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Only a few bad apples huh?...Bad Cops Thread

https://www.citizen-times.com/story...-intelligence-operation-monitoring/789897002/

Asheville officials back police's decision to monitor civil rights groups

ASHEVILLE - Two council members, including city government's second-highest ranking elected official, expressed confidence in police a day after revelations the department monitored activities of civil rights groups Black Lives Matter and Showing Up for Racial Justice as part of an intelligence gathering operation.

City Council member statements came Tuesday amid outcry from activists and residents following news of the operation launched two years ago.

One of the Asheville's most prominent civil rights leaders, local NAACP President Carmen Ramos-Kennedy, called aspects of the police monitoring as outlined in a Citizen Times investigation "extraordinarily disturbing."

'Concerns they had were legitimate'
Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler and Councilman Vijay Kapoor said they believed police concerns over alleged threats to officers in the racially charged aftermath of a 2016 police shooting of a black man were "legitimate."

Asheville Police Department officials said it was those threats that led Chief Tammy Hooper to launch the operation. But police have given only a few details, declining to answer Citizen Times questions about who made the threats or what was said.

Black Lives Matter and Showing Up for Racial Justice leaders said they knew of no threats from their groups, which they said aren't violent and are focused on reducing racism.

Interviews with the two council members Tuesday peeled back some of the secrecy surrounding the operation, touching on how it was done and whether it was conducted by undercover officers, as well as when council members learned of the operation and confirming it had ended.

Both said they were limited in what they could say because the discussions happened in closed council sessions.

Wisler, who is a member of the council's public safety committee, said she had to believe the "threats were legitimate." The committee advises council on police policies,

"I don't think they used police resources for minor things."

In a separate interview, Kapoor echoed the vice mayor's sentiments, saying, "from what I've seen, I think the concerns they had were legitimate."

Other council members contacted for comment, including Julie Mayfield, public safety committee Chairman Brian Haynes and the council's two African-American members, Sheneika Smith and Keith Young, did not respond Tuesday.

Expectations from the mayor
Mayor Esther Manheimer said Monday she expected APD to use legal and common police strategies to keep the community safe.

Law enforcement experts have said the operation appeared to be lawful, but legal experts said other considerations matter. Those include how serious the threats were and if the operation is worth potential damage to public trust.

In a Facebook post, NAACP branch president Ramos-Kennedy called the operation an intimidation tactic and said she wanted to know what danger police thought the groups posed, which individuals were monitored and how it was done.

"This is extraordinarily disturbing that we even have to pose these questions," she said. "APD needs to answer these questions publicly."

Fear and distrust
Black Lives Matter President Delores Venable had said at a March 7 Citizens/Police Advisory Committee that a source told her she was among those being monitored.

In the months after the meeting, Venable declined to comment, saying she might be involved in a legal action. But Tuesday she posted on her Facebook page a letter to the council in which she called for the removal of Hooper.

With the newest information about the operation, she said residents who had worked to improve relationships between the community and police "will not come to the table any longer because of fear, mistrust and the inability of the department to give honest answers in public and to the media."

How the monitoring was conducted
The monitoring started in the wake of the death of Jai "Jerry" Williams who was fatally shot July 2, 2016 by police after a high-speed chase. The shooting was ruled justified after police and witnesses said Williams refused to put his hands up and reached for a gun. Protests ensued, culminating with the occupation of the police station by demonstrators calling for the firing of the officer involved in the shooting.

Venable also referenced the August police beating of an unarmed black pedestrian, which has become intertwined in the debate over law enforcement's relationship with African-Americans.

In defending aspects of the operation, Wisler pointed to the police statements that the operation did not amount to surveillance. APD told the Citizen Times that the monitoring happened on social media and at open meetings.

"They didn't do anything that wasn't public," the vice mayor said.

Black Lives Matter officials have disputed that, with education coordinator Sharon Smith saying she has observed police cars near Venable's home. Venable's mother, longtime activist and former council candidate Dee Williams, also said she was monitored.

As to whether the operation was undercover, Wisler said she wouldn't comment on that, but added, "I think it’s a question of what do you mean by under cover? Were they wearing uniforms?"

Police have declined to answer whether officers wore uniforms or whether they tried to conceal their identities, or even created backstories.

Kapoor said the council was told about the operation after the CPAC meeting where Venable and Williams confronted the chief about the monitoring.

He said he couldn't remember whether council members asked for the briefing or if staff approached the elected officials.

Being aware of First Amendment protections
The councilman said he wanted police to acknowledge and be aware of First Amendment protections and the history of government monitoring of civil rights groups, but he didn't want APD to make decisions on such operations based on an organization's "political philosophy."

"My thing is, do you have legitimate concerns about safety and are you doing it in a lawful way?"

Wisler confirmed for the first time that that operation had ended and said that was evidence the police were being careful about civil liberties, saying police stopped when they felt "there wasn't enough to follow up on."

Police officials had said the operation happened in July and August 2016 but refused to confirm it had ended. They would not say if the information gathered led to a criminal investigation.
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https://whyy.org/articles/witness-v...killed-unarmed-black-man-like-he-wasnt-human/

Witness: Vineland police shot and killed unarmed black man ‘like he wasn’t human’ : Courts & Law : WHYY
Residents of Vineland, New Jersey are demanding answers from authorities after police shot and killed an unarmed black man over the weekend in an encounter witnesses are calling a senseless tragedy.

On Saturday, before noon, police in Vineland were dispatched to a quiet residential street, where 37-year-old Rashaun Washington, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, had been sitting on a porch. Police say a caller requested law enforcement to investigate a man “acting suspiciously.”

Before long, Washington was surrounded by droves of officers. Shirtless and wearing shorts, he paced back and forth, as seen in footage of the incident recorded by passers-by.

“Pacing right here. He’s pacing right here in this driveway,” said Jose Pagan, who was among those onlookers who recorded the episode. “In front of everybody. All these people watching with their cell phone,” he said.

Pagan said Washington was holding an empty water bottle. He said police were screaming at him and pointing heavy rifles at Washington. After minutes of pacing, Washington then starts running. It is unclear if he was trying to flee or charge at police. As he is mid-stride, an officer shoots him three times.

“Oh my God, they just killed him,” a woman who goes by just RiRi says in a video of the shooting she posted on Facebook.

When he dropped, police allowed their patrol dog to attack Washington, and authorities administered pepper spray on him, Pagan said.

“No need for that at all,” Pagan said.

Police have not confirmed the details Pagan says he witnessed. Authorities have released precious little information about the shooting other than saying that on Saturday an incident “lasted for several minutes ending with the subject being fatally shot.”

Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said the officer who opened fire, who authorities have not identified, has been placed on paid administrative leave.

“I don’t have any additional information to release at this time,” Webb-McRae told WHYY.

Washington’s death is the latest incident involving a civilian dying at the hands of the police in New Jersey, where more than 20 people have been shot in the past year, with 14 of them dying.

Under state guidelines, police officers can use deadly force to protect themselves or the public.

Albert Alvarado, 62, a Vineland resident, has reviewed the footage and says there did not appear to be an imminent threat to anyone.

“You don’t shoot someone who is not armed. Bottom line,” Alvarado said. “They need to come up with some answers.”

A memorial has sprouted up for Washington, a father of two, with balloons and candles on a tree near where police killed him. Supporters hung letters that spell out “Pac Man” at the site, which his friends say was his nickname. Bloodstains can be seen in the pavement

Looking on to the site honoring Washington, Alvarado shook his head in disbelief

“Every time we hear about a police shooting, it’s no wrongdoing, no wrongdoing,” Alvarado said. “Well, you know what? In this case, there’s a lot of wrongdoing.”

Pagan said he heard the police scream “bomb” before they opened fire, another detail authorities have not confirmed.

“If there was a bomb involved, you don’t think this whole block would’ve been evacuated?” said Pagan. “So I’m thinking it’s to cover their behind.”

In the absence of information, WHYY has requested body camera, dashboard camera footage and police dispatch communications. Cumberland County prosecutors are still reviewing the requests.

Police would not comment on what the officer said before opening fire, and it is hard to tell by watching the chaotic videos captured at the scene. Still processing the incident himself, Pagan said he feels like Washington was “treated like he was not human,” he said. “Like he wasn’t human.”

Andaiye Al-Uqdah, a lawyer for Washington’s family, said the shooting violates state guidelines for the use of force since officers made no attempt to de-escalate the standoff before firing.

“The officer who shot Washington must be held accountable,” Al-Uqdah said. “The brave police officers around the nation will continue to be tarnished and subjected to suspicion and distrust if the officers who kill unjustifiably go protected and unchecked.”
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https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/lapd-officer-bullet-killed-trader-joes-worker

LAPD Officer’s Bullet Killed Trader Joe’s Worker During Standoff

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A store worker killed in a gunbattle before a suspect took hostages in a crowded supermarket was hit by a police officer’s bullet, Police Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday.

The employee, Melyda Corado, 27, was leaving the store Saturday as the suspect, Gene Evin Atkins, 28, was going into the store after firing two rounds officers pursuing him, Moore told reporters.

The two officers each fired back at Atkins and one of their rounds went through one of Corado’s arms and into her body.

In deciding whether to open fire, the officers had to consider whether the suspect in what was already a long-running series of violent events would become an active shooter in a market crowded with weekend shoppers, Moore said.
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https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/aldermen-sign-off-on-4-5m-in-settlement-tied-to-police-wrongdoing/

Aldermen sign off on $4.5M in settlements tied to police wrongdoing


Throw another $4.5 million onto the $700 million mountain of settlements tied to allegations of Chicago Police wrongdoing over the last fifteen years.

The City Council’s Finance Committee swallowed hard Monday and approved three more settlements tied to the actions and inactions of police officers on-and off-duty. Aldermen also approved a $4 million settlement tied to a fatal motorcycle accident cause by an unfilled pothole.

The largest of the police-related settlements — for $3 million — will compensate the families of a 66-year-old man and an 88-year-old woman mowed down by a car fleeing Chicago police during a 2015 pursuit through Greater Grand Crossing that, the victim’s family claims, should have been terminated.

Willie Owens and Margaret Silas were killed on Aug. 24, 2015 when they were struck by a car driven by 26-year-old Paul Forbes, who blew through a red light and was driving on a suspended license.

A 2015 lawsuit filed by Owens’ daughter, Sharday Johnson, claimed the officers pursuing Forbes for a traffic violation should have terminated the pursuit when it led them into a densely populated area, where the lives of others were at risk.

That’s what a revised police pursuit policy requires.

The second settlement tied to alleged police wrongdoing —for $950,000 — will compensate the family of 28-year-old Rickey Rozelle, who was shot to death in 2013 by off-duty Chicago police Sgt. John Poulos.

After returning home from a bar, Poulos said he spotted a man he believed to be a burglar on the porch of a nearby second floor apartment.

Poulos said he confronted the man, subsequently identified as Rozelle, asked him to show his hands and hit him on the head with a revolver after Rozelle refused to show his hands, lunged at the officer and threatened to kill him.

The off-duty sergeant told investigators he shot Rozelle in the chest after Rozelle took off while holding a shiny object that appeared to be a gun. No weapon was ever found.

The third police-related settlement — for $500,000 — goes to a family that claims police officers and detention aides ignored their 41-year-old father for more than an hour when he passed out and died in the Jefferson Park District lock-up in 2015.

Johnny Lopez was taken to a hospital and treated for dog bites he suffered while being arrested for battery shortly after midnight June 2, 2015, in the 4100 block of West Eddy Street.

Lopez was released from the hospital, booked about 7:30 a.m. at the Jefferson Park District station at 5151 N. Milwaukee Ave. and placed in his own cell about 1:30 p.m.. He was found unresponsive about 8 p.m.

According to the Lopez family’s lawsuit, another arrestee called for help “continuously” when he saw Lopez collapse, but Lopez “was left on the floor of his cell . . . for over an hour without any medical attention.”

Lockup workers processed two other arrestees, ignored the unconscious Lopez and “did nothing except pass out sandwiches to other inmates,” the suit alleged.

Lopez died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with recent cocaine use contributing, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-police-officer-arrest-20180725-story.html

Baltimore police officer arrested on drug trafficking charges

A Baltimore police officer has been charged with drug violations after Baltimore County officers say they saw him involved in a “narcotics transaction” in a parking lot in Woodlawn.

Officer Spencer P. Moore, a 14-year veteran of the city police department, was arrested Tuesday night in the 1600 block of N. Forest Park Ave., just west of the city line.

Interim Baltimore Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle announced the arrest Wednesday and condemned the officer’s alleged actions.

“This type of activity is just simply not going to be tolerated,” Tuggle said. “Every day men and women put this uniform on, and they go out with a sense of pride and dignity as they execute the mission of protecting the citizens of the city. We will not stand for this type of activity. We will not stand for disgrace of the badge.”

It was the latest legal setback for the city Police Department, which in the past year has seen the convictions of eight members of its elite gun unit on federal racketeering charges and the resignation of its police commissioner following federal charges of failing to file tax returns. The department is under a federal consent decree that requires sweeping reforms after U.S. Justice Department investigators found officers routinely engaged in widespread unconstitutional and discriminatory policing.

The department’s internal affairs division began investigating Moore several months ago, Tuggle said, and later involved Baltimore County police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“This investigation was started within this Police Department, and I am particularly proud of that,” said Tuggle, himself a former DEA agent.

Tuggle said Moore had been on suspension with pay for several months stemming from a prior incident. He declined to say why the officer was being investigated internally.

Moore is now on unpaid suspension pending the outcome of the criminal case. He earned about $80,000 last year, according to city salary records.

In May, police identified Moore as a witness to the shooting of a 36-year-old woman in the Yale Heights neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore. The woman, who was not identified by the department, suffered serious injuries, but survived. Moore was not injured. Police said at the time that Moore was cooperative with investigators after the shooting, and they did not believe Moore was targeted.

Moore, who is the son of Baltimore police Col. Robert Smith, is the latest city officer to come under scrutiny.

Tuggle said Wednesday that another officer has been separated from the department following an incident on July 6 in which she declined to respond to reports of an armed man. Tuggle would not say whether the officer resigned or was fired. The officer had been flagged by an off-duty firefighter and two others about a man carrying a gun in his waistband downtown, but the officer told them that it was not her district.

Tuggle has called the incident an “embarrassment.” and “totally unacceptable.”

Earlier this month, a city grand jury indicted Officer Carlos Rivera-Martinez on charges of first-degree assault and misconduct in office stemming from an alleged incident in July 2016 near the War Memorial. Police have provided few details about the incident, but the alleged victim, Melvin Townes, told The Baltimore Sun that Rivera-Martinez slammed him to the ground and struck him in the face.

Baltimore County police said Moore was arrested after officers in the Woodlawn area observed a man, later identified as Moore, get out of a silver Lexus, walk up to a white Chevrolet pickup truck in the Woodlawn parking lot and hand an object to the driver.

“Officers immediately recognized this as a narcotics transaction,” county police said in a statement.

Moore and the driver of the Chevrolet, later identified as Keon Bennett, were detained, county police said. A search of the Lexus revealed three pill bottles containing over 100 Oxycodone pills, police said.

Two of the bottles inside the car did not have prescription labels attached, police said. Officers also located marijuana on the driver of the pickup truck and Oxycodone pills inside the truck, police said.

Moore and Bennett were arrested at the scene.

Moore has been charged with possession with the intent to distribute a narcotic, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and obtaining a prescription by fraud. He is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Department of Corrections in Towson.

Bennett, of the 1400 block of Vida Drive in Gwyn Oak, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute a narcotic, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of over 10 grams of marijuana, and obtaining a prescription by fraud. He was being held on $50,000 bail in Towson.

Neither Moore nor Bennett had attorneys listed in online court records.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...lice-fatal-shooting-video-20180725-story.html

Attorneys say video shows man did not have a gun when a Chicago cop fatally shot him last month

Video released Wednesday shows a Chicago police tactical officer fatally shooting a 24-year-old man as he tried to scale a fence last month in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

Attorneys for the family said the footage challenges the Police Department’s account of Maurice Granton ignoring orders to stop during a foot chase, pulling a weapon and firing at the officer before he was shot June 6.

Attorney Antonio Romanucci acknowledged that a gun was found at the scene, estimating it was about 20 to 25 feet from Granton’s body, but he said many questions remain about the shooting.

“If you’re a young man in the city of Chicago, do not run from the Chicago police,” he said. “Maurice did not have a weapon in his hand when he was shot.”

The body camera from one officer captured him saying, “Come here, man,” and then chasing after Granton, who jumped a wooden fence, leaving the view of that officer’s body camera. That officer abandoned the chase, shouting in pain. The view from his camera indicated he was limping away.

But his camera captured the sound of a single gunshot, then a pause, followed by three more shots in quick succession.

The body camera footage posted from the officer who appears to have opened fire did not include audio from the time of the shooting.

That video showed Granton running across a vacant lot and darting onto a wrought iron fence with one leg raised. As both hands reached for the top of the fence, the officer can be seen raising his gun. The footage then showed Granton immediately fall from the fence, stumble to his left a few feet and then drop to the ground, writhing in pain.

Granton was shot in the back, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

About 10 seconds into an emergency dispatch recording released by COPA, an officer can be heard saying, “Shots fired at and by the police.”

“They’re calling a 10-1,” said the dispatcher, signaling the code for an officer in distress. “… Shots fired at and by the police.”

COPA also released a 911 call made by a woman who claimed the police shot Granton five times.

“He wasn’t even doing nothing!” the caller shouted. “They shot him five times (when) he was on the gate, the police!”

“Can y’all please, y’all can save his life if y’all hurry up!”

A use-of-force report filed by Thrasher — released by COPA along with other audio and video evidence — said he reported to supervisors that Granton was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and fired on him.

His body camera video included audio in the moments after the shooting, and the officer who fired can be heard pointing other officers to a gun near Granton. As irate bystanders approached shouting “Maurice!” the officer told them, “He woke.”

At one point, the officer exchanged words with a man nearby as other officers arrived and confronted the bystanders.

Thrasher was heard on the video encouraging Granton to “stay woke.”

In comments to reporters, Granton’s father said his son was “left on the ground like an animal.”

“I’m just seeking justice,” he said. “It was a coldblooded murder.”

The Police Department released a limited video shortly after the shooting that it said showed Granton holding a gun sometime before he was shot by the officer. The department also tweeted out a photo of a 9 mm handgun it said was recovered.

Romanucci on Wednesday took exception to those releases by the department, saying none of the images answered key questions.

“We do not know if Maurice Granton was holding that gun. We do not know if that gun was fired,” he said. “We don’t know anything about the gun except the narrative that the Chicago Police Department issued on the day of the shooting.”

Romanucci also said it was “deeply disturbing that after all this time Chicago police officers are not trained to de-escalate situations.”

Granton was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center. He had been treated at the same hospital just days before for a graze wound near his right eye. He refused to cooperate with police after officers found him lying in an alley in the South Side’s Chatham neighborhood, authorities said then.

Granton had two convictions for robbery and theft and several arrests on suspicion of trespassing and drug possession. His last arrest was in 2016, records show.

But his family said that with the birth of two daughters in recent years, Granton had put his criminal behavior in the past.
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https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime...be-indicted-in-mans-death-on-las-vegas-strip/

Former police officer will not be indicted in man’s death on Las Vegas Strip


A former Las Vegas police officer avoided a grand jury indictment Thursday, but the criminal case in the death of an unarmed man on the Strip might not be over.

On May 14, 2017, former Metropolitan Police Department officer Kenneth Lopera shocked Tashii Brown with a Taser seven times, punched him in the head repeatedly and placed him in a chokehold for more than a minute.

Brown died after the encounter outside The Venetian. Lopera was arrested and retired from the force.

“Welcome to Vegas, where police can kill a defenseless human being, brag about it and then get away scot free,” Brown’s mother, Trinita Farmer, said in a statement. “I hope the public is as outraged as our family is at the killing of our son, father and brother.”

Lopera bragged about his actions to other officers after the encounter, according to a federal lawsuit filed in May on Farmer’s behalf by attorney Andre Lagomarsino.

“Trinita wanted the maximum punishment to be applied to Kenneth Lopera for his actions that caused her son’s death,” Lagomarsino said. “She’s extremely disheartened that a grand jury that operates in secrecy would absolve Lopera of criminal liability.”

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that his office is “exploring further options.” Lopera still has pending criminal charges in Las Vegas Justice Court.

“We’re hopeful that the district attorney will accept the grand jury’s decision,” said David Roger, who represents Lopera in the criminal case.

Lopera is due back in court Aug. 2.

‘Lopera did not kill this man’

Brown, a 40-year-old Las Vegas resident, died by asphyxia due to police restraint, the Clark County coroner’s office said. Methamphetamine use and an enlarged heart contributed to his death, which the coroner’s office ruled a homicide.

Body camera footage shows Lopera chased Brown through The Venetianand outside, where the former officer said he suspected Brown was trying to steal a truck.

That’s when the fatal encounter occurred.

The district attorney’s office charged Lopera with involuntary manslaughter and oppression under color of office last year, but in March the case was referred to a grand jury.

Steve Grammas, president of the union that represents Metro’s rank-and-file officers, said Lopera never intended to kill Brown.

Grammas said the defense argued that Brown’s enlarged heart and drug use, coupled with the totality of the event, caused his death.

“The grand jury saw it the same way, that Ken Lopera did not kill this man,” he said.

Grammas said he told Lopera of the grand jury’s decision earlier Thursday.

“To have such a long process, at least at this point, finally come to an end with regards to the grand jury, he felt relieved,” Grammas said.

Metro released a statement recapping the facts of the case but did not comment on the decision of the grand jury.

Police have said Brown would not have faced criminal charges had he survived.

‘It just boggles my mind’

The case was a lightning rod for controversy, influencing Metro’s use of force policy, garnering national media coverage and spurring protests.

It was one of multiple cases Metro considered when it altered its policy last year to change the department-approved neck restraint from a low-level use of force to an intermediate or a deadly one. Police said Lopera used an unapproved chokehold on Brown.

Tod Story, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said the organization maintains its call to remove the department-approved lateral vascular neck restraint from the department’s use of force policy.

“How this decision could be reached is bewildering to me,” Story said of the grand jury. “I don’t understand how an officer caught on video choking someone to death could not be indicted. It just boggles my mind.”

Gary Peck, a longtime Nevada civil rights advocate, said Lopera is entitled to his day in court, but that would have to wait for a civil trial where evidence can be challenged publicly.

“Without that kind of proceeding, there is little reason for the public to have any confidence in the way prosecutors handled the case from beginning to end,” he said.
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https://www.ktnv.com/news/grand-jur...r-las-vegas-police-officer-in-chokehold-death

Tashii Brown's mother, ACLU release statements

The attorney representing Tashii Brown's family says they plan to take evidence in his death to the FBI in hopes of getting federal charges brought against the officer involved in Brown's May 2017 death.

This just hours after a Clark County grand jury decided against indicting the former Las Vegas police officers.

"We hope the FBI will meet with the U.S. Attorney and decide to charge officer Lopera," Andre Lagomarsino said.

The attorney said Brown's mother was devastated by the decision.

On the other side, the president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association said officer Kenneth Lopera was relieved by the decision.

"Ken Lopera did not have intent to kill the subject that night," LVPPA President Steve Grammas said. "He felt happy and relieved and appreciative of the grand jury itself."

Grammas also called for the district attorney to hold a public fact-finding hearing so everyone can see the evidence presented in the grand jury hearing.
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http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-F...on-scene-of-an-officer-involved-shooting.html

'Person of interest' shot, killed by police in North Toledo

All that remains at the site of a Toledo police officer-involved shooting on Friday is a small makeshift memorial and discarded police tape where Lamar Richardson, 25, was shot and killed.

But agitation remains in the aftermath of the shooting, despite Toledo police’s attempt to explain what happened and the release of unedited dash camera footage.

“There’s a lot of tension,” said Toledo City Councilman Yvonne Harper, who represents District 4, where the shooting took place. “I’ve been watching Facebook. People are still not convinced.”

Officials identified the man shot as Lamar Richardson, 25, of Toledo. Police said he was an armed “person of interest” in multiple city robberies.

A crowd of several hundred people on Friday would at times push forward against police tape partitioning the scene. They repeatedly sought to engage the officers — at one time in a line about 20 across — while shouting accusations of police brutality.

“The police are supposed to be preventing crime but they’re making crime,” said Leonard Richardson, 49, who identified himself as Mr. Richardson’s uncle.

“That was my nephew,” he said. “He was here, now he’s gone. He’s gone.”

Police said they responded to a vehicle stolen from East Toledo and identified Mr. Richardson as the driver. They lost the car after a pursuit and later saw Mr. Richardson on a bicycle. They initiated the stop in the area of Lagrange and Hudson streets in North Toledo, and he fled on foot.

Officers fired at him after he “produced a weapon,” Lt. Kevan Toney, a police spokesman, said.

Authorities recovered the weapon and identified it as a 9mm firearm. No officers were injured.

At a 10 p.m. news conference, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said he called leaders in the African-American community — including faith leaders and council members — as soon as he heard about the incident. Those leaders were assembled behind the mayor during the news conference.

“Today was a terrible day for Toledo ... any time a human life is lost, that’s a tragedy,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said.

The mayor said that he and the group met for at least 30 minutes before the news conference.

“I know the community will benefit from us being united,” the mayor said.

Police Chief George Kral said he agreed with the mayor. He added, “The most important thing is this was a tragedy tonight.”

Late Friday evening Toledo police showed the media the unedited dashcam footage of the fatal shooting.

Footage showed two SWAT officers approaching Mr. Richardson in an attempt to detain him, and Mr. Richardson running from them. One officer pursued on foot and the other remained in his vehicle.

Both officers were put on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a police shooting.

Bystanders remained nearby throughout the evening. They took out their phones to record officers while yelling at them and demanding answers. In response, police called in reinforcements — with a line of roughly 20 officers formed to face off against the growing crowd.

Liz Harris, 40, was part of the crowd that gathered near the shooting. She said she wants to see better policing.

“Somehow, we have to connect with police so they’re more empathetic with what’s going on. Don’t just stand there and not respond,” she said.

Tamesha Gott, 33, said she left a nearby business and saw an officer chase a man and fire.

“There was no reason for that. They can’t justify that. It’s wrong. This is like a dream,” she said.

The Friday night shooting is the second involving a Toledo police officer within a week.

Officer Jonathan Chio shot and killed a man July 21 behind a Dollar General in South Toledo after police said the man robbed the store, located in the 4400 block of Heatherdowns Boulevard, and stabbed two people, one fatally.

Police Chief George Kral said he believes Officer Chio “acted within his rights and responsibilities.”

Officer Chio was placed on paid administrative leave. An investigation is underway into that shooting, and once it is complete, it will be submitted to the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
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https://www.tennessean.com/story/ne...mbrick-shooting-community-reaction/853845002/

Disturbed, angry, hurt: Daniel Hambrick shooting sparks strong reaction from community

The neighborhood of John Henry Hale is angry.

A community outreach meeting hosted Friday evening in Nashville aimed to give a voice to the community members affected by the fatal police shooting of Daniel Hambrick, 25. Hambrick was shot Thursday evening near the intersection of Jo Johnston Avenue and 17th Avenue North.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting.

Michael Jordan, president of the J. Henry Hale Resident Association, called the meeting. Jordan said the main feeling in the community on Friday is anger.

“There’s a lot of calls for justice,” Jordan said. “It’s still fresh and new.”

The open meeting brought together members of the Metro Nashville Police Department, District 19 Councilman Freddie O’Connell, and other members of the community.

During the meeting, Deputy Chief of Police Brian Johnson stressed the idea of waiting for facts before passing judgement. Because the investigation is being handled by TBI, not MNPD, Johnson has no information about the investigation.

“The community wants answers and we can’t give them,” said Johnson. “We don’t have all the facts. The only people who are working on gathering those is the TBI.”

TBI statement on officer involved shooting in Nashville Nashville Tennessean

Johnson did confirm the officer who shot Hambrick, Andrew Delke, was the only officer present during the shooting.

“People are disturbed. They are angry. They are hurt,” said Jackie Simms, 64. “I just don't want them to become comfortable with the fact that young lives are being taken if they don’t need to be.”

Simms is a member of the community and an advocate with Community Oversight Now, a group calling for a civilian oversight board of the MNPD.

Gretchen Perkins, 58, said the shooting confirmed for her what she said most community members already believe.

“I’m feeling that all the negativity about police officers is true, that they’re out to kill African-American men,” Perkins said.

Jordan said he believes there is a gap in communication between the MNPD and the community, one he’s not really sure how to close.

“Maybe (the police can) hold some kind of event for the public to come and ask questions, and answer as much as they can, to show they are concerned with finding the truth,” Jordan said. “That would be the biggest thing — to let the public know they are concerned with finding the truth.”

One woman expressed a need for better-trained officers. But when Johnson pressed her for specific areas that needed improvement, she wasn't sure what to suggest.

“A lot of them are afraid, of course,” Jordan said. “They don’t want to talk to police or anybody else. I just want the truth, and I want peace. I don’t want any uproar around here or whatever.”

Jordan also emphasized not jumping to conclusions.

“Whenever you have black man dead, white man shooting, the mentality is already there,” he said.

For some community members, like Perkins, the solution is a simple one:

“Just training, you know?”
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StringerBell said:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...lice-fatal-shooting-video-20180725-story.html





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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...h-lawsuit-maurice-granton-20180728-story.html

Family of man fatally shot by Chicago cop files wrongful death lawsuit against city

The family of a man fatally shot last month by a Chicago police officer in an incident captured on video filed a lawsuit Monday alleging he was shot in the back while unarmed.

The video, made public last week by police oversight officials, showed the tactical officer fatally shooting Maurice Granton Jr., 24, as he tried to scale a fence while running from police June 6 in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

The lawsuit alleges that Granton cannot be seen carrying a gun or other weapon in the police body camera footage released by authorities. He posed no threat of harm to police or the public, it contended.

At a news conference Monday, attorney Antonio Romanucci, who represents LaTayshia Shaw, the mother of Granton’s two young children, criticized the limited information released so far by authorities, saying it allows police and other city officials to control the narrative about the shooting.

“He was unarmed when the foot chase began, and we know for a fact he was unarmed when the chase ended,” Romanucci said. “It’s what we cannot see on video that the city will not tell us. Had better training been in place, Maurice would still be here today.”

At the time of the shooting, the Police Department released a statement saying Granton had “produced a weapon” before an “armed encounter” with police took place. It also released limited video footage it said showed Granton holding a gun shortly before the shooting. The department also tweeted out a photo of a 9 mm handgun it said was recovered from the shooting scene.

“If you’re going to release any evidence, then release it all or don’t release any,” Romanucci told reporters at his law office. “They can control the narrative … to shape public opinion to make this look like this is about something that it’s not when’s it’s really about transparency and getting to the truth and finding out what happened.”

The lawsuit also complained that 1½ years after the U.S. Department of Justice found widespread problems with Chicago police, the department still has not developed a policy on foot pursuits.

An analysis by the Chicago Tribune of every police shooting from 2010 through 2015 found that foot chases played a role in more than a third of the 235 cases that ended with someone wounded or killed.

Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for the city’s Law Department, declined comment on the lawsuit, saying he had not seen a copy.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, names the city and Officer Sheldon Thrasher as defendants.

Documents released last week by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability identified Thrasher as the officer who fatally shot Granton. Records show the officer joined the department in 2013.

COPA, the city agency that investigates police-involved shootings, released the video last week after Granton’s family viewed the footage.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Police Department officials said both Thrasher and a second officer involved in the shooting have returned to active duty after taking a mandatory 30-day leave following the incident.

Romanucci said Thrasher fired at least three shots, striking Granton at least once in the back and severing his spinal cord.

The lawsuit alleges that as a crowd emerged at the scene, Thrasher, who is African-American, could be heard “mocking” Granton, telling onlookers, “You see your homie right there.”

Granton was writhing in pain on the video, according to the lawsuit. He was pronounced dead a short time later at University of Chicago Medical Center.

Granton, who had previous convictions for robbery and theft, had been treated at the same hospital just days before for a graze wound near his right eye. He refused to cooperate with police after officers found him lying in an alley in the South Side’s Chatham neighborhood, authorities said then.

At the time of Granton’s fatal shooting, police said he ignored orders to stop during a foot chase, pulled a weapon and fired at the officer before he was shot.

A use-of-force report filed by Thrasher — released by COPA along with other audio and video evidence — said he reported to supervisors that Granton was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and fired on him.

On July 25, 2018, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released video of the police-involved shooting of Maurice Granton, 24, who was killed June 6, 2018, in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The following body camera footage is from another officer at the scene, who was injured in the pursuit but not by gunfire. Warning: Video contains graphic content. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)

Police Department officials said the Wentworth District tactical officers were in the area conducting a narcotics investigation when they were directed to the 300 block of East 47th Street.

Surveillance footage showed Granton and others milling around under the CTA Green Line before a police car pulled up and the men scattered.

The body camera from one officer captured him saying, “Come here, man,” and then chasing Granton, who jumped a wooden fence, leaving the view of that officer’s body camera. That officer abandoned the chase, shouting in pain. The view from his camera indicated he was limping away.

But his camera captured the sound of a single gunshot, then a pause, followed by three more shots in quick succession.

The body camera footage posted from the officer who appears to have opened fire did not include audio at the time of the shooting.

That video showed Granton running across a vacant lot and darting onto a wrought iron fence with one leg raised. As both hands reached for the top of the fence, the officer can be seen raising his gun. The footage then showed Granton immediately fall from the fence, stumble to his left a few feet and then drop to the ground, writhing in pain.

Granton was shot in the back, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Authorities have not said how many times he was shot.

Granton’s girlfriend did not speak at the news conference, but his father, Maurice Sr., wearing a red T-shirt with his son’s image emblazoned on it with the message “Heaven Couldn’t Wait In Loving Memory, Maurice Granton 1994-2018,” told reporters he was “living every parent’s nightmare.”

“The Chicago Police Department claims this incident was an armed confrontation,” said Granton, his hands clasped in front as he spoke. “Nowhere on the videos do you see my son armed, and nowhere on the videos do you see a confrontation. My son was running away.”
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https://www.tennessean.com/story/ne...delke-tn-officer-involved-shooting/857788002/

Man shot by Nashville police remembered for caring spirit before protest blocks streets


Following a vigil for Daniel Hambrick, the Nashville man shot and killed by police earlier this week, many, including the family of the victim, marched to block the intersection of Jo Johnston Avenue and 17th Avenue North.

Dozens of people stood in and around the intersection for hours Saturday evening. Police arrived to direct traffic away from the intersection.

"They swooped in out of nowhere when the family began marching, chanting, peacefully down the street," said Theeda Murphy, a member of Community Oversight Now who was among those standing in the intersection. "That escalated the situation drastically."


TBI statement on officer involved shooting in Nashville Nashville Tennessean


Murphy described a tense interaction between members of Hambrick's family "expressing themselves verbally" to Metro Nashville police officers.

That's when members of her organization and the Neon Guard, a group of volunteers who provide security and work to help deescalate tension during protests, began standing between the protesters and police.

Murphy said it was important the community living at John Henry Hale Apartments behind them felt protected.

"For the second time in a week, they're seeing this big police force descend upon their neighborhood, and they're frightened and they're scared," Murphy said.

Remembering Hambrick

Earlier, emotion poured out of the crowd gathered to remember Hambrick, the Nashville man who was fatally shot by a police officer Thursday.

They came together in Watkins Park, just a block away from the location where Hambrick, 25, was shot down.

One by one, loved ones came forward with tributes for the young man they called "Dan Dan."

They described a man whose first priority was taking care of his mother. A man who would do anything to help a friend in need. A man who was looking forward to a fresh start at a new job next week

A memorial banner saying "R.I.P Dan Dan" was draped over the park's jungle gym. Children stopped playing to watch solemnly as speakers talked about justice, fairness and their belief that police bias had led to Hambrick's death.

Police identified the officer who shot Hambrick, who is black, as Andrew Delke, 25, who is white. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is probing the shooting and consulting with District Attorney Glenn Funk.

"We've got these little babies here. What is gonna be for them," the Rev. Andrew Mathis said to the crowd of about 70.

Afterward, Mathis said he hoped the children had taken a lesson from the Saturday evening vigil: "We want them to know that they need to be aware."

Hambrick's mother made an emotional statement through tears, pledging to preserve her son's legacy.

"I gotta fight for my son because they shot him like he was a dog," she said, her words punctuated by sobs. "My child is not a dog. He was a human being."

Community members have blasted the police for failing to install body cameras or dash cams for every officer. Neither was in place before Hambrick's shooting. The TBI has instead relied on nearby surveillance footage to help piece together what happened.

His death has energized calls for a civilian oversight board that would examine claims of police misconduct. Community organizers were on hand Saturday to collect signatures for a petition to add the matter to an upcoming ballot.

The TBI says video taken from nearby public housing — taken by the Metro Development and Housing Agency — shows Hambrick and two others fleeing after being approached by Delke, the police officer, in a parking lot.

The three males had exited a vehicle driven by Hambrick as Delke, who is white, arrived in the parking lot.

Police say they were searching for a stolen vehicle in the area, had tried to stop a vehicle earlier in the night, but the driver fled instead.

Hambrick and the two others turned and ran from the officer after Delke entered the parking lot, according to the TBI, and Hambrick appears to have had a dark object in his hand.

"The situation escalated further, for reasons still under investigation, and resulted in the officer firing his service weapon several times, striking Hambrick," the TBI says.
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http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-metro-james-blake-james-department-trial-20180731-story.html

Cop who tackled ex-tennis star James Blake describes death threats, career damage in NYPD trial

Hotel surveillance video shows the takedown of tennis great James Blake by a plainclothes police officer.

The cop who tackled ex-tennis star James Blake teared up on the stand Tuesday as he described the death threats he and his family received after the incident.

James Frascatore tackled Blake in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Midtown after he and other cops mistook him for a suspect in a credit card scam. Blake, who is biracial, accused the cop of racial profiling.


Facing a second department trial stemming from the September 2015 incident, Frascatore testified at police headquarters Tuesday that he was merely following orders when he moved to arrest Blake.


“I was there to conduct apprehensions, but I was always directed by other members of the service," he said.


He said he was ordered to arrest a man who resembled Blake on sight because of prior crimes. The ensuing meda attention, he said, put his life in turmoil.


“The best way to describe it is hell,” he said. “I had death threats coming in to my children, my wife, myself. We had to move numerous times. My kids had to be escorted by Nassau police to school.”

Frascatore said cops installed a panic button and surveillance cameras in his home.

“I’ve been painted as psycho cop, racist cop, steroid cop,” he said. “My career has been destroyed. I’ve been jammed up for three years and I don’t know where my career is going.”


He had no praise for Blake, who he accused of creating a “false narrative about an out-of-control cop.” “He’s part black and I’m white and it turned into a racial issue,” he said.


Frascatore said he was “disgusted” by the fact that the NYPD didn’t release an extended video that showed him shaking hands with Blake and apologizing after the encounter.

“It was very upsetting considering only part of it had been released,” he said.

Frascatore was first tried last fall on the Blake incident. Police Commissioner James O’Neill overruled a recommendation that he lose 10 vacation days and penalized him five. Blake thought the punishment was too light.


The second trial focused on allegations that Frascatore failed to notify a supervisor of the incident, participated in the investigation and leaked a longer tape of the incident to the media.


He acknowledge distributing the longer tape via his cell phone to family and friends, but denied telling anyone to leak it. His sister-in-law gave out the video in an effort to stop the death threats, he said.

“It didn’t help the situation,” he said.

Detective Daniel Alessandrino of the Special Frauds Squad, meanwhile, testified that after he obtained an extended video of the incident, an Internal Affairs inspector came to the office and demanded it.


“No one will see this video!” the inspector thundered, Alessandrino said.


Alessandrino, who was there when Blake was stopped, said he tried to object because the video was needed for evidence in the criminal case against the other two legitimately arrested suspects, but the inspector just took it and left.

“He ignored my comments,” Alessandrino testified. “I’ve never seen the video on that disk.”

In his closing, Frascatore’s lawyer Peter Brill said the NYPD overreacted to the incident.

“(With major media attention) the department acts in ways that are unfortunately not really rational,” Brill said. “The department reacts by placing too much blame. He was simply doing his job.”

Prosecutor Javier Seymour said in his closing that Frascatore broke department rules.
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