Fairfax County Cop Convicted of Forcibly Sodomizing Ex-Girlfriend

Fairfax County Cop Convicted of Forcibly Sodomizing Ex-Girlfriend
As we've been saying for years, the Fairfax County Police are out of control

Monday, April 30, 2012

Cop who beat student for untucked shirt jailed on rape charges



By Carlos Miller -...



 The suburban Chicago cop who was caught on video beating a 15-year-old student for refusing to tuck his shirt last May is being accused of raping a woman while holding a pillow over her face.


He also killed his ex-wife’s new husband last year by shooting him 24 times in front of their children while he was a cop for another suburban police department.

He was suspended for that incident and eventually found work with the Dolton Police Department, where he ended up beating the special needs student who weighed only 140 pounds, breaking his nose and lacerating his face.

A few months later, he allegedly threatened an Indiana woman with a knife. Then later raped her with a pillow over her face on September 14, according to the Chicago Tribune.

It is no wonder why the Dolton Police Department refused to release his name this week when the video of the student beating emerged.

Christopher Lloyd, 38, has been incarcerated in Indiana on a $110,000 bond since last month. He faces 20 years in prison for the rape allegation.

His ex-wife has also filed a wrongful death suit against him and the Robbins Police Department for the killing of her new husband in February 2008.

Chicago police accepted his claims of self-defense even though he drove to the couple’s home while off-duty and got into an argument with Cornell McKinney, before shooting him 24 times.

It is not clear whether he reloaded in that incident, but if he did, it would make it hard to believe he was acting in self-defense.

The suit claims the autopsy contradicts the police investigation. I’m sure it does. The Chicago Police Department should be sued as well.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Body cavity searches may jeopardize Milwaukee cases



Defendant freed after strip search on street; DA looks into other reports

By Gina Barton of the Journal Sentinel



Allegations of an illegal body cavity search by a Milwaukee police officer have led to the dismissal of cocaine dealing charges against a Milwaukee man.

The case against the 31-year-old man could be the first of many to be compromised amid a wide-ranging investigation into whether seven officers and a supervisor broke the law while conducting strip searches in District 5, according to experts.

The defendant, who previously served prison time for dealing drugs, was allowed to plead guilty to second-offense marijuana possession and sentenced to just three days in jail after his attorney filed a motion to suppress the evidence in the case.

"During the search, officer Michael Vagnini inserted his fingers into the anus of (the defendant) to retrieve a plastic baggie of cocaine," the motion says. "This was done with the defendant's pants and underwear pulled down, exposing the buttocks and thighs of the defendant to the passers-by."

The Journal Sentinel is not identifying the man because the paper does not name victims of sexual assault.

The man's assertion resembles numerous other complaints that officers sexually assaulted people and violated their civil rights while conducting body cavity searches for drugs on the street. If the allegations are proved, officers could be criminally charged, the city could be on the hook for damages in civil suits, and more drug offenders could go free, according to experts.

"It sounds like the tip of the iceberg at this point. There could be scores of cases out there," said David Rudovsky, a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. "Where officers are shown to repeatedly engage in improper practices, it can certainly affect pending cases and could ultimately affect convictions in the past. In addition, it would certainly mean that people who were subjected to these unconstitutional searches could sue the officers and potentially the city."

Additionally, the fact that Milwaukee County prosecutors have launched a John Doe investigation into the complaints against police also could pose a conflict of interest for prosecutors if they simultaneously pursue cases in which those officers are witnesses, he said.

The John Doe - an inquiry in which prosecutors can compel testimony and subpoena documents without public knowledge - is not the only investigation under way. The civilian Fire and Police Commission and the Police Department's internal affairs division are reviewing complaints about potentially illegal searches dating back a couple of years. The Common Council has passed a resolution urging the department and the commission to publicly report their findings within 30 days of completing those investigations.

"Without transparency and information sharing, I believe the public will likely have very little faith in the integrity of the investigations," Ald. Milele Coggs said when she introduced the resolution.

The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office are closely monitoring the local inquiries. If federal authorities are not satisfied with the outcome, they could launch a criminal investigation of their own, as they did after the 2004 beating of Frank Jude Jr. by a group of off-duty officers. If federal officials discover a pattern of civil rights abuses, a 1994 law gives them the authority to penalize the entire Police Department.

Rules of evidence

The U.S. Constitution requires judges to throw out evidence if a defendant can prove it was obtained illegally, according to Stanley A. Goldman, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

"How many times are you going to cavity-search all sorts of innocent people in order to come up with one person who actually had drugs?" he asked. "How many cavity searches do you do before you find one you can prosecute? If you admit that evidence, then what you've done is create an incentive for the police to do that to anyone they want."

The 31-year-old Milwaukee man was charged in October with possession with intent to deliver cocaine, a felony with a maximum prison term of 12½ years.

But in March, shortly after news of the strip-search investigation was first reported, attorney Ann T. Bowe filed the motion to suppress the evidence.

Both state law and Milwaukee Police Department policy prohibit officers from doing a cavity search under any circumstances. Such searches, which involve penetration, require a warrant and can be performed only by a doctor, physician assistant or registered nurse.

"Upon information and belief, Officer Vagnini has no medical credentials," Bowe's motion says.

Vagnini was among the officers forced to turn in their badges and guns as a result of the strip-search investigation, according to police sources. The supervisor who was set to testify if the case had gone to trial was Sgt. Jason Mucha, who also has been stripped of his police powers pending the internal investigation. Neither Vagnini nor Mucha responded to emailed requests for comment.

After Bowe filed the motion to suppress, the district attorney's office amended the charge to the lesser marijuana felony. The defendant, who had admitted possessing marijuana at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to that charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 3½ years in prison. He was fined $3,500, sentenced to three days in the County Correctional Facility-South and given credit for the time he had already served. He walked out of the courtroom a free man.

The man has hired civil attorney Jonathan Safran to pursue a possible lawsuit against the city, Bowe said.

Whether drugs were found during an illegal search is irrelevant in a civil case. An Illinois teenager who had marijuana hidden in his underwear recently reached a $265,000 settlement with the City of Beloit on civil claims of an illegal search and police brutality.

Milwaukee County Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern declined to discuss the Milwaukee man's case or to answer questions about its broader implications.

"At this point, it is premature to project what impact the investigation will have on cases currently in the system," Lovern said in an email. "However, these questions are legitimate ones that will be addressed at the appropriate time."

Trying to prosecute drug cases in which the targeted officers are involved "gets very tricky for the prosecutor," Rudovsky said. "Even if the officer testifies, you probably don't want your main witness taking the Fifth Amendment. The proper thing to do is either dismiss or not try those cases until there is a final resolution."

Goldman said now is the time for the prosecutor's office to deal with the issue.

"I can't see pursuing a (drug) case on one hand while investigating a star witness on the other," he said. "It puts you in a rather difficult position ethically, and lawyers are not supposed to place themselves in those positions."

The district attorney's best alternative would be to ask an outside agency, such as the Department of Justice, to conduct the John Doe, according to Goldman.

State Rep. Leon D. Young (D-Milwaukee), a former Milwaukee police officer, also believes the Justice Department should be involved. Young wrote a letter last week to state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, asking him to investigate the searches and other recent allegations of abuse and excessive force by officers.

Community relations

Meanwhile, state Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said she plans to push the Fire and Police Commission to take a broader look at how Milwaukee police officers treat citizens.

"This is an opportunity for the Common Council and the Fire and Police Commission to strengthen the (police) relationship with the community," Taylor said.

She said she was talking about "the level of respect you have for the decency of the citizens," starting with such things as the way officers tell suspects to sit down on curbs. She said relatively minor examples of disrespect are the first step down the road toward more serious incidents, such as the strip searches.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said this month that the district attorney's office opened the John Doe investigation at his request.

"It was our feeling this unprecedented move would guarantee we can get to the truth more rapidly than any other method available to us," Flynn said at a news conference April 11.

Veteran sensitive crimes prosecutor Miriam Falk is leading the inquiry, according to several sources involved. Falk and other prosecutors on the sensitive crimes unit focus on sexual assault and child abuse. There has been no indication the cavity searches were done for sexual gratification, but that is not a requirement under the state's sexual assault statute. That law also prohibits actions done for sexually degrading or humiliating purposes.

Falk is perhaps best known for her prosecution of former Milwaukee Police Officer Steven J. Lelinski.

At a 2007 trial, Lelinski was convicted of second-degree sexual assault and attempted second-degree sexual assault, both felonies, and fourth-degree sexual assault and lewd and lascivious behavior, both misdemeanors. He is serving a prison term of more than 20 years.

From 1996 to 2005, nine women - many of them prostitutes or strippers - accused Lelinski of sexual misconduct. He was not charged until 2006, when Falk decided to take the case. Because many people who have alleged illegal searches have criminal records or were in possession of drugs and therefore have credibility issues similar to Lelinski's victims, Falk may choose a similar approach in the current investigation.

Bowe, the defense attorney, said judges tend to trust police officers more than defendants. Her client, she said, felt "violated" by the search but didn't think he had any recourse.

"He said, 'This goes on in the streets all the time, and we had no idea it was illegal,' " Bowe said.


Thursday, April 19, 2012

Cop who took naked photos of rape victim can keep pension


By DAREH GREGORIAN

Last Updated: 10:56 PM, April 17, 2012

Posted: 10:55 PM, April 17, 2012

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A detective who was fired for taking and keeping naked pictures of a rape victim — the step-daughter of rocker David Bowie — and of a woman who was busted for a traffic infraction is entitled to his pension, a state appeals court ruled yesterday.

Richard Vecchio was a 19-year veteran of the NYPD and a father of five when he was booted off the force after his colleagues found the creepy keepsakes.

One was a set of 15 nude photos of model Stacia Lipka — the daughter of Bowie’s ex-wife Angela — in the hospital after she’d been raped. The other was a picture of a bare breast of a female suspect with a piercing that he claimed he might need for evidence later on.

Vecchio was found not guilty of criminal charges in the Lipka case, but was convicted at a departmental trial and then fired.

Vecchio filed suit challenging the finding of wrongdoing and contending his penalty was too harsh. In a 4-1 ruling, the state Appellate Division upheld the picture charges, but tossed some of the lesser findings.

They ordered his case to go back before the police commissioner for resentencing — but said that even if Ray Kelly still decides he should be terminated, Vecchio “should be permitted to apply for a vested interest retirement.”

They said that despite his “unseemly” behavior, Vecchio had an “otherwise exemplary career” that garnered him 12 medals for excellent police duty, and that his “innocent family” would suffer without the retirement benefits.

The dissenting judge, John Sweeny, said his colleagues were going too far. “The majority cannot question that the commissioner engaged in anything other than a careful review of this case, including the effect the penalty would have on” Vecchio, Sweeny wrote.

Vecchio had already cost the city plenty. The city paid Lipka an $80,000 settlement, and the woman who was arrested for the traffic infraction was paid $70,000.






Monday, April 16, 2012

Former Anchorage police officer to serve 87 years in prison

Former Anchorage police officer to serve 87 years in prison

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A former Anchorage police officer convicted last year of sexually assaulting several women while on duty has been sentenced to serve 87 years in prison.
Anthony Rollins briefly apologized to his victims and to his wife, who is also a police officer, at his sentencing hearing Friday.
KTUU reports that Judge Philip Volland told the former police officer he eroded public trust before sentencing him to a total of 151 years and six months in prison on numerous counts of sexual assault and misconduct — with 87 years left to serve.
KTUU reports ( that Judge Philip Volland told the former police officer he eroded public trust before sentencing him to a total of 151 years and six months in prison on numerous counts of sexual assault and misconduct — with 87 years left to serve. Rollins won't be eligible for parole until his early nineties.
A jury found Rollins guilty in February 2011 on 18 counts of sexual assault and misconduct, including second-degree sexual assault and criminal use of a computer.

Grand Rapids Police Department investigating alleged sexual misconduct of officer


Grand Rapids Police Department investigating alleged sexual misconduct of officer



GRAND RAPIDS, MI-- A Grand Rapids police officer has been placed on administrative leave while the department investigates allegations of sexual misconduct with a woman of diminished mental capacity.

Police Chief Kevin Belk did not identify the officer at a Friday afternoon press conference but said he has worked for the department for more than 20 years.

The alleged situation came to light after a 41-year-old female had a conversation with a female Grand Rapids police sergeant in mid-March that gave her reason to be concerned. That sergeant brought her concerns forward and an investigation into possible misconduct began.

According to Belk, the officer met the woman while on duty, but the instances of alleged misconduct happened off-duty.

Belk would not elaborate on the nature of the allegations or what was said during the woman's conversation with the sergeant.

The officer has not been charged with any crime, Belk said, though he was placed on leave Wednesday and will not return to work pending the outcome of the investigation.

Belk said he was "shocked and appalled" with the alleged misconduct.

"It is clearly not acceptable behavior," he said. "I find this totally inappropriate."

Belk said the situation is "extremely rare" for the Grand Rapids Police Department.

A report will be forwarded onto the Kent County Prosecutor's Office once an internal investigation is complete.










Santa Fe NM cop caught masturbating on cruiser dashcam accused of harassing 18yr-old coffee shop employee [3] http://bit.ly/IpwSYe


Santa Fe NM cop caught masturbating on cruiser dashcam accused of harassing 18yr-old coffee shop employee [3] http://bit.ly/IpwSYe

Albermarle Co VA deputy


Albermarle Co VA deputy gets no jail in plea deal to assault charge after accused of raping incapacitated relative [3] http://bit.ly/Iwd5tY

           

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Two New York City police officers, Mata and Moreno


Two New York City police officers, Mata and Moreno, were convicted of official misconduct on a drunk and helpless woman. The officers had helped the woman into her building after a cab driver called 911 to report that his passenger was too drunk to get out of his taxi. Still they returned to her apartment three times that night. They were later on accused for raping her that night while she was in an unstable and drunk state, but no DNA evidence were found so those charges was cleared shortly after. Moreno admitted he only cuddled with her in bed, and that no further sexual activity was involved. Both officers also admitted that they performed a fake 911 call just to have a reason to enter her apartment.  Moreno got a year in prison, and both were immediately stripped of their badges. Morena’s sentence can soon be extended because of some drug possession charges involving heroin.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A Dartmouth police officer facing criminal charges after being accused of groping a department store employee

A Dartmouth police officer facing criminal charges after being accused of groping a department store employee has resigned.
Police Chief Timothy Lee said Officer John Costa submitted his resignation Wednesday and it took effect Saturday.
The chief told The Standard-Times that the resignation doesn't affect the pending criminal case against Costa.
Costa, 51, is charged with one count of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and two counts of assault and battery for allegedly inappropriately touching the woman at Macy's in the Dartmouth Mall on Nov. 25 while he was on duty and assigned to the mall.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Prior to his resignation, Costa was on paid administrative leave.


Had enough?  Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal hearings into the police problem in America.  Demand mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a permanent  DOJ office on Police Misconduct.




APD to Face Independent Investigation After Rollins Convictions


APD to Face Independent Investigation After Rollins Convictions

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
The Anchorage Police Department’s policy and procedures relating to supervision and disciplinary actions will be the subject of an independent investigation according to Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, who cited APD’s handling of sexual assaults by former officer Anthony Rollins.
A statement from Sullivan’s office Monday said the International Association of Chiefs of Police were in contract discussions to conduct the external review. The move comes in the wake of concerns about whether Rollins received timely and appropriate discipline for sexually assaulting several women at APD’s now-closed Mountain View substation from 2006 to 2009.
“The IACP are experts in the areas of police operating procedures, policies, and training,” city officials wrote. “They will review the corrective actions that have been taken, and make recommendations as to what more should be done in order to maintain officers of the highest integrity and professionalism.”
Assault While the statement noted APD’s rapid initiation of criminal investigations that ultimately resulted in Rollins’ February 2011 conviction on 18 of 20 counts of sexual assault and misconduct, Sullivan said the review would help bolster public confidence in the force.
“APD has acted proactively to improve policies and programs within the department,” Sullivan said. “However, we do not want to miss an opportunity to further improve how we operate and continue to earn the trust of the public. The external review will help us accomplish this goal.”
Sullivan’s office says results of the review are expected in about four months.

Lubbock police officer arrested for soliciting prostitution


Gary Dwane Fisher, 58 (Provided by Lubbock County Sheriff's Office)
Gary Dwane Fisher, 58 (Provided by Lubbock County Sheriff's Office)

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -
KCBD NewsChannel 11 has confirmed that a Lubbockt police officer was arrested Thursday, accused of soliciting prostitution and trespassing.
A police report says Gary Dwane Fisher, 58, and a 44-year-old woman "knowingly agreed to engage in sexual conduct for a fee while on public school property." The woman was also arrested.
The school property was the Lubbock ISD Administration Building, 1628 19th Street.
The report also says that Fisher "knowingly solicited another in a public place to engage with him in sexual conduct for a fee."
The City of Lubbock confirms that Fisher is not on active duty at this time as an airport police officer, but the city cited the issue as a personnel matter and did not provide further information.
It was not clear if Fisher paid a bond or if he was released on personal recognizance, but he is not currently in jail.

Edwardsville Cop Accused of Taking Cell Phone Video of Women in Tanning Salon

 

Updated: Monday, 09 Apr 2012, 5:27 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 09 Apr 2012, 5:27 PM CDT
Associated Press
Edwardsville, Ill. - A southwestern Illinois police officer is suspended from his job and free on bond after being accused of illegally making cell phone videos of women at a tanning salon.

Prosecutors in Madison County charged 46-year-old Edwardsville police officer Michael Collins with three counts of unauthorized video recording. Each felony alleges he secretly recorded a different woman over a four-day period this month.

Authorities say the case surfaced last Tuesday, when Glen Carbon police were called to Image Sun Tanning Center after a female customer accused Collins of taking pictures over the wall from an adjacent room as she prepared to tan.

Illinois State Police are working with the FBI in the investigation.

Collins was a DARE officer in Edwardsville schools.

A message seeking comment was left Monday at Collins' home.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Santa Fe NM cop gets probation in plea to larceny, drug possession, stalking harassment & false imprisonment charges [0] http://is.gd/zMfhQG


Santa Fe NM cop gets probation in plea to larceny, drug possession, stalking harassment & false imprisonment charges [0] http://is.gd/zMfhQG


Cop Suspected Of Rape Faces New Charges


Cop Suspected Of Rape Faces New Charges

Detectives: raped ex-girlfriend at gunpoint even though he's not authorized to carry a gun

RIDGEWOOD, QUEENS, NY (PIX11)—

Less than a week after a jury could not reach a verdict on a rape charge against a New York police officer, another employee of the NYPD is under arrest and charged with rape and a long list of other charges. What's more, the suspect in the latest case works in New York City public schools as a school safety officer.

In that position, he is not authorized to have a firearm, but the rape he's charged with was done at gunpoint, according to investigators.

"[He] ends up getting in a dispute, beats the crap out of her, knocks her to the ground and rapes her," retired detective supervisor and PIX11 News contributor Wally Zeins said in his assessment of what police sources describe as a brutal rape that took place in School Safety Officer Tommy Johnson's Ridgewood, Queens apartment on Saturday.

On Sunday, the alleged victim, Johnson's 35 year-old former girlfriend, filed charges. Around 2:15 Monday morning, Johnson was under arrest, charged with rape, menacing, assault, and illegally possessing two guns in his apartment. Nobody came to the door of that apartment in the 300 block of Woodward Avenue when PIX11 News came knocking Monday. Johnson shares the second floor home with his mother.

His neighbors, for their part, were visibly stunned to learn the charges against the six-year veteran school safety officer. "He was a nice guy," Rosa Santiago said about Johnson, 28, who lives directly across the hall in small apartment building that houses just two apartments per floor. "He'd just say 'hi' every time I see him. He says, "Hi, how you doing," Santiago said. "If I have something to bring up[stairs], he'd do that."

It's not clear to which school Officer Johnson is assigned. The NYPD told PIX11 News that, as a policy, it does not release information about a suspect's place of employment unless it's directly pertinent to the suspect's arrest. Also, the Department of Education said to PIX11 News that since Johnson is an employee of the NYPD, it cannot release information about where he works, even though he works within the DOE's system.

One thing that is clear is that in the two months preceding Johnson's arrest, a series of employees at New York City Public Schools have been arrested for sex crimes. In fact, over the past nine weeks, the seven arrests have come at an average of one every eight-and-a-half days.

The situation prompted the Department of Education to review all of its investigations over the last decade, and to fire four employees who had been investigated during that period, but who were not in custody for the infractions with which they were charged. The DOE is in proceedings to fire four additional employees, who have union protected status which allows them to dispute efforts to remove them.

This latest case, however, is the first of this year involving an NYPD employee in the school system. It has at least one experienced sex crimes investigator calling for change, and that call is expected to become a chorus once it's learned at which school Officer Tommy Johnson works.

"There is some sort of problem within the system," Detective Zeins said. "Especially with the backgrounds [of applicants]. There should be evaluations."

Late Monday afternoon, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hines added more felony charges against Johnson. Hines added burglary, sexual misconduct, criminal trespass and harrassment to the previous charges of rape, menacing, assault, and illegal possession of firearms.

Johnson's arrest comes four days after a judge accepted a jury's partial verdict on sex charges against NYPD officer Michael Pena. The jury could not reach a consensus on rape charges in the case, but convicted Pena, 27, on a variety of other sex crime charges. When Pena is sentenced next month, he could still get life in prison.

Officer Tommy Johnson goes before a judge Monday night for his first court appearance.


Had enough?  Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal hearings into the police problem in America.  Demand mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a permanent  DOJ office on Police Misconduct.



Phoenix officer could face charges over breast photos


Phoenix officer could face charges over breast photos

by Laurie Merrill - Mar. 28, 2012 11:55 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Chandler police have submitted the case of a Phoenix police officer accused of photographing his ex-girlfriend's breasts to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office with a recommendation to charge him with surreptitious photographing.

Officer Jason Toth, a 25-year veteran, has been placed on administrative leave. Authorities said he told his supervisor that the woman is a drinker and that she had, in fact, given permission for the photos to be taken.

The woman, who had been dating Toth for several months, said she never consented to having him take the pictures.

The photos depict the Chandler woman asleep on her couch with her shirt up and her breasts exposed.

According to a Chandler Police Department report, Toth sent her a copy of the photo in early March, which frightened the woman, whose name is being withheld by The Republic. She had already grown wary of Toth, whom she said lied to her, yelled at her, ignored her and insulted her, according to the report.

The woman told police she feared Toth had drugged her the night he photographed her and wondered if he had taken other pictures too. She remembered him trying to take a photo of her when she was on the toilet, according to the report.

He sent her nude photos of himself, but she told Chandler police she did not respond in kind, the report said.

In a 2010 incident, a female Transportation Safety Administration employee filed an internal compliant against Toth, saying he sent her nude pictures of himself and "harassing texts," the police report said. The woman did not wish to push charges, the report says.

On March 14, Toth was handcuffed, read his rights, fingerprinted and photographed by Chandler police and told he was under arrest. He was released until a court appearance, said Chandler Sgt. Joe Favazzo.

The woman has obtained an order of protection and Toth has relinquished his service weapons.

Toth, who'd been assigned to the airport bureau before his arrest, is also the subject of an internal investigation by Phoenix police.

 
Had enough?  Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal hearings into the police problem in America.  Demand mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a permanent  DOJ office on Police Misconduct.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Southern View IL


Southern View IL cop is under investigation after accused of groping women at traffic stop. He had resigned from the Springfield PD in the midst of a sexual misconduct case before he was hired on at Southern View. [0] http://bit.ly/HUNs5w

Brandon MS


Brandon MS cop accused of forcing motorist to pull down pants & underwear to prove he had no drugs during stop [3] http://bit.ly/HXjfSm


Had enough?  Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal hearings into the police problem in America.  Demand mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a permanent  DOJ office on Police Misconduct.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Records show no other allegations for cop charged with stalking


Records show no other allegations for cop charged with stalking

Documents released to Greenwich Time from the personnel file of Donnell Fludd, the Greenwich police officer charged with stalking a former love interest, reveal no other allegations of harassment since Fludd became a police officer in 2004.

Fludd, 43, was charged in February with second-degree stalking, second-degree harassment and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors, after a 32-year-old town woman filed a complaint about his behavior on Nov. 6.

The department subsequently launched an internal affairs investigation into the complaint. That investigation is ongoing and Fludd remains on paid administrative leave, police said.

Darnell D. Crosland, Fludd's attorney, said in a statement that the allegations against Fludd do not reflect the way he has conducted himself throughout his life.

"On behalf of my client Donnell Fludd, it is important to note that if and when his personnel file is obtained, it will be made clear that the allegations against him are not in conformity with his reputation both on and off the job," Crosland said. "Officer Fludd has been on the job almost 10 years and as such has arrested a good number of people based on allegations of complaining witnesses. He has never played Judge nor jury but instead relied on the court and the judicial process to play its role and is doing the same in this case."

Documents from Fludd's file, obtained by Greenwich Time following a Freedom of Information Act request, include two minor complaints from town residents and numerous commendations about Fludd's performance, both on and off the job.

Gregory S. Hannigan, director of general services for the town, noted that, according to state statute, materials related to pre-employment psychological testing, polygraph examinations and background investigations are exempt from public disclosure. Records that pertain to open investigations are also exempt from disclosure, he said.

The first disclosed complaint stemmed from a March 2010 ticket Fludd issued to a town resident who was using his cell phone while driving. The man initially complained about how Fludd acted during the motor vehicle stop, but later said he was upset at receiving a ticket and admitted Fludd had not mistreated him or acted rudely. Police found that Fludd did not violate any laws or procedures and deemed the complaint unfounded.

The second complaint arose from an alarm call at a Greenwich house to which Fludd responded. The homeowner later complained that responding officers missed an open door that triggered the alarm. Police determined that responding officers should have discovered the open door and closed the matter with no additional complaint from the homeowner.

Many of the documents in Fludd's file commend him for his work in the community, both as an officer and a public citizen. The Department of Social Services thanked Fludd and other Greenwich officers for their charitable work during the holiday season, according to the personnel file, and residents have sent letters to the police department applauding Fludd's work with Greenwich Flag Football League, which he co-founded. Residents also sent Fludd letters thanking him for his positive on-the-job demeanor, according to his file.

Crosland said Fludd is cooperating fully with the investigation.

"He would like the community to know that it's not him against the Greenwich Police Department," Crosland said. "He is a part of the GPD and wouldn't expect anything less from the GPD in investigating all complaints, even those against its own. My client is confident that he will be exonerated of these charges, and holds no ill feelings for the complaining witness, nor the Greenwich Police Department."

In a 19-page affidavit filed in state Superior Court in Stamford, the woman described various ways in which Fludd allegedly stalked and harassed her over a period of nearly a year, despite her requests to stop. The woman told police there were several instances in which Fludd used his position as a police officer, his large size and his knowledge of firearms to intimidate her, according to the affidavit.

Fludd, who acknowledged he had a relationship with the woman, said he never physically harmed her, tried to intimidate her, or took his gun out in front of her in a threatening manner, according to the affidavit.

A state Superior Court judge in Stamford issued a protective order in February mandating that Fludd avoid all contact with the woman.

Greenwich police have said they will not comment further on the case.

Fludd appeared March 27 in state Superior Court in Stamford, where his case was transferred to state Superior Court in Bridgeport. He is scheduled to appear there April 25.


Cop Guilty of Gunpoint Sex Attack, But Jury Deadlocked on Rape Charge


Cop Guilty of Gunpoint Sex Attack, But Jury Deadlocked on Rape Charge Updated March 27, 2012 4:56pm

MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — Police officer Michael Pena was convicted of a brutal gunpoint sexual assault against a 25-year-old teacher last year and could face life in prison, a Manhattan jury decided Tuesday.

After three days of deliberations a jury of eight men and four women convicted the 28-year-old Pena of three counts of predatory sexual assault and three counts criminal sex act on Monday.

Predatory sexual assault carries a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.

The victim, surrounded by friends and supporters, bent over and sobbed hysterically throughout parts of the jury's verdict reading.

The jury remained deadlocked on two counts of rape in the first degree, which required proof of sexual penetration for a conviction. Jurors were asked to continue deliberating on those charges. They were instructed to return Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Pena spent the early morning hours of Aug. 19, 2012 drinking at a Washington Heights club where he tried to take home a bartender and searched Craigslist for potential sexual hookups.

After the club closed he wandered the streets of Upper Manhattan until he spotted the victim and had a "stalker moment" in which he followed the woman and forced her to go to a nearby alley at gunpoint, Assistant District Attorney Evan Krutoy told jurors.


Terrified and fearing for her life, she offered Pena her cell phone, jewelry and wallet, hoping he would take the items and leave her alone.

Instead he ushered her along and she screamed for help.

"Shut the f--- up or I'll shoot you," the victim testified Pena told her.

Several neighbors witnessed what was happening and one woman, who was awakened to the lurid scene unfolding outsider her window, dialed 911 for help.

"Hi, there appears to be sex going on that is not consensual in the backyard of the house," the neighbor, Ann Bishop, told a 911 dispatcher.

Pena's attorney, Ephraim Savitt, argued that the cop was overcharged by prosecutors when they sought an indictment of rape in the first degree.

Savitt argued there was insufficent proof that there was penetration as definded by statute for rape.

There were six days of testimony before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers.

Inwood residents expressed some sense of relief.

"He's the one who's supposed to bring justice to people, but he committed the crime," said Michelle P., 34, a nurse who lives next door to where the incident took place. "He deserves to serve his time. Hopefully they get him for rape too."

She was still upset by the incident.''It happened early in the morning," she said. "It was scary. It could've been me, anyone.''

Neil Orman, 41, a videographer, called it a "good thing" to convict a "bad seed" officer.

"Hopefully that discourages anyone else who would attack a woman," Orman said. ''It was very unsettling. Broad daylight on a nice street — you wouldn't expect that to happen.''

Maria Lizardo, deputy director of client services at the NMIC, an Upper Manhattan community based organization, said she and her staff have been watching this case carefully because of the impact it has had on the community.

When people in power "fall into a pattern of abuse and treat women as property, it is very scary," Lizardo said, "and causes [victims] not to go out and seek help if something happens. Women are afraid to go into the precinct for help."

She added: "As it is the culture of the police is not very victim-friendly. From the moment you enter the building, it’s like you have a big stop sign in front of you."

Lizardo's organization provides advocate services to ensure victims are assisted through the process of reporting a crime such as rape, she said. "It can be a very intimidating process."