The federal judge who oversaw a dramatic, forced transformation of the Los Angeles Police Department has freed the department from the final vestiges of federal oversight….

 

The dismissal of the so-called consent decree, which arose largely out of the Rampart corruption scandal and addressed basic problems of accountability that stretched back decades, delivered a largely symbolic, but nonetheless important milestone for the LAPD as it continues to disassociate itself from a past marked by abuses and turmoil. Following revelations in 1999 that officers assigned to the LAPD’s Rampart Division were implicated in serious misconduct, including physical abuse of suspects, evidence tampering and perjury, public trust in the police plummeted and federal officials responded to calls from a growing chorus of critics for intervention.

LAPD Says Its Rehabilitation is Complete is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

“I anticipate that the government will seek an order from the court holding Jerry in civil contempt,” said the lawyer, Susan V. Tipograph, adding that her client had refused to testify as “a matter of principle” and because “he has no knowledge whatsoever” about the bombing or who caused it….

Mr. Koch was subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury examining the matter in 2009, Ms. Tipograph said, and refused then with no consequences. She added that his continued refusal was motivated by a conviction that “the grand jury was being used in a manner to fish for information about the political movements he’s been involved in.”

Most Americans are unaware of the astonishing powers of grand juries.  To learn more, go here.

Jailed for Remaining Silent? is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Springfield, Illinois: A newspaper reporter has filed a federal lawsuit alleging mistreatment by more than a dozen police officers over the last three years. He alleges that “malicious arrests and issuance of tickets were committed in retaliation … for filing a lawsuit seeking access to internal affair(s) files of police officers who have been accused of misconduct.” ow.ly/l6Qaw
• New York, New York: The parents of a 16-year-old boy shot by police say that he lay mortally wounded on the ground for 15 minutes before getting medical attention. ow.ly/l6PYG
• Leland, North Carolina: A police officer named in a wrongful arrest claim has resigned. He is one of two officers accused of falsely arresting a man. The man claims they cuffed him in a patrol car while his ex-girlfriend cleaned out his house, including his stuff. ow.ly/l6Nu3
• Colorado Springs, Colorado: A man who was wrongly detained by police for carrying a holstered pistol is suing the city and members of the Police Department. After the incident, police acknowledged the arrest was made in error, and the ticket was dismissed. ow.ly/l6FRY
• Northwest, North Carolina: A police officer was charged in connection to an ongoing prostitution investigation. The SBI charged the now former lieutenant with solicitation of a minor for prostitution and filing a false report. ow.ly/l6jRM
• Forks Township, Pennsylvania: A police officer who threatened his girlfriend with a shotgun pleaded guilty to a domestic crime. He has been fired. He admitted to two misdemeanor charges of simple assault, receiving three years of probation under a plea bargain in which he agreed to continue therapy and have his firearms destroyed. ow.ly/l6ht7
• Update: Fullerton, California: The California Supreme Court has declined the appeal of a former police officer, which means he’ll face trial in the death of a homeless man. ow.ly/l667x
• Park City, Utah: A now former officer was arrested on numerous felony charges after a routine audit revealed that possible criminal acts had been committed. He faces felony charges in a total of three cases, including multiple theft charges and one count of failure to keep and pay public money. ow.ly/l60QX
• Update: Northbrook, Illinois: A former police officer has been sentenced to two year probation after he agreed to plead guilty to charges that he stole jewelry from a home he’d been dispatched to check on. ow.ly/l5YEk
• Fountain, Colorado: A police officer was arrested by El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputies on suspicion of stalking. Deputies say a man reported he was being harassed and when they arrived the investigation revealed that probable cause existed for the charge of stalking, which is a class 5 felony. ow.ly/l5NTv

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-16-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Manchester, New Hampshire: The estranged wife of a police officer testified that she was body slammed by her husband and suffered bruising to her upper thigh and right arm for confronting him about a secret email account he used to exchange photos with other women. The alleged attack happened in front of their 5-year-old son. After the incident he said to her, “Do not call the police because if you do I will get arrested. I will lose my job and you will end up with nothing.” ow.ly/l3Vtm
• Ashland, Kentucky: A former officer has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute Oxycodone and possessing a firearm during the commission of a drug crime. He stole the drugs from a person’s house, which he entered under guise of a warrant, while in uniform. ow.ly/l3RwJ
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: An officer who allegedly ran a prostitution service has been cleared of that charge but convicted of numerous other crimes. The jury found him guilty of drug-related charges, insurance fraud, obstruction, making false statements to law enforcement, oppression, and conspiracy. ow.ly/l3JdY
• Update: Sacramento, California (First reported 05-13-13): A sheriff’s detective pleaded not guilty to a felony assault charge in connection with allegations he deliberately struck a teenager with a sheriff’s vehicle. He is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome. ow.ly/l3Izd
• Wellford, South Carolina: An officer was arrested by state agents after they said he sexually and physically abused a vulnerable adult. The State Law Enforcement Division said that he sexually battered and physically abused the victim who suffers from a mental condition impairing her from providing her own care or protecting herself. ow.ly/l3qYx
• St. Paul, Minnesota: The city will reach a $237,500 settlement with a man who says that police officers used excessive force and caused significant injuries that sent him to the hospital when they arrested him. The complaint says that as he raised his hands, one officer used a Taser gun on him, causing him to fall down the steps and then the other officer then kicked him in the face, knocking him out. ow.ly/l3qf7
• Update: Camden County, New Jersey (First reported 01-07-13): A police chief charged with harassing a female civilian employee has resigned. He was suspended when the allegations first surfaced. ow.ly/l3nfv
• Vallejo, California: The father of a 17-year old robbery suspect shot and killed by police has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city. In the suit the father says his son was shot while his hands were in the air and he was shouting “don’t shoot.” Police say they shot him after he pulled a handgun when they tried to arrest him. ow.ly/l1ISz

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-15-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Lakewood, Colorado: A state trooper on the job for less than six months has been placed on paid leave while he faces accusations that he had unlawful sexual contact with a woman while he was off-duty. ow.ly/l1DAd
• Milan, New Mexico: A police officer was arrested after he allegedly assaulted and restrained a female friend against her will. On another day, when the officer was intoxicated, he pointed his police weapon at her in a threatening manner. ow.ly/l1CK3
• St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana: The family of an Iraq war veteran, killed after an alleged confrontation with sheriff’s deputies, is suing the sheriff and the deputies who shot him, claiming they used unnecessary violence and excessive force when he was killed in his driveway. The lawsuit says that he was unarmed at the time of the shooting. ow.ly/l1vQV
• Update: East Hartford, Connecticut (First reported 04-11-13): An officer is facing accusations that he used excessive force on a 12-year-old boy and has been suspended for two weeks. “We’re here to serve the citizens,” said the police chief. “If we lose the trust of the community, it’s very difficult for us to serve the citizens in an effective and efficient way.” ow.ly/l1ouK
• Douglas County, Nebraska: A sheriff’s deputy has been fired, and prosecutors are evaluating whether criminal charges are appropriate. He was fired because he was acting inappropriately, although the exact reasons were not released. ow.ly/l13ZP
• Lake County, Illinois: A deputy has been accused of soliciting sex from a prostitute. He was charged with one count of obstruction of justice and one count of solicitation of a sexual act. ow.ly/l0ZKp
• Update: Atlantic City, New Jersey (First reported 03-13-13): A state trooper sergeant who led an unauthorized high-speed escort of luxury cars on a highway has been sentenced to one year of probation. No one was hurt, and there were no accidents. One witness described it as a “Death Race.” ow.ly/kZfVq

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-14-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Memphis, Tennessee (First reported 02-21-13): A former officer who was involved in a fatal crash that killed two residents has been indicted. He is charged with vehicular manslaughter. He hit another car in an intersection without any emergency indicators on. http://ow.ly/kZ7aM
• Sacramento, California: A sheriff’s detective faces possible assault charges after police said he ran down a teenager with a sheriff’s vehicle. The family of the officer, however, said the alleged victim has been harassing their family for more than a month and fabricated the allegations. The incident is still being investigated. http://ow.ly/kZcjj
• Update: Baltimore, Maryland (First reported 04-26-13): A police officer pled guilty to misconduct in office and resigned. Investigators found at least 120 images and at least 20 videos of him engaged in sexual acts. The time codes on the photos show that they were taken during his time working and a police uniform is visible in some of them. http://ow.ly/kZeeq
• Wheeling, West Virginia: A former sheriff will spend a year in federal prison for his role in the beating of a robbery suspect. He will also serve 18 months’ probation and pay his victim $1,850. ow.ly/kZ6u0
• Strasburg, Virginia: A police officer lost his job over accusations that he used excessive force against a suspect in a drug case, falsified records and violated safety rules without a threat to life. Said the chief in a letter to the officer, “Although you deny the allegations, the evidence in this case is overwhelmingly against you in all three allegations.” ow.ly/kZ2LL
• East St. Louis, Illinois: A police officer was among seven people named in a federal indictment, alleging they operated a cocaine distribution ring. He has been charged with possession and conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. ow.ly/kYscD
• Update: Saginaw, Michigan (First reported 07-23-13): A now former police trooper involved in a crash that injured another state trooper has been sentenced for a moving violation causing serious impairment and failing to use due care when passing a stationary emergency vehicle. He was ordered to pay $1,025 in fines. http://ow.ly/kZarb
• California, Pennsylvania: Two police officers have been suspended as a result of an incident that the police chief believes put the public at risk. A bar fight broke out and the two on-duty officers had left for a couple hours for an unauthorized errand miles away, which left only one officer to patrol the entire borough on a busy Friday night. ow.ly/kYqzl
• Los Banos, California: The police department’s second highest ranking officer has been convicted of drunken driving, according to a county assistant district attorney. ow.ly/kUREk

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-11-13 to 05-13-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Mansfield, Louisiana: A police sergeant has been given a 15-day suspension without pay following an off-duty incident involving another officer. The second officer was not disciplined because she is already on suspension for an earlier unrelated incident. Mansfield aldermen are expected to consider a recommendation to fire her. ow.ly/kUSjp
• Jackson, Mississippi: A police officer was arraigned in federal court for federal bribery charges. The indictment states that he offered $10,000 to another officer “in connection with business transactions” of the JPD, involving things worth $5,000 or more. ow.ly/kUEpO
• Baltimore, Maryland: An officer has been charged by state police with prostitution and human trafficking in connection with an investigation into an escort service. The officer is accused of pimping out his wife. ow.ly/kUBgg
• Marinette, Wisconsin: A police officer has been charged with fraud for allegedly writing himself checks from the Police Explorers bank account. He is charged with two counts of theft by fraud. Each count is punishable by up to nine months in prison or a $10,000 fine. ow.ly/kUzsP
• Update: Barren County, Kentucky (First reported 05-02-13): A jury has found the sheriff guilty on two counts of witness tampering stemming from the arrest of a suspect who claims he was beaten. The same jury returned not guilty verdicts for two other law enforcement officers. ow.ly/kUyWV
• Cedar Park, Texas: A sergeant with the Texas Department of Public Safety SWAT team was suspended with pay this week after police arrested him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. ow.ly/kUlez
• Montgomery, Alabama: Another former state trooper was sentenced for using a state credit card to buy gasoline for his personal use. He was sentenced to three years, which was suspended for three years of probation, and ordered to pay $1,225 in restitution. ow.ly/kUhzm
• DeLand, Florida: A man who was fleeing from a traffic stop wound up dead; he was run over by a police car. The traffic stop was initiated because he was not wearing a seatbelt. “Marlon was running because he was scared,” said a friend. “He had a suspended license and was on probation and he was afraid.” Angry neighbors, relatives, and friends said they are tired of police’s rough handling of citizens in their neighborhood. ow.ly/kUcgw
• Marion County, Indiana: A deputy was arrested after officials said he was driving while intoxicated. They said he had a .21 BAC, which is nearly three times the legal limit. ow.ly/kU7u2
• St. Paul, Minnesota: The city paid $93,450 to a deaf motorist who was pepper-sprayed during a traffic stop and jailed for four days. The police officer involved in the incident lashed out at the deaf driver with whom he had difficulty communicating. ow.ly/kU4nO
• Aynor, South Carolina: A former police officer was arrested a day after he was fired when an investigation discovered he asked a woman to lift her shirt in exchange for a traffic ticket being dismissed. “It is the mission of the Aynor Police Department to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct for police officers,” said the police chief in a statement. ow.ly/kSsyb

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-10-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

UPDATE:  “Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said he asked the FBI to get involved after learning that one of two phones seized from witnesses had no footage on it.”  Hmm.

The David Silva Case is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

We now hold that the suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution...  Society wins not only when the guilty are convicted, but when criminal trials are fair; our system of the administration of justice suffers when any accused is treated unfairly.

I like this language from a related case that the Court quotes approvingly:

“Petitioner’s papers are inexpertly drawn, but they do set forth allegations that his imprisonment resulted from perjured testimony, knowingly used by the State authorities to obtain his conviction, and from the deliberate suppression by those same authorities of evidence favorable to him. These allegations sufficiently charge a deprivation of rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution, and, if proven, would entitle petitioner to release from his present custody….”

We should all be troubled that this rule was not clearly established in our law long before 1963, but better late than never.  And do note that the prosecutor cannot turn over evidence if the police have kept it from him.

Let’s take a concrete example to illustrate what this is all about.  Let’s say a  jewelery store was robbed by a guy with a gun yesterday.  Police arrived shortly thereafter to investigate and interview witnesses at the scene.  Three witnesses say the robber was an Asian male in his 50s.  Two witnesses say the robber was a white guy in his 30s.

Seven months later an Asian family arrives at your law office and asks you to represent their relative, a man who has been arrested for that jewelery store robbery.  Your client turns out to be an Asian male, age 55.  He has no criminal record.  He says he is innocent, but he has no alibi–home alone watching television is his story.  The prosecutor offers a plea bargain:  Your client pleads guilty and must do one year in prison.  If the deal is rejected and you insist on a trial, it’ll be a 10 year prison sentence.    The prosecutor informs you that this case is “open and shut”–showing you police reports of three witnesses from the scene.  And these three people also picked your client from a police line-up.   He says,  “Do we have a deal, or not?”   Since you are in the dark about the other two witnesses, you recommend to your client that he take the deal and plead guilty.  The client hates the deal, but he is frightened by the prospect of 10 years in prison and is unnerved that his own lawyer says that he will probably lose in court.  So he pleads guilty and is taken to prison.  You and the prosecutor move on to other cases.

The Brady rule is supposed to make such scenarios impossible.  As noted, the rule says the prosecution has to tell the defense about those other 2 witnesses and their statements that constitute exculpatory evidence for your client.  But there is a serious shortcoming with the Brady rule.  It is sorta like  the 55 mph speed limit for motorists on the highway.  Violations are common.   In 2010, a federal judge wrote, “The persistent recurrence of inadvertent violations of defendants’ constitutional right to discovery in the District of Massachusetts persuades this court that it is insufficient to rely on the Department of Justice training programs for prosecutors alone to assure that the government’s obligation to produce certain information to defendants is understood and properly discharged.”  In 2009, a federal judge in Washington, DC threw out the criminal case against Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.  The judge said withholding evidence that could be helpful to defendants had become a troubling trend.

The troubling trend is found in the state courts as well.  John Thompson spent 18 years in prison, 14 of those years isolated on death row, before exculpatory evidence came to light.  He did not commit the crimes of armed robbery and murder.  Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted that this was no isolated incident in New Orleans:  “From the top down, the evidence showed, members of the District Attorney’s Office, including the District Attorney himself, misperceived Brady’s compass and therefore inadequately attended to their disclosure obligations … Based on the prosecutors’ conduct relating to Thompson’s trials, a fact trier could reasonably conclude that inattention to Brady was standard operating procedure at the District Attorney’s Office.”  See Connick v. Thompson  (2011).

So we have 50 years of experience now and still great reluctance to face the fact that Brady is mostly a paper tiger.  When violations do come to light, often years later, the courts typically engage in a “harmless error” analysis.  That is, they look to see if the outcome of the case would have been any different if the rules had been followed.  If not, the court will just scold the prosecutor that what he did was improper but the conviction will stand.  In my book, I suggest the courts adopt another rule: Automatic retrials whenever a Brady violation comes to light.  This stricter rule would, I argue,  “spur officials to meet their obligation, and improve the overall administration of justice.”  The Innocence Project is proposing another approach in Texas and elsewhere.

For a related article where I discuss the connection between plea bargains and the Brady rule more fully, go here.

Brady v. Maryland — 50 Year Anniversary is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Wichita, Kansas: The city has been sued twice over claims that the same police officer drove dangerously while on duty, leading to the death of a 12-year-old in one instance and resulting in serious injuries to a motorist in another. According to the lawsuits, the officer’s actions have been called into question in three separate incidents in less than two years. ow.ly/kSwHT
• Bethel, Alaska: A police officer is being charged with being intoxicated while on the scene of a police shooting. He was not the officer shooting, but he was assisting at the scene. The state is charging him with three misdemeanors: two counts of DUI and one count of misconduct involving a weapon. ow.ly/kRN6M
• Caseyville, Illinois:  The police chief has been charged with two felonies, both alleging official misconduct. He is accused of using a vehicle seized by police for his own personal use. He is also charged with taking luggage purchased by the village and using it for himself. ow.ly/kRMzx
• Umatilla, Florida: The police chief is on paid administrative leave, and could be fired, pending the internal investigation. One of his officers detained and questioned two 13-year-old middle-school students without their parents being present in the room. “I cannot find a good cause or reasoning behind why the parents of the children arrested were not allowed to be in the interviews,” the city manager said. ow.ly/kRKgp
• Washington, DC: Civil rights lawyers filed two lawsuits alleging that Metro Transit Police officers assaulted two teenagers in separate incidents and then fabricated charges to justify arresting them. ow.ly/kRHcf
• Update: Wilcox County, Georgia (First reported 10/25/12): The former sheriff was sentenced to ten years in prison for assaulting an inmate inside of the county jail and for conspiring to cover up the incident. “Today’s sentence reflects that law enforcement officers who assault inmates in their custody and make false statements erode the trust of the people that they have sworn to protect,” said the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the civil rights division. ow.ly/kRGn8
• Newark, New Jersey: A police officer admitted in federal court to fraudulently receiving $60,000 in federal public housing assistance for a home he owned in the city. He remains suspended without pay, but has agreed to voluntarily resign his position. ow.ly/kRFUV
• St. Petersburg, Florida: An officer who was in a high-speed car crash was suspended without pay for five days and ordered to attend remedial driving school, following an internal review of the incident. ow.ly/kRDYE
• McKenzie, Tennessee: A police chief has been accused of stealing city property, including a tractor and two street sweepers. The items were valued at over $10,000 and went missing while he was the chief. ow.ly/kQkd1
• Abilene, Texas: A police officer has quit after being arrested on charges of public intoxication and firing a gun in a public place. ow.ly/kPZkE

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-09-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

Investigators are searching for answers and members of a DeLand neighborhood are angry, all wondering how a man fleeing early Wednesday morning from a traffic stop ended up dead, run over by a police car.

Details about the incident remain sketchy. But preliminary reports indicate Marlon Brown, 38, fled from an attempted traffic stop, first in the vehicle he was driving, and then on foot.

A minute later, as Brown ran through a field, two DeLand police officers who heard the call over the radio followed in their patrol cars. Somehow, one of the police cars ended up knocking down a fence at the end of the field, and Brown ended up dead, under the car.

It all started because the man was not wearing his seat belt.

H/T:  Reason

Man Run Over by Police Cruiser is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

A 40-year-old Jacksonville police officer with a history of DUIs since her 2004 hire was charged Tuesday with five counts of driving under the influence causing damage as well as multiple hit-and-runs, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Diana Laura Jones, who was off duty, also was cited with reckless driving after officers found her in her truck eating a hamburger after three cars were hit in an Atlantic Boulevard parking lot and another on Hodges Boulevard, according to her arrest report.

Undersheriff Dwain Senterfitt said he had fired Jones after a DUI investigation in 2011, but an arbitrator reinstated her. Senterfitt said he is frustrated she was rehired and is now under investigation a third time

How Many DUIs Will It Take? is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

The worst case is from Bolivia, North Carolina.  According to the complaint filed by a minor’s guardian ad litem, a police officer, Jaymin Lenwood Murphy, came to a home to investigate allegations that an adult had sent inappropriate photos via cell phone to a minor child.  The officer said he needed to question the minor in private.  Once in private, the officer had the minor remove her clothing so he could take photos for his ‘investigative file.’   It gets worse.   The officer later returned on minor’s fourteenth birthday and raped her.

The runner-up story comes from Bakersfield, California.  A 21-year-old woman called the police to report a burglary.  Two deputies arrived and one led her into a room where she was then sexually assaulted under the pretense of a ‘pat-down’ search by the deputy.  The authorities did move promptly against this deputy–so good for them.

Worst of the Month — April 2013 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Dolton, Illinois (First reported 11-01-11): A police officer who hit two men outside a village nightclub with his steel baton and left without calling for an ambulance is on trial for federal excessive force charges. Neither man was arrested. The officer’s attorney says prosecutors are trying to second-guess his split-second decisions while working a dangerous beat. ow.ly/kPMVj
• Jacksonville, Florida: A police officer with a history of DUI got another one in a hit-and-run involving several vehicles. It is her third DUI. ow.ly/kPMby
• Baltimore, Maryland: An off-duty police officer gave himself up after barricading himself in a home with a toddler in a six-hour standoff that started when he fatally shot a woman. He was charged with first-degree murder, among other charges. ow.ly/kPKbK
• Hamilton County, Ohio: A former sheriff’s deputy was sent to prison for two years for stealing $150,000 in gold from his employer. He was caught during a sting operation. ow.ly/kPlWT
• Update: Spokane, Washington (First reported 04-25-13): A police officer has pleaded guilty to a charge that he lied to federal agents about the fatal beating of a mentally disabled man. He has lost his job. ow.ly/kPO8y
• Marysville, Washington: A police officer whose 3-year-old son found a handgun and fatally shot the man’s daughter was fired from the police department following an internal affairs investigation. ow.ly/kNgPE
• Hamden, Pennsylvania: The town settled an excessive force lawsuit against the police department for $55,000. According to the lawsuit, the officers entered a home to serve a misdemeanor warrant for a man. It alleged after that after the man was on the floor with one in hand in handcuffs, police bent back his fingers and punched him in the head before applying the handcuffs to his other hand. ow.ly/kN7FD

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-08-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Orange County, Florida: A deputy was arrested for DUI after he rear-ended another car. He was in uniform driving an unmarked sheriff’s office truck. http://ow.ly/kNgAU
• Des Moines, Iowa: A police officer accused of kicking a man in the head and knocking out his front teeth has been fired. http://ow.ly/kNfHc
• Saginaw Township, Michigan: A police officer has resigned after an investigation found that he cheated to win an iPad mini during an annual fundraiser. No charges have been announced and specifics about how the cheating took place weren’t immediately released. ow.ly/kMRhK
• San Diego, California: A reserve deputy was charged with smuggling undocumented people through a checkpoint while wearing her uniform and carrying a gun. She was arrested and charged with transporting illegal aliens and aiding and abetting. ow.ly/kLpF0
• Rainbow City, Alabama: The widow of a man who was shot by officers is filing a wrongful death suit. The suit accuses police of negligence, police brutality, and excessive force in wrongfully causing her husband’s death. The suit also says that the 52-year-old man was legally deaf and had trouble responding to orders given by the police. http://ow.ly/kMX15
• Commerce City, Colorado: A police officer pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals in the shooting death of a dog last year. The then-DA announced that after interviewing witnesses and reviewing videotape, his office decided to charge the officer with a class 6 felony. http://ow.ly/kMXjU
• Perry County, Mississippi: A police dog was left in a patrol car overnight and died. Residents are outraged and have demanded that the handler be charged with neglect. http://ow.ly/kMXDc
• Orlando, Florida: A man who was struck by a police officer’s cruiser spoke to internal affairs about the incident. He believes the officer hit him on purpose, saying he made eye contact with the officer as the patrol car came around the corner. http://ow.ly/kMXVS
• Phoenix, Arizona: A bar fight involving a biker gang made up of police officers carrying brass knuckles and knives led to recommendations of felony charges against the former chief for his alleged role in trying to cover it up. “You’ve got senior veteran law enforcement officers from federal, state, and local agencies engaged in this kind of activity,” the county sheriff said. “It makes no sense to me, it was extremely poor judgment on their individual parts, their collective judgment, it’s very, very unethical. http://ow.ly/kMYhW
• Hartleton, Pennsylvania: A police chief is under state police investigation for allowing traffic violators to donate to the town park to avoid paying a citation. A trooper posing as one of the motorists recorded a phone call to the chief in which he told her the citation would be withdrawn if she made out a check to the playground fund, wrote “donation” at the bottom and mailed it to him. http://ow.ly/kMYFs
• Covington, Louisiana: The Mayor fired the city’s police chief citing the recent arrests of two police officers for allegedly using excessive force on a shoplifting suspect. The Mayor says he holds the chief “accountable for the actions and behavior of his police officers. I had made it clear to all in the CPD that officers’ use of excessive force would not be tolerated and nonadherence would result in severe discipline.” http://ow.ly/kMZBB
• Columbia Falls, Montana: The granddaughter of a veteran has filed a complaint against the police department alleging negligence and wrongful death following an incident. It charges the vets home with malpractice and the police department with assault and battery.  http://ow.ly/kN51K
• Update: Maricopa County, Arizona (First reported 11-08-13): A former sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in a case that alleges he drove to another city to beat up a man who slept with his wife. The judge ordered a presentencing investigation. The sentencing date has not been set. http://ow.ly/kNgao

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-07-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Lee County, Florida: A deputy was arrested and charged with robbery. The victim accepted a ride back to his residence from the officer, but the officer didn’t drive the victim home, instead he drove to a nearby location. Once they arrived there, the victim was battered and robbed by the officer. In a statement, the Sheriff said, “words simply can’t express my disgust and disbelief. Mike Ronga has been arrested and jailed like a criminal should be and his betrayal of our office and the public trust is unforgiveable.” ow.ly/kKecn
• Portland, Oregon: A man who claims he was pepper-sprayed and arrested on accusations of drunken driving by an officer after she spotted him vomiting in the doorway of his parked car is suing the officer for $20,275. He spent two nights in jail and the DA declined to charge him because of lack of evidence. All charges against him were dropped. ow.ly/kL8TZ
• Panola County, Texas: A special-appointed judge ruled that the embattled sheriff will be suspended with pay. ow.ly/kKVMo
• Update: Sunset Beach, North Carolina (First reported 04-30-13): An officer has been terminated from his position. He was under investigation after a DWI arrest he made was dismissed by the DA’s office. His firing was based upon the officer’s “failure to follow rules and regulations of standard operating procedures” and for “conduct unbecoming a public officer or employee.” ow.ly/kKTLS
• Columbia, Missouri: A state highway patrol trooper is on administrative leave after being arrested last week on a domestic assault charge. He got into an altercation with his wife. ow.ly/kKRx8
• Las Vegas, Nevada: A World War Two veteran who said he was roughed up by a police officer filed a lawsuit claiming he was handcuffed and slammed to the ground because of a 311 call. His wife said that the officers eventually let her husband out of the cuffs, but didn’t arrest him. She said the officer also didn’t take a report. “Unfortunately,” their lawyer said, “in our city there is an issue with police using excessive force against the citizens, for instance in 2011 there were over 1,000 complaints of excessive force.” ow.ly/kKQfp
• Sudbury, Massachusetts: The police chief resigned after police in his hometown said they arrested him on drunken driving and assault charges. ow.ly/kKGgV
• Delaware County, Pennsylvania: A deputy is facing assault and reckless endangerment charges after allegedly opening fire on his own car as the woman he lent it to attempted to flee. He has been suspended from his job pending the results of criminal and internal investigations. ow.ly/kKvbQ
• Update: Memphis, Tennessee (First reported 01-22-13): A police officer has been indicted on three counts of rape and two counts of official misconduct. “Any officer who feels they can act outside the realm of laws is sadly mistaken,” said the police director. “The MPD will not tolerate this type of behavior from any person, especially those who have sworn to uphold the law.” ow.ly/kKibB

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-04-13 to 05-06-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

The 12-year-old boy, who’s name is Jeremy, confronts a Las Vegas Metro motorcycle cop after he noticed the cop was illegally parked on a sidewalk just to get something to drink. Earlier today, Gawker reported that the boy proceeded to ask the cop if he had any emergency reason to park, and then he asked for the cop to reveal his badge number.

After ignoring the boy’s questions, the cop then asks Jeremy if he is a lawyer. Jeremy states that he is just a 12-year-old citizen and continues to pressure the cop for his badge number….

The cop continues to refuse, and eventually leaves on his motorcycle. Before leaving the scene, the cop becomes agitated with the 12-year-old, and asks Jeremy for his ID then accuses him of loitering.

Video at the link above.

We may have a job for him here after high school.

12-Year Old Challenges Las Vegas Motorcycle Cop is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• New York, New York: Three men have said that police officers confronted them, sometimes violently, searched their clothing, and discovered small amounts of marijuana, according to a civil rights lawsuit. The suit contends that the officers routinely stop black and Latino men without cause and then falsely claimed the marijuana was in public view, making it a low-level misdemeanor, which allows for sentences of up to three months in jail. ow.ly/kGpb5
• Glendale, Arizona: The assistant police chief has been suspended for one week without pay and has been demoted to commander. He is accused of threatening to burn down a shop for allegedly selling spice to his son. ow.ly/kGmjC
• Taylor, Michigan: Three police officers have been suspended for their alleged connection to illegal gambling. All three officers have more than 10 years of experience. “We acted very quickly after hearing about it,” the police chief said. “We handled it internally. They were suspended and disciplined.”
• Update: Culpeper, Virginia (First reported 02-01-13): A police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman has been sentenced to 36 months. A wrongful death lawsuit against the officer is still pending. ow.ly/kG46V
• Cambridge, Maryland: A police officer has been charged with rape in an off-duty incident. He was indicted on second-degree rape, false imprisonment, and other sex offenses. ow.ly/kG1Xa
• Update: Highland Park, Michigan (First reported 01-25-13): A police officer has admitted that he assisted with the protection of what he believed to be a shipment of cocaine in exchange for a $1,000 bribe. The purported smugglers were actually undercover FBI agents. “Police officers who take bribes have no place in law enforcement,” a US attorney said. “They will be prosecuted for violating their duties to serve the public.” http://ow.ly/kGEnp
• Rio Hondo, Texas: A police officer has been sentenced to more than five years in prison in a guns case with ties to Mexico. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to export firearms and failure to appear. ow.ly/kEIB3
• Grand Rapids, Michigan: Allegations have surfaced that police officers are abusing their power, making arrests for trespassing when people have done nothing wrong and no one’s asked them to leave. A lawsuit has been filed against the GRPD by the ACLU. http://ow.ly/kGsEw
• Petaluma, California: Prosecutors say a police officer was legally drunk when he crashed a scooter on a public golf course during a department tournament. It is illegal to ride a scooter on a golf course while intoxicated. http://ow.ly/kGDyQ
• Update: Nassau County, New York (First reported 02-21-13): A former police chief has pleaded guilty to official misconduct and conspiracy charges. He was one of the three police officials who prevented the arrest of a teenager whose father was a police benefactor. http://ow.ly/kGBUs
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A detective has been charged in federal court with obstruction of justice following an FBI investigation that concluded he helped a suspected drug dealer. He has been suspended with pay. http://ow.ly/kGPze
• Update: Apollo, Pennsylvania (First reported 07-03-12): The now-former police chief pleaded guilty to three felonies and two lesser charges in court. He was accused of improperly taking and selling guns, ammunition, and other borough property while he was serving as police chief. http://ow.ly/kGGjS
• Center City, Pennsylvania: Three men and one woman have filed a federal lawsuit against the police claiming that they were mistreated by an officer. The encounter was recorded by one of the men. ow.ly/kGoua

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

• Durham, North Carolina: Another off-duty police officer faces charges for allegedly leaving the scene of a traffic accident. He has been charged with failing to remain at an accident scene, careless driving, and failing to report the incident. ow.ly/kEEHO
• Barren County, Kentucky: A former deputy and a city police officer have testified against a sheriff who is accused of using excessive force during an arrest. The sheriff is facing federal charges of deprivation of rights under color of law, making false statements, and witness tampering among other counts. ow.ly/kEcYW
• Lexington, Kentucky: A man has filed a federal lawsuit against a police officer, alleging that the officer forced his way into the man’s home without a warrant and charged him with several offenses that were later dismissed. ow.ly/kEbOu
• Watertown, New York: A city police officer faces charges following a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend that allegedly happened. “Obviously, we take these things seriously, but there is a presumption of innocence,” the mayor said. The officer has been put on administrative leave. ow.ly/kE6lg
• Charlotte, North Carolina: A police officer was arrested and charged with obtaining property by false pretense, stemming from a criminal investigation which concluded he falsified time sheets while working a secondary job. ow.ly/kE6Ix
• Jersey City, New Jersey: An off-duty police officer who struck and killed a man has been issued four summonses, including one for speeding. ow.ly/kDLm4
• Mitchell County, Iowa: A police officer has been put on administrative leave for an accidental shooting. The police chief says the officer was off duty while showing another man a personal weapon. ow.ly/kCeLh

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-02-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Schaumburg, Illinois (First reported 01-18-13): A civil lawsuit filed against two of the three now-former narcotics officers accused of stealing and selling illegal drugs is moving to federal court. They are being sued by a man who says he was arrested and sentenced to prison after the officers planted drugs and other paraphernalia on his person during an illegal search. ow.ly/kC7SA
• Lowell, Massachusetts: An officer has been sentenced to two years in jail for using his badge to extort sexual favors from prostitutes. He admitted he had sex with prostitutes about 20 times while on duty in his cruiser and numerous other times in his personal car. ow.ly/kC07m
• Williamson, Washington: A police officer has been suspended without pay after troopers say he was under the influence when he crashed his cruiser. He is charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident. ow.ly/kBXqC
• Las Vegas, Nevada: The police department’s Use of Force Board is recommending the firing of a police officer for shooting a man in the leg. He will have the opportunity to appeal the decision. ow.ly/kBX1p
• Colorado Springs, Colorado: A police department supervisor was arrested and is suspected of clocking in and accepting pay for hours he did not work. One of his reporting officers is said to have reported the discrepancies, triggering an investigation. ow.ly/kBSKt
• Harford County, Maryland: A deputy who fired his weapon at a suspect who was fleeing the scene of an accident has been charged with reckless endangerment. ow.ly/kBvJm
• Update: Portland, Oregon (First reported 04-12-13): The city will pay $2.3 million to settle a federal lawsuit filed after a police officer wounded a man when he mistakenly fired lethal rounds at him from a beanbag shotgun. The victim is now permanently disabled and narrowly escaped death only because there was a hospital nearby. ow.ly/kBtvx
• East Hartford, Connecticut: A police officer accused of assaulting a 12-year-old boy is under investigation again after a resident complained the officer was “acting unprofessionally while on duty,” according to the police chief. ow.ly/kBsdo
• Update: Henderson, Nevada (First reported 03-12-13): A Police SWAT officer was fired after reportedly destroying a police department vehicle. The police chief said the officer committed serious policy violations leading to his termination. He drove a car on its rims until it caught on fire. ow.ly/kBnQw

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 05-01-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

When police abuse their authority everyone loses. Victims may get hurt or even lose their life, police damage their credibility and taxpayers end up shouldering huge payouts to victims and their families.

Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department settled a lawsuit brought against it by two women officers mistakenly shot at during the Dorner manhunt in February. The settlement will cost the city $4.2 million and attorneys called it “a bargain.“

The article has a good summary of the six settlements, including this:

Police apprehended Woodman who was drinking beer near the Fenway area with a group of fans. Woodman collapsed, according to reports, and was taken to a hospital where he died 11 days later.

An investigator’s report concluded he died of a pre-existing heart condition. However, his family said they believed police lied about what happened during their son’s arrest. Woodman had more than a dozen abrasions, bruises, cuts or lacerations that were not mentioned in the investigator’s report.

Read the whole thing.

ABC News: Six Police Misconduct Settlements Worth Millions is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Jacksonville, Florida: The assistant police chief has been demoted following a DUI arrest over the weekend. Officers say he rear-ended a tractor trailer that was slowing down for a red light, and then he refused to take a breath test. ow.ly/kzv4X
• Sunset Beach, North Carolina: The police chief confirmed that she has placed a police officer on suspension, pending the results of an investigation. The investigation stems from a DWI court case.  http://ow.ly/kBxbk
• Craig Beach, Ohio: A woman and her husband have sued the now-former village police chief and a councilwoman. They allege the police chief used excessive force against them in a traffic stop. They also say that he conspired to destroy evidence of his improper actions. ow.ly/kzjSi
• Brooklyn, New York: A city police officer was charged with assault following a domestic dispute at his home.  He has been a member of the NYPD since 2002. ow.ly/kzj9t
• Queens, New York: A former Marine says that he was punched and kicked in the face by cops as they ejected him from the stationhouse, where he had gone to retrieve a friend’s personal property. ow.ly/kzg7U
• Colorado Springs, Colorado: A former police officer pleaded guilty to a single felony count. She left her job amid allegations that she lied about domestic violence to put an estranged boyfriend in prison. ow.ly/kzayZ
• Greenville, North Carolina: A police officer has been charged with assault. The incident is under investigation by the Internal Affairs Division, and his police powers have been suspended. ow.ly/kz6To

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 04-30-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

The picture painted in court of the New York Police Department’s officers was not pretty.

Ten percent of them were malcontents who worked as little as possible. Unless they are being paid overtime, officers seem to avoid writing summonses. Indeed, some police officers need to be weaned of the idea that they are paid to drive around in their patrol cars, eating doughnuts.

And those sentiments came not from critics of the department, but from police commanders and city lawyers.

The “Lazy, not Lawless” Defense is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Update: Newark, New Jersey (First reported 02-22-13): A police officer was sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting a civilian. He was found guilty of pistol-whipping the man, and it was captured on video. The man he hit was never charged with a crime. ow.ly/kxGT0
• Marysville, California: A reserve police officer was arrested by sheriff’s detectives in connection with a report of child molestation. He has been placed on administrative leave because of the incident. ow.ly/kxsQB
• Hialeah, Florida: Detectives arrested a police sergeant. He has been charged with one count of cocaine possession, non-trafficking amount, and one count possession of drug paraphernalia. He is currently in custody. ow.ly/kxrbW
• Lawrence, Indiana: A suspended police officer, who is already facing drunk driving charges in the death of a motorcyclist, has been arrested again. He was arrested after running his truck into a guardrail, a sign, and a power pole. According to the arrest report he told the arresting officer, “I know you know who I am. I messed up today. If you guys can cut me a break, I promise I will never drink again.” ow.ly/kx5dg
• St. Petersburg, Florida: A police officer was arrested on a misdemeanor drunken driving charge. He was stopped for poor driving and failing to maintain a lane. It will be investigated by the internal affairs unit and he will be on administrative leave. ow.ly/kx4wD
• Cordell, Oklahoma: An officer was arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor. He was taken into custody for two counts of rape in the second degree and one count of forcible sodomy. ow.ly/kwLg1
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin: A man has accused a police officer of using excessive force, alleging that officer punched him in the back of the head before arresting him. Police Department officials confirmed they had received a formal complaint from the man. ow.ly/kwE1o
• Clackamas County, Oregon: A deputy has been arrested in connection with a domestic violence case. He has been on administrative leave since the accusations arose. The Sheriff’s Office says it has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to employee-involved domestic violence. ow.ly/kwCz6
• Orlando, Florida: An officer was suspended for 40 hours after an Internal Affairs investigation revealed he violated several OPD policies and procedures during an altercation inside a Walmart. ow.ly/kwwIj

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 04-27-13 to 04-29-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net

• Elkhart County, Indiana: The sheriff announced that one of his deputies, a seven-year-veteran, had been arrested. “We have an expectation of professionalism and high standards from our officers and staff, and conduct outside those standards will not be tolerated,” he said. ow.ly/ksKUv
• Town Creek, Alabama: A former police officer pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation during the course of an arrest in a case that involved excessive force. The officer ran up to a suspect, who had already been placed under arrest by another officer without resistance, and “unjustifiably and repeatedly beat the man in the head with an object that was either a baton or a flashlight causing the man to suffer physical injury,” according to the DOJ. ow.ly/ksHmg
• Marion, South Carolina: Two officers were charged with misconduct in office. They were arrested and booked into the detention center for charges connected to an excessive force incident. ow.ly/ksH6g
• Update: Atlanta, Georgia (First reported 04-16-13): A former state trooper who pleaded guilty in a crash that killed a woman has been sentenced to two years in prison. He was also ordered to serve eight years of probation and educate law enforcement on dangers and responsibilities associated with their jobs. ow.ly/ksGtx
• East St. Louis, Illinois: A former assistant police chief faces up to five years in federal prison for lying to investigators about selling a gun to a registered sex offender. The officer admitted he got the gun while working as a police officer and kept and sold it. A U.S. attorney said he “threw away his career, tarnished the badge, and endangered his community for a few dollars.” ow.ly/ksDUo
• Eric County, Pennsylvania: A former state trooper was sentenced for homicide while driving under the influence. He was given three to six years for the drunken driving incident. ow.ly/ksBvW
• Chatham County, Georgia: A deputy has been indicted by a grand jury on four charges. They include sexual assault, public indecency, two counts of making false statements to deputies and obstruction of an officer. ow.ly/ksyNB
• Baltimore County, Maryland: A police officer has been arrested and charged. He was engaging in sexual activity while on duty, and the charges come after an internal and criminal investigation. ow.ly/ksfW0
• Canfield, Ohio: The parents of an 11-year-old girl cleared of false rape charges are suing the city, police department, and investigators. They say investigators pursued the case because of political connections even after they learned the accusations were false. The lawsuit says that the girl fell asleep on her mother’s lap during a five-hour interrogation, that she was eventually charged with multiple counts of rape, and was held in a juvenile detention center on charges despite detectives believing the girl was innocent. ow.ly/ks806
• Franklin County, Ohio: A deputy sheriff pleaded guilty to a charge of physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated. He was placed on one year of non-reporting probation and fined $350. ow.ly/kqRHL

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 04-26-13 is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net