Dallas, Texas
I was beginning to wonder why the week had been going so slow in the news department. However, I knew it wouldn’t be long until something came our way. This story is actually a positive one and confirms our belief in Dallas Police Chief David Brown for handling problem officers. Brown fired three police officers Friday, one for using inappropriate force on a handcuffed prisoner, and two who were arrested on drunken-driving charges.
So far, that brings the total number of officers fired to 21, through the department’s internal affairs disciplinary process since Brown assumed command of the department.
“The terminations today again point out the importance of officers conducting themselves ethically, fairly and with integrity,” Brown said in a written statement.
More good news involves a newly-created early intervention program for troubled officers. This comes after a number of high-profile, use of force incidents. About a dozen officers have been identified as potential candidates for the program. A supervisor can document problem behavior or poor performance and request that the officer be considered for the program. Or officers can be placed in the program if they meet certain criteria, such as having three use-of-force complaints filed against them within a two-year period.
Officers placed in the program will be monitored for at least 90 days. Supervisors will provide weekly and monthly progress reports. Officers must complete 40 hours of training and can only drive cars with in-car cameras. Those who are repeatedly placed in the program will face progressively stricter restrictions, such as not working in jobs that require public contact or not being allowed to work off-duty jobs.
The situation of Officer Michael Mosher, one of the three officers fired Friday, is just the type of outcome police commanders hope to avoid. Mosher has repeatedly been the subject of use-of-force complaints since joining the department in 2004. Three years ago, he received a five-day suspension after internal investigators found he used inappropriate force on a juvenile.
The investigation that led to his firing resulted from a January arrest in which other police officers told supervisors he used inappropriate force on a handcuffed prisoner in Far North Dallas.
“There’s a pattern there that is disturbing,” said Assistant Chief Vince Golbeck, who oversees the city’s seven patrol stations.
Also fired were:
Officer Jason Rowland, 34, who was stopped for speeding March 15 by a Hickory Creek police officer. He was then arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. He was hired in 2001.
Officer Brandy Lindsey, 28, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving Nov. 7 in Murphy. According to police records, an officer pulled Lindsey over because she was speeding and driving erratically. A blood alcohol test obtained through a search warrant showed a level of 0.14, nearly double the legal limit. She joined the force in 2006.
Again, we salute Dallas Police Chief David Brown!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Winkler County Sheriff Robert L. Roberts Retaliation Trial Begins This Week
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| Sheriff Robert L. Rogers, Jr. |
Lubbock, Texas
Winkler County Sheriff Robert L. Roberts Jr., who was accused of retaliating against two nurses who made ethics complaints against a doctor, is heading to court tomorrow.
The doctor was reportedly a friend of the sheriff.
Roberts is facing two counts each of misuse of official information and retaliation, both are felonies and official oppression, a misdemeanor.
If convicted, he could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison.
The two nurses Roberts is accused of retaliating against also faced misuse of official information. Charges were dropped against one of the nurses, Vickilyn Galle, and the other, Anne Mitchell, was acquitted in February 2010.
Another county official and the doctor also face charges for allegedly retaliating against the nurses.
Upshur Co Sheriff Sued: Wrongful Termination, Illegal Search and Cover-up Following Sexual Harassment Complaint
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| Sheriff Anthony Betterton |
Upshur County, Texas
A former jailer has filed a federal lawsuit against Upshur County and two employees of the Sheriff’s Office, contending he was wrongly fired and that his home was illegally searched.
John Scott Rose and his wife, Crystal Rose, say in the suit they filed May 20 that he was fired in “retaliation based upon his opposition to sexual harassment in the workplace and participation in protected activity.”
The two co-defendants accused of performing the illegal search are Terry Carter and Landon Burleson, who work for the Sheriff’s Office. According to the suit, they illegally searched the Roses’ residence after Rose filed a sexual harassment complaint to the chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Office. According to Rose, the complaint involved two Sheriff’s Department employees who allegedly made inappropriate sexual comments and/or suggestive communications with his wife.”
According to the lawsuit, following the complaint, the chief deputy reportedly talked to the two offending employees. One employee reportedly admitted to inappropriate ‘online’ comments, but the other employee denied the complaint in spite of the existence of incriminating e-mails. The investigation ended with Rose being re-assigned to an alternate shift. On Feb. 2, 2010, Crystal Rose emailed Sheriff’s Office Captain Gary Roberts and complained that one of the offending employees was continuing to spread rumors and/or statements in the workplace about her and her husband.”
On the evening of Feb. 3, 2010, the Roses and their minor children drove into town to pick up medication for him and have dinner. Upon returning to their rural home, they saw two Sheriff’s Department vehicles outside the residence and, “not knowing what was going on. . .(Mr. and Mrs. Rose) parked their vehicle” and told their children to stay in it.
The couple approached their home and saw Carter and Burleson inside. The two men “appeared startled to see the plaintiffs,” exited the home, and Carter handed Mr. Rose a cell phone.
“Standing by on the cell phone” was Roberts, who informed Rose that he and his wife needed to be at Roberts’s office at 9 a.m. the next day. The next morning, Roberts and Sheriff Anthony Betterton met with Mr. Rose, and “Sheriff Betterton (misspelled “Batterton” in the lawsuit) then terminated” Rose.
“The offending employees were never disciplined,” the lawsuit adds.
Sheriff Betterton made the news back in January as well, one of three Upshur County officials charged with official oppression and abuse of official capacity by a grand jury.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Georgetown Police Officer Accused of Excessive Force: Resigns Prior To Disciplinary Hearing
Georgetown, Texas
Six months ago, Georgetown Police Officer Shanna Shelly was accused of using excessive force. Shelly, an eight-year veteran, allegedly broke the jaw of a 22-year-old man, as well as a tooth.
The excessive force allegations against Shelly were in connection to a neighborhood Christmas party.
According to Shelly’s attorney, once a group of teens were ordered to lie on the floor, the young man had attempted to get up and the officer put her knee in his back, forcing him to the ground. Apparently, the young man broke his own jaw.
Travis’ parents had a different interpretation of that night’s events.
“He was on the ground and she walked up to him and kicked him in the face and then she stomped on his neck leaving her boot print on his neck,” said Marcy Urban, Travis’ mother.
After a 6-month paid leave, Officer Shelly resigned – one hour prior to a disciplinary hearing with Internal Affairs.
Georgetown Police Captain Kevin Stoffle says the department is not authorized to talk about what happened because it’s not allowed by city code if a city employee resigns before disciplinary action is taken.
Georgetown settled with the family of Travis Cox out of court however neither side is allowed to discuss specifics.
The parents of the young man hurt hopes this is the beginning of the end of bad behavior with a few who wear a badge.
Six months ago, Georgetown Police Officer Shanna Shelly was accused of using excessive force. Shelly, an eight-year veteran, allegedly broke the jaw of a 22-year-old man, as well as a tooth.
The excessive force allegations against Shelly were in connection to a neighborhood Christmas party.
According to Shelly’s attorney, once a group of teens were ordered to lie on the floor, the young man had attempted to get up and the officer put her knee in his back, forcing him to the ground. Apparently, the young man broke his own jaw.
Travis’ parents had a different interpretation of that night’s events.
“He was on the ground and she walked up to him and kicked him in the face and then she stomped on his neck leaving her boot print on his neck,” said Marcy Urban, Travis’ mother.
After a 6-month paid leave, Officer Shelly resigned – one hour prior to a disciplinary hearing with Internal Affairs.
Georgetown Police Captain Kevin Stoffle says the department is not authorized to talk about what happened because it’s not allowed by city code if a city employee resigns before disciplinary action is taken.
Georgetown settled with the family of Travis Cox out of court however neither side is allowed to discuss specifics.
The parents of the young man hurt hopes this is the beginning of the end of bad behavior with a few who wear a badge.
Bryan Police Officer Who Shot Two Men Not Indicted, But Remains Object of Investigation
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| Bryan Police Officer Bill Cross Photo Credit |
An Update to a story that we featured last month.
A grand jury in Brazos County declined to indict Bryan Police Officer Bill Cross, who shot two men during a confrontation last month on a street corner in North Bryan. However, Cross remains under an internal investigation by the Bryan Police Department.
Relatives and supporters of Johnnie Walton Harris Jr., one of the men shot by the officer, were disappointed by the panel's "no bill" decision.
Cross was responding to a suspicious person call near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Texas Avenue on May 6 when he shot 20-year-old Harris "multiple times" after Harris attempted to grab the officer's weapon, police said.
Harris' mother, Janice Walton, and grandmother, Betty Sims, were standing yards away from Harris when he was shot and also gave statements. During interviews with The Eagle, the pair said they understood Harris wasn't obeying the Cross' orders that day but they didn't believe the officer had any reason to shoot him.
Juan Garcia, an 18-year-old construction worker who happened to be standing about a block away, also was hit by a bullet.
Specific details of the shooting are still being withheld by police pending completion of their internal investigation, which will determine if administrative action is necessary regarding Cross' employment.
Pastor J.C. Ebbs owns a clothing store near the scene of the incident and said he was "shocked" to find out Cross wasn't facing criminal charges.
"Justice was not served," he said. "It's just a black eye to the Bryan Police Department. It's hurtful, it's horrible and it's harmful to the city of Bryan."
Councilman Paul Madison, who represents District 2, where the shooting occurred, also has concerns.
"I find it very strange we that we have not had a report from the Bryan Police Department," he said, adding that he did understand that little could be disclosed as investigations were still ongoing.
But once police complete their internal investigation, details surrounding the shooting need to be released, Madison said
"I think it's imperative we be transparent about what occurred," he said. "At some point, information has to flow freely to the public."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Ector County Sheriff's Deputy Charged in Assault
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| Richard Tijerina Jr. - Ector County Sheriff's Office |
Deputy Richard “Ricky" Tijerina Jr., was arrested Sunday on charges of assault following a fight with his brother.
Sheriff Mark Donaldson said both Tijerina and his brother, Timothy Tijerina, were arrested after a fight between the siblings, but he is more concerned for Ricky Tijerina’s mental well-being than the cut he received above his eye that required stitches.
According to the Sheriff, he thinks the behavior is a result of Tijerina’s injury from a recent stand-off. He suggests the condition is similar to post traumatic stress disorder.
The 29-year-old deputy is charged with class A misdemeanor assault -- causing bodily injury (family violence) and has been released on a personal recognizance bond.
Source
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Houston Police Officer Under Investigation: Accused of Being Drunk, Breaking Into Home and Assaulting Teen Neighbor Over Cigarette Smoke
"He was a bit out of control," recalled neighbor Beth Redmond. "He just kept saying that he was a police officer and he had the right."
Kingwood, Texas
An off-duty Houston police officer is the subject of an internal investigation after a family claims he broke into their home while chasing down a teenager. The family says it happened Friday in a neighborhood in Kingwood.
According to witnesses, the barefoot off-duty officer was chasing a teenager down the street.
The boy’s parents want answers about a broken front door glass and witnesses say you can still see an off-duty officer's trail of blood around their home.
"He put his face to the window and then he punched a hole in the window so he can see through it and then he just opened the door," said Matthew Pifer.
Pifer, 16, says it was last Friday when an off-duty Houston police officer who lives nearby chased him and his friend for allegedly no reason.
"He was intoxicated," said Pifer. "I smelled a ton of alcohol off of him. He was drunk."
The teen says that officer was barefoot and only wearing a bathing suit as the man barged through and broke his family's front door. Pifer says the officer assaulted him and threatened his sister until a neighbor stepped in to help.
"He was a bit out of control," recalled neighbor Beth Redmond. "He just kept saying that he was a police officer and he had the right."
Redmond says he asked the officer what triggered the chase as she bandaged his bleeding hand.
"He said he smelled cigarette smoke," she explained.
Pifer claims neither he nor his friends were smoking, just hanging out near a stop sign between his and the accused officer's home.
The officer has not been identified. But a spokesman from the Houston Police Department confirms that the internal affairs division has launched an investigation.
Pifer's parents say they not only want their door fixed, they say they want to press charges against the accused officer.
Source
Kingwood, Texas
An off-duty Houston police officer is the subject of an internal investigation after a family claims he broke into their home while chasing down a teenager. The family says it happened Friday in a neighborhood in Kingwood.
According to witnesses, the barefoot off-duty officer was chasing a teenager down the street.
The boy’s parents want answers about a broken front door glass and witnesses say you can still see an off-duty officer's trail of blood around their home.
"He put his face to the window and then he punched a hole in the window so he can see through it and then he just opened the door," said Matthew Pifer.
Pifer, 16, says it was last Friday when an off-duty Houston police officer who lives nearby chased him and his friend for allegedly no reason.
"He was intoxicated," said Pifer. "I smelled a ton of alcohol off of him. He was drunk."
The teen says that officer was barefoot and only wearing a bathing suit as the man barged through and broke his family's front door. Pifer says the officer assaulted him and threatened his sister until a neighbor stepped in to help.
"He was a bit out of control," recalled neighbor Beth Redmond. "He just kept saying that he was a police officer and he had the right."
Redmond says he asked the officer what triggered the chase as she bandaged his bleeding hand.
"He said he smelled cigarette smoke," she explained.
Pifer claims neither he nor his friends were smoking, just hanging out near a stop sign between his and the accused officer's home.
The officer has not been identified. But a spokesman from the Houston Police Department confirms that the internal affairs division has launched an investigation.
Pifer's parents say they not only want their door fixed, they say they want to press charges against the accused officer.
Source
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