Today, supposedly, a grand jury convenes in Missouri to examine the facts surrounding the death of Michael Brown at the hands of FPD officer Darren Wilson, to determine if an indictable crime has been committed. One talking head on TV even said that hearsay would be permitted there, which if true is nothing less than a travesty.
The grand jury review itself, it would seem, is coming awfully early. The general public does not realize how long it takes to complete a homicide investigation. The toxicology screen on the deceased, which can be a critical factor, may or may not have been completed yet, but to the best of my knowledge such results have not yet been released to the public.
Members of the grand jury will be under tremendous social and political pressure to indict. The state’s own governor has, incredibly, called for “vigorous prosecution.” Damn shame he didn’t have the integrity to call for “vigorous investigation” instead. One should not be convicted before trial in the Governor’s Mansion instead of in a courtroom.
The smell of mob rule is growing stronger, and more fetid.
Also today, Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to be on the ground in Ferguson for investigative purposes. Many pundits expect him to visit with the family of the deceased; certainly, there’s nothing wrong with that.
But I sincerely hope that the AG, our nation’s chief law enforcement officer, will visit the family of the injured officer as well.
Disagree Mas issue why is events like these keep happening why police feel they do not feel need be held account able to commute the people which protech server over on these type events. Is job of policemen to protech server commute. I fail see where these type events protech server commute. There issue of those in police keep state well these type events do not happen enough or just few bad cops cause this events. Is just importane Mas point if Ferguson police had better standing with people protech and server them like what been doing Dallas thing might not happen way did Ferguson??? Mas as arm private security gaurd where live in Phoinex Az where held same standard responsable on deadly force as are police. Infact Phoinex Da show no more mercy on this type issue to us than he does cops I know for fact face him over negligent discharge firearm which most people do not know very big deal in Az you can end up with class 6 felony over matter your job as guard is over as well your freedom even if nothing more happen shooting door frame. All I state Mas this is new issue it happening more and more to good cops and bad cops is going away buy listing events these event do happen show issue prove event like Ferguson happen more police would like issue well not be fixed shove under carpet news focus on some thing new. Drake comment shows there is cause to Ferguson goes far beyond Ferguson other police round country see there issue that they need be more address than both side accuse each other over events after matter.
Disagree Mas issue why is events like these keep happening why police feel they do not feel need be held account able to commute the people which protech server over on these type events. Is job of policemen to protech server commute. I fail see where these type events protech server commute. There issue of those in police keep state well these type events do not happen enough or just few bad cops cause this events. Is just importane Mas point if Ferguson police had better standing with people protech and server them like what been doing Dallas thing might not happen way did Ferguson??? Mas as arm private security gaurd where live in Phoinex Az where held same standard responsable on deadly force as are police. Infact Phoinex Da show no more mercy on this type issue to us than he does cops I know for fact face him over negligent discharge firearm which most people do not know very big deal in Az you can end up with class 6 felony over matter your job as guard is over as well your freedom even if nothing more happen shooting door frame. All I state Mas this is new issue it happening more and more to good cops and bad cops is going away buy listing events these event do happen show issue prove event like Ferguson happen more police would like issue well not be fixed shove under carpet news focus on some thing new. Drake comment shows there is cause to Ferguson goes far beyond Ferguson other police round country see there issue that they need be more address than both side accuse each other over events after matter.
This story show case dangers being cop.
‘Cops’ Crew Member Killed by Officers While Show Films Armed Robbery
1 hour ago
A staffer on the long-running television crime show Cops was shot and killed Tuesday night by gunfire from local police, while videotaping an armed robbery in progress in Omaha, Nebraska, that also left the suspect dead.
According to the Omaha Police Department, the incident took place at a Wendy’s restaurant around 9:20 p.m. CT, in the vicinity of 42nd Street and Dodge.
Initial reports said the TV crew member — now identified by Langley Productions (which produces Cops) as 38-year-old audio technician Bryce Dion — had been critically injured. The news of his death broke Wednesday morning, as first reported by the Omaha World-Herald and local NBC affiliate WOWT. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer named the victim, along with the suspect Cortez Washington, 32, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“We are striving for unprecedented transparency in this incident,” Schmaderer said in the presser.
Schmaderer would not confirm reports that more than 30 shots were fired by officers, saying only that he did not believe an excessive amount of shots were used. No officers were injured in the incident.
Washington, a parolee from Kansas with a criminal history that included a previous robbery arrest, was carrying an Airsoft pellet gun, which, according to Schmaderer, sounds just like a real gun.
View gallery
.Photo from the scene of the shooting taken by WOWT reporter Brian Mastre (Twitter)
Photo from the scene of the shooting taken by WOWT reporter Brian Mastre (Twitter)
According to John and Morgan Langley, the father-and-son production team behind Cops, Dion was a very private person from the Boston area who had worked on the show for seven years. Dion, who had lived most recently in Santa Monica, California, had been promoted to sound supervisor this past year.
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years in that we’ve never had an incident like this,” Morgan said at the press conference. “Cops truly is a reality show. It’s not staged and not managed. And unfortunately, that’s our highlight and our lowlight”
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragedy and our main concern is helping [Dion’s] family in any way we can,” Langley Productions said Wednesday morning in a statement. “Bryce Dion was a long-term member of the Cops team and a very talented and dedicated person. We mourn his passing. An investigation is ongoing and we are cooperating with local authorities.”
According to Schmaderer, Washington held up a Wendy’s employee at gunpoint and demanded cash.
The suspect was described as wearing a “black hoodie and a white bandana” in a police radio call posted by @MeanStreetsOMA on Twitter. The Cops crew member was described as a white male in the police call.
Three officers, accompanied by Dion and Cops cameraman Michael Lee, entered the building in a tactical procedure. After Lee made a move to a new position, Dion was trapped in a vestibule and was caught in crossfire when officers returned gunfire at Washington. Although Cops crew members wear bullet-proof vests while working, a bullet hit Dion in an area between his arm and his upper torso that was not protected.
Following the gunfire, Washington and Dion were transported by Omaha Fire Rescue Squad to Nebraska Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead.
Video of the scene by the World-Herald showed a bullet-ridden window of glass at the Wendy’s.
View gallery
.The deceased suspect, Cortez Washington (Omaha PD)
The deceased suspect, Cortez Washington (Omaha PD)
Schmaderer added that portions of the shootout were captured on camera and that the video footage has been recovered and is being entered as evidence. Omaha PD released screen grabs of the incident to the media that demonstrated the intense level of the situation.
“When you’re reporting police violence, unfortunately you’re subjecting yourself to the same level of professional violence that police officers subject themselves to every day,” Schmaderer said. “They knew they were heading into an armed robbery situation.”
Cops has been filming in Omaha there since June. Production was originally scheduled to continue for one more week, and the Langleys said they don’t yet know how they’re going to proceed. They added that although they’ve begun to think about how they’ll handle honoring Dion, it was too premature to comment on any plans.
Cops aired on the Fox network for 25 years before moving to Spike TV in 2013. Spike TV had no comment on the incident, but referred all inquiries to Langley Productions.
Schmaderer said that his department was proud to have Cops in town filming, because they were eager to highlight the strong work conducted in their department. He added that the officers considered Dion a friend, and this incident felt “as if we lost one of our own. [Dion] was an incredible man.”
Indeed, according to a WOWT reporter, the Omaha police had embraced the production crew’s presence over the summer.
This story show case dangers being cop.
‘Cops’ Crew Member Killed by Officers While Show Films Armed Robbery
1 hour ago
A staffer on the long-running television crime show Cops was shot and killed Tuesday night by gunfire from local police, while videotaping an armed robbery in progress in Omaha, Nebraska, that also left the suspect dead.
According to the Omaha Police Department, the incident took place at a Wendy’s restaurant around 9:20 p.m. CT, in the vicinity of 42nd Street and Dodge.
Initial reports said the TV crew member — now identified by Langley Productions (which produces Cops) as 38-year-old audio technician Bryce Dion — had been critically injured. The news of his death broke Wednesday morning, as first reported by the Omaha World-Herald and local NBC affiliate WOWT. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer named the victim, along with the suspect Cortez Washington, 32, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“We are striving for unprecedented transparency in this incident,” Schmaderer said in the presser.
Schmaderer would not confirm reports that more than 30 shots were fired by officers, saying only that he did not believe an excessive amount of shots were used. No officers were injured in the incident.
Washington, a parolee from Kansas with a criminal history that included a previous robbery arrest, was carrying an Airsoft pellet gun, which, according to Schmaderer, sounds just like a real gun.
View gallery
.Photo from the scene of the shooting taken by WOWT reporter Brian Mastre (Twitter)
Photo from the scene of the shooting taken by WOWT reporter Brian Mastre (Twitter)
According to John and Morgan Langley, the father-and-son production team behind Cops, Dion was a very private person from the Boston area who had worked on the show for seven years. Dion, who had lived most recently in Santa Monica, California, had been promoted to sound supervisor this past year.
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years in that we’ve never had an incident like this,” Morgan said at the press conference. “Cops truly is a reality show. It’s not staged and not managed. And unfortunately, that’s our highlight and our lowlight”
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragedy and our main concern is helping [Dion’s] family in any way we can,” Langley Productions said Wednesday morning in a statement. “Bryce Dion was a long-term member of the Cops team and a very talented and dedicated person. We mourn his passing. An investigation is ongoing and we are cooperating with local authorities.”
According to Schmaderer, Washington held up a Wendy’s employee at gunpoint and demanded cash.
The suspect was described as wearing a “black hoodie and a white bandana” in a police radio call posted by @MeanStreetsOMA on Twitter. The Cops crew member was described as a white male in the police call.
Three officers, accompanied by Dion and Cops cameraman Michael Lee, entered the building in a tactical procedure. After Lee made a move to a new position, Dion was trapped in a vestibule and was caught in crossfire when officers returned gunfire at Washington. Although Cops crew members wear bullet-proof vests while working, a bullet hit Dion in an area between his arm and his upper torso that was not protected.
Following the gunfire, Washington and Dion were transported by Omaha Fire Rescue Squad to Nebraska Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead.
Video of the scene by the World-Herald showed a bullet-ridden window of glass at the Wendy’s.
View gallery
.The deceased suspect, Cortez Washington (Omaha PD)
The deceased suspect, Cortez Washington (Omaha PD)
Schmaderer added that portions of the shootout were captured on camera and that the video footage has been recovered and is being entered as evidence. Omaha PD released screen grabs of the incident to the media that demonstrated the intense level of the situation.
“When you’re reporting police violence, unfortunately you’re subjecting yourself to the same level of professional violence that police officers subject themselves to every day,” Schmaderer said. “They knew they were heading into an armed robbery situation.”
Cops has been filming in Omaha there since June. Production was originally scheduled to continue for one more week, and the Langleys said they don’t yet know how they’re going to proceed. They added that although they’ve begun to think about how they’ll handle honoring Dion, it was too premature to comment on any plans.
Cops aired on the Fox network for 25 years before moving to Spike TV in 2013. Spike TV had no comment on the incident, but referred all inquiries to Langley Productions.
Schmaderer said that his department was proud to have Cops in town filming, because they were eager to highlight the strong work conducted in their department. He added that the officers considered Dion a friend, and this incident felt “as if we lost one of our own. [Dion] was an incredible man.”
Indeed, according to a WOWT reporter, the Omaha police had embraced the production crew’s presence over the summer.
This story show case dangers being cop.
‘Cops’ Crew Member Killed by Officers While Show Films Armed Robbery
1 hour ago
A staffer on the long-running television crime show Cops was shot and killed Tuesday night by gunfire from local police, while videotaping an armed robbery in progress in Omaha, Nebraska, that also left the suspect dead.
According to the Omaha Police Department, the incident took place at a Wendy’s restaurant around 9:20 p.m. CT, in the vicinity of 42nd Street and Dodge.
Initial reports said the TV crew member — now identified by Langley Productions (which produces Cops) as 38-year-old audio technician Bryce Dion — had been critically injured. The news of his death broke Wednesday morning, as first reported by the Omaha World-Herald and local NBC affiliate WOWT. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer named the victim, along with the suspect Cortez Washington, 32, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“We are striving for unprecedented transparency in this incident,” Schmaderer said in the presser.
Schmaderer would not confirm reports that more than 30 shots were fired by officers, saying only that he did not believe an excessive amount of shots were used. No officers were injured in the incident.
Washington, a parolee from Kansas with a criminal history that included a previous robbery arrest, was carrying an Airsoft pellet gun, which, according to Schmaderer, sounds just like a real gun.
View gallery
.Photo from the scene of the shooting taken by WOWT reporter Brian Mastre (Twitter)
Photo from the scene of the shooting taken by WOWT reporter Brian Mastre (Twitter)
According to John and Morgan Langley, the father-and-son production team behind Cops, Dion was a very private person from the Boston area who had worked on the show for seven years. Dion, who had lived most recently in Santa Monica, California, had been promoted to sound supervisor this past year.
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years in that we’ve never had an incident like this,” Morgan said at the press conference. “Cops truly is a reality show. It’s not staged and not managed. And unfortunately, that’s our highlight and our lowlight”
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragedy and our main concern is helping [Dion’s] family in any way we can,” Langley Productions said Wednesday morning in a statement. “Bryce Dion was a long-term member of the Cops team and a very talented and dedicated person. We mourn his passing. An investigation is ongoing and we are cooperating with local authorities.”
According to Schmaderer, Washington held up a Wendy’s employee at gunpoint and demanded cash.
The suspect was described as wearing a “black hoodie and a white bandana” in a police radio call posted by @MeanStreetsOMA on Twitter. The Cops crew member was described as a white male in the police call.
Three officers, accompanied by Dion and Cops cameraman Michael Lee, entered the building in a tactical procedure. After Lee made a move to a new position, Dion was trapped in a vestibule and was caught in crossfire when officers returned gunfire at Washington. Although Cops crew members wear bullet-proof vests while working, a bullet hit Dion in an area between his arm and his upper torso that was not protected.
Following the gunfire, Washington and Dion were transported by Omaha Fire Rescue Squad to Nebraska Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead.
Video of the scene by the World-Herald showed a bullet-ridden window of glass at the Wendy’s.
View gallery
.The deceased suspect, Cortez Washington (Omaha PD)
The deceased suspect, Cortez Washington (Omaha PD)
Schmaderer added that portions of the shootout were captured on camera and that the video footage has been recovered and is being entered as evidence. Omaha PD released screen grabs of the incident to the media that demonstrated the intense level of the situation.
“When you’re reporting police violence, unfortunately you’re subjecting yourself to the same level of professional violence that police officers subject themselves to every day,” Schmaderer said. “They knew they were heading into an armed robbery situation.”
Cops has been filming in Omaha there since June. Production was originally scheduled to continue for one more week, and the Langleys said they don’t yet know how they’re going to proceed. They added that although they’ve begun to think about how they’ll handle honoring Dion, it was too premature to comment on any plans.
Cops aired on the Fox network for 25 years before moving to Spike TV in 2013. Spike TV had no comment on the incident, but referred all inquiries to Langley Productions.
Schmaderer said that his department was proud to have Cops in town filming, because they were eager to highlight the strong work conducted in their department. He added that the officers considered Dion a friend, and this incident felt “as if we lost one of our own. [Dion] was an incredible man.”
Indeed, according to a WOWT reporter, the Omaha police had embraced the production crew’s presence over the summer.
Mas state there no issue based on record policemen of shooting does prove he did do some thing wrong should stop people who police work for from question his actions . Refuse state there problem over these matter which other police have stay there is not part of solution that work keeps event from take place. Mas showing events like take place happen more than people happy admit they do only way learn how prevent them.
Mas state there no issue based on record policemen of shooting does prove he did do some thing wrong should stop people who police work for from question his actions . Refuse state there problem over these matter which other police have stay there is not part of solution that work keeps event from take place. Mas showing events like take place happen more than people happy admit they do only way learn how prevent them.
Missouri governor names new public safety director
Associated Press By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER and DAVID A. LIEB
1 hour ago.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday appointed a new state public safety director, giving his administration its only black Cabinet member nearly three weeks after the shooting of a black 18-year-old by a white police officer led to violent protests in a St. Louis suburb.
The appointment comes after Nixon faced criticism both for the lack of racial diversity among his department leaders and for the state’s response to protesters and looters following the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Nixon did not directly say whether the leadership change was related to the events in Ferguson. He said Isom “has experience and training in law enforcement that are almost unmatched.” Nixon also denied forcing Lee to resign.
“I work constantly to try to make sure we have a government that reflects the citizens of the state,” Nixon said at a St. Louis press conference that abruptly ended after he had fielded only a few questions.
In the immediate days after Brown’s shooting, local police in riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who refused to disperse and, at times, broke into nearby stores. Nixon eventually placed the State Highway Patrol in charge of securing Ferguson with a more relaxed approach. After one relatively calm night, however, police stood by as people again looted stores. Nixon then imposed a curfew, lifted it after a couple of nights of clashes between police and protesters, and called in the National Guard.
View galleryFormer St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom, left, speaks …
Former St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom, left, speaks after he is named director of the Missouri Depa …
Tensions have lessened in recent days, but Nixon did not say Wednesday how long the patrol would remain in charge of securing the neighborhood near where Brown was shot.
Later Wednesday, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson announced that the Guard and police from the city of St. Louis had completed their departure from Ferguson. Johnson declined to discuss when state troopers would cede authority in the West Florissant Avenue commercial corridor to local police, though he did say that fewer troopers are on the ground now.
The public safety director oversees both the patrol and the guard. He also oversees the State Emergency Management Agency, which deals with natural disasters, and a wide variety of other programs such as veterans’ nursing homes and casino regulations.
Isom joined the St. Louis police department in 1988 and served as the chief from October 2008 until he retired in January 2013. He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
“As a professor and as a police officer, I’ve dedicated my life to trying to find out better ways to make the community safe,” Isom said.
Before his appointment in October 2011, Lee worked for 38 years in the St. Louis County Police Department, including serving as chief from 2004 to 2009. He submitted a one-sentence resignation letter dated Tuesday that provided no explanation about why he is leaving the state public safety department.
Although Isom will be Nixon’s only black Cabinet member, he is not the first. Kelvin Simmons served as commissioner of the Office of Administration from 2009, when Nixon became governor, until he left in 2012 for a private-sector job.
Missouri governor names new public safety director
Associated Press By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER and DAVID A. LIEB
1 hour ago.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday appointed a new state public safety director, giving his administration its only black Cabinet member nearly three weeks after the shooting of a black 18-year-old by a white police officer led to violent protests in a St. Louis suburb.
The appointment comes after Nixon faced criticism both for the lack of racial diversity among his department leaders and for the state’s response to protesters and looters following the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Nixon did not directly say whether the leadership change was related to the events in Ferguson. He said Isom “has experience and training in law enforcement that are almost unmatched.” Nixon also denied forcing Lee to resign.
“I work constantly to try to make sure we have a government that reflects the citizens of the state,” Nixon said at a St. Louis press conference that abruptly ended after he had fielded only a few questions.
In the immediate days after Brown’s shooting, local police in riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who refused to disperse and, at times, broke into nearby stores. Nixon eventually placed the State Highway Patrol in charge of securing Ferguson with a more relaxed approach. After one relatively calm night, however, police stood by as people again looted stores. Nixon then imposed a curfew, lifted it after a couple of nights of clashes between police and protesters, and called in the National Guard.
View galleryFormer St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom, left, speaks …
Former St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom, left, speaks after he is named director of the Missouri Depa …
Tensions have lessened in recent days, but Nixon did not say Wednesday how long the patrol would remain in charge of securing the neighborhood near where Brown was shot.
Later Wednesday, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson announced that the Guard and police from the city of St. Louis had completed their departure from Ferguson. Johnson declined to discuss when state troopers would cede authority in the West Florissant Avenue commercial corridor to local police, though he did say that fewer troopers are on the ground now.
The public safety director oversees both the patrol and the guard. He also oversees the State Emergency Management Agency, which deals with natural disasters, and a wide variety of other programs such as veterans’ nursing homes and casino regulations.
Isom joined the St. Louis police department in 1988 and served as the chief from October 2008 until he retired in January 2013. He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
“As a professor and as a police officer, I’ve dedicated my life to trying to find out better ways to make the community safe,” Isom said.
Before his appointment in October 2011, Lee worked for 38 years in the St. Louis County Police Department, including serving as chief from 2004 to 2009. He submitted a one-sentence resignation letter dated Tuesday that provided no explanation about why he is leaving the state public safety department.
Although Isom will be Nixon’s only black Cabinet member, he is not the first. Kelvin Simmons served as commissioner of the Office of Administration from 2009, when Nixon became governor, until he left in 2012 for a private-sector job.
Missouri governor names new public safety director
Associated Press By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER and DAVID A. LIEB
1 hour ago.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday appointed a new state public safety director, giving his administration its only black Cabinet member nearly three weeks after the shooting of a black 18-year-old by a white police officer led to violent protests in a St. Louis suburb.
The appointment comes after Nixon faced criticism both for the lack of racial diversity among his department leaders and for the state’s response to protesters and looters following the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Nixon did not directly say whether the leadership change was related to the events in Ferguson. He said Isom “has experience and training in law enforcement that are almost unmatched.” Nixon also denied forcing Lee to resign.
“I work constantly to try to make sure we have a government that reflects the citizens of the state,” Nixon said at a St. Louis press conference that abruptly ended after he had fielded only a few questions.
In the immediate days after Brown’s shooting, local police in riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who refused to disperse and, at times, broke into nearby stores. Nixon eventually placed the State Highway Patrol in charge of securing Ferguson with a more relaxed approach. After one relatively calm night, however, police stood by as people again looted stores. Nixon then imposed a curfew, lifted it after a couple of nights of clashes between police and protesters, and called in the National Guard.
View galleryFormer St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom, left, speaks …
Former St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom, left, speaks after he is named director of the Missouri Depa …
Tensions have lessened in recent days, but Nixon did not say Wednesday how long the patrol would remain in charge of securing the neighborhood near where Brown was shot.
Later Wednesday, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson announced that the Guard and police from the city of St. Louis had completed their departure from Ferguson. Johnson declined to discuss when state troopers would cede authority in the West Florissant Avenue commercial corridor to local police, though he did say that fewer troopers are on the ground now.
The public safety director oversees both the patrol and the guard. He also oversees the State Emergency Management Agency, which deals with natural disasters, and a wide variety of other programs such as veterans’ nursing homes and casino regulations.
Isom joined the St. Louis police department in 1988 and served as the chief from October 2008 until he retired in January 2013. He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
“As a professor and as a police officer, I’ve dedicated my life to trying to find out better ways to make the community safe,” Isom said.
Before his appointment in October 2011, Lee worked for 38 years in the St. Louis County Police Department, including serving as chief from 2004 to 2009. He submitted a one-sentence resignation letter dated Tuesday that provided no explanation about why he is leaving the state public safety department.
Although Isom will be Nixon’s only black Cabinet member, he is not the first. Kelvin Simmons served as commissioner of the Office of Administration from 2009, when Nixon became governor, until he left in 2012 for a private-sector job.
My suspicion is that the Grand Jury was empaneled by the prosecutor as a means of preventing what happened to Wolfinger in the Zimmerman fiasco. If you’ll recall, under intense pressure not to proceed, Wolfinger indicated that he was taking the evidence to a Grand Jury. Before the Grand Jury could be seated, Wolfinger was yanked from the case, and a special prosecutor (Angela Corey) was appointed. Corey promptly cancelled the Grand Jury, and proceeded on information only (on what must go down in history as one of the weakest PCAs of all time).
I think McCollough saw the same sort of pressure on him, and on Nixon, and so he acted quickly to ensure that the Grand Jury was empanelled, and that they began receiving evidence. He then called Nixon’s “vigorous prosecution” bluff, and told him, in essence, to put up or shut up on the matter of appointing a special prosecutor.
Basically, an early Grand Jury (for which McCollough has already said it will take until October to give them all of the evidence) prevents the usual BGI suspects (Parks, Crump, et al) from manipulating the justice system for their own, racially motivated financial gain (criminal arrest = first step toward civil lawsuit).
My suspicion is that the Grand Jury was empaneled by the prosecutor as a means of preventing what happened to Wolfinger in the Zimmerman fiasco. If you’ll recall, under intense pressure not to proceed, Wolfinger indicated that he was taking the evidence to a Grand Jury. Before the Grand Jury could be seated, Wolfinger was yanked from the case, and a special prosecutor (Angela Corey) was appointed. Corey promptly cancelled the Grand Jury, and proceeded on information only (on what must go down in history as one of the weakest PCAs of all time).
I think McCollough saw the same sort of pressure on him, and on Nixon, and so he acted quickly to ensure that the Grand Jury was empanelled, and that they began receiving evidence. He then called Nixon’s “vigorous prosecution” bluff, and told him, in essence, to put up or shut up on the matter of appointing a special prosecutor.
Basically, an early Grand Jury (for which McCollough has already said it will take until October to give them all of the evidence) prevents the usual BGI suspects (Parks, Crump, et al) from manipulating the justice system for their own, racially motivated financial gain (criminal arrest = first step toward civil lawsuit).
My suspicion is that the Grand Jury was empaneled by the prosecutor as a means of preventing what happened to Wolfinger in the Zimmerman fiasco. If you’ll recall, under intense pressure not to proceed, Wolfinger indicated that he was taking the evidence to a Grand Jury. Before the Grand Jury could be seated, Wolfinger was yanked from the case, and a special prosecutor (Angela Corey) was appointed. Corey promptly cancelled the Grand Jury, and proceeded on information only (on what must go down in history as one of the weakest PCAs of all time).
I think McCollough saw the same sort of pressure on him, and on Nixon, and so he acted quickly to ensure that the Grand Jury was empanelled, and that they began receiving evidence. He then called Nixon’s “vigorous prosecution” bluff, and told him, in essence, to put up or shut up on the matter of appointing a special prosecutor.
Basically, an early Grand Jury (for which McCollough has already said it will take until October to give them all of the evidence) prevents the usual BGI suspects (Parks, Crump, et al) from manipulating the justice system for their own, racially motivated financial gain (criminal arrest = first step toward civil lawsuit).
Chip Bennett: I like the way you think, and I hope you are right.
Patrick: I don’t think you and I are communicating. The topic of this particular discussion thread is getting both sides of the story before rushing to judgment. Cutting and pasting anti-cop rhetoric is inappropriate for that. Try looking for material where both sides are presented, preferably after thorough investigation and fact-finding. One of the cases you cite involves a shooting from a few years ago; I know the officer who pulled the trigger, and I agree with the district attorney who ruled that shooting a justifiable homicide.
Chip Bennett: I like the way you think, and I hope you are right.
Patrick: I don’t think you and I are communicating. The topic of this particular discussion thread is getting both sides of the story before rushing to judgment. Cutting and pasting anti-cop rhetoric is inappropriate for that. Try looking for material where both sides are presented, preferably after thorough investigation and fact-finding. One of the cases you cite involves a shooting from a few years ago; I know the officer who pulled the trigger, and I agree with the district attorney who ruled that shooting a justifiable homicide.
Scottsdale to settle police shooting lawsuit for $4.25M
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Scottsdale to settle police shooting lawsuit for $4.25M
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Scottsdale to settle police shooting lawsuit for $4.25M
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Scottsdale to settle police shooting lawsuit for $4.25M
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Scottsdale to settle police shooting lawsuit for $4.25M
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Scottsdale to settle police shooting lawsuit for $4.25M
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Dallas police chief calls for body cameras after cops shoot unarmed teen, mentally ill man.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dallas Police Chief David Brown called for body cameras for officers this week after two city police officers were indicted for shooting civilians, one of whom was a mentally ill man who was off his medications.
The Associated Press said that Officers Cardan Spencer and Amy Wilburn were both charged with aggravated assault by a public servant in cases where their testimony did not match up with video evidence.
Spencer was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last week over the shooting of 52-year-old Bobby Bennett, which took place on October 13 of last year. Spencer claimed that Bennett lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to open fire. Video taken from a neighboring house’s surveillance cameras, however, showed Bennett standing stock still on the lawn of his mother’s home in Rylie, TX, before being struck by a bullet and crumpling to the ground.
Bennett was hospitalized for weeks. Police Chief David Brown fired Spencer two weeks after the incident.
Joyce Jackson, Bennett’s mother, told the AP after the incident that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the time of the shooting, she said, he was off his medication.
Officer Amy Wilburn reportedly shot an unarmed 19-year-old who was riding in a stolen car on December 19 of last year. Wilburn’s attorneys claimed that the officer thought Kelvion Walker was reaching for a gun.
Witnesses, however, report that Walker’s hands were in the air and he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him.
“Walker and his attorney, Geoff Henley, filed a federal lawsuit against Wilburn in mid-December,” reported the Dallas Morning News. “Attorneys in the case are currently going through the discovery process.”
Brown told the AP on Monday that he believes officers should be equipped with body cameras like the constantly-recording cameras already on police cruiser dashboards. In disputed situations, he said, officers’ testimony will not be the only evidence.
Peace officers, he said, have “a responsibility to use only the degree of force necessary to protect and preserve life.”
Police union official Ron Pinkston said, however, that the indictments send the wrong message, that officers will feel unduly constrained regarding the use of force and that the end result will be more officer fatalities.
“The result will be more names on the police memorial wall,” Pinkston said.
Videos can be misleading, he said, and the way police work is not always clear to laymen.
“The video is just one part of the investigation,” he insisted to the AP. “But that’s not what the public sees. They only see the video and they make conclusions off the one piece of evidence.”
A study in Rialto, California found that over the first year, “(e)ven with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.”
Furthermore, “Rialto’s police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren’t wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Chesapeake, Virginia, a year of camera use by police produced a sharp drop in complaints against the police department — 51 for 2013, down from 81 the year before.
Dallas police chief calls for body cameras after cops shoot unarmed teen, mentally ill man.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dallas Police Chief David Brown called for body cameras for officers this week after two city police officers were indicted for shooting civilians, one of whom was a mentally ill man who was off his medications.
The Associated Press said that Officers Cardan Spencer and Amy Wilburn were both charged with aggravated assault by a public servant in cases where their testimony did not match up with video evidence.
Spencer was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last week over the shooting of 52-year-old Bobby Bennett, which took place on October 13 of last year. Spencer claimed that Bennett lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to open fire. Video taken from a neighboring house’s surveillance cameras, however, showed Bennett standing stock still on the lawn of his mother’s home in Rylie, TX, before being struck by a bullet and crumpling to the ground.
Bennett was hospitalized for weeks. Police Chief David Brown fired Spencer two weeks after the incident.
Joyce Jackson, Bennett’s mother, told the AP after the incident that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the time of the shooting, she said, he was off his medication.
Officer Amy Wilburn reportedly shot an unarmed 19-year-old who was riding in a stolen car on December 19 of last year. Wilburn’s attorneys claimed that the officer thought Kelvion Walker was reaching for a gun.
Witnesses, however, report that Walker’s hands were in the air and he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him.
“Walker and his attorney, Geoff Henley, filed a federal lawsuit against Wilburn in mid-December,” reported the Dallas Morning News. “Attorneys in the case are currently going through the discovery process.”
Brown told the AP on Monday that he believes officers should be equipped with body cameras like the constantly-recording cameras already on police cruiser dashboards. In disputed situations, he said, officers’ testimony will not be the only evidence.
Peace officers, he said, have “a responsibility to use only the degree of force necessary to protect and preserve life.”
Police union official Ron Pinkston said, however, that the indictments send the wrong message, that officers will feel unduly constrained regarding the use of force and that the end result will be more officer fatalities.
“The result will be more names on the police memorial wall,” Pinkston said.
Videos can be misleading, he said, and the way police work is not always clear to laymen.
“The video is just one part of the investigation,” he insisted to the AP. “But that’s not what the public sees. They only see the video and they make conclusions off the one piece of evidence.”
A study in Rialto, California found that over the first year, “(e)ven with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.”
Furthermore, “Rialto’s police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren’t wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Chesapeake, Virginia, a year of camera use by police produced a sharp drop in complaints against the police department — 51 for 2013, down from 81 the year before.
Dallas police chief calls for body cameras after cops shoot unarmed teen, mentally ill man.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dallas Police Chief David Brown called for body cameras for officers this week after two city police officers were indicted for shooting civilians, one of whom was a mentally ill man who was off his medications.
The Associated Press said that Officers Cardan Spencer and Amy Wilburn were both charged with aggravated assault by a public servant in cases where their testimony did not match up with video evidence.
Spencer was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last week over the shooting of 52-year-old Bobby Bennett, which took place on October 13 of last year. Spencer claimed that Bennett lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to open fire. Video taken from a neighboring house’s surveillance cameras, however, showed Bennett standing stock still on the lawn of his mother’s home in Rylie, TX, before being struck by a bullet and crumpling to the ground.
Bennett was hospitalized for weeks. Police Chief David Brown fired Spencer two weeks after the incident.
Joyce Jackson, Bennett’s mother, told the AP after the incident that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the time of the shooting, she said, he was off his medication.
Officer Amy Wilburn reportedly shot an unarmed 19-year-old who was riding in a stolen car on December 19 of last year. Wilburn’s attorneys claimed that the officer thought Kelvion Walker was reaching for a gun.
Witnesses, however, report that Walker’s hands were in the air and he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him.
“Walker and his attorney, Geoff Henley, filed a federal lawsuit against Wilburn in mid-December,” reported the Dallas Morning News. “Attorneys in the case are currently going through the discovery process.”
Brown told the AP on Monday that he believes officers should be equipped with body cameras like the constantly-recording cameras already on police cruiser dashboards. In disputed situations, he said, officers’ testimony will not be the only evidence.
Peace officers, he said, have “a responsibility to use only the degree of force necessary to protect and preserve life.”
Police union official Ron Pinkston said, however, that the indictments send the wrong message, that officers will feel unduly constrained regarding the use of force and that the end result will be more officer fatalities.
“The result will be more names on the police memorial wall,” Pinkston said.
Videos can be misleading, he said, and the way police work is not always clear to laymen.
“The video is just one part of the investigation,” he insisted to the AP. “But that’s not what the public sees. They only see the video and they make conclusions off the one piece of evidence.”
A study in Rialto, California found that over the first year, “(e)ven with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.”
Furthermore, “Rialto’s police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren’t wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Chesapeake, Virginia, a year of camera use by police produced a sharp drop in complaints against the police department — 51 for 2013, down from 81 the year before.
Dallas police chief calls for body cameras after cops shoot unarmed teen, mentally ill man.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dallas Police Chief David Brown called for body cameras for officers this week after two city police officers were indicted for shooting civilians, one of whom was a mentally ill man who was off his medications.
The Associated Press said that Officers Cardan Spencer and Amy Wilburn were both charged with aggravated assault by a public servant in cases where their testimony did not match up with video evidence.
Spencer was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last week over the shooting of 52-year-old Bobby Bennett, which took place on October 13 of last year. Spencer claimed that Bennett lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to open fire. Video taken from a neighboring house’s surveillance cameras, however, showed Bennett standing stock still on the lawn of his mother’s home in Rylie, TX, before being struck by a bullet and crumpling to the ground.
Bennett was hospitalized for weeks. Police Chief David Brown fired Spencer two weeks after the incident.
Joyce Jackson, Bennett’s mother, told the AP after the incident that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the time of the shooting, she said, he was off his medication.
Officer Amy Wilburn reportedly shot an unarmed 19-year-old who was riding in a stolen car on December 19 of last year. Wilburn’s attorneys claimed that the officer thought Kelvion Walker was reaching for a gun.
Witnesses, however, report that Walker’s hands were in the air and he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him.
“Walker and his attorney, Geoff Henley, filed a federal lawsuit against Wilburn in mid-December,” reported the Dallas Morning News. “Attorneys in the case are currently going through the discovery process.”
Brown told the AP on Monday that he believes officers should be equipped with body cameras like the constantly-recording cameras already on police cruiser dashboards. In disputed situations, he said, officers’ testimony will not be the only evidence.
Peace officers, he said, have “a responsibility to use only the degree of force necessary to protect and preserve life.”
Police union official Ron Pinkston said, however, that the indictments send the wrong message, that officers will feel unduly constrained regarding the use of force and that the end result will be more officer fatalities.
“The result will be more names on the police memorial wall,” Pinkston said.
Videos can be misleading, he said, and the way police work is not always clear to laymen.
“The video is just one part of the investigation,” he insisted to the AP. “But that’s not what the public sees. They only see the video and they make conclusions off the one piece of evidence.”
A study in Rialto, California found that over the first year, “(e)ven with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.”
Furthermore, “Rialto’s police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren’t wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Chesapeake, Virginia, a year of camera use by police produced a sharp drop in complaints against the police department — 51 for 2013, down from 81 the year before.
Dallas police chief calls for body cameras after cops shoot unarmed teen, mentally ill man.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dallas Police Chief David Brown called for body cameras for officers this week after two city police officers were indicted for shooting civilians, one of whom was a mentally ill man who was off his medications.
The Associated Press said that Officers Cardan Spencer and Amy Wilburn were both charged with aggravated assault by a public servant in cases where their testimony did not match up with video evidence.
Spencer was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last week over the shooting of 52-year-old Bobby Bennett, which took place on October 13 of last year. Spencer claimed that Bennett lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to open fire. Video taken from a neighboring house’s surveillance cameras, however, showed Bennett standing stock still on the lawn of his mother’s home in Rylie, TX, before being struck by a bullet and crumpling to the ground.
Bennett was hospitalized for weeks. Police Chief David Brown fired Spencer two weeks after the incident.
Joyce Jackson, Bennett’s mother, told the AP after the incident that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the time of the shooting, she said, he was off his medication.
Officer Amy Wilburn reportedly shot an unarmed 19-year-old who was riding in a stolen car on December 19 of last year. Wilburn’s attorneys claimed that the officer thought Kelvion Walker was reaching for a gun.
Witnesses, however, report that Walker’s hands were in the air and he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him.
“Walker and his attorney, Geoff Henley, filed a federal lawsuit against Wilburn in mid-December,” reported the Dallas Morning News. “Attorneys in the case are currently going through the discovery process.”
Brown told the AP on Monday that he believes officers should be equipped with body cameras like the constantly-recording cameras already on police cruiser dashboards. In disputed situations, he said, officers’ testimony will not be the only evidence.
Peace officers, he said, have “a responsibility to use only the degree of force necessary to protect and preserve life.”
Police union official Ron Pinkston said, however, that the indictments send the wrong message, that officers will feel unduly constrained regarding the use of force and that the end result will be more officer fatalities.
“The result will be more names on the police memorial wall,” Pinkston said.
Videos can be misleading, he said, and the way police work is not always clear to laymen.
“The video is just one part of the investigation,” he insisted to the AP. “But that’s not what the public sees. They only see the video and they make conclusions off the one piece of evidence.”
A study in Rialto, California found that over the first year, “(e)ven with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.”
Furthermore, “Rialto’s police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren’t wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Chesapeake, Virginia, a year of camera use by police produced a sharp drop in complaints against the police department — 51 for 2013, down from 81 the year before.
Dallas police chief calls for body cameras after cops shoot unarmed teen, mentally ill man.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dallas Police Chief David Brown called for body cameras for officers this week after two city police officers were indicted for shooting civilians, one of whom was a mentally ill man who was off his medications.
The Associated Press said that Officers Cardan Spencer and Amy Wilburn were both charged with aggravated assault by a public servant in cases where their testimony did not match up with video evidence.
Spencer was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury last week over the shooting of 52-year-old Bobby Bennett, which took place on October 13 of last year. Spencer claimed that Bennett lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to open fire. Video taken from a neighboring house’s surveillance cameras, however, showed Bennett standing stock still on the lawn of his mother’s home in Rylie, TX, before being struck by a bullet and crumpling to the ground.
Bennett was hospitalized for weeks. Police Chief David Brown fired Spencer two weeks after the incident.
Joyce Jackson, Bennett’s mother, told the AP after the incident that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the time of the shooting, she said, he was off his medication.
Officer Amy Wilburn reportedly shot an unarmed 19-year-old who was riding in a stolen car on December 19 of last year. Wilburn’s attorneys claimed that the officer thought Kelvion Walker was reaching for a gun.
Witnesses, however, report that Walker’s hands were in the air and he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him.
“Walker and his attorney, Geoff Henley, filed a federal lawsuit against Wilburn in mid-December,” reported the Dallas Morning News. “Attorneys in the case are currently going through the discovery process.”
Brown told the AP on Monday that he believes officers should be equipped with body cameras like the constantly-recording cameras already on police cruiser dashboards. In disputed situations, he said, officers’ testimony will not be the only evidence.
Peace officers, he said, have “a responsibility to use only the degree of force necessary to protect and preserve life.”
Police union official Ron Pinkston said, however, that the indictments send the wrong message, that officers will feel unduly constrained regarding the use of force and that the end result will be more officer fatalities.
“The result will be more names on the police memorial wall,” Pinkston said.
Videos can be misleading, he said, and the way police work is not always clear to laymen.
“The video is just one part of the investigation,” he insisted to the AP. “But that’s not what the public sees. They only see the video and they make conclusions off the one piece of evidence.”
A study in Rialto, California found that over the first year, “(e)ven with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.”
Furthermore, “Rialto’s police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren’t wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Chesapeake, Virginia, a year of camera use by police produced a sharp drop in complaints against the police department — 51 for 2013, down from 81 the year before.
Unarmed New Hampshire man shot in the head with a shotgun during botched drug sting
“‘Stop or I’ll shoot’ is not the law of the land,” remarked a local commentator.
Posted on June 28, 2014
Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB) Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB)
WEARE, NH — A “poorly planned” sting operation left an unarmed New Hampshire man dead; shot behind the wheel in the bloody and unnecessary War on Drugs. Despite evidence that contradicted officers’ claims about having their lives endangered, the shooters were not fired and faced no legal consequences.
The incident occurred when the small town of Weare (pop. 8,700) tasked its police department with forcibly preventing citizens from getting high without government permission. To this end, a sting operation was set up to attempt to arrest a small-time drug suspect, 35-year-old Alex Cora DeJesus.
The first attempt to arrest DeJesus failed, according to the Attorney General Joseph Foster’s investigation report, when an initial staged drug transaction netted a woman instead of DeJesus. The woman had allegedly been sent by DeJesus to pick up drugs because he was already too high to drive, foiling investigators’ plans. She was arrested, and subsequently was strong-armed into becoming an informant against DeJesus in exchange for a chance to keep her freedom.
Alex Cora DeJesus Alex Cora DeJesus
On August 14th, 2013, a second staged drug transaction was orchestrated by the Weare police, through the use of multiple informants. After 10:00 p.m., DeJesus was lured to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot, according to the investigation, to meet the informants and to perform a transaction worth $600.
DeJesus was in his vehicle with his girlfriend when the informants walked up to the window of his parked car and interacted with him. When they walked away, police gave the signal to “go, go, go,” and officers that were hiding nearby in unmarked cruisers swarmed the darkened parking lot with lights and sirens blaring.
The team — comprised of Sgt. Kenneth Cox, Sgt. Joseph Kelley, Officer Nicholas Nadeau, Detective Frank Hebert, and Officer Brandon Montplaisir — had evidently not agreed to any sort of plan on what they intended to do following their haphazard attempt to box DeJesus in. Three police vehicles veered into the lot so recklessly that two of them collided. Officers exited their vehicles and screamed at DeJesus with guns pointed at him.
“Despite being virtually boxed in by the unmarked cruisers and being commanded to stop at gun point by two uniformed police officers, DeJesus did not get out of his vehicle,” the attorney general’s report said. “Instead, he drove his vehicle between two unmarked cruisers, turned sharply to the right, drove over the grass and then onto Route 114, southbound. A few hundred yards south of Lanctot’s Plaza the DeJesus’s vehicle veered off Route 114 and into a grove of trees at Greaney’s Farm Stand.”
Two officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. First, Officer Cox fired his .45 caliber pistol, aiming for DeJesus’ back. Then Officer Nadeau fired his pump shotgun at the side of DeJesus’ head as he passed by. A single 12-gauge slug struck DeJesus in the temple.
Both shooters used the excuse that they had to use deadly force in order to stop DeJesus from striking others with his car. This logic is somewhat perplexing, due to the fact that killing a driver only ensures that the vehicle he is operating will continue on its prealigned course. For this reason, shooting fleeing vehicles is expressly prohibited by some departments.
The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR) The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR)
Predictably, the gunshot killed DeJesus, and his vehicle continued onto a highway and crashed into an ice cream stand, a red Saturn sedan, and finally into a grove of trees — a course that could have easily endangered others.
Also, predictably, the department stood by the botched operation. “I think everybody is confident that their actions are correct, but that has to be validated somehow,” said Arthur Walker, who served as town’s interim police administrator.
Attorney General Joseph Foster investigated the shooting, and remarked that “there was no indication that DeJesus was armed or likely to be armed at the time of the incident.” He also noted that some evidence disputed Officer Nadeau’s contention that he thought the speeding car was going to hit him or Kelley.
The AG discovered that the officer who fired the shotgun, Nicholas Nadeau, had been on duty for 25 of the previous 29 hours at the time of the shooting. He called the operation “ill-conceived” and “rash and poorly-planned.”
Nonetheless, the attorney general declined to press charges against either officer, saying that he was “unable to determine whether or not Nadeau’s conduct was justified,” and that “there is insufficient evidence to prove that Nadeau’s mistaken beliefs were unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Not only were the shooters not criminally charged, but both were retained by the department and remain active to this day. In fact, the department has biographies of each officer available on its website. (See: Sergeant Ken Cox, Officer Nicholas Nadeau) Their profiles reveal that they are both military combat veterans who brought their talents from the Iraq War home to fight the Drug War.
In June 2014, the town of Weare settled with the administrator of DeJesus’ estate for $300,000 in an agreement that waived the right to sue the town for wrongful death.
DeJesus may not have been a model citizen, having a history of drug charges, but there was nothing in his history that suggested he was violent towards anyone else. He was ultimately killed while unarmed in America’s bloody, senseless experiment with prohibition.
Unarmed New Hampshire man shot in the head with a shotgun during botched drug sting
“‘Stop or I’ll shoot’ is not the law of the land,” remarked a local commentator.
Posted on June 28, 2014
Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB) Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB)
WEARE, NH — A “poorly planned” sting operation left an unarmed New Hampshire man dead; shot behind the wheel in the bloody and unnecessary War on Drugs. Despite evidence that contradicted officers’ claims about having their lives endangered, the shooters were not fired and faced no legal consequences.
The incident occurred when the small town of Weare (pop. 8,700) tasked its police department with forcibly preventing citizens from getting high without government permission. To this end, a sting operation was set up to attempt to arrest a small-time drug suspect, 35-year-old Alex Cora DeJesus.
The first attempt to arrest DeJesus failed, according to the Attorney General Joseph Foster’s investigation report, when an initial staged drug transaction netted a woman instead of DeJesus. The woman had allegedly been sent by DeJesus to pick up drugs because he was already too high to drive, foiling investigators’ plans. She was arrested, and subsequently was strong-armed into becoming an informant against DeJesus in exchange for a chance to keep her freedom.
Alex Cora DeJesus Alex Cora DeJesus
On August 14th, 2013, a second staged drug transaction was orchestrated by the Weare police, through the use of multiple informants. After 10:00 p.m., DeJesus was lured to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot, according to the investigation, to meet the informants and to perform a transaction worth $600.
DeJesus was in his vehicle with his girlfriend when the informants walked up to the window of his parked car and interacted with him. When they walked away, police gave the signal to “go, go, go,” and officers that were hiding nearby in unmarked cruisers swarmed the darkened parking lot with lights and sirens blaring.
The team — comprised of Sgt. Kenneth Cox, Sgt. Joseph Kelley, Officer Nicholas Nadeau, Detective Frank Hebert, and Officer Brandon Montplaisir — had evidently not agreed to any sort of plan on what they intended to do following their haphazard attempt to box DeJesus in. Three police vehicles veered into the lot so recklessly that two of them collided. Officers exited their vehicles and screamed at DeJesus with guns pointed at him.
“Despite being virtually boxed in by the unmarked cruisers and being commanded to stop at gun point by two uniformed police officers, DeJesus did not get out of his vehicle,” the attorney general’s report said. “Instead, he drove his vehicle between two unmarked cruisers, turned sharply to the right, drove over the grass and then onto Route 114, southbound. A few hundred yards south of Lanctot’s Plaza the DeJesus’s vehicle veered off Route 114 and into a grove of trees at Greaney’s Farm Stand.”
Two officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. First, Officer Cox fired his .45 caliber pistol, aiming for DeJesus’ back. Then Officer Nadeau fired his pump shotgun at the side of DeJesus’ head as he passed by. A single 12-gauge slug struck DeJesus in the temple.
Both shooters used the excuse that they had to use deadly force in order to stop DeJesus from striking others with his car. This logic is somewhat perplexing, due to the fact that killing a driver only ensures that the vehicle he is operating will continue on its prealigned course. For this reason, shooting fleeing vehicles is expressly prohibited by some departments.
The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR) The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR)
Predictably, the gunshot killed DeJesus, and his vehicle continued onto a highway and crashed into an ice cream stand, a red Saturn sedan, and finally into a grove of trees — a course that could have easily endangered others.
Also, predictably, the department stood by the botched operation. “I think everybody is confident that their actions are correct, but that has to be validated somehow,” said Arthur Walker, who served as town’s interim police administrator.
Attorney General Joseph Foster investigated the shooting, and remarked that “there was no indication that DeJesus was armed or likely to be armed at the time of the incident.” He also noted that some evidence disputed Officer Nadeau’s contention that he thought the speeding car was going to hit him or Kelley.
The AG discovered that the officer who fired the shotgun, Nicholas Nadeau, had been on duty for 25 of the previous 29 hours at the time of the shooting. He called the operation “ill-conceived” and “rash and poorly-planned.”
Nonetheless, the attorney general declined to press charges against either officer, saying that he was “unable to determine whether or not Nadeau’s conduct was justified,” and that “there is insufficient evidence to prove that Nadeau’s mistaken beliefs were unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Not only were the shooters not criminally charged, but both were retained by the department and remain active to this day. In fact, the department has biographies of each officer available on its website. (See: Sergeant Ken Cox, Officer Nicholas Nadeau) Their profiles reveal that they are both military combat veterans who brought their talents from the Iraq War home to fight the Drug War.
In June 2014, the town of Weare settled with the administrator of DeJesus’ estate for $300,000 in an agreement that waived the right to sue the town for wrongful death.
DeJesus may not have been a model citizen, having a history of drug charges, but there was nothing in his history that suggested he was violent towards anyone else. He was ultimately killed while unarmed in America’s bloody, senseless experiment with prohibition.
Unarmed New Hampshire man shot in the head with a shotgun during botched drug sting
“‘Stop or I’ll shoot’ is not the law of the land,” remarked a local commentator.
Posted on June 28, 2014
Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB) Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB)
WEARE, NH — A “poorly planned” sting operation left an unarmed New Hampshire man dead; shot behind the wheel in the bloody and unnecessary War on Drugs. Despite evidence that contradicted officers’ claims about having their lives endangered, the shooters were not fired and faced no legal consequences.
The incident occurred when the small town of Weare (pop. 8,700) tasked its police department with forcibly preventing citizens from getting high without government permission. To this end, a sting operation was set up to attempt to arrest a small-time drug suspect, 35-year-old Alex Cora DeJesus.
The first attempt to arrest DeJesus failed, according to the Attorney General Joseph Foster’s investigation report, when an initial staged drug transaction netted a woman instead of DeJesus. The woman had allegedly been sent by DeJesus to pick up drugs because he was already too high to drive, foiling investigators’ plans. She was arrested, and subsequently was strong-armed into becoming an informant against DeJesus in exchange for a chance to keep her freedom.
Alex Cora DeJesus Alex Cora DeJesus
On August 14th, 2013, a second staged drug transaction was orchestrated by the Weare police, through the use of multiple informants. After 10:00 p.m., DeJesus was lured to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot, according to the investigation, to meet the informants and to perform a transaction worth $600.
DeJesus was in his vehicle with his girlfriend when the informants walked up to the window of his parked car and interacted with him. When they walked away, police gave the signal to “go, go, go,” and officers that were hiding nearby in unmarked cruisers swarmed the darkened parking lot with lights and sirens blaring.
The team — comprised of Sgt. Kenneth Cox, Sgt. Joseph Kelley, Officer Nicholas Nadeau, Detective Frank Hebert, and Officer Brandon Montplaisir — had evidently not agreed to any sort of plan on what they intended to do following their haphazard attempt to box DeJesus in. Three police vehicles veered into the lot so recklessly that two of them collided. Officers exited their vehicles and screamed at DeJesus with guns pointed at him.
“Despite being virtually boxed in by the unmarked cruisers and being commanded to stop at gun point by two uniformed police officers, DeJesus did not get out of his vehicle,” the attorney general’s report said. “Instead, he drove his vehicle between two unmarked cruisers, turned sharply to the right, drove over the grass and then onto Route 114, southbound. A few hundred yards south of Lanctot’s Plaza the DeJesus’s vehicle veered off Route 114 and into a grove of trees at Greaney’s Farm Stand.”
Two officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. First, Officer Cox fired his .45 caliber pistol, aiming for DeJesus’ back. Then Officer Nadeau fired his pump shotgun at the side of DeJesus’ head as he passed by. A single 12-gauge slug struck DeJesus in the temple.
Both shooters used the excuse that they had to use deadly force in order to stop DeJesus from striking others with his car. This logic is somewhat perplexing, due to the fact that killing a driver only ensures that the vehicle he is operating will continue on its prealigned course. For this reason, shooting fleeing vehicles is expressly prohibited by some departments.
The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR) The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR)
Predictably, the gunshot killed DeJesus, and his vehicle continued onto a highway and crashed into an ice cream stand, a red Saturn sedan, and finally into a grove of trees — a course that could have easily endangered others.
Also, predictably, the department stood by the botched operation. “I think everybody is confident that their actions are correct, but that has to be validated somehow,” said Arthur Walker, who served as town’s interim police administrator.
Attorney General Joseph Foster investigated the shooting, and remarked that “there was no indication that DeJesus was armed or likely to be armed at the time of the incident.” He also noted that some evidence disputed Officer Nadeau’s contention that he thought the speeding car was going to hit him or Kelley.
The AG discovered that the officer who fired the shotgun, Nicholas Nadeau, had been on duty for 25 of the previous 29 hours at the time of the shooting. He called the operation “ill-conceived” and “rash and poorly-planned.”
Nonetheless, the attorney general declined to press charges against either officer, saying that he was “unable to determine whether or not Nadeau’s conduct was justified,” and that “there is insufficient evidence to prove that Nadeau’s mistaken beliefs were unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Not only were the shooters not criminally charged, but both were retained by the department and remain active to this day. In fact, the department has biographies of each officer available on its website. (See: Sergeant Ken Cox, Officer Nicholas Nadeau) Their profiles reveal that they are both military combat veterans who brought their talents from the Iraq War home to fight the Drug War.
In June 2014, the town of Weare settled with the administrator of DeJesus’ estate for $300,000 in an agreement that waived the right to sue the town for wrongful death.
DeJesus may not have been a model citizen, having a history of drug charges, but there was nothing in his history that suggested he was violent towards anyone else. He was ultimately killed while unarmed in America’s bloody, senseless experiment with prohibition.
Unarmed New Hampshire man shot in the head with a shotgun during botched drug sting
“‘Stop or I’ll shoot’ is not the law of the land,” remarked a local commentator.
Posted on June 28, 2014
Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB) Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB)
WEARE, NH — A “poorly planned” sting operation left an unarmed New Hampshire man dead; shot behind the wheel in the bloody and unnecessary War on Drugs. Despite evidence that contradicted officers’ claims about having their lives endangered, the shooters were not fired and faced no legal consequences.
The incident occurred when the small town of Weare (pop. 8,700) tasked its police department with forcibly preventing citizens from getting high without government permission. To this end, a sting operation was set up to attempt to arrest a small-time drug suspect, 35-year-old Alex Cora DeJesus.
The first attempt to arrest DeJesus failed, according to the Attorney General Joseph Foster’s investigation report, when an initial staged drug transaction netted a woman instead of DeJesus. The woman had allegedly been sent by DeJesus to pick up drugs because he was already too high to drive, foiling investigators’ plans. She was arrested, and subsequently was strong-armed into becoming an informant against DeJesus in exchange for a chance to keep her freedom.
Alex Cora DeJesus Alex Cora DeJesus
On August 14th, 2013, a second staged drug transaction was orchestrated by the Weare police, through the use of multiple informants. After 10:00 p.m., DeJesus was lured to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot, according to the investigation, to meet the informants and to perform a transaction worth $600.
DeJesus was in his vehicle with his girlfriend when the informants walked up to the window of his parked car and interacted with him. When they walked away, police gave the signal to “go, go, go,” and officers that were hiding nearby in unmarked cruisers swarmed the darkened parking lot with lights and sirens blaring.
The team — comprised of Sgt. Kenneth Cox, Sgt. Joseph Kelley, Officer Nicholas Nadeau, Detective Frank Hebert, and Officer Brandon Montplaisir — had evidently not agreed to any sort of plan on what they intended to do following their haphazard attempt to box DeJesus in. Three police vehicles veered into the lot so recklessly that two of them collided. Officers exited their vehicles and screamed at DeJesus with guns pointed at him.
“Despite being virtually boxed in by the unmarked cruisers and being commanded to stop at gun point by two uniformed police officers, DeJesus did not get out of his vehicle,” the attorney general’s report said. “Instead, he drove his vehicle between two unmarked cruisers, turned sharply to the right, drove over the grass and then onto Route 114, southbound. A few hundred yards south of Lanctot’s Plaza the DeJesus’s vehicle veered off Route 114 and into a grove of trees at Greaney’s Farm Stand.”
Two officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. First, Officer Cox fired his .45 caliber pistol, aiming for DeJesus’ back. Then Officer Nadeau fired his pump shotgun at the side of DeJesus’ head as he passed by. A single 12-gauge slug struck DeJesus in the temple.
Both shooters used the excuse that they had to use deadly force in order to stop DeJesus from striking others with his car. This logic is somewhat perplexing, due to the fact that killing a driver only ensures that the vehicle he is operating will continue on its prealigned course. For this reason, shooting fleeing vehicles is expressly prohibited by some departments.
The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR) The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR)
Predictably, the gunshot killed DeJesus, and his vehicle continued onto a highway and crashed into an ice cream stand, a red Saturn sedan, and finally into a grove of trees — a course that could have easily endangered others.
Also, predictably, the department stood by the botched operation. “I think everybody is confident that their actions are correct, but that has to be validated somehow,” said Arthur Walker, who served as town’s interim police administrator.
Attorney General Joseph Foster investigated the shooting, and remarked that “there was no indication that DeJesus was armed or likely to be armed at the time of the incident.” He also noted that some evidence disputed Officer Nadeau’s contention that he thought the speeding car was going to hit him or Kelley.
The AG discovered that the officer who fired the shotgun, Nicholas Nadeau, had been on duty for 25 of the previous 29 hours at the time of the shooting. He called the operation “ill-conceived” and “rash and poorly-planned.”
Nonetheless, the attorney general declined to press charges against either officer, saying that he was “unable to determine whether or not Nadeau’s conduct was justified,” and that “there is insufficient evidence to prove that Nadeau’s mistaken beliefs were unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Not only were the shooters not criminally charged, but both were retained by the department and remain active to this day. In fact, the department has biographies of each officer available on its website. (See: Sergeant Ken Cox, Officer Nicholas Nadeau) Their profiles reveal that they are both military combat veterans who brought their talents from the Iraq War home to fight the Drug War.
In June 2014, the town of Weare settled with the administrator of DeJesus’ estate for $300,000 in an agreement that waived the right to sue the town for wrongful death.
DeJesus may not have been a model citizen, having a history of drug charges, but there was nothing in his history that suggested he was violent towards anyone else. He was ultimately killed while unarmed in America’s bloody, senseless experiment with prohibition.
Unarmed New Hampshire man shot in the head with a shotgun during botched drug sting
“‘Stop or I’ll shoot’ is not the law of the land,” remarked a local commentator.
Posted on June 28, 2014
Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB) Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB)
WEARE, NH — A “poorly planned” sting operation left an unarmed New Hampshire man dead; shot behind the wheel in the bloody and unnecessary War on Drugs. Despite evidence that contradicted officers’ claims about having their lives endangered, the shooters were not fired and faced no legal consequences.
The incident occurred when the small town of Weare (pop. 8,700) tasked its police department with forcibly preventing citizens from getting high without government permission. To this end, a sting operation was set up to attempt to arrest a small-time drug suspect, 35-year-old Alex Cora DeJesus.
The first attempt to arrest DeJesus failed, according to the Attorney General Joseph Foster’s investigation report, when an initial staged drug transaction netted a woman instead of DeJesus. The woman had allegedly been sent by DeJesus to pick up drugs because he was already too high to drive, foiling investigators’ plans. She was arrested, and subsequently was strong-armed into becoming an informant against DeJesus in exchange for a chance to keep her freedom.
Alex Cora DeJesus Alex Cora DeJesus
On August 14th, 2013, a second staged drug transaction was orchestrated by the Weare police, through the use of multiple informants. After 10:00 p.m., DeJesus was lured to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot, according to the investigation, to meet the informants and to perform a transaction worth $600.
DeJesus was in his vehicle with his girlfriend when the informants walked up to the window of his parked car and interacted with him. When they walked away, police gave the signal to “go, go, go,” and officers that were hiding nearby in unmarked cruisers swarmed the darkened parking lot with lights and sirens blaring.
The team — comprised of Sgt. Kenneth Cox, Sgt. Joseph Kelley, Officer Nicholas Nadeau, Detective Frank Hebert, and Officer Brandon Montplaisir — had evidently not agreed to any sort of plan on what they intended to do following their haphazard attempt to box DeJesus in. Three police vehicles veered into the lot so recklessly that two of them collided. Officers exited their vehicles and screamed at DeJesus with guns pointed at him.
“Despite being virtually boxed in by the unmarked cruisers and being commanded to stop at gun point by two uniformed police officers, DeJesus did not get out of his vehicle,” the attorney general’s report said. “Instead, he drove his vehicle between two unmarked cruisers, turned sharply to the right, drove over the grass and then onto Route 114, southbound. A few hundred yards south of Lanctot’s Plaza the DeJesus’s vehicle veered off Route 114 and into a grove of trees at Greaney’s Farm Stand.”
Two officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. First, Officer Cox fired his .45 caliber pistol, aiming for DeJesus’ back. Then Officer Nadeau fired his pump shotgun at the side of DeJesus’ head as he passed by. A single 12-gauge slug struck DeJesus in the temple.
Both shooters used the excuse that they had to use deadly force in order to stop DeJesus from striking others with his car. This logic is somewhat perplexing, due to the fact that killing a driver only ensures that the vehicle he is operating will continue on its prealigned course. For this reason, shooting fleeing vehicles is expressly prohibited by some departments.
The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR) The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR)
Predictably, the gunshot killed DeJesus, and his vehicle continued onto a highway and crashed into an ice cream stand, a red Saturn sedan, and finally into a grove of trees — a course that could have easily endangered others.
Also, predictably, the department stood by the botched operation. “I think everybody is confident that their actions are correct, but that has to be validated somehow,” said Arthur Walker, who served as town’s interim police administrator.
Attorney General Joseph Foster investigated the shooting, and remarked that “there was no indication that DeJesus was armed or likely to be armed at the time of the incident.” He also noted that some evidence disputed Officer Nadeau’s contention that he thought the speeding car was going to hit him or Kelley.
The AG discovered that the officer who fired the shotgun, Nicholas Nadeau, had been on duty for 25 of the previous 29 hours at the time of the shooting. He called the operation “ill-conceived” and “rash and poorly-planned.”
Nonetheless, the attorney general declined to press charges against either officer, saying that he was “unable to determine whether or not Nadeau’s conduct was justified,” and that “there is insufficient evidence to prove that Nadeau’s mistaken beliefs were unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Not only were the shooters not criminally charged, but both were retained by the department and remain active to this day. In fact, the department has biographies of each officer available on its website. (See: Sergeant Ken Cox, Officer Nicholas Nadeau) Their profiles reveal that they are both military combat veterans who brought their talents from the Iraq War home to fight the Drug War.
In June 2014, the town of Weare settled with the administrator of DeJesus’ estate for $300,000 in an agreement that waived the right to sue the town for wrongful death.
DeJesus may not have been a model citizen, having a history of drug charges, but there was nothing in his history that suggested he was violent towards anyone else. He was ultimately killed while unarmed in America’s bloody, senseless experiment with prohibition.
Unarmed New Hampshire man shot in the head with a shotgun during botched drug sting
“‘Stop or I’ll shoot’ is not the law of the land,” remarked a local commentator.
Posted on June 28, 2014
Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB) Investigators take pictures of Alex Cora DeJesus’ bullet riddled car. (Source: WCVB)
WEARE, NH — A “poorly planned” sting operation left an unarmed New Hampshire man dead; shot behind the wheel in the bloody and unnecessary War on Drugs. Despite evidence that contradicted officers’ claims about having their lives endangered, the shooters were not fired and faced no legal consequences.
The incident occurred when the small town of Weare (pop. 8,700) tasked its police department with forcibly preventing citizens from getting high without government permission. To this end, a sting operation was set up to attempt to arrest a small-time drug suspect, 35-year-old Alex Cora DeJesus.
The first attempt to arrest DeJesus failed, according to the Attorney General Joseph Foster’s investigation report, when an initial staged drug transaction netted a woman instead of DeJesus. The woman had allegedly been sent by DeJesus to pick up drugs because he was already too high to drive, foiling investigators’ plans. She was arrested, and subsequently was strong-armed into becoming an informant against DeJesus in exchange for a chance to keep her freedom.
Alex Cora DeJesus Alex Cora DeJesus
On August 14th, 2013, a second staged drug transaction was orchestrated by the Weare police, through the use of multiple informants. After 10:00 p.m., DeJesus was lured to a Dunkin Donuts parking lot, according to the investigation, to meet the informants and to perform a transaction worth $600.
DeJesus was in his vehicle with his girlfriend when the informants walked up to the window of his parked car and interacted with him. When they walked away, police gave the signal to “go, go, go,” and officers that were hiding nearby in unmarked cruisers swarmed the darkened parking lot with lights and sirens blaring.
The team — comprised of Sgt. Kenneth Cox, Sgt. Joseph Kelley, Officer Nicholas Nadeau, Detective Frank Hebert, and Officer Brandon Montplaisir — had evidently not agreed to any sort of plan on what they intended to do following their haphazard attempt to box DeJesus in. Three police vehicles veered into the lot so recklessly that two of them collided. Officers exited their vehicles and screamed at DeJesus with guns pointed at him.
“Despite being virtually boxed in by the unmarked cruisers and being commanded to stop at gun point by two uniformed police officers, DeJesus did not get out of his vehicle,” the attorney general’s report said. “Instead, he drove his vehicle between two unmarked cruisers, turned sharply to the right, drove over the grass and then onto Route 114, southbound. A few hundred yards south of Lanctot’s Plaza the DeJesus’s vehicle veered off Route 114 and into a grove of trees at Greaney’s Farm Stand.”
Two officers opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. First, Officer Cox fired his .45 caliber pistol, aiming for DeJesus’ back. Then Officer Nadeau fired his pump shotgun at the side of DeJesus’ head as he passed by. A single 12-gauge slug struck DeJesus in the temple.
Both shooters used the excuse that they had to use deadly force in order to stop DeJesus from striking others with his car. This logic is somewhat perplexing, due to the fact that killing a driver only ensures that the vehicle he is operating will continue on its prealigned course. For this reason, shooting fleeing vehicles is expressly prohibited by some departments.
The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR) The scene where Alex Cora DeJesus’ car came to a stop after crashing into a red Saturn. (Source: WMUR)
Predictably, the gunshot killed DeJesus, and his vehicle continued onto a highway and crashed into an ice cream stand, a red Saturn sedan, and finally into a grove of trees — a course that could have easily endangered others.
Also, predictably, the department stood by the botched operation. “I think everybody is confident that their actions are correct, but that has to be validated somehow,” said Arthur Walker, who served as town’s interim police administrator.
Attorney General Joseph Foster investigated the shooting, and remarked that “there was no indication that DeJesus was armed or likely to be armed at the time of the incident.” He also noted that some evidence disputed Officer Nadeau’s contention that he thought the speeding car was going to hit him or Kelley.
The AG discovered that the officer who fired the shotgun, Nicholas Nadeau, had been on duty for 25 of the previous 29 hours at the time of the shooting. He called the operation “ill-conceived” and “rash and poorly-planned.”
Nonetheless, the attorney general declined to press charges against either officer, saying that he was “unable to determine whether or not Nadeau’s conduct was justified,” and that “there is insufficient evidence to prove that Nadeau’s mistaken beliefs were unreasonable beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Not only were the shooters not criminally charged, but both were retained by the department and remain active to this day. In fact, the department has biographies of each officer available on its website. (See: Sergeant Ken Cox, Officer Nicholas Nadeau) Their profiles reveal that they are both military combat veterans who brought their talents from the Iraq War home to fight the Drug War.
In June 2014, the town of Weare settled with the administrator of DeJesus’ estate for $300,000 in an agreement that waived the right to sue the town for wrongful death.
DeJesus may not have been a model citizen, having a history of drug charges, but there was nothing in his history that suggested he was violent towards anyone else. He was ultimately killed while unarmed in America’s bloody, senseless experiment with prohibition.
Hey Mas you forgot Scottsdale Az had to settle police shooting John Loxas family for about $4.25 million there stilling paying that to this day .
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Hey Mas you forgot Scottsdale Az had to settle police shooting John Loxas family for about $4.25 million there stilling paying that to this day .
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Hey Mas you forgot Scottsdale Az had to settle police shooting John Loxas family for about $4.25 million there stilling paying that to this day .
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Hey Mas you forgot Scottsdale Az had to settle police shooting John Loxas family for about $4.25 million there stilling paying that to this day .
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Hey Mas you forgot Scottsdale Az had to settle police shooting John Loxas family for about $4.25 million there stilling paying that to this day .
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Hey Mas you forgot Scottsdale Az had to settle police shooting John Loxas family for about $4.25 million there stilling paying that to this day .
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to a tentative settlement of $4.25 million in a federal lawsuit over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by Scottsdale police.
The lawsuit alleges that Scottsdale fails to adequately investigate police shootings and promotes the use of force because of a “tolerant environment.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the family of John Loxas who was shot and killed by an officer in February of 2012.
Loxas was walking in the area of Hayden and McKellips holding his 9-month-old grandson and threatening neighbors with a handgun.
According to police, the first responding officer found Loxas outside his home and ordered him to step away from the house. Loxas reportedly ignored the officer’s commands to step away and ran back inside the house.
After several calls for Loxas to exit the home, he opened the door with the baby in his left hand, and stood just inside the doorway. Officers then saw Loxas reach down to his right, lowering the baby and exposing his head and upper body.
Officer James Peters then responded to the movement with a single shot to Loxas’ head.
Loxas was killed instantly. The infant was unharmed and did not require hospitalization.
Scottsdale police said after searching Loxas’ home, they located a handgun hidden in the couch and within his reach.
After the Loxas incident, Peters was granted disability retirement.
Mas made my point very clear that one people that support those who think that police should do nothing prevent this type events from take place. Even after prove many event have take place not only happen Ferguson they happen all over place outside Ferguson. Sent when question police Mas on police events anti-cop rhetoric when many those case have post questionable out comes from police in them resulted police being remove from there jobs policemen going to jail over what they did city police departments pay out huge lawsuit settlements family members who they kill under questionable circumstances???? So Mas this well be my last post on this after all got fact your one people along all other people refuse see this issue rath hope go way fast so media can stop spot light issue some police like you do not want address. Mas if police work protech server commute why can,t commute question them over way protech server commute with out those in police call them anti-cop for doing so???? What inappropriate point out police can well do thing that do not protech server commute have been caught doing those thing showing they been convicted of doing those thing Mas??? I do not expect reply or you post this. I am glade for one thing there police see this matter for real issue it is are take real steps prevent this events from happening again and again.
Mas made my point very clear that one people that support those who think that police should do nothing prevent this type events from take place. Even after prove many event have take place not only happen Ferguson they happen all over place outside Ferguson. Sent when question police Mas on police events anti-cop rhetoric when many those case have post questionable out comes from police in them resulted police being remove from there jobs policemen going to jail over what they did city police departments pay out huge lawsuit settlements family members who they kill under questionable circumstances???? So Mas this well be my last post on this after all got fact your one people along all other people refuse see this issue rath hope go way fast so media can stop spot light issue some police like you do not want address. Mas if police work protech server commute why can,t commute question them over way protech server commute with out those in police call them anti-cop for doing so???? What inappropriate point out police can well do thing that do not protech server commute have been caught doing those thing showing they been convicted of doing those thing Mas??? I do not expect reply or you post this. I am glade for one thing there police see this matter for real issue it is are take real steps prevent this events from happening again and again.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/08/darren_wilson_is_a_hero.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/08/darren_wilson_is_a_hero.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/08/darren_wilson_is_a_hero.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/08/darren_wilson_is_a_hero.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/08/darren_wilson_is_a_hero.html
Despite advances in civil rights, police brutality and police misconduct continue to be problems in the United States. When an officer steps outside of the bounds of their authority and violate the civil rights of a citizen it not only has the potential to result in severe physical injury but damages the public’s trust in police officers.
Police Brutality and Excessive Use of Force: Police officers are only permitted to use force in proportion to the situation at hand and the threat posed by another person. When excessive force is used that violates an individuals civil rights results, financial compensation may be available if it results in substantial physical injury or death.
Police Taser Lawsuits: Although many people believe that Taser Stun Guns only deliver non-lethal force, Amnesty International has linked at least 334 deaths to police Taser use. According to a report released by Amnesty, victims were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat in 90% of the Taser gun deaths they examined. Repeated shocking and excessive Taser use could cause permanent and potentially fatal injury, and Taser lawsuits can be filed as a result of inadequate training or inappropriate use of the stun guns.
Police Shooting Deaths: A weapon should only be drawn by a police officer as a last resort, and in situations where an officer negligently or intentionally injures or kills someone in an unjustified police shooting, compensation may be available through a police wrongful death lawsuit.
False Arrest or Wrongful Imprisonment: The police do not have unlimited authority to arrest or detain people. A police officer must have a reasonable suspicion and probable cause to detain someone for any length of time. Placing someone in prison or jail in an unjustified situation can result in serious financial or emotional damage for an individual.
Despite advances in civil rights, police brutality and police misconduct continue to be problems in the United States. When an officer steps outside of the bounds of their authority and violate the civil rights of a citizen it not only has the potential to result in severe physical injury but damages the public’s trust in police officers.
Police Brutality and Excessive Use of Force: Police officers are only permitted to use force in proportion to the situation at hand and the threat posed by another person. When excessive force is used that violates an individuals civil rights results, financial compensation may be available if it results in substantial physical injury or death.
Police Taser Lawsuits: Although many people believe that Taser Stun Guns only deliver non-lethal force, Amnesty International has linked at least 334 deaths to police Taser use. According to a report released by Amnesty, victims were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat in 90% of the Taser gun deaths they examined. Repeated shocking and excessive Taser use could cause permanent and potentially fatal injury, and Taser lawsuits can be filed as a result of inadequate training or inappropriate use of the stun guns.
Police Shooting Deaths: A weapon should only be drawn by a police officer as a last resort, and in situations where an officer negligently or intentionally injures or kills someone in an unjustified police shooting, compensation may be available through a police wrongful death lawsuit.
False Arrest or Wrongful Imprisonment: The police do not have unlimited authority to arrest or detain people. A police officer must have a reasonable suspicion and probable cause to detain someone for any length of time. Placing someone in prison or jail in an unjustified situation can result in serious financial or emotional damage for an individual.
U.S. court will not block lawsuits over Connecticut SWAT raid
August 26, 2014 7:39 PM
MILFORD Conn. (Reuters) – A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that Connecticut police cannot claim immunity to quash lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages from a botched 2008 raid by a SWAT team that severely injured a homeowner and killed his friend.
The decision by the U.S. 2nd Court of Appeals in New York clears the way for a judge to decide whether five suburban Connecticut police departments violated the constitutional rights of homeowner Ronald Terebesi by using excessive force.
On May 18, 2008, a heavily armed SWAT – or special weapons and tactics – team unit knocked down Terebesi’s door, threw stun flash grenades into his Easton home and fatally shot 33-year-old Gonzalo Guizan of Norfolk as the two men watched television.
Guizan, who was visiting the home, died after being shot a half dozen times.
“The court ruling here is going to be relied upon in other courts throughout the country,” Gary Mastronardi, a Bridgeport attorney who represents Terebesi, said on Tuesday. “They set up the parameters that define the extent to which qualified immunity can be asserted by police in SWAT cases.”
In a 51-page ruling that upholds a lower court decision, the appeals court said the police responded with unnecessary and inappropriate force and under the circumstances, are not protected by “qualified immunity” from the lawsuits.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that government officials have qualified immunity against civil damages if their conduct does not violate someone’s legal or constitutional rights.
“The plaintiffs presented evidence indicating that all of the defendants understood that the warrant was for a small amount of drugs meant only for personal use. The basis for the officersʹ entry, in other words, was related to an offense that was neither grave nor violent,” the appeals court wrote in a decision released late Monday.
The ruling coincides with a rash of cases in which police have been accused of using excessive force. In Ferguson, Missouri, days of sometimes violent protests have followed the death of an unarmed teenager shot by a police officer.
The Connecticut raid involved officers from the Easton, Monroe, Trumbull, Darien and Wilton police departments.
It followed a claim by an exotic dancer that she had seen a small amount of cocaine in Terebesi’s home. After the raid, police found only a small quantity of drugs and no guns.
The Easton Police Department declined to comment immediately, and representatives of the other four departments could not be reached on Tuesday.
The towns have claimed their SWAT officers did not use excessive force or violate either man’s constitutional rights.
But District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton ruled in 2012 that the departments are responsible because the SWAT team entered the home with undue force and without enough warning.
Prior to the raid, two police officers expressed concern about using force to execute a search warrant on suspicions of drug possession, court records indicate.
Last February, the towns agreed to pay $3.5 million to Guizan’s family to settle their lawsuit.
Terebesi, 50, states in his lawsuit that he was injured when police hit him in the head with a gun. He claims he is suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of the raid, which he says violated his civil rights.
U.S. court will not block lawsuits over Connecticut SWAT raid
August 26, 2014 7:39 PM
MILFORD Conn. (Reuters) – A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that Connecticut police cannot claim immunity to quash lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages from a botched 2008 raid by a SWAT team that severely injured a homeowner and killed his friend.
The decision by the U.S. 2nd Court of Appeals in New York clears the way for a judge to decide whether five suburban Connecticut police departments violated the constitutional rights of homeowner Ronald Terebesi by using excessive force.
On May 18, 2008, a heavily armed SWAT – or special weapons and tactics – team unit knocked down Terebesi’s door, threw stun flash grenades into his Easton home and fatally shot 33-year-old Gonzalo Guizan of Norfolk as the two men watched television.
Guizan, who was visiting the home, died after being shot a half dozen times.
“The court ruling here is going to be relied upon in other courts throughout the country,” Gary Mastronardi, a Bridgeport attorney who represents Terebesi, said on Tuesday. “They set up the parameters that define the extent to which qualified immunity can be asserted by police in SWAT cases.”
In a 51-page ruling that upholds a lower court decision, the appeals court said the police responded with unnecessary and inappropriate force and under the circumstances, are not protected by “qualified immunity” from the lawsuits.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that government officials have qualified immunity against civil damages if their conduct does not violate someone’s legal or constitutional rights.
“The plaintiffs presented evidence indicating that all of the defendants understood that the warrant was for a small amount of drugs meant only for personal use. The basis for the officersʹ entry, in other words, was related to an offense that was neither grave nor violent,” the appeals court wrote in a decision released late Monday.
The ruling coincides with a rash of cases in which police have been accused of using excessive force. In Ferguson, Missouri, days of sometimes violent protests have followed the death of an unarmed teenager shot by a police officer.
The Connecticut raid involved officers from the Easton, Monroe, Trumbull, Darien and Wilton police departments.
It followed a claim by an exotic dancer that she had seen a small amount of cocaine in Terebesi’s home. After the raid, police found only a small quantity of drugs and no guns.
The Easton Police Department declined to comment immediately, and representatives of the other four departments could not be reached on Tuesday.
The towns have claimed their SWAT officers did not use excessive force or violate either man’s constitutional rights.
But District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton ruled in 2012 that the departments are responsible because the SWAT team entered the home with undue force and without enough warning.
Prior to the raid, two police officers expressed concern about using force to execute a search warrant on suspicions of drug possession, court records indicate.
Last February, the towns agreed to pay $3.5 million to Guizan’s family to settle their lawsuit.
Terebesi, 50, states in his lawsuit that he was injured when police hit him in the head with a gun. He claims he is suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of the raid, which he says violated his civil rights.
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