Animal Farm

Death of man beaten by North Chicago police classified as homicide

"Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd has reversed his office’s ruling from 'undetermined' to 'homicide' in the case of a man who died after North Chicago police restrained him, hit him with batons and shocked him with a Taser. Rudd said the blows 45-year-old Darrin 'Dagwood' Hanna absorbed from police batons initiated the string of medical events that caused his death in November 2011. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in March 2012 declined to charge any of the officers involved, saying they used 'reasonable force' after responding to a domestic incident. One officer was later fired in connection with the incident and another was suspended for 30 days." Continue reading →

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Honesty is Not a Job Requirement for Police Officers

"If you lie to a police officer, you can be charged with a crime. When – not if—a police officer lies to you, he’s carrying out a legitimate function of his job. That’s what former prosecutor Val Van Brocklin explained in an essay. Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper estimates that the typical police officer will lie several times during his daily duty shift. In a 2009 ruling, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld a decision by an arbitrator reversing the termination of Kitsap County Sherriff’s deputy who had been fired for lying and other misconduct. The court agreed that honesty was not an essential function of a law enforcement officer’s job." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHonesty is Not a Job Requirement for Police Officers

Colorado cops wrongfully shoot second dog in just two months

"For the second time in just two months, law enforcement officers in Colorado have been accused of wrongfully killing a man’s best friend. Business owner Jeff Fisher told KUSA that his 8-year-old dog, Ziggy, was shot and killed when Adams County deputies ended up at the wrong address while responding to a security alarm. Fisher recalled that Ziggy ran outside to check things out after deputies reportedly forced their way into his business. Seconds later, the dog was dead. In late November, home video showed officers in Commerce City shooting a pit bull named Chloe after she had already been restrained." Continue reading →

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Police spies slept with, abandoned female targets on taxpayer dime

"It was not unusual for undercover operatives working for the SDS or its sister squad, the national public order unit, to have sexual relationships with women they were spying on. Of the 11 undercover police officers publicly identified, nine had intimate sexual relations with activists. Most were long-term, meaningful relationships with women who believed they were in a loving partnership. It was all standard procedure for the SDS. Some operatives ended their deployments by pretending to have a breakdown and vanishing, supposedly to go abroad, sending a few letters to their girlfriends with foreign postmarks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice spies slept with, abandoned female targets on taxpayer dime

Apparently, Perjury Isn’t a Crime When Police Commit It

"Last October third, a Salt Lake City SWAT team, working with a federal Drug Task Force, kicked in the door of a 76-year-old woman. It turned out that the raiders had attacked the wrong home; the target was the house next door. An internal review learned that officer responsible for the raid, Detective Cooper Landvatter, falsified information in the affidavit filed to obtain the warrant. Police Chief Chris Burbank imposed a 20-hour suspension on Detective Landvatter. However, the officer faces no further disciplinary action or criminal charges for committing perjury and abetting a home invasion that terrorized an elderly woman." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingApparently, Perjury Isn’t a Crime When Police Commit It

“For Your Own Protection”

"Every day in this supposedly free country, police commit an act that was impermissible for their antecedents in imperial Rome: In the name of 'officer safety,' they handcuff American citizens who are not criminal suspects while conducting investigations. Police also routinely inflict summary punishment – using batons, Tasers, pepper spray, or other means – against those who resist being detained without cause. Within a few years police will have at their disposal handcuffs that can impart electrical shocks to detainees." Continue reading →

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New Jersey cop caught punching woman in the face on video

"Police in Elizabeth, New Jersey are investigating footage that has surfaced online of an officer hitting a woman in the face during an altercation outside a nightclub. Authorities told WNBC-TV on Wednesday that the unidentified officer seen in the video, which was posted on YouTube on March 3, is still on active duty while they look into the incident outside a local nightclub." Continue reading →

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Former Denver cop Hector Paez gets 8 years for assault, kidnapping

"Former Denver Police officer Hector Paez has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual assault and kidnapping, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced Friday. Paez, now 33, was in uniform May 16, 2010, when he came in contact with the victim, a 36-year-old woman, and ran a background check on her, finding an outstanding arrest warrant out of Jefferson County. Paez then took the woman to an isolated area and coerced her into 'performing a sexual act to avoid being taken to jail,' the DA's office said when charges were filed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Denver cop Hector Paez gets 8 years for assault, kidnapping

Texas cop fired for shooting 41 times at suspect, killing him

"A Texas police officer who fired 41 shots at a chase suspect in August has been fired. Michael Allen, 25, was shot and killed after a high-speed chase that began in Garland and ended in Mesquite, Texas. Allen was wanted on suspicion of eluding police in Sasche a few days earlier. Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said Tuter violated the department's general order of use of force and its pursuit protocol. The department at first said that Tuter opened fire in fear of his life, but dashboard camera video raised concerns after it showed that Tuter had rammed Allen's truck and fired 41 shots after he cornered Allen. Tuter reloaded twice, police said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas cop fired for shooting 41 times at suspect, killing him