COPS behaving badly

[RTH10260]

‘More than the girl in the back seat’: Mother of 2 drowns handcuffed in patrol car because deputy who ‘wasn’t paying attention’ and texting his wife crashes into river, also dies

Colin Kalmbacher
Feb 19th, 2024, 2:01 pm

Tabitha Smith, inset on the left; Deputy RJ Leonard, inset on the right; main image is the river landing near where they perished in Tennessee

Main image: A former landing on Blythe Ferry Lane (Google Maps); Inset left: Tabitha Smith (Selfie); Inset right: Deputy RJ Leonard (Meigs County Sheriff’s Office).

A Tennessee sheriff’s deputy and a woman he had just arrested suffered a tragic fate together — drowning in the dark after taking a wrong turn into a river last week, Volunteer State officials said.

Robert John “R.J.” Leonard, Jr., 35, had only recently — months ago — moved to rural Tennessee from upstate New York with his family, according to 9th Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson.

An air of uncertainty permeates the night of the incident.

Leonard was responding to some sort of a call about an alleged disturbance on the bridge over the Hiwassee River. That call either came in about “a man jumping in and out of traffic” or “a man and a woman on the bridge who seemed to be fighting,” the DA said.

The deputy arrived on the scene at 9:48 p.m. on Feb. 14, officials said. Then, three minutes later, he radioed back to say an arrest had been made and he was en route to the Meigs County Jail. The nature of the arrest was not relayed. The identity of the arrestee was never shared.

Roughly 12 minutes later, at 10:03 p.m. another radio transmission came from the deputy’s patrol car, Johnson said at a press conference.

“Dispatch couldn’t tell what he was saying,” the DA said. “Or what he had said. And, it took a while and some analytics to go into play to see what was being — to try and understand what was being said. And we think he was saying ‘water.’ At the very same time, he was also texting his wife. It’s my understanding he sent a one-word text that said ‘arrest.’ … His wife texted back and said: ‘That’s good’ or ‘that’s great.’ We know that he did not receive — his phone did not evidently receive that text.”

After that, the county dispatch began a series of status checks. As time passed, various members of law enforcement from various surrounding law enforcement agencies began looking for Leonard.

The deputy’s patrol car was found near the Blythe Ferry boat ramp on the morning of Feb. 15; the car’s driver-side front window was rolled down and the deputy was initially nowhere to be found.



https://lawandcrime.com/crime/more-than ... also-dies/

[RTH10260]

Mesa police sued for knocking out man at a quinceanera

ABC15 Arizona
19 Feb 2024

The Mesa Police Department is facing a federal civil rights lawsuit after multiple officers knocked a man unconscious during a violent arrest at his goddaughter’s quinceanera.

[Suranis]

Short video about how cops behaving badly was treated way back in London in 1833.

[RTH10260]

I guess you are refering to this (w/o the video):

Crooked Cops: a century of bribes, beatings and bungs from the British police

Tuesday 26 July 2011
Issue 2262

Simon Basketter on a century of bribes, beatings and bungs – the Murdoch scandal is just the tip of the iceberg

The phrase “If you want to know the time, ask a policeman” is informative. It has nothing to do with the police being helpful. It came from their reputation for stealing the watches of Victorian drunks.

Police corruption lies at the heart of the News International scandal. We are assured that only a small number of officers are involved. Whenever a cop is caught out we are told it is a case of “one bad apple”. But the stench of the rotten barrel is a very old one.

Since the founding of the first force in 1829, violence, corruption and the police have gone together:



https://socialistworker.co.uk/features/ ... sh-police/

[Suranis]

I guess you are refering to this (w/o the video):

I forgot to include the video. LOL Me so dumb.

I've lost the link now, but it was a specific incident in 1833 where a Policeman was killed in a riot, and the Press and public celebrated it.

[raison de arizona]

Coldbath Fields Riot on the 13th of May 1833, PC Robert Culley was killed.

[Suranis]

Coldbath Fields Riot on the 13th of May 1833, PC Robert Culley was killed.

Thank you.

[keith]

This has been dominating the news in Aussieland for he last 10 days or so.

How police allege the murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies unfolded

Police have found two bodies, believed to be those of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, after they were allegedly killed by serving officer Beau Lamarre-Condon.
The senior constable has been charged with two counts of murder and remains behind bars after being denied bail, while investigators continue to piece together how the two men were allegedly killed and what Lamarre-Condon allegedly did in the aftermath.

[pipistrelle]

This has been dominating the news in Aussieland for he last 10 days or so.

How police allege the murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies unfolded

Police have found two bodies, believed to be those of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, after they were allegedly killed by serving officer Beau Lamarre-Condon.
The senior constable has been charged with two counts of murder and remains behind bars after being denied bail, while investigators continue to piece together how the two men were allegedly killed and what Lamarre-Condon allegedly did in the aftermath.

It took me three articles to find mention of a relationship/possible motive.

Lamarre-Condon once dated Baird.

[keith]

Actually, friends of the victims claim the cop never dated either one of them. They met in a bar once.

But I dont know. Police have not arrived at a motive yet.

[sugar magnolia]

No relationship beyond "friends with benefits" apparently, and the cop appears to have been stalking Baird. Very creepy story.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/20 ... marre.html

[RTH10260]

Revealed: at least 22 Californians have died while being held face down by police since 2016
Police have long known the dangers of holding people in prone restraint. So why do so many keep dying?

Emily Zentner, Lisa Pickoff-White
Wed 28 Feb 2024 13.00 CET

On a Thursday morning in October 2020, less than five months after George Floyd was held on his stomach by Minneapolis police officers until he died, Shayne Sutherland called 911 from a convenience store in Stockton, California, and asked for a taxi.

When the operator told Sutherland he’d dialed 911, he said someone was trying to rob him.

Stockton police officers Ronald Zalunardo and John Afanasiev arrived at the store about 15 minutes later. In the meantime, a store employee had called 911, saying Sutherland was threatening him with a wine bottle.

In body camera footage that captured the officers’ response, Sutherland seems fidgety and his speech is difficult to understand at times, but he doesn’t appear violent and he isn’t armed. He cooperates with police, addressing Zalunardo as “sir” and sitting against a wall outside the store as instructed.

The officers question Sutherland. When he tells them he can’t remember why he’s under court supervision, Afanasiev says, “the drugs probably have something to do with it”.

“How long you been using meth,” Zalunardo asks. Sutherland stutters and says he’s been using cocaine.

Sutherland briefly stands, then sits when ordered to do so. A minute later he stands up again. This time, the officers tackle him to the ground and hold him belly down – a position known as prone restraint. Thirty seconds later, his hands are cuffed behind his back.



https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... int-deaths

[RTH10260]

Navy wife wrongfully arrested, jailed in Virginia Beach

WAVY TV 10

28 Feb 2024

A military wife, mom, business owner and medical professional is working to clear her name after she was wrongfully arrested in Virginia Beach.

[Volkonski]

‘The day of justice has come’: 2 Black men tortured by 6 White law enforcement officers speak before sentencing hearing

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/18/us/missi ... index.html

Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins said they were often not believed when they tried, for months, to tell people about the grueling violence and torture they endured at the hands of six White law enforcement officers, culminating in Jenkins being shot in the mouth.

Now, more than a year later, the men – both of whom are Black – and their attorney say justice may finally come as the White officers who tortured them for nearly two hours are set to be sentenced in federal court this week. Five of the officers face a maximum of 20 years in prison while the sixth could face a maximum of 30 years behind bars.

“I’m here for a reason,” Parker said in a tearful interview with CNN on Monday. “I’m still here fighting and I’m gonna fight.”

Details from the January 24, 2023, incident eventually came to light after the two men filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in June. Many of the claims were later borne out by federal prosecutors in August as the six former Mississippi officers pleaded guilty to a combined 13 felonies in connection with the torture and abuse of the two men.

“The day of justice has finally come for the Rankin County ‘Goon Squad,’” Malik Shabazz, lead attorney for Parker and Jenkins, said Monday. “It’s an important day, not only for Mississippi, but it’s an important day for accountability, for police brutality all across America.”

[Rolodex]

The first of the MS thugs, the goon squad, got 20 years. Another to be sentenced today, 2 tomorrow and 2 Thursday.

J

ACKSON, Miss.—Minutes before receiving a 20-year federal prison sentence for his role in the hours-long torture and sexual assault of two Black men last year, former Rankin County, Miss., sheriff’s deputy Hunter Elward asked the judge for permission to speak directly to his victims.

“I’ve fought hard with myself ever since that night. I hate that I got involved with this,” Elward said, facing the victims and their families. “I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. I accept all responsibility.”

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/40 ... r-sentence

[Volkonski]

Second of 6 former Mississippi officers sentenced to more than 17 years in the torture of 2 Black men

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/19/us/missi ... index.html

[Rolodex]

Can't wait to hear about how they're doing in Parchman. Probably one of the worst prisons in America.

[sugar magnolia]

Can't wait to hear about how they're doing in Parchman. Probably one of the worst prisons in America.

Parchman is the State prison. their charges are Federal. Any subsequent state charges will be served concurrently while they are in federal prison. Maybe they'll stick them in Yazoo City.

[Rolodex]

Can't wait to hear about how they're doing in Parchman. Probably one of the worst prisons in America.

Parchman is the State prison. their charges are Federal. Any subsequent state charges will be served concurrently while they are in federal prison. Maybe they'll stick them in Yazoo City.

Ah, thanks. I wondered if it might be federal but I wasn't sure. Did they also get charged with a hate crime? {I have a kid at ole miss so I keep up sorta with MS news; it's depressingly like AL's news}

[sugar magnolia]

Can't wait to hear about how they're doing in Parchman. Probably one of the worst prisons in America.

Parchman is the State prison. their charges are Federal. Any subsequent state charges will be served concurrently while they are in federal prison. Maybe they'll stick them in Yazoo City.

Ah, thanks. I wondered if it might be federal but I wasn't sure. Did they also get charged with a hate crime? {I have a kid at ole miss so I keep up sorta with MS news; it's depressingly like AL's news}

Civil rights violations and obstruction and some other stuff, but I think "hate crime" is just an enhancement to other charges, but I'm not positive about that. Up until yesterday I didn't think there was such a charge as "attempted murder" either. It's always been charged as aggravated assault. (Just looked it up and yes, it has changed since my cop days.)

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

Yes, hate crime is an enhancement to other crimes. Basically, that means it adds on to the sentence, but cannot be charged by itself.

[sugar magnolia]

This isn't the first Dedmon who got hate crime enhancements on his sentence either. This is his nephew.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of ... g_Anderson

[Rolodex]

According to that Wiki, the nephew Dedmon is in lock up in Oklahoma City. One of the others is in WV - in a place described a "medium security." The OKCity one isn't described any particular way, but the murder he committed was brutal and premeditated. He was 18 when he killed Anderson; glad he got locked up before he could become a cop.

I can just imagine conversations at the Dedmon thanksgiving gatherings. Ugh.

[Volkonski]

Former Mississippi cop called ‘mafia don’ of ‘Goon Squad’ that tortured 2 Black men sentenced to more than 27 years in prison

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/21/us/missi ... index.html

Brett McAlpin, who was the highest-ranking officer on the scene when six former Mississippi law enforcement officers tortured two Black men in January 2023, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison Thursday.

Federal prosecutors described the former deputy with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office as “the one calling the shots” and as a “mafia don” among the six rogue cops who tortured citizens – acts associated with another time in the state of Mississippi.

McAlpin pleaded guilty in August to federal charges of conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice related to the January 24 incident.

McAlpin also pleaded guilty in August to state charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and first-degree obstruction of justice. He awaits sentencing on the state charges.

The men were part of a squad of White Mississippi law enforcement officers who raided a home in Braxton in January 2023 without a warrant, subjected the two Black men – Eddie Parker and Jenkins – to racist vitriol, used Tasers on them after they had already been handcuffed, beat them with various objects and shot Jenkins in the mouth.

McAlpin, his voice shaking, addressed the court but did not look at the victims.

“Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins, I want you to know I’m sorry for what you went through,” he said.

[sugar magnolia]

According to that Wiki, the nephew Dedmon is in lock up in Oklahoma City. One of the others is in WV - in a place described a "medium security." The OKCity one isn't described any particular way, but the murder he committed was brutal and premeditated. He was 18 when he killed Anderson; glad he got locked up before he could become a cop.

I can just imagine conversations at the Dedmon thanksgiving gatherings. Ugh.

His dad is a bad dude too. Don't remember the specifics, but the cop's dad has a felony record too. I picked up one of the Dedmon women 30 years ago for child endangerment when her 3 year old wandered off in a diaper and it took us hours to identify the child. She had outstanding warrants when we picked her up. The whole family is a class act, as you can tell.