Yearly Archives: 2013

Family of bystander killed during high-speed police chase sues police

"Mr. Collins, 64, was killed when a Toledo police cruiser smashed head-on into his vehicle as he was driving north on I-75. The cruiser, driven by Officer David O’Brien, was chasing Brian Everett Lipp, 48, of Lambertville when Lipp drove the wrong way onto I-75 and Officer O’Brien followed him. Lipp, who was ultimately shot and killed by police later that day, had been pursued for two days by police as a suspect in a home invasion and two robberies. The suit contends that the city and the police department treated Mr. Collins’ death as a mere traffic accident, did not investigate it or present it to a grand jury, and did not contact the family to express regrets or offer assistance of any kind." Continue reading →

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The Mindset of a Hero

"A local cop has cruised the parking lot of her place of employment, noted the 'Antique Vehicle' tags – and actually went in to the place to issue a 'friendly warning' (that is, a not-so-thinly-veiled threat) to the supervisor of my wife’s friend that it is a 'ticketable offense' to drive a vehicle with 'Antique' tags to work. Which is true – there is a 'law' to that effect. But it takes a real Inspector Javert type to worry about it. Much less to take action. I’m actually surprised this cop didn’t simply park his taxpayer-extorted free (for him) squad car, engine idling using gas he didn’t pay for, and wait as long as it took for the 'law breaker' to emerge, in order to confiscate some more of other-people’s money." Continue reading →

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Investigators say police charity hired felons to take credit card numbers

"Police Protective Fund raises millions of dollars each year in the name of fallen officers. On Tuesday, four men in charge of the charity’s telemarketing operations were arrested on charges of hiring felons to raise that money. All four are managers who oversee the charity’s phone rooms in the Tampa Bay area and in South Florida. Charity regulators with Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services descended on the boiler-room operations Tuesday afternoon and began running criminal background checks on each employee. Florida law bans charities and professional solicitors from knowingly employing telemarketers who have been convicted of fraud and other financial felonies." Continue reading →

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Woman sues officers for seizing $31,000 cash from real estate sale

"The suit said Dutton was traveling from Azle to Amarillo to visit a friend when Fry pulled her over for a suspected speeding violation. Fry claimed he smelled marijuana in the vehicle and asked to search it, but Dutton refused. Dutton told the officers that the money they found inside the vehicle, still wrapped in bank wrappings, was the proceeds from a recent real estate transaction. Later, Jolly arrived with a drug dog that alerted on Fry’s vehicle and the officers seized more than $31,000 in cash from the pickup, the suit said. In January, District Attorney Luke Inman’s office refused to accept charges in the case." Continue reading →

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Kentwood police chief pleads not guilty to stealing burglary proceeds

"Kentwood Police Chief Gregory Newton, arrested earlier this year in an evidence tampering case, pleaded not guilty Thursday in 21st Judicial District Court. Newton, 59, was arrested following a citizen’s complaint that $2,000 was missing from money recovered in a burglary in late 2012, State Police has reported. Newton and another officer drove to Pike County, Miss., to retrieve $11,000 that was confiscated from two juveniles accused of stealing the money, state police said, but only $9,000 was returned to the victim of the burglary. Newton remains free in lieu of $50,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to five years and a fine of up to $5,000 on each count." Continue reading →

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Homeland Security agent arrested after road rage shooting at mall

"Echevarria honked his horn at Juma's car after Juma cut him off near the Town Center mall. In response, Juma shot up his middle finger. Echevarria, driving with his wife and five children, tried to follow Juma's red Toyota but crashed into the back of another car. In the mall parking lot near the Nordstrom store, Echevarria saw Juma's car and parked his black Honda Pilot nose-to-nose with it. The special agent, dressed in civilian clothes, got out of his car, pointed a .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun at Juma's car, and announced he was a police officer. Echevarria said Juma sped away, bumping him. The agent fired one round at the Toyota, police said, with the bullet lodging in the rear driver's side wheel well." Continue reading →

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Don’t Pull in Front of a Fatherland “Security” Bureaucrat on a Highway…

"...or he may follow you to a parking lot and fire a 40 caliber pistol into the side of your car, like this moron did in Boca Raton, Florida a few weeks ago. Fortunately, the round did not hit the two-year-old boy who was in his car seat at the time with his dad at the Boca Raton mall. If the victim of this shooting by the madman Department of Fatherland Security bureaucrat had defended himself and his child by shooting back, he would have been arrested for murder. And, forty years ago, he would have responded either by beating the living daylights out of the Department of Fatherland Security bureaucrat who fired a 40 caliber round at his family, or organizing enough friends to get the job done." Continue reading →

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FBI Releases Information on Michael Hastings

"The FBI has posted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) release regarding Michael Hastings, the reporter who died in a fiery car crash in June. The bureau released what it says is the only material found in FBI records that mention Hastings. The release is 21 pages in total and contains copies of articles written by Hastings, along with heavily redacted FBI notes. The FBI states these are the only records the have on Hastings and that it had no investigative interest in Hastings." Continue reading →

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Deputy facing charges of sexploitation in critical condition after fiery crash

"An Egg Harbor City police detective in critical condition from an automobile accident Monday, Sept. 23 was charged Tuesday, Sept. 24 with official misconduct for exploiting his position as a police officer in order to engage in sexual conduct with several women, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced Wednesday. The charges allege that Hadley exercised his official function as a police officer in order to obtain benefit for himself, specifically sexual contact. The charges allege that while performing his official duties, Hadley took part in sexual acts with four different women on various occasions, from January 2010 through May 2013." Continue reading →

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Idaho Falls Police Crash a Backyard Birthday Party

"Alissa’s husband Victor, a naturalized citizen from the Dominican Republic, expressed frustration about getting a citation for 'disturbing the peace.' Officer Clark Lund snottily replied: 'If you don’t like it, you know how to leave.' Seconds later, for no identifiable reason, Lund barged into the house, then tasered Victor and his brother, Delosanto after shoving a pregnant woman to the floor and threatening a young mother who was holding a baby. Another officer shoved a 79-year-old grandmother. Two officers responding to Lund’s call for aid invaded a neighbor’s home with guns drawn. At least 11 police cars arrived, closing down the entire block." Continue reading →

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