Animal Farm

Settlement for officer who assaulted mentally handicapped teen in his home

"At one point, a neighbor tried to tell Hooper about Kersey’s disabilities, but was told to go back into his home or he would be arrested, the lawsuit stated. The officers shot Kersey in the back with their Tasers as he opened his front door. They fought with him, and during the struggle, the officers struck him with fists and a retractable nightstick and pepper-sprayed him, then hog-tied him, the lawsuit stated. Kersey’s mother opened the door and pulled her son in, at which point Hopper fired his Taser, hitting the 17-year-old in the back. Officers used physical strikes and baton strikes to the thigh to take Kersey to the ground and handcuff him." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSettlement for officer who assaulted mentally handicapped teen in his home

We’re Locking Up Fewer Black People and More White People

The USA incarcerates a higher percentage of its citizen than any other nation on earth. (We're #1!) Needless to say, we've accomplished that feat largely on the backs of minorities, particularly black people, who are incarcerated at more than six times the rate of white people. But, the broader takeaway is that the racial mix of those we incarcerate (particularly women) is changing, but the fact of America's mass incarceration is not. 'The overall rate of incarceration in the United States remains at five times the rate that prevailed in 1970.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWe’re Locking Up Fewer Black People and More White People

Charge three officers in squad car asphyxiation death of suspect, jury recommends

"Three of the officers involved in the arrest of Williams, who died after gasping for air in the back of a squad car, should be charged with failure to render aid by a law enforcement officer, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of nine months in jail, jurors concluded. Officer Richard Ticcioni put his knee across Williams' back during the arrest. Officers Jeffrey Cline and Jason Bleichwehl each spent time in the front seat of the squad car as Williams struggled to breathe for nearly eight minutes in the back, a squad video shows. The three officers refused to testify during the inquest, citing their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCharge three officers in squad car asphyxiation death of suspect, jury recommends

Washington Park officer accused of ‘tasing’ handcuffed women

"Court documents show a Washington Park police officer was accused of violating a woman’s civil rights by allegedly arresting her with no justification, then shooting her twice with a taser while she was handcuffed and sitting in the back of a police car. News 4 has also confirmed that there are currently several open investigations into similar allegations against Officer Antwan Stith. The lawsuit goes on to accuse Stith of lying to cover up what he did by claiming Tugle was resisting." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington Park officer accused of ‘tasing’ handcuffed women

Robert Ethan Saylor and the Garrity Precedent

"Ethan Saylor had Down syndrome. He was in a movie theatre and Zero Dark Thirty had just ended. Saylor wanted to watch the film all over again. A theatre employee said he either had to buy another ticket or leave. When Saylor didn’t budge, they called security, which turned out to be some off-duty sheriff’s deputies working security in the mall. The deputies claim Saylor resisted arrest and died while being restrained. The coroner has now ruled Saylor’s death a homicide. A spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s office says 'We’re taking it very seriously.' The deputies involved in the incident, however, have thus far declined to speak with investigators." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRobert Ethan Saylor and the Garrity Precedent

New Orleans Plainclothes Cops Caught on Tape Taking Down Innocent Man

"A few questions: 1. What would have happened if the young man’s mother had not arrived so quickly? 2. What would have happened if she had not been a police officer herself? 3. What would happen if these undercover officers tried to swarm on a person who was carrying a firearm? The police often remind us that they must make split-second decisions. True. But note that this tactic gives the citizen only a split second to decide if he’s being attacked by thugs or whether it’s a police stop." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Orleans Plainclothes Cops Caught on Tape Taking Down Innocent Man

Pueblo County sheriff’s deputy sent to trial on rape and kidnapping charges

"A Pueblo district judge found probable cause Wednesday to try a former Pueblo County sheriff's deputy on rape and kidnapping charges. Randall Scott Alire, 42, will face multiple counts of sexual assault and kidnapping, along with menacing and another count of tampering with evidence for an Oct. 1 incident in which he's accused of kidnapping his estranged girlfriend at gunpoint, taking her to his home and sexually assaulting her, before taking her back to her home, all in Beulah." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPueblo County sheriff’s deputy sent to trial on rape and kidnapping charges

Miami police officers caught on camera allegedly ignoring 911 calls, report says

"The Miami Dade Police Department has fired a sergeant and two officers and suspended three others without pay in what is considered one of the worst incidents of delinquency in the department's history, CBS Miami reports. The accusations vary against each officer, but they include: failing to respond to emergency calls, pretending to be on calls when they weren't and falsifying police records, according to the station. The officers-- an entire squad assigned to patrol a large area of Kendall, Fla. -- were followed and caught on surveillance video by Internal Affairs in 2010, but it wasn't until September 2012 that they were ultimately disciplined, the station says." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMiami police officers caught on camera allegedly ignoring 911 calls, report says

2nd trial begins for officer accused of robbing motorists

"A suspended Indianapolis metro police officer accused of robbing motorists during traffic stops went on trial Monday. David Butler, 53, is standing trial for the charges for a second time, after jurors failed to reach a verdict the first time around. Butler is charged with three counts of robbery and three counts of official misconduct. He is accused of robbing three Hispanic men during traffic stops. In opening statements, prosecutor John Kieffner sharply criticized Butler, saying he took advantage of his power and his badge to serve himself instead of serving the public." Continue reading →

Continue Reading2nd trial begins for officer accused of robbing motorists

Cop who coerced woman into sex in East St. Louis only one of many public-sector criminals

"A former East St. Louis police officer who lied to federal agents about demanding sex from a traffic violator was vilified in federal court here Thursday as a prime example of poor law enforcement that fosters rampant crime in his community. Carpenter did more than violate and degrade a woman by using the threat of an arrest to intimidate her into giving him oral sex in an isolated, closed park, they said. As part of the sentencing process, prosecutors listed police officers, politicians, businessmen and others who had lied, cheated, robbed taxpayers, threatened witnesses and committed other serious felonies." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCop who coerced woman into sex in East St. Louis only one of many public-sector criminals