Cops and the women they abuse

Fairfax County Supervisor John W. Foust: Reward moral cowardice...send John Foust to Congre...

Fairfax County Supervisor John W. Foust: Reward moral cowardice...send John Foust to Congre...: As a county supervisor John Foust could have spoken out against the murders of unarmed, innocent citizens by the Fairfax County Police....

FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE TO DUPLICATE EFFORTS OF THE METRO TRANSIT POLICE

The Washington DC Metro system is among the safest in the world but the Fairfax County Police have decided to police the metro lines in Fairfax County despite the fact that Metro already employees 490 officers, 64 special police and 91 civilian personnel to do police the lines.

Fairfax County’s Police chief, another grossly overpaid nameless, faceless guy in a silly suit said “It increases our chances of arresting black people from DC and murdering more unarmed white men, we’re really looking forward to this, mostly because we’ll get away with it”

The chief denied that this is a waste of tax dollars that could be used to build a second beltway or hire more teachers. “We waste money all the time, so there must be a lot of it to waste, right?”

He also denied that there are too many police on the force and not enough for them to do “Firstly, if there are too many cops on the force why are there so many cops on the force? Answer me that. Second firstly, we’re trying to balance out our unarmed kill ratio and this will allow us to murder more black men and maybe even some of those one who don’t talk in no good English, especially the urine colored ones”

Supervisor Gerry “Opps Dearie! Hyland, a big supporter of the police who has stood against oversight said “I just love me a man in a uniform, I’m Gay and there is certainly nothing wrong with that but all I can say is; it let it rain men in uniform!”

Falsely accused ‘Gentleman Groper’ can sue for false arrest

By Kathianne Boniello

A jury will get to decide the case of a clean-cut bible-thumper who sued the city after he was wrongly arrested for manhandling women.

Eager to solve a spate of gropings in tony neighborhoods, the NYPD zeroed in on Karl Vanderwoude, 28, after receiving an anonymous tip.

When detectives knocked on the door of his Brooklyn apartment in April 2012, Vanderwoude willingly went with them.

Vanderwoude, who bears a striking resemblance to actual “Gentleman Groper” Paul Kraft, was then arrested after a victim picked him out of a lineup.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office later dropped the charges when Vanderwoude was able to prove he wasn’t anywhere near the crimes. Kraft was eventually nabbed and confessed.

Plant City police officer resigns in wake of arrest

Plant City police Officer Matthew Combs resigned Tuesday. He was arrested Sunday on a domestic battery charge. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

By Dave Nicholson

PLANT CITY A veteran police officer has resigned following his Sunday arrest on a domestic violence charge.

Officer Matthew Combs submitted his resignation Tuesday afternoon to acting Police Chief John Borders. Combs had been on administrative leave without pay since his arrest, police Sgt. Tray Towles said.

Combs, 39, was arrested early Sunday by Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies on a charge of domestic violence battery, officials said. He was released from jail Monday without having to post bail, records show.

Combs was originally hired as a Plant City police officer in September 2002. He resigned in January 2004 and was rehired June 2005.

Former THP officer charged with patronizing prostitution near a school zone

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -

Former Tennessee Highway Patrol Sergeant Daniel Threet turned himself in to Nashville's Justice Center on Saturday morning, after being indicted on charges of patronizing prostitution near a school zone.

Threet, of Cookeville, had been the subject of a Metro Police investigation since early February.

Threet, 45, is alleged to have patronized a prostitute who advertised on the Internet on Stainback Avenue on Jan. 31.

Police say Threet drove to Nashville in a state vehicle and dressed in full uniform for the encounter.

Police learned of the incident during the course of another investigation.

Threet resigned from the Tennessee Highway Patrol shortly after being placed on leave as a result of the investigation.

His bond is set at $1,000.

Fair Bluff officer charged with peeping arrested

Donald Brian Beauchaine

A Fair Bluff police officer who was wanted on peeping charges was arrested Monday at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center, according to warrants.

Donald Brian Beauchaine, 38, of the 100 block of White Oak Street in Lake Waccamaw, was charged with 10 counts of secret peeping between April 1 and June 4, arrest warrants said.

All the incidents happened in Beauchaine's home, according to Fair Bluff Police Chief S.A. Hyatt.

Beauchaine is accused of using a cell phone to take pictures of a child in the bathroom "for the purpose of arousing and satisfying his sexual desire," arrest warrants said.

The age of the child was not given.

The warrants were issued earlier this month, but were served on Beauchaine as he was leaving the hospital, according to reports .

Beauchaine was suspended without pay earlier this month.

Bail was set at $15,000.

- Nancy McCleary

The incidents allegedly happened between April 1 and June 4, warrants said.

David Blackmer, cyberstalking cop, paid $83K after arrest

David Blackmer – the former Seattle cop who cyberstalked his mistress – collected more than $83,000 in a taxpayer-funded salary in the months after his arrest, records obtained by KIRO 7 show.

That 10-month period includes the time when Blackmer sat in jail, convicted of a gross misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 90 days.

It was late July 2013 when investigators arrested Blackmer, saying he cyberstalked a woman by creating a Facebook account.

Blackmer posted photos of himself having sex with the woman – not his wife, but the one who came to came to his house to confront him. The woman told police that she thought Blackmer was following through with verbal threats that he would get back at her and “ruin her life.”

Blackmer pleaded guilty to felony cyberstalking on Dec. 17 and the following month he was sentenced to 90 days in jail. He did not lose his right to carry a gun.

In February – a month Blackmer spent in jail – he was paid $7,817, records obtained by KIRO 7 show. Every month until May, Blackmer was paid at least $8,000, according to those records, which were obtained through a public document request.

In the 10 months from Blackmer’s arrest to when he was fired from the Seattle Police Department, he collected $83,344.27, records obtained by KIRO 7 show.

That’s at least $30,000 more than the median Seattle household income, according to the most recent data available on the city’s website.

And Blackmer wants his job back.

The Seattle Police Department put Blackmer on paid administrative leave while the Office of Professional Accountability investigated his case. By policy, the OPA investigation started after the criminal investigation was completed.

Blackmer was fired May 5. But Blackmer has said the firing violated his union contract that requires OPA to complete its investigation within 180 days and he’s suing the department.

In other words, because the city didn’t fire him soon enough Blackmer could get his job back.

Blackmer did not return multiple calls from KIRO 7.

Police Officers Guild president Ron Smith said Blackmer is right about the timeline and the guild will represent him in arbitration.

Contacted Monday to ask about Blackmer’s $83,000 salary and the potential for him to be re-hired as an officer, spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said he had “no official response because this is still an active personnel matter.”

Suspended officer faces new charge

GREENFIELD – A central-Indiana police lieutenant suspended after being accused of trying to get fellow officers to ticket his ex-wife now faces a felony charge of promoting prostitution.

The charge was filed Wednesday against Lt. Terry Austin of the Greenfield Police Department after an internal investigation said it found text messages that he offered two women $200 to have sex with him and a visiting policeman from Florida, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The internal investigation began after Austin, 42, of McCordsville was arrested in April on bribery and misconduct charges for allegedly offering fellow officers a $200 steak dinner to pull over and ticket his ex-wife.

Court records indicate a friend who’s an officer with the Port St. Lucie Police Department in Florida was in town visiting family when he sent Austin a text message Jan. 13 asking whether Austin had found him a date, and Austin replied, “I’m workn on it!!”

The second woman told police the plan was never carried out. She said she had met Austin through an online dating site.

Police found no evidence the Florida officer knew Austin was offering money to the women for sex.

Slapp'n the wife around

Former cop allegedly strangled wife in Malta

A Saratoga County sheriff's patrol car is parked near the property where a woman was strangled in Malta.

MALTA — A former Nassau County police officer allegedly choked his wife of 46 years to death Friday night during a domestic dispute at their home, law enforcement officials said Monday.

Charles L. Wilkinson, 68, of 9 Meadow Rue Place, was arrested Sunday evening for second-degree murder in the death of Kathleen Wilkinson, 65, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo said.

Zurlo said Wilkinson continued to live in the home for more than a day following the alleged murder.

Wilkinson was arraigned Sunday evening before Malta Town Justice James Fauci and sent to the Saratoga County Jail in lieu of bail.

Zurlo and District Attorney James A. Murphy III weren't commenting on the cause of death, but a felony complaint filed with the town court indicated Wilkinson choked his wife to death at about 10 p.m. Friday.

Wilkinson spoke at length with investigators, though it isn't clear whether he confessed.

Murphy said police continue to investigate to determine a motive.

Wilkinson retired from the Nassau County Police Department in 1984, Murphy said, and then worked as a painter. The couple moved to Malta about a decade ago. Wilkinson had worked recently as a part-time security officer at the nearby GlobalFoundries computer chip plant.

Responding to a request to check Kathleen Wilkinson's welfare, Zurlo said Deputy Sean Lyons went to the home in the quiet Luther Forest housing development about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. He said an adult son who lives in the Boston area asked for a check at the request of a sister-in-law who lives in the Capital Region. Wilkinson "had not been heard from in several days," the sheriff's department said.

"The responding deputy was greeted at the door by Charles Wilkinson. After a period of discussion at the door Charles Wilkinson allowed the deputy to enter the residence at which time the deputy located the body of Kathleen Wilkinson deceased on the floor of a first-floor bedroom," the sheriff's statement continued.

The cause of death wasn't immediately obvious, Murphy said. More may be learned after an autopsy scheduled for Monday afternoon was performed at Albany Medical Center.

A felony complaint filed by a sheriff's investigator in Malta town court said: "Charles L. Wilkinson did choke the victim," and gives the time as 10 p.m. Friday.

Murphy said investigators will be especially careful in preparing the case, given that Wilkinson is a former law enforcement officer.

"Any time we have a former law enforcement official it's particularly difficult," Murphy said at a press conference. "We are confident we will sustain our burden of proof."

There was no history of prior domestic violence calls to police from the home, Murphy and Zurlo said.

Second-degree murder carries a potential penalty of 25 years to life in prison.

Murphy said the case will be presented to a grand jury once all autopsy and toxicology test results are in.

Kathleen Wilkinson worked as a teachers' aide on Long Island, but hadn't worked since the couple moved to Malta.

As state police forensic investigators continued to remove evidence from the home Monday morning, a Jeep sitting in the driveway had four flat tires. Zurlo and Murphy said they didn't know whether the flat tires had anything to do with the crime or actions leading up to it. "I think investigators are curious about that as well," Murphy said.

About a month ago, the Jeep hit the mailbox cluster on the opposite side of Meadow Rue Place, with state police investigating.

This weekend's alleged killing came just two weeks after Saratoga County's last murder case, which also appeared to be related to domestic violence.

In that case, Schuylerville High School student Matthew J. Brown, 18, was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Derick K. Clark, 32, in the neck during a violent altercation between Clark and the teen's mother and fiance, 34-year-old Heather Brown, at their home in Schuylerville. A self-defense claim is being made in that case.

Two murder arrests so close together is unusual in Saratoga County, which has a generally low crime rate and can go a full year without a murder taking place.

Deputy on leave after abuse arrest

TERRY L. JONES

NEW ROADS — A Pointe Coupee Sheriff’s deputy was suspended Tuesday after he was arrested the night before for allegedly choking his wife during an argument.

Stephen Louis, 32, 607 Railroad Ave., was booked Monday night into the Pointe Coupee Parish Jail on a count of second-degree battery by domestic violence after his wife filed a complaint against him with the New Roads Police Department.

Chief Kevin McDonald said Tuesday his officers were called to the couple’s house around 11:15 p.m. Monday.

“The officers said she had some red markings around her neck,” McDonald said.

The couple had been shouting at one another when Louis started choking his wife. Louis, who had just gotten off duty from work, was still in uniform, McDonald said.

The chief said it wasn’t the first time officers had to respond to a domestic disturbance involving the couple, but he declined to release more details.

Louis, a deputy with the Pointe Coupee Sheriff’s Office for approximately a year, was placed on administrative leave without pay pending a review of city police investigation, Sheriff Bud Torres said Tuesday morning.

“As a police officer you are supposed to be a peace officer and you should practice that at home, too,” Torres said. “It’s an unfortunate issue. But it’s something we won’t tolerate.”

Judy Benitez, executive director of the Iris Domestic Violence Center in Baton Rouge, which offers shelter and services to abused women in nine parishes, including Pointe Coupee, said domestic abuse is not more common among law enforcement officers.

“It does seem like this type of incident is occurring more and more with cops but that’s because when it does, it tends to make the news,” Benitez said. “I’m not aware of any statistics that claim this happens any more frequently than it does with any other profession. It’s just something we tend to hear about because its the opposite of what we think would happen (with a law enforcement officer).”

Louis makes the fourth deputy this year Torres has suspended.

The sheriff suspended three deputies in April because they did not follow proper protocol when they responded to a single-vehicle crash involving a New Roads police officer.

The Louisiana State Police had launched a probe into the incident after witnesses complained the deputies didn’t ticket or arrest the police officer who was suspected of driving under the influence at the time of the crash.

Normal officer charged with domestic battery resigns

Edith Brady-Lunny

criminal charges alleging domesti… Read more

NORMAL — A Normal police lieutenant charged with domestic battery has resigned his post.

Daniel Kelley was put on administrative leave following a Feb. 22 incident at his Lexington home. Kelley's resignation ends the internal investigation by the department into his off-duty conduct.

Criminal charges filed March 6 accuse Kelley of allegedly pushing a woman to the ground and causing bruises by hitting her.

In a statement Monday, Normal police administration said "the investigation has concluded and Lt. Kelley has resigned." NPD refused to release the date or any other detail of the resignation.

Kelley did not attend a hearing in McLean County Circuit Court on Monday on the domestic battery charge. His lawyer, Stephanie Wong, told Associate Judge Michael Stroh that "there's continuing discussion" between the defense and special prosecutor Lorinda Lamken.

Wong did not disclose the specific of the talks. She asked for one more pre-trial hearing, set for July 2.

Kelley remains free on $325 bond. As part of his release, he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

The criminal investigation was handled by the McLean County Sheriff's Department that has jurisdiction over the area where the incident took place. The 41-year-old officer turned himself in to authorities after charges were filed.

BPD Officer Suspended For Stalking

A Boston Police Officer has been suspended without pay for four months after following a woman in his cruiser out of his jurisdiction and for no legal reason. Sgt. Joel McCarthy received the four month suspension, after which he will remain on probation.

The Blackstonian would like to draw a parallel between this case and the many cases of officer misconduct, police brutality and the killing of civilians. In these cases officers are rarely if ever suspended. In this case which has been labeled “Stalking” the female victim was never touched or physically harmed. In the cases of police brutality and death of civilians, injuries range from bruises and black eyes, to internal organ damage and the most severe result, death. Both instances are abuses of power but how do we define the terms to effect a fair scale for punishment?

There have been quick and swift results, including suspension and termination for what I would consider “lesser” offenses. A racially offensive email calling Black people “banana eating jungle monkeys” is certainly less harmful than being shot in the back of the head at point blank range. Being followed by an officer to your home is “creepy” to say the least, but somehow it seems that an officer rupturing your orbital socket with a flashlight or damaging your kidney with repeated blows is far more severe.

As the City of Boston goes through this stage of growing pains, for both the COB Administration and BPD new brass, the most important work will be dealing with the past injustices and breaking through the disparities in order to balance the scales and reset to zero.

Details of an internal investigation by the department were released on Wednesday. They found Sgt. Joel McCarthy left his patrol district back in February to follow the victim for miles after pulling her over. Investigators also found McCarthy looked up her address and went to her home.

McCarthy was found to be in violation for conduct unbecoming, traffic enforcement, and neglect of duty.

Cleveland police officer to be suspended for inappropriate behavior

CLEVELAND–He was sworn to uphold the law, but instead, a Cleveland police officer is punished for uploading vulgar pictures of himself to women. Investigators said he even tracked down a woman he had given a ticket to last year.

“We look to officers to serve and protect us, not put us in uncomfortable situations and abusing their power to make us do things that we really don’t want to do.”

A 24-year-old woman told FOX 8 that last November she was involved in an accident on I-71 near Fulton Road. Cleveland police officer Thomas Tewell was one of the officers who arrived at the scene.

“At first, he was making sure that I was ok, and then it kind of turned into flirting,” she said.

The woman said Tewell and another officer gave her a ride back to the second district to wait for someone to pick her up.

“I was sitting in the waiting area and he came inside and gave me a citation, and I was like ‘why are you giving this to me now?’ and I didn’t realize until after the fact that it was probably just so he could get my personal information,” she explained.

In April of this year, Tewell was charged with breaking several administrative rules.

The document says for this incident, he “engaged in inappropriate behavior to a citizen to whom you were issuing a traffic citation.”

It claims for two consecutive days after the accident, he “contacted the citizen through social media, for example Facebook, unsolicited, inviting her out to have drinks.”

“Literally the next day is when he added me as a friend and started sending me inappropriate messages, like we should go out sometime. I felt like he was just abusing his powers as a police officer by making me feel like I had to go out with him if I didn’t want this on my record,” the woman said.

The woman’s case was dismissed when Tewell did not show up for court in November.

The charging documents also reveal that June 30 of last year, Tewell “posted or transmitted a sexually explicit photograph to a female.”

It says he was “advised by a female to leave her alone after she received an unsolicited sexually explicit photograph from you.”

Investigators said he contacted that woman again twice in September.

“We don’t condone his behavior. We don’t want this kind of behavior from our police officers and we’re hoping that he learned his lesson,” said Jeff Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association.

Earlier this month, Tewell was given a 25-day suspension, without pay. We were unable to reach the officer. City officials told FOX 8 Tewell is currently on military deployment and will serve his punishment when he returns.

“Honestly, I don’t think that that’s enough. I don’t think that he should be a police officer anymore,” the woman said.

Tewell was a probationary officer at the time of the offenses. Follmer said Tewell has been on the force for about two or three years.

LAPD Officer Charged With Attempted Murder

INGLEWOOD — Police officers in the United States are expected to be the first step in due process of law, but sometimes they elect to be judge, jury, and executioner.

Officer Jose Robert Figueroa, 29, was charged on May 22 with multiple counts regarding an alleged series of incidents with his estranged wife on May 18 at her Inglewood apartment. According to a statement from Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s office, Deputy D.A. Sam Ahmadpour said, “Figueroa was charged yesterday in case YA090345 with attempted murder, injuring a spouse with the added allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury, and making criminal threats.”

The arrest report charges were listed as “inflict corporal injury,” “threatened crime with intent to injure,” “burglary,” “false imprisonment,” “attempted murder: second degree,” and “kidnapping.” The total bail was set at $2.5 million.

Ahmadpour reiterated the incident in less legal-esque terms: “Figueroa went to his estranged wife’s Inglewood apartment where he threatened to kill her and choked her until she passed out. When she awoke, she was tied up.”

According to the D.A.’s office, he faces life in prison if convicted of all charges.

The bail review hearing was held on May 23 and the arraignment will be continued until June 4 at Department 5 of the Inglewood branch of L.A. Superior Court.

Buffalo police officer suspended following domestic incident in Hamburg

A Buffalo police officer was suspended without pay pending a departmental investigation after Hamburg police arrested him on a minor charge after a domestic argument with his wife in their Hamburg home.

Buffalo police confirmed the suspension but neither Buffalo nor Hamburg police would release the officer’s name.

Queens cop charged with assaulting girlfriend: Police By Alex Robinson

An off duty NYPD officer was arrested after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend in his northeast Queens home Saturday morning, police said.

Lawrence Williams, who lives within the area covered by the 109th Precinct and works in northern Manhattan, allegedly left scratches and bruises on his girlfriend after an altercation, according to cops.

He was arrested at 6:35 a.m. and charged with assault and harassment, police said.

Serve n' protect

Frank Messina is his name

Enoch Clark is his name

LAPD officer charged with attempted murder allegedly choked, tied up wife

RICHARD WINTON, KATE MATHER, JOSEPH SERNA

An LAPD officer charged with attempted murder this week threatened to kill and then choked his estranged wife until she passed out, prosecutors said.

Jose Robert Figueroa, 29, was charged Wednesday with three felony counts: attempted murder, injury to a spouse and making criminal threats, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

If convicted of all the charges, prosecutors said, he faces a life sentence.

Figueroa, who is being held in lieu of $2.5-million bail, is scheduled to be arraigned June 4. A bail hearing is set for Friday.

In a criminal complaint filed this week, prosecutors allege Figueroa committed crimes Sunday "under circumstances involving domestic violence."

Figueroa went to his wife's Inglewood apartment that day and threatened to kill her, the district attorney's office said in a statement. He then allegedly choked her until she passed out.

"When she awoke, she was tied up," the statement said.

The woman called authorities, district attorney's spokesman Ricardo Santiago said, and the officer turned himself in at LAPD's Newton station, where he was assigned.

Online jail records show he was arrested by Inglewood police at 1:45 a.m. Monday and booked about a half-hour later. Inglewood police did not immediately return calls or emails from The Times.

LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said an internal investigation into Figueroa began immediately after he was arrested. The officer has been removed from the field and assigned to home, Smith said.

Department records showed he had been with the LAPD since June 2007.

Court records show the couple married in 2006 and have a child. Figueroa filed for divorce in April, citing irreconcilable differences.

Figueroa's wife spoke to KTLA-TV about the allegations, saying her husband tried to strangle her. She told the television station that she reported the alleged attack to set a strong example for her son, who is 6.

Boston Police Officer Suspended for Allegedly Stalking Woman

By Zeninjor Enwemeka

A Boston Police officer has been suspended for allegedly stalking a woman while on duty, WBZ reports.

McCarthy was found to be in violation for conduct unbecoming, traffic enforcement, and neglect of duty. He has been placed on an unpaid suspension for four months and will then be on probation.

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The victim told WBZ that she’s “happy he’s going to be off the streets,” but questioned whether the four-month suspension was an adequate punishment.

Trooper charged with bribery, misconduct

DANVILLE — An Illinois state trooper has been charged with bribery and official misconduct for allegedly offering to buy another police officer dinner in exchange for giving his ex-girlfriend a ticket, according to a complaint filed Friday in Vermilion County Circuit Court.

Keith Lumsargis, a 13-year veteran of the state police, was charged with two counts of bribery, a Class 2 felony, and two counts of official misconduct, a Class 3 felony, according to Vermilion County State's Attorney Randy Brinegar.

His bond was set at $100,000, and his preliminary hearing is set for June 5 at 2:30 p.m. Lumsargis posted bond and was released from the Vermilion County jail on Friday.

Brinegar said Lumsargis was arrested Thursday night in Vermilion County by state police but would not disclose exactly where or under what circumstances and would not provide any other details about the case against Lumsargis, 44, who lives in Westville.

According to court documents filed by Brinegar's office, Lumsargis allegedly promised on May 16 to buy Tilton Police Officer Ryan Schull a steak dinner in exchange for issuing Lumsargis' ex-girlfriend, Mary Bailey, a traffic citation, and on May 22, Lumsargis again offered to buy Schull a dinner when Schull had previously indicated he had issued the ex-girlfriend a ticket.

A call to state police seeking comment on the charges was not returned, but the state agency issued a news release Friday stating that Lumsargis was taken into custody without incident after an investigation by the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation. The division received a complaint and acted immediately by launching an internal investigation into the matter, the news release stated.

Lumsargis was relieved of duty, pending the outcome of the investigation and court proceedings, according to state police.

ISP Director Hiram Grau said through a statement in the news release that abuse of law enforcement authority will not be tolerated, and no police officer is above the law.

"This officer abused his authority but is not a reflection of the hard working men and women of this agency who risk their lives on a daily basis to serve the public and Illinois communities." Grau said.