CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Dec 31 2009 -- Chattanooga police said a couple they believe tried to steal a cart full of TVs and a computer caused chaos at a Walmart.
According to a news release, Officer Josh Wright was off duty when he saw a man trying to force his way past a greeter with about $2,000 worth of stolen goods Sunday night.
Wright displayed his badge, but the man said it was fake and tried to force his way past him.
Wright then tackled the suspect and arrested him.
Then the suspect's wife, feigned a heart attack and said she did not know her husband.
After a witness told Wright the couple had been together in the store, the wife followed the witness into the parking lot and attacked her. The witness stabbed her in the arm with a pocket knife, and the wife had to be treated at a local hospital.
The male suspect was charged with theft over $1,000 and assault on a police officer. Charges against the wife were pending.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Drunk firefighter steals casino security vehicle www.privateofficer.com
PITTSBURGH PA Dec 31 2009
Source: AP — A drunken off-duty city firefighter stole a casino security truck and led officers on a short chase, police said.
William White, a 16-year veteran, has been suspended without pay for 30 days and the chief has recommended he be fired for his "unbecoming conduct while he was off-duty," Assistant Fire Chief Francis Deleonibus said.
White, 50, appeared without an attorney and did not comment as he held his head in his hands during a video arraignment from the Allegheny County Jail on Wednesday. A district judge ordered him to remain behind bars until he is accepted by an alcohol-treatment center.
A Rivers Casino security guard saw White urinating in a parking lot Wednesday about 2:15 a.m., police said. White told the guard he was a firefighter and needed help getting home, authorities said.
The guard drove White to the casino’s main entrance and offered to call a taxi, police said. Instead, White allegedly jumped out of the security truck and began arguing with a woman. When the guard got out of the truck to intervene, White jumped in and drove off, according to a police complaint.
An officer saw the truck driving the wrong way down a nearby road as the description of the stolen vehicle came over the police radio. The officer’s cruiser was damaged in the chase, but nobody was hurt. White was arrested a few blocks from his house.
White faces a Jan. 7 preliminary hearing on theft, receiving stolen property, drunken driving and other charges. Police say a breath test showed his blood-alcohol content was 0.226, nearly three times the state’s legal limit.
The chief’s recommendation that White be fired is nonbinding and must be heard by a trial board composed of three fellow firefighters, who could clear White or impose other discipline, Deleonibus said.
White has no criminal record save a drunken-driving arrest in 1995 in neighboring Butler County. That charge was dismissed when the state trooper who filed it failed to show up for trial.
White’s arrest comes two months after the city firefighters union agreed to random drug testing for the first time in history. Deleonibus said White is not being disciplined under that policy but under state civil service law.
The drug-testing policy was adopted following several incidents involving city firefighters, including one who fed his heroin habit by stealing money from fellow firefighters while answering false alarms he had called in.
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William White, a 16-year veteran, has been suspended without pay for 30 days and the chief has recommended he be fired for his "unbecoming conduct while he was off-duty," Assistant Fire Chief Francis Deleonibus said.
White, 50, appeared without an attorney and did not comment as he held his head in his hands during a video arraignment from the Allegheny County Jail on Wednesday. A district judge ordered him to remain behind bars until he is accepted by an alcohol-treatment center.
A Rivers Casino security guard saw White urinating in a parking lot Wednesday about 2:15 a.m., police said. White told the guard he was a firefighter and needed help getting home, authorities said.
The guard drove White to the casino’s main entrance and offered to call a taxi, police said. Instead, White allegedly jumped out of the security truck and began arguing with a woman. When the guard got out of the truck to intervene, White jumped in and drove off, according to a police complaint.
An officer saw the truck driving the wrong way down a nearby road as the description of the stolen vehicle came over the police radio. The officer’s cruiser was damaged in the chase, but nobody was hurt. White was arrested a few blocks from his house.
White faces a Jan. 7 preliminary hearing on theft, receiving stolen property, drunken driving and other charges. Police say a breath test showed his blood-alcohol content was 0.226, nearly three times the state’s legal limit.
The chief’s recommendation that White be fired is nonbinding and must be heard by a trial board composed of three fellow firefighters, who could clear White or impose other discipline, Deleonibus said.
White has no criminal record save a drunken-driving arrest in 1995 in neighboring Butler County. That charge was dismissed when the state trooper who filed it failed to show up for trial.
White’s arrest comes two months after the city firefighters union agreed to random drug testing for the first time in history. Deleonibus said White is not being disciplined under that policy but under state civil service law.
The drug-testing policy was adopted following several incidents involving city firefighters, including one who fed his heroin habit by stealing money from fellow firefighters while answering false alarms he had called in.
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Security officer shot stopping armed robbery www.privateofficer.com
Atlanta GA Dec 31 2009By: Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
NETWORK
http://www.privateofficer.com/ Police are reporting that an armed robber and a security officer were wounded during a shootout at an Atlanta McDonald's restaurant Wednesday night, police said.
Atlanta police spokesman Officer James Polite Jr. said a man entered the McDonalds at 1176 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW and attempted to force an employee to open the store safe. At this time, a security officer noticed what was happening and confronted the man and the two exchanged gunfire.
Both men were wounded. The suspect fled the scene but was later captured at 1433 Westridge Road SW, suffering from two gunshot wounds to the lower torso, Polite said.
Police say that the security officer was hit in the arm and neck, police said. He was listed in serious but stable condition Thursday at Grady Memorial Hospital, Polite said. His name has not been released.
The alleged robber was identified as Martez Howard, 31. He is at Grady in stable condition and will be transferred to the Fulton County Jail when he recovers, Polite said. He will be charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.
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Atlanta police spokesman Officer James Polite Jr. said a man entered the McDonalds at 1176 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW and attempted to force an employee to open the store safe. At this time, a security officer noticed what was happening and confronted the man and the two exchanged gunfire.
Both men were wounded. The suspect fled the scene but was later captured at 1433 Westridge Road SW, suffering from two gunshot wounds to the lower torso, Polite said.
Police say that the security officer was hit in the arm and neck, police said. He was listed in serious but stable condition Thursday at Grady Memorial Hospital, Polite said. His name has not been released.
The alleged robber was identified as Martez Howard, 31. He is at Grady in stable condition and will be transferred to the Fulton County Jail when he recovers, Polite said. He will be charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
NC teacher charged with sex crimes www.privateofficer.com
GREENSBORO, N.C.Dec 30 2009 (AP) — A middle school teacher in North Carolina has been arrested and charged with sex crimes, some of which occurred more than 15 years ago.
The News & Record of Greensboro reported that 57-year-old Harold Robert Grant Jr. of Greensboro was arrested Tuesday.
Guilford County sheriff's deputies say the charges stem from an investigation of allegations that occurred between 1993 and 2001. They did not release additional details.
The Southeast Middle School teacher is charged with four counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count each of second degree sex offense, crime against nature and felony child abuse involving a sexual act.
Grant was being held in the Guilford County jail. It was unclear if he had an attorney.
The News & Record of Greensboro reported that 57-year-old Harold Robert Grant Jr. of Greensboro was arrested Tuesday.
Guilford County sheriff's deputies say the charges stem from an investigation of allegations that occurred between 1993 and 2001. They did not release additional details.
The Southeast Middle School teacher is charged with four counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count each of second degree sex offense, crime against nature and felony child abuse involving a sexual act.
Grant was being held in the Guilford County jail. It was unclear if he had an attorney.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wounded Pierce County deputy dies from injuries www.privateofficer.com
Seattle, Washington Dec 29 2009 -- A Pierce County, Washington, sheriff's deputy wounded a week ago in a shooting at a domestic dispute died Monday after he was removed from life-support systems, a sheriff's department spokesman said.
Deputy Walter "Kent" Mundell Jr. died surrounded by his family, as fellow officers gathered at the hospital to honor their colleague, said Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer.
Mundell, 44, is the sixth police officer in the Seattle area to die in the line of duty over the past three months.
"We are all worn out," Troyer said.
Mundell and his partner, Sgt. Nick Hausner, responded to a domestic dispute between two brothers on December 21, authorities said. As the deputies entered the residence, police said, one of the brothers, David. E. Crable, opened fire, wounding both officers, authorities said.
According to court documents, Crable had a long history of "terrorizing" family members and violent behavior.
Critically wounded, Mundell returned fire, killing Crable, police said. Both deputies were rushed to area hospitals. Hausner was hospitalized but has been released; Mundell's wounds were severe. He was placed on life support with little hope of recovery, police said.
"The odds were always against him," Troyer said.
Mundell, a nine-year veteran, leaves a wife and two children, a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old, according to a sheriff's department release.
Since October 31, eight police officers or deputies have been shot in the area with six dying in or after the attacks.
On Halloween night, Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton was fatally shot while sitting in his patrol car. Brenton, 39, was reviewing paperwork from a traffic stop when someone fired into his patrol car. An officer Brenton was training was also wounded in the shooting.
A suspect in that case, Christopher Monfort, was arrested and charged with Brenton's shooting and an earlier arson attack that destroyed four police vehicles. He has pleaded not guilty
On November 29, four officers from Lakewood, Washington, were killed in an ambush-style shooting at a coffee shop.
The suspect in that attack, Maurice Clemmons, was shot and killed by police after a two-day manhunt. Police said he intentionally targeted the officers after a series of run-ins with authorities.
Troyer said Mundell will be honored next month in a ceremony at the Tacoma Dome, the same location where several thousand people this month attended a funeral for the the slain Lakewood officers.
"Though his life was cut far too short by this act of violence, his memory will live on in the many people he protected and served," Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire said in a statement. "I stand with law enforcement from across the state as we honor this fallen hero."
Deputy Walter "Kent" Mundell Jr. died surrounded by his family, as fellow officers gathered at the hospital to honor their colleague, said Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer.
Mundell, 44, is the sixth police officer in the Seattle area to die in the line of duty over the past three months.
"We are all worn out," Troyer said.
Mundell and his partner, Sgt. Nick Hausner, responded to a domestic dispute between two brothers on December 21, authorities said. As the deputies entered the residence, police said, one of the brothers, David. E. Crable, opened fire, wounding both officers, authorities said.
According to court documents, Crable had a long history of "terrorizing" family members and violent behavior.
Critically wounded, Mundell returned fire, killing Crable, police said. Both deputies were rushed to area hospitals. Hausner was hospitalized but has been released; Mundell's wounds were severe. He was placed on life support with little hope of recovery, police said.
"The odds were always against him," Troyer said.
Mundell, a nine-year veteran, leaves a wife and two children, a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old, according to a sheriff's department release.
Since October 31, eight police officers or deputies have been shot in the area with six dying in or after the attacks.
On Halloween night, Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton was fatally shot while sitting in his patrol car. Brenton, 39, was reviewing paperwork from a traffic stop when someone fired into his patrol car. An officer Brenton was training was also wounded in the shooting.
A suspect in that case, Christopher Monfort, was arrested and charged with Brenton's shooting and an earlier arson attack that destroyed four police vehicles. He has pleaded not guilty
On November 29, four officers from Lakewood, Washington, were killed in an ambush-style shooting at a coffee shop.
The suspect in that attack, Maurice Clemmons, was shot and killed by police after a two-day manhunt. Police said he intentionally targeted the officers after a series of run-ins with authorities.
Troyer said Mundell will be honored next month in a ceremony at the Tacoma Dome, the same location where several thousand people this month attended a funeral for the the slain Lakewood officers.
"Though his life was cut far too short by this act of violence, his memory will live on in the many people he protected and served," Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire said in a statement. "I stand with law enforcement from across the state as we honor this fallen hero."
Nightclub security officer injured by underage drinker www.privateofficer.com
VICTORVILLE, Calif. Dec 29 2009By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
NETWORK
A security officer working at the Karma Nightlife in Victorville said that he approached a man on Sunday to confirm that he was of legal drinking age.
Police said when the security officer asked for the man's identification he became irate and that's when police say the teen hit the guard with a beer bottle approximately three times in the head.
The security officer was able to take Dervin Foster Junior, 19, into custody despite his injuries he was able to detain him until deputies arrived.
Foster was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and booked at the Victor Valley Jail.
Police said that the security officer received treatment at the scene.
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Police said when the security officer asked for the man's identification he became irate and that's when police say the teen hit the guard with a beer bottle approximately three times in the head.
The security officer was able to take Dervin Foster Junior, 19, into custody despite his injuries he was able to detain him until deputies arrived.
Foster was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and booked at the Victor Valley Jail.
Police said that the security officer received treatment at the scene.
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Wayne County MS. teacher arrested www.privateofficer.com
WAYNE COUNTY, MS Dec 29 2009 (WDAM) - A Wayne County High School teacher and softball coach charged with six counts of sexual battery has posted bail and been released pending trial.
Monday, Richard Craig Bush, 27, of Laurel appeared before Circuit Judge Lester F. Williamson Jr., at the Lauderdale County Court House for a probable cause hearing. The hearing was held there due to holiday scheduling conflicts.
Officials allege Bush had sexual relations with a 16-year-old female several times between October and November.
Justice Court Judge Jane Hutto was bond at $60,000 - $10,000 per count of felony sexual battery.
He faces a possible sentence of 30 years for each count.
Bush turned himself in to Wayne County authorities Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He resigned a week prior.
It is not known how many students may have been involved. Authorities began their investigation into Bush two weeks ago after Superintendent Robert Dean informed deputies of the allegations.
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Monday, Richard Craig Bush, 27, of Laurel appeared before Circuit Judge Lester F. Williamson Jr., at the Lauderdale County Court House for a probable cause hearing. The hearing was held there due to holiday scheduling conflicts.
Officials allege Bush had sexual relations with a 16-year-old female several times between October and November.
Justice Court Judge Jane Hutto was bond at $60,000 - $10,000 per count of felony sexual battery.
He faces a possible sentence of 30 years for each count.
Bush turned himself in to Wayne County authorities Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He resigned a week prior.
It is not known how many students may have been involved. Authorities began their investigation into Bush two weeks ago after Superintendent Robert Dean informed deputies of the allegations.
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Police find burning body, charge 2 with murder www.privateofficer.com
Clanton AL Dec 29 2009 Two men have been charged with murder after authorities discovered the body of an 18-year-old from Autauga County shot and burning in a field in Chilton County.
The Chilton County Sheriff's Office is investigating the grisly slaying, which occurred early Sunday morning.
The victim has been identified after an autopsy as Steven Dorough, 18, of Marbury, said Chief Deputy Shane Mayfield. Dorough was shot in the back of the head with a shotgun and then his body was set on fire, according to authorities. Dorough had completed basic training in July and was a member of the Army Reserve, Mayfield said.
Christopher Kroeger, 21, of the 800 block of Chilton County 59 in Verbena and Joshua Ready, 18, of Chilton County have been charged with murder in the case. Both men were in the Chilton County Jail on Monday night under bonds of $500,000 each, jail records show. Courthouse records do not show if they have attorneys.
Kroeger allegedly killed Dorough, and Ready allegedly took part in the effort to conceal the evidence, Mayfield said.
Mayfield said the killing occurred about dawn Sunday at Kroeger's home, where several teenagers and young adults attended a party Saturday night.
A juvenile reported to the Prattville Police Department on Sunday that he had witnessed a homicide. When Prattville authorities learned the location of the slaying, they contacted the Chilton County Sheriff's Office, Mayfield said.
"Our deputies arrived at Kroeger's home, and they noticed something burning in the field near the mobile home," Mayfield said. "Two young men, reeking of gasoline, answered the door. That's when our officers went to the fire and found human remains."
The investigation revealed that after Dorough was shot, an accelerant was poured over his body and debris was stacked on top before the fire was set, Mayfield said. The body had been burning for two to three hours and was almost consumed when deputies arrived, he said.
Kroeger and Dorough apparently had been involved in a long-running dispute about items that had disappeared from Kroeger's home, Mayfield said. Kroeger felt Dorough was involved in the theft or knew who was, Mayfield said.
Mayfield said the investigation revealed that Kroeger and Dorough had argued and fought at the party just before the shooting. The investigation into the case is ongoing, he said.
"This is not something you would expect to take place the Sunday after Christmas in Verbena, Alabama," Mayfield said.
District Attorney Randall Houston, a veteran prosecutor with more than 20 years in the courtroom, was equally shocked.
"I was going to church Sunday morning when they got me on the radio and told me what had happened," he said. "Something like this is always shocking, and infuriating. But having it take place two days after Christmas makes it even more disturbing."
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The Chilton County Sheriff's Office is investigating the grisly slaying, which occurred early Sunday morning.
The victim has been identified after an autopsy as Steven Dorough, 18, of Marbury, said Chief Deputy Shane Mayfield. Dorough was shot in the back of the head with a shotgun and then his body was set on fire, according to authorities. Dorough had completed basic training in July and was a member of the Army Reserve, Mayfield said.
Christopher Kroeger, 21, of the 800 block of Chilton County 59 in Verbena and Joshua Ready, 18, of Chilton County have been charged with murder in the case. Both men were in the Chilton County Jail on Monday night under bonds of $500,000 each, jail records show. Courthouse records do not show if they have attorneys.
Kroeger allegedly killed Dorough, and Ready allegedly took part in the effort to conceal the evidence, Mayfield said.
Mayfield said the killing occurred about dawn Sunday at Kroeger's home, where several teenagers and young adults attended a party Saturday night.
A juvenile reported to the Prattville Police Department on Sunday that he had witnessed a homicide. When Prattville authorities learned the location of the slaying, they contacted the Chilton County Sheriff's Office, Mayfield said.
"Our deputies arrived at Kroeger's home, and they noticed something burning in the field near the mobile home," Mayfield said. "Two young men, reeking of gasoline, answered the door. That's when our officers went to the fire and found human remains."
The investigation revealed that after Dorough was shot, an accelerant was poured over his body and debris was stacked on top before the fire was set, Mayfield said. The body had been burning for two to three hours and was almost consumed when deputies arrived, he said.
Kroeger and Dorough apparently had been involved in a long-running dispute about items that had disappeared from Kroeger's home, Mayfield said. Kroeger felt Dorough was involved in the theft or knew who was, Mayfield said.
Mayfield said the investigation revealed that Kroeger and Dorough had argued and fought at the party just before the shooting. The investigation into the case is ongoing, he said.
"This is not something you would expect to take place the Sunday after Christmas in Verbena, Alabama," Mayfield said.
District Attorney Randall Houston, a veteran prosecutor with more than 20 years in the courtroom, was equally shocked.
"I was going to church Sunday morning when they got me on the radio and told me what had happened," he said. "Something like this is always shocking, and infuriating. But having it take place two days after Christmas makes it even more disturbing."
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Monday, December 28, 2009
40 Years-4 Million miles-UPS driver retires www.privateofficer.com
BRISTOL, Va. Dec 28 2009
herald-courier – Several months back, Gene and Carolyn Carrier finished yet another in about 40 years of late-night dinners.
Gene’s job as a tractor-trailer driver for UPS amounts to 11 to 13 hour days, which leads to those late-night dinners at home.
“Don’t you think it’s time to retire,” Carolyn said to her beloved husband.
The question, which came more as a statement, surprised Gene.
“We had never even discussed it,” Gene said. “The next morning I said, ‘I’ll tell you what. I’ll fill out the paperwork.’ I held onto it for about 30 days. Finally, I filled it out.”
And so in March, Gene Carrier will officially end his 42-year career with UPS.
On top of that, he recently marked 40 years of safe driving with neither an accident nor a ticket on his remarkable record, despite having driven about 4.1 million miles for UPS.
Carrier’s final driving day on the job comes Dec. 30, one day before his and Carolyn’s wedding anniversary and one month and a day before he turns 65.
“He’s the nicest man you’ve ever seen,” said Charlie Brown, a security guard at UPS. “Man, I’ll tell you, he’s the number-one man at UPS.”
With seven days of work left and on the first half of his daily route from the UPS hub in Bristol, Va., to the hub in Knoxville, Tenn., and back, Carrier spoke of retirement and the job he dearly loves.
“I’ll really miss the people,” Carrier said. “But my wife and I want to go places we’ve only read about while we can.”
APRIL 3, 1967
Carrier’s first day on the job with United Parcel Service was April 3, 1967.
He had attended East Tennessee State University for three years prior. First as a chemistry and mathematics major and then business administration, Carrier had plans other than what became of his working life.
“Then I got the job with UPS,” he said.
His starting pay was $2.25 per hour, about $90 per week.
“I thought, golly, I’m rich now,” Carrier said while rumbling past a Kingsport exit along I-81. “That was a lot of money in 1967.”
Indeed, it was enough to end Carrier’s college career. Since 1983, he’s earned top UPS dollar while wheeling tractor-trailers up and down I-81, but that’s a far cry from his earliest days.
“I started out washing the trucks down on Mary Street,” Carrier said as he waved to another UPS driver who eased his big brown rig by. “The building wasn’t the warmest thing in the world. Had a pot-bellied stove in the middle.”
PACKAGE DELIVERY
Carrier didn’t wash trucks for long. By the end of 1967, he was delivering packages.
“I started with a Chevrolet Econoline van, which was sort of like a panel van,” he said. “Then I drove a Hohn, which looked sort of like the trucks that Brinks uses. Cold, you’d freeze to death in that thing.”
You want stories? Talk to a UPS package delivery driver. Take the time that a big boxer dog chased Carrier into the truck, opened wide and took a chomp from his calf.
“I dropped a package on him, he yelped, and took off,” Carrier said.
Oh, they get better.
“I’ve seen women come to the door naked,” Carrier said.
What do you do?
“Stutter a lot,” Carrier said, laughing loud and smiling wide.
That’s Gene Carrier for you. The native of Bristol, Tenn., owns a smile that he’s all too pleased to pass around to anyone who happens to cross his path.
“Gene is the best,” said Bobby Killebrew, his boss at UPS. “He never stops smiling.”
TRACTOR-TRAILER
Carrier moved up to driving big rigs for UPS in 1983. Most days, he transports two trailers of packages from Bristol to Knoxville, then back to Bristol and on to Roanoke, Va., then back to Bristol to complete his day.
UPS estimates that Carrier has driven more than 4.1 million miles during his 42 years with the company. Now get this. He has no wrecks and no tickets on his resume.
That earned Carrier special recognition, marked by a patch with the number 40 on his left shoulder. The number signifies that he belongs among UPS’ extremely rare fraternity of drivers who own unblemished driving records for at least 40 years.
“We have about 102,000 drivers at UPS,” said Brian Blackwell, a UPS communications official based in Nashville, Tenn. “Gene ranks in the top 25. He’s a remarkable man.”
No wrecks, but plenty of close calls.
“The other day I was coming out of Roanoke,” Carrier said. “This girl was straddling the middle lane. I kept going over to the shoulder.”
Bear in mind that the girl drove a small car – tiny beside Carrier’s hulking International UPS rig.
“You couldn’t even put a fist between me and her,” he said. “I looked down into her car, and she was texting. I put my hand on the horn, and she realized it. Well, she shot back over into her lane.”
Carrier’s driving record persevered.
Carrier motored onward as quiet overtook the cab of his truck. His hands gently, though firmly maneuvered the truck’s large steering wheel. His eyes moved constantly, from momentary checks of side mirrors to gauge readings and of course to the road that stretched before him.
Then as Carrier eased his big brown truck onto exit 7 and toward UPS’ Bonham Road location, he reflected on what it means for him to retire.
“It’ll be sad. I’ve spent two-thirds of my life here,” Carrier said, making eye contact while tears welled in his eyes. “I started when I was 22, and I’m 64 now.”
Carrier paused as he downshifted and eased into the UPS lot.
Security guard Charlie Brown waved as Carrier drove by.
“I’ll miss him when he retires,” Brown said minutes later. “I love him to death. He’s like a father to me.”
As Carrier stopped his truck, he cleared his throat, thought for a moment and summed up his retirement.
“I’ve made a lot of friends. That’s what I’ll miss,” Carrier said. “I’ve got a lot of good memories.”
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Gene’s job as a tractor-trailer driver for UPS amounts to 11 to 13 hour days, which leads to those late-night dinners at home.
“Don’t you think it’s time to retire,” Carolyn said to her beloved husband.
The question, which came more as a statement, surprised Gene.
“We had never even discussed it,” Gene said. “The next morning I said, ‘I’ll tell you what. I’ll fill out the paperwork.’ I held onto it for about 30 days. Finally, I filled it out.”
And so in March, Gene Carrier will officially end his 42-year career with UPS.
On top of that, he recently marked 40 years of safe driving with neither an accident nor a ticket on his remarkable record, despite having driven about 4.1 million miles for UPS.
Carrier’s final driving day on the job comes Dec. 30, one day before his and Carolyn’s wedding anniversary and one month and a day before he turns 65.
“He’s the nicest man you’ve ever seen,” said Charlie Brown, a security guard at UPS. “Man, I’ll tell you, he’s the number-one man at UPS.”
With seven days of work left and on the first half of his daily route from the UPS hub in Bristol, Va., to the hub in Knoxville, Tenn., and back, Carrier spoke of retirement and the job he dearly loves.
“I’ll really miss the people,” Carrier said. “But my wife and I want to go places we’ve only read about while we can.”
APRIL 3, 1967
Carrier’s first day on the job with United Parcel Service was April 3, 1967.
He had attended East Tennessee State University for three years prior. First as a chemistry and mathematics major and then business administration, Carrier had plans other than what became of his working life.
“Then I got the job with UPS,” he said.
His starting pay was $2.25 per hour, about $90 per week.
“I thought, golly, I’m rich now,” Carrier said while rumbling past a Kingsport exit along I-81. “That was a lot of money in 1967.”
Indeed, it was enough to end Carrier’s college career. Since 1983, he’s earned top UPS dollar while wheeling tractor-trailers up and down I-81, but that’s a far cry from his earliest days.
“I started out washing the trucks down on Mary Street,” Carrier said as he waved to another UPS driver who eased his big brown rig by. “The building wasn’t the warmest thing in the world. Had a pot-bellied stove in the middle.”
PACKAGE DELIVERY
Carrier didn’t wash trucks for long. By the end of 1967, he was delivering packages.
“I started with a Chevrolet Econoline van, which was sort of like a panel van,” he said. “Then I drove a Hohn, which looked sort of like the trucks that Brinks uses. Cold, you’d freeze to death in that thing.”
You want stories? Talk to a UPS package delivery driver. Take the time that a big boxer dog chased Carrier into the truck, opened wide and took a chomp from his calf.
“I dropped a package on him, he yelped, and took off,” Carrier said.
Oh, they get better.
“I’ve seen women come to the door naked,” Carrier said.
What do you do?
“Stutter a lot,” Carrier said, laughing loud and smiling wide.
That’s Gene Carrier for you. The native of Bristol, Tenn., owns a smile that he’s all too pleased to pass around to anyone who happens to cross his path.
“Gene is the best,” said Bobby Killebrew, his boss at UPS. “He never stops smiling.”
TRACTOR-TRAILER
Carrier moved up to driving big rigs for UPS in 1983. Most days, he transports two trailers of packages from Bristol to Knoxville, then back to Bristol and on to Roanoke, Va., then back to Bristol to complete his day.
UPS estimates that Carrier has driven more than 4.1 million miles during his 42 years with the company. Now get this. He has no wrecks and no tickets on his resume.
That earned Carrier special recognition, marked by a patch with the number 40 on his left shoulder. The number signifies that he belongs among UPS’ extremely rare fraternity of drivers who own unblemished driving records for at least 40 years.
“We have about 102,000 drivers at UPS,” said Brian Blackwell, a UPS communications official based in Nashville, Tenn. “Gene ranks in the top 25. He’s a remarkable man.”
No wrecks, but plenty of close calls.
“The other day I was coming out of Roanoke,” Carrier said. “This girl was straddling the middle lane. I kept going over to the shoulder.”
Bear in mind that the girl drove a small car – tiny beside Carrier’s hulking International UPS rig.
“You couldn’t even put a fist between me and her,” he said. “I looked down into her car, and she was texting. I put my hand on the horn, and she realized it. Well, she shot back over into her lane.”
Carrier’s driving record persevered.
Carrier motored onward as quiet overtook the cab of his truck. His hands gently, though firmly maneuvered the truck’s large steering wheel. His eyes moved constantly, from momentary checks of side mirrors to gauge readings and of course to the road that stretched before him.
Then as Carrier eased his big brown truck onto exit 7 and toward UPS’ Bonham Road location, he reflected on what it means for him to retire.
“It’ll be sad. I’ve spent two-thirds of my life here,” Carrier said, making eye contact while tears welled in his eyes. “I started when I was 22, and I’m 64 now.”
Carrier paused as he downshifted and eased into the UPS lot.
Security guard Charlie Brown waved as Carrier drove by.
“I’ll miss him when he retires,” Brown said minutes later. “I love him to death. He’s like a father to me.”
As Carrier stopped his truck, he cleared his throat, thought for a moment and summed up his retirement.
“I’ve made a lot of friends. That’s what I’ll miss,” Carrier said. “I’ve got a lot of good memories.”
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Target security nabs "In-store peeper" www.privateofficer.com
PHOENIX AZ Dec 28 2009 -- Police have released surveillance video that seemingly shows a man kneeling down to peek under a woman's skirt at a Tempe Target.
According to a news release from the Tempe Police Department's Web site, Jason Michael Cottis, 37, was arrested on suspicion of using a mirror to look up women's skirts.
On Friday, security staff called police, saying they caught Cottis in the act via surveillance cameras, officers said. Security kept an eye on him until police arrived.
Security officers said they had caught the same man peeking under skirts in the store six times in the past two years; each time before, Cottis had fled before police arrived, according to the Police Department.
Cottis was booked into jail on one count of surreptitious viewing.
According to a news release from the Tempe Police Department's Web site, Jason Michael Cottis, 37, was arrested on suspicion of using a mirror to look up women's skirts.
On Friday, security staff called police, saying they caught Cottis in the act via surveillance cameras, officers said. Security kept an eye on him until police arrived.
Security officers said they had caught the same man peeking under skirts in the store six times in the past two years; each time before, Cottis had fled before police arrived, according to the Police Department.
Cottis was booked into jail on one count of surreptitious viewing.
K-Mart employees charged in gift card scam www.privateofficer.com
Greenwood SC Dec 28 2009 Two Greenwood K-Mart employees have been arrested for stealing between $35,000-$40,000 in a gift card scam that has reportedly been going on since August of last year.
On December 21, 2009, deputies were dispatched to the K-Mart Department store that is located on the 72 By-Pass here in Greenwood.
On December 21, 2009, deputies were dispatched to the K-Mart Department store that is located on the 72 By-Pass here in Greenwood.
Their loss prevention officer, James Lindley stated that they (the store security employees) had noticed that something might be going on with the gift cards at the service desk. Security footage was being watched closely and Lindley then observed two female employees working together to put money on the cards.
One of the females, when confronted by Lindley, told him that she had taken over/approximately $35,000.00.
Terri Lynn Richey, 34, of 209 Lanham Street, Gwd and Kimberly Denise Conner, 41, of 112 Pelzer St, Gwd were both interviewed by Lindley and Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Deputies. Richey stated that she was approached by Conner in August of 2008 and given the idea that they could scan UPC’s (merchandise numbers /codes) from the shelves for returns and put the money on a gift card and either use the card and keep the items or use the card and return the items for cash. Richey said that she thinks she has taken $37,000 since the scam began in August, 2008.
Conner reportedly said that on December 21, 2009 and several other days since November she has been told by Richey to go and take UPC’s from the shelves and in return been given gift cards for the amount of half of the items. Conner then stated that this started sometime last month and happens once a week every-other-week.
According to the two women, this is how they attempted to steal from the store:
According to Richey, Conner would bring her receipts and she would key them into the cash register as a refund. She said this progressed to Conners brining her merchandise or the UPC label for merchandise. Richey would then do a ‘no receipt refund’ and put the money on a gift card. Richey said she estimated the total amount of money and merchandise taken to be between $35, 000- $40,000. Richey also stated that the thefts started out at once per week, but escalated to 2 or 3 times per week in the months of November and December. When the refund was cash, it would be split between Conner and Richey. When the money was put on a gift card, each woman would get a gift card.
Conner wrote a written statement admitting the thefts started in September of 2008. She told deputies that she estimated she had gotten about $1,200.00 in cash and merchandise.
Conner and Richey were both arrested and charged with:
· Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent/Over $5,000
· Conspiracy to commit Breach of Trust.
According to Investigator Dale Boyer of the GCSO, this is an on-going investigation.
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One of the females, when confronted by Lindley, told him that she had taken over/approximately $35,000.00.
Terri Lynn Richey, 34, of 209 Lanham Street, Gwd and Kimberly Denise Conner, 41, of 112 Pelzer St, Gwd were both interviewed by Lindley and Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Deputies. Richey stated that she was approached by Conner in August of 2008 and given the idea that they could scan UPC’s (merchandise numbers /codes) from the shelves for returns and put the money on a gift card and either use the card and keep the items or use the card and return the items for cash. Richey said that she thinks she has taken $37,000 since the scam began in August, 2008.
Conner reportedly said that on December 21, 2009 and several other days since November she has been told by Richey to go and take UPC’s from the shelves and in return been given gift cards for the amount of half of the items. Conner then stated that this started sometime last month and happens once a week every-other-week.
According to the two women, this is how they attempted to steal from the store:
According to Richey, Conner would bring her receipts and she would key them into the cash register as a refund. She said this progressed to Conners brining her merchandise or the UPC label for merchandise. Richey would then do a ‘no receipt refund’ and put the money on a gift card. Richey said she estimated the total amount of money and merchandise taken to be between $35, 000- $40,000. Richey also stated that the thefts started out at once per week, but escalated to 2 or 3 times per week in the months of November and December. When the refund was cash, it would be split between Conner and Richey. When the money was put on a gift card, each woman would get a gift card.
Conner wrote a written statement admitting the thefts started in September of 2008. She told deputies that she estimated she had gotten about $1,200.00 in cash and merchandise.
Conner and Richey were both arrested and charged with:
· Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent/Over $5,000
· Conspiracy to commit Breach of Trust.
According to Investigator Dale Boyer of the GCSO, this is an on-going investigation.
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Nightclub security officer shoots-kills armed man www.privateofficer.com
Dallas TX Dec 28 2009
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
NETWORK
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Police are investigating an overnight shooting at a local nightclub involving a private security officer.
According to reports, a security guard at a Dallas bar shot and killed a man early Sunday after having a gun pointed at him, police said.
Police said that at about 2:20 a.m., someone starting shooting a gun into the air. The security guard, whose name has not been released, drew his weapon and ordered the person with the gun to drop their weapon.
The man lowers the gun but does not respond to the guard's orders.
At this time, the guard said he heard more gunshots and sees another man walking toward him while shooting another gun into the air.
The security guard ordered that man to also lower his gun, which he does but he then raises it again and points it at the guard, who opened fire on the man.
Police said that the first man fled the nightclub while this was going on.
The security guard has been interviewed and released by police officers.
The name of the victim has not been released.
So far, no charges have been filed.
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By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
NETWORK
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Police are investigating an overnight shooting at a local nightclub involving a private security officer.
According to reports, a security guard at a Dallas bar shot and killed a man early Sunday after having a gun pointed at him, police said.
Police said that at about 2:20 a.m., someone starting shooting a gun into the air. The security guard, whose name has not been released, drew his weapon and ordered the person with the gun to drop their weapon.
The man lowers the gun but does not respond to the guard's orders.
At this time, the guard said he heard more gunshots and sees another man walking toward him while shooting another gun into the air.
The security guard ordered that man to also lower his gun, which he does but he then raises it again and points it at the guard, who opened fire on the man.
Police said that the first man fled the nightclub while this was going on.
The security guard has been interviewed and released by police officers.
The name of the victim has not been released.
So far, no charges have been filed.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
OFFICER DOWN
Trooper Dennis Engelhard
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Missouri
End of Watch: Friday, December 25, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: 355
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Friday, December 25, 2009
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Trooper Dennis Engelhard was fatally struck by a vehicle while investigating a minor accident on I-44, in Eureka, on Christmas Day. Another vehicle lost control due to winter weather conditions and struck him.
Trooper Engelhard had served with the agency for 10 years.
Agency Contact Information
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Public Affairs Office
1510 E. Elm Street
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3313
Please contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Houston security officer shot www.privateofficer.com
HOUSTON TX Dec 27 2009 (KTRK) -- A security guard is recovering after he was shot in north Houston.
The shooting happened at around 10:30pm at an apartment complex on Greens Road.
Police say security guards from Blue Moon Investigations were trying to enforce a property curfew rule when someone started shooting, hitting one of the guards.
Someone also shot at the ambulance as it left the scene.
The bullet hit the front bumper. The security guard is in the hospital and listed as stable. So far, no arrests have been made.
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The shooting happened at around 10:30pm at an apartment complex on Greens Road.
Police say security guards from Blue Moon Investigations were trying to enforce a property curfew rule when someone started shooting, hitting one of the guards.
Someone also shot at the ambulance as it left the scene.
The bullet hit the front bumper. The security guard is in the hospital and listed as stable. So far, no arrests have been made.
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Three charged in computer robbery at Best Buy www.privateofficer.com
SPRING HILL, FL Dec 27 2009-- Detectives arrested three who they say were caught on camera stealing laptops from the Best Buy on Wendy Court before Christmas.
Tips to Crime Stoppers helped the Hernando County Sheriff's Office to identify the suspects from the bold December 15th robbery.
David Ford, Jr. and Winifred Guillen were charged with robbery with a deadly weapon and Jessie McCambridge-Ford was charged with grand theft.
Guillen and Ford were in the Best Buy according to authorities trying to steal four HP laptops when they were confronted by the store's security person.
Detectives say Ford pointed a knife at the officer threatening to cut him if he did not get away. McCambridge-Ford, according to deputies, drove the getaway vehicle that was taken from JB Auto Sales under the pretense she was using it for a test drive.
All three subjects were arrested without incident.
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Tips to Crime Stoppers helped the Hernando County Sheriff's Office to identify the suspects from the bold December 15th robbery.
David Ford, Jr. and Winifred Guillen were charged with robbery with a deadly weapon and Jessie McCambridge-Ford was charged with grand theft.
Guillen and Ford were in the Best Buy according to authorities trying to steal four HP laptops when they were confronted by the store's security person.
Detectives say Ford pointed a knife at the officer threatening to cut him if he did not get away. McCambridge-Ford, according to deputies, drove the getaway vehicle that was taken from JB Auto Sales under the pretense she was using it for a test drive.
All three subjects were arrested without incident.
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Check cashing store employee gunned down in dispute www.privateofficer.com
MOSS POINT MS Dec 27 2009— An apparent argument over $125 at a check cashing store resulted in a fatal workplace shooting Saturday that left another man seriously injured and a third in custody on multiple felony charges, officials confirmed.
Sema Hall, 63, of Moss Point, was at work at A&B Check Cashers on Main Street on Saturday afternoon along with another employee, Willie Williams, when the alleged shooter, identified as 56-year-old Marcus Harris, came inside.
Sema Hall, 63, of Moss Point, was at work at A&B Check Cashers on Main Street on Saturday afternoon along with another employee, Willie Williams, when the alleged shooter, identified as 56-year-old Marcus Harris, came inside.
“I was inside doing some paperwork,” said the Rev. Terry Clausell, owner of the adjacent David’s Music & Audio store, “when someone ran to the door and said I needed to come out quickly. I saw Mr. Williams lying on the floor and (Hall) lying on the floor. I asked (Williams) how he was, and he said he was paralyzed on one side. I checked ...(Hall), and he didn’t have a pulse. He was deceased.”
Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus pronounced Hall dead at the scene. Williams, 74 and a former candidate for a Moss Point alderman seat, was taken to Singing River Hospital, where he underwent surgery Saturday night. His condition was not immediately known.
While police officers were at the scene at Main Street’s Southgate Mall, Moss Point Police detective Joycelyn Craig said Harris’ sister brought him to the police department to surrender. He was charged with one count each of murder and aggravated assault and jailed in Moss Point pending a bond hearing.
Police responded to the shooting shortly before 2 p.m. It’s believed Hall was either a current or former employee of the store, though Craig said Saturday night police were still trying to confirm that information.
“We don’t know exactly what led to the shooting,” Craig said. “It was like (Harris) was talking with them, and then there was a shooting. We don’t know what led to the shooting.”
Clausell’s business and another store, Creative Tee’s, are in the same shopping center, with Byrd’s Music & Deli in a building behind the check-cashing store.
Just prior to the killing, James Winters, owner of Byrd’s Music & Deli, said he saw Harris pull up to his store in a pickup, though he was closed for the day. Winters said he was watching his security cameras when Harris walked up and tried to come inside.
“He pulled on the door,” Winters said. “I don’t know what his intentions were. I didn’t know if he was trying to rob me or what. I’m glad I didn’t let him in.”
From there, Winters saw the suspect drive over to the side of the check-cashing business, park and get out.
Minutes later gunshots left Hall dead and Winters seriously injured, though conscious.
Several residents gathered at the store to see what happened.
Former Moss Point Alderman Shorty Middleton and Hall’s fiancee, Phyllis Owens of Ocean Springs, were among those at the scene. Middleton described Williams as a “hardworking businessman promoting business in Moss Point.
“I wish people would start thinking about the consequences of what they do,” he said. “This man (Hall) can’t get his life back.”
Owens said Hall had surprised her with a proposal on her birthday earlier this month.
“He was just a kind, soft-spirited, soft-spoken man (who) always had a smile as long at the Mississippi River,” she said. “He was a beautiful person. I was so looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together.”
Hall had been working at the store for about two years, she said.
Witnesses indicated Harris was in a dispute over money, though details were sketchy.
Winters said Harris would come to eat at his deli a couple of times a week. He said he had no reason to believe Harris was capable of such violence.
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Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus pronounced Hall dead at the scene. Williams, 74 and a former candidate for a Moss Point alderman seat, was taken to Singing River Hospital, where he underwent surgery Saturday night. His condition was not immediately known.
While police officers were at the scene at Main Street’s Southgate Mall, Moss Point Police detective Joycelyn Craig said Harris’ sister brought him to the police department to surrender. He was charged with one count each of murder and aggravated assault and jailed in Moss Point pending a bond hearing.
Police responded to the shooting shortly before 2 p.m. It’s believed Hall was either a current or former employee of the store, though Craig said Saturday night police were still trying to confirm that information.
“We don’t know exactly what led to the shooting,” Craig said. “It was like (Harris) was talking with them, and then there was a shooting. We don’t know what led to the shooting.”
Clausell’s business and another store, Creative Tee’s, are in the same shopping center, with Byrd’s Music & Deli in a building behind the check-cashing store.
Just prior to the killing, James Winters, owner of Byrd’s Music & Deli, said he saw Harris pull up to his store in a pickup, though he was closed for the day. Winters said he was watching his security cameras when Harris walked up and tried to come inside.
“He pulled on the door,” Winters said. “I don’t know what his intentions were. I didn’t know if he was trying to rob me or what. I’m glad I didn’t let him in.”
From there, Winters saw the suspect drive over to the side of the check-cashing business, park and get out.
Minutes later gunshots left Hall dead and Winters seriously injured, though conscious.
Several residents gathered at the store to see what happened.
Former Moss Point Alderman Shorty Middleton and Hall’s fiancee, Phyllis Owens of Ocean Springs, were among those at the scene. Middleton described Williams as a “hardworking businessman promoting business in Moss Point.
“I wish people would start thinking about the consequences of what they do,” he said. “This man (Hall) can’t get his life back.”
Owens said Hall had surprised her with a proposal on her birthday earlier this month.
“He was just a kind, soft-spirited, soft-spoken man (who) always had a smile as long at the Mississippi River,” she said. “He was a beautiful person. I was so looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together.”
Hall had been working at the store for about two years, she said.
Witnesses indicated Harris was in a dispute over money, though details were sketchy.
Winters said Harris would come to eat at his deli a couple of times a week. He said he had no reason to believe Harris was capable of such violence.
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Former NHL player charged with murder www.privateofficer.com
STALLINGS, N.C. (Charlotte metro) Dec 27 2009-- A former Charlotte Checkers hockey player is facing charges in connection with a murder in Stallings.
It was the first murder in the small town in two years.
Bogdan Rudenko, 32, was arrested Christmas morning after a standoff with police in Colorado. He is being held in a Colorado jail without bond.
Rudenko is accused of shooting a man last weekend in Stallings. The man's body was found behind a car repair shop off Independence Boulevard early Sunday morning.
Early Friday morning, Colorado police say they found the hockey player hiding out in a Howard Johnson motel in Colorado Springs.
“There was a standoff. It did last for a short time,” said Capt. L.C. Morgan with Colorado Springs Police Department.
Rudenko played for the Checkers during the 2004-2005 season and has played for a number of other teams, including a Colorado team.
“There was a reason for him to come to Colorado Springs for a short visit after the homicide occurred. Apparently, he wound up here for a short time and was headed elsewhere,” Morgan said.
Morgan said a woman tipped them off that Rudenko was hiding there.
Rudenko has been married twice -- most recently to a woman in Charlotte. Stallings police say there's still a lot they don’t know.
Stalling Police Chief Lark Plyler says, “Although motive has not been established in this case, it is somewhat of a relief that we have a big piece of that puzzle put together now, and at least have the perpetrator behind bars.”
Plyler is not releasing the victim’s name, saying he is not a U.S. citizen and they can’t be sure that they know his identity.
The chief did say there are probably more people involved in the killing, and the investigation is far from over.
Rudenko will likely be transferred to Stallings to face the murder charge after a court appearance early next week.
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It was the first murder in the small town in two years.
Bogdan Rudenko, 32, was arrested Christmas morning after a standoff with police in Colorado. He is being held in a Colorado jail without bond.
Rudenko is accused of shooting a man last weekend in Stallings. The man's body was found behind a car repair shop off Independence Boulevard early Sunday morning.
Early Friday morning, Colorado police say they found the hockey player hiding out in a Howard Johnson motel in Colorado Springs.
“There was a standoff. It did last for a short time,” said Capt. L.C. Morgan with Colorado Springs Police Department.
Rudenko played for the Checkers during the 2004-2005 season and has played for a number of other teams, including a Colorado team.
“There was a reason for him to come to Colorado Springs for a short visit after the homicide occurred. Apparently, he wound up here for a short time and was headed elsewhere,” Morgan said.
Morgan said a woman tipped them off that Rudenko was hiding there.
Rudenko has been married twice -- most recently to a woman in Charlotte. Stallings police say there's still a lot they don’t know.
Stalling Police Chief Lark Plyler says, “Although motive has not been established in this case, it is somewhat of a relief that we have a big piece of that puzzle put together now, and at least have the perpetrator behind bars.”
Plyler is not releasing the victim’s name, saying he is not a U.S. citizen and they can’t be sure that they know his identity.
The chief did say there are probably more people involved in the killing, and the investigation is far from over.
Rudenko will likely be transferred to Stallings to face the murder charge after a court appearance early next week.
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Four charged in SC lynching death www.privateofficer.com
INDIAN LAND, S.C. Dec 27 2009 -- A Charlotte man has died in what Lancaster, S.C., sheriff's deputies are calling a lynch-mob attack on Christmas night.
Deputies said Ronnie Gene Wallace, 42, died after being attacked and beaten with sticks and 2-by-4 boards on Silver Mine Road in Indian Land.
Four Indian Land men -- some of whom neighbors say were distant cousins of the victim -- have been arrested and charged with first-degree lynching.
"Nobody deserves to die like that, nobody does. It's awful," said a neighbor who asked us not to use her name.
She said she saw shadows in the dirt and gravel road in front of her house around 10 p.m. Friday.
"Then I heard a lot of yelling, a lot of screaming, and I went in, got my phone, called 911, came back out, and saw him hit him in the head with a 2-by-4,” the woman said.
The neighbor couldn't tell who was holding the 2-by-4 but she knew the victim was Wallace. She had known him since their childhood in Pineville.
She saw Wallace's brother, Tommy, running up the road and then saw him kneel by his brother's side.
She said the Wallace brothers lived a few doors down from the where the suspects were gathered that day, and the two households had been fighting all day.
"The Wallace boys had been calling down, harassing the Steens most of the afternoon, and it just kind of escalated from there," she said.
Deputies came out earlier in the afternoon, but after they left the Wallaces returned to the Steens' home across the street, she said. She said the Wallaces returned home, but men came after them and the two groups clashed in the street.
Ronnie Wallace stumbled to a neighbor's yard and collapsed.
Deputies arrested four men Saturday for the attack. Steven Ray Steen, 22; Marty Player, 24; Evan Starck, 28; and Shawn Starck, 33; are all being held in the Lancaster County Detention Center with no bond.
Steen lives in the house near where the attack took place.
First-degree lynching in South Carolina is defined as an attack by a mob, which results in a death. It does not necessarily include hanging or racially-motivated hate crimes, as commonly thought.
It is punishable by death, but a judge can also sentence those convicted of lynching to five to 40 years in prison.
Tommy Wallace declined to talk about the incident Saturday when contacted at the home he shared with his twin brother, but his face was bruised from the fight.
The neighbor who witnessed it all said the melee has put the neighborhood on edge. "There's a sense of, 'How can this happen in our neighborhood with all of our kids out?' You know, my kids are in the house today."
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Deputies said Ronnie Gene Wallace, 42, died after being attacked and beaten with sticks and 2-by-4 boards on Silver Mine Road in Indian Land.
Four Indian Land men -- some of whom neighbors say were distant cousins of the victim -- have been arrested and charged with first-degree lynching.
"Nobody deserves to die like that, nobody does. It's awful," said a neighbor who asked us not to use her name.
She said she saw shadows in the dirt and gravel road in front of her house around 10 p.m. Friday.
"Then I heard a lot of yelling, a lot of screaming, and I went in, got my phone, called 911, came back out, and saw him hit him in the head with a 2-by-4,” the woman said.
The neighbor couldn't tell who was holding the 2-by-4 but she knew the victim was Wallace. She had known him since their childhood in Pineville.
She saw Wallace's brother, Tommy, running up the road and then saw him kneel by his brother's side.
She said the Wallace brothers lived a few doors down from the where the suspects were gathered that day, and the two households had been fighting all day.
"The Wallace boys had been calling down, harassing the Steens most of the afternoon, and it just kind of escalated from there," she said.
Deputies came out earlier in the afternoon, but after they left the Wallaces returned to the Steens' home across the street, she said. She said the Wallaces returned home, but men came after them and the two groups clashed in the street.
Ronnie Wallace stumbled to a neighbor's yard and collapsed.
Deputies arrested four men Saturday for the attack. Steven Ray Steen, 22; Marty Player, 24; Evan Starck, 28; and Shawn Starck, 33; are all being held in the Lancaster County Detention Center with no bond.
Steen lives in the house near where the attack took place.
First-degree lynching in South Carolina is defined as an attack by a mob, which results in a death. It does not necessarily include hanging or racially-motivated hate crimes, as commonly thought.
It is punishable by death, but a judge can also sentence those convicted of lynching to five to 40 years in prison.
Tommy Wallace declined to talk about the incident Saturday when contacted at the home he shared with his twin brother, but his face was bruised from the fight.
The neighbor who witnessed it all said the melee has put the neighborhood on edge. "There's a sense of, 'How can this happen in our neighborhood with all of our kids out?' You know, my kids are in the house today."
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Saturday, December 26, 2009
Online Security Officer Training
Atlanta GA. Dec 26 2009
PRIVATE OFFICER International, the leading private security officer association now offers an array of online security training that you may take at home, at work or on the go!
eTraining Courses Include:
Certified Asset Protection Professional (CAPP) This professional security designation will not only help you in your career endeavors but also in your every day security officer duties.
Certified Church Security Specialist (CCSS)This professional designation will give you the training to lead a church security team and protect your church staff, visitors, property and assets
8 Certification Courses including:
Certified Security Manager
Certified Loss Prevention Specialist
Certified Housing Authority Officer
Certified School Security Officer
and others....
40 Individual Course Titles- Take them separately or all together
Courses including Use of Force, Responding to Bomb Threats, Crime Scene Security and much more!
More security courses are also currently being developed!
We can also design a specific course for your personal need or for training a security staff. Just let us know what area of study that you are interested in!
We Also Offer On-Site Security Training, Seminars and Consultations including Church Security Teams!
For more information email: adminassist@privateofficer.com
Sign Up For Courses: www.privateofficer.com/academy
PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING INSTITUTE
PRIVATE OFFICER INTERNATIONAL
PRIVATE OFFICER International, the leading private security officer association now offers an array of online security training that you may take at home, at work or on the go!
eTraining Courses Include:
Certified Asset Protection Professional (CAPP) This professional security designation will not only help you in your career endeavors but also in your every day security officer duties.
Certified Church Security Specialist (CCSS)This professional designation will give you the training to lead a church security team and protect your church staff, visitors, property and assets
8 Certification Courses including:
Certified Security Manager
Certified Loss Prevention Specialist
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St. Louis security officer shot, serious condition www.privateofficer.com
ST. LOUIS MO Dec 26 2009 – St. Louis police are searching for the gunman who shot and seriously wounded a St. Louis Sheriff’s deputy and a second man outside the Karma nightclub in mid-town early this morning.
Police gave this account:
The off-duty sheriff’s deputy was working as a security officer outside the club at 3037 Olive Street, when a disturbance began inside.
A man came out of the club and fired numerous shots. The deputy, 41, was wounded twice, in a hand and the legs.
A 25-year-old man was shot in the chest, abdomen and legs.
Police described both victims as in serious but stable condition, and did not identify either man.
Authorities did not say what caused the shooting. Police said they are searching for the suspect, who ran east into an alley behind the club.
St. Louis Sheriff James W. Murphy could not be reached for comment. There was no answer at the sheriff’s office today.
There also was no answer at the Karma. The nightclub reopened in September. It had operated as the Lush until it closed earlier this year.
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Police gave this account:
The off-duty sheriff’s deputy was working as a security officer outside the club at 3037 Olive Street, when a disturbance began inside.
A man came out of the club and fired numerous shots. The deputy, 41, was wounded twice, in a hand and the legs.
A 25-year-old man was shot in the chest, abdomen and legs.
Police described both victims as in serious but stable condition, and did not identify either man.
Authorities did not say what caused the shooting. Police said they are searching for the suspect, who ran east into an alley behind the club.
St. Louis Sheriff James W. Murphy could not be reached for comment. There was no answer at the sheriff’s office today.
There also was no answer at the Karma. The nightclub reopened in September. It had operated as the Lush until it closed earlier this year.
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Christmas day house fire leaves two children dead www.privateofficer.com
Louisville KY Dec 26 2009 journel-courier.com A Christmas Day fire claimed the lives of two grandsons of a prominent Louisville couple as the family and firefighters joined to try to save the victims.
Flames already were shooting through the roof in the rear of the Glenview home of Cathy and Irving W. Bailey II and through the front entryway when firefighters arrived shortly after 4:30 a.m. Friday, alerted by an alarm system.
Chief Chris Aponte of the Harrods Creek Fire Department said the adults at the house were outside when firefighters arrived and were attempting a rescue, and fire crews joined in.
“Whenever there are lives involved, it changes the dynamic” at a fire scene, Aponte said. “The guys worked hard to do what they could. We had some experienced firefighters on the scene and they couldn't make headway in it.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Maj. Henry Ott of the Louisville Metro Arson Squad. The victims, whose names were not released, were ages 10 and 12, he said.
The Baileys were injured, as were three firefighters, and the couple's home was mostly destroyed.
Aponte said two of the injured firefighters had minor burns and a third had an ankle injury.
In a statement released on behalf of the family, the Baileys said their injuries were serious but not life-threatening and that they were in a hospital. It did not identify the hospital.
“Two children were killed in this tragedy,” said the statement, provided by Scott Jennings, a family spokesman. The family requested privacy “at this time of great loss.”
Cathy Bailey, a former ambassador to Latvia under President George W. Bush, is a major Republican fundraiser and is considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year. Irv Bailey is former chairman and chief executive of Providian Corp., guiding the company through a decade of growth to its merger with the Dutch firm Aegon in 1997.
The Bailey property sits on a winding, narrow street, Longview Lane, that runs off River Road in eastern Jefferson County. The street splits into a dead-end just past the property and a cul-de-sac that contains six large houses with spacious yards.
By late afternoon Friday, what remained of the Bailey house had collapsed into the basement, Ott said.
He said five adults were in the house when the fire started — four on the first floor and one in the basement. The boys were on the second floor, he said.
Aponte said 45 firefighters from four departments fought the blaze — Lyndon, Worthington and St. Matthews, in addition to Harrods Creek.
He said the two victims were around the ages of two of his children, and many of the firefighters on the scene had children of their own at home.
“My family and I all had a big hug together” when he finally arrived home, he said. “But the images that we added to the photo album in our minds today will be something we won't ever forget.”
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Flames already were shooting through the roof in the rear of the Glenview home of Cathy and Irving W. Bailey II and through the front entryway when firefighters arrived shortly after 4:30 a.m. Friday, alerted by an alarm system.
Chief Chris Aponte of the Harrods Creek Fire Department said the adults at the house were outside when firefighters arrived and were attempting a rescue, and fire crews joined in.
“Whenever there are lives involved, it changes the dynamic” at a fire scene, Aponte said. “The guys worked hard to do what they could. We had some experienced firefighters on the scene and they couldn't make headway in it.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Maj. Henry Ott of the Louisville Metro Arson Squad. The victims, whose names were not released, were ages 10 and 12, he said.
The Baileys were injured, as were three firefighters, and the couple's home was mostly destroyed.
Aponte said two of the injured firefighters had minor burns and a third had an ankle injury.
In a statement released on behalf of the family, the Baileys said their injuries were serious but not life-threatening and that they were in a hospital. It did not identify the hospital.
“Two children were killed in this tragedy,” said the statement, provided by Scott Jennings, a family spokesman. The family requested privacy “at this time of great loss.”
Cathy Bailey, a former ambassador to Latvia under President George W. Bush, is a major Republican fundraiser and is considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year. Irv Bailey is former chairman and chief executive of Providian Corp., guiding the company through a decade of growth to its merger with the Dutch firm Aegon in 1997.
The Bailey property sits on a winding, narrow street, Longview Lane, that runs off River Road in eastern Jefferson County. The street splits into a dead-end just past the property and a cul-de-sac that contains six large houses with spacious yards.
By late afternoon Friday, what remained of the Bailey house had collapsed into the basement, Ott said.
He said five adults were in the house when the fire started — four on the first floor and one in the basement. The boys were on the second floor, he said.
Aponte said 45 firefighters from four departments fought the blaze — Lyndon, Worthington and St. Matthews, in addition to Harrods Creek.
He said the two victims were around the ages of two of his children, and many of the firefighters on the scene had children of their own at home.
“My family and I all had a big hug together” when he finally arrived home, he said. “But the images that we added to the photo album in our minds today will be something we won't ever forget.”
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FBI arrested man in church $3 Million embezzlement www.privateofficer.com
ORANGE CT Dec 26 2009 – The FBI today arrested Gregory P. Loles, 50, of Easton, who is alleged to have embezzled more than $3 million from members of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, and possibly millions of dollars from the church.
U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thomas Carson said Tuesday afternoon that Loles was arrested this morning by the FBI on a federal criminal complaint charging him with mail fraud and wire fraud. Loles appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport Tuesday afternoon, and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for Friday at 3.
Carson said. Loles was in charge of the church’s investments, and managing the church’s building fund and endowment. Several church members allowed Loles to handle their personal retirement and college investments, several sources within the church community said.
The church community had recently raised millions to help finance a $6.3 million building project.
According to federal documents Loles began embezzling money from the church and individual parishioners in November 2001 continuing to the day of his arrest. Loles admitted to federal agents that he embezzled the funds, according to arrest warrant affidavit. In court documents Loles states that none of the funds are left.
The church community had recently raised millions to help finance a $6.3 million building project.
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U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thomas Carson said Tuesday afternoon that Loles was arrested this morning by the FBI on a federal criminal complaint charging him with mail fraud and wire fraud. Loles appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport Tuesday afternoon, and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for Friday at 3.
Carson said. Loles was in charge of the church’s investments, and managing the church’s building fund and endowment. Several church members allowed Loles to handle their personal retirement and college investments, several sources within the church community said.
The church community had recently raised millions to help finance a $6.3 million building project.
According to federal documents Loles began embezzling money from the church and individual parishioners in November 2001 continuing to the day of his arrest. Loles admitted to federal agents that he embezzled the funds, according to arrest warrant affidavit. In court documents Loles states that none of the funds are left.
The church community had recently raised millions to help finance a $6.3 million building project.
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Man orders coffee with knife in his chest www.privateofficer.com
WARREN, Mich. Dec 26 2009 -- man who walked into a Michigan diner with a 5-inch knife stuck in his chest ordered a coffee and complained only about the cold weather.
The 52-year-old man, who has not been identified, called a 911 operator in Warren on Sunday night to ask that an ambulance be sent to Bray's, an eatery in neighboring Hazel Park.
He said he had been stabbed during an attempted robbery half a mile away, then walked to the restaurant and called 911 from a pay phone.
On a recording of the call, the man gives a vague description of his attacker before saying, "I'm gonna sit down at Bray's 'cause they got a chair and it's cold out here."
Restaurant employee George Mirdita tells The Detroit News the man calmly ordered coffee.
Police said Tuesday that the man is recovering.
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The 52-year-old man, who has not been identified, called a 911 operator in Warren on Sunday night to ask that an ambulance be sent to Bray's, an eatery in neighboring Hazel Park.
He said he had been stabbed during an attempted robbery half a mile away, then walked to the restaurant and called 911 from a pay phone.
On a recording of the call, the man gives a vague description of his attacker before saying, "I'm gonna sit down at Bray's 'cause they got a chair and it's cold out here."
Restaurant employee George Mirdita tells The Detroit News the man calmly ordered coffee.
Police said Tuesday that the man is recovering.
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Friday, December 25, 2009
Casino security charge man with cashing in stolen chips www.privateofficer.com
JOLIET IL Dec 25 2009 -- Seeing three chips worth $500 each inadvertently left on the craps table at Harrah's Casino, a Bolingbrook man allegedly took the chips and cashed them in.
When Harrah's casino security approached the man about the incident, Keith A. Archie, 26, of 501 Preston in Bolingbrook, allegedly took off his shirt to proclaim his innocence. That's when security saw $1,500 sticking out of his underwear, Joliet police reported.
A 51-year-old Orland Park man told police he had inadvertently left the chips on the table. Archie said that he knew the chips weren't his, but Harrah's would have just taken them if he didn't. Archie was arrested on a charge of theft on Dec. 17.
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When Harrah's casino security approached the man about the incident, Keith A. Archie, 26, of 501 Preston in Bolingbrook, allegedly took off his shirt to proclaim his innocence. That's when security saw $1,500 sticking out of his underwear, Joliet police reported.
A 51-year-old Orland Park man told police he had inadvertently left the chips on the table. Archie said that he knew the chips weren't his, but Harrah's would have just taken them if he didn't. Archie was arrested on a charge of theft on Dec. 17.
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Teacher arrested for sex with student www.privateofficer.com
ALEXANDER, NY Dec 25 2009- A Genesee County high school teacher has been arrested and is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Sheriffs deputies arrested 49-year-old Mark Hamilton Tuesday night.
The suspect is a teacher at Alexander High School.
Deputies report seizing cell phone records as part of the investigation.
Hamilton is facing charges including endangering the welfare of a child, official misconduct and forcible touching.
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Sheriffs deputies arrested 49-year-old Mark Hamilton Tuesday night.
The suspect is a teacher at Alexander High School.
Deputies report seizing cell phone records as part of the investigation.
Hamilton is facing charges including endangering the welfare of a child, official misconduct and forcible touching.
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Bomb threat closes roads to casino www.privateofficer.com
EVANSVILLE, IN Dec 25 2009 (WFIE) - Evansville Police blocked off Riverside Drive near Casino Aztar late Thursday afternoon after there was trouble with a man trying to board the boat.
Officers say it all started with a vague, phoned-in bomb threat around 4:30 p.m.
At about the same time, in what appears to be a coincidence, police say a man tried to board the boat with a suit case.
Officers say he became uncooperative when security tried to stop him.
Sgt. Steve Evans says, casino security watched the man enter a bathroom in the lobby area, leaving his suitcase behind.
With a bomb threat and an unattended bag on their hands, police decided to treat the suitcase as a possible bomb.
Officials did not evacuate the casino.
"It ended up being clothes," Sgt. Evans said. "So what I think it's going to come to, is this guy was in the wrong place with a suitcase at the wrong time."
Officers took the suitcase to the casino parking garage where a device called a disrupter was used to make sure - if there was a bomb inside, it would not go off. There was no bomb.
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Officers say it all started with a vague, phoned-in bomb threat around 4:30 p.m.
At about the same time, in what appears to be a coincidence, police say a man tried to board the boat with a suit case.
Officers say he became uncooperative when security tried to stop him.
Sgt. Steve Evans says, casino security watched the man enter a bathroom in the lobby area, leaving his suitcase behind.
With a bomb threat and an unattended bag on their hands, police decided to treat the suitcase as a possible bomb.
Officials did not evacuate the casino.
"It ended up being clothes," Sgt. Evans said. "So what I think it's going to come to, is this guy was in the wrong place with a suitcase at the wrong time."
Officers took the suitcase to the casino parking garage where a device called a disrupter was used to make sure - if there was a bomb inside, it would not go off. There was no bomb.
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Shoplifter arrested for assaulting security officers www.privateofficer.com
MANATEE COUNTY FLA Dec 25 2009 - Jamal Barnes, 40, tried to steal two comforter sets out of Sears on Monday and then became violent with security personnel when questioned, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's Office report.
According to the report:
Barnes was approached by a loss prevention specialist and a mall security guard in the Sears parking at the DeSoto Square mall; he punched each of them sending both to the ground.
Barnes first struck loss prevention specialist Chris Waiters in the chest knocking him to the ground and then punched Heather Zavellos in the ribs before fleeing into his vehicle. With three mall security workers near his car, he gunned it in reverse causing the vehicle to strike and knock all of them to the ground.
Barnes was arrested Tuesday night in the 800 block of 64th Avenue Drive East and reportedly admitted to deputies that he may have hit the mall security workers in an attempt to get away. He was charged with aggravated battery and aggravated battery with a vehicle. Bond was to be determined for both charges.
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According to the report:
Barnes was approached by a loss prevention specialist and a mall security guard in the Sears parking at the DeSoto Square mall; he punched each of them sending both to the ground.
Barnes first struck loss prevention specialist Chris Waiters in the chest knocking him to the ground and then punched Heather Zavellos in the ribs before fleeing into his vehicle. With three mall security workers near his car, he gunned it in reverse causing the vehicle to strike and knock all of them to the ground.
Barnes was arrested Tuesday night in the 800 block of 64th Avenue Drive East and reportedly admitted to deputies that he may have hit the mall security workers in an attempt to get away. He was charged with aggravated battery and aggravated battery with a vehicle. Bond was to be determined for both charges.
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Casino security tip leads to drug arrest www.privateofficer.com
Woodland CA. Dec 25 2009
Yolo County sheriff's deputies arrested two people at the Cache Creek Casino on Tuesday on suspicion of various drug violations.
According to Sgt. Lance Faille, Kellie Byfield, 45, of Roseville, and James Maxey, 42, of Nevada, were charged with possession of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, and possession of counterfeit currency.
A deputy was notified around 11:46 p.m. Tuesday when Cache Creek Casino security officers saw Byfield and Maxey smoking what appeared to be marijuana in their vehicle. Deputies stopped the vehicle on Highway 16 near CR-78A.
Upon contact a pipe commonly used to smoke marijuana was in plain view on the center console. Consent was obtained to search the vehicle.
During the search, a glass pipe commonly used to ingest controlled substances, a small amount of methamphetamine, and $130 in counterfeit $20, $10, and $1 bills were found in the vehicle. Byfield and Maxey were both arrested and booked into the Yolo County Jail.
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Yolo County sheriff's deputies arrested two people at the Cache Creek Casino on Tuesday on suspicion of various drug violations.
According to Sgt. Lance Faille, Kellie Byfield, 45, of Roseville, and James Maxey, 42, of Nevada, were charged with possession of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, and possession of counterfeit currency.
A deputy was notified around 11:46 p.m. Tuesday when Cache Creek Casino security officers saw Byfield and Maxey smoking what appeared to be marijuana in their vehicle. Deputies stopped the vehicle on Highway 16 near CR-78A.
Upon contact a pipe commonly used to smoke marijuana was in plain view on the center console. Consent was obtained to search the vehicle.
During the search, a glass pipe commonly used to ingest controlled substances, a small amount of methamphetamine, and $130 in counterfeit $20, $10, and $1 bills were found in the vehicle. Byfield and Maxey were both arrested and booked into the Yolo County Jail.
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Manchester High School teacher arrested-sex assault www.privateofficer.com
MANCHESTER CT Dec 25 2009
hartford courant- — A Manchester High School teacher who was placed on leave in November for what school officials would only describe as "a pending personnel matter" was arrested today on charges that he inappropriately touched a female student.
Aaron Kirby, 32, of Bentley Drive, Manchester, was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault, two counts of risk of injury to a minor and two counts of disorderly conduct. He was held on $10,000 bail and was arraigned this morning in Superior Court in Manchester. His bail was reduced to a promise to appear in court, and his case was continued to Feb. 2.
He was ordered not to have any contact with the student. His lawyer, Gerald Beaudoin, declined to comment after court.
Police said the arrest follows an investigation into Kirby's conduct while employed as a teacher and track coach at Manchester High School. On Oct. 30, police said, a fellow teacher and coach at the high school was approached by a student who told him of an "inappropriate on-going situation" between Kirby and a 15-year-old girl.
Kirby allegedly gave the student a camera and told her to take nude photos of herself, police said. He also allegedly touched the girl while in school.
The fourth-degree sexual charge, police said, is for Kirby allegedly grabbing the girl's buttocks with his hands.
The risk of injury to a minor charges are for two incidents. In the first case, Kirby allegedly showed the 15-year-old a photo of a nude girl bending over. In the second, he allegedly showed her a photo of a girl wearing a see-though shirt and revealing her breasts.
The disorderly conduct charges are for two incidents. In the first, Kirby allegedly asked the 15-year-old to take her pants off and had her pull her shirt up, exposing her bra. In the second, he allegedly grabbed the top of the girl's pants and tried to pull them down.
Kirby remains on leave from his job at the school and officials said they could not comment.
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Aaron Kirby, 32, of Bentley Drive, Manchester, was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault, two counts of risk of injury to a minor and two counts of disorderly conduct. He was held on $10,000 bail and was arraigned this morning in Superior Court in Manchester. His bail was reduced to a promise to appear in court, and his case was continued to Feb. 2.
He was ordered not to have any contact with the student. His lawyer, Gerald Beaudoin, declined to comment after court.
Police said the arrest follows an investigation into Kirby's conduct while employed as a teacher and track coach at Manchester High School. On Oct. 30, police said, a fellow teacher and coach at the high school was approached by a student who told him of an "inappropriate on-going situation" between Kirby and a 15-year-old girl.
Kirby allegedly gave the student a camera and told her to take nude photos of herself, police said. He also allegedly touched the girl while in school.
The fourth-degree sexual charge, police said, is for Kirby allegedly grabbing the girl's buttocks with his hands.
The risk of injury to a minor charges are for two incidents. In the first case, Kirby allegedly showed the 15-year-old a photo of a nude girl bending over. In the second, he allegedly showed her a photo of a girl wearing a see-though shirt and revealing her breasts.
The disorderly conduct charges are for two incidents. In the first, Kirby allegedly asked the 15-year-old to take her pants off and had her pull her shirt up, exposing her bra. In the second, he allegedly grabbed the top of the girl's pants and tried to pull them down.
Kirby remains on leave from his job at the school and officials said they could not comment.
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Officer arrested in jailbreak plan www.privateofficer.com
San Antonio TX Dec 25 2009 A Bexar County Jail detention officer was arrested Thursday afternoon after an investigation revealed he supplied inmates with a hacksaw for an attempted jailbreak late last week, officials said.
Alfred Casas, 30, was arrested on the job without incident and is charged with providing implements for escape — deadly weapon, which is a second-degree felony, officials said. The officer has been with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for three years, said Roger Dovalina, deputy chief of the detention division. Casas' bail was set at $15,000.
Dovalina said he is trying to restore confidence in his officers because their morale is low after hearing about the incident. He said he told them “to keep their heads up” and that “one bad apple” is not a reflection of every officer in the division.
A fifth inmate also has been charged in the escape plot. All five unidentified inmates were facing long sentences and high bail amounts. They are being held in separate high-security cells, Dovalina said.
Since sheriff's deputies and the district attorney's office still are investigating the incident, he said, many details couldn't be released. It wasn't disclosed if investigators are looking for any other suspects or exactly how Casas may have benefited from helping the inmates.
Dovalina said the men had been planning the escape since early September and that they were able to saw off a metal bracket on a window in an outside recreation area. If the men had been able to proceed with the plan, the deputy chief said, the only extra line of security keeping them from freedom was a metal screen covering the window.
The plan was thwarted Saturday when officials found two 30-foot ropes, dyed prisoner clothing and a hacksaw blade. The hand-braided ropes were made from strips of bedsheets and blankets. A few cells down, authorities found dyed clothing and a 5-inch hacksaw blade. Officials said the inmates used teabags to dye their jail-issued orange jumpsuits dark brown. Authorities also found a broken window and a brick that had been chipped away.
Up until Saturday's incident, the jail did not have a “set procedure to check officers” for foul play, Dovalina said. Now, he said, the jail will implement “daily inspections targeting the entire facility.”
“We want the public to know we perform our jobs in a professional manner,” Dovalina said. “We have a case here that doesn't happen very often. We will continue the investigation and take all steps to ensure safety and security.”
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Alfred Casas, 30, was arrested on the job without incident and is charged with providing implements for escape — deadly weapon, which is a second-degree felony, officials said. The officer has been with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for three years, said Roger Dovalina, deputy chief of the detention division. Casas' bail was set at $15,000.
Dovalina said he is trying to restore confidence in his officers because their morale is low after hearing about the incident. He said he told them “to keep their heads up” and that “one bad apple” is not a reflection of every officer in the division.
A fifth inmate also has been charged in the escape plot. All five unidentified inmates were facing long sentences and high bail amounts. They are being held in separate high-security cells, Dovalina said.
Since sheriff's deputies and the district attorney's office still are investigating the incident, he said, many details couldn't be released. It wasn't disclosed if investigators are looking for any other suspects or exactly how Casas may have benefited from helping the inmates.
Dovalina said the men had been planning the escape since early September and that they were able to saw off a metal bracket on a window in an outside recreation area. If the men had been able to proceed with the plan, the deputy chief said, the only extra line of security keeping them from freedom was a metal screen covering the window.
The plan was thwarted Saturday when officials found two 30-foot ropes, dyed prisoner clothing and a hacksaw blade. The hand-braided ropes were made from strips of bedsheets and blankets. A few cells down, authorities found dyed clothing and a 5-inch hacksaw blade. Officials said the inmates used teabags to dye their jail-issued orange jumpsuits dark brown. Authorities also found a broken window and a brick that had been chipped away.
Up until Saturday's incident, the jail did not have a “set procedure to check officers” for foul play, Dovalina said. Now, he said, the jail will implement “daily inspections targeting the entire facility.”
“We want the public to know we perform our jobs in a professional manner,” Dovalina said. “We have a case here that doesn't happen very often. We will continue the investigation and take all steps to ensure safety and security.”
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Alabama teacher arrested for sexual abuse of student www.privateofficer.com
BARBOUR COUNTY, Ala. -- A Barbour County High School teacher has been arrested on accusations he had a sexual relationship with a student and authorities now looking into allegations the teacher did the same thing while employed in the Troy, Ala., city school system, the Dothan Eagle reports..
Marcus Deron Woodham, 37, of Brundidge, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree sexual abuse, according to Barbour County Sheriff LeRoy Upshaw.
Evidence uncovered by Barbour County Investigator Sgt. David Morris is being turned over to the Pike County Sheriff's Office in reference to allegations made against Woodham while he
was a teacher in the Troy City Schools, according to the Dothan Eagle report.
Authorities said they are troubled by the unusually high number of sex crimes worked by the Barbour County Sheriff's Department this year.
The Barbour County arrest is the second case to come forward this week involving a teacher accused of having sexual relations with a student. Amanda Watkins, a 38-year-old Sheffield Junior High School teacher, was charged with rape and sodomy involving a 15-year-old student.
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Marcus Deron Woodham, 37, of Brundidge, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree sexual abuse, according to Barbour County Sheriff LeRoy Upshaw.
Evidence uncovered by Barbour County Investigator Sgt. David Morris is being turned over to the Pike County Sheriff's Office in reference to allegations made against Woodham while he
was a teacher in the Troy City Schools, according to the Dothan Eagle report.
Authorities said they are troubled by the unusually high number of sex crimes worked by the Barbour County Sheriff's Department this year.
The Barbour County arrest is the second case to come forward this week involving a teacher accused of having sexual relations with a student. Amanda Watkins, a 38-year-old Sheffield Junior High School teacher, was charged with rape and sodomy involving a 15-year-old student.
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Delta passenger sets off firecrackers on plane www.privateofficer.com
ROMULUS, Mich. Dec 25 2009 AP– A passenger aboard a plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport set off firecrackers Friday, causing a commotion and some minor injuries, a Delta official said.
Delta Air Lines spokeswoman Susan Elliott said the passenger was subdued immediately. She had no details on the injuries.
One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. She didn't know the person's condition, or whether the person was a man or woman. She referred all inquiries to the FBI.
An FBI spokeswoman in Detroit said the incident is being investigated.
The firecrackers went off as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers, was arriving in Detroit from Amsterdam. Delta and Northwest have merged.
J.P. Karas, 55, of Wyandotte, Mich., said he was driving down a road near the airport and saw a Delta jet at the end of the runway, surrounded by police cars, an ambulance, a bus and some TV trucks.
"I don't ever recall seeing a plane on that runway ever before and I pass by there frequently," he said.
Karas said it was difficult to tell what was going on, but it looked like the front wheel was off the runway.
Delta Air Lines spokeswoman Susan Elliott said the passenger was subdued immediately. She had no details on the injuries.
One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. She didn't know the person's condition, or whether the person was a man or woman. She referred all inquiries to the FBI.
An FBI spokeswoman in Detroit said the incident is being investigated.
The firecrackers went off as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers, was arriving in Detroit from Amsterdam. Delta and Northwest have merged.
J.P. Karas, 55, of Wyandotte, Mich., said he was driving down a road near the airport and saw a Delta jet at the end of the runway, surrounded by police cars, an ambulance, a bus and some TV trucks.
"I don't ever recall seeing a plane on that runway ever before and I pass by there frequently," he said.
Karas said it was difficult to tell what was going on, but it looked like the front wheel was off the runway.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Fundraiser turns into nightclub brawl www.privateofficer.com
Santa Rosa CA Dec 24 2009 A fundraiser Tuesday night for a Rohnert Park family enduring its second death in three months turned into a violent, emotion- and alcohol-fueled brawl at a Santa Rosa nightclub.
Accounts of what happened at the club are disputed, but in the end club security personnel and then police officers had to clear 100 or more people from the Cantina Restaurant and Bar on Fourth Street downtown, abruptly shutting down what organizers had intended as a positive, helpful occasion.
“I'm pretty disgusted with the whole thing,” general manager Greg Chrisman said Wednesday.
“We were trying to do something nice for this family, and it's unfortunate that this happened,” he said.
It was the second time that Chrisman and his staff had stepped forward to help the family of Todd and Alma Crowder and their four adult children.
The first was after Alma Crowder, 42, died of injuries from a Sept. 10 vehicle crash that also injured her two sons, Ryan Crowder, the driver, and Jesse Crowder, 24.
Ryan Crowder, 22, though critically injured, was later charged with vehicular manslaughter in the case. Authorities said he had methamphetamine and cocaine in his system at the time of the collision, and was driving on a suspended license.
Jesse Crowder was arrested late Tuesday in connection with the Cantina disturbance after he turned combative and resisted police efforts to break up the crowd, authorities and club personnel said.
Chrisman's promoter, Anthony Merciari, has been friends with the family for eight or nine years and proposed the initial fundraiser on the Cantina's second floor to help defray Alma Crowder's burial costs, he said.
When one of her daughters, Britney Crowder, died in Alaska five days ago of what her sister said was flu, Merciari knew financial help for the family was more important than ever, especially given the brothers' medical costs, he said.
In addition to bringing Britney's remains home, the family had to send her sister, Marjorie, and father, Todd, to Alaska to identify her body because her fiance by law could not do so, Merciari said.
While the first fundraiser was a mellow gathering of friends and family members remembering the life of Alma Crowder and raising what Chrisman said was “a significant amount” of money for the family, the second event on Tuesday night drew a younger crowd.
There was a DJ providing music for about 120 people in attendance, in addition to the regular crowd downstairs enjoying the Cantina's Taco Tuesday, Chrisman said.
Britney Crowder was in her early 20s, Merciari said, and many of those attending were young.
The atmosphere was charged by 10 p.m., Chrisman said, so he went through the gathering and asked that all of those under 18 be sent home. Then shortly before midnight, a young, intoxicated person in the crowd began making a scene and apparently had an argument with somebody. When the club's security agents asked him to settle down, he went out on the deck and pulled down his pants, exposing himself, Chrisman said.
“I said, ‘This guy's got to go,'” Chrisman said Wednesday.
But some family members objected. Others simply wanted to know what was going on. At some point, a fight broke out. Others were yelling and screaming, he said.
Still others were trying to calm the situation, but fights continued to break out for various reasons, Chrisman and Merciari said.
“It just absolutely snowballed,” Merciari said. Within minutes, “it was just of pile of people,” he said.
Chrisman had three security people on duty, far fewer than on regular club nights, but happened to have the owner of his security company on the premises to talk over New Year's Eve staffing needs. Still, the crowd was too much for them to handle, he said, and he had Merciari call police.
During the melee, Jesse Crowder, who is still recovering from multiple fractures sustained in the September crash, became combative, Chrisman and Merciari said.
Police said Crowder punched one officer in the chest, then head-butted another before he was subdued. His arrest further fueled what police said was a “hostile and belligerent” crowd because relatives were concerned about his injuries as he was wrestled over to a patrol car and put inside.
Jesse Crowder was arrested on suspicion of fighting in public and two counts of suspected assault on an officer.
Authorities, assisted by a police dog, closed off a block of Fourth Street to help disperse the crowd, including those forced to leave the first floor main restaurant because of the chaos, Chrisman said.
Jesse Crowder, reached Wednesday night, said the night's events were caused by an unknown group of men at the bar who started fighting on the dance floor.
“I got on the DJ's microphone and said everyone needs to calm down and we need to exit the building slowly,” Crowder said.
Crowder was walking down the stairs to leave when someone pushed him against the wall, he said. He said he initially fought back until he realized it was a police officer.
“Whoever was fighting, I have no idea who they were,” Crowder said. “But they didn't end up going to jail, I was the only one who went to jail.”
The police restraint reinjured his leg, which was still healing from the September crash, Crowder said. His family is going to file a complaint with the police department, and several bystanders offered to give statements about how the police treated Crowder, he said.
Chrisman said such altercations are rare, although there was a period about a decade ago when the club, under previous ownership, had a reputation for fights and drunkenness.
The Cantina hasn't been on the radar of police, said Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Mike Clark. “I patrol that area and we don't see many fights down there,” Clark said.
Cantina operators were cited for selling alcohol to a minor in August 2008, but other than that the bar's record is clean, said Tony Carrancho, a supervising investigator with the Alcohol Beverage Control department.
The Santa Rosa Main Street Association, a group aimed at bringing more foot traffic downtown, once tried to get bars to report repeatedly rowdy customers to each other and ban them from neighborhood businesses. The group has since dissolved.
“We haven't received a large number of problems with downtown establishments recently,” said Clark, the police sergeant.
Carrancho said the department hasn't handled many violations from downtown businesses since the Seven Ultra Lounge and Restaurant on Seventh Street closed in May after a history of fights and other problems.
“Ultra Lounge was a big draw for (police) services,” Carrancho said.
At a pub across the street from the Cantina, bartender Ryan Walker said the Cantina draws a rowdier crowd than other businesses in the area.
“It definitely wasn't the first time it's happened,” Walker said of the fight.
Walker, 24, said that his bar, Stout Brothers Irish Pub and Restaurant, attracts a mellow crowd of regulars. Still, he breaks up about one fight per month.
“It's just something that happens when people drink,” Walker said.
Chrisman said he keeps tight control over who gets served and how many people are allowed in the club. He is participating in development of a Downtown Hospitality Zone program intended to prevent trouble-makers from frequenting downtown clubs and bars.
“I'd rather do good business for 10 years than do great business for one year and get shut down,” he said.
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Accounts of what happened at the club are disputed, but in the end club security personnel and then police officers had to clear 100 or more people from the Cantina Restaurant and Bar on Fourth Street downtown, abruptly shutting down what organizers had intended as a positive, helpful occasion.
“I'm pretty disgusted with the whole thing,” general manager Greg Chrisman said Wednesday.
“We were trying to do something nice for this family, and it's unfortunate that this happened,” he said.
It was the second time that Chrisman and his staff had stepped forward to help the family of Todd and Alma Crowder and their four adult children.
The first was after Alma Crowder, 42, died of injuries from a Sept. 10 vehicle crash that also injured her two sons, Ryan Crowder, the driver, and Jesse Crowder, 24.
Ryan Crowder, 22, though critically injured, was later charged with vehicular manslaughter in the case. Authorities said he had methamphetamine and cocaine in his system at the time of the collision, and was driving on a suspended license.
Jesse Crowder was arrested late Tuesday in connection with the Cantina disturbance after he turned combative and resisted police efforts to break up the crowd, authorities and club personnel said.
Chrisman's promoter, Anthony Merciari, has been friends with the family for eight or nine years and proposed the initial fundraiser on the Cantina's second floor to help defray Alma Crowder's burial costs, he said.
When one of her daughters, Britney Crowder, died in Alaska five days ago of what her sister said was flu, Merciari knew financial help for the family was more important than ever, especially given the brothers' medical costs, he said.
In addition to bringing Britney's remains home, the family had to send her sister, Marjorie, and father, Todd, to Alaska to identify her body because her fiance by law could not do so, Merciari said.
While the first fundraiser was a mellow gathering of friends and family members remembering the life of Alma Crowder and raising what Chrisman said was “a significant amount” of money for the family, the second event on Tuesday night drew a younger crowd.
There was a DJ providing music for about 120 people in attendance, in addition to the regular crowd downstairs enjoying the Cantina's Taco Tuesday, Chrisman said.
Britney Crowder was in her early 20s, Merciari said, and many of those attending were young.
The atmosphere was charged by 10 p.m., Chrisman said, so he went through the gathering and asked that all of those under 18 be sent home. Then shortly before midnight, a young, intoxicated person in the crowd began making a scene and apparently had an argument with somebody. When the club's security agents asked him to settle down, he went out on the deck and pulled down his pants, exposing himself, Chrisman said.
“I said, ‘This guy's got to go,'” Chrisman said Wednesday.
But some family members objected. Others simply wanted to know what was going on. At some point, a fight broke out. Others were yelling and screaming, he said.
Still others were trying to calm the situation, but fights continued to break out for various reasons, Chrisman and Merciari said.
“It just absolutely snowballed,” Merciari said. Within minutes, “it was just of pile of people,” he said.
Chrisman had three security people on duty, far fewer than on regular club nights, but happened to have the owner of his security company on the premises to talk over New Year's Eve staffing needs. Still, the crowd was too much for them to handle, he said, and he had Merciari call police.
During the melee, Jesse Crowder, who is still recovering from multiple fractures sustained in the September crash, became combative, Chrisman and Merciari said.
Police said Crowder punched one officer in the chest, then head-butted another before he was subdued. His arrest further fueled what police said was a “hostile and belligerent” crowd because relatives were concerned about his injuries as he was wrestled over to a patrol car and put inside.
Jesse Crowder was arrested on suspicion of fighting in public and two counts of suspected assault on an officer.
Authorities, assisted by a police dog, closed off a block of Fourth Street to help disperse the crowd, including those forced to leave the first floor main restaurant because of the chaos, Chrisman said.
Jesse Crowder, reached Wednesday night, said the night's events were caused by an unknown group of men at the bar who started fighting on the dance floor.
“I got on the DJ's microphone and said everyone needs to calm down and we need to exit the building slowly,” Crowder said.
Crowder was walking down the stairs to leave when someone pushed him against the wall, he said. He said he initially fought back until he realized it was a police officer.
“Whoever was fighting, I have no idea who they were,” Crowder said. “But they didn't end up going to jail, I was the only one who went to jail.”
The police restraint reinjured his leg, which was still healing from the September crash, Crowder said. His family is going to file a complaint with the police department, and several bystanders offered to give statements about how the police treated Crowder, he said.
Chrisman said such altercations are rare, although there was a period about a decade ago when the club, under previous ownership, had a reputation for fights and drunkenness.
The Cantina hasn't been on the radar of police, said Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Mike Clark. “I patrol that area and we don't see many fights down there,” Clark said.
Cantina operators were cited for selling alcohol to a minor in August 2008, but other than that the bar's record is clean, said Tony Carrancho, a supervising investigator with the Alcohol Beverage Control department.
The Santa Rosa Main Street Association, a group aimed at bringing more foot traffic downtown, once tried to get bars to report repeatedly rowdy customers to each other and ban them from neighborhood businesses. The group has since dissolved.
“We haven't received a large number of problems with downtown establishments recently,” said Clark, the police sergeant.
Carrancho said the department hasn't handled many violations from downtown businesses since the Seven Ultra Lounge and Restaurant on Seventh Street closed in May after a history of fights and other problems.
“Ultra Lounge was a big draw for (police) services,” Carrancho said.
At a pub across the street from the Cantina, bartender Ryan Walker said the Cantina draws a rowdier crowd than other businesses in the area.
“It definitely wasn't the first time it's happened,” Walker said of the fight.
Walker, 24, said that his bar, Stout Brothers Irish Pub and Restaurant, attracts a mellow crowd of regulars. Still, he breaks up about one fight per month.
“It's just something that happens when people drink,” Walker said.
Chrisman said he keeps tight control over who gets served and how many people are allowed in the club. He is participating in development of a Downtown Hospitality Zone program intended to prevent trouble-makers from frequenting downtown clubs and bars.
“I'd rather do good business for 10 years than do great business for one year and get shut down,” he said.
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Shotgun toting robber holds up armored car www.privateofficer.com
ASPEN HILL, Md.Dec 24 2009By: Rick McCann/staff
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http://www.privateofficer.com/ - An late morning armored car robbery has police on the look-out for a lone suspect.
According to police a man held up an armored truck outside an Aspen Hill bank Wednesday morning and then vanished.
Officers said that the man was carrying a shotgun as he approached the driver of an armored car outside of a Wachovia Bank in the 3800 block of International Drive.
The suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 30 years old, between 6 feet and 6 feet, 3 inches tall, with a heavy build and a goatee. He was wearing a dark shirt and blue jeans.
The man fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured.
Anyone with any information about the incident or the suspect is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Robbery Section at 240-773-5100, or submit a tip anonymously at 1-866-411-TIPS.
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According to police a man held up an armored truck outside an Aspen Hill bank Wednesday morning and then vanished.
Officers said that the man was carrying a shotgun as he approached the driver of an armored car outside of a Wachovia Bank in the 3800 block of International Drive.
The suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 30 years old, between 6 feet and 6 feet, 3 inches tall, with a heavy build and a goatee. He was wearing a dark shirt and blue jeans.
The man fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured.
Anyone with any information about the incident or the suspect is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Robbery Section at 240-773-5100, or submit a tip anonymously at 1-866-411-TIPS.
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Security-bouncer stabbed breaking up fight www.privateofficer.com
Elyria OH Dec 24 2009
A 29-year-old Elyria man was stabbed in the leg and chest yesterday morning after trying to break up a fight inside Benchwarmers Sports Bar and Grille. One man has been arrested in connection with the stabbing, while someone who fired a gun during the fight is still on the run from police.
Officers were called to 11 Lake Ave. around 2:30 a.m. after a fight broke out in a hallway that connects Benchwarmers to Mardi Gras Lounge. Brian Helke, who works as a security-bouncer at Benchwarmers, tried to break up the fight, but was punched in the eye and knocked to the ground, according to an Elyria police report.
After the fight broke up, Helke was approached by Frederick Ferris, who began fighting him and ended up on top of him. Ferris allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Helke in the chest and leg before fleeing out a Lake Avenue exit, police said.
Ferris was stopped a few minutes later as he was walking on Middle Avenue near Ely Square. No weapons were found on him, but a black-handled kitchen knife was later discovered at the north end of Ely Square across from the Lake Avenue intersection, police said.
Ferris was charged with felonious assault and tampering with evidence.
Later on, officers were called back to the bar after workers found a shell casing and a handgun magazine. A bullet hole was also found in the wall, which police believe was fired during the fight. A gun was found discarded in a sewer on Washington Avenue, outside of Mardi Gras Lounge, police said. The gun, which is listed as stolen through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, was taken from an Eaton Township home in December 2008.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Elyria Police Department at (440) 323-3302.
A 29-year-old Elyria man was stabbed in the leg and chest yesterday morning after trying to break up a fight inside Benchwarmers Sports Bar and Grille. One man has been arrested in connection with the stabbing, while someone who fired a gun during the fight is still on the run from police.
Officers were called to 11 Lake Ave. around 2:30 a.m. after a fight broke out in a hallway that connects Benchwarmers to Mardi Gras Lounge. Brian Helke, who works as a security-bouncer at Benchwarmers, tried to break up the fight, but was punched in the eye and knocked to the ground, according to an Elyria police report.
After the fight broke up, Helke was approached by Frederick Ferris, who began fighting him and ended up on top of him. Ferris allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Helke in the chest and leg before fleeing out a Lake Avenue exit, police said.
Ferris was stopped a few minutes later as he was walking on Middle Avenue near Ely Square. No weapons were found on him, but a black-handled kitchen knife was later discovered at the north end of Ely Square across from the Lake Avenue intersection, police said.
Ferris was charged with felonious assault and tampering with evidence.
Later on, officers were called back to the bar after workers found a shell casing and a handgun magazine. A bullet hole was also found in the wall, which police believe was fired during the fight. A gun was found discarded in a sewer on Washington Avenue, outside of Mardi Gras Lounge, police said. The gun, which is listed as stolen through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, was taken from an Eaton Township home in December 2008.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Elyria Police Department at (440) 323-3302.
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Argument at assisted-living facility leads to murder www.privateofficer.com
New York Dec 24 2009
An argument in an assisted-living residence at 270 E. Second St. between two men in wheelchairs turned violent in the early hours of Sat., Dec. 19, and one of them stabbed the other to death, police said.
The suspect, Felipe Rivera-Cruz, 51, plunged a folding knife four times into the chest of the victim, Ronal Garcia, 24, at 4:12 a.m. in a second-floor hallway of the four-story Barrier Free Living residence between Avenues C and D, according to the complaint filed by the Manhattan district attorney. Garcia was taken to Beth Israel Medical Center with several other stab wounds in addition to the four fatal ones, and was declared dead soon after.
The stabbing, which staff members saw in progress on a surveillance monitor, followed an argument an hour or so earlier when the victim had made fun of the suspect, according to reports. Police also responded to the earlier call, but said it was just an argument with no injuries and neither party wanted to file charges. However, a New York Times report quoted a witness as saying the suspect had sustained a cut on his forehead during the earlier incident, and the victim had phoned his family in the Bronx between the first and second calls.
A security guard, who got to the scene too late to prevent the stabbing, observed the folding knife in the suspect’s hand, took it from him, and then called 911, the complaint says.
The nonprofit Barrier Free Living residence, operated under contract to the city, is one of the few that are completely accessible to wheelchairs. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services said the city is investigating the circumstances of the stabbing.
Rivera-Cruz was held on charges of second-degree murder and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon pending a Dec. 24 court appearance
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An argument in an assisted-living residence at 270 E. Second St. between two men in wheelchairs turned violent in the early hours of Sat., Dec. 19, and one of them stabbed the other to death, police said.
The suspect, Felipe Rivera-Cruz, 51, plunged a folding knife four times into the chest of the victim, Ronal Garcia, 24, at 4:12 a.m. in a second-floor hallway of the four-story Barrier Free Living residence between Avenues C and D, according to the complaint filed by the Manhattan district attorney. Garcia was taken to Beth Israel Medical Center with several other stab wounds in addition to the four fatal ones, and was declared dead soon after.
The stabbing, which staff members saw in progress on a surveillance monitor, followed an argument an hour or so earlier when the victim had made fun of the suspect, according to reports. Police also responded to the earlier call, but said it was just an argument with no injuries and neither party wanted to file charges. However, a New York Times report quoted a witness as saying the suspect had sustained a cut on his forehead during the earlier incident, and the victim had phoned his family in the Bronx between the first and second calls.
A security guard, who got to the scene too late to prevent the stabbing, observed the folding knife in the suspect’s hand, took it from him, and then called 911, the complaint says.
The nonprofit Barrier Free Living residence, operated under contract to the city, is one of the few that are completely accessible to wheelchairs. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services said the city is investigating the circumstances of the stabbing.
Rivera-Cruz was held on charges of second-degree murder and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon pending a Dec. 24 court appearance
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Wal-Mart settles with girl fondled in SC www.privateofficer.com
COLUMBIA, S.C. Dec 24 2009 Court records show Wal-Mart has settled a lawsuit with the family of a girl who was fondled by an employee at a store in South Carolina five years ago.
The State reported Thursday that Wal-Mart agreed last week to pay a girl an undisclosed sum after she was fondled by an employee who was a registered sex offender in 2004 at a store in Orangeburg.
The newspaper reported that Wal-Mart began conducting criminal background checks on new hires at its stores within weeks of that incident.
A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., Daphne Moore, would not discuss the Dec. 16 settlement on Wednesday. But Moore said the matter has been resolved.
The family's attorney, David Massey of Columbia, said he's glad the lawsuit has been resolved.
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The State reported Thursday that Wal-Mart agreed last week to pay a girl an undisclosed sum after she was fondled by an employee who was a registered sex offender in 2004 at a store in Orangeburg.
The newspaper reported that Wal-Mart began conducting criminal background checks on new hires at its stores within weeks of that incident.
A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., Daphne Moore, would not discuss the Dec. 16 settlement on Wednesday. But Moore said the matter has been resolved.
The family's attorney, David Massey of Columbia, said he's glad the lawsuit has been resolved.
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Security officer assaulted in robbery www.privateofficer.com
EL PASO, Texas Dec 24 2009
Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
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www.privateofficer.com
Police responded to an incident at a local dollar store and say that three people were arrested Wednesday after a robbery.
Police said that the three are accused of stealing from a west side Dollar General Store.
Officers responded to the store at around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and found a security officer in a battle with several people.
Investigators said that two men and one juvenile walked into the store at 6901 North Mesa, and the two men tried stealing a few items.
When approached by a security officer, the group began assaulting the officer and tried to flee.
All three were arrested and now face robbery charges.
Police have not yet released their identity.
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Brett Davis/Staff
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www.privateofficer.com
Police responded to an incident at a local dollar store and say that three people were arrested Wednesday after a robbery.
Police said that the three are accused of stealing from a west side Dollar General Store.
Officers responded to the store at around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and found a security officer in a battle with several people.
Investigators said that two men and one juvenile walked into the store at 6901 North Mesa, and the two men tried stealing a few items.
When approached by a security officer, the group began assaulting the officer and tried to flee.
All three were arrested and now face robbery charges.
Police have not yet released their identity.
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Police shoot-kill man attacking bounty hunters www.privateofficer.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio Dec 24 2009-- A Cleveland police officer coming to the aid of bounty hunters shot and killed a man Wednesday afternoon during a struggle on the city's East Side.
The 29-year-old Cleveland man, who police did not identify, was taken to Huron Hospital and pronounced dead at 5:20 p.m.
The officer who shot him, 24-year-old Aaron Petitt, was treated for what police described as a stab wound and released from MetroHealth Medical Center.
Police policy requires that the officer, with the department for two years, be placed on temporary leave while the shooting is investigated.
The shooting happened about 4:15 p.m. in the 12800 block of Signet Avenue.
Police got a call about a man being chased by men with guns, said Sgt. Keith Campbell, a police spokesman.
At least three officers, including Petitt, arrived and found that the armed men were bounty hunters trying to capture a man wanted on a warrant.
The man had entered a home and barricaded himself in a room. Petitt and a bounty hunter tried to use a board to force open the door.
Police said the man forced the board out from between the door and the jam. The board hit Petitt, who also was stabbed in the foot, police said.
Two other officers also were injured during the struggle, Campbell said.
The officers were taken to MetroHealth, too. Their names and conditions were not available. But Campbell said their injuries were not life-threatening.
The department's Use of Non-Deadly Force Investigation Team is reviewing the shooting. The team includes the officers in charge of the homicide and internal affairs units along with at least one investigator working for the Cuyahoga County coroner.
Their findings will be presented to City Prosecutor Victor Perez. City policy gives Perez 90 days to decide whether the officer's actions were justified.
The 29-year-old Cleveland man, who police did not identify, was taken to Huron Hospital and pronounced dead at 5:20 p.m.
The officer who shot him, 24-year-old Aaron Petitt, was treated for what police described as a stab wound and released from MetroHealth Medical Center.
Police policy requires that the officer, with the department for two years, be placed on temporary leave while the shooting is investigated.
The shooting happened about 4:15 p.m. in the 12800 block of Signet Avenue.
Police got a call about a man being chased by men with guns, said Sgt. Keith Campbell, a police spokesman.
At least three officers, including Petitt, arrived and found that the armed men were bounty hunters trying to capture a man wanted on a warrant.
The man had entered a home and barricaded himself in a room. Petitt and a bounty hunter tried to use a board to force open the door.
Police said the man forced the board out from between the door and the jam. The board hit Petitt, who also was stabbed in the foot, police said.
Two other officers also were injured during the struggle, Campbell said.
The officers were taken to MetroHealth, too. Their names and conditions were not available. But Campbell said their injuries were not life-threatening.
The department's Use of Non-Deadly Force Investigation Team is reviewing the shooting. The team includes the officers in charge of the homicide and internal affairs units along with at least one investigator working for the Cuyahoga County coroner.
Their findings will be presented to City Prosecutor Victor Perez. City policy gives Perez 90 days to decide whether the officer's actions were justified.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Cincinnati police officer killed in Afghanistan www.privateofficer.com
FLORENCE, Ky.Dec 23 2009 – Family, friends and a grateful community paid their last respects Tuesday to a Cincinnati police officer and Air Force sergeant killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Hundreds attended the visitation Tuesday morning for Tech Sgt. Anthony C. "Tony" Campbell, who was killed while trying to disarm an improvised explosive device last week. The Air Force Tech Sgt. was serving in Afghanistan as an explosive ordinance disposal specialist.
Campbell, 35, had been serving as a Cincinnati police officer for just a few weeks before he was deployed.
"He was my best friend and a wonderful husband and father," said his widow, Emily Campbell.
Campbell's statements came from a program given to those who attended the visitation at Florence Baptist Church at Mt. Zion.
"He dedicated his life to his country," Campbell's statement continued.
Hundreds upon hundreds stood in line for a chance to express their sympathy for the family.
The 1992 Boone County high school graduate had his mother sign his enlistment papers at the age of 17 so he could join the Air Force.
In 2009 he became a Cincinnati police officer and served at downtown's district one headquarters before he was deployed to Afghanistan.
In an additional statement Emily Campbell thanked the community for their support at this most difficult time.
"On behalf of the Campbell family I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of love and support we have received over the last week. The love that has been shown for my husband, Anthony, myself, and our grieving family has gone beyond my imagination," Campbell said.
Campbell also leaves behind three children.
His 2-year-old son saluted his father before the service began.
During the funeral, Campbell was remembered by his best friend, Chris Webster.
"Anthony Campbell Junior was a father, a husband, a son, a grandson, a brother, an uncle and a friend," said Webster, Campbell's Best Friend. "He was a union brother to two of the biggest families in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Police Department and the Plumbers and Pipe fitters Local 392 and a member to an even bigger family the United States Air Force. I've known Tony for 24 years and trust me when I say Tony was doing exactly what he wanted to do."
Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher also paid tribute to Campbell.
"Tony put himself in harms way so that other people could be protected. Other people in a community much larger that what we experience here in the Greater Cincinnati area in fact his community was the entire world and I think that's something that speaks volume about his character, his tenacity and about his commitment to duty," said Chief Tom Streicher of Cincinnati Police. "In my estimation, each and everyone one of us owe him a debt of gratitude for his loyal service to his community and to his country."
Air Force commanders posthumously awarded Campbell the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Medal.
Tech Sgt. Campbell was escorted to the Veterans Cemetery in Williamstown where he was laid to rest.
"Tony Campbell was a great American, Tony Campbell is a hero in our minds, and he will live in our hearts forever," said Streicher.
Hundreds attended the visitation Tuesday morning for Tech Sgt. Anthony C. "Tony" Campbell, who was killed while trying to disarm an improvised explosive device last week. The Air Force Tech Sgt. was serving in Afghanistan as an explosive ordinance disposal specialist.
Campbell, 35, had been serving as a Cincinnati police officer for just a few weeks before he was deployed.
"He was my best friend and a wonderful husband and father," said his widow, Emily Campbell.
Campbell's statements came from a program given to those who attended the visitation at Florence Baptist Church at Mt. Zion.
"He dedicated his life to his country," Campbell's statement continued.
Hundreds upon hundreds stood in line for a chance to express their sympathy for the family.
The 1992 Boone County high school graduate had his mother sign his enlistment papers at the age of 17 so he could join the Air Force.
In 2009 he became a Cincinnati police officer and served at downtown's district one headquarters before he was deployed to Afghanistan.
In an additional statement Emily Campbell thanked the community for their support at this most difficult time.
"On behalf of the Campbell family I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of love and support we have received over the last week. The love that has been shown for my husband, Anthony, myself, and our grieving family has gone beyond my imagination," Campbell said.
Campbell also leaves behind three children.
His 2-year-old son saluted his father before the service began.
During the funeral, Campbell was remembered by his best friend, Chris Webster.
"Anthony Campbell Junior was a father, a husband, a son, a grandson, a brother, an uncle and a friend," said Webster, Campbell's Best Friend. "He was a union brother to two of the biggest families in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Police Department and the Plumbers and Pipe fitters Local 392 and a member to an even bigger family the United States Air Force. I've known Tony for 24 years and trust me when I say Tony was doing exactly what he wanted to do."
Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher also paid tribute to Campbell.
"Tony put himself in harms way so that other people could be protected. Other people in a community much larger that what we experience here in the Greater Cincinnati area in fact his community was the entire world and I think that's something that speaks volume about his character, his tenacity and about his commitment to duty," said Chief Tom Streicher of Cincinnati Police. "In my estimation, each and everyone one of us owe him a debt of gratitude for his loyal service to his community and to his country."
Air Force commanders posthumously awarded Campbell the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Medal.
Tech Sgt. Campbell was escorted to the Veterans Cemetery in Williamstown where he was laid to rest.
"Tony Campbell was a great American, Tony Campbell is a hero in our minds, and he will live in our hearts forever," said Streicher.
Pot store guard fired for being "over aggressive" www.privateofficer.com
LAKE FOREST FLA DEc 23 2009
ocregister – A security guard hired to keep order outside a medical marijuana dispensary said he was fired three weeks ago for being too good at his job.
The dispensary owner said he was let go for being "over-aggressive and scary." The dispensary's owner said Earth Cann has hired two new guards who are "nice and professional."
Former security guard George Covarrubias was hired to keep an eye on the parking lot of Earth Cann Wellness Center in Lake Forest Here he's shown outside the dispensary in October.
Club owner Shannon Saccullo immediately posted warning signs – telling club members that marijuana prescriptions must remain in a sealed bag until they are taken home – and hired Covarrubias to enforce the dispensary's rules.
In a short time Covarrubias made sure there was no smoking and loitering around Earth Cann or other businesses. He stopped "drug deals," he said. He also developed a rapport with nearby businesses and introduced himself, asking for their worries and input.
Covarrubias said he suspended about eight people from use of the club – including one he characterizes as a good customer.
Covarrubias said he also called police when it seemed that violations of the zero tolerance policy were taking place outside his area of patrol.
In one case Covarrubias said he caught a club member packing a bowl of marijuana and smoking it.
"He buys a quarter pound at a time and at $300 an ounce, he spends $1,200 each time," said Covarrubias. "I set high standards for the place and was professional," he said. "They treated me like I was an old gang banger. I got spit on, almost got knocked down by speeding cars and got flipped off."
Covarrubias said he is disappointed by his removal.
Saccullo said she received countless complaints about Covarrubias' aggressive behavior.
"People were coming into the club saying 'your security guard is really obsessed,'" she said. "I told him to mellow out and be nice to people. He was not approachable and polite. I want people to have a positive experience in the club and not to be hassled."
Since November police have not gotten reports of any problems associated with the dispensary.
Vickie Simpson, executive director of Us Too Center which focuses on special needs children, is familiar with the dispensary and located in the neighboring business park.
"Before the security guards people would speed through the parking lot and we saw multiple drug transaction right in front of our door," said Simpson. "Now we have no problems at all."
Earth Cann's membership has grown to more than 2,500 now, almost 1,000 more since late October.
In November the dispensary won a lawsuit against its landlord, which tried to evict the business, when a judge rejected the landlord's argument that the dispensary should be forced to close because it allegedly violated a city zoning rule.
David Welch, an attorney who represented Earth Cann, called Superior Court judge's ruling a victory in the medical marijuana battle.
City officials – who on Sept. 1 announced that complaints had been filed against 35 people associated with 14 dispensaries.– said the tenant-landlord dispute will have no affect on the city's legal efforts to close down dispensaries citywide.
"If the landlord takes action to remove the tenant and they are removed, that's one less dispensary the city would have to close," said Jeff Dunn, a partner with Best, Best & Krieger, representing the city in its legal action against the dispensaries.
"The city has taken legal action to close all storefronts in Lake Forest. But if the landlord doesn't do it, it won't change what the city will do. Nothing has happened that will affect the city's process to move forward."
Dunn said all dispensaries – now more than 20 – could be shut down by early next year.
But Saccullo remains optimistic and hopes the city will agree to regulate a few of the dispensaries that a re running legitimate businesses.
"Things are great," said Saccullo adding that club members are bringing in cans for the needy for the holidays. "I have a book of 100 testimonials of what medical marijuana is doing for people. I'll be the poster child for how a business liker this should be run. I'm very proud of it."
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The dispensary owner said he was let go for being "over-aggressive and scary." The dispensary's owner said Earth Cann has hired two new guards who are "nice and professional."
Former security guard George Covarrubias was hired to keep an eye on the parking lot of Earth Cann Wellness Center in Lake Forest Here he's shown outside the dispensary in October.
Club owner Shannon Saccullo immediately posted warning signs – telling club members that marijuana prescriptions must remain in a sealed bag until they are taken home – and hired Covarrubias to enforce the dispensary's rules.
In a short time Covarrubias made sure there was no smoking and loitering around Earth Cann or other businesses. He stopped "drug deals," he said. He also developed a rapport with nearby businesses and introduced himself, asking for their worries and input.
Covarrubias said he suspended about eight people from use of the club – including one he characterizes as a good customer.
Covarrubias said he also called police when it seemed that violations of the zero tolerance policy were taking place outside his area of patrol.
In one case Covarrubias said he caught a club member packing a bowl of marijuana and smoking it.
"He buys a quarter pound at a time and at $300 an ounce, he spends $1,200 each time," said Covarrubias. "I set high standards for the place and was professional," he said. "They treated me like I was an old gang banger. I got spit on, almost got knocked down by speeding cars and got flipped off."
Covarrubias said he is disappointed by his removal.
Saccullo said she received countless complaints about Covarrubias' aggressive behavior.
"People were coming into the club saying 'your security guard is really obsessed,'" she said. "I told him to mellow out and be nice to people. He was not approachable and polite. I want people to have a positive experience in the club and not to be hassled."
Since November police have not gotten reports of any problems associated with the dispensary.
Vickie Simpson, executive director of Us Too Center which focuses on special needs children, is familiar with the dispensary and located in the neighboring business park.
"Before the security guards people would speed through the parking lot and we saw multiple drug transaction right in front of our door," said Simpson. "Now we have no problems at all."
Earth Cann's membership has grown to more than 2,500 now, almost 1,000 more since late October.
In November the dispensary won a lawsuit against its landlord, which tried to evict the business, when a judge rejected the landlord's argument that the dispensary should be forced to close because it allegedly violated a city zoning rule.
David Welch, an attorney who represented Earth Cann, called Superior Court judge's ruling a victory in the medical marijuana battle.
City officials – who on Sept. 1 announced that complaints had been filed against 35 people associated with 14 dispensaries.– said the tenant-landlord dispute will have no affect on the city's legal efforts to close down dispensaries citywide.
"If the landlord takes action to remove the tenant and they are removed, that's one less dispensary the city would have to close," said Jeff Dunn, a partner with Best, Best & Krieger, representing the city in its legal action against the dispensaries.
"The city has taken legal action to close all storefronts in Lake Forest. But if the landlord doesn't do it, it won't change what the city will do. Nothing has happened that will affect the city's process to move forward."
Dunn said all dispensaries – now more than 20 – could be shut down by early next year.
But Saccullo remains optimistic and hopes the city will agree to regulate a few of the dispensaries that a re running legitimate businesses.
"Things are great," said Saccullo adding that club members are bringing in cans for the needy for the holidays. "I have a book of 100 testimonials of what medical marijuana is doing for people. I'll be the poster child for how a business liker this should be run. I'm very proud of it."
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Blufton teacher charged with sexual misconduct with minor www.privateofficer.com
BLUFFTON, Ind. Dec 23 2009 - A Bluffton Harrison Teacher is behind bars Tuesday charged with three felony counts including sexual misconduct with a minor.
The 36-year-old former Bluffton-Harrison schools teacher Tracey Pace faces sexual misconduct charges.
Police in Bluffton say Pace performed sexual acts on a teenager from January to March in 2007.
She was not a teacher at the time.
Pace is also charged with sending pornographic pictures to a minor in 2007.
Pace has been arrested and is being held in the Wells County Jail on $30,000 bond.
Pace is on administrative leave from her teaching position.
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The 36-year-old former Bluffton-Harrison schools teacher Tracey Pace faces sexual misconduct charges.
Police in Bluffton say Pace performed sexual acts on a teenager from January to March in 2007.
She was not a teacher at the time.
Pace is also charged with sending pornographic pictures to a minor in 2007.
Pace has been arrested and is being held in the Wells County Jail on $30,000 bond.
Pace is on administrative leave from her teaching position.
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Florida cop busted for DUI accident www.privateofficer.com
ST. PETERSBURG FLA Dec 23 2009 — Patrol Officer Anthony Mathew Green repeatedly expressed interest in joining the St. Petersburg Police Department's traffic enforcement division.
But that goal and his law enforcement career were endangered by his arrest this weekend on charges that the off-duty officer drunkenly crashed into two different vehicles, then drove away.
Green, 30, was arrested early Saturday on charges of driving under the influence/crash, DUI involving property damage and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.
Both incidents took place on Fourth Street N about 10 p.m. Friday, according to St. Petersburg police.
The first crash took place as Green attempted to pass a vehicle near the 3500 block of Fourth Street.
Both vehicles were headed north. Green drove over the raised concrete median while passing a 2009 Honda sedan, police said, and struck the driver's side mirror of that vehicle.
The Honda's driver was not injured, but police said the officer didn't stop after the collision.
Instead, Green continued north on Fourth. Police said Green's vehicle struck another vehicle at 38th Avenue N and Fourth Street. Police said no one was injured in that crash, but that Green kept going.
After the incidents, officers searched the area and found Green's damaged vehicle parked outside his Shore Acres home.
Green, who was off duty, was still inside the vehicle, according to police. His blood-alcohol level tested at 0.179 and 0.173. Florida law presumes a driver is impaired at 0.08 or greater.
He was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County jail about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. He could not be reached for comment Monday.
Green, a graduate of Lakewood High School and the University of South Florida, has been a patrol officer since November 2005. His personnel file shows nothing but positive reviews.
His file also showed that he has never been disciplined by the department. Green was involved in three crashes while driving his police cruiser, according to records, but only one incident was declared "preventable." He received a warning for that incident.
According to police, he was placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation. After the investigation, a chain-of-command board will determine any disciplinary action.
But that goal and his law enforcement career were endangered by his arrest this weekend on charges that the off-duty officer drunkenly crashed into two different vehicles, then drove away.
Green, 30, was arrested early Saturday on charges of driving under the influence/crash, DUI involving property damage and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.
Both incidents took place on Fourth Street N about 10 p.m. Friday, according to St. Petersburg police.
The first crash took place as Green attempted to pass a vehicle near the 3500 block of Fourth Street.
Both vehicles were headed north. Green drove over the raised concrete median while passing a 2009 Honda sedan, police said, and struck the driver's side mirror of that vehicle.
The Honda's driver was not injured, but police said the officer didn't stop after the collision.
Instead, Green continued north on Fourth. Police said Green's vehicle struck another vehicle at 38th Avenue N and Fourth Street. Police said no one was injured in that crash, but that Green kept going.
After the incidents, officers searched the area and found Green's damaged vehicle parked outside his Shore Acres home.
Green, who was off duty, was still inside the vehicle, according to police. His blood-alcohol level tested at 0.179 and 0.173. Florida law presumes a driver is impaired at 0.08 or greater.
He was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County jail about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. He could not be reached for comment Monday.
Green, a graduate of Lakewood High School and the University of South Florida, has been a patrol officer since November 2005. His personnel file shows nothing but positive reviews.
His file also showed that he has never been disciplined by the department. Green was involved in three crashes while driving his police cruiser, according to records, but only one incident was declared "preventable." He received a warning for that incident.
According to police, he was placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation. After the investigation, a chain-of-command board will determine any disciplinary action.
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