COPS behaving badly

[Dave from down under]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-06/ ... /100418916

Mainsbridge was one of just 11 NSW police officers charged with domestic violence in 2019 out of a force of more than 17,000, with similar figures recorded in 2018 and 2020. As an ABC News investigation last year revealed, Australian police forces are too often failing to take action against domestic violence perpetrators in their ranks, deterring victims from reporting abuse and fuelling cultures of impunity.

[raison de arizona]

3 Vermont state troopers under federal investigation for creating fake COVID-19 vaccination cards
They allegedly had varying roles in the creation of the fraudulent cards.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/vermont-state ... d=79884959

Also COPS behaving well, when another trooper alerted supervisors to his suspicions, they came down on the bad cops like a ton of bricks.

Ya wins some, ya loses some.

[Gene Kooper]

A follow-up to my post on April 20, 2021 regarding the arrest of Karen Garner in June 2020 by the Loveland, CO police dept.

City of Loveland announces settlement with Karen Garner following her violent 2020 arrest

LOVELAND, Colo. — The City of Loveland and Karen Garner, a 73-year-old woman with dementia who was violently arrested in June 2020, have agreed to settle her claim against the city for $3 million.

The lawsuit stemmed from an incident on June 26, 2020, when police were called out to a report of shoplifting at a Loveland Walmart, and while arresting Garner, the officers broke her arm and dislocated her shoulder in the process. In April, the department announced the involved officers — Officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali — were no longer with the department, but the police chief has not said if they resigned or were fired.

The settlement came less than 24 hours after new records released by Garner's attorney showed a sergeant, lieutenant and the assistance chief of police at the police department all signed off on the force used against Garner. All of those individuals are still employed with the department, and Attorney Sarah Schielke called for them, as well as the police chief, to resign.

[Attorney Sarah] Schielke and members of Garner's family will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. regarding the settlement. Schielke said she "will also be making another big announcement related to the case."

[p0rtia]

Thank you, Mr. Gneiss.

So sick of the casual, acceptable violence.

[Gene Kooper]

This is from the press conference this morning.

'This is justice for my mom': Karen Garner's family, attorney explain settlement with City of Loveland

"She was 73. She had dementia. She was one of the most vulnerable members of our community. And she was carrying wildflowers," Schielke explained of Garner's arrest.

On June 26, 2020, police were called out to a report of shoplifting at a Loveland Walmart, and while arresting Garner, the officers broke her arm and dislocated her shoulder. In April, the department announced the involved officers — Officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali — were no longer with the department, but the police chief has not said if they resigned or were fired.

Garner had forgotten to pay for $13.88-worth of items from the Walmart.

"Thirteen dollars and 88 cents is the business interest that Loveland believed was worth inflicting this atrocity," Schielke said. "Today, they pay Ms. Garner $3 million. The amount of this settlement is likely record-breaking for a civil rights case that doesn't involve death or permanent disfigurement. Not only does its amount send a powerful message, but the speed in which it was obtained does as well — just four months since we filed the lawsuit."

She acknowledged that some members of the public may wonder why the family decided to settle with the City of Loveland. The answer to that was tucked in a letter that Garner's family recently discovered from several years ago, when dementia first started affecting her, Schielke said.

The letter, in part, reads, "All I've wanted all my life was someone to love, adore and care about me. I find the world scary now, being alone. So value love as a treasured gift that is all that matters. I want the best and fullest lives possible for my children and grandchildren. I feel the world is getting crueler. Don't make it any rougher for yourselves by living in the past. Look out the front window. Don't dwell on what's in the rear view mirror."

Dang, it just got dusty in here.

And, unsurprisingly this tragedy was apparently completely lost on the Loveland police dept. and the City of Loveland. This story is even more tragic.

Man, 19, was shot by Loveland police dies of his injuries - 911 caller said man was experiencing a mental health crisis

LOVELAND, Colo. — A 19-year-old man who is intellectually disabled and was injured in a police shooting in Loveland Aug. 16 has died of his injuries.

The suspect, Alexander Domina, died on Sept. 7. He had stayed in the hospital since the incident due to his injuries.

On Aug. 16, Loveland Police Dispatch received a 911 call regarding a disturbance in the 1600 block of Tennessee Street. Investigators confirmed a person in the home — later identified as Judy Domina, the man’s grandmother and legal guardian — called to request police assistance for a family member who was experiencing a mental health crisis and was damaging the home.

Judy Domina told the dispatcher Alex Domina recently came to live with her after being institutionalized for years.

Really dusty in here now. Oh, and.... Loveland police dept. If they were honest they'd quickly remove "Serve and Protect" from all their vehicles.

[RVInit]

As long as the penalty for this kind of behavior involves a city having to pay a relatively small portion of it's budget as a fine, and only in the most egregious of cases does an officer lose his/her job, this is going to continue to happen. We hear all the time about one of these jackasses that gets caught behaving in some manner so atrocious it actually gets media attention and find out that he/she (usually he, let's be honest) left one police department only to show up as a decorated officer at the one he's currently using to continue abusing the public.

We need a sea change in how police officers are selected. I have never held a job where I had to interact with the public on a regular basis and I have been subjected to psychological testing prior to being hired at least once. These men are simply abusive personalities, who enjoy the special privileges that wearing a badge and a gun on their hip afford them. It gives them pleasure to be able to lord over others and get paid for it. It would be easy with psychological testing to weed these fuckers out before they ever get anywhere near the point where a uniform in their size is being ordered.

[sugar magnolia]

As long as the penalty for this kind of behavior involves a city having to pay a relatively small portion of it's budget as a fine, and only in the most egregious of cases does an officer lose his/her job, this is going to continue to happen. We hear all the time about one of these jackasses that gets caught behaving in some manner so atrocious it actually gets media attention and find out that he/she (usually he, let's be honest) left one police department only to show up as a decorated officer at the one he's currently using to continue abusing the public.

We need a sea change in how police officers are selected. I have never held a job where I had to interact with the public on a regular basis and I have been subjected to psychological testing prior to being hired at least once. These men are simply abusive personalities, who enjoy the special privileges that wearing a badge and a gun on their hip afford them. It gives them pleasure to be able to lord over others and get paid for it. It would be easy with psychological testing to weed these fuckers out before they ever get anywhere near the point where a uniform in their size is being ordered.

Most every dept in the country requires the MMPI-2-RF as part of the initial screening of applicants, along with the background check, physical agility evaluation and drug testing before they are ever hired or sent to the academy.

[Maybenaut]

And yet.

[RVInit]

Perhaps they need to evaluate their psych testing as either it is insufficient to identify people with certain personality traits, or they are choosing to ignore the fact that they are bringing in people with these traits. Or they are misidentifying which traits make for a good public servant (not in any way intended as an insult to people who do this kind of work) and which make for a poor public servant. I hate that word used in this sense, but right now not coming up with something different. At any rate, something needs to change in a big way. One of best things the Obama administration did was to start down that path, but of course, it was demolished by the turd that was elected in 2016.

[raison de arizona]

As long as the penalty for this kind of behavior involves a city having to pay a relatively small portion of it's budget as a fine, and only in the most egregious of cases does an officer lose his/her job, this is going to continue to happen. We hear all the time about one of these jackasses that gets caught behaving in some manner so atrocious it actually gets media attention and find out that he/she (usually he, let's be honest) left one police department only to show up as a decorated officer at the one he's currently using to continue abusing the public.

We need a sea change in how police officers are selected. I have never held a job where I had to interact with the public on a regular basis and I have been subjected to psychological testing prior to being hired at least once. These men are simply abusive personalities, who enjoy the special privileges that wearing a badge and a gun on their hip afford them. It gives them pleasure to be able to lord over others and get paid for it. It would be easy with psychological testing to weed these fuckers out before they ever get anywhere near the point where a uniform in their size is being ordered.

Most every dept in the country requires the MMPI-2-RF as part of the initial screening of applicants, along with the background check, physical agility evaluation and drug testing before they are ever hired or sent to the academy.

The ex-wife flunked out on a psych exam for a meter maid job with the NYPD. She passed everything else. FWIW. There are an awful lot of bad apples in the NYPD that were able to get past it somehow though.

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[Patagoniagirl]

Perhaps they need to evaluate their psych testing as either it is insufficient to identify people with certain personality traits, or they are choosing to ignore the fact that they are bringing in people with these traits. Or they are misidentifying which traits make for a good public servant (not in any way intended as an insult to people who do this kind of work) and which make for a poor public servant. I hate that word used in this sense, but right now not coming up with something different. At any rate, something needs to change in a big way. One of best things the Obama administration did was to start down that path, but of course, it was demolished by the turd that was elected in 2016.

And then there is that inexcusable mind-set in law enforcement organizations that refuses to acknowledge and root out these criminals with weapons and badges. The silence is not only deadly, but harmful to good cops.

[humblescribe]

I would guess that finding police officers is difficult. I would further guess that finding good, dedicated, and responsible police officers is even more difficult. Cops run towards danger when everyone else runs away. The unions have gained more power over officer retention as the cities, counties, and states cannot afford to keep increasing wages and benefits with each contract.

I wonder if many of the better officers leave after 5-10 years because they see what really happens inside the departments, and decide to seek employment in the private sector. I would have made a lousy police officer for many reasons. But if I had the cojones to become one, and I was good, and I saw how the sausage was made, I would have probably sought greener pastures elsewhere.

Then there is omerta. I would hazard a further guess that this code of silence is explained early in an officer's career. To get along, you go along.

[RTH10260]

This is from the press conference this morning.

'This is justice for my mom': Karen Garner's family, attorney explain settlement with City of Loveland

This YT channel comments on the arrest with police cam included

[Lani]

When I was the civil rights attorney in my county, the police would show up at my house claiming my son had called them for help. However, he was either at the beach with neighbors or in Australia with his dad. Bad cops - I know them.

[RTH10260]

[raison de arizona]

I hate cops that pull down men's pants and tase them in the balls. I hope they arrest him and take away his pension. Pretty pathetic that he was given a pass initially, it would be nice if there were a statute the people that turned a blind eye to it could be charged under as well.

[LM K]

Perhaps they need to evaluate their psych testing as either it is insufficient to identify people with certain personality traits, or they are choosing to ignore the fact that they are bringing in people with these traits. Or they are misidentifying which traits make for a good public servant (not in any way intended as an insult to people who do this kind of work) and which make for a poor public servant. I hate that word used in this sense, but right now not coming up with something different. At any rate, something needs to change in a big way. One of best things the Obama administration did was to start down that path, but of course, it was demolished by the turd that was elected in 2016.

I found an interesting journal article about the use of the MMPI-II-RF and police hiring. The article is a summary of research.

Fit to wear the badge? Assessing police candidate suitability with the MMPI-2-RF and CPI during preemployment screenings

Psychometric testing is a helpful pre-employment tool. But in pre-employment testing, you're not looking at diagnoses. You're looking at specific traits and how those traits predict positive or negative outcomes.

Until recently, a lot of police misconduct went undetected. Video cameras have changed everything. Police misconduct is now more difficult to keep secret. Will that affect future research regarding psychometric testing and predicted performance? Absolutely. Predicted outcomes rely on accurate performance data. Performance data was easily manipulated because officers were given the benefit of the doubt. Officers acting in bad faith used to be able to manipulate incident reports.

Video recordings are giving much more accurate info with which to assess predicted outcomes. It will be interesting to see how MMPI-II-RF scores and predicted outcomes change over the next decade.

I hope this makes sense. I'm loopy on migraine meds.

[raison de arizona]

I hope this makes sense. I'm loopy on migraine meds.

Off Topic

What do you use? I'm on Ubrelvy now and have had good results.

In other news... This one is particularly offensive due to how they used her toddler.

Philadelphia to pay $2M to Black woman beaten by officers, separated from toddler during unrest
Officers smashed Rickia Young's windows with batons when she unknowingly drove into a protest. The union later claimed on social media that officers rescued her "lost" toddler.

The city of Philadelphia will pay $2 million to a Black woman who was pulled from a car, beaten by officers and had her toddler used for social media fodder by the police union, officials said.

Nursing aide Rickia Young was headed home in the early morning hours of Oct. 27, 2020, when she unknowingly drove into a large protest over the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr.

She tried to make a three-point turn to get away from the tense scene when officers smashed out her windows with their batons, according to her attorneys.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called the treatment of Young "absolutely appalling" and "inexcusable."

"This terrible incident, which should have never happened to anyone, only further strained the relationship between the" police and community, Kenney said in a statement.

"The officers’ inexcusable actions that evening prompted an immediate and thorough investigation of the incident and for personnel to be disciplined and held accountable for their egregious conduct. I hope that the settlement and investigations into the officers’ actions bring some measure of closure to Ms. Young and her family."

Young was handcuffed and separated from her teenage nephew and 2-year-old son for several hours, and no one was ever charged or cited, according to the woman's lawyer. The hearing-impaired toddler lost his hearing aids during the tussle.

The Fraternal Order of Police, the nation's largest police labor union, posted a Facebook picture two days later showing Young's toddler in the arms of a Philadelphia police officer just after the incident.

"This child was lost during the violent riots in Philadelphia, wandering around barefoot in an area that was experiencing complete lawlessness," the union said on Facebook. "The only thing this Philadelphia Police Officer cared about in that moment was protecting this child."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ph ... g-n1279134

[Volkonski]

[p0rtia]

File charges (for him and the others) or drown in your own shit, DOJ.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

File charges (for him and the others) or drown in your own shit, DOJ.

NOW!!!!!!!

[Dave from down under]

Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor's murder verdict reversed over Justine Damond Ruszczyk's death

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2021-09- ... /100465680

The Minnesota Supreme Court has reversed the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an Australian woman in 2017, saying the charge doesn't fit the circumstances in the case.

Key points:

In 2019 former police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced to 12 and a half years for murder but not sentenced for manslaughter
The ruling means his murder conviction is overturned and the case will now go back to the district court, where he will be sentenced on the manslaughter count
Noor's appeal was closely watched for its possible impact on three other former Minneapolis officers awaiting trial in George Floyd's death

[fierceredpanda]

File charges (for him and the others) or drown in your own shit, DOJ.

Charges for what? I'm serious. Being incompetent is not a crime. You can't throw "mandatory reporter" around, because he is law enforcement conducting an investigation. Reports were made to him, and he failed miserably at his job. I don't see a criminal prosecution arising from that. Was it deeply and unequivocally shitty? Absolutely. A crime? Not so sure. On that basis, you could call for prosecutors to be prosecuted for exercising prosecutorial discretion.

[raison de arizona]

File charges (for him and the others) or drown in your own shit, DOJ.

Charges for what? I'm serious. Being incompetent is not a crime. You can't throw "mandatory reporter" around, because he is law enforcement conducting an investigation. Reports were made to him, and he failed miserably at his job. I don't see a criminal prosecution arising from that. Was it deeply and unequivocally shitty? Absolutely. A crime? Not so sure. On that basis, you could call for prosecutors to be prosecuted for exercising prosecutorial discretion.

IANAL, but I did read this:

The OIG also found that the FBI “failed to formally document a July 28, 2015 meeting with USA Gymnastics during which the FBI first received the allegations against Nassar; failed to properly handle and document receipt and review of relevant evidence, i.e., a thumb drive provided by USA Gymnastics President Stephen D. Penny, Jr.; failed to document until February 2017 an interview of a gymnast that was conducted on September 2, 2015, during which the gymnast alleged sexual assault by Nassar; and failed to transfer the Nassar allegations to the FBI Lansing Resident Agency, where the venue most likely would have existed for potential federal crimes.”

The OIG report also revealed that Langeman did not write a formal report of his 2015 interview of Olympic champion McKayla Maroney, who was repeatedly assaulted by Nassar, until nearly a year and a half later. Maroney and her attorney, John Manly, said that they disputed the accuracy and veracity of the report.

“It’s not only that the FBI failed to do its job, systematically, and repeatedly, it is also the cover of the cover-up that occurred afterward,” Blumenthal said.

“This failure was systematic. This investigation was mishandled from coast to coast, from Indianapolis to Los Angeles,”

The Olympians and senators also expressed outrage that Justice Department officials turned down an invitation to attend the hearing.

“What’s even more upsetting to me is that we know that these FBI agents have committed an obvious crime,” Maroney said referring to the FBI not following up on her three-hour telephone interview with Langeman. “They falsified my statement, and that is illegal in itself. Yet no recourse has been taken against them. The Department of Justice refused to prosecute these individuals. Why? Deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco couldn’t bring herself to be here today. It’s the Department of Justice’s job to hold them accountable.

“These individuals clearly violated policies and were negligent in executing their duties, and in doing so, more girls were abused by Larry Nassar for over a year. To not indict these agents is a disservice to me and my teammates, a disservice to the system which is built to protect all of us from abuse.”

https://www.ocregister.com/2021/09/15/o ... ssar-case/

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Fed ... 485067.php

Feds charge DC cop with murder in police pursuit death

An officer in the nation’s capital has been indicted on a murder charge for his role in a fatal vehicle accident during a police chase that sparked two days of protests and clashes.

Federal prosecutors announced Friday that Terrence Sutton, 37, was indicted on second-degree murder, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in connection with the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who died after a pursuit in Washington, D.C. in October 2020.

Hylton died after his moped crashed into a car while he was being pursued by Sutton and other police officers.

City police regulations forbid high-speed pursuits over minor traffic violations. Police have said officers tried to stop Hylton because he was riding his moped on the sidewalk without a helmet.