Bad Cop, No Donut! - week of January 19th, 2006 THEME With your weekly wrap-up of North American police brutality, misconduct and corruption, I'm Ron Anicich in Toronto. Stay tuned after this week's headlines for an interview with Professor Samuel Walker, co-author of the 2002 and 2003 University of Nebraska studies entitled Driving While Female: A National problem in Police Misconduct. But first, here is a look at what the police did to us this week. A San Jose, California, police officer was arrested last Thursday for sexually exploiting a student at a high school where he volunteered as a basketball coach. The San Jose Mercury News says that officer Kenneth Williams is charged with five counts of inducing a minor to pose for the purpose of producing an image containing sexual conduct. An Investigation began after a complaint was made about Williams' inappropriate conduct at the high school in December. A search of the officer's computer revealed evidence of the crime. Williams has been placed on administrative leave. A woman who was the victim of a prank claims she was beaten by San Diego, California, police officers on Sunday. KNSD reports that police say they responded to what turned out to be a prank call about child abuse when they confronted the woman in the hallway of a building where she lived. The woman claims that after she refused to allow the officers to search her home without a warrant they dragged her down three flights of stairs before being pepper spraying her while she was handcuffed in the back seat of a squad car. The woman claims that the officers then dragged her back out of the car and severely beat her. The woman was treated in hospital for shoulder and knee injuries as well as an assortment of cuts and bruises. The San Diego police department has launched an internal investigation. The chief of police in Kamas, Utah, was suspended for two years over a domestic dispute with his step-daughter. The Park Record says that chief Errik Ovard was suspended after a 12-1 vote by the Peace Officer Standards and Training commission. Ovard was accused of handcuffing his daughter twice before placing her in the back seat of his police cruiser last March. Minutes later he is alleged to have choked the girl. Last April Ovard pleaded no contest to charges of unlawful detention and domestic assault. A sheriff's deputy in Lemhi County, Idaho, will not be charged with his second drunk driving offence this year. The Idaho Statesman says that deputy Sam Slavin was sentenced to one year of probation and had his driver's licence suspended for 30 days last April. On December 28th he was witnessed by fellow law enforcement officers drinking beer while on duty. Witnesses say that Slavin drank two or three beers in less than 15 minutes before driving away in a police vehicle. Prosecutors in several jurisdictions refused to prosecute the officer for his most recent offence citing conflict of interest and insufficient evidence. State police refused to investigate Slavin's on the job drinking because of a lack of available resources. A sheriff's deputy in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, has resigned following an investigation into his conduct on the job. The Arcadia News-Leader reports that lieutenant Mike Wineski was under investigation for sexual harassment. Some reports indicate that a female co-worker of Wineski's intends to file a lawsuit. Local authorities refuse to discuss details of the case other than to confirm Wineski's December 31st resignation. Wineski is the brother of Whitehall police officer Daniel Wineski who is currently serving a seven year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 14 year old girl in his squad car. A police officer in Waterloo, Iowa, resigned last Friday after being charged with sexual misconduct earlier this month. An Associated Press report says that sergeant Richard Knief was suspended in September when he became the focus of an investigation. Knief is accused of having sex with an inmate at a local jail. He is facing up to two years in jail and a five thousand dollar fine if he is convicted. A Kansas City, Missouri, police officer was sentenced to ten days in jail on Friday for stealing money from motorists at traffic stops. KMBC reports that officer Mershon Pope was arrested in March after an investigation during which he was set up by undercover officers at a fake traffic stop. Pope subsequently pleaded guilty and quit his job as a police officer. In addition to the ten days in jail Pope was also sentenced to six months of house arrest, 40 hours of community service and a suspended one year jail term. A Columbia, Missouri, police officer was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on Sunday. The Columbia Missourian says that Sergeant Gerald Green was immediately placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation is conducted. A Chicago police officer who has previously pleaded not-guilty to corruption charges changed his plea to guilty this week. WLS-TV reports that officer Michael Accosta is accused of stealing four thousand dolars intended to pay for police luncheons. He is charged with mail fraud. A Chicago police officer was arrested last Thursday for running an illegal gambling operation. The Chicago Tribune reports that officer Richard Teresi ran the gambling enterprise from a store front which he owned. The business was supposed to be operating as a hair salon but no salon equipment was found inside. An investigation began in December after a man complained to authorities. Teresi was also charged with possession of an unregistered firearm which was discovered during a search of his locker at work. Teresi has been reassigned and will appear in court next on February 7th. A sheriff's deputy in Warren County, Kentucky, was arrested last Tuesday for driving under the influence of alcohol. An Associated Press report says that deputy James McDowell said he was under the influence of prescription medication and alcohol at the time of his arrest. Both of McDowell's sons died in separate car accidents which occurred within twenty minutes of each other on December 7th after the pair had been drinking with their father at a local bar. A reserve police officer in Muncie, Indiana, was fired from both of his jobs last Tuesday after being accused of having sex with a 16 year old female detainee. An Associated Press report says that officer Darrell Brower also worked at the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center - where the incident in question is alleged to have taken place. Brower was arrested last Monday and charged with child seduction. He is currently free on a five thousand dollar bond. A Toronto, Ontario, police officer was arrested last Wednesday for offering an undercover officer money for sex and for violating his bail conditions from a previous charge. The Toronto Sun reports that constable Ned Maodus was charged in a London, Ontario, road rage case and was ordered not to drive a vehicle alone as part of his conditions for release. Maodus and five other officers are currently appearing at a preliminary hearing into a past Toronto police drug scandal. In that case Maodus is facing charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, assault, extortion, attempting to obstruct justice and perjury. Last year 13 charges against Maodus were dropped because of the amount of time it took the case to go to trial. All of those charges were connected to an armed sexual assault that occurred in 2002. He was also charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin but those charges have also been reduced because of a legal technicality. Maodus was already suspended from his job. Six people facing drug charges will have their charges dropped as a result of the drug arrest of a Peel Regional police officer. The Toronto Star says that the Canadian Justice Department confirms that charges against six people have either already been dropped or will be at upcoming hearings. More charges may be dropped in the future. The cases are all connected to Peel Regional police constable Sheldon Cook who was arrested on cocaine possession and trafficking charges in November. All cases involving Cook were reviewed after his arrest. There are currently no plans to reopen any cases which are already closed. Cook is currently free on bail and has been suspended from his job. He will appear in court next on January 20th. A police officer in Hartford, Connecticut, was arrested last Thursday and charged with fraud. WTNH reports that officer Alfred Henderson is accused of fraudulently dispersing funds intended to be paid to confidential informants. An investigation revealed a pattern of illegal activity. He has been charged with first degree larceny and four counts of forgery. Henderson has been suspended with pay and is currently free on a 50 thousand dollar bond. A police officer in Potsdam, New York, was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree burglary. News 10 reports that officer Tammy Mackin has been released from custody into probation supervision. She remains on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted. A Buffalo, New York, police officer who pleaded guilty to a misconduct charge last October was sentenced to pay a 25 hundred dollar fine last Friday. The Buffalo News reports that officer Andres Ortiz was accused of using a police computer to obtain information which he eventually passed on to a know drug dealer. Ortiz was one of the subjects of a three year FBI investigation when he was charged along with eight other Buffalo narcotics officers. Ortiz retired from his job before accepting the plea deal in October. 59 out of 63 Trenton, New Jersey, police vehicles recently tested by state authorities failed to pass inspection. The Trenton Times says that the vehicles were inspected after some police officials expressed concern about their road-worthiness. All of the 59 vehicles that failed to pass the inspection are still in use. The department owns a total of 120 vehicles. Some new vehicles have been purchased for the department but a delivery date is not known. The Trenton department is reviewing procedures in their repair facility. Two police officers in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, were arrested last Friday for selling cocaine. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that officers Robert Wright and Eric Decroo were arrested after separate investigations. Wright was accused of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in August. Decroo told an informant that the pair were both selling drugs and set up a drug deal with the informant where Wright provided the drugs. Authorities say that neither officer is accused of selling cocaine when they were on duty. Wright is charged with cocaine possession, cocaine delivery and conspiracy. Decroo is charged with conspiracy. A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officer was arrested last Tuesday for stealing money from a police locker. The Philadelphia Inquirer says that officer Mary Leach became the subject of an investigation in September 2004 when an undisclosed amount of money went missing from the evidence room locker. Leach is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by failing to make required disposition of funds received. Leach has been suspended for 30 days after which she is expected to be fired. A warrant was issued last Wednesday for the arrest of a former Fairchance, Pennsylvania, police officer after he failed to appear for the trial of a man he arrested on drug charges. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that officer Ken Bittinger arrested a man for possession of a small amount of cocaine in November 2004. When he failed to appear for the trial the judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Bittinger is facing a trial of his own. He was charged with assault after an off-duty incident outside of a Uniontown bar last year. He was suspended from his job indefinitely in March 2005. A woman claims she was brutalized by Vienna, Maryland, police officers last week. The Vienna Connection says that the woman was stopped by police while she was dropping off a friend at a public transit station. She claims she complied with officers who gave her sobriety tests but was then unexpectedly taken down by the officers. The woman suffered a broken nose and other facial injuries during the beating. The unidentified officers involved are accused of gloating about the beating. Prosecutors in Baltimore, Maryland may have to drop dozens of cases handled by a special Baltimore police unit after five of the squad's 6 members were charged with a variety of offences ranging from rape to illegal gambling. WBAL reports that the unit operated between districts and targeted violent criminals and drug dealers. In November officer Vicky Mengel was arrested during an illegal gambling raid. She goes on trial next month on a number of gambling related charges. On December 27th a woman complained that she was coerced into a sex act after she was taken into custody. A grand jury subsequently indicted officers Jemini Jones, Steven Hatley and Brian Shaffer. All three are charged with rape, conspiracy to rape, sexual offence, assault and violation of official duties. All three are free on 100 thousand dollars bail. A recent search of a station house used by the unit discovered pornography, pirated DVDs, marijuana, heroin and cocaine. Some of the cocaine was discovered in the pocket of an unnamed officer's uniform. That officers has been suspended pending an investigation but has not yet been charged. The city attorney's office says that as many as three hundred cases may be dismissed because of the accusations against the officers. A police officer in Charlottesville, Virginia, was arrested last Wednesday and charged with assault. WCAV reports that officer Cliff Goodwin was observed by a local magistrate having inappropriate contact with a man he arrested for drunk driving last August. A State police investigation followed which led to the arrest. Goodwin is on paid administrative leave until the case is resolved. A Tennessee Highway Patrol officer was arrested last Friday and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. The Tennessean says that trooper Lonnie Carroll has two photographs of a naked 17 year old on his cell phone. Carroll shared the images with his co-workers. He is currently on administrative leave from his job. Carroll faces a possible six year prison sentence if he is convicted. A shotgun and radio were stolen from a Durham County, North Carolina, sheriff's deputy's police cruiser last week. WTVD reports that the items were taken after deputy Michael Lemay left the vehicle unlocked in the driveway of his home. The gun and radio have both been recovered. Two police officers in Miami, Florida, were arrested last Thursday and charged with stealing from a man who was a police informant. WPLG reports that officers Daniel Fernandez and Joe Losada are both charged with burglary, grand theft and official misconduct. The officers were responding to a complaint about drug activity when they stole money from a house which was under surveillance as part of an investigation into police misconduct. Fernandez and Losada were already suspected of engaging in similar behaviour. Both are suspended from their job and both are free on bond. A police officer in Maitland, Florida, was arrested on Sunday after he shot 2 men during an argument over a poker game. WESH reports that officer Daniel Metevier fired one shot into a man's stomach and another into a man's shoulder. He has been charged with aggravated battery. The victims' injuries are not life threatening. Metevier is on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted. A police officer in Dekalb County, Alabama, was arrested this week after beating her 15 year old son. WSB-TV reports that officer Patricia White admitted to consuming alcohol before the incident happened. She has been charged with battery. White has been placed on administrative leave and is currently being held in custody on a 25 hundred dollar bond. In the past three years 37 Dekalb police officers have been have been charged with domestic violence related crimes. Several police officers in Jackson, Mississippi, have been fired and arrested after an internal investigation. WAPT reports that the mayor made an announcement last week that included the news that two officers had been arrested already and that more arrests would soon follow. An undisclosed number of officers have been fired from the department. In his statement the mayor said that the officers in question were accused of offences ranging from rape to civil rights and other misconduct violations. The chief of police in Bono, Arkansas, was arrested last Thursday for sexual misconduct with a minor. According to an Associated Press report Chief Rick Duhon was arrested after a complaint was made by a 14 year old on a child abuse hotline. A police officer in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma was suspended last Friday after he was accused of stalking a woman. The Muskogee Phoenix says that the decision to suspend officer Kelly Pierce was reached when it was learned that he had been served with a protection order filed by the woman who is the victim of the alleged stalking. The woman claims that Pierce has been following her since early December, often in his police cruiser while he is on duty. The woman claims that Pierce follows her almost everywhere she goes. Witnesses say that Pierce drives by the woman's home as many as five time a day. A woman in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, filed a lawsuit last week against the city and the police officer who she says illegally detained her and raped her. The Oklahoman says that the woman claims that officer Reggie Freeman took her into custody on January 11th, 2005, and drove her to a remote location where he forced the woman to perform a variety of sex acts. The incident was investigated after it was reported in February 2005. At that time Freeman was placed on unpaid leave. The results of the investigation were turned over to the district attorney. The DA's office decline to prosecute the officer and he was returned to active duty in November. Two veteran Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, police officers filed a lawsuit last week which claims they were forced to operate under a system of quotas. The Daily Oklahoman says that the two officers say that patrol officers were expected to write between 20 and 25 tickets each month, depending on whether or not they used radar. The Oklahoma City police department uses a system to monitor employee performance but maintains that there is no quota system in place. The lawsuit claims that the quota system made the public view the police as predators while police who failed to meet quotas were seen as slackers by their fellow officers. A Dallas, Texas, police officer is accused of using excessive force while giving a woman a jaywalking ticket on Saturday. WFAA reports that officer Ceaphus Gordon is accused of brutally beating the woman in front of multiple witnesses - some of whom took pictures of the beating. The incident left the woman covered with bruises and scratches and left the sidewalk where the events took place covered in pools of blood. The woman was arrested for assaulting a police officer. The Dallas police department has not investigated the incident and it is not known whether or not they ever will. A police officer at the University of New Mexico was arrested on Sunday following a domestic dispute. KOAT reports that officer Luke Montoya was released from custody on Monday night. He is accused of placing his service revolver into his mouth during an argument with his wife. Montoya has been placed on administrative leave. TASER An inmate in Texas died last Friday at the Harris County Jail after he was shocked with a taser. A police officer in Bunn, North Carolina, used a taser on a high school student last Thursday. Police and school officials have not said what led to the girl being shocked. An independent witness claims that the officer was smiling when he shocked the child a second time with 50 thousand volts of electricity. The witness says that the girl was not resisting the officer. The mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, announced last Tuesday that taser use would once again be allowed by police officers. Six months earlier the mayor had banned their use saying that further study on the weapons was required. Tasers in use by Birmingham police officers must now be equipped with a camera. Taser International, the makers of the weapon, announced the development of a camera a few months ago. The cameras add about 400 dollars to the cost of each weapon. Tasers are expected to be back on the streets in March. Other than the killings already reported on this show, police also killed people this week in Caledon, Ontario; Markham, Ontario; Springfield, Illinois; San Bernardino, California; Portland, Oregon; Larimer County, Colorado; Plymouth, Massachusetts; Kissimmee, Florida; Pinellas County, Florida and Longwood, Florida, where police killed a 15 year old boy at his school. Professor Samuel Walker teaches in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 2002 and 2003 he co-authored reports dealing with the sexual abuse of women by police officers entitled Driving While Female: A National Problem In Police Misconduct. I spoke to professor Walker earlier today. INTERVIEW If you would like to find out more about Professor Walker and his work you can visit policeaccountability.org (one word) to learn more. Thanks to professor Walker for taking the time to speak with us. That's all for Bad Cop, No Donut! this week. Please feel free to email us your comments and story ideas. The email address for this program is ron@ckln.fm . Thanks to everyone who sent in stories for this weeks show. I appreciate it a great deal. Bad Cop, No Donut! is produced at CKLN 88.1 FM in Toronto, and can be heard in Nanaimo, British Columbia on CHLY 101.7 FM and on Rustbelt Radio which is heard weekly on WRCT 88.3 FM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I'm Ron Anicich. Thanks for listening and we'll see you again, hopefully, next week.