Roast A Pig

Is Ex-Bart Cop Johannes Mehserle a Murderer?

2010-12-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Modesto Police Used Force More Often

2010-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Though the number of arrests and contacts with the public were at the lowest level in years, Modesto police officers used force more often in 2008 and 2009 than in previous years, and the department saw a 22 percent increase in citizen complaints alleging police misconduct.
Officers resorted to using take-down moves, batons, Tasers, pepper spray or firearms 250 times in 2009, when 15,023 arrests were made, a rate of 1.7 percent.
The use-of-force rate, which tells how often officers use pain or weaponry during an arrest, was 1.5 percent in 2008-09 period, compared with 1.2 percent from 2004 to 2007.

The Police Department also received an increased number of complaints alleging misconduct in 2008 and 2009. Of the 151 complaints, 37 people complained that officers used unreasonable force.
There were 124 citizen complaints in 2006 and 2007, including 30 complaints regarding the force used by officers.
The numbers, though far from conclusive, could fuel public sentiment that the city needs to look closely at how Modesto officers are using force when making arrests or controlling a crowd.
Friday, the city is expected to announce the hiring of a law firm to conduct an administrative investigation of the Police Department.
City management called for the probe based on a letter sent to Police Chief Mike Harden and top city officials a month ago. The unsigned letter, purportedly written by an MPD employee, names officers who are allegedly committing acts of brutality and claims department managers are looking the other way.
City officials have said that details in the letter warrant investigation.

Seattle Police Officer Ian D Birk Murders Native Woodcarver

2010-09-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

The police shooting of a talented, aging Native totem carver has sparked anger and outrage in Seattle’s Native community, and beyond.

John T. Williams, long time Seattle resident and a Ditidaht member of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations of Canada’s Vancouver Island, was shot four times and killed Aug. 30 by police officer Ian D Birk, a two-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department.

Police said Birk spotted him sitting on a ledge with a knife and shouted three commands at him to drop it.

As eyewitnesses came forward with a different version of events police then said Williams was crossing an intersection with a knife and piece of wood in his hands, refused to drop the knife and advanced towards the officer.

“His body stance did not look threatening at all,” an eyewitness told The Seattle Times. “I could only see the gentleman’s back, and he didn’t look aggressive at all. He didn’t even look up at the officer.”

Williams died between 1811 Eastlake, a private nonprofit home for chronic drinkers where he’d lived off and on, and the Pike Street Market in downtown Seattle, where he sold his carvings.

Williams was crippled with arthritis and hobbled more than he walked, Randy Lewis, a leader of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation said. He was capable at most of turning towards the officer when he heard him shouting, to show him what he had in his hands.

That’s if he heard him shouting. Williams’ friends say he was deaf in his left ear from an infection eight years ago.

Seattle police now say they don’t know exactly what happened. Seattle Police Chief John Diaz told reporters he has “a lot more questions than answers.”

What is known is that Birk exited his patrol car, shouted out commands and then fatally shot Williams in the span of a minute. The officer’s in-car video caught part of the incident. The tape has not been released to the public.

The folding carving knife carried by Williams had a less than three-inch blade, legal to carry in Seattle. The city’s code states a dangerous knife is one having a blade three and one-half inches or more.

Locals have honored the Williams family for more than 100 years for their traditional carvings, and for making and selling them at the street level and in galleries. He was a seventh generation master carver who carried his carving tools with him, and carved in public.

“It’s a great cultural ignorance for (the police department) even to admit they weren’t familiar with their carving with knives on the street (because it’s) not unusual,” said family friend Storme Webber, Aleut.

Diaz pledged a complete and transparent investigation by homicide detectives, as well as a firearms review board to determine whether Birk followed department policy.

Even so, “a whole lot of governmental process doesn’t bring a loved one back, we do recognize that,” Sean Whitcomb, SPD spokesperson said. The shooting “is not the outcome that anyone wanted, this entire event is very tragic.

“We recognize that as difficult as it is we ask that concerned citizens place some faith in this process that will unfold, Whitcomb said. “That process is the investigation process of our own department, as well as the inquest by the prosecuting attorney’s office.”

The Chief Seattle Club called on Deputy Chief Nick Metz, in particular, to apologize for comments he made about Williams at a press briefing Aug. 31.

“Metz was trying to paint a picture of him in a negative light, like he was trying to rationalize or justify what happened,” said Jenine Grey, Tlingit, of the Chief Seattle Club, a private nonprofit service agency for Native American and First Nations people, where Williams was a member. “Those are very common charges that homeless people face.”

Grey said finding a place to urinate other than a gutter is a complicated thing for the homeless. “No one, restaurants or other public places, wants to let homeless people in to use their bathrooms. Nor can they afford to sit in a restaurant or bar when they want to have a drink.

Fern Renville, Sisseton Wahpeton, managing director of Native youth theater group Red Eagle Soaring said the pitiful language coming from the police department “doesn’t describe the man that I knew – kind, compassionate, and a great artist.”

On Sept. 2, 300 people with candles and drums turned out at the Chief Seattle Club to affirm the value of the woodcarver’s life and his place in the community. They expressed their outrage at the senseless death of a harmless man.

“An elder said this wasn’t the time and place for that,” said Penny Octuck Cole, of Tacoma. “He said tonight we’re remembering who John was, in a quiet respectful way. After that, everyone settled down. But they were quietly making plans for protests.”

Seattle’s mayor Mike McGinn was at the vigil with a lit candle. “His attendance spoke miles,” Lewis said. The mayor told those around him that actions, speaking louder than words, would be forthcoming.

At a press conference called by community leaders Sept. 3, speakers demanded an inquest panel with at least one Native member approved by the community. Grey said they were holding the Seattle Police Department and the City of Seattle accountable for William’s death.

“This tragedy never should have happened,” Grey said. “We are angry and outraged that his life was interrupted for seemingly no reason, and so callously disregarded.”

Grey said they’re worried about their most vulnerable community members who suffer regular harassment and abuse on the streets of Seattle, and added that it is incredible that in a city named for an Indian chief, a police officer would not recognize that an Indian carrying carving tools was no threat.

“It’s really appalling what happened to my relative,” said Chief Jack Thompson of the Ditidaht First Nation, who traveled to Seattle from Canada’s Vancouver Island. He said Williams was just trying to make a living as he walked the streets of Seattle. “I hope the police would find it in their hearts to do the right thing.”

Lewis, an art framer said Williams used to come by his shop for wood scraps. “He’d carve on the front porch and we’d talk. He was probably one of the gentlest people I know. For them to trivialize his life riles me to no end.

“We are not a people of a romantic past, nor are we a people of an irrelevant present and we are not going to allow this to be swept under the rug. We want the police department to own the responsibility of their actions, then get on with the job of asking, is this person culpable?”

Several British Columbia newspapers reported that Williams’ death had left Native communities in Canada reeling. First Nations leaders held a news conference Sept. 3 to demand a full investigation.

“I’m deeply angered and outraged to hear once again the police shooting down one of our people in a clearly unprovoked situation,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. Philip said he does not accept the police version of the incident.

A demonstration and community memorial service is pending discussions between the family and various Native organizations. Williams has at least two brothers and one sister living in the Seattle area.

Matthew Spurlock Of Modesto Police Is A Rapist

2010-09-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

A Stanislaus County judge today said a Modesto police officer must stand trial for allegedly assaulting and injuring his wife.

Matthew Spurlock, 39, of Modesto faces charges of spousal abuse, assault with a semiautomatic weapon and assault with the intent to commit rape.

He was arrested July 15 and put on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation, Modesto police Sgt. Rick Armendariz said.

According to testimony, Spurlock pointed a Glock .45-caliber gun at his wife's torso. Spurlock's wife suffered visible injuries but was not hospitalized.

Officer Smith Harassing Citizens of Ahwatukee AZ

2010-07-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is a comment from a concerned citizen of Ahwatukee.

I'm not sure if you can help, but hopefully you can direct me in the right
direction. My son was arrested last year; charged with aggravated assault for
calling a police officer an "asshole." While this is disrespectful, it is not
against the law.

In addition, the day after we bailed him out, we were contacted by an officer
"Smith" with the drug division in the Ahwatukee branch. He wanted my son to
inform on any and all drug offenders in the area to have his charges dropped. I
got involved and said we would meet with him as soon as I could arrange to have
a lawyer present. He stated if we sought legal counsel then all bets were off.

My son went to court 2 weeks later and the charges were dropped. Now all of a
sudden these charges have reappeared.

What are your thoughts? This whole thing seems dirty to me and I do not trust
our law enforcement officials nor do I trust the judges on our benches.

Please advise if you can.

Thanks,

Brandi

Whitehall Police Brutality - Cop Slams Elderly Woman's Head On The Cement

2010-06-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

On August 1, at a Whitehall, Ohio Wal-mart, Virginia Dodson could not remember why she was sitting alone in a car. Coming to grips with her enclosed environment, it dawned on her that she did not know how to unbuckle her seat belt either. Panic began to take hold.

Her solution was to scrounge up a steak knife and cut through the straps, eventually finding her way into the confusing world of the parking lot, still holding the blade.

Virginia, an 84-year-old African American, has Alzheimer's disease. Like many other sufferers, the responsibility for her care fell to her adult child. Her daughter, however, was inside the store.

It was only a short matter of time before the police were called.

A witness to the scene, one Tomya Beatty, said: "She didn’t even ask her to drop the knife. The woman told her when the cop came charging at her. She said, 'I’m not going to cut you. I’m not going to cut you.' She was just calling her daughter’s name out."

The use of force against an obviously frail woman is apparent. As the video progresses, a noisy scene develops around the officers as the confused old woman lays on the ground, bleeding. "Dotson’s daughter said her mother needed stitches to close the wounds and her hand may have been broken,"

Police declined to press charges against the woman, who was released back into her daughter's custody.

"What's got me is that since it's obvious the female officer was strong enough to take her down with ease, why not just grab the knife from her instead?"

Seattle Police Brutality - Ian Walsh Punches Teenage Girl

2010-06-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Seattle police officials said Tuesday that their officers are trained to throw a punch in certain situations, but said they have a "number of concerns" regarding the tactics an officer used in dealing with a 17-year-old girl he punched in the face while trying to cite a group of women for jaywalking.

"The issue we have to investigate is whether the force he used is reasonable given the combative resistance he was facing... and we're not going to pass judgment on that until the matter has been thoroughly investigated," said Assistant Seattle Police Chief Nick Metz.

Seattle police have directed a review of Seattle police tactics and training to ensure the training and implementation of those tactics are appropriate and consistent, Metz said.

The review comes in the wake of an altercation captured on video that shows Officer Ian Walsh punching the teenage girl in the face while struggling to get her and another teen under control in South Seattle.

The incident began when Walsh spotted four young women jaywalking the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. Walsh asked the group to step over to his patrol car, but the women were being "verbally antagonistic toward the officer," according to officials.

Walsh pushed the 17 year old girl, but the girl came back at him. Walsh then punched her, police said.

Metz said Walsh will be transferred to a training section and the department will conduct an internal review.

"The officer is going to be transferred to the training section for a few days to review the tactics that he's been taught," Metz said. "The issue we have to investigate is whether the force he used is reasonable given the combative resistance he was facing. We're not going to pass judgment on that until the matter has been thoroughly investigated."

Fresno Police Corruption - Fresno Citizens Have Had Enough

2010-05-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

On July 21, 25-year-old Julian Celaya reportedly stole two 12-packs of
beer from a liquor store in Fresno, California. Minutes later he was
murdered in a hail of police gunfire. The cops may have fired as many
as 45 shots.

Three days earlier, on July 18, Rene LaCentra, a 45-year-old unemployed
white woman, was shot three times by Fresno police after a car chase
through downtown. Police say they went after LaCentra after she made an
illegal turn. Today she's in the jail infirmary with wounds in the
chest, shoulder and arm.

On July 16, two days before cops shot LaCentra, they killed Roderick
Lee Bartolette in a northwest Fresno hotel. The cops claim they were
doing a drug investigation and that Bartolette was part of a shoot-out.
Six days, three police shootings, two deaths. The Fresno police are out
of control, and anger among the people of Fresno is boiling to the
surface. We need to stand up and not stand for this kind of police
corruption and brutality.

Fresno
Police Corruption

Modesto Police Detective James Eichbaum A Pedofile

2008-08-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Judge Marie Silveira called the case of Edward Deandre Mitchell and Laron Tavon Davis, who are accused of murder and a string of convenience store robberies.

This time, the credibility of former Modesto police detective James Eichbaum, who retired in October, was on the line.

On Feb. 9, Eichbaum pleaded no contest to providing alcohol to a minor, an infraction, and paid an $800 fine.

He had been accused of giving an alcoholic energy drink to a 17-year-old female Explorer Scout while they worked together on an alcohol sting operation in August 2006.

In court and in legal papers, defense attorney Frank Carson alleged that Eichbaum's relationship with the minor was far more extensive, and sexual in nature.

As proof, the defense attorney gave the court a copy of an anonymous letter, purportedly from someone who works for the Modesto Police Department.

He asked the court to review Eichbaum's personnel file to determine if complaints against the former detective show a pattern of malfeasance that could call his work on the Mitchell and Davis case into question.

Colorado Police Corruption

2008-08-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

Colorado Police Corruption

Colorado Police Corruption
Denver Police Corruption
Colorado Springs Police Corruption
Pueblo Police Corruption
Boulder Police Corruption
Fort Collins Police Corruption
Sterling Police Corruption
Greeley Police Corruption
Aspen Police Corruption
Littleton Police Corruption

Arkansas Police Corruption - Roast A Pig

2008-08-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Arkansas Police Corruption

Arkansas Police Corruption
Little Rock Police Corruption
Hot Springs Police Corruption
Russellville Police Corruption
Benton Police Corruption
Pine Bluff Police Corruption
Harrison Police Corruption
Camden Police Corruption
Conway Police Corruption
West Memphis Police Corruption

Arizona Police Corruption - Roast A Pig

2008-05-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Arizona Police Corruption

Arizona Police Corruption
Phoenix Police Corruption
Sun City Police Corruption
Flagstaff Police Corruption
Tempe Police Corruption
Tucson Police Corruption
Sierra Vista Police Corruption
Scottsdale Police Corruption
Lake Havasu Police Corruption
Prescott Police Corruption
Tombstone Police Corruption

Alabama Police Corruption - Roast A Pig

2008-05-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Alabama Police Corruption

Alabama Police Corruption
Birmingham Police Corruption
Prattville Police Corruption
Montgomery Police Corruption
Auburn Police Corruption
Bessemer Police Corruption
Tuscaloosa Police Corruption
Anniston Police Corruption
Gadsden Police Corruption
Decatur Police Corruption
Huntsville Police Corruption
Talladega Police Corruption

Philadelphia Police Brutality - Video Gets 15 Cops Fired

2008-05-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

Fifteen Philadelphia police officers will be taken off the street as authorities investigate a video showing three suspects being kicked and beaten by city police.

The video was shot Monday night by WTXF-TV. It shows three police cars stopping a car on the side of a road. The tape shows about a dozen officers gathering around the vehicle and pulling three men out. About a half-dozen officers hold two of the men on the ground. Both are kicked repeatedly, with one of the two apparently struck with a baton. Punches were also thrown. The third man is also kicked and ends up on the ground.

"On the surface, it certainly does not look good in terms of the amount of force that was used. But we don't want to rush to judgment," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Tuesday.

"I just burst out and cried. I was appalled at it," said Shirley Hopkins, the mother of one suspect.

Hopkins said she can't understand why police used as much force as they did.

"I just can't believe that someone was being beaten like that by numerous officers -- constantly stomped, kicked and hit with blackjacks," she said.

And the mother of a second suspect said seeing what happened left her angry with the officers.

"I just can't express to you what I feel inside as a mother to see my son brutally beat like that," said Leomia Dyches.

Police Intimidation In Onalaska, WI - Officers Danou and Kobishop

2008-05-06T11:38:00.001-07:00

Recently in Onalaska, Wisconsin Officer Danou and Officer Kobishop dealt out some standard police issue, intimidation. Going into single women's homes, threatening to arrest everyone in the home. They dragged out several visitors to the home in handcuffs. This was all done in public view while very scared children watched their parents being harassed and called liars. According to Anjie of Wisconsin, this was done on multiple occasions.

California Police Corruption

2008-05-01T14:12:00.000-07:00


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North Carolina Pig Loses Temper - Police Brutality

2008-04-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Nathan Davis, Baton Rouge Police Brutality

2008-04-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Nathan Davis a Baton Rouge Cop Fired for Police Brutality

BATON ROUGE, LA. The Baton Rouge police chief has fired an officer accused of forcing a handcuffed man to the floor, kicking him hard enough to burst an internal organ, then using pepper spray on him.

Nathan Davis was fired Friday, after an internal investigation found that he used excessive force against Brian Townsend, 29, who has filed a lawsuit claiming that one of the officer’s kicks ruptured his bladder.

Told that Davis had been fired, Townsend said, “No way! No way! I can’t even describe how I feel right now!”

Chief Jeff LeDuff made Davis’ dismissal effective immediately, and the police department will forward the case to the FBI for review, police spokesman Sgt. Don Kelly said Friday.

“I have never been more proud of a police chief and officers in internal affairs in my lifetime,” Townsend’s lawyer, Aidan Reynolds, said Friday.

Townsend said four operations have left him with a 10-inch scar from his navel to his groin.

Police were sent to Townsend’s house about 3 a.m. March 4, during a going-away party he was giving for a friend.

“Apparently someone decided there were too many cars in front of his house. Then he got handcuffed, pepper sprayed and brutalized for hours,” Reynolds said.

Davis and Officer Nicholas Batiste were “very aggressive and confrontational” when they arrived, according to the suit, which names Davis and East Baton Rouge city-parish government as defendants. The suit, filed in March, says Townsend was calm and curteous but Davis tackled him to the ground.

After handcuffing Townsend, the lawsuit says, Davis kneed him in the back so forcefully that he defecated. It says Davis used pepper spray on Townsend when he asked why he was being arrested, and again at the Highland Road substation, where he was made to lie on the floor and ridiculed by other police officers, the lawsuit says.
It says Townsend’s pleas for medical help were ignored for 30 minutes.
“My client cares more about this officer being not allowed to brutalize other human beings more than this lawsuit,” Reynolds said. “He’s been terrified that this cop’s still running around on the street with a badge and a gun.”

Davis, 29, had spent four years with the Police Department as a member of the uniformed patrol division, Kelly said. He declined to elaborate on the investigation further, saying it was a personnel issue.

Townsend, a manager at Chili’s, spent 108 days on medical leave due to his injuries. His first day back at work was Friday.

“For both of these huge events to happen in the same day just kind of seems like karma,” Townsend said.

Chicago Police Corruption - Officers Charged With Home Invasions

2008-04-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

Three more Chicago police officers were charged Monday with corruption, only three months after four rogue officers faced charges of using their badges to break into homes and rob them.

Thirty-eight-year-old Frank Villareal and 32-year-old Margaret Hopkins are charged with home invasion and official misconduct. Forty-year-old James McGovern is charged only with official misconduct. The officers turned themselves Monday as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.

"Abusive Chicago police officers have been allowed to perpetuate abuse in Chicago with virtual absolute impunity," said Craig Futterman, a law professor at the University of Chicago.

Futterman has researched citizen complaints against Chicago police. A percentage cause big problems and there's no system in place to track them.

"Just 5 percent is responsible for the overwhelming majority of the abuse complaints. Two-hundred sixty-two officers have 11 or more complaints," Futterman said.

Officers Jerome Finnigan, 43, Keith Herrera, 28, Thomas Sherry, 32, and Carl Suchocki, 32, were arrested in September.

Bond was set in September in the millions for all four.

Prosecutors say the officers abused their authority to terrorize and steal from people. They say the men allegedly forced their way into homes of drug dealers and ordinary citizens. The officers allegedly took everything from drugs to guns and in come cases thousands of dollars in cash.

Prosecutors said there were numerous cases where the officers never showed up in court to testify, which allowed alleged drug dealers to go free.

Futterman says there were plenty of red flags about their behavior long before their arrests.

"Even with these special operations group guys, they have 50 or more complaints. They were never disciplined, identified, or flagged in any way," Futterman said.

In a statement, Chicago Police Supt. Phil Cline said Monday's arrests "further illustrate the department's ongoing commitment to root out bad cops who violate the public's trust and the professional integrity of the Chicago Police Department. Since 2003, the department has remained committed and continues to be vigilant in identifying patterns of misconduct."

Pressure on the department to deal with corruption allegations has intensified. Cline pointedly said no one is above the law, and misconduct on any level will not be tolerated.

But Futterman insists even the worst cops know there's little oversight.

"Officers with 11 or more complaints know with 99 percent certainty nothing will happen to them due to citizen abuse complaints," Futterman said.

Cline has implicitly admitted oversight has been lax in the past but says new systems are being tested to identify troubling patterns of conduct.

Twenty San Francisco Cops Suspended Without Pay

2008-04-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

You Can View Excerpts From The San Francisco Press Conference By Clicking Here

About 20 San Francisco police officers will be suspended because of their alleged involvement in what the mayor and police chief describe as videos that mock minorities and treat women as sex objects, the officials said Wednesday night.

"This is a dark day -- an extremely dark day -- in the history of the San Francisco Police Department for me as a chief to have to stand here and share with you such egregious, shameful and despicable acts by members of the San Francisco Police Department,'' Chief Heather Fong said at a City Hall press conference.

An officer at the department's Bayview Station, who is among those ordered suspended, produced the videos over the past two years using other officers and acquaintances and intended them as morale boosters, he and his attorney said Wednesday night. The officer denied he had done anything wrong, and his attorney said the suspensions were a politically motivated attack on free speech.

Many of those ordered suspended are connected to Bayview Station, including its former captain, Rick Bruce, who went on leave three months ago for unrelated reasons. He appears in one of the videos, which was shot while he was still on duty.

The five videos shown at Wednesday's press conference with Fong and Mayor Gavin Newsom depict officers, some in uniform, responding to a variety of mock calls. One video shows a homeless black woman railing against white people after apparently being hit by a patrol car, followed by an officer grumbling about having to deal with her. "They get us involved with their business,'' the officer said.

Another video depicts an officer ogling a woman he has stopped for a traffic violation. One shows two officers attempting tai chi to vaguely Asian music. The two later go into a massage parlor and radio dispatchers try unsuccessfully to reach them -- the suggestion being the two are having sex with masseuses.

One video, with the theme to the old TV show "Charlie's Angels" as the soundtrack, shows various officers saying, "Oh, captain," and flicking their tongues suggestively. The captain involved, Bruce, flicks his tongue in apparent response -- although the officer who produced the videos said Bruce had not known what the shot was to be used for.

One of those depicted in that sequence is the same homeless woman who was earlier shown yelling about white people. Another is a police officer dressed as a transgender person.

In another video, a female officer is shown putting on lipstick in the middle of a mock drug raid.

Newsom called the videos the tipping point that will lead to changing the culture of the Police Department.

"Enough is enough,'' said Newsom, who promised dramatic changes, including the creation of a panel to review the entire department's operations.

Louie Tovar Of Phoenix Police Department Investigated

2008-04-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

Commander Louie Tovar Of Phoenix Police
The Little Man In The Back

Commander Louie Tovar is with the Phoenix Police. He was with Family Investigations Bureau (FIB) but was recently demoted to work Transit. This is our befuddled "going nowhere-starting nowhere" Lightrail project in Phoenix. This seems fitting and appropo for Louie.

While with FIB, Louie Tovar never bothered to learn how to use the new phone system the
Phoenix Police Department installed in 2007. This ineptitude lead him to forget, to hang up the phone. He had my voicemail on speaker phone while he spoke to his staff about me. The other voices in the recording are Sandra Renteiria and Brandon Huntley - both of the Phoenix Police Department. All Recording came from my cell phone and are accompanied by a notarized document for authenticity.

This recording is Louie telling his staff to keep me from going to his boss, Chief Jack Harris, of the Phoenix Police. He states how he needs to get me "off his ass" and how "what a problem" I have become and not to "do it now." You see, I pointed out a major mistake to Louie and his staff, and he didn't like that. Brandon Huntely screamed at me telling me, "to get over it and let this go." Cops are arrogant and one can't point out to them their flaws and mistakes.

Here's the transcript:
"So you have to be wary of the fact there...he'll ask the same questions of Chief Harris and will turn around and say, Why can't we make him a Subject? It's about getting this guy off our ass...Right? That's the problem, That's the problem. I'm not saying do it now...."

So what exactly do you think Louie and his staff were not going to do now?
"I'm not saying do it now???!!???

Wrongfully arrest me? Shoot me and plant a gun in my hand? Harrass me? Bug my phone? What was the "it" Louie Tovar?

To make matters worse, here is yet another recording of Louie Tovar, calling me a Dickweed for questioning him and his authority.

If you don't believe there is corruption in the Phoenix Police Department, just listen how behind closed doors Louie Tovar and his staff, refer to dealing with us as "a fucking game". I am so glad and feel so comforted that Commander Louie Tovar of the Phoenix Police Department thinks that his job is "a game" and everytime someone in the community calls and questions him, we automatically become "dickweeds." I would like to read about this in the Police Code of Conduct.

Here's the transcript:
"It's a game. It's the fucking nature of the game with these dickweeds...ya know?" You can clearly here Sandra Renteiria affirmation of "Yeah" agreeing with him.

A complaint against Louie Tovar and FIB was filed with the Phoenix Police Professional Standards Bureau (FIB - their Internal Affairs) in August of 2007, mentioning these recordings and threatening comments made by Louie Tovar. Two months later we received a letter back stating that a "thorough investigation was conducted" and they found nothing wrong, or any wrong doing by Louie or his staff.

We are unaware how they can conduct an investigation without ever reaching out to us, requesting these recordings or ever interviewing us. Frankly, we don't think any investigation was done because subsequent requests for transcripts, notes, recordings or any documentation related to this investigation have gone unanswered by chief Jack Harris, Professional Standards Bureau, mayor Phil Gordon or the City Manager's office. One would think there would be some evidence of this "thorough investigation"...No?

If they ever provide it, we will post it here too. We heard that documentation is being forwarded to us on this supposed investigation and we are cautiously optimistic. We still don't comprehend how an investigation is conducted by the police, by only speaking with the police, when the complaint is against the police.

None of us can figure out where these cops get the authority and right to speak to, and order citizens in this way. It can only come from poor leadership and lack of good management. The arrogance is so real and so mind blowing, we just can't make this stuff up!!!

Detective Edgar Rios Of Trenton NJ Police Department

2008-04-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Authorities are disciplining a Trenton police detective who waited more than two years to tell the family of a missing woman that she was dead.

Detective Edgar Rios is charged with 28 departmental violations and has been removed from the homicide unit.

The city's Officer of the Year for 2007 has said he waited to disclose Amber Ramsey's death because he wanted to make sure forensic evidence checked out. But Police Director Joseph Santiago says there's no evidence that was the case.

Rios' administrative charges include failure to follow leads and failure to document his work. Two of his supervisors, including his brother, have also been transferred.

Ramsey was reported missing in February 2006 and her body was found, along with a coat that contained ID, seven months later.

Her parents were not notified until last month. She apparently died of a drug overdose.

Earl Sanders, Disgraced San Francisco Police Chief, Promotes "The Zebra Killings" Book

2008-04-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Exiled in retirement after Fajitagate, ex–Police Chief Earl Sanders has re-emerged with a fresh account of the infamous Zebra murders. And his critics are on the warpath.

It's noon on a Thursday and former San Francisco Police Chief Earl Sanders, accompanied by his wife, Espanola, is holding court at the Washington Square Bar & Grill in North Beach, reminiscing about his nearly 40 years as a cop.

The more than a dozen people seated at his large table are there at the invitation of longtime Sanders pal and attorney Phil Ryan. There are other lawyers, a reporter, a cop, and a lobbyist. Sanders doesn't know some of them, but that's OK — this isn't a social gathering. Rather, at $50 a head, including lunch, it's an attempt by the former chief at generating some positive buzz about a book he has written and is promoting with near evangelical zeal.

The Zebra Murders, co-written with TV and film scriptwriter Bennett Cohen, purports to set the record straight about the investigation into a series of racially motivated serial killings in 1973 and 1974 that are among the most horrific — and least talked about — crimes in San Francisco history. But even his friends acknowledge that the book is also an attempt by the city's first and only African-American police chief to set his own record straight.

Until now, at least, what most people associate with Earl Sanders' brief and generally un-noteworthy 14-month tenure as the city's top cop is the Fajitagate scandal. He and most of his command staff were indicted for — and later absolved of — covering up a police probe of a 2002 street brawl, allegedly over a bag of fajitas, involving three young off-duty cops. Obstruction of justice charges were later dropped and Sanders obtained a rare factual finding of innocence from a Superior Court judge. Fajitagate wasn't his only problem at the time. The year after the scandal broke, a U.S. District Court judge released two African-Americans that Sanders and an old partner in homicide allegedly framed for murder. By the time he retired in September 2003, after six months of medical leave, his reputation was in tatters. He'd been trashed in the local press. Detractors openly mocked the leave as a sympathy ploy despite his having suffered a minor stroke. Even his one-time patron, and the man who appointed him, former Mayor Willie Brown, asked him to quit.

Fleeing the limelight, the 69-year-old Sanders retreated to the Sacramento suburb of Folsom, where he has long maintained a home (and, ironically, home to the state prison where some of the former homicide detective's criminal "clients" wound up behind bars). He went there to lick his wounds, care for his health, and, so it seemed, to settle into a life of obscurity.

Now, he's back.

He's going full-tilt as a new author, whether at intimate affairs such as the one in North Beach, or at book signings, readings, or doing remote interviews with radio stations across the country, often accompanied by co-author Cohen. It seems that a three-decades-old tale of racially inspired terrorism has struck a resonant chord in places far from San Francisco in the years since Sept. 11, 2001. "Earl is really in his element and enjoying himself, and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person," says Ryan, who was Sanders' lawyer during the Fajitagate mess.

But in the four months since The Zebra Murders hit store shelves, the book has done more than merely rekindle interest in a bloody and racially ugly epoch. It has also dredged up old dissensions within San Francisco law enforcement circles, and a few former cops have even stalked Sanders at book signings in the Bay Area. Critics accuse Sanders of recasting himself, both as a star sleuth in the Zebra investigation, and as a civil rights hero in a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by a group of black cops in the 1970s. "I read it and didn't think much of it," retired cop Dennis Bianchi says of the book. "To me, it isn't so much about the [Zebra] killings as it is about promoting Earl Sanders."

The book is sold locally at Barnes and Nobles in Daly City.

San Francisco Police Chief Earl Sanders and Six Other Top Cops Indicted In Alleged Cover-Up

2008-04-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Indicted by a grand jury and warned by the district attorney that "no one in San Francisco is above the law," six of the city's top police commanders have stepped aside, leaving the department in shambles.

Police Chief Earl Sanders was preparing to take a medical leave, and appointed an acting assistant chief Monday.

The moves were the latest development in a police corruption scandal that erupted last week with the indictments of Sanders and the six other commanders for allegedly obstructing justice by hindering a police investigation into an off-duty brawl involving three officers — including a troubled rookie whose father is Sanders' top aide.

The officers, who allegedly demanded two men hand over a doggie bag of steak fajitas Nov. 20, have been accused of felony assault and battery and were suspended without pay, a police spokesman said.

A contentious Police Commission meeting illustrated how the scandal had rocked the city — both on and off the force. Rank-and-file officers lined up to praise their accused leaders, while some citizens pleaded for reforms for what they perceive as a pattern of police corruption.

"This is a cautionary tale for police departments all over the country," said Jimani Jakada of the group Bay Area Police Watch, who criticized the police for closing ranks around the indicted chief. "They're saying they're blue, I'm blue, I'll stand with you."

Officers representing various segments of the force — black, Hispanic, Asian, and gay and lesbian officers — urged the commission to keep the command staff intact.

"This department is up and running and we'll continue to serve the people," said Chris Cunnie, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association. "We stand by these people."

Mayor Willie Brown, who has steadfastly supported Sanders and the police investigation into the off-duty fight and the alleged cover-up, pulled back from the controversy and did not offer public comment.

But the mayor's rival, District Attorney Terence Hallinan, said he was stunned by the latest turn.

"I understand the public feelings of shock, outrage, anger and apprehension," Hallinan said.

After the Police Commission meeting, its president Connie Perry announced Sanders had accepted the offers of the six commanders to "step aside and go on leave." Then commissioners adjourned, saying they needed to gather more information about the indictments.

It wasn't clear when Sanders might relinquish control of the department. Assistant Chief Alex Fagan and Deputy Chief David Robinson were also among those stepping down.

Heather Fong, one of the few untainted police managers, was elevated to be acting assistant chief, effectively running the department.

The turmoil began with a sidewalk confrontation between Fagan's son, Alex Fagan Jr., a 23-year-old rookie, and two other officers who had been drinking at a police banquet to celebrate the mayor's promotion of the elder Fagan to the department's No. 2 spot.

At closing time, Fagan Jr. and officer Matthew Tonsing allegedly accosted Adam Snyder, 22, who tends bar nearby, and his friend, Jade Santoro, 25, as officer David Lee, the designated driver, pulled up in his pickup truck.

Snyder, who said he had no idea the men punching them were police, called 911 on his cell phone.

Police arrived and took the officers away before Snyder and Santoro could identify them. Fagan Jr., Tonsing and Lee also were allegedly allowed to change their clothes and drink lots of water before they were tested for alcohol, more than four hours later.

It turned out Fagan Jr. had at least 16 violent encounters with suspects in a 13-month period, sending six of them to the hospital, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

But other higher-ups apparently took little action other than to counsel him about his conduct and order anger management training — a course he never took.

The officers involved, still in the San Francisco area including Daily City and Pacifica.

Judge Throws Out Hamburg Medical Marijuana Case; Mendocino County Sheriffs Department “ommited truth”

2008-04-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Laura Hamburg stood up Against the Bio-tech Giant Monsanto, helped to pass Measure G the famous Anti-GMO Bill in Mendocino County. And this is how the County of Mendocino thanks her!

And this is what we get out of the people who are supposed to protect us?

From the Press Democrat:

Former county prosecutor Keith Faulder, Hamburg’s attorney, accused sheriff’s deputies in court Thursday of deceiving a local judge who was convinced to sign a warrant to search her home on property owned by her parents, former Rep. Dan Hamburg, D-Ukiah, and his wife, Carrie.

Faulder said authorities had “wildly inflated” the amount of processed marijuana found

UKIAH — Prosecution of community activist Laura Hamburg on felony marijuana charges is in doubt following a Mendocino County judge’s decision to quash a search warrant in the high-profile case.

The ruling means evidence seized during a raid on her home can’t be used against her, and it raises the possibility that the pending criminal case could be dropped. That prospect Thursday buoyed Hamburg’s family and friends, as well as supporters of county medical marijuana policies.

Hamburg said after her court victory that widespread publicity surrounding her case has unfairly branded her as a criminal.

“People think I’m some kind of big-time grower, but I’m not. It was just a family operation,” said Hamburg after Thursday’s hearing.

Faulder said they failed to disclose in their sworn statement that Laura Hamburg had provided them with valid county-issued medical marijuana documentation showing that two other individuals — her sister Elizabeth Hamburg and neighbor Jean North — were also involved in the pot-growing operation.

Judge James Luther, a retired Superior Court judge presiding over Thursday’s hearing, agreed.

Luther ruled that the documentation was crucial because the number of pot plants growing at Hamburg’s home appeared to be within county guidelines if three people were in fact involved.

“Based on the evidence presented today, I don’t believe the search warrant would have been issued,” said Luther.

Deputy District Attorney Scott McMenomey said Thursday he was unsure whether he will try to prosecute Hamburg, given the diminished evidence.

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens,” said McMenomey. Luther ordered another hearing to be held March 13.

At the time of the raid in October, sheriff investigators said at least 50 mature pot plants, about 50 pounds of processed marijuana, and $10,000 in cash were found on the Hamburg property. Faulder said authorities had “wildly inflated” the amount of processed marijuana found, a volume which could have been worth $150,000 or more in the underground pot market.

Hamburg’s pot-growing case has been high-profile from the beginning, when top sheriff’s department brass, 11 drug agents and at least two deputy district attorneys went to the family compound last fall after being alerted that marijuana was being cultivated.

Deputies were seeking to serve a warrant on Hamburg’s brother, Matt, for violating a civil restraining order when they noticed the growing pot.

“I initially welcomed the first two officers onto the property because I knew we were in conformance with county law,” said Hamburg.

But Hamburg said she became increasingly “fearful” as the number of law enforcement officers swelled.

“I’m not some criminal,” she said.

Other towns in Mendocino County include: Willits, CA , Laytonville, CA , and Ukiah, CA .

New Hanover County Police Murder Young Man Peyton Strickland

2008-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Strickland was killed in 2006.

Peyton Strickland, 18, was killed Friday at a house he shared with three roommates, New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey said.

"If this boy would've come to the door, opened the door, we probably wouldn't be talking," the sheriff said Sunday.

Strickland was unarmed when he was shot through the door by sheriff's Cpl. Christopher M. Long.

Causey said Monday he couldn't yet discuss the circumstances of the shooting, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported on its Web site.

"I am anxious to tell what happened," Causey said after he was sworn in for a new term as sheriff. "In a few days, we'll be able to. For now, it just wouldn't be right."

Asked if the deputies felt their lives were threatened, Causey said, "Anytime you have a high-risk entry like this, you feel that your life is at risk." He declined to say what made the arrest high risk.

Arrest warrants alleged that Strickland, a student at Cape Fear Community College, and a University of North Carolina at Wilmington student stole two PlayStation units from another UNC Wilmington student that day.

The sheriff said Strickland was shot by members of a a special police unit who went to help university officers serve warrants.

Strickland's dog, a German shepherd, also was shot to death.

The State Bureau of Investigation is examining the case and three deputies on the team were placed on paid leave, Causey said.

Cpl. Christopher Long

UPDATE:

In March 2008, New Hanover County, N.C., agreed to pay $4.25 million to the parents of college student Peyton Stickland, who was killed when deputy Christopher Long, claims to have mistook the sound of a SWAT battering ram for a gunshot and fired through the door as Strickland came to answer it.

Modesto Police shooting of Sammy Galvan goes to court

2008-04-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sammy Galvan, 22, was shot eight times before he had a chance to comply with the officers' commands, posing no threat as he leaped out of bed and grabbed a knife to protect himself from intruders. The Galvan family's attorney is seeking $3 million for Galvan's parents and points out that Galvan's wounds show that he could not have been taking aim.

Twelve jurors will decide after they hear from all involved when the wrongful death case comes to trial today in U.S. District Court in Fresno. An attorney representing the Galvans said a trial is the only way to get justice for a young man who died at police hands but committed no crime.

"These cases are hard," said Oakland-based attorney Walter Riley, who declined to discuss the case in detail. "But they have to be tried sometimes."

Senior Deputy City Attorney James Wilson, who represents the officers, could not be reached for comment.

Turlock Police Officer Jorge Cruz Charged With Three Sex Crimes

2008-04-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Stanislaus County district attorney's office is reviewing cases involving former Turlock police officer Jorge Cruz, who is charged with three felony sex crimes against a 17-year-old Pitman High School student and one misdemeanor count of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old Turlock girl.

Assistant District Attorney Carol Shipley said her office will review Cruz's work on a "case-by-case basis," and if Cruz is active in any pending cases as a witness or investigator, defense attorneys will be made aware of his situation.

It's the second time in recent months that the arrest of a Stanislaus County law enforcement officer has forced prosecutors and attorneys to re-examine cases involving those officers. Their involvement can give defense attorneys a chance to challenge a verdict.

Michael Galvan, a former sheriff's deputy who had been accused of rape and stealing public money, pleaded no contest to two lesser charges in Stanislaus County Superior Court on Thursday as part of a plea deal that will result in a 16-month prison sentence.

The sentencing of Jose Ulisses Duran, who was found guilty of killing 11-year-old Doris Castro, his girlfriend's little sister, was held up for months because Galvan acted as a translator in the case. It was determined that Galvan didn't have a significant role in the investigation.

"There have been a few cases in which a deputy is charged, and we have to look at each case or notify defense and let them make a motion," Shipley said. "It depends on the case. Was he the first arresting officer? Was he the second officer on the scene?"

Shipley didn't know how many cases involved Cruz.

Any case he participated in as an officer is subject to question, especially cases in which he was the lead investigator or sole provider of crucial evidence, said Stanislaus County Public Defender Tim Bazar.

Cruz, who had been with the Turlock Police Department three years but no longer works there, met the 17-year-old through the Explorer program, which encourages teens interested in law enforcement to work with local police.

Cruz also is charged with dissuading a witness from testifying on the day police announced his arrest.

Would a jury think twice?

"I would guess a jury would have a lot of problems with someone sworn to uphold the law engaged in sexual impropriety with an underage member of the community," Bazar said. "It would give a lot of pause. It affects creditability very sharply."

Cases such as home invasions and violent crimes are less likely to be affected, he said, because several officers often arrive at those scenes and a number of people are involved in collecting evidence such as witness or victim statements.

DUI cases, on the other hand, are different, Bazar said. With DUIs, a single officer is usually the sole investigator, witnessing the car swerving, conducting the field sobriety test, running the Breathalyzer at the jail.

"You can expect that to be dismissed by prosecution," Bazar said.

Maybe not, said Martha Carlton-Magaña, who spent 30 years in the public defender's office and now has a private practice in Modesto. The original rape charge against Cruz was dropped. Unlawful sexual intercourse, sodomy of a person under 18 and oral copulation were added. Many potential jurors wouldn't have a problem with a consensual relationship with a 17-year-old, Carlton-Magaña said, and that's what the charges suggest.

Cruz is scheduled to appear in Stanislaus County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. April 2.

The district attorney's office took over the investigation of Cruz from Turlock Police as soon as allegations were made. Police Chief Gary Hampton said his department will assign a full-time investigator to review Cruz's previous cases if needed.

The department has reviewed all of Cruz's hiring paperwork, an elaborate series of background checks and interviews, and there were no red flags, Hampton said.

But for more than a year, residents of Turlock's west side have questioned Cruz's integrity and lodged formal complaints against him at the Police Department.

Suave Barnel said she has complained about harassment by Cruz several times. Her 16-year-old son, Luis Peralta, along with Moses Rodriguez Jr., 25, were killed in October 2006 on Kerley Lane in south Turlock.

Peralta and Rodriguez arrived at a party at 986 Kerley Lane as a group of young men and teen- agers in the street started smashing cars and causing trouble, Barnel said.

Shots came from the back yard of the home. Peralta and Rodriguez died from gunshot wounds to the head.

At the time, 986 Kerley Lane was rented by relatives of Cruz.

After the shooting, Barnel and her family were stopped several times by Cruz, as were relatives of Rodriguez, Barnel said.

Barnel said she thinks Cruz was fearful of retaliation against him and his family. He wanted information: "Who was after him? Who put a price on his head? Who in his family were they looking for?" Barnel said. "He pulled us over constantly and he never gave us a ticket."

Hampton acknowledged Barnel's complaints and said he wrote her personal letters discussing the case. Barnel said she's never seen a letter from the department.

Other officers in trouble

Cruz and Galvan are the most recent example of officers finding themselves in handcuffs. Others include:

A Stanislaus County sheriff's jailer was arrested on the job in January on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child, a felony that carries a possible sentence of six, 12 or 16 years in prison. Deputy Alfred Lowell Husky pleaded not guilty in March and is free on bail.

A former Ripon police officer was sentenced to three years of probation and 30 days in jail for lewd acts and misdemeanor attempted sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old girl. Daniel Icedo pleaded guilty to the charges in August.

"Police officers never think they'll be caught. They enter into these shady crimes and can do shady things because they think they'll never be caught," said William Bourns, associate professor of criminal justice at California State University, Stanislaus. "They ride the edge."

Bourns said ethics are pounded into recruits and criminal justice majors -- he teaches "Police Ethics and Liability" at the university -- but students tend to sleep through it. There's a sense in most people that they know right from wrong, so they tune out, Bourns said. Problems are compounded when individuals who haven't paid attention start to think, "I am the law," he said.

"Officers engaged in these shady behaviors, they start to think, 'It's OK, I'm a police officer,' " he said. "It's a slippery slope and they usually slide until they get caught."

New Sex Crime Charges Against Officer Aaron Montoya

2008-03-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Primary teacher already charged with fondling four young Syracuse girls is now charged in the abuse of four additional girls.

Aaron Montoya, 33, is now charged with nine counts of aggravated child sexual abuse and another possible victim will be interviewed Tuesday.

Police say the new abuse allegations occurred in Montoya's home, his car, and at Pineview Reservoir.

The newly discovered alleged victims range in age from 3 to 11.

None of the allegations are connected to Montoya's job as a bailiff at the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office has placed Montoya on administrative leave.

Stanislaus County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Galvin Charged With Rape and Embezzlement

2008-03-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Michael Galvan, 29, was arrested on suspicion of felony counts of embezzlement by a public officer, misappropriation of lost property and grand theft. Galvan worked for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department for five years. Police said the arrest came after the sheriff's department was notified that money turned over by a citizen to Galvan was allegedly never properly booked into the department's property and evidence room. Galvan has been placed on administrative leave.

Roast A Pig - Ceres Police Intimidation

2008-03-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Officer Venn from the Ceres Police Dept, tried to plant drugs in my SUV on 7-5-06. On 12-24-05 He illegally entered and searched my home along with Officer Moore and Sargeant Vierra on a false police call and false police report that my brothers girlfriend made up. I was at my friends house early in the day and gone for two hours. When the officers entered my home illegally they asked my daughter dumb personal questions, that only an idiot of an officer would ask. Moore was searching without a search warrant but found nothing, so they fabricated a DUI, vandalism and obstructing an officer. Which was all a lie, because at trial they couldn’t back up they’re fabrication so they lost it was 8 not guilty and four guilty, they looked like bunch of idiots at court. My case was dismissed on 6-30-06 and the judge issued me an abstract for the DMV to get my license reissued, because of the fabrication. So five days later on 7-5-06 they retaliated and drove by my neighborhood and when the officer seen me he flipped a u-turn and turned on his light, followed me to the store and told me that he was going to impound my SUV for driving on a suspended license. I alleged with him about the fabrication and retaliation. It’s been 8 weeks since I haven’t had my SUV and the weird thing about this. Is why didn’t he file it in traffic court like the ticket states a court date on 9-13-06 at 9:30 p.m. So I called to confirm the court date since I haven’t received anything by mail like they normally do 30 days after the incident, but in my case they only impounded my SUV, but no court date filed, is that racism, retaliation or what do you call abuse of police power. Can you please publish this for me and my children.

Thank You,
Stella Martinez and Children

Roast A Pig

2007-12-13T00:19:00.000-08:00

Roast A Pig

Handcuffs

"Don't Tase Me, Bro!"

2007-11-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

Just two days after it was yelled out in a University of Florida lecture hall, "Don't Tase Me, Bro!" has become the newest cultural touchstone of our pop-cultural lexicon.

For those of you who've been on vacation on a Greek Island, or are just logging onto your computer from a remote location in China, the incident sparking the worldwide uproar is the Monday arrest and tasering of Andrew Meyer, a University of Florida student.

Meyer barged in line to harangue Massachusetts senator John Kerry during a campus talk that day. The student refused to pipe down after being asked to by the forum's organizers, and after he carried on pressing Kerry for answers, police hauled him off. They forced him to the ground, and tasered him.

Several versions of the incident are up on YouTube, and there's a debate about whether Meyer, known as a prankster, staged the incident in Sacha Baron Cohen-style or not.

Whatever its true nature, the altercation whipped up a tornado of rhetoric that is whirling across forums on the Web, including here at Threat Level.

Policemen, Intensive Care Unit trauma unit nurses ... even concerned individuals on the other side of the planet in Australia -- everyone is weighing in on whether Meyer was acting like an ass, and whether he had it coming to him. The incident has opened up the floodgates of an eye-opening debate over First Amendment rights here in the United States, police brutality and the limits and boundaries of how we as a society should deal with the unruly among us.

Donttase

"This was really sickening to watch. In the video the kid offers to leave and walk out on his own, but instead more and more of those officers try to force him on the ground and into handcuffs.

What a horrible way to handle such a simple situation," writes "Aaron," one of Threat Level's readers.

"The University and its police department should be ashamed of themselves and embarrassed of the way they looked in front of a US Senator. Totally unacceptable," he adds.

Meanwhile, "Nightwatch," who says that he's with a university police department, weighed in and says that he and his colleagues agree that the Florida police handled the situation badly.

Taserprotest_7 And "Jon in Austin" writes that as an intensive care unit trauma nurse, he's concerned about the safety of the devices.

"I am an ICU Trauma Nurse, and I know there have been numerous deaths resulting from the use of the Taser device -- and no one knows who that next victim is going to be! It could be any one of us.

"If we don't stand up against the use of the Taser, who will be next?"

(Taser International says its technology is a "safer use-of-force option" on its web site.)

"I don't believe that asking a question at a town hall meeting, EVEN IF it is long-winded and perhaps even a little combative, should lead to this," writes Jon.

"I think it's foolish to run and flail from the police like that, but I can tell you that this could have been avoided had the police taken him out of the auditorium and explained when and where (or IF?) he broke the law, THEN talk about arrest (but that seems stupid when they could have just kicked him out).

Seems to me, that the real people who caused the disturbance, were the POLICE themselves, who carried it to an entirely absurd and potentially deadly level of risk to this student."

Those wanting to somehow cash in on the notoriety of the phrase, or who perhaps were like cultural tourists wanting to hold onto a keepsake of the moment, went ahead and registered domain names.

Someone by the name of Johannes Feldberg registered donttasemebro.com yesterday, and Alexander Shkirenko, who apparently was chairman of the college Republicans at Georgia Tech a decade ago, registered donttazemebro.com. The list goes on.

Michael Sarfatti in San Francisco grabbed Dontasemebro.com at 1 am this morning as he was listening to a radio show discussing the now infamous incident.

When asked why he bothered, and what he intended to do with it, Sarfatti, the founder of a baby boomer technology-related consulting firm in San Francisco, laughed heartily.

"I'm not sure why I did it -- other than it's going to be an expression in our society for a long time," he says. "I went to [domain name registrar] GoDaddy, and there was a whole bunch of people who had already registered various versions of it -- I was actually surprised to get it."

"I think it's a hilarious expression -- it's a classic phrase," he adds. "It's such a brilliant line -- to be honest, I think it was a set-up, but it was a brilliant ploy. I'd hire that guy in a heartbeat if indeed it was."

Asked how anybody could want, or plan to be tasered, Sarfatti implied that it's not an uncommon occurrence. He says that he's heard that there are games that people play that involve tasering each other.

"As an engineer I'm curious [about how that works] but as a human, I think I'll take a pass," he laughed.

Addendum: My question for readers: There's been a lot of debate [see comments section below] about whether Meyer "deserved" to be tasered, or not. But the question in my mind is not whether he would have otherwise received a bullet in his chest (as some of you have suggested he would have.)

The question is whether the use of this new technology is justified. In a world without tasers, he would have just been subdued by the police officers until he surrendered his wrists to be cuffed. The worrying aspect of this incident is the trigger-happiness of the law-enforcement authorities.

Several police officers already had him on the ground -- why did they need to taser him? It's an important question: I think we need to define the limits of what we find acceptable, and what we don't with the uses of relatively new technology, since that is how we formulate policy: On consensus. To our police officer readers: I've never been tasered (I pray that I never will,) so I can't appreciate how extreme of an act it is. It certainly looks extreme. But what if an individual has a heart condition, or any other condition that the taser would have interfered with?

The trigger-happy aspect of this disturbs me since there's been a lot of disquieting news on the subject, recently.

Los Angeles Police corruption investigated

2007-11-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

In 1996 Javier Ovando was shot in the head and paralyzed after he fired upon three Los Angeles police officers. He went to prison, sentenced to 23 years for his crime.

After officer Rafael Perez, who was present at the shooting, was allegedly caught stealing about 600,000 pounds of seized cocaine from a police locker, a new story of the Ovando shooting was revealed.

Perez has traded testimony against his fellow officers for a lighter sentence, and now claims that Ovando was unarmed and shot in the head while he was lying on the floor in handcuffs.

This incident and other corroborated stories have touched off the largest corruption scandal and subsequent investigation in the history of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Investigators are probing at least seven other 'unjustified' shootings. At least 13 officers have been relieved of duty, with more incidents likely to surface as the internal scrutiny continues. Another 50 officers are known to be under suspicion, and almost 200 criminal prosecutions could be overturned.

The officers involved in the Ovando case may have been given orders to plant the weapon. A sergeant with the department's anti-gang unit allegedly instructed officers under his command to plant guns on unarmed suspects to back up a shooting or questionable arrest.

Brazen officers from the elite anti-gang unit known as CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) consistently imitated the street gangs they were supposed to be eliminating. Sporting gang tattoos, it has been alleged that 'death parties' were held to celebrate fatal shootings of suspects. They are accused of dealing drugs, robbing banks, framing innocent citizens, shooting unarmed civilians and lying under oath.

Other corruption cases under public scrutiny include: police officers supposedly rented an apartment for on-duty sexual liaisons with prostitutes also enlisted to sell drugs officers had stolen from dealers; a 35-year veteran Los Angeles police officer was arrested for possession of heroin he stole during a sting operation; another officer was allegedly caught stealing $600,000 worth of seized cocaine from a police locker; two Pasadena deputy city marshals, one reserve deputy, one police officer and two former police officers are charged with theft, burglary and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.

Amnesty International has sent representatives to Los Angeles to investigate these incidents, similar to others covered in its new report, "United States of America: Race, Rights and Police Brutality."

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and LA Police Chief Bernard C. Parks have publicly expressed their disgust at their officers' flagrant disregard for the law.

Even though Javier Ovando has been released from prison and is free now, he will be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. A day of reckoning is due this victim. Ending the Drug War would restrain the police violence and corruption of which Javier Ovando and countless other victims have greatly suffered.

Five Pigs With Tasers Against One 82 Year Old Lady

2007-11-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

But that's what happened Oct. 29 when Chicago Police officers went to a West Side home to make a "well-being" check. The officers were responding to a request from the city's Department of Aging.

Apparently, the department had received an anonymous tip that Lillian Fletcher, who has a history of mental illness, was home alone and in need of assistance.

When Fletcher refused to open her door, police were called. Although Fletcher cracked the door, she still refused to let her visitors into the house.

But police officers wouldn't take no for an answer and pushed their way in. Fletcher ran and got the hammer she keeps beside her bed.

"My grandmother is easily confused," her granddaughter, Traci Taylor, said Monday. "She probably didn't know what was going on."

Taylor is one of her grandmother's caregivers. She said her grandmother has schizophrenia and dementia.

Normally Fletcher is looked after by a homemaker or by her own daughter and Taylor. Only recently did these women find themselves between homemakers.

"She can be belligerent," Taylor said. But she's 82 years old, 5 feet 1 inch and weighs no more than 160 pounds, she added.

"I just don't think they should be Tasing 82-year-old women. That's ridiculous."

Medical marijuana protest in Modesto

2007-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

The corrupt Modesto Police Department tried for months to have this Marijuana Dispensary closed down. There were many city council meetings where the community made it clear that they did not want that to happen. Once the MPD realized that the citizen's in this area were not going to let them violate there rights under California Law, the MPD decided to whine to federal agencies. Unfortunately this crybaby tactic worked. The FBI and DEA came in to steal all of the Medical Marijuana and all of the people's money that where involved with dispensary.

Using coercive methods, police extracted a false confession.

2007-11-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

It started on February 20, 1997. Two Modesto police officers yanked Michael, then a 16-year old junior, from his second period class for questioning in a gang-related shooting. School officials cooperated fully with the police and did nothing to intercede on Michael’s behalf. Michael was subjected to hours of threats from the police right at his school. What took place at the school sent Michael to jail for a year.

Officers Al Brocchini and Detective Nick Chilles arrived at the high school and took Michael down to the attendance office where they interrogated him relentlessly. They wanted information on a burglary and subsequent shooting. Michael didn’t have any information for them; he claims he wasn’t there. But police kept after him, threatening and making promises throughout the entire morning.

Michael wanted the session to end. The police told him repeatedly that he would not be prosecuted as long as he cooperated with them and provided information about other gang members who were involved in the burglary and shooting. They told him that even if he was the shooter, he would not be booked. And they said that if he didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear, he would be sent to jail.

Worn down and confused, Michael told them what they wanted to hear. He made a false confession. The police put words into his mouth. In reviewing the 169-page transcript, an expert on police interrogations called the statement "grossly" coercive.

Then, true to their word, the cops took him home. When he got there, Michael explained the false confession to his father. The father called the police and said that his son had lied. The police responded by returning and arresting Michael for lying. He was then charged with 11 counts of attempted murder and remained incarcerated for the next year.

During that time Michael recanted his confession. The police, using their coercive methods once again, were able to extract statements from two other youths who claimed that Michael was involved. Michael ultimately took a lie detector test which showed that he was not involved in the burglary and shooting.

When Michael was first arrested, he was placed in juvenile hall. Inmates cannot post bail to get released from juvenile hall. When it was later determined that he would be tried as an adult, he was transferred to the men’s jail and bail was posted at $250,000. This amount was too high for Michael’s family to pay. So Michael remained in jail. In order to do his best for his client, Michael’s attorney had to request a number of delays of court appearances and Michael remained in jail.

Finally after Michael had passed two polygraph tests and repeatedly denied that he was involved, a deputy district attorney asked the Superior Court to dismiss the charges for lack of evidence.

Michael is now free. But I cannot imagine what spending a year in an adult jail for a crime he did not commit has done to someone so young. Not only was Michael unfairly punished, police focus on the wrong boy let the real perpetrator to go free.

17-year old killed by drug dealers as retribution for being a police informant.

2007-11-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

It all started on January 6 when Chad was pulled over for a traffic stop by Brea police in southern California. Officers found a half ounce of methamphetamine in his truck. Chad was taken to the Brea police station and questioned for several hours. When his mother (Chad’s father died when he was an infant) arrived, she found that Chad had been crying for a long time; his face was badly swollen with tears.

Police told his mother that she could not take him home unless she signed a waiver allowing Chad to become an informant for the police. If she didn’t, Chad would face serious jail time. They told Mrs. Mac Donald that the drug charges would be dropped in exchange for Chad’s work as an informant. The mother agreed to sign the waiver and in so doing doing agreed to something she could not fully understand.

Chad worked with the police in at least two drug arrests. But soon, Ms. MacDonald realized that Chad was being pressured by the police to participate in larger and larger drug buys. Concerned that Chad was becoming involved in something quite dangerous, Ms. MacDonald called the district attorney’s office in an effort to end the arrangement. But the police pressure did not stop; they continued to pressure Chad to participate in bigger buys in exchange for dropping all charges. To hammer this home, the DA’s office filed charges against Chad for possessing and transporting methamphetamine.

Chad, feeling under tremendous pressure, set off to score a really big buy so the charges would be dropped. On his own initiative, Chad went to make a drug buy at a house in a nearby town that was well-known for drug and gang activity.

It appears that when the gang later learned that Chad was an informant, they kidnapped Chad and his girlfriend; both were both tortured and strangled. The girlfriend somehow survived and was found in Angeles National Forest. Chad was found dead in an alley in south Los Angeles.

Thoughtless, aggressive cops exploited Chad to beef up their arrest statistics. The police and the district attorney’s office treated Chad in a reckless manner which directly led to his death and endangered the lives of others. They showed no concern for the danger they were putting Chad in and are now busy covering up their actions.

Modesto Police ABC Out of Control Downtown

2007-11-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

MPD Out of Control Downtown…

Many people don’t know that the California State ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) has been giving the City of Modesto a grant to enforce their rules in the City of Modesto for the past three years. This grant also empowers MPD officers to become pseudo ABC agents and allows them to enforce all ABC rules. Since the grant was given MPD is on the offensive harassing businesses and causing havoc with people’s livelihoods. Just in downtown Modesto MPD has busted Tresetti’s, Barking Dog, Taiwan Restaurant, Tokyo Empress, Sharkey’s Crab Shack, Fat Cat, Dewz, 1505, Minnie’s, and those are just the ones that I know of. There almost isn’t one business that they haven’t written up for one reason or another in the downtown area.

Cops harassing teens, Patterson parents say

2007-07-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

PATTERSON — Sheriff's deputies routinely are intimidating and harassing teenagers here, often without reason, claim some parents who want the city to take action on what they consider a persistent trend.

"I know they have a hard job. But with all the community members talking about this, something is not quite right. We want to make it right and work with them to resolve this issue," Patterson resident Violet Wells said.

Wells was among a handful of residents who raised concerns about harassment at last week's City Council meeting, citing specific incidents. They asked for the issue to be placed on a future council agenda for discussion.

Patterson contracts with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department for police services. Sheriff Adam Christianson said no official complaints have been filed in Patterson, but the department is investigating the allegations.

Police Chief Tyrone Spencer, who has worked in Patterson since 1981, heard the complaints at the council meeting. Spencer did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Albertina Reynoso, a mother of three, said her 15-year-old son and two of his friends recently were talking outside a neighbor's home on North Second Street when a deputy pulled up.

The deputy allegedly told her son, who was wearing red Patterson High School gym shorts, that he was "on the wrong side of town," Reynoso said.

The color red is associated with members of Norteño gangs; the Sureño gangs favor blue.

The deputy left and then returned a few minutes later with two other deputies, she said. They told the teenagers to sit down on the ground, and recorded their names and other identifying information, Reynoso said.

Wells relayed a similar story. Her 15-year-old son was playing basketball with a group of friends when they were approached by a deputy searching for a missing child, she said.

What began as a lighthearted conversation turned to "intimidation," Wells said, when the deputy stopped smiling, unsnapped something from his belt and repeated a question about the age of one of the youths.

"He unsnapped something, like mace or a gun. He said, 'I'm going to ask you one more time.' He was intimidating them," Wells said.

Helpful Links

2007-06-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2007-06-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

Speak Out Against Police Corruption

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then how much is a picture with words on it worth?

Click the picture to enlarge.

Speak Out Against Police Corruption

Modesto to pay family $2.55 million for botched drug raid that killed 11-year-old

2007-06-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

Speak Out Against Police Corruption

MODESTO, Calif. (AP) -- The city of Modesto announced Wednesday it will pay $2.55 million to settle a suit brought by the parents of an 11-year-old boy killed during a drug raid two years ago.

Alberto Sepulveda was accidentally shot and killed by a member of the Modesto Police Department's SWAT Team in September of 2000. Modesto's city attorney, Michael Milich, said most of the $2.55 million will be covered by insurance. The parents of Sepulveda had filed a wrongful death suit against the city following the boy's killing.

Speak Out Against Police Corruption

Modesto Police Coerce Teen Into A False Confession

2007-06-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Speak Out Against Police Corruption

In the case of Somnguen Michael Amphavannasouk. Using coercive methods, police extracted a false confession. As a result, Michael, still a juvenile, ended up spending a year in an adult jail charged with a crime he did not commit.

It started on February 20, 1997. Two Modesto police officers yanked Michael, then a 16-year old junior, from his second period class for questioning in a gang-related shooting. School officials cooperated fully with the police and did nothing to intercede on Michael’s behalf. Michael was subjected to hours of threats from the police right at his school. What took place at the school sent Michael to jail for a year.
Officers Al Brocchini and Detective Nick Chilles arrived at the high school and took Michael down to the attendance office where they interrogated him relentlessly. They wanted information on a burglary and subsequent shooting. Michael didn’t have any information for them; he claims he wasn’t there. But police kept after him, threatening and making promises throughout the entire morning.
Michael wanted the session to end. The police told him repeatedly that he would not be prosecuted as long as he cooperated with them and provided information about other gang members who were involved in the burglary and shooting. They told him that even if he was the shooter, he would not be booked. And they said that if he didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear, he would be sent to jail.
Worn down and confused, Michael told them what they wanted to hear. He made a false confession. The police put words into his mouth. In reviewing the 169-page transcript, an expert on police interrogations called the statement "grossly" coercive.
Then, true to their word, the cops took him home. When he got there, Michael explained the false confession to his father. The father called the police and said that his son had lied. The police responded by returning with a warrant and arresting Michael. He was then charged with 11 counts of attempted murder and remained incarcerated for the next year.
During that time Michael recanted his confession. The police, using their coercive methods once again, were able to extract statements from two other youths who claimed that Michael was involved. Michael ultimately took a lie detector test which showed that he was not involved in the burglary and shooting.
When Michael was first arrested, he was placed in juvenile hall. Inmates cannot post bail to get released from juvenile hall. When it was later determined that he would be tried as an adult, he was transferred to the men’s jail and bail was posted at $250,000. This amount was too high for Michael’s family to pay. So Michael remained in jail. In order to do his best for his client, Michael’s attorney had to request a number of delays of court appearances and Michael remained in jail.
Finally after Michael had passed two polygraph tests and repeatedly denied that he was involved, a deputy district attorney asked the Superior Court to dismiss the charges for lack of evidence.
Michael is now free. But I cannot imagine what spending a year in an adult jail for a crime he did not commit has done to someone so young. Not only was Michael unfairly punished, police focus on the wrong boy let the real perpetrator to go free.

Speak Out Against Police Corruption

Crooked small-town cops in Virginia

2007-06-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Speak Out Against Police Injustice

Chilhowie Town Manager Bill Boswell spent Friday morning preparing for his employees’ Memorial Day picnic. But beneath the bounty of burgers, hot dogs, fun and games ran the undercurrent of a shake-up at the town police department that would rattle anyone. Earlier this week, the town’s former police chief and a recently fired sergeant were both arrested on charges involving the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl at a Halloween haunted house last fall. In addition, a third officer was arrested on a charge of selling the painkiller hydrocodone. All three officers were indicted this week and had either resigned or been fired by the town. The arrests cut the town’s police force of six in half.

Friday afternoon, Smyth County Circuit Court Judge Charles B. Flannagan II set $20,000 secured bonds for both former Chilhowie police chief Dwayne Sheffield and Sgt. Brian Doss. The two had previously been held at Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon. The judge also placed multiple conditions on the two defendants, including placing them under house arrest using electronic monitoring devices and ordering them to certify that there are no firearms or alcohol in their homes. They were also ordered not to have any contact with the victim or her family. Former officer James E. Runyon, 29, of Chilhowie, who was indicted on Tuesday for distribution of a Schedule III controlled substance, had already been released on a $1,500 bond.

The charges against Sheffield and Doss stemmed from an incident with a 17-year-old girl at a haunted house fundraising event in October, Virginia State Police investigators said. Sheffield is charged with rape, object sexual penetration, felony child endangerment, sexual battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Doss is charged with forcible sodomy, felony child endangerment, sexual battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to the indictments, Sheffield and Doss had sex with the girl "by force, threat or intimidation" and "against her will ... while having the custody of a child."

An indictment does not address guilt or innocence but reflects only the grand jury’s belief the charge merits prosecution. Reaction in the Smyth County town runs the gamut. "I was shocked," said Chilhowie Barber Shop owner Larry McClure, who has given the former officers a cut or two.

Lee Harrell, appointed as special prosecutor in the case in March, wouldn’t say much on the case. "These are serious allegations," he said. "The grand jury found probable cause for the indictments, and the case now proceeds to trial. Because the victim is a minor, I will not comment further on the case to protect the victim and the integrity of the investigation." Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy also had little to say.

In early May, the Chilhowie Town Council voted 5-0 in a special called meeting to terminate Sheffield and Doss. The council met in closed session and the meeting took place before the indictments came out. The officers were terminated" Boswell said. The town has advertised for two police officer positions, and in the meantime, it is working with the county sheriff’s office and state police to patrol the streets. "When something like this happens, what you do is reschedule and work with the other available law enforcement agencies to make sure you’re covered," Boswell said Friday. "Everyone’s working overtime now, but we’re having no morale problems. We’re doing fine."

Fight Police Injustice

Police And Prosecutors Have The Incentive To Confiscate As Much As Possible

2007-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Not only do police and prosecutors have the power to seize anything you own on the slightest pretext, they also have the incentive. The dirty little secret of the forfeiture racket is that police, prosecutors and judges can benefit personally by stealing your property.

Brenda Grantland – America's leading asset forfeiture defense attorney – gives these examples of government greed in her book "Your House Is Under Arrest":

* Suffolk County, New York. District Attorney James M. Catterton drives around in a BMW 735I that was seized from an alleged drug dealer. He spent $3,412 from the forfeiture fund for mechanical and body work, including $75 for pin-striping.

* Warren County, New Jersey. The assistant chief prosecutor drives a confiscated yellow Corvette.

* Little Compton, Rhode Island. The seven member police force received $3.8 million from the federal forfeiture fund, and spent it on such things as a new 23-foot boat with trailer, and new Pontiac Firebirds.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The head of one Los Angeles police forfeiture squad claims his group personally pocketed over $60 million in seized property.

Why do our courts tolerate these outrageous legalized thefts? Because they get their cut. It's completely legal for confiscated property to be used by police, prosecutors and judges, so long as it's for official business. In 1996, a federal district court even ruled that police can personally receive 25% of the value of any confiscated home, car, or business.

Infamous LAPD victimize a mentally handicapped man.

2007-06-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Unprovoked attacks by Los Angeles police. From the counter-protest called by ANSWERLA.org to protest a Minutemen march in Hollywood on July 8, 2006.

A mentally retarded man in a white shirt walks towards police and is clubbed. Others are clubbed as well as a person in wheelchair knocked over. A girl screams "he's mentally retarded." The cop on bike deliberately smashes into two people standing there videoing. Other cops club them, even after they're on the ground. After several seconds of them not moving, the cop clubs them again and is pushed back by another cop.

Don't Be Afraid To Speak Out

2007-06-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

The police in this country have way too much unsupervised power. It is my true belief that 95% of the US police force commits a crime and or violates someones rights on a daily basis. I speak from experience. The police have pulled me over for no reason, stole from me, searched me illegally, assaulted me and numerous other things that abuse their authority.

Think about this. Police are just like public officials except they don't have to get elected and they get to carry a gun. These people in our police force are able to pull a gun on you at there discretion and we as a society have no say so about who is hired or fired. Pretty much the only way to get rid of a crooked cop is to catch him on video tape breaking the law, and sometimes that is not even enough. Did you know that cops are trained to lie? Thats right, they are trained to tell you whatever it takes to get you to confess to a crime, whether you did it or not.

Another fun fact is that if you score too high on your IQ test, you will be banned from joining any police force. People, Im not making this stuff up! If you don't want to take my word for it, just do a Google search on "scores too high on IQ test for police" . It is ridiculous to keep someone from getting a job because that person is too smart. I wonder how dumb you really have to be to become a cop. The only reason that more of them are not revealed as being crooked is because, as I said before, they are trained to lie. They are trained to know exactly what it takes to get someone convicted of a crime. So of course they know exactly what to do to avoid being caught themselves. Not to mention, the guys that should be arresting them are the same guys that they spend their days off with at the shooting range.