National Police Misconduct Reporting Project

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-13-12

December 14, 2012 @ 2:09 PM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 7 reports of police misconduct tracked for Thursday, December 13, 2012:

  • James Island, South Carolina: An officer faces one count of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death. The officer was charged for leaving the scene of a crash after he struck and killed a bicyclist. ow.ly/g4QtM
  • Tacoma, Washington: A state trooper is facing charges that he failed to immediately report child-abuse allegations against his father. He allegedly waited three weeks before reporting the abuse to other law-enforcement officers. ow.ly/g4CQE
  • Licking County, Ohio: A police officer who impregnated his live-in girlfriend’s daughter three times was sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison. He was accused of beginning a sexual relationship with the girl when she was just 8, but the officer admitted to having sex with her only after she was 16. She is now 26 and their eldest child is 10. ow.ly/g4Hxq
  • Hamilton County, Ohio: An officer has been indicted for theft, receiving stolen property, and tampering with records. He could go to prison for nine years. ow.ly/g4BZ1
  • Forest City, Iowa: A police officer was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. He was convicted of arson and burglary. ow.ly/g4wL7
  • Wyandotte, Michigan: An officer was suspended for 30 days without pay after admitting to taking a patrol rifle home, just to prove a point. ow.ly/g4oTo
  • Update: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission reversed itself and upheld the firing of an officer for repeatedly punching a handcuffed woman. Previously, the commission had ruled to re-hire the officer but heard the case again after there was intense public pressure. ow.ly/g4OOu

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-12-12

December 13, 2012 @ 12:17 PM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 9 reports of police misconduct tracked for Wednesday, December 12, 2012:

  • Raton, New Mexico: A police officer has resigned following a recent gathering at his home that allegedly involved underage drinking. http://ow.ly/g16G5
  • Oakland, California: A college instructor and activist who was thrown to the ground by police and struck twice with a baton during an Occupy protest has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit. http://ow.ly/g10Ih
  • Atlanta, Georgia: A police officer was convicted of sexually assaulting a then 13-year-old girl while he was on-duty. He was sentenced to five years probation and must register as a sex offender. http://ow.ly/g2DaG
  • Camden, New Jersey: A retired police sergeant was sentenced to eight months in federal prison for his admitted role as the supervising officer of a corrupt anti-drug squad that stole cash, conducted illegal searches, planted drugs and falsified reports. http://ow.ly/g2DlJ
  • Muncie, Illinois: City police are investigating reports that a police officer and a former police chief and current 911 director physically assaulted two men at a bar. http://ow.ly/g2EOb
  • Bal Harbour, Florida: The police chief was suspended with pay after a report was released by the Department of Justice. The report slams the police agency for allegedly misspending millions in drug money seized from criminals. The report fingers the police chief for professional misconduct. ow.ly/g314p
  • Decambre, Louisiana: A police officer faces up to 40 years in prison after his conviction on charges of sexual battery and second-degree kidnapping for inappropriately touching a woman he had detained. ow.ly/g2Gim
  • Indian River County, Florida: An officer has been charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious battery toward male children between the ages of 12 and 16. He has been accused of giving children alcoholic beverages and then molesting them. ow.ly/g1vPj
  • Berkshire County, Massachusetts: A deputy is facing drunken driving and harassment charges in New York following a traffic stop, according to information recently released by New York law enforcement officials. ow.ly/g18C1

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-11-12

December 12, 2012 @ 9:17 AM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 11 reports of police misconduct tracked for Tuesday, December 11, 2012:

  • Charleston County, South Carolina: A lawsuit has been filed against the sheriff’s office and three deputies that alleges the use of excessive force in a traffic stop. ow.ly/g0Tru
  • Berry Hill, Tennessee: A police officer was arrested on five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. According to the police report, he was found to be in possession of child pornography, and the report suggests that more charges are pending. ow.ly/g0Tih
  • Nassau Bay, Texas: A police officer was accused of stealing cash and tampering with narcotics evidence from the department’s property room. ow.ly/g0Sob
  • Little Rock, Arkansas: Prosecutors say that a former officer took money from a drug trafficker and escorted him from an east Arkansas town to a bridge linking the state to Mississippi. “There are good cops and there are dirty cops,” said the federal prosecutor, adding that evidence would show the officer was the latter. ow.ly/g0OWZ
  • Coxsackie, New York: A police officer was arrested for pointing a loaded handgun at an acquaintance. ow.ly/g0J8O
  • Update: Princeton, West Virginia: The officer who pleaded guilty to meeting a 17-year-old boy in a parking lot, while in uniform, and tried to get the youth to perform oral sex to pay off a debt was sentenced. He was given five years of home confinement. The judge agreed to the lightened sentence because there was no evidence of actual sexual contact between the two. ow.ly/g0FL1
  • Mahoning County, Ohio: A deputy engaged in a physical altercation with an inmate. He was suspended for three days without pay because he didn’t seek help from another deputy in dealing with the unruly prisoner. ow.ly/g0Cx9
  • Update: Sacramento, California: Federal officials charged an officer with civil rights violations. The officer was accused of raping an arrestee, while on duty, before transporting her to jail. ow.ly/g0pDL
  • Monicks Corner, South Carolina: An officer who resigned has been charged with exploitation of minors after authorities say they found child pornography on his computer. ow.ly/fZwvu
  • Charleston, West Virginia: An officer was arrested on drunken driving charges. He is on administrative leave along with another officer who was in the vehicle with him. ow.ly/fZ6Br
  • New Hanover County, North Carolina: An officer was charged with one count of secret peeping and one count of indecent liberties with a minor. He has been terminated from the sheriff’s office. ow.ly/g17yO

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-8-12 to 12-10-12

December 11, 2012 @ 10:16 AM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 10 reports of police misconduct tracked for Saturday, December 8 to Monday, December 10, 2012:

  • Woodland Park, New Jersey: A suspended police officer has been indicted on charges of attempted aggravated sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, luring a child, official misconduct, and attempted endangering the welfare of a child. The police chief said “We didn’t give him any special treatment because he was a police officer.” ow.ly/fYkoY
  • Muncie, Indiana: A police officer has been fired after officials say she sent a threatening text message to another woman. ow.ly/fYQlB
  • Lafayette, Louisiana: A man has filed a lawsuit against the police chief claiming unlawful arrest and excessive force. ow.ly/fYjPQ
  • Warren, Ohio: A police officer was arrested and placed in jail for failing to comply with the terms of his probation. He was then fired. In a letter, the police chief said that the officer had failed his oath by violating, instead of upholding, the law. He was arrested three times over a two year period. ow.ly/fYaoE
  • Westminster, California: Two officers are facing a year in jail for conspiring to dismiss a woman’s speeding ticket after she promised to send booze to them. ow.ly/fYeJM
  • Waterbury, Connecticut: The U.S. Attorney’s office has accused a detective of obstructing a tax investigation. They say he made false claims to IRS agents. ow.ly/fYWNU
  • Grove City, Ohio: A lawsuit has been filed against the sheriff’s office. A man says deputies entered his home illegally, used excessive force, and arrested him without probable cause. http://ow.ly/fYXBL
  • Grand Traverse, Michigan: City police arrested a sheriff’s deputy after witnesses said he assaulted his girlfriend at a downtown saloon. http://ow.ly/fZ5WS
  • Vernon Parish, Louisiana: The sheriff’s office deputy who resigned amid sex-related allegations has been arrested. He turned himself in when there was an active warrant for sexual battery out for him. ow.ly/fZ5GL
  • Little Falls, Minnesota: A Walmart theft lead to a high-speed chase, which ended in a crash. All of the car’s occupants were taken to the hospital for injuries. ow.ly/fV8N4

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-7-12

December 10, 2012 @ 12:16 PM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 9 reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, December 7, 2012:

  • Lawrence, Indiana: A police officer is facing criminal charges. He as been accused of using excessive force during an arrest. ow.ly/fVhLe
  • Hurricane, West Virginia: A man that was suspected of taking items from a store was chased by officers; the high-speed-chase led to a car crash and his death. ow.ly/fV78P
  • Kingsbridge, New Jersey: A jury found a detective guilty of second-degree manslaughter for hitting and killing a grandmother with his car. ow.ly/fV0RZ
  • Update: Houston, Texas: The Department of Justice is investigating the use of excessive force by officers. The investigation includes the case where officers killed a mentally disturbed, double amputee. ow.ly/fUv7N
  • Ormond Beach, Florida: An investigation shows that an officer got prescriptions for drugs from several different doctors. He was arrested and booked into jail for attempting to fraudulently get a hold of prescription drugs. ow.ly/fUtfm
  • Binghamton, New York: A police officer who resigned after being charged with a DWI has pleaded not guilty. ow.ly/fUqSI
  • Dallas, Texas: The family of a man shot and killed by an officer has filed a wrongful death suit against the officer and the police department. ow.ly/fUrWN
  • Contra Costa County, California: The now-former drug task force commander pleaded guilty in federal court to a number of felony charges stemming from a police corruption case. The charges included narcotics possession, distribution and sales, theft from a federally funded program, and civil rights violations including illegal search and seizures. ow.ly/fTcXr
  • Phoenix, Arizona: The officer accused of masterminding a fraud scheme involving off-duty officers pleaded no contest to the theft charge. ow.ly/fTbQq

Grandmother Struck and Killed by Drunk Driving NY Officer

December 7, 2012 @ 2:20 PM by Tim Lynch

From the Village Voice:

A former NYPD detective — whose BAC was more than three times the legal limit when he plowed into a Bronx grandmother with a cop car — was convicted of manslaughter yesterday.

Former Detective Kevin Spellman, however, beat the rap on the most serious charges against him (aggravated vehicular homicide and first-degree vehicular manslaughter) in the death of 66-year-old Drane Nikac, who was struck by the tipsy former detective on October 30, 2009, as she was walking near the intersection of West 232nd St. and Kingsbridge Avenue in the Bronx.

Following the accident, Spellman refused a breathalyzer test, and his BAC wasn’t tested until five hours after he slammed into the Bronx grandmother while driving erratically in his NYPD-owned Chevy Impala.

The article says that Spellman retired.  If there is a pension, how about we cancel that, or divert it to the Nikac estate?

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-6-12

December 7, 2012 @ 11:01 AM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 8 reports of police misconduct tracked for Thursday, December 6, 2012:

  • Barnstable, Massachusetts: An officer who pleaded guilty to drunken driving charges has resigned. He submitted his letter of resignation rather than going through a hearing to fight his anticipated dismissal. ow.ly/fSoor
  • Update: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: An officer who was fired for punching a handcuffed woman got his job back from the police commission. The police chief had said that it was clear he lost control and was using excessive force. ow.ly/fSjMm
  • Shenandoah County, Virginia: A deputy resigned after facing two charges of hunting and trapping without a license. http://ow.ly/fSqMk
  • Update: Barren County, Kentucky: More charges have been filed against the police chief. The charges are use of unreasonable force by a law officer and destruction of records. http://ow.ly/fSrJT
  • South Bend, Indiana: A patrolman has been accused of failed to file a report about a theft, as well as lying about alerting other officers to the incident. http://ow.ly/fStiN
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: An officer got into a car accident while she was off-duty. She left the scene of the crash and then submitted a false accident report. She was later compensated by her insurance company for the damage to her car. She has been arrested and charged. http://ow.ly/fSujS
  • Genessee County, New York: A police officer has been charged with assaulting another woman during a country music concert. She was off-duty at the time of the incident. http://ow.ly/fSHmL
  • Boulder, Colorado: An officer was arrested on suspicion of a DUI. He had trouble keeping his car in the lane, and told an officer, “I’m drunk.” http://ow.ly/fSvr9

National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 12-5-12

December 6, 2012 @ 11:58 AM by Tim Lynch

Here are the 10 reports of police misconduct tracked for Wednesday, December 5, 2012:

  • Columbia, South Carolina: A state trooper was arrested for disorderly conduct after he refused to obey police orders while he was off-duty. He has been terminated. http://ow.ly/fPhM3
  • Rutland, Vermont: A 26-year veteran police officer is suspended with pay and now faces a criminal investigation. ow.ly/fOC24
  • Sanford, Florida: An officer has been accused of leaving the scene of an accident. He tried to change lanes, sideswiped another car, and kept driving. ow.ly/fODoJ
  • Vernal, Utah: Residents filed a civil lawsuit against the city, the state, and an officer who they allege used personal information from Utah’s prescription drug database to harass them and steal their pain medication. “He hoped that they would be too dumb to notice the pills were missing,” the complaint says. “He counted on the fact that they would be too scared to stop him from coming into their homes and stealing their medication because of his status as law enforcement.” http://ow.ly/fQDT0
  • San Antonio, Texas: A deputy U.S. marshal who authorities say tipped off his drug-trafficker father about an undercover federal agent was arrested. He is accused of showing a photocopy of the unidentified agent’s driver’s license to colleagues last fall and, upon learning it belonged to an undercover investigator, sending a warning text to his father, who has served prison time for various drug charges. http://ow.ly/fQYMP
  • Easton, Pennsylvania: A police officer has been fired officials said. “He had some off-duty misconduct,” the police chief said. “An investigation was conducted, and based on the misconduct, he was released from employment with the city.” ow.ly/fQTpd
  • Uptown, Illinois: A family says that an officer used excessive force and robbed them of their potential income when he shot their 7-month-old show dog. ow.ly/fQT3Y
  • Update: Bellevue, Washington: Two officers were disciplined and a 22-year veteran was demoted after an investigation into unruly behavior at a Seattle Seahawks game. ow.ly/fQL5S
  • Update: Dallas, Texas: The woman who was the head of the CrimeStoppers unit, who pleaded guilty to stealing $175,000, was sentenced to 42 months in prison. ow.ly/fQHS0
  • Port Hueneme, California: The mother of a man killed last year by an officer has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit, alleging authorities reacted improperly when they fatally shot her unarmed son and left him for dead. ow.ly/fQWaH

The Cash Machine: Philadelphia’s Forfeiture System

December 5, 2012 @ 2:09 PM by Tim Lynch

From the Philadelphia City Paper:

The size of Philly’s forfeiture program isn’t just unprecedented within Pennsylvania. In 2010, for example, Kings County (Brooklyn), with a population 1.5 times that of Philadelphia, reported taking by forfeiture about $1.2 million in assets — less than one-fifth of what Philly took. Los Angeles County, with a population more than six-and-a-half times Philadelphia’s, also successfully sued to keep just $1.2 million in seized assets.

Those numbers aren’t direct comparisons: They don’t include sums collected via a federal “equitable sharing” program in which forfeitures are outsourced to federal agencies, with local law enforcement keeping most of the proceeds. But these programs also contain certain safeguards not present in Philly: Namely, federal guidelines stipulate a minimum amount for seizure of $2,000.

Philadelphia’s civil forfeiture unit, by contrast, amasses its impressive annual take by itself pursuing thousands of vastly smaller cases — and many, many more of them.

In 2010, for example, Los Angeles County’s 48 successful forfeiture cases raised about $25,000 per case. In the same year, the Philadelphia District Attorney filed more than 8,000 forfeiture cases for currency alone, for an average of just $550. In a sample of more than 100 cases from 2011 and 2012 reviewed by City Paper, the median amount was only $178. In many of these cases, the Philadelphia District Attorney sued to seize amounts less than $100.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, in other words, isn’t just one of the most lucrative municipal  forfeiture units around; it also might be the pettiest.

Read the whole thing.

For additional background, go here.

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