Police/LEO News

By PoliceOne Staff

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mayor's Office has confirmed the death of a Mobile Police officer and the injury of another.

During a reported robbery attempt Friday morning at Dollar General in West Mobile, Lawrence Wallace, Jr. was seen spraying lighter fluid on the counter and setting it on fire, along with parts of the floor and a store display, according to WKRG.com. An off-duty officer at the scene saw him and tackled him, police said.

Later, Wallace was in police custody and according to WKRG's account, shot an officer as they arrived at the jail. The Press-Register reported the officer who died succumbed to stab wounds. Police were attempting to get Wallace back into custody Friday afternoon in a standoff outside a home near Dauphin Island Parkway.

By Elizabeth Evans The York Dispatch

YORK, Pa. — Officers arrested a Conewago Township man after he tried to steal a speed-timing device in Manchester Township Wednesday.

Daniel Ramsey, 51, of 1235 Bremer Road, is being charged with theft and receiving stolen property, according to Northern York County Regional Police, who were running the speed-enforcement detail.

Police said three officers were running the detail on North George Street near Hayshire Drive about 6:35 p.m. when Ramsey drove up in his pickup truck, grabbed the ENRADD device and started walking to his truck with it.

As officers approached him, he put down the device and tried to leave, but was arrested, police said. Ramsey told officers he thought the ENRADD was trash, police said.

ENRADD, short for electronic non-radar device, costs about $1,200, police said. It works by shooting two infrared light beams across the road. As a vehicle break the beams, the device calculates the vehicle's speed, police said.

It's the second time someone has allegedly tried to steal Northern Regional's ENRADD. On March 10, Joaquin Sierra-Abrew of York City grabbed the device and put it in his truck, but was arrested, police said. Because the device is aluminum, it could be sold as scrap metal, police said.

Police said a Conewago Twp. man was arrested after officers saw him try to steal the speed-timing device they'd set up along North George Street in Manchester Township.

Copyright 2012 York Newspapers, Inc.

By PoliceOne Staff

BUTTE, Mont. — A man instigated a high-speed police pursuit because it was on his "bucket list," sources said.

John C. Hughes, 55, took off Thursday at speeds of 70 mph after he followed a police cruiser for seven blocks, according to the Billings Gazette. Officers say Hughes drove more than 100 mph on the interstate.

Police threw stop sticks in front of his Xterra, deflating the tires, according to the Montana Standard. A few minutes later he pulled over.

During questioning Hughes told officers he "just always wanted" to see what it was like to be in a police chase, according to the police report. No weapons or contraband were found in the vehicle, and he was not intoxicated.

Hughes was taken into custody and charged with reckless driving while fleeing police. Later that morning he bonded out of jail.

By PoliceOne Staff

BLACKSBURG, Va. — A cache of exotic animals was found Thursday in a steam tunnel at Virginia Tech University.

Maintenance workers found "two nonpoisonous, constrictor-like snakes, a black widow spider, a tarantula, two unidentified lizards, a frog, a rabbit, three mice and a cage of crickets" in a medley of cages and boxes, according to The Roanoke Times. Workers removed them from the tunnel and police were called to the scene.

One snake found in a Styrofoam cooler measured about 5 feet long, and the animals appeared to be in good condition, police said. It is unclear why the animals were there, but a Virginia Tech Police Facebook post from Thursday night said the owner was found.

"The owner of the animals has been identified thanks to the far reaching powers of FB.......thanks everyone...." the post said. It appeared just above another post asking the public for information about the recovered animals.

By Malaika Fraley Contra Costa Times

MARTINEZ, Calif. — A Richmond police officer was acquitted Thursday of charges that he assaulted a handcuffed man during a drug-related arrest in 2009.

The jury deliberated for about four hours before finding Dedrick Riley, 42, not guilty of unnecessary assault by an officer and filing a false police report — both felonies — and misdemeanor battery.

"I'm extremely happy for Officer Riley and his family," Riley's attorney, Harry Stern, said. "It's been a very long journey, but he's been completely vindicated and, frankly, there's no better feeling."

Riley was accused of using excessive force during a March 7, 2009, arrest and then lying on his police report in an attempt to cover it up. Both a rookie police officer, Anthony Diaz, and the accuser, Donald Stewart, testified that Riley punched Stewart twice in the head with a closed fist as Stewart was handcuffed and Riley was standing behind him.

The prosecutor argued that Riley pulled Stewart up from a sitting position and used excessive force in reaction to insults by Stewart, whom the officers caught smoking crack cocaine in his car.

The defense argued that Riley delivered two "distraction blows" with an open hand to control the struggling suspect, a minimal amount of force in accordance with police department procedure. Riley did not take the stand.

He was fired after an internal affairs investigation into the allegations involving Stewart. It was the second time in six years Riley was dismissed for allegedly punching people he encountered on the job and lying about it. Both times, he won his job back through arbitration after appealing the city's decision. He is currently on administrative leave.

Stern said he talked to two jurors after Thursday's verdict, and they said the panel didn't believe there was any evidence Riley did anything wrong.

"They were very supportive of Officer Riley," Stern said.

"They thought he was doing a very good job out there, and one juror talked of having a thorough appreciation of how hard it is to be a cop, particularly in a tough town like Richmond."

Copyright 2012 Contra Costa Newspapers

By Benjamin Wright Press Association Mediapoint

Police have made a "substantial" out-of-court settlement after stopping a man's car and smashing its windows, lawyers said.

Retired businessman Robert Whatley, 73, of Usk, Monmouthshire, South Wales, took legal action over a 17-minute pursuit for not wearing a seat belt.

The officers were later cleared in a disciplinary hearing and Gwent Police has made no admission of liability.

But it has been reported the payment made to Mr Whatley is "in excess of £20,000."

The grandfather, who claimed for post-traumatic stress disorder, has already received more than £8,000 from the force after claiming for damage to his Range Rover.

His solicitors said Gwent Police had also agreed to pay "all reasonable" costs for the legal action.

A key piece in Mr Whatley's lawyers submission was a copy of the police video of the 2009 incident, which was later uploaded to YouTube.

He had driven off without wearing a seat belt and was followed for several miles along country roads between Cwmbran and Usk.

Mr Whatley was later found guilty of not wearing a seat belt, failing to stop for a police officer and having tinted car windows that did not conform to legal requirements.

He also admitted having a registration plate which did not adhere to regulations and was fined a total of £235 and ordered to pay £300 towards prosecution costs at Caerphilly Magistrates' Court.

But he was cleared of failing to stop after an accident.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) later supervised an investigation into the incident, but a disciplinary panel made up of officers from another force cleared the two Gwent officers, whose identity has not been revealed.

It found their actions were justified given the circumstances.

Regarding the out-of-court settlement, Gwent Deputy Chief Constable Jeff Farrar said: "Gwent Police have not accepted any liability in this matter, however contesting the matter further would have incurred substantial legal costs if the case had gone to court.

"Therefore, whilst we maintain our position we do not admit liability, a decision was made to settle the matter out of court on financial grounds."

Copyright 2012 The Press Association Limited

By Edward C. Fennell The Post and Courier

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Two of his pickup truck's tires were shot out and a K-9 stopped him from running, but Timothy Shawn McManus continued struggling with the deputies he had led on a 120-mph car chase Monday, according to sheriff's reports.

McManus fought and tried to spit on Charleston County deputies who captured him beside an intersection of dirt roads in the Francis Marion National Forest, arrest warrants and a sheriff's report said.

McManus, 31, of Macoma Drive in Mount Pleasant, was treated at East Cooper Hospital before being lodged at the Cannon Detention Center.

On Tuesday, bail was set at $102,550 for McManus, who is charged with reckless driving, failure to stop for blue lights and siren, resisting arrest and third-offense driving under suspension.

Deputies allege McManus sped away after almost colliding in Mount Pleasant with a sport utility vehicle driven by Sheriff Al Cannon. Cannon began pursuit, and said McManus drove over curbs and sidewalks before and during the chase, and that McManus forced more than a dozen other vehicles off the roads.

The chase that began in Mount Pleasant continued for 25 miles to near Awendaw.

"It's a miracle that no one was killed," county Magistrate Linda Lombard told McManus.

While on forest roads, Cannon and two deputies fired shots into McManus' truck tires and forced the truck to skid to a halt.

McManus' mother and wife were in court and told Lombard that he is the father of three.

"He's not a bad person," his wife, Melissa McManus, said, adding after Lombard noted his license has been repeatedly suspended that he had to drive to get to work.

"He shouldn't have been doing what he was doing," she told Lombard.

McManus said he is a self-employed roofer who has lived in Georgia and South Carolina. Lombard said he has a long record of driving offenses in both states.

"Your driving record goes on and on," the judge said.

Before McManus appeared at the hearing via video conferencing, a jailer told Lombard the inmate was a "disciplinary" problem. McManus was cuffed behind his back.

Outside the courtroom, Melissa McManus maintained that her husband was beaten by deputies who arrested him. She claimed he received stitches after the arrest because the dog that brought him down was allowed "to chew on him."

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the chase, a standard procedure after shots are fired by law officers.

Sheriff's Maj. John Clark said there was no police brutality.

Clark said he witnessed much of the final moments of the chase and said McManus refused orders to surrender. He said it "was just a matter of seconds" before deputies pulled the dog off McManus.

A warrant states a lieutenant pointing his gun told McManus to get on the ground, but McManus instead reached into his truck, and the lieutenant struck him several times.

McManus continued to resist until the K-9 put an end to the effort. After being cuffed, "he continued to resist and attempted to spit on deputies," the warrant states.

Copyright 2012 The Post and Courier

Later this month I’ll attend the first-ever Southeast Regional Warrior Symposium , presented by SARK Securities and co-hosted by the Orlando (Fla.) City Police Department. As I have previously written, luminaries like Dr. Michael J. Sulick (Former Director of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service), and none other than the legendary SGM Billy Waugh (Ret.) are scheduled to present. Further, I will have the opportunity to meet and spend time with some of the top military and law enforcement leaders in the nation. It will be an exceptional week, no doubt.

There will be a series of classroom seminars addressing topics such as National Security, Mass Casualty Response, Active Shooter Threat Planning and Preparation, and a host of others. There will be a live-fire venue, hosted by Orlando City PD, at which attending trainers will have the opportunity to work with internationally-recognized instructors SGM Nir Maman, SGM Pete Gould, and Steve Mescan, and the ammo will be provided by SARK Securities.

During the five-day seminar I will divide my time as best as possible between the Command Leadership track and the Warrior Track. Late last week, I spoke again with my friend Chris Ghannam — Chief Technology Officer and Training Coordinator for SARK, who has been working on this event for more than a year — to get a little more information on the upcoming program. Next week I’ll provide a synopsis of our conversation about the Warrior Track — here I’ll address what Ghannam told me about the Command Leadership track.

A Post-Graduate-level Colloquium The Southeast Regional Warrior Symposium begins on Monday morning, February 27th, with opening ceremonies which will include Keynote Speakers Bobby Henline (read more about Henline here) and Craig Floyd (of NLEOMF). Lectures on day one will include thought-leaders such as Dr. Michael Asken, Brian Willis, Henk Iverson, COL. Danny McKnight (Black Hawk Down) and the abovementioned Chris Ghannam (many of whom are PoliceOne Contributors).

“We’re setting this up as almost a post-Graduate-level curriculum, where you’re going to have a distinguished panel in front of you,” Ghannam said when we connected via phone last week. “You have one day that discusses your public relations, your legal, and your policy side. Then the next day you have an operational and planning focus, and on the final day we have the national security and intelligence focus.”

The rooms for the Command Leadership track will be set up “classroom style” with tables and note-taking materials provided. For each session, there will be “runners” tasked with taking note cards from attendees who write down their questions for the panel, specifying which panelist they might want to answer their questions. Those note cards will be fed to the moderator throughout the day, and the moderator will subsequently address those inquiries to the appropriate panelists in the final segment of each day.

“Your distinguished panel is going to consist of four to five world-class colleagues,” Ghannam explained. “They’re going to give between a one-hour and a one-hour-and-forty minute lecture in each given topic. It’s going to be moderated by Mr. Jeff Norwitz the first two days — as we talked about, Jeff is the former Counterterrorism Chair for the Naval War College — and Brian Willis is going to moderate the last day because Jeff will be on the panel for that day.”

A Closed-Door Discussion The whole point of the exercise is to cut out all the ‘canned crap’ which tends to permeate a lot of seminars and events at which the speakers are constrained by limitations on what “talking points” will be tolerated by the speaker’s agency or department.

“This is not going to be an agency debrief — it’s not a capabilities debrief. It’s a chance to hear the explicit opinions of those individuals. When they come, they’re not there representing their given agencies. They’re there giving their experience, their beliefs, their feelings, and their recommendations. It’s not going to be, ‘You have to say this because you’re mandated by this agency to say this.’ Nobody wants to hear that — they can read that all day online.”

I am truly honored to be asked to attend this event — and not just because I see the obvious value in the high-level of presenters, attendees, and program highlights. I am the only member of “the media” who will be allowed to be there.

“A lot of the panelists have continuously reiterated that media cannot be present,” Ghannam stated. “In fact, I just got off the phone with Dr. Michael J. Sulick, Former Director of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, and I told him that you would be present and that you are the only member of the media we’re permitting to attend — he said he’s good with that.”

A Multi-Lateral Perspective Ghannam told me that the people attending the Command Leadership track are generally lieutenant-level and above on the law enforcement side — a lot of lieutenants, captains, and chiefs — who are coming from across the country to get the thoughts from a variety of experts on how we can pave a road for the future.

“This is a chance to hear not just from a local, neighboring jurisdiction, but to get into the mind of a world-class scholar in another region of the country or even another region of the world. While a presenter may have an international perspective, the focus is on domestic — we want to keep the discussion topics to how does international stuff affect our stateside entities. We don’t want any information to be out of context or irrelevant to our stateside LE or homeland security side.”

For example, the national security intelligence day will begin with John Williams from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office talking about covert criminal communications. Among the topics Williams will cover will be how high-level criminal organizations continue to communicate across borders from within our own prisons. These lessons are applicable not only to addressing — and preventing! — criminal behavior, but to the wider national security issues of trans-national terrorism and other threats.

“Jeff Norwitz is going to be breaking down a very specific group. The objective of his lecture is to enlighten security professionals about the fastest growing religion in the world in order that attendees can conduct effective liaison, community outreach, investigations, intelligence best-practices, and successfully interrelate with persons from Muslim communities. With Dr. Sulick coming as the former Director of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, we’ve asked him to provide his direct insight as to what he feels the future of the intelligence community is headed, where we’re falling short, where out strengths lie, and where we need to be gearing up for the future.”

Toward the end of our call, Ghannam summed it all up perfectly when he said, “At the end of the day, the fundamental construct has to be our national security, our citizens. At the end of the day, if you’re wearing a badge, you’re on a mission to support and defend. Whether it be policy dissemination or whether it be planning and preparation — we need to get the community as a collective on the same page.”

By Greg Bluestein Associated Press

ATLANTA — A federal appeals court on Wednesday granted a new hearing to a 40-year-old man who claimed the Atlanta Police Department rejected his job application because he has HIV.

The ruling was a victory for gay rights advocates and the health groups who had closely watched the case, which was brought in 2010 by a man using the pseudonym Richard Roe.

Among other findings, the three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in the ruling that the city lulled Roe into believing he didn't need to prove his HIV was "non-serious." It ordered the judge who dismissed the lawsuit to take another look at that issue and others prompted by the lawsuit.

The ruling was no surprise, as the panel expressed skepticism about the city's arguments during oral arguments last week, and one judge suggested the court had little choice but to send the case back to the federal judge.

Roe said in an interview last week that he was a former investigator with the city of Los Angeles who discovered he had HIV in 1997. He said the virus didn't hinder his ability to perform his duties, and that he didn't think it would be a problem when he applied to join Atlanta's police force in 2006.

He passed a series of exams, but hit a snag when a blood test revealed he had the virus that causes AIDS. The doctor didn't do any more tests, court records say, and recommended to the city that he have "no physical contact or involvement with individuals." Roe said the doctor told him the city wouldn't hire him because he had the virus.

City attorneys didn't immediately respond to requests for comments. At the hearing, attorneys said the city has no blanket policy against hiring officers with HIV and that several were on the force. City attorney Robert Godfrey said Atlanta follows the advice of physicians who screen candidates, and in this case, the doctor advised the department to limit Roe's interaction with the public.

Lawyers for Roe, who was represented by gay rights group Lambda Legal, said there was no evidence that he posed a threat to the health and safety of others. They said Atlanta's stance perpetuated myths about HIV that have persisted for three decades, and that medical advances have made the virus a chronic, but manageable, condition.

Scott Schoettes of Lambda Legal said he plans to use the hearing to show how Atlanta's refusal to hire his client was "discriminatory and illegal."

"The city of Atlanta admitted that there are already HIV-positive police officers serving on the force," he said. "Now they need to explain why our client should be treated any differently."

Copyright 2012 Associated Press

Associated Press

PHOENIX — A prominent national advocacy group for Latinos has joined a call for the self-proclaimed "America's toughest sheriff" to resign from office amid a wide range of civil rights violations, botched sex crimes investigations and other alleged abuses.

In a news conference Thursday in Phoenix, National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia called Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio "America's worst sheriff" and says it's time for him to resign.

Her group long has been critical of Arpaio but called for his resignation for the first time Thursday because Murguia says not enough has been done locally to remove him from office.

The five-term sheriff has raised more than $1.1 million in the past year for his re-election campaign.

His office says it doesn't discriminate against Latinos.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press

By PoliceOne Staff

CALUMET CITY, Ill. — Two police officers fired shots during a call involving a teen with Asperger's syndrome, who later died at the hospital.

Officers had been to the home of Stephon Watts, 15, for eleven domestic disturbances prior to Wednesday's incident, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Five officers arrived and as two descended into the basement, the 5-foot-10, 220-lb. teen appeared and "made slashing strikes" while holding a knife, according to police.

The lead officer suffered a cut to his left forearm and at that time, both officers fired, according to the Chicago Tribune. Police said they were trapped in the stairwell.

"Cornered and having no way to retreat back up the stairs, the officers fired one shot each, striking the (boy) twice," Police Chief Edward Gilmore said. "Unfortunately, the officer thought that his life was in jeopardy."

Watts' father, Steven, said his son carried a butter knife and was shot once in the leg and once in the head. The coroner late Wednesday did not indicate where bullets struck the teen, but confirmed Watts' death.

The officer who suffered the cut had dealt with Watts before. In December December, the teen punched his mother and wielding a knife, threatened officers in the street outside the home. After giving chase, police used a TASER to strike him twice.

Steven Watts said a "tussle" with his son that morning prompted Wednesday's 911 call, and social workers had previously told him the teen should be handled by authorities. All Calumet City police officers are trained to handle autism disorders and had just attended a class last year.

Steven Watts questioned the use of lethal force.

By Alex Barber Bangor Daily News

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — The Attorney General's Office and Maine State Police are still investigating a pair of shootings that rocked the town of Dover-Foxcroft two months ago.

On Nov. 29, 2011, Michael Curtis, 46, shot and killed maintenance worker Udo Schneider, 53, around 9:30 a.m. outside Hilltop Manor, where Schneider had worked for more than a decade.

After shooting Schneider, Curtis drove his white pickup truck to the nearby Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds. He was tracked there by police, who surrounded the grounds.

After engaging in a standoff, "Curtis was subsequently shot and killed by Maine State Trooper Jon Brown," Lt. Col. Raymond Bessette said on the afternoon of the shootings.

Curtis later died at Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft from a single gunshot wound. Schneider died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to his autopsy.

Why Curtis killed Schneider that morning and what action if any will be taken against Trooper Brown remain unclear.

Brenda Kielty, spokeswoman for the Maine Attorney General's Office, said the investigation into the police-involved shooting is still under way.

Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said there were no new developments in the state police investigation into Curtis' shooting of Schneider.

Kielty said there were nine police-involved shootings in Maine in 2011 and another this month in Portland.

"It just takes time," said Kielty. "All of these cases are being investigated."

Kielty said she couldn't give a time frame for when the investigation might conclude.

"When you have 10 cases, your staff gets smaller with every new case," she said.

Curtis and Schneider once worked together as bouncers at the Bear's Den Tavern in Dover-Foxcroft.

Schneider's close friend Stephanie Boutilier said the two got along fine until Curtis started dating Schneider's ex-wife. Curtis eventually married Schneider's ex-wife, Margaret Jean Curtis.

Although Boutilier said she never witnessed any physical altercations between them, the two had arguments on how to raise Schneider's children. She said she "lost it" when she heard of Schneider's death on the TV news.

Other friends were shocked to learn of the shootings.

" We never saw it coming," said Dover-Foxcroft Fire Capt. Eric Berce, who added that he had known Curtis for nearly 25 years.

Both men were from Sangerville. Curtis was a Piscataquis County Sheriff's Department dispatcher when he died.

Copyright 2012 Bangor Daily News

By PoliceOne Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. — Police saved the life of a suicidal woman holding a knife to her throat Wednesday.

After trying to talk her down, Portland police officers fired four beanbag rounds, according to The Republic. In the video, an officer standing outside the window of her home deploys a less-lethal device and instructs other responders to "get the knife out of her hand."

The edged weapon was reportedly 12-inches long and resembled a butcher's knife. An ambulance transported the woman away from the scene, and she was not seriously hurt, according to reports.

In 2011, Portland police responded to approximately 1,100 suicide threats, and last week, a man was killed in a suicide-by-cop after pulling a replica handgun from his pocket after threatning to jump from a roof.

Palm Beach Post

LOS ANGELES — New rules for operating small drones in U.S. airspace have been delayed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which has been weighing for years how to regulate these unmanned aircraft over populated areas.

Currently, drones are not allowed to fly in the U.S. except with special permission from the FAA.

But as demand increases for using drones in law enforcement and the commercial world, the agency plans to propose new regulations on small remotely piloted aircraft, a move seen as the first step toward opening the nation's skyways to drone aircraft.

The FAA had said it planned to issue its proposal by the end of January. Now, the agency says the earliest that the proposed rules will be published is "this spring." The FAA did not say why it was being postponed.

Copyright 2012 The Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc.

Targeted News Service

FULLERTON, Calif. — Fullerton Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect who may have taken an off-duty officer's gun from a gym locker in Santa Ana.

Fullerton Police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said that on Jan. 9, an off-duty law enforcement officer was at a gym in Santa Ana, and a suspect broke into his locker and stole his wallet, and a 9mm Glock handgun. The locker was secured with a lock.

About an hour later, a suspect entered the Target store on Malvern in Fullerton and used the victim's credit cards to make a purchase. Surveillance video of the suspect was captured by Target, and made available to the police. The suspect can be seen entering, making a purchase, and then leaving the store.

The suspect is described as a black male with a very light complexion, 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-7, and about 300 pounds. He was wearing a cabbie style hat and a plaid shirt.

Anyone with information about this suspect or the incident is asked to call Detective Robert Barnes at (714) 738-6785, or the Police Department front desk at (714) 738-6716.

Copyright 2012 Targeted News Service LLC

The Augusta Chronicle

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Officials surveyed damage Sunday from a volatile Occupy protest that resulted in hundreds of arrests the day before when demonstrators broke into City Hall, smashed display cases, cut electrical wires and burned an American flag.

Police said about 400 people were arrested during Saturday's daylong protest — the most contentious since authorities dismantled the Occupy Oakland camp late last year.

Mayor Jean Quan condemned the local movement's tactics as "a constant provocation of the police with a lot of violence toward them" and said the demonstrations were draining scarce resources.

Damage to the City Hall plaza alone has cost $2 million since October, she said, about as much as police overtime and mutual aid.

Oakland has logged five homicides since Friday, and Police Chief Howard Jordan said the law enforcement "personnel and resources dedicated to Occupy reduce our ability to focus on public safety priorities." Oakland officials also will seek monetary damages from protesters, Quan said.

Copyright 2012 The Augusta Chronicle