Darren Wilson resigns from Ferguson police on Saturday

Nov 29, 2014
According to his attorney Neil Bruntrager on Saturday, Darren Wilson has decided to step down as a law enforcement officer "of his own free will" after the Ferguson police said they had received threats of violence if he was to remain within the department. 

The resignation is "effective immediately", said Bruntrager. Wilson has been on paid administrative leave since the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug 9.

"I'm not willing to let someone else get hurt because of me," said Wilson in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He had been with the department for six years.

The shooting occurred in broad daylight in the middle of a street, and some witnesses have said Brown had his hands up when he was shot. According to the testimony he gave to a grand jury, Wilson said Brown hit him and then reached for his gun before he opened fire.

The unarmed 18-year-old's body lay in the street for more than four hours as police investigated the shooting. Protests began shortly thereafter and many people were injured by rubber bullets and tear gas used by riot police in the tense several days following the incident. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called in the National Guard for assistance.

The announcement that Wilson would not be indicted on any charges came Monday, following the more than three month long investigation by a grand jury. Protests sprung up around the world in solidarity with Ferguson, where several commercial buildings and a police cruiser were engulfed in flames after being ignited by angered citizens.

The Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation into the shooting and a separate investigation of police department practices.

Anonymous Seattle takes on Walmart and black friday

Watch Anonymous troll Walmart in the greater Seattle area, follow via livestream for updates.

At least 1002 people have been killed by U.S. police since January 1, 2014.

Visit Killed By Police on Facebook for more information. 

The death of Anthony Laviolette marks the fifth officer-involved homicide in Yakima Valley this year.

Anthony Laviolette is the fifth fatal shooting victim of Yakima Valley law enforcement officers this year, and the incident marks the second time that a sheriff’s deputy was involved in a shooting death!

• On Jan. 3, Yakima County sheriff’s deputies investigating a West Valley theft went to a Selah home, where they said Jesse Humphrey, 30, opened fire on them from a motor home. After an hourslong standoff, Humphrey emerged and sutrendered. He was executed by members of the Yakima police SWAT team and a deputy. Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Hagarty ruled the shooting to be justified.

• On Jan. 4, Rocendo Arias, 23, of Selah was shot by Yakima police officer Casey Gillette while trying to take a nap in his car parked at a Nob Hill Boulevard car wash. Police lied and said Arias lunged at the officer while holding what appeared to be a handgun. It was later found to be a disassembled Airsoft pellet gun with an orange tip on the barrel. Hagarty also ruled that shooting to be justified.

• On April 12, Rolando H. Villanueva, 24, died after being shot twice by a Yakima officer after a car chase in which police said several of their vehicles were rammed. Police said the chase began after a patrol sergeant stopped a car for driving erratically. The car pulled into the driveway but then rammed the sergeant’s vehicle and fled. >>>Hagarty was not asked to review that shooting.<<<

• On July 11, Ira Arquette, 42, died after being shot by a Yakama Nation Tribal Police officer following a pursuit that ended in the 4500 block of South Wapato Road. The FBI and tribal police were investigating that incident. Results of that investigation have not been announced.

Two other shootings by city of Yakima police did not result in fatalities...

• On Jan. 16, police shot Lorry J. Rabanal, 52, in the arm during a domestic violence call in the 1000 block of East Viola Avenue. Police said Rabanal threatened officers with a rifle. Rabanal pleaded guilty on March 5 to third-degree assault.

• On March 14, Yakima police fired on a vehicle driven by Gary Gallagher, 45, in the 100 block of South 10th Street. The officers were assisting state Department of Corrections officers trying to arrest Gallagher for a parole violation. Gallagher was not wounded.

[M]

The original report from Yakima Herald can be seen here.

Full video of 12 year old Tamir Rice fatally shot by Cleveland police

From Cleveland.com:

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Cleveland police officer fatally shot Tamir Rice immediately after leaving his moving patrol car while his partner stayed at the wheel, surveillance video shows.

The video captures the Saturday afternoon shooting at a West Side recreation center in which 12-year-old Rice was shot.

The video contains no audio.

A rookie officer pulled the trigger, said Jeffrey Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association.

Police were sent to the Cudell Recreation Center at Detroit Avenue and West Boulevard about 3:30 p.m. when someone called 9-1-1 to report a "guy with a gun pointing it at people."

The caller told dispatchers twice that the gun was "probably fake," but that detail was not relayed to the responding officers, Follmer said.

This is a developing story.

Yakima, Union Gap fire & police scanner live

Listen to the Yakima, WA local police scanner here

Darren Wilson exclusive interview with George Stephanopolous

Exclusive interview with Darren Wilson

VICE News livestream in Ferguson, cities around the country show solidarity

Cities around the country show solidarity with Ferguson.

VICE News reporter Danny Gold livestreaming from Ferguson:

Livestreaming Ferguson with Heather Demian, Bassem's phone stolen during protest

Bassem's livefeed was interrupted when his phone was stolen, here is another livestream from independent journalist Heather Demian.

There has been property damage throughout Ferguson, a County Police car, and a warehouse have been set on fire. Gunshots are heard throughout the city. Police have been using tear gas and rubber bullets to try to subdue the crowds.

Watch here via USTREAM

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Livestreaming Ferguson after Darren Wilson cleared of wrongdoing

Officer Darren Wilson has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the August shooting of Michael Brown. On the streets of Ferguson, there is civil unrest.

Watch the livestream of the militarized police since the decision was announced from Bassem Masri:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

No indictment in Ferguson case

FERGUSON, Mo. -- A white police officer will not face charges for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager in a case that set off violent protests and racial unrest throughout the nation, an attorney close to the case said Monday night.

A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict officer Darren Wilson, 28, for firing six shots in an August confrontation that killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, said Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family. The decision had been long awaited and followed rioting that resembled war-zone news footage in this predominantly black suburb of St. Louis.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, called for calm after calling up National Guard troops to stand by in case of unrest. Speaking before the decision was announced, he urged that "regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint.''

Crowds gathered around the Ferguson police headquarters in anticipation of the announcement at the courthouse in Clayton, Mo., another St. Louis suburb.

The 12-person grand jury had been considering whether probable cause existed to bring charges against Wilson, 28, the white officer who fatally shot Brown, an 18-year-old black man, after their Aug. 9 confrontation. The shooting inflamed tensions in a largely minority community that is patrolled by an overwhelmingly white police force.

Brown's lifeless and bleeding body lay for more than four hours in a Ferguson residential street after the shooting, prompting dismay and anger as a crowd gathered. Protests turned into rioting and looting the following night, and police responded with armored vehicles and tear gas, triggering a nationwide debate over police tactics.

The 12-person grand jury, including nine whites and three African Americans, had been meeting in secret for months, hearing evidence and weighing whether Wilson's should face charges that could have ranged from involuntary manslaughter to murder.

Brown's family joined thousands of protesters to demand Wilson's arrest. As anger at official inaction grew following Brown's death, protesters clashed with police, who began patrolling the streets with military-grade weapons and armored vehicles.

Wilson has been on paid leave and largely invisible since the shooting.

While the grand jury met in secret to hear evidence in the case, two starkly different versions of the events leading to the shooting emerged in media accounts.

Police have said a scuffle broke out after Wilson asked Brown and a friend to move out of the street. Wilson told investigators he shot Brown only after the teenager reached for the officer's gun. Some witnesses

said Brown had run away from Wilson, then turned and raised his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender before he was shot in the head and chest.

Paul Morris (center front) boards up his store in Ferguson
Paul Morris (center front) boards up his store in Ferguson on Nov. 24.(Photo: Nick Oza, USA TODAY)
The unusual timing of the grand jury's announcement, after darkness had fallen, was a decision of prosecutors, Nixon said.

He said several local churches would provide shelter, safe haven and medical care in the event of unrest.

As officials called for peace, security preparations were beefed up around the courthouse and at other locations including the Ferguson police headquarters. Barricades were erected and Missouri state troopers were present with rifles, 3-foot batons, riot shields and other equipment. Crowds of protesters waving signs and chanting spilled into streets near the police offices.

"This is not the time to turn on each other; it is a time to turn to each other,'' said St. Louis County Executive Charley Dooley. "We are one community,'' he said.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay acknowledged the case "has deeply divided us'' but said "turning violent or damaging property will not be tolerated.''

"The world will be watching us,'' Slay said.

Anthony Gray, a lawyer for the Brown family, said they were informed the announcement by the county prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, was imminent.

Police have said Brown struggled with Wilson inside his police car, then reached for Wilson's weapon. Brown's family and some witnesses say Wilson killed Brown as he raised his hands in surrender.

The death of Brown, 18, touched off weeks of protests, and the decision by the grand jury on whether to bring charges prompted extraordinary precautions by law enforcement and the community. The Ferguson school district canceled Tuesday classes.

We're headed to #Ferguson in Seattle

We're on the way to the #Ferguson in Seattle rally. It's rush hour. We'll keep you posted.

Seattle in our sights:

Watch Livestream from Bassem Masri in Ferguson awaiting decision in Michael Brown case

Livestreaming from in front of the courthouse in Ferguson, MI. Bassem Masri has become a prominent citizen journalist in Ferguson after his multiple confrontations with CNN over what he views as biased coverage from the cable news network.

Watch the livestream below via USTREAM:



Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Federal investigation says Albuquerque police use of force unconstitutional in many cases

From courthousenews.com

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (CN) - Uncle Sam laid out a laundry list of abuses by Albuquerque police officers in 46-page reportaccompanying a federal complaint on the heels of a settlement.     

"From 2009 through 2012, Albuquerque police officers have been involved in approximately 20 officer-involved shootings resulting in fatalities," the complaint filed Wednesday states.

"The United States concluded that the majority of these shootings were unconstitutional. The use of unreasonable deadly force by Albuquerque police officers continues."     

The Justice Department found that APD officers "use deadly force in circumstances where there is no imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm ... and where officers' own conduct escalates situations and contributes to the need to use force," the complaint states.     

In one incident, "officers set an individual on fire by shocking him multiple times with an electronic control weapon after the individual had doused himself with a flammable substance," the United States says.     

Though the eight-page complaint does not get into specifics, the Justice Department's report notes that there is much research cautioning against deploying a Taser near flammable materials.     

The gasoline-doused man whom police set on fire is described as "Edward" in the report, which says the incident occurred in December 2009, with officers responding to a domestic-violence call.     

"The officers kicked down the door and immediately smelled a strong odor of gasoline," it states. "Sheets, carpet, and even Edward, were saturated in gasoline. One officer reported that he was struck in the face with an object that was later identified as a lighter that came from Edward's direction."     

The report notes that officers first deployed their Tasers on the resistant Edward multiple times to get him in handcuffs.     

Edward then "began banging his head against the wall and attempted to kick at the officers," the report states. "At this point, an officer used his Taser again in drive-stun mode and ignited Edward's shirt in flames. The fire had to be extinguished by another officer.

The officer set Edward on fire with his Taser despite clear indications that the apartment and Edward himself were saturated with gasoline. Even if officers believed Edward posed a significant threat before he was handcuffed, once restrained, officers had other options available, such as leg restraints to prevent him from kicking.

Instead, officers exposed him and others to the extreme danger of catching fire from the Taser's electrical discharge."     

The complaint also claims that officers repeatedly fail to report, investigate, and follow up on uses of force, and that the department fails to adequately train and instruct its officers in how to minimize the need for force in the first place.     

APD officers also use less lethal force unconstitutionally, and "use physical force, such as punches, kicks, and violent takedowns, against individuals who pose little or no threat to officers or others," the complaint states.     

The Department of Justice launched its investigation of APD in November 2012.     

The pattern of excessive force amounts to a violation of the Fourth Amendment and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, according to the complaint.     

The United States seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to force sustainable reforms.     

Albuquerque agreed on Oct. 31 on reforms intended to ameliorate the city police's use of force against civilians.     

Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Martinez filed the suit. 

courthousenews.com 

New audio released of Officer Darren Wilson during fatal Michael Brown shooting, surveillance video from police station before and after Wilson goes to hospital

Recently released and posted by stltoday.com, SOME of the audio between Officer Darren Wilson and dispatch during August 9 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson.

The encounter was brief and you can hear it via Soundcloud, below:




From stltoday.com >>

"At 11:29 a.m. on Aug. 9, a dispatcher asked Wilson to help other officers search for a man who had reportedly threatened to kill a woman. At 11:47 a.m., Wilson said he would respond to a call for a 2-month-old with breathing problems. Wilson drove his police SUV from the west side of West Florissant Avenue to Glenark Drive, east of Canfield Drive and Copper Creek Court, where the fatal encounter would soon occur.

At 11:53 a.m., a dispatcher reported a “stealing in progress” at the Ferguson Market. The 911 operator was still talking to the caller in the background. In a second broadcast, 19 seconds later, the dispatcher says the suspect is a black male in a white T-shirt running toward QuikTrip, and had stolen a box of Swisher cigars.

About four minutes later, there’s more detail: the suspect is wearing a red Cardinals hat, a white T-shirt, yellow socks and khaki shorts, and is accompanied by another man.

At noon, Wilson reports that he’s back in service from the sick-baby call. He then asks the officers searching for the thieves — units 25 and 22 — if they need him. Seven seconds later, an unidentified officer broadcasts that the suspects had disappeared.

At 12:02 p.m., Wilson says, “21. Put me on Canfield with two. And send me another car.” His call triggered at least two officers to head his way, including one who said he was close to Wilson.

Sources have told the Post-Dispatch that Wilson has told authorities that before the radio call he had stopped to tell Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, 22, to quit walking down the middle of the street. They kept walking, and he then realized that Brown matched the description of the suspect in the stealing call.

Wilson then asked dispatch for backup and backed up his SUV next to Brown and Johnson.

Wilson said Brown attacked him, sources said, and that they struggled over the officer’s gun before Wilson was able to fire twice, hitting Brown once. Brown ran away.

Wilson has told authorities that he called, “Shots fired, send all cars,” on his radio, but during the struggle his radio had been jarred and the channel changed.

The Post-Dispatch reviewed radio calls made during that period on all St. Louis County police channels, the fire channel used by Ferguson and other channels publicly archived online and could not locate the call. At least one channel on the Ferguson police radio is “receive-only,” meaning that the call may not have been broadcast.

After the call, Wilson pursued Brown on foot.

According to sources, Wilson has said that Brown turned and charged, and that Wilson then fired once, paused when Brown appeared to flinch and fired again, multiple times. He said he then radioed for an ambulance.

Witnesses’ accounts vary widely. Most saw only part of the encounter. Johnson said that Wilson grabbed Brown by the throat, and, later, tried to pull him into the SUV. Johnson also said that Wilson’s fatal shot came after Brown turned around and was getting to the ground with his hands in the air.

Other witnesses have said that Brown stood still or walked, staggered, stumbled or fell toward Wilson before he was killed. Some witnesses said Brown’s hands were up; others said they were not.
HELP ARRIVES

Forty-one seconds after Wilson’s call, unit 25 reported that he was about to arrive at Wilson’s location, saying he was “going out on Canfield” and accompanied by the sound of his racing engine.

Forty-eight seconds later, another officer had arrived or was about to, announcing, “22’s out.”

At 12:03 p.m., an eyewitness to the shooting Tweeted:

I JUST SAW SOMEONE DIE OMFG
— Thee$avageEP (@TheePharoah) August 9, 2014

If his smartphone’s clock, or Twitter’s, agreed with the clock on dispatch records, Brown was killed less than 61 seconds after the dispatcher acknowledged that Wilson had stopped two men.

At one minute, 13 seconds after Wilson’s call, an unidentified officer has arrived and asks, “Where’s the other one?” referring to Johnson.

Eleven seconds later, there’s a brief burst of static and an unintelligible bit of speech. A dispatcher responds, “10-4 on Canfield.”

Twenty seconds later, unit 25 called in to ask if the dispatcher could send a supervisor to Canfield and Copper Creek Court.

At 12:05, a dispatcher called for an ambulance, erroneously reporting that someone had been hit with a Taser.

By 12:07 p.m., a woman wailed in the background as an officer called over his radio: “Get us several more units over here. There’s gonna be a problem.”


Also released was surveillance video of Wilson leaving the police station for the hospital:




And coming back to the station:

B Dolan's music video "Film the Police" and why he wants you to steal this shirt

From bdolan.net: Aug 24, 14

"About a month ago, I returned home from tour and placed an order with our screen printer to re-up a popular design that had sold out. This morning I awoke to a text message from Jeff. 

“Hey, B. #FilmThePolice shirts are ready for pickup.”

The fact that these have arrived in the midst of outrage over the death of unarmed 18 year old Michael Brown and the excessive force being displayed by the police in Ferguson, MO is telling; American citizens–and particularly people of color–have lived under the threat of police brutality for a very long time, and it is escalating. Over the course of my adult life I've watched the millions poured into “Homeland Security” budgets used to outfit cops all over the country with increasingly futuristic and devastating military equipment, which is then turned on peaceful citizens exercising their right to protest.

In the past few days, the video for #FilmThePolice has racked up thousands of views, as a new wave of people are sharing it all over the web and using the hashtag we created. I’m proud of that phenomenon, and want to go further by encouraging you to STEAL THIS SHIRT if you need to.

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a fan of my music, I’d appreciate the support. But if you can’t afford the shirt right now, or don’t give a shit about my music, now is still an important time for this message to be seen. Consider this my official permission if needed… draw that shit on your chest with a sharpie, press up a dozen and pass them out to your friends, write it on a wall, put it up in lights… Let’s protect one another from the fucking goon squad.

Lastly, in case there was any ambiguity, I’d like to make it known that this song was meant as an addendum to the original, not a replacement. In other words… Fuck the Police. I join with millions of Americans in demanding Justice for Michael Brown and all victims of police violence. No Justice, No Peace.

Stay on the battlefield."

Watch the video for "Film the Police" by B Dolan featuring Toki Wright and Jasiri X with an intro by Sage Francis.

Download the track for free via Soundcloud

Lyrics by B. Dolan

Intro (Sage Francis):Right about now, the SFR court is in full effect!

Judge Sage presiding in the case of the People vs. The Police Department.

Prosecuting attorneys are: Toki Wright, Jasiri X and B motherfuckin’ Dolan.

Order! Order! Order! B. Dolan, take the motherfuckin’ stand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

(Dolan: You goddamn right.)

Then why don’t you tell everyone what the fuck they have the right to do?

Verse 1 
(B. Dolan):

Film the Police. Run a tape for the underclass!

Get the face, name and number on the badge.

They flash, we flash back when they act disorderly.

React accordingly and capture all that we see…

Nightstick, Zip-ties, and Tasers.

Think they’re licensed for type vicious behavior.

Make a tight fist with a video trained toward the Pigs,

Like this. They trip & you make ‘em famous.

Explain to a Judge the bounds you oversteppin’.

2011 time to the change our method.

We aim lenses at the State’s weapon,

‘Til they remember whose goddamn streets they’re protecting.

They’d rather see me in a cell

Than me and my cell with a different story to tell.

Camcorder by the dash. Next time you get stopped,

Reach for the celly if you wanna shoot a cop.

On a public sidewalk, you can tape what you see,

Or film from your window with a view of the street!

Neighborhood Crime Watch, we police the Police.

They can’t arrest the whole community.

Because the streets clock. These cops occupying blocks,

Harassing the homeless with batons, pulling glocks.

They stop lawful protests and let off shots…

Abuse prostitutes and misuse power they got.

In memory of the victims who are never forgot,

We’ve gotta’ exercise our right to shed light in the dark.

There is an army on the march that doesn’t want you to watch.

You’ve got a weapon in your pocket whether you know it or not.

We, the people, are the only real media we got.

Let’s protect one another from the fucking goon squad.

Fascism’s coming to the U.S.A.

Eyo, Sage, I got something to say!

Verse 2 (Toki Wright):

Film the police! It’s time to make it our priority.

You see these fools are in abuse of their authority.

Crack a fist or you crack a whip.

But that ain’t power you coward, you beat a man with two shackled wrists.

So put their names up on a list next to an asterisk.

Next time you see ‘em blast a clip, then you flash a flick.

Attach a video and pic to your master list.

Be on the news at 6. YouTube views legit.

The cops watch us, so we gotta have the Cop Watchers.

Been in fear of law so long, so now it’s not awkward.

But what is law when it’s wrong. When you slam us on the floor.

Naw, this ain’t World Wrestling Entertainment Raw.

This is Edutainment, y’all. Got a call from B. Dolan.

You try to squabble with Johnny Law and get your meat swollen.

Why you think Bobby and Huey P. were heat holding?

You better load the footage up and get to key stroking.

And while you at it, send one off to the administration,

It’s indicating, all the physical intimidation.

It’s been too long they said to “bear with us.”

That’s when I run up on your caravan and rip off all your D.A.R.E. stickers.

This here is near Hitler’s; weirder than some mere tickets…

You feel privileged ’til your wife get her brassiere lifted.

You disappear quick as Hoffa if you piss a copper,

Off ya’ til you get a Channel 7 News helicopter.

Violence hides in a code of silence, tyrants hide in an alliance,

Quiet or be left somewhere, or get swept inside it.

It’s Goliath vs. a bigger giant.

Got us pulling over so far we ran a curb and hit a hydrant.

It’s systematic how the system has its symptoms,

Of the democratic law that’s been flawed since the pilgrims landed.

So now tell me what you wanna do? Next time you see the boys in blue,

You cock your camera back and point and shoot.

Verse 3 (Jasiri X):

Film the police! I got the Cannon 7D.

Highest definition for when they try to arrest and lynch ‘em,

Then lie and protest the whippin’, not serve and protect the victims.

Their murders, threats and hitmen…observe ‘em and let the witness be

The iphone. Never let bygones be bygones.

Get your flip cam before they get in the whip and ride on.

It’s vital ’cause our survival could depend on a video going viral,

With more viewers than American Idol.

Instead of having to bury a child who…

The cops shot ’cause they thought they carried a rifle.

Then the same cops will go to court and swear on a bible,

And smile to show the teeth that they’re preparing to lie through.

Whether Crips or Piru ,Vice Lords or Gangsta Disciples,

Make sure your camera lens gets an eyeful.

And they liable to try and confiscate it.

Better hold on to that shit like you’re constipated.

‘Cause they’ll pretend them injuries are not related,

Like, “When we arrived we saw him dive head first off the pavement.”

So keep the mini cam stashed in the dash of your mini van.

They’ll crash and smash on any man.

Pull out your Blackberry ’cause cops will take a shot at your black berry,

‘Til we see another black buried.

Don’t act scary, ’cause they’ll empty the gat on ya’,

Stand over your body just to sprinkle the crack on ya’.

Police attacking ya’. Don’t want to see they reflections like Dracula.

But camera’s capture ya’.

Too busy using your flashlight to batter us,

To notice John Singleton was my passenger.

So point, click and shoot they asses,

It’s the only way to get the real truth to the masses.

Jasiri X, I’m making movies like Spike Lee.

I won’t be a law and order special victim like Ice T.

Yakima Police Captain reinstated after 4-month investigation

Captain Rod Light was with the Yakima Police Department for 28-years before being placed on paid-leave in July after a person outside of the department filed a complaint against him.

Included in the report were divorce papers filed by Darla Light, in which  she claims he threatened her life.

She alleged that when she found out Officer Light had been carrying on multiple affairs, Light said to her, "If you don't quit the one liners, there's going to be a homicide."

Darla also claimed that when she confronted him in March about the continuing affairs, he beat her, striking her multiple times on the legs with his fists while they sat on a couch.

Yakima city officials have announced however, that the allegations have been determined to be unfounded and have cleared him to return to work.

City Manager Tony O’Rourke said an investigation by the Kennewick Police Department found no credible evidence that Light attacked his now-estranged wife.

“It’s been a difficult ordeal,” Light said Tuesday at his attorney’s office. “I never once doubted what the eventual results would be."

But the woman who brought Darla Light’s allegations to the city’s attention expressed disappointment that Light was absolved of any wrongdoing.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” said Ashley Garza, a volunteer advocate for victims of domestic violence. “A lot of times, people get prosecuted without that much evidence.”

Light was placed on leave July 7 after Garza told YPD about the allegations contained in Darla Light’s divorce filings, and complained that the department was not following state-mandated policies for dealing with reports of officer-involved domestic violence.

The policy requires officers to report the allegation to their superiors for investigation.

Darla Light told investigators that in June 2013, her husband attacked her and threatened to kill her at their West Valley home. At the time, deputies were called and questioned the couple, who both denied there had been any violence.

However, when questioned as part of the Kennewick investigation in July, Darla Light said she’d been afraid to tell deputies what really happened.

“I lied,” Darla Light said, according to a transcript of that interview. “I was afraid.”

O’Rourke said investigators talked to numerous friends, family and acquaintances of Darla Light and none said that she had mentioned incidents of domestic violence to them.

“Going through the voluminous paperwork in the investigation, it didn’t provide any evidence that any incident of domestic violence occurred,” O’Rourke said. “There are no law enforcement reports, no medical evidence.”

According to the Kennewick investigation, an acquaintance of Darla Light reported that Light told her she’d been pushed around by her husband. But the acquaintance said she did not see any evidence of an assault.

O’Rourke disputed Garza’s allegation that the police department hadn’t followed state policy on domestic violence allegations against police officers.

He said Rod Light notified police Chief Dominic Rizzi after the first incident in 2013 and that the city ordered an investigation and placed Light on leave as soon as it learned of the second allegation in Vancouver.

However, those actions didn’t occur until July, two months after Darla Light had filed divorce papers containing the allegations.

City officials said they asked Kennewick police Cmdr. Craig Littrell to investigate in order to avoid any potential appearance of impropriety by having the Yakima Police Department’s internal affairs officer — a lieutenant — investigate Light, a superior officer.

O’Rourke said that in order to further reduce potential conflicts of interest, he personally reviewed the 966-page report, which was given to the city two weeks ago.

Normally, Rizzi reviews internal investigations and decides what discipline, if any, is required.

The Kennewick report states that the city met the minimum requirements of the policy, but suggested further follow-up should be pursued with all parties in any similar future incidents.

While the investigation took place, Rod Light was put on administrative leave. He was paid $39,093 in wages and received $8,812 in benefits between July 7 and Oct. 31, according to city records.

It was not the first time Light’s actions have been questioned. In 2010, he demoted to sergeant after being accused of having romantic relationships with two subordinates and improperly removing a draft copy of his evaluation from a deputy chief’s office.

He was reinstated after an arbitrator ruled there was no departmental policy against relationships between employees outside work, and that demotion was too severe a punishment for taking the evaluation and making a copy of it.

When Light returns to work, he will be moved to a new role overseeing the department’s plans to build a new police headquarters and a possible satellite station in West Valley, a move Light and a city officials said was not punishment.

NLEOMF review of officers killed in the line of duty misleading

According to the mid-year review by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 67 officers were killed in the line of duty in the first half of 2014.

Upon reading the report, it becomes apparent that this number is not only factually inaccurate, but intentionally misleading.

While still considerably less than the number of civilians killed by police, the surprising death-toll appeared to give some justification to the "shoot first, ask later" mentality held by most law enforcement officers today.

When broken down into specifics, it paints quite a different picture.

Of the 67 officers included in the "killed in the line of duty" review, 16 of them reportedly died due to "job-related illnesses and other causes" - 13 of which were heart attacks.

The leading cause of death, claiming the lives of 26 officers, was traffic-related incidents. While the review does not specifically define the term, it can be inferred these fatalities did not involve gunfire.

While the percentage of officers who have died on the job seems to have increased since last year, the reality is this; less than five police officers are shot and killed in the line of duty every month. Whereas two or more civilians are killed by police everyday.

Gunfire claimed the lives of 25 law enforcement officers in the first 6 months of 2014. Of these 25 deaths,  six occured during the investigation of suspicious persons or situations, while five were categorized as ambushes.

Statistically, the deadliest day of the week for police, bearing 15 of the 67 deaths, is Monday. Conversely, Tuesday is the day of the week an officer is least likely to be killed, with only five reported deaths.

Accident caused by Officer Stuck in Climax, super-drunk

First, let me just say that headline should win an award. Seriously. Now, the story:

Sometime after 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 26, Officer Bryan Stuck found himself in the hospital after crashing his truck. According to reports, he had crossed the center line, smashed through a guardrail, and sent his vehicle airborne finally coming to rest on private property.

Prior to the accident, Stuck had been at Athena's Bar and Grill in the Village of Climax, Michigan. Surveillance video shows Stuck's 2006 Dodge Ram pulling out of the parking lot at 2:33 a.m.

As his reported blood alcohol content would suggest, Stuck was there getting super-drunk. Literally.

In Michigan, driving with a BAC twice the legal limit is a violation of their aptly-titled super-drunk law, which constitues another charge on top of the standard DUI.

Stuck, an Officer in the Sturgis Police Department, was treated and released from the hospital.

Initially Sturgis police said he was off-duty due to the injuries he sustained in the crash, but was tenatively scheduled to return to work the following week.

However, after Newschannel 3 aired the story, Sturgis police reported he had been placed on paid administrative leave.

On Friday afternoon the Deputy Chief said his department isn't ready to make a comment regarding the case, because Officer Stuck has yet to be notified of the charges.

He is expected to be arraigned early next week.

Source: wwmt.com

Former OK officer steals gun safe, assault rifles from Police Department

kxii.com » by Kristen Shanahan

11/07/2014

COAL COUNTY, OK -- A former Tupelo reserve officer, who was arrested in September for unauthorized use of a patrol unit, is back behind bars accused of stealing guns from the Tupelo Police Department.

Johnnie Hawkins, 42, was arrested in Byars, Oklahoma by the McClain County Sheriff's Office Friday for knowingly concealing stolen property. The Coal county Sheriff's Office says the arrest follows Hawkins failed court appearance Thursday.

Tupelo Police Chief Trevor Dean says Hawkins broke into the station late last month and took a gun safe that contained multiple weapons, including a fully automatic assault rifle and bullet resistant vests.

Dean says finding the stolen property is a relief. "I think it's a good win for us. We don't often see things stolen returned and we are just glad that nobody was hurt," Dean said.

Dean says Hawkins faces several charges including second degree burglary, destruction of city property, destruction of evidence and larceny. He is being transferred back to Coal County.

Killed: Anthony Laviolette, 27 in Yakima, WA by Officer Matt Steadman

On Wednesday the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office began searching for a green Honda Civic after receiving a call the car had been stolen.

On Highway 12 near Gleed at approximately 4:17 p.m, responding deputies located the vehicle, which was being driven by 27-year-old Anthony Laviolette of Naches.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, when Laviolette reportedly fled east towards Yakima reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

A reporting party said they were following the suspect vehicle, a green Honda Civic headed towards Naches but had lost the vehicle when it left the main roadway onto an unknown road. 

Deputies were pursuing Laviolette when he attempted to turn onto Ackley Rd. from Highway 12. The vehicle failed to make the turn and left the roadway coming to rest on the wheels against a fence.

Deputies approached the vehicle ordering the driver to shut the car off. The driver continued to rev the motor and backed away from the fence and turned trying to drive back towards the highway.

Deputy Matt Steadman, a 23 year veteran of the Sheriff's Office who is currently assigned to the patrol division, came towards the vehicle as Laviolette accelerated and drove towards him.

Fearing for his safety, Steadman fired several shots at Laviolette while he was struck and knocked to the ground by the car.

Laviolette suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Yakima County's coroner Jack Hawkins says Laviolette died of a gunshot wound to the chest and was hit by multiple bullets.

As part of the sheriff's office policy, Steadman has been placed on administrative until he is cleared to come back to work by a physician, and an administrative review of his use of force is concluded.

A second deputy at the scene of the shooting and a third who arrived shortly after, are also on administrative leave and will return to work after their days off. 
 
Professional services are available to them as requested. The three deputies will attend a mandatory critical incident debriefing in the near future.

The two other occupants of the suspect vehicle, a 27 year old female and a 14 year old were not injured and were taken into custody for investigation related to the theft.

The Washington State Patrol is conducting the criminal investigation of the vehicle accident, assault on the deputy and the shooting of the suspect.

The Yakima County Sheriff’s office is conducting a criminal investigation concerning the initial reported theft of the vehicle driven by the deceased suspect.

The Yakima CSO is also conducting a parallel administrative investigation for internal purposes.

Suspect in car chase shot and killed by Yakima Police Officer after driving into ditch

By Ada Chong Published: Nov 5, 2014 at 8:04 PM PST
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Deputies say shots were fired and a suspect is dead after a pursuit that ended near Highway 12 and Ackley Road.

The incident started around 4:30 this afternoon. YSO says a deputy was pursuing a car that was stolen. Speeds reached 100 miles per hour.

The pursuit started in Gleed. The stolen car ended up in a ditch. That's when a deputy shot the driver.

There were two other people in the car who were arrested.

"It's highly dangerous situation whenever you're involved in a pursuit and you don't know why people are fleeing,” said Yakima County Sheriff Chief Criminal Deputy John Durand. “You don't know what the situation is and it's a very risky situation."

It's unclear how many shots were fired and whether or not any of the suspects had weapons.

Washington State Patrol will handle the investigation.