-state trooper will plead guilty to a federal charge. He has been accused of stomping a woman in the county jail, while he was on the job. ow.ly/hTp4Z
• Washington, DC: An officer with nearly 2 decades on the force has been convicted of stealing her brother’s identity and taking out thousands of dollars of loans in his name. She faces up to 150 years in prison if given the maximum time. ow.ly/hTh4m
• New York, New York: A sergeant with fifteen years on the force has been arrested and charged in connection with having child pornography on his computer. He has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal proceeding brought against him. ow.ly/hTf7m
• Greenville, North Carolina: Two deputies have been suspended after an altercation with a former highway patrol trooper. ow.ly/hTc3O
• Mount Horeb, Wisconsin: A police officer was arrested on a tentative charge of sexual assault on a child. He is accused of repeated assault on the 14-year-old. ow.ly/hTaNk
• St. Petersburg, Florida: A couple is suing after two police officers confronted them while they were in their home. The officers suspected they were burglars, when the couple was actually legally renting. The couple says that the officers used unnecessary excessive force. http://ow.ly/hRwdA
• Pawtucket, Rhode Island: An officer has been charged with one count of domestic simple assault and three counts of domestic disorderly conduct. He was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim. http://ow.ly/hSRAE
• Decatur, Illinois: A narcotics detective was arrested on charges of official misconduct and theft of more than $500 for stealing money related to his work and creating false documents to cover up the thefts. http://ow.ly/hRdof
• Update: Lebanon, Pennsylvania: A city police officer was placed on accelerated rehabilitative disposition. He was fined $600 and given 12 months probation for driving under the influence. http://ow.ly/hRfqI

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Reap 02-20-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

According to a story in today’s Washington Post, Saylor idolized the police and loved to watch police TV shows.  Here’s an excerpt:

When Foss learned of Saylor’s death, he said, he informed about 60 members of the church that night. The following Sunday, they brought bouquets to fill Saylor’s empty chair. The flowers overflowed onto the floor and an adjoining seat.

Cam Overs has a son Saylor’s age and has been friends with his family for 30 years. He remembered how Saylor would run curiously toward whatever caught his eye and was a pro at hide and seek because he had the endurance to stay in the same spot until he was found.

Saylor would get breakfast with Overs every Sunday at McDonald’s. Both scoffed at change, and so their orders were always the same: a No. 1 for Overs and a No. 7 for Saylor.

“Now I don’t have my buddy for breakfast every Sunday morning,” Overs said. “There’s a void that nobody expected.”

Overs said Saylor knew how to spell “satellite” because of his fascination with satellite photos and was thrilled when Overs’s son Jonathan, who is in the military, brought him a Kevlar vest. Overs said Saylor didn’t understand that he could call a non-emergency number for the police and dialed 911 so often that he was known to members of the law enforcement community.

On the day of Saylor’s funeral, two law enforcement officers sent a text that was read aloud; it said they, too, would miss him.

“What a fitting memorial it would be if a training module was created in his name,” Overs said, “so no other family or police force would have to suffer this pain.”

A spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s office says “We’re taking it very seriously.”  The deputies involved in the incident, however, have thus far declined to speak with investigators.

One would think that such noncooperation would be unacceptable under the circumstances.  Can’t the Sheriff call them in and say, “A young man lost his life in your custody.  I want to know what happened and why.  If  you decline to answer, surrender your badge and gun.”

That sounds like a sensible response to me, but the law is perverted.  There is a Supreme Court precedent on the books by the name of Garrity v. New Jersey–and that case says the above procedure would violate a police officer’s right against self-incrimination.  The reasoning was lousy.  If the officers accused of wrongdoing want to remain silent and speak to a lawyer–that is their right, just the same as everyone else.  What they cannot do is remain silent and also demand to keep exercising police powers in the community.  If the police commanders determine that a sworn officer’s conduct is egregious or criminal, the culprit should be given his walking papers.

Garrity is an obstacle to police accountability and should be overturned.  In 1967, the year it was decided, four Supreme Court justices thought it was a mistake.  Here is an excerpt from their dissenting opinion:

It can hardly be denied that New Jersey is permitted by the Constitution to establish reasonable qualifications and standards of conduct for its public employees. Nor can it be said that it is arbitrary or unreasonable for New Jersey to insist that its employees furnish the appropriate authorities with information pertinent to their employment. Cf. Beilan v. Board of Education, 357 U.S. 399 ; Slochower v. Board of Education, 350 U.S. 551 . Finally, it is surely plain that New Jersey may in particular require its employees to assist in the prevention and detection of unlawful activities by officers of the state government. The urgency of these requirements is the more obvious here, where the conduct in question is that of officials directly entrusted with the administration of justice. The importance for our systems of justice [385 U.S. 493, 508]   of the integrity of local police forces can scarcely be exaggerated. Thus, it need only be recalled that this Court itself has often intervened in state criminal prosecutions precisely on the ground that this might encourage high standards of police behavior. See, e. g., Ashcraft v. Tennessee, 322 U.S. 143 ; Miranda v. Arizona, supra. It must be concluded, therefore, that the sanction at issue here is reasonably calculated to serve the most basic interests of the citizens of New Jersey.

Garrity came down in the heyday of the liberal Warren Court.  Today’s Supreme Court is much more conservative–and it is highly doubtful that Justice William O. Douglas’s  fanciful interpretation of the self-incrimination clause would find the support of five justices.   Here’s the thing: In order to get the Supreme Court to reconsider Garrity, the precedent has to be challenged.  Right now, police chiefs around the country abide the current rule with a shrug, “Can’t do anything about this situation.”

What we need is a good test case.  Maybe this Saylor incident is the case, maybe it isn’t.  But where the evidence of police wrongdoing is strong and the culprits invoke their “Garrity rights” and decline to tell investigators what happened, we need a police chief to fire them.  Let the discharged officers appeal their case to the Supreme Court so that the justices can overturn Garrity.

Robert Ethan Saylor and the Garrity Precedent is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Mt. Pleasant, Texas: An officer pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14-years-old. He has been sentenced to 50 years in prison, and will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison. http://ow.ly/hR19L
• Altus, Oklahoma: Two long-time police officers have been arrested on conspiracy complaints following a six month investigation and are being held in jail pending a bail hearing. http://ow.ly/hRbyf
• Whitehouse, Texas: An officer was arrested for DWI after being stopped by a state trooper for a traffic infraction. http://ow.ly/hR0Cf
• Glasgow City, Kentucky: A police lieutenant colonel was arrested on a domestic violence charge. He was charged with assault 4^th degree, domestic violence, and lodged in the county jail. http://ow.ly/hQJ3D
• Greenville, North Carolina: A 20-year officer was terminated after an administrative investigation. The police chief called for the investigation after allegations arose that he called serious “policy violations and potential criminal activity.” http://ow.ly/hV8MV
• Jacksonville, Florida: An officer was busted stealing found items during what police call an integrity check. The undersheriff said that sometimes when police get information that an employee is doing something he or she shouldn’t be, they’ll try to set that person up. http://ow.ly/hRe9N
• Mansfield, Louisiana: An officer is in jail on multiple charges after driving a patrol car to her estranged husband’s house and striking him with her duty flashlight. http://ow.ly/hQRNg
• Union City, Pennsylvania: A state trooper has been accused in a fatal DUI accident; court officials say he will be entering a guilty plea. http://ow.ly/hRq8x
• Atlantic City, New Jersey: An officer was indicted on official misconduct and other charges for allegedly lying about where he was living to take advantage of a discount rent program, and then make money by subletting the apartment. Under the Live-In Police Officer’s Program, he was allowed to rent an apartment at a more than 80 percent discount. http://ow.ly/hQTyn
• Alabaster, Alabama: A Birmingham police officer was arrested after he fled from police during a traffic stop. He has been charged with attempting to elude. http://ow.ly/hQHtN
• New Port Richey, Florida: A police officer has been arrested on drug charges and was fired. He remains in jail for those charges. http://ow.ly/hQIus
• Birmingham, Alabama: A robbery detective was taken into custody at his home. He was arrested and charged with domestic violence/physical harassment. http://ow.ly/hQHGx
• Santa Fe, New Mexico: A police officer found himself on the other side of the law, accused of pulling a gun on an unarmed man. “What, in my mind, is more important is how that weapon was used,” the police chief said.  “Was there justification for him to pull that weapon; was there justification for his conduct in that situation.” ow.ly/hPJwe
• Albany, New York: A ten-year veteran officer is facing DWI charges after he allegedly crashed into multiple cars. http://ow.ly/hPMrF
• Update: Salem, Ohio: The police officer who was arrested for drunk driving has resigned from the force. http://ow.ly/hQUPO

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-16-13 to 02-20-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• New Orleans, Louisiana: Police are denying allegations of police misconduct after a video was released that shows multiple plainclothes officers accosting two teenage boys for no apparent reason. When one of their mothers, who is also a police officer, approached the scene, they let the boys go and all left abruptly. ow.ly/hKZJi
• Update: Orlando, Florida: The police officer who was charged with murdering his son has been acquitted by a jury. ow.ly/hKuzR
• Sandwich, Massachusetts: An off-duty officer is accused of ramming the rear of a family member’s car several times. He was suspended and placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. ow.ly/hKre6
• Memphis, Tennessee: After an Internal Affairs review of a fight, seven police officers have been suspended without pay. http://ow.ly/hQDxl
• Macon, Georgia: Two officers have been arrested and accused of illegally acquiring guns. They have been charged with fiduciary theft and violating their oaths of office. Both men resigned in lieu of termination. http://ow.ly/hKv3c
• Birmingham, Alabama: A police officer was arrested after an altercation with her husband’s ex-wife. She was reassigned to administrative duties after her department learned of the arrest. http://ow.ly/hKx5B
• Portland, Oregon: An officer pleaded guilty to reduced charges and has been sentenced in a harassment case that resulted from an incident. He was accused of breaking into his estranged wife’s apartment and threatening to kill her boyfriend. http://ow.ly/hKJ8U
• Indianapolis, Indiana: An officer has been accused of causing a fatal car crash by driving drunk. He faces charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless homicide, and criminal recklessness. http://ow.ly/hKKUp
• Fort Worth, Texas: A police officer, who was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, when he already had a DWI charge pending, has been fired. http://ow.ly/hKMdS
• Pine Bluff, Arkansas: A police officer has been arrested for felony theft. He faces burglary charges along with felony and misdemeanor counts of theft of property. ow.ly/hKMS6

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-15-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

[W]hen I interviewed community members who had filed complaints against officers, I was disappointed to learn that, despite my reassurances and best efforts to conduct impartial inquiries, many complainants believed that a fair investigation was simply not possible. Nor do misconduct investigations satisfy a skeptical public. If an officer is exonerated, the community often believes that malfeasance is being covered up. …

And why shouldn’t every police contact with the community — every traffic stop, every interrogation — be recorded on video? If Dorner and his partner had had a cop-cam, his claim that his partner used excessive force might have been resolved the same day. There’s just no excuse for not recording police contacts with the public. Technology has made cameras effective and affordable. Some officers already record their arrests to protect themselves against false allegations of misconduct. This should be standard operating procedure.

Holding Bad Cops Accountable is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

The police commander says he saw no wrongdoing in the video. Hmm.

A few questions:

1. What would have happened if the young man’s mother had not arrived so quickly?
2. What would have happened if she had not been a police officer herself?
3. What would happen if these undercover officers tried to swarm on a person who was carrying a firearm? The police often remind us that they must make split-second decisions. True.  But note that this tactic gives the citizen only a split second to decide if he’s being attacked by thugs or whether it’s a police stop.
4. The other day a columnist at the Wall Street Journal heaped praise on the stop and frisk tactics of the New York City Police Department. He said the police have an “uncanny” ability to discern who is carrying a gun. He is looking at paper statistics and gets a warped view of what’s actually happening out there. Consider two scenarios.  (A) The police swarm on someone. If they find a handgun, they take him downtown–paperwork shows arrest and gun confiscated. (B) How many times do the police swarm on a person, no gun is found, and the police just walk away as above? No paperwork on that (usually).  From the paper records, it is as if frightening incidents like this never even happened.

What if they happen a lot? What then?

New Orleans Cops Caught on Tape is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Cottage Grove, Oregon: The mother of an elementary school student who says local police coerced her 10-year-old son into confessing to alleged sex offenses is suing the police department and the school district. She says in the lawsuit that she previously told the school district that her son was not allowed to be interviewed by police without her being present. http://ow.ly/hIVTr
• Kingsville, Texas: A now-former police corporal was indicted on a charge of continual sexual abuse of a child under 14-years old. http://ow.ly/hIRjN
• Trenton, New Jersey: An officer will go before a grand jury to determine if he is to be indicted on an aggravated assault charge for his alleged role in a bar brawl. Prosecutors say that he beat a man with a flashlight outside of a bar while off-duty. http://ow.ly/hIxOB
• Bozeman, Montana; A judge has found that police intentionally erased a portion of an audio recording made during a welfare check on a man who claims officers used excessive force on him. He said he will instruct a jury that the missing audio “would be relevant and favorable to some or all of the plaintiff’s claims of excessive force.” http://ow.ly/hIynn
• Update: Sarasota, Florida: An officer who was fired after being caught on camera punching a man in the face will not be charged with a crime. ow.ly/hIwKX
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida: An officer copped a plea for an alleged unlawful arrest outside a convenience store. More than three years after the incident, it cost him his badge. He will serve 12 months probation. ow.ly/hIu0r
• Volusia County, Florida: A deputy has been suspended after being arrested on grand-theft charges. He is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a homeowner’s association. ow.ly/hHAIM
• Update: Seattle, Washington: A police lieutenant who was charged with violating a domestic-violence court order reached an agreement that could lead to charges being dropped. The officer has a checkered history with the department. http://ow.ly/hIATC
• Knoxville, Tennessee: Administrators haven’t decided yet if an officer involved in a crash will face a citation for running a red light. ow.ly/hGWhW
• Update: Schaumburg, Illinois: A lawsuit against the village of Schaumburg claims that two police officers recently accused of corruption improperly raided a man’s home as part of a pattern of illegal conduct allowed by the department. ow.ly/hIXDq
• Boone County, Missouri: A $2.7 million dollar lawsuit was filed; the plaintiffs are citing constitutional violations regarding unreasonable searches, freedom of speech, privacy, wrongful seizure, right to bear arms, and due process. The officers deny all of their allegations. ow.ly/hIWjP

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-14-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

According to sources familiar with the investigation, Kern was at the Rosewood Center for a training exercise when recruits peered through a window from another room. He playfully pointed a weapon in their direction, the sources said, and did not intend to harm anybody.

The shot struck the trainee — who remained in critical condition Thursday and has not been identified — in the front of the head, and a second officer was injured from broken glass, police have said.

Looks like an accident, not a (real) crime.  Should he still be a trainer?  Still be a cop? Probably not, but let the investigation proceed and let his full record be taken into account as higher-ups decide how to handle the incident.

But let’s consider how an ordinary citizen would be treated under similar circumstances.  Let’s say an NRA instructor had been “playing around,” picked up a loaded weapon, and accidently fired at some spectators during a training session.  Would reckless endangerment charges be brought?

If a Virginia gun owner drove into Washington,DC and forgot that his rifle was still in the trunk from his time at the shooting range over the previous weekend, DC prosecutors would bring charges if the gun was discovered during a traffic stop.  Even if no one was harmed.  Even if it was an accident.  And even if the owner had a stellar reputation for integrity.

People do get criminal records and go to jail for having unregistered guns (no one hurt).    The “universal background check” sounds nice, but it means that if one hunting buddy tells another “Hey, I’ll give you $300 for that shotgun you never use anymore” and the other says “You’re right. I don’t use it much anymore and I could use that money to fix a problem on the house.  Here you go.”   Federal crime–”unauthorized transfer.”   Recently, here in DC, a man saved the life of a boy who was being attacked by pit bulls.  The man saw what was going on, ran into his house, got his gun, ran back out and shot one of the dogs.  That man saved a life and instead of being praised, he’s under criminal investigation.

Police Officer Shoots a Trainee is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

Courts and police in the nation’s capital will change how they conduct lineups of suspects, when they notify defendants about informants and how long they retain criminal trial records, all in response to errors that have put innocent people in prison.

A task force created by D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield recommended that police use computers and staff not associated with a particular case to administer photo lineups to prevent influencing potential witnesses.

The court acknowledged that DNA often has cleared defendants long after their convictions, so officials will by March begin keeping trial records permanently rather than destroying them after 10 years.

DC Moves to Reduce Wrongful Convictions is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Honea Path, South Carolina: A police officer was charged with causing a two-vehicle accident. He was backing a truck across the highway when he was hit by a car. ow.ly/hGW3o
• Newton Falls, Ohio: The village council voted unanimously to terminate the police chief amid an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made by a female employee. The measure was passed as an emergency “to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community.” ow.ly/hGSSc
• Greenville, South Carolina: The family of a man shot and killed by officers is filing a wrongful death suit. The family’s attorney said, “They didn’t fire any warning shots. There was no effort, apparently, on the part of the officers to ascertain whether he was, in fact, a threat to them.” He was shot seven times. ow.ly/hGBXI
• Box Elder County, Utah: A sheriff’s deputy accused of sexually assaulting women during a series of traffic stops has reached a plea agreement that could land him in state prison for up to five years. ow.ly/hGAfL
• Kettering, Ohio: A police officer remains on paid administrative leave after being found guilty of misdemeanor assault. ow.ly/hGn2m
• Salem, Ohio: A police officer charged with drunk driving is on unpaid leave. Police charged the patrolman with operating a vehicle under the influence. ow.ly/hGf9s
• Selmer, Tennessee: A police officer has been charged with domestic assault; he is accused of throwing his girlfriend to the floor and then grabbing her by the neck during an argument. According to a Lieutenant, the police are taking the accusations very seriously. He has put on suspension without pay pending the investigation. ow.ly/hG60a

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-13-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Atlanta, Georgia: Ten current and former law enforcement officers across several metro Atlanta agencies have been charged in an undercover police corruption investigation. Federal agents made most of the arrests. The officers are accused of taking thousands of dollars in payoffs to drug dealers. ow.ly/hEVbw
• Irvington, New Jersey: An officer was found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated assault, hindering apprehension, and official misconduct. He was sent to jail to await sentencing. http://ow.ly/hE4p7
• Jackson, Mississippi: Bond was denied for a police officer who was charged with capital murder in connection with the death of his one-year-old daughter. An autopsy confirmed that she died of internal hemorrhage after suffering blunt-force trauma to the abdomen. http://ow.ly/hE5AJ
• Rushville, Indiana: A police officer has been arrested after state police say he had an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl. According to court documents, he sent the 15-year-old girl messages on Facebook and via text. http://ow.ly/hE8qB
• Update: Boulder, Colorado: A police officer accused of stalking and plotting to kill a fellow officer pleaded guilty in a county courthouse. He faces one to three years in prison and remains free on a $500,000 bond. http://ow.ly/hE983
• Maplewood, Minnesota: A police officer is scheduled to appear in court on allegations he provided alcohol to juvenile girls at his home. He has been reinstated to active duty, but will not interact with the public until the incident is resolved. http://ow.ly/hEaTT
• Douglas County, Colorado: A sheriff’s deputy has been fired after being tied to a child sex exploitation investigation. Investigators received information about inappropriate text messages involving a juvenile, and determined a deputy was alleged to be involved. ow.ly/hDWd6
• Plattsburgh, New York: A state trooper charged with raping two women has been charged with attacking a third woman. http://ow.ly/hEh7k
• Bonita Springs, Florida: A man is suing the sheriff and a deputy, alleging excessive force, and that his civil rights were violated, when he was arrested after questioning why his 5-year-old son couldn’t bring a lime green toy gun to the county fair. ow.ly/hDZKK
• Haines City, Florida: A police officer who was arrested in an investigation of underage prostitution has pleaded guilty and received 10 years in prison. The report says that the man, Paul Aaron, who ran the prostitution ring, exploited runaway girls younger than 18; one of them was forced to have sex with the officer for free so Aaron could receive favors from him in the future. ow.ly/hDZiX

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 02-12-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net