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Charged isn't convicted. Absolutely I believe this should go to trial, I want all the evidence they gather to be presented in a court of law and for a jury to decide.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Obama administration officials and lawmakers are calling for greater accountability and tougher disciplinary procedures at the Drug Enforcement Administration after the agency imposed only light punishments on agents who forgot a San Diego man in a holding cell, leaving him without food or water for five days and nearly killing him.
Daniel Chong, a UC San Diego student, was detained in 2012 for what he was told would be five minutes after he was swept up in a drug bust at a friend’s house, where he had been smoking marijuana. Instead, agents forgot about him. Chong, who was 23 at the time, drank his own urine to stave off dehydration until he was found, delirious and suffering from severe breathing problems, according to a report last summer by the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General.
Chong, who was never charged with a crime, was kept in total isolation with his hands handcuffed behind his back in a windowless cell with no bathroom. Midway through the ordeal, someone turned off the light in his cell, leaving him in darkness. Chong periodically shouted for help and, at some point, slipped out of one of his handcuffs.
After he was found, Chong was hospitalized for four days. He and his lawyers said at a news conference last summer that he underwent intensive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. The DEA paid Chong a $4.1-million settlement.
Last month, the DEA’s Board of Professional Conduct issued four reprimands to DEA agents involved in the incident and a five-day suspension without pay to another. The supervisor in charge at the time received a seven-day suspension.
I feel like they'd have been punished harder for testing positive for weed. That's ****ed up.
Brian Rice, who pursued and arrested Gray after the 25-year-old “caught his eye” on 12 April, was reportedly given an administrative suspension after being hospitalised for a mental health evaluation when he warned he was preparing to shoot himself in April 2012.
Rice, 41, also received an internal discipline when a judge granted a temporary restraining order against him after a request from Andrew McAleer, the husband of Karyn McAleer, who is the mother of Rice’s young son and a fellow Baltimore police officer. Rice has been married to and divorced from two further women, according to court records.
A sharply critical 10-page complaint against Rice, which Andrew McAleer filed to a court in Maryland in January 2013, is being published in full for the first time by the Guardian. It details what McAleer, a Baltimore firefighter, described as a “pattern of intimidation and violence” by the officer.
Rice was allegedly given another administrative suspension and had his guns confiscated again eight months later, according to court filings, after McAleer obtained the week-long peace order against the police lieutenant.
A day after filing a lawsuit against the City of Ferguson, Darren Wilson, and former Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson. How convenient ....
The friend who was with Michael Brown on the day the unarmed African American teen was shot and killed by a white police officer has been arrested.
Dorian Johnson was arrested Wednesday afternoon, KSDK-TV reported. Police had been called to check on a group of people who were possibly armed with guns. Johnson was accused of approaching an officer to keep him from making an arrest, and police say he also threw suspected narcotics onto the ground.
Charges are expected to be filed Thursday, KSDK reported.
You have to be a special kind of nut to be on board with that conspiracy.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Take Dorian Johnson out of it completely. Forget all the "he said - she said" after the fact. This was recorded seconds after Darren Wilson shot Mike Brown.
I've mentioned it before in this thread that STL County has 90 different municipalities ... and of those with their own police department about a third of them are less than a square mile in size. The City of STL is one of 3 "independent cities" in America along with Baltimore and Carson City (not counting nearly every city in Virginia which is atypical state in this regard) ... so the City of STL is actually not a part of STL County. Of the 90 STL County municipalities 58 have their own police force. Combine that with STL City PD and STL County PD there are 60 separate police departments in the STL area. Which is insane in and of itself. But wait it gets worse! There are also 81 different municipal courts in STL County. And consider this little tidbit ...
According to 2013 data, 73 of the 81 municipal courts turn a significant profit, bringing in more revenue than they require to operate. On average, a municipal court in St. Louis County brings in an average of $711,506 in revenue from fines and fees each year yet costs $223,149 to operate, leaving an average net revenue of $488,367. Not surprisingly, many in the community view the courts as revenue centers, rather than centers of justice.
So one of the positive outcomes of the unrest in Ferguson and the resulting DOJ investigation is the following. I can't stress enough how much of a BFD this is!
The Missouri House passed and sent to the governor on Thursday a bill that would bar cities from relying heavily on traffic ticket revenue and jailing people who can't pay their fines.
If the measure is signed by Gov. Jay Nixon, fines and fees from minor traffic violations could furnish no more than 12.5 percent of the general operating revenue for cities in St. Louis County and 20 percent in the rest of the state.
The far-reaching measure, which gained momentum after last year's unrest in Ferguson, cleared the House on a vote of 134-25. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday night on a vote of 31-3.
House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, said the bill would end "taxation by citation."
But setting a lower cap for St. Louis County cities prompted opposition from some St. Louis County lawmakers, who said their communities should not be penalized for the misdeeds of a few "bad actors." The opponents said one standard should apply statewide.
"If it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander," said Rep. Sharon Pace, D-Northwoods. "If one community has 20 percent the others should have it across the board as well."
Diehl defended treating St. Louis County differently.
"In one county in this state, there are over 475,000 outstanding traffic warrants because cities are funding their very existence on the basis of that," he said.
Diehl questioned whether the bill's opponents "represent the entrenched power structure up there or you represent the people who get arrested and fined" for petty offenses.
Critics say many cities in St. Louis County write tickets not to protect public safety but to raise revenue. The practice often leads to jail, debt, lost jobs and an atmosphere of distrust, especially among those who are poor and African-American.
Under the bill, the state could intercept a city’s sales tax revenue if a city did not turn over ticket revenue that exceeded the cap. The money would go to schools in the county where the city was located.
The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, would cap fines, combined with court costs, for minor traffic offenses at $300.
Minor traffic violations are generally defined as those that carry up to four points on drivers licenses and don’t involve accidents or commercial vehicles.
Cities couldn't pile on extra charges simply because an offender missed a court date.
The previous cap on traffic citation revenue being used for general operating expenses of a municipality. And now people can no longer be thrown in jail for not being able to pay as well. Kudos to the predominantly GOP Missouri Legislature for passing this measure! Only wish it didn't take Ferguson erupting to get them to do this.
Definitely. At about $60 on average for "court costs" you would be surprised at how often that often exceeds the traffic citation fine itself. We'll see how many of these janky little municipalities finally fold now that they can no longer milk people to fund their existence.
Then why do you keep re-electing the people who are doing this to you?
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
While unarmed white guys don't get killed by cops anywhere near the rate of their minority counterparts, it certainly isn't unheard of. Case in point ...
A father's attempt to teach his son a lesson for taking his truck without permission ended in tragedy Monday after a local police officer shot the teenager dead.
James Comstock told the Des Moines Register he called the police on his son Tyler after the latter took the former's truck in retaliation for refusing to buy him cigarettes.
Ames Police Officer Adam McPherson reportedly spotted the lawn care company vehicle and pursued it onto the Iowa State University campus, where a brief standoff ensued after Tyler allegedly refused orders to turn off the engine.
McPherson eventually fired six shots into the truck, two of which struck Tyler who was later pronounced dead.
The official report claims the action was necessary in order "to stop the ongoing threat to the public and the officers."
Tyler's dad says he was unarmed at the time.
"So he didn't shut the damn truck off, so let's fire six rounds at him?" exclaimed Gary Shepley, Tyler's step-grandfather. "We're confused, and we don't understand."
James said his son had his fair share of minor troubles with the law, and was distraught over a recent breakup with his girlfriend, but was in the process of turning his life around, and was working on obtaining his GED at Des Moines Area Community College.
"He was a smart kid. He made his own computers. He was interested in IT," James told the Register.
The family's demands for answers got even louder following the revelation that a member of the Ames police department suggested twice that officers call off the chase.
"He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill him," James said. ""It was over a damn pack of cigarettes."
McPherson is currently on paid leave pending the results of his department's investigation.
It began with a white Jeep being pulled over by Officer Nicholas Pappe.
"Evening sir," said Pappe.
Soon to be under arrest, Mr. Brian Haggard, described as a well connected local businessman, none too pleased about the traffic stop.
…
What isn't very common is what happened next. A flurry of phone calls from influential people.
"I was shocked when I received the phone call from the police commissioner. I thought he knew better than that. But for him to call me and ask me if I would allow him to leave his home to the traffic stop and pick that individual up and take him home in lieu of even a citation much less an arrest, I find that highly unethical," said Hogan.
And it didn't end there. The gentleman arriving at the scene there, that, says the assistant chief, is the city manager.
Did you talk to the chief? "He says did you talk to the chief?" said Hogan.
"It's not that he showed up and tried to prevent my officer from doing anything, but it was just his mere presence. I mean that is so rare for a city manager. This, I believe in my four and a half years this is the one and only time the city manager has come to a traffic stop," said Hogan.
"If you would give me a free pass tonight, I would sure appreciate it," said Haggard to Officer Pappe.
Undeterred, the officer continues with the arrest, which has since created, two months of unrest for the police department.
Mr Dickerson, 30, was knocked out and suffered a broken jaw, police said in a statement that was released earlier this week after Mr Webster was charged.
Mr Webster, 41, was arrested on Monday and placed on unpaid leave after prosecutors charged him with assault. Previously, prosecutors had declined to bring charges against him.
It would appear the Ferguson PD's charges against the Dorian Johnson aren't holding water ...
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has charged Dorian Johnson -- a key witness in the Michael Brown case, and also the plaintiff in a suit against the city of Ferguson -- with "resisting or interfering with arrest/detention/stop" for trying to prevent a police officer from arresting his brother, Demonte.
The rumored drug charges against Dorian Johnson, however, have evaporated. The drink Dorian discarded, described to the Post-Dispatch by an anonymous police source as "cough medication mixed with what police believe to be an illegal narcotic," tested negative for drugs.
"A drug charge was brought to our office. It was refused by our office," says Lauren Trager, spokeswoman for the circuit attorney.
That doesn't mean the Johnson brothers are in the clear. Not only does Dorian Johnson face a charge of resisting arrest, but Demonte Johnson has also been charged with resisting arrest, as well as 3rd degree assault against a police officer.
The altercation began, according to court documents, when someone called the cops on a group of men whom the caller believed could have weapons. The officer approached a man named only as "O.M." who, according to the documents, "had a bulge in his waistband which I believed could possibly be a concealed gun."
Demonte allegedly grabbed the officer's arm and told him he couldn't arrest O.M. When a second officer grabbed Demonte's arm, Dorian ran over and tried to stop the officer, according to the probable cause statement.
"Dorian further stated that the police could not arrest any of them," one of the officers wrote. "Dorian Johnson then struggled with me and tried to pry himself away from me. I had to physically struggle with Dorian Johnson until I was able to take him to the ground and get handcuffs on him."
"Someone" called the cops because they "believed" the group to have weapons. No weapons recovered. No drugs recovered. Dorian Johnson and his brother end up arrested. The day after he files a lawsuit against the City of Ferguson. Hmmm ....
The drink Dorian discarded, described to the Post-Dispatch by an anonymous police source as "cough medication mixed with what police believe to be an illegal narcotic," tested negative for drugs.
Wow, that drug test must have been super expedited.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Mother Jones has learned that the two officers involved in the shooting—Timothy Loehmann, who fired the shots, and Frank Garmback, who drove the police car—still have not been interviewed by investigators from the Sheriff's department. According to an official familiar with the case, investigators have made more than one attempt to interview Loehmann and Garmback since the Cleveland Police Department handed over the case in January. …
…the criminal investigation is focused solely on Loehmann. Garmback, who pulled the police car to within a few feet of Rice right before Loehmann stepped out and shot Rice almost instantly, is currently not under criminal investigation by the Sheriff's department, the official said.
"According to an official familiar with the case..."
I'm calling bullshit. Without citing a source, they can make any claims they want. Like all the other politically polarized "news" sites, they're liars and manipulators (Ma Jones is one of the worst, right up there with Stormfront).
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
While definitely not a "scientific" study the results still speak volumes. It certainly appears that "open carry" legislation doesn't apply for particular demographics.
The Obama administration on Monday moved to prohibit federal agencies from providing local cops with certain kinds of military equipment such as grenade launchers, high-caliber weapons and bayonets, in the wake of controversy over a "militarized" police response to unrest last summer in Ferguson, Missouri.
The new prohibitions are part of an executive order President Barack Obama issued for federal agencies to review the types of equipment they provide to local and state police.
Obama traveled Monday to Camden, N.J., to highlight crime reduction and community policing tactics that the administration hopes can be a model around the country. A spate of officer-involved shootings and the deaths of African-Americans in confrontations with police has made policing an issue the administration is forced to grapple with.
"We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like there's an occupying force as opposed to a force that's part of the community that's protecting them and serving them," Obama said in Camden Monday. "It can alienate and intimidate local residents and send the wrong message."
Agencies including the Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security departments help provide equipment to local police.
The banned list includes: tank-like armored vehicles that move on tracks, certain types of camouflage uniforms, bayonets, firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or higher, grenade launchers, and weaponized aircraft.
The presidential order established a "controlled equipment" list, with tightened requirements before federal agencies can transfer equipment to local cops. These include riot control equipments and drones. Federal agencies will also require local police to provide more data so the government can better track equipment.
Local police can still bypass the federal restrictions and bans by buying the equipment from private sellers.
Obama announced to new order at the Camden Police Department, where he also toured a tactical operation center, as well as met with officers and young people from the community.
and they call conservatives conspiracy nuts. "Everything is racism! AAAH!! AAHHH!!!" I'm so much happier since I've tuned most of them out (like I did with the Alex Jones-types), damned reactionary freaks. I'm glad to see that less people are paying attention to them and feeding their obsessive agenda.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
While i agree - this needs to be a congressional action. The executive (now or later) can start selling them again whenever they'd like, and as we've seen with the stingrays and surveillance tech they don't feel the need for public oversight of it. Just sayin' this is a good thing, but we ought to still be fighting for this to become a law.
While i agree - this needs to be a congressional action. The executive (now or later) can start selling them again whenever they'd like, and as we've seen with the stingrays and surveillance tech they don't feel the need for public oversight of it. Just sayin' this is a good thing, but we ought to still be fighting for this to become a law.
Agreed. But if President Obama came out in favor of breathing the GOP majority in Congress today would be advocating for people to hold their breath! A tad bit hyperbolic perhaps ... but not really. I wouldn't bet a quarter that he could get it through Congress ... let alone my next paycheck. That being said, while taking executive action was a good first step I'm wondering what the political calculus was for not having these policy changes written up as legislation and sent it to the hill anyway? On the one hand there's not much political downside for Obama himself. Congress can't overrule him and if they refuse to pass it into law and that would only make them look bad to the general electorate ... especially given the nationwide attention that the numerous situations in this thread have garnered. But OTOH, perhaps the White House has concluded that the policy changes have a better chance at survival if it's not turned into a contentious issue? Quite frankly, I've been surprised at the rather muted response to this from the GOP. That could easily change if the White House tried to turn it into a legislative fight. One could argue that the GOP would then cater to its base which is very often a "law and order come hell or high water" sort of crowd and oppose it reflexively. And if the GOP recaptured the White House there would be even more political pressure from the base to overturn the Executive Order. As it stands now if the Congressional GOP continues to be fairly quiet about it it'll likely be forgotten as a political issue in a week or so.
A retired San Antonio Police Department detective with ties to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club was among the 170 people arrested in Waco on Sunday after nine people were killed following a brawl between motorcycle clubs and gangs at a Twin Peaks restaurant.
Martin Lewis, 62, served 32 years with SAPD until his retirement in February 2004.
I'm sure this guy was a model cop who only turned to the dark side after retiring.
(What I'm saying is they might want to look into his history to see if his behavior and arrests were on the up-and-up)
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Video from city surveillance camera No. 2108, mounted on top of Gilmore House, recorded part of the scene. That was one of 16 surveillance videos relating to the arrest and van trip that the Baltimore Police Department released in April.
For weeks, video from camera No. 2108 remained off the Police Department's YouTube site, and department officials did not respond to questions about why it was not online with the 15 other camera videos. On Wednesday, after The Sun posted video from that camera, Lt. Sarah Connolly said in a statement that a technical glitch kept it from uploading to YouTube. She added that the department is working on uploading it.
On the morning of April 12, Michelle Gross woke up to screaming. Gross, known as "Mom" in West Baltimore's Gilmor Homes area, left her home and saw Freddie Gray — someone she called "son" — being dragged into a police van.
As police drove away with Gray, she gave her phone to a neighbor who wanted to call 911 and report the incident. But soon, Gross and the neighbor were headed to the corner of Mount and Baker streets, where the van had stopped.
There, the neighbor shot cellphone video that provides a close look at Gray and police actions that have been criticized by Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby. That video, combined with the account of Gross and her neighbor, provide the most detailed public account of the van stop — a key moment in Gray's fatal encounter with police.
The video shows Gray halfway out of the van, his stomach flat on the floor and his legs hanging off the back. He does not move as four officers stand over him and place shackles around his ankles.
At this point on the cellphone video, Gross yells to Gray, "You all right?" No response is detectable from the recording and Gross said she didn't hear Gray respond. Her neighbor yells, "Porter, can we get a supervisor up here please?" He said he was yelling at Officer William Porter, who would be one of the six charged in the case.
The neighbor said Porter motioned to Rice, identifying him as the supervisor. On the video, the neighbor says, "Can we get someone else out here? This is not cool. This is not cool. Do you hear me?" The man's shouts are heard on the phone, but not the officers' responses.
The man said that Rice and other officers moved toward him, blocking his view of the van. They didn't ask him to stop recording, but Rice took out his Taser and threatened to use it if he didn't leave, the man said.
Gross is then heard telling her neighbor, "Let's walk away." After that, both of them left.
Six Baltimore police officers were indicted Thursday on charges connected to the death of Freddie Gray.
I have to admit, I'm confused why this went to a GJ when it sounded like they were getting prosecuted regardless a few weeks ago.
The list of charges in the indictments the grand jury returned differs slightly from charges Mosby announced earlier this month; all six of the officers now face charges of reckless endangerment, and several other allegations have been removed.
"As our investigation has continued, additional information has been discovered, and as is often the case during an ongoing investigation, charges can and should be revised based upon the evidence," she said.
Some jurisdictions require a GJ indictment to prosecute a LEO.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
The more things change, the more they stay the same ....
A Cleveland police officer has been found not guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of two unarmed passengers whose car hood he mounted, sending a barrage of bullets into their windshield.
Michael Brelo, 31, who is white, was charged with killing Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams — both of whom were black — after a car chase in November 2012. Brelo rubbed his face and nodded his head as the judge read the verdict, and then wept.
Shortly after, the Department of Justice announced it would review Brelo's case.
The high-speed pursuit started after Russell's 1979 Chevy Malibu backfired while driving past police headquarters. Officers thought the noise was a gun going off inside the car, and 13 cops responded by firing shots.
Brelo, who joined the Cleveland Police Department in 2007, was the only officer to face criminal charges. Prosecutors say he waited until the car had stopped moving and no longer posed a danger to fire 15 rounds into the windshield, firing a total of 49 rounds into the car.
Defense attorneys claimed Brelo was fearful for his life, believing Russell and Williams had a gun. The judge agreed that he acted accordingly.
"Brelo reasonably perceived a threat," said Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge John O'Donnell.
Altogether, the officers fired 137 shots. Experts testified at the trial that Russell had 23 bullet wounds and Williams had 24, reported NBC affiliate WKYC.
O'Donnell said that while he found beyond a reasonable doubt that Brelo caused at least one fatal wound to Williams' chest, he couldn't determine that the other fatal shots came from his gun.
"One or two other officers inflicted" the others, O'Donnell said, and therefore, he couldn't find Brelo guilty of Williams' death.
Nevertheless, he said, Brelo "ran afoul of the Constitution" when he got on top of the car, taking action that officers are not trained to do. But, he added, Brelo could still face lesser charges.
Brelo's attorneys argued that it wasn't possible to prove who fired the fatal shots, while prosecutors claimed that Russell, 43, and Williams, 30, were still alive until Brelo ambushed them.
The Iraq war Marine veteran faced as many as 22 years in prison. He will remain on unpaid suspension while an administrative review continues of him and the other officers involved, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said.
So the Cleveland PD can unload 137 rounds into the car .... hitting the driver 23 times and the passenger 24 times ... both of whom were unarmed and committing no crime ... and this cowboy walks because so many bullets were fired the judge couldn't determine "beyond a reasonable doubt" that he fired the fatal shots.
So the Cleveland PD can unload 137 rounds into the car .... hitting the driver 23 times and the passenger 24 times ... both of whom were unarmed and committing no crime ... and this cowboy walks because so many bullets were fired the judge couldn't determine "beyond a reasonable doubt" that he fired the fatal shots.
I'm so much happier since I've tuned most of them out (like I did with the Alex Jones-types), damned reactionary freaks. I'm glad to see that less people are paying attention to them and feeding their obsessive agenda.
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