Serve n' protect

Frank Messina is his name

smack'n the old wife around, the sport of your local police

SPD Cyberstalking Victim Leaving State

A Seattle police detective who cyberstalked his mistress has been fired by the department.

Friday night, his victim, Amanda Rossmeier, spoke only to KIRO 7.  Rossmeier said she is still scared of Blackmer.

 “I’m mostly afraid because he has a gun,” said Rossmeier. ”I don’t want to be here since he did just get fired. The things he said to me, I don’t feel safe. I don’t want to be here in town,” she added.

Rossmeier said she is leaving the state on Saturday. She is afraid Blackmer will carry through with threats to kill her.

David Blackmer was sentenced in January to 90 days in jail and was ordered to have no contact with Rossmeier. But he was still allowed to possess a firearm, even though the prosecution argued that he should not be allowed to have a firearm after the domestic violence conviction.

Blackmer admitted to creating a fake Facebook page under his ex-girlfriend’s name, and then posted photos of her naked and videos of them having sex.

Blackmer's wife also was in court when he was sentenced.

Snohomish County prosecutors said Blackmer was angry after Rossmeier confronted him at his house, in front of his wife.

After Blackmer was arrested in July 2013, he left for a 30 days treatment at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida recovery center.

When Blackmer boarded the flight to Florida in July, two Seattle police officers not boarding the flight escorted Blackmer to the gate, attempting to block KIRO 7’s access to him. The police department public affairs unit refused to identify those officers or explain why they were escorting Blackmer onto the plane.

Shortly before Blackmer’s December sentencing, Seattle police said nothing had changed with Blackmer’s status.

Seattle Police Department internal investigations don’t begin until after a criminal investigation concludes.

After prosecutors argued that Blackmer shouldn’t be allowed to carry a firearm, his defense attorney fought that, saying it would mean Blackmer would likely lose his job as a Seattle police detective.

Blackmer was scheduled to start serving his sentence Feb. 4. Blackmer completed his time Sunday.

The Seattle Police Department fired him on Monday.  No one answered the door at his home in Everett Friday night.

KIRO 7 asked the Seattle Police Department if Blackmer was paid while he was in jail.

SPD told us, “Typically officers under misdemeanor investigations are on paid status while investigations are ongoing.”

But the department was unable to confirm how long Blackmer was paid.  Once the criminal investigation was over, Seattle Police began an internal investigation. That investigation concluded with Blackmer losing his job on Monday.

As far as Rossmeier is concerned, Blackmer should have been fired months ago.

She told KIRO 7, “I’m happy that they fired him because I don’t think someone like that should be a detective.”

Rossmeier is suing the City of Seattle for not doing more to protect her from Blackmer. She said her attorney filed the complaint on Thursday. It was too soon for it to show up in the electronic system Friday night.

Cop Accused Of Domestic Violence Arrested Again

KSWB - San Diego, CA

A San Diego police officer suspended last month for allegedly battering his wife in La Mesa was re-arrested Monday night on suspicion of inflicting corporal injury on his spouse, authorities said.

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego police officer suspended last month for allegedly battering his wife in La Mesa was re-arrested Monday night on suspicion of inflicting corporal injury on his spouse, authorities said.

Suspended SDPD Officer Gilbert Lorenzo

Gilbert Lorenzo, 31, was booked into San Diego Central Jail by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department at 11:18 p.m. Monday, according to the sheriff’s online jail records. He was seen exiting the jail and getting into a taxi around 6 a.m. Tuesday, after posting $50,000 bail.

Details of news allegations against Lorenzo were not immediately released.   Fox 5 contacted the District Attorney’s office only to be told the case is under review and no comments will be made.

“I prosecuted a San Diego police officer for 23 counts of domestic violence and I’ve done extensive studies on domestic violence,” said Chris Morris, former head of the criminal division under City Attorney Mike Aquirre. He’s been following the case.

Morris has also handled numerous cases involving domestic violence and police officers.   He said the problem of domestic violence is common with police officers.

“A police officer is in that position where their word is followed, their directives are followed,” explained Morris.  “It’s sometimes difficult for them to shut that part off, plus they have a very stressful job.”

Lorenzo’s first arrest was on April 22 at his La Mesa home.  He posted $50,000 and was released on bail.  After his arrest Monday night, he again posted bail and was released.

“If it continues to happen with that person, the penalties, the potential exposure increases dramatically,” said Morris.

Hours after the initial arrest, San Diego police Chief Shelly Zimmerman boldly faced news cameras, after this latest arrest, she only released the following statement.

“Officer Lorenzo’s police powers were removed and he has no official police duties which has remained the same since he was arrested by La Mesa Police Department for domestic violence last month.”

Lorenzo, who is assigned to the SDPD Northern Division, was immediately placed on unpaid leave from the department.  He has yet to be arraigned because the District Attorney’s Office has said its investigation is continuing.

Lorenzo, his wife and their young children live in La Mesa. Following the alleged battery incident in April, Lorenzo’s 24-year-old wife, who did not require hospital treatment, came out in his defense, saying he should not have been arrested.

Around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, Lorenzo’s wife, Tanya, posted on her Facebook page, “Dear beautiful daughters next to me, (you’re) my purpose for thriving … us three can take on the world.”

Lorenzo is a seven-year veteran of the SDPD.

Ex-Conway Police officer charged with domestic violence for 2nd time

A former Conway Policeman has been charged with criminal domestic violence for the second time in 2 ½ years, officials say.

Sandroy John Edwards, age 35, of Conway was arrested Wednesday after an April 20 incident with a woman he has been in a relationship with for 15 years, SLED said in a press release on Wednesday.

Edwards was also charged back in Nov. 2012 with criminal domestic violence when authorities say a woman was bleeding after being hit during a Nov. 29 incident.

Sometime after that incident, Edwards lost his job with the Conway Police.

In the most recent incident, officials said in a warrant that the victim “received injuries to her head and other parts of her body.”

A witness told authorities that Edwards pushed the victim to the ground during the incident, the arrest warrant says.

Edwards also made “ a verbal comment indicating that he was not afraid to use further physical violence” against the victim, the witness said in the warrant.

Conway Police requested that SLED investigate the April incident. The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the allegations.

In the incident back in 2012, Edwards was an officer at the time.

According to the incident report, Officer Kenneth Mossi responded to a report of domestic violence at a home on Highway 813 on November 29, 2012. Edwards of Conway was later booked at J. Reuben Long Detention Center.

Dispatch informed Officer Mossi that the victim said Edwards was abusing and hitting her. The incident report goes on to say the victim said she was bleeding.

The report states when Officer Mossi arrived Edwards smelled of alcohol and was standing outside the home. Police say Edwards told them he and the victim were in an argument.

The victim said Edwards was upset with her after getting in an car accident the day before.

Police say they found a large hole in the wall and red liquid consistent with blood in the home.

He was arrested and charged with criminal domestic violence.

According to the J. Reuben Long Detention Center website, Sandroy John Edwards of Conway was booked at 2:05am on November 29.

D.C. police officer arrested, charged with assaulting girlfriend

By Peter Hermann,

A. D.C. police officer who has been on the force for nearly 30 years has been arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend on two days this week, according to police and an affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court.

Calvin Willis, 52, of Northeast Washington has been put on administrative leave with pay, a police spokesman said. Willis joined the force in 1985 and was most recently assigned to patrol in the 6th Police District.The affidavit says Willis allegedly kicked his 25-year-old girlfriend of 10 years twice during an argument Sunday in her District apartment. Police say in the document that when Willis returned Monday, he pulled the woman’s hair, slammed her into a wall and told her, “I’m going to kill you and throw you out of the window.”

At one point, the affidavit says, the woman grabbed a knife, and Willis placed his hand on his gun. She dropped the knife and called police, the document says. Police said Willis put on his uniform before officers arrived.

The affidavit says that the officer met the woman when she was 15 and that he had stopped her while on patrol. They have two children together, and she is pregnant with a third, the document says. The officer is also married.

Willis was released and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Friday.

Cop's Record Of Excessive Force Allegations Will Be Sealed For OWS Trial

Cecily McMillan

A Manhattan judge has sealed the personnel file of an NYPD officer who allegedly groped the Occupy Wall Street protester charged with assaulting him.

Martin Stolar, the attorney representing protester Cecily McMillan, had argued that the prior allegations of excessive force against her arresting officer, Grantley Bovell, as well his involvement with the Bronx ticket-fixing scandal justified an examination of his personnel file, which may contain other incidents that would impact his credibility. Judge Ronald Zweibel disagreed.

"I think it's totally wrong," Stolar says of the decision. "It is a very narrow reading of the law, because what I'm looking for are things that will reflect on the officer's credibility. It's things that I don't know about that I believe should be in the file. Somebody who has this pattern of behavior, there may be other incidents."

McMillian was arrested in Zuccotti Park on March 17th, 2012, during a demonstration to mark the six month anniversary of the movement. During a violent altercation between the protesters and the NYPD, McMillian, then 23, suffered a seizure. Protesters described on video how McMillan convulsed on the pavement for several minutes while police officers stood mutely over her body.

As she was being detained, McMillian allegedly elbowed Officer Bovell in the face. McMillan says that's because Bovell grabbed her right breast. The City denies that claim, and has charged McMillan with felony assault of an officer, which carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison. She was hospitalized after her arrest for bruised ribs and limbs.

Officer Bovell has been accused of running a motorcyclist off the road to make an arrest, kicking a suspect in the face while he was on the ground, and slamming an arrestee's face into the stairs on an MTA bus. In the case of the motorcyclist, Bovell was disciplined for a procedural infraction, while the department could not substantiate the other claims.

Bovell was also one of the 500 officers ensnared in the vast ticket-fixing scandal in the Bronx, and was again internally disciplined for his role.

"These incidents may have nothing to do with this case, but they sure have a lot to do with his ability to testify under oath and tell the truth," Stolar says, adding that the judge's ruling does not prohibit the defense from using the allegations against Bovell. "I'm certainly going to bring them up and question him about them."

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan DA's office declined to comment on the judge's decision. McMillan's trial, one of the last involving Occupy Wall Street protesters, is set to begin on April 7.

Grand jury indicts former police officer on rape charges

A judge orders a former Pawtucket police officer held without bail on charges of raping and choking his ex-girlfriend.

North Smithfield police say Stephen Ricco attacked his girlfriend on Thanksgiving Day.

A statewide grand jury on Wednesday reported an indictment against a former Pawtucket police officer accused of raping and choking his girlfriend.

Stephen Ricco, 41, of North Smithfield, was indicted on charges of first-degree domestic sexual assault, one count of strangulation and two counts of simple assault. He is currently held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Providence County Superior Court on April 9.

In January, the woman told a judge during a bail hearing in Kent Country District Court that the couple was enjoying a night out and had some drinks at a bar in North Smithfield when they started arguing.

The woman said Ricco became agitated over a late-night breakfast at Denny's.

The woman said she didn't call 911 or run for help because she was scared. Instead, she went back to Ricco's condo in North Smithfield. She claimed Ricco roughed her up, punched her and raped her.

"I just wanted to go home and he wouldn't let me go home, and he made me have sex with him and he bit my face," the woman told the judge in January.

NBC 10 does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.

The woman reported the alleged rape to North Smithfield police the following day.

In 2012, Ricco pleaded no contest to an unrelated charge of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to community service and anger management counseling

2 Pa. COs suspended after arrests for domestic violence

Arrested this month for separate incidents in which police say they choked their spouses at their homes

By David Singleton

The Times-Tribune

SCRANTON, Pa. — Two Lackawanna County Prison correctional officers have been suspended without pay after their arrests on domestic violence charges.

Lee Kaczmarek, 25, Dunmore, and Joshua Thomas, 35, Scranton, both of whom were hired by the jail in 2012, were arrested this month for separate incidents in which police say they choked their spouses at their homes.

Although he would not identify the employees, Warden Robert McMillan confirmed Tuesday he suspended two correctional officers without pay during the past two weeks after their arrests on criminal charges related to off-duty conduct.

Each suspended officer will receive a due-process hearing, which typically occurs after the preliminary hearing, that could result in anything from no action to termination, the warden said.

The officers each earn $32,972 annually, according to county salary records.

Mr. Kaczmarek faces a preliminary hearing March 31 at 9:45 a.m. on charges of aggravated and simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment. The preliminary hearing for Mr. Thomas, charged with simple assault and harassment, is set for April 21 at 9:15 a.m. Both men are free on bail.

Dunmore police arrested Mr. Kaczmarek on March 8 after his wife went to police headquarters shortly after 5 a.m. and told officers her husband choked and threatened to kill her at their home in the 100 block of Gibbons Street.

Holly Kaczmarek, who was described in the arrest affidavit as visibly shaken and hyperventilating, told police the couple argued when her husband returned home at 3:30 a.m. after being out with friends.

Mr. Kaczmarek grabbed her neck with his right hand and pressed her against the living room couch, choking her to the point where she could not breathe, while saying, "I wish I could choke you dead," she told police. During the argument, he told her it would be no use reporting the incident because he is a prison guard and no one would believe her.

When questioned later, Mr. Kaczmarek initially denied there was a physical altercation, police said. However, when officers asked about marks on his right forearm that were consistent with his wife trying to remove his hand from her throat, Mr. Kaczmarek said he put his hands on her after she hit and spit on him.

Mr. Thomas was arrested after Scranton police were called to his home in the 3100 block of McCarthy Street on Sunday around 3 a.m. Officers were met outside by his wife, Kelly Thomas, who had a swollen face and a bloody nose, police said.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

According to the arrest affidavit, a verbal argument became violent when Mr. Thomas put his hands around his wife's neck and choked her. Mr. Thomas left the home but returned about 15 minutes later, when the argument resumed. As he tried to force his wife out of the residence, Mr. Thomas struck her in the face, police said

County faces trial in police brutality lawsuit

Don Lehman

QUEENSBURY -- A state Supreme Court justice has ruled against Warren County in a woman’s lawsuit that accuses county sheriff’s officers of brutality and false arrest, setting the stage for a trial later this year.

Supreme Court Justice David Krogmann denied a request by the county to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Martha Philion in connection with her arrest on a disorderly conduct charge in October 2009.

Philion, 73, has alleged her right shoulder was “seriously and permanently” injured when sheriff’s officers took her into custody after she cursed them in front of her home.

Sheriff’s officers had gone to Philion’s home on Coolidge Avenue after receiving a call from someone who was concerned about the welfare of her adult son, Thomas “Neil” Beatty.

Officers Scott Rawson and Kurtis Glenn went to the home, but Beatty would not come out.

Beatty was facing felony child sexual abuse and child pornography charges at the time, and had been told by his lawyer not to have contact with police unless they had a warrant, Philion told police.

He came to the door, but when the officers insisted they be allowed to speak to him, Philion became irate and cursed at them, according to court records.

That resulted in her being charged with disorderly conduct, a noncriminal violation. She could have been charged with the weightier misdemeanor of obstructing governmental administration, but police filed the lesser charge instead, county officials claimed in court papers.

The disorderly conduct charge was dismissed 12 days later, and Philion filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified monetary damages in 2011.

The lawsuit alleges Philion was injured when she was “taken down” on her porch. Warren County Sheriff Bud York said he had no comment on the matter because of the pending litigation.

The lawyer appointed by the county’s insurance carrier, Gregg Johnson, had asked Krogmann to throw out the lawsuit. But the judge concluded that Philion had not committed disorderly conduct because there were no members of the public present to witness her alleged actions.

Krogmann also concluded she was “arrested without probable cause,” so the use of force to arrest her was not justified. The ruling sets up a trial in the coming months, barring an appeal or settlement.

Philion’s lawyer, Daniel Stewart, said he had no comment on the case Tuesday.

The case was the subject of an executive session at a recent county Board of Supervisors meeting, with no action taken afterward. County Attorney Martin Auffredou said the lawsuit was still pending as of Tuesday.

“There have been some settlement discussions,” Auffredou said.

Beatty pleaded guilty to a felony count of possession of a sexual performance by a child and was sentenced in 2010 to 1 to 3 years in state prison. He was paroled in February 2012.

Jury awards $15,000 to Wakeelah Cocroft, who sued Worcester police officer for false arrest and assault

 By John F. Hill |

A federal jury in Worcester on Friday awarded $15,000 to a woman who claimed a Worcester police officer threw her to the ground and held her down during a traffic stop.

The jury found that Worcester police officer Jeremy Smith violated the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act and the Fourth Amendment rights of Wakeelah Cocroft during the 2008 incident, according to the ACLU of Massachusetts, which helped try the lawsuit.

According to court documents, a car driven by Cocroft's sister, Clytheia Mwangi of Worcester, was pulled over for speeding around 7 a.m. Dec. 28, 2008, on Park Avenue. Cocroft testified that Smith approached the car aggressively, screaming at the driver.

As Smith was writing a ticket, Cocroft left the vehicle to pay for gas, then returned to the car to use the pump. Smith yelled at her for leaving the car after he had told the women to stay inside while he returned to his patrol car.

Cocroft said she thought Smith had been talking only to her sister. The officer told her not to say another word. Corcroft objected, telling the officer not to speak to her in such an aggressive manner.

As Cocroft tried to get back into the car, Smith approached from behind, grabbed her shoulders and threw her to the ground to arrest her, according to court documents. Smith, who weighed about 215 pounds, put his knee on Cocroft's back and held her down for several minutes until another officer arrived.

The jury found that Smith's actions violated Cocroft's rights by arresting her without probable cause.

"Today's ruling should spur much-needed reform in the Worcester Police Department," said one of Cocroft's attorneys, Beverly Chorbajian, in a statement put out by the ACLU. "The jury's message is loud and clear, and we hope it is received."

Worcester Police Chief Gary J. Gemme released a statement Friday afternoon, noting that the jury found in Smith's favor on three counts. His statement, in full:

"The jury in the Wakeelah Cocroft v. Jeremy Smith case found for Officer Jeremy Smith on three significant counts -he did not use excessive force in the arrest, violate the plaintiff's First Amendment rights, or commit an assault and battery. These are important findings that reinforce our belief that Officer Smith acted appropriately and professionally in exercising his police powers.

We believe there are legal grounds to challenge the verdict with regard

to the one finding for the plaintiff and the $15,000 award.

Our belief is that Officer Smith lawfully seized the plaintiff and as a

result we plan to appeal this one finding to the federal district

court."

St. Cloud police officer charged with domestic violence

ST. CLOUD --

A police officer is behind bars in Osceola County, charged with domestic violence.

Police said Michael Baggett was served with a domestic violence injunction around 5 p.m. Friday.

The 36-year-old was immediately placed on administrative leave, pending a criminal and internal investigation.

Baggett was arrested early Saturday morning for battery and domestic violence.

He was transported to the Osceola County Jail without bond.

Baggett has been with the St. Cloud Police Department since June 2011.

Beckley police officer charged with domestic battery agrees to plea

By Wendy Holdren Register-Herald Reporter  

BECKLEY — A Beckley police officer, charged in September with domestic battery and unlawful detention after an altercation with his former girlfriend, agreed Friday to a provisional misdemeanor battery plea.

Cpl. Bryan Atterson’s original charges were dropped by way of the agreement with the Wyoming County Prosecutor’s Office.

The misdemeanor battery charge will be dropped with prejudice after Atterson serves one year of probation, pending no new charges are filed in the meantime.

Atterson also agreed to undergo psychological treatment “for behavior issues” for one year.

If he does not comply with the terms of the agreement, he must serve 60 days in jail.

The case was assigned to Wyoming County Prosecutor Micheal Cochrane after Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Keller recused herself.

Cochrane said both he and the victim were pleased with the disposition of the case.

“This type of case we take very serious, and we want to ensure that these crimes are dealt with accordingly,” Cochrane said. “Given the facts in the matter, the resolution is firm but fair under the circumstances.”

One member of the media asked Cochrane, “Is this a slap on the wrist?”

Cochrane replied, “Absolutely not ... It is a very serious plea. If he does not follow through with everything that is required of him, there are very serious repercussions from the court.”

He said his office does not dismiss cases just because a victim requests them to do so — “We want to make sure something is learned in this and that justice prevails. We think that’s been accomplished.”

Atterson had no previous criminal history, so with the assistance of the victim, Cochrane said they decided to offer the agreement.

According to the initial complaint filed in September, the victim stated she was in a physical altercation with Atterson, where he restrained her against her will from leaving the apartment.

Atterson has been a mixed martial arts and Brazilian ju-jitsu instructor for over 10 years and the complaint said he applied a martial arts maneuver to the victim’s arm, putting her on the ground.

“During this act she struck her head causing swelling and bruising on her forehead,” the complaint said.

The victim also told police Atterson put her in a chokehold to the point where she almost passed out.

After Atterson’s arrest, he was released on $2,500 bond.

Former police chief Tim Deems placed Atterson on administrative leave with pay after the incident.

Current Beckley Police Chief Lonnie Christian said his office is awaiting the official paperwork from Magistrate Steve Massie’s office.

“We’re going to review that and make sure he doesn’t have anything that will prevent him from conducting his duties and we will make a determination at that time.”

Christian said a decision will most likely be made at the first of next week.

“As long as everything looks good, there wouldn’t be anything that would prevent him from coming back. More than likely he will be returning back to work.”