COPS behaving badly

[RTH10260]

Speeding tickets with devices that for 15 years have not been correctly certified

[RTH10260]

filmed by a civil rights activist

[neonzx]

That should work out well for his law enforcement career. Or future Fox News commentator. Or whateva'

[raison de arizona]

The link isn't very succinct. Dude jumped into the back of a white SUV that he thought was his mother's. It wasn't. Dude got out and jumped into the back of his mom's white SUV. Cops want to know what is up, grab his arm. He asks them not to, says he's had bad experiences with cops. Dude pops an anti-anxiety pill. Cop pulls the dude out of the vehicle, they struggle a little on the ground, cop shoot him dead, three to the chest. Cops let him bleed out on the ground without medical aid.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/bodycam-footage- ... pill-69166
Video:

► Show Spoiler

[Kriselda Gray]

Fuck.

[neonzx]

What did we learn a week ago? Law Enforcement as a career path is a top10 that psychopaths gravitate toward. You find this incident shocking?

[Kriselda Gray]

What did we learn a week ago? Law Enforcement as a career path is a top10 that psychopaths gravitate toward. You find this incident shocking?

I missed a lot of what's been posted in some threads lately because I've been working on getting my substack and medium sites set up and reading my books... but I didn't find it shocking. It made me ANGRY.

[RTH10260]

cop and city officials conspired...

[neonzx]

They let psychopaths into the force and then they cover each others mental problems. Not new, is it?
I dunno how to fix it without proper screening of candidates.

[humblescribe]

Like I know so much about these things....

It starts at the top. It starts with the relaxation and liberalization of theories like immunity that the courts have blown wide open in deference to law enforcement. Too many agencies are really, really large--too large in fact. It is difficult to manage and monitor a 1,000+ person police force. Then civil service laws and union pressure factor in.

Many police policies and procedures need to be public information, posted on their website and explained clearly and concisely.

Demand for cops outstrips supply in my opinion. Localities scramble around to hire marginal candidates because they need the bodies. Cops don't rat on each other for reasons that I do not quite understand. I do not think that it is too difficult to conceptualize that I work for the people, but the city pays my salary. And the city gets its money for my salary from the people.

The last thing that I'd like to add is that I think that it is a crime to file a false police report. Well, it should also be a crime for a police officer to file a false police report--perhaps a felony with immediate termination and potential for a stint behind bars. And any fellow officer complicit in said false police report is just as culpable.

Pay the police a good salary. Not some $18.00/hour rate. Pay good money; attract good candidates; incentivize their good behavior and penalize the bad with serious time off without pay or termination.

[Azastan]

cop and city officials conspired...

I have a friend in Tenino*--she is keeping one of my horses down there. I'll tell her to keep out of trouble.

*pronounced ten--nine--o.

[RTH10260]

Officers, command staff resign after south Georgia police chief arrested by GBI

WSBTV.com News Staff
Mon, February 27, 2023 at 5:53 PM GMT+1

At the heels of an investigation, several members of a police department are turning in their badges after their police chief was arrested and replaced.

According to the Clinch County Sheriff’s Office, a special city council meeting was held on Saturday to appoint the interim Homerville police chief, James Herndon.

This is after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested the former Chief of Police at the Homerville Police department.

Dearin “Mack” Drury, 40, was arrested for a Feb. 19 incident where he allegedly improperly handled evidence at the department.

The Clinch County Sheriff’s Office reported the incident to the GBI and then began investigating Drury’s alleged misconduct.

On Saturday, Homerville command staff and other police officers turned in their resignations.





https://www.yahoo.com/news/officers-com ... 09958.html

(original: WSB Cox articles)

[RTH10260]

Deputies discover Fulton murder suspect has been missing from jail for months after mistaken release

WSBTV.com News Staff
Tue, February 28, 2023 at 9:20 PM GMT+1

Clayton County police are searching for a missing murder suspect who was supposed to be returned to the Fulton County Jail.

Sheriff Levon Allen said Kaiser Ulrick Suggs was in the Clayton County jail facing aggravated assault charges in Nov. 2022 when he was released.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

According to Allen, two jail employees were responsible for Suggs’ release and have been placed on administrative leave.

Allen said jail officials discovered Tuesday that Suggs was not returned to the Fulton County jail to face murder charges, and is now at large.




https://news.yahoo.com/deputies-discove ... 19664.html

(original: WSB Cox articles)

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11 current and former East Cleveland police officers indicted after ‘appalling’ behavior caught on video, prosecutor says

By Michelle Watson, CNN
Updated 4:51 PM EST, Thu March 9, 2023

CNN — Eleven current and former East Cleveland Police Department officers indicted Wednesday participated in “appalling” behavior and face charges including assault, dereliction of duty and interfering with civil rights, authorities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, said after they released video showing several incidents.

Seven are facing charges for the first time, while four others were indicted on new charges, authorities announced Thursday.

The new indictments raise the number of former or current East Cleveland police officers that have been indicted in the last seven months to 16, said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley.

“Make no mistake, there has been a cancer growing in the East Cleveland Police Department,” O’Malley said. “We are doing our best to remove every tentacle of that cancer so that this department can rebuild and grow to put itself in a position to hire officers who enforce the law as well as follow the law.”

O’Malley showed several videos of the 11 officers participating in behavior he called “appalling.” CNN has reached out to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office for the original footage of the alleged incidents in question.

The 11 new indictments stem from incidents that occurred between February 2020 and July 2022, authorities said Wednesday.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will be issuing a release detailing the 11 incidents with additional videos,” O’Malley said.




https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/09/us/e ... index.html

[RTH10260]

Batmobile investigation now a political matter

Remember the Batmobile incident from last year where CA police with help of local TN forces raided the Batmobile shop and its owner?

We lost track after that, but then this happened:

Batmobile raid: San Mateo Co. DA drops criminal charges against Indiana garage owner

ByDan Noyes KGO logo
Tuesday, September 27, 2022

San Mateo County district attorney drops criminal charges against Fiberglass Freaks owner Mark Racop after raid involving Batmobile.

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- A major development in our Batmobile investigation, the San Mateo County District Attorney has decided to drop criminal charges against the Indiana man who builds replica Batmobiles. That Batmobile garage owner credits the ABC7 I-Team with turning the case around.

You'll recall that Sheriff Carlos Bolanos sent four investigators to raid the garage in Indiana, after receiving a call from a wealthy donor from Atherton who had ordered a Batmobile.


https://abc7news.com/batmobile-raid-cha ... /12269421/

[RTH10260]

Followed by the county wanting to know more

San Mateo County launches probe in Batmobile raid
Officials hire independent investigator
Curtis Driscoll Daily Journal staff
Aug 31, 2022 Updated Mar 14, 2023 3

San Mateo County has hired a former Alameda County Superior Court judge to conduct an independent investigation into the handling of the raid of an Indiana specialty car shop by San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies involving a custom Batmobile.

The county has hired Winifred Smith, who spent 21 years as a judge and 26 years as deputy attorney general in California. Don Horsley, president of the Board of Supervisors said the county picked someone who had no connection to the board or the Sheriff’s Office to avoid conflicts of interest and to reassure residents.

“This is not a criminal case,” Horsley said. “It’s just a question of was this best judgment.”

The investigation will look at the decision-making of the Sheriff’s Office for the raid under scrutiny because of allegations Sheriff Carlos Bolanos had deputies conduct the July 19 raid of Fiberglass Freaks as a favor to a friend. The issue stems from an alleged contract payment dispute between Fiberglass Freaks owner Mark Racop and Bay Area real estate broker Sam Anagnostou over the purchase of a Batmobile. Anagnostou ordered a car from Racop. The disagreements over the delivery timeline and contract details led to Anagnostou filing a police report with the Atherton Police Department and a civil suit in San Mateo County Superior Court that was eventually dismissed. However, sheriff’s deputies raided Racop’s shop in Logansport, Indiana, on July 19, with the DA’s Office charging Racop with fraud and misuse of construction funds, both felonies. The allegations and circumstances led to the county announcing earlier in the month it would launch an independent investigation. The Board of Supervisors has also asked the state attorney to investigate the issue.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/loc ... 43bf1.html

[RTH10260]

Of course the Sheriff was not happy ....

Sheriff’s attorney calls for end to Batmobile investigation

Published on September 8, 2022 in Community Staff

An attorney representing San Mateo County Sheriff Carlos Bolanos is demanding that the County halt its investigation into the Sheriff’s decision to pursue the so-called Batmobile replica case in Indiana.

The case was first brought to light by the ABC7 I-Team, which reported that Atherton realtor Sam Anagnostou, a Bolanos friend and campaign donor, had asked the Sheriff to help him retrieve the $210,000 Batmobile replica he ordered. The case led to four members of the Sheriff’s Vehicle Theft Task Force (VTTF) serving search and arrest warrants at a garage in Casa County, Indiana.

On Aug. 30, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted to hire an independent investigator to look into Bolanos’ decision to the purse the case. Board President Dan Horsley said the probe is “not a criminal case,” according to the Daily Journal.

“It’s just a question of was this best judgment,” Horsley said.

Sheriff Bolanos accuses ABC7 of spinning the facts, saying the Batmobile probe was launched not due to his friendship with Anagnostou, but because “I believed that it was likely that one of our residents was a victim of a felony crime.”


https://climaterwc.com/2022/09/08/sheri ... stigation/

[RTH10260]

The report has now been released ...

Batmobile raid controversy: Independent investigation released by San Mateo County

4 days ago

Holy final chapter, Batman! The Batmobile saga wraps up with an independent investigation by a retired judge that comes to a stunning conclusion. The raid by San Mateo County Sheriff's investigators at an Indiana garage that builds "Batmobiles" should never have happened at all. This was a confidential report. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors had to vote to make it public on Tuesday, and I-Team reporter Dan Noyes was there to see it come down.

The San Mateo County Attorney seemed to downplay the findings of the independent investigation performed by retired Alameda Superior Court Judge Winifred Smith.

San Mateo County Sheriff's Office spent at least $10,000 on Indiana Batmobile garage raid; allegedly as favor for friend of Sheriff Carlos Bolanos.


https://www.newsbreak.com/san-mateo-cou ... teo-county

with a video source:

[RTH10260]

Steve Letho who was following the story early on takes a look at the report details (long)

[RTH10260]

The Men in Blue - your helpers

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[Dave from down under]

From the other side of the pond

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-22/ ... /102127200

London's Metropolitan Police is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic and unable to police itself, according to an independent review, adding pressure on the Met's new chief to reform Britain's biggest police force.

Key points:
The review was commissioned after an officer was sentenced for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021
The report says widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism was found
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says trust in the police had been "hugely damaged"

The review was commissioned after a serving officer was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, a case that shocked the country and put a spotlight on the force's broader work culture.

"This report is rigorous, stark and unsparing" Louise Casey, who led the review, said in its foreword.

"Its findings are tough and for many will be difficult to take. But it should leave no one in any doubt about the scale of the challenge."

The findings come more than two decades after a 1999 inquiry into the murder of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence identified institutional racism within the force.

PM says force is 'hugely damaged'
Finding that policing by consent was broken in the capital, the review said the biggest barrier to fixing the force was the Met's culture of defensiveness and denial about the scale of its problems.

Met Commissioner Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior police officer, told reporters: "We've let Londoners down and we've let our own frontline down and this report paints that vividly … I'm deeply sorry."

"It (the report) generates a whole series of emotions: anger, frustration, embarrassment … but most of all, it generates resolve," he added. He said the force's professional standards department had been "stepped up," and that with their help "we are sacking officers at a faster rate".

Ms Casey, a member of parliament's upper house, found severe failings across the Met that required "radical" reform.

"We have found widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism, and other unacceptable behaviours," the report said.

"Women and children do not get the protection and support they deserve".

The findings come more than two decades after a 1999 inquiry into the murder of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence identified institutional racism within the force.

PM says force is 'hugely damaged'
Finding that policing by consent was broken in the capital, the review said the biggest barrier to fixing the force was the Met's culture of defensiveness and denial about the scale of its problems.

Met Commissioner Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior police officer, told reporters: "We've let Londoners down and we've let our own frontline down and this report paints that vividly … I'm deeply sorry."

"It (the report) generates a whole series of emotions: anger, frustration, embarrassment … but most of all, it generates resolve," he added. He said the force's professional standards department had been "stepped up," and that with their help "we are sacking officers at a faster rate".

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said trust in the police had been "hugely damaged".

"What we need to do is now make sure that that won't be repeated, that we can regain people's trust and I know that the police commissioner is committed to doing that," he told BBC television.

The 360-page report said the force needed strong leadership, a women's protection service, and a new children's strategy, among other recommendations for reform.

"It's incredibly important we use this opportunity, one of the darkest days in the history of the Met police service, to ensure there is nobody who is in denial," Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told BBC Radio

[RTH10260]

North Hampton Chief Leaves After Investigation Into Questionable Arrest

Posted to Politics March 12, 2023
by Damien Fisher

Busted for drinking a few beers and watching a ball game in your own house?

It happened to 67-year-old Colleen Loud in North Hampton, N.H. She went from her living room sofa to the Rockingham County lock up at the hands of local police. Her arrest sparked an investigation into the policies of the small community’s police department.

Soon after that investigation, Chief Kathryn Mone suddenly announced her retirement.

Mone, once a rising star in state law enforcement circles, hasn’t given her reasons for leaving the department she took over in 2018, nor for ending her law enforcement career.

“I can’t comment on anything,” Mone said when reached over the weekend.

The circumstances surrounding Loud being taken into custody are difficult to believe. They were confirmed by arrest records and investigation documents obtained by NHJournal. That investigation revealed a culture within Mone’s department that favored police action over careful evaluation, critics say.

“(Mone) would rather get sued for taking action than not,” a police officer told investigators with Municipal Resources Inc. (MRI)

The story began last October 17, when a driver crashed her car into a bush on Loud’s Granite Drive property. The driver had apparently suffered a medical problem while behind the wheel, according to reports. Loud was unaware of the accident.

Police then told her about the accident and asked if she had witnessed it. She hadn’t. While Officer Matthew McCue did not notice anything unusual about Loud, Sgt. Asa Johnson told McCue he smelled alcohol and thought she might have been drinking.

“(McCue) said he did not observe any sign of impairment at that point. He explained that (Loud) seemed steady on her feet and he could not observe any odor (of alcohol) at that time,” MRI’s report states. Johnson, who was the lead officer, wanted to investigate further.

“Does she need to be p.c.’d?” Johnson reportedly asked McCue. (P.C. is short for a protective custody arrest.)

Officers returned to Loud’s home to further question her. They noticed the unclean condition of the home. Loud later told officers she had not cleaned in 10 years, according to the police report.

Asked if she had been drinking, Loud said she stopped off after work and drank a few beers before coming home to watch baseball. She said she might have had some hard lemonade at home. She was reluctant to submit to a Breathalyzer test in her own home. Facing an ultimatum from Johnson, she agreed.

The test registered a blood alcohol percentage (BAC) of .086 percent. While that is above the .08 percent legal limit for driving, New Hampshire doesn’t have a legal limit for alcohol consumption while in your own home watching a baseball game.

Based on the BAC test, however, Johnson took Loud into custody.

After the arrest — and without a warrant — the officers went through her home taking photos of the mess. Loud was handcuffed, placed into the back of a cruiser, and transported to the Rockingham County House of Corrections.

According to McCue, Johnson said if the test showed she was not capable of driving, they would take her into custody. McCue conceded to MRI investigators that Johnson’s reasoning did not make sense.

Johnson, the lead officer on the case, told investigators Mone initially praised his decision to make an arrest. Days later, however, she told him she disagreed with some of the things he did but said she could not discuss it.



https://nhjournal.com/north-hampton-chi ... le-arrest/

same as narrated by Steve Letho

► Show Spoiler

[Jim]

IANAL question: Should cops have an expectation of privacy when they enter another person's home?

Rap artist Afroman sued by officers who raided his home

Seven law enforcement officers have sued rap artist Afroman, accusing him of improperly using footage from a police raid on his Ohio home last year in his music videos.

Four deputies, two sergeants and a detective with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office brought the suit earlier this month, claiming invasion of privacy. Other law enforcement officers who were involved in the raid are not named as plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs say the rapper, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, took footage of their faces obtained during the August 2022 raid and used it in music videos and social media posts without their consent. They say that has caused them “emotional distress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation and humiliation.”

Law enforcement officers were acting on a warrant that stated probable cause existed that drugs and drug paraphernalia would be found on Foreman’s property and that trafficking and kidnapping had taken place there, authorities have said. Those suspicions turned out to be unfounded, though, and the raid failed to turn up probative criminal evidence. No charges were ever filed.

When cash seized during the raid was returned to Foreman, it appeared that hundreds of dollars were missing. A subsequent review by the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that deputies had miscounted the amount seized during the raid itself.

[RTH10260]

IANAL question: Should cops have an expectation of privacy when they enter another person's home?

Rap artist Afroman sued by officers who raided his home

NO! Police have no expectation of privacy while performing their duty. There is a SCOTUS decision that police can freely be filmed, videotaped etc while on their job. That includes of course the special case where the home owner records on their very own property. Apart that police body cams are public record and can be obtained by FOIA request and freely diseminated. Body cams would by chance show faces of other members of the police in action.

ps. my posting in the lawsuits thread at viewtopic.php?p=182173#p182173
has the video