Welcome To aBlackWeb

Register

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

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/aunt-man-killed-police-shooting-unjustified-54374098

Police release footage of fatal shooting of Virginia man

Body camera footage released Tuesday of the fatal police shooting of a black man in Virginia shows him ignoring police commands and then turning quickly toward officers before they fire shots.

Juan Jones, 25, was fatally shot by police officers early Sunday in the small city of Danville, near the Virginia line with North Carolina.

Virginia State Police are leading the investigation, but the Danville police department said it was releasing the footage Tuesday in an effort to dispel "misinformation and rumor" about the shooting that has sparked protests.

Police said in an initial statement that Jones fled from officers responding to a reported domestic assault. They followed him into a wooded area, where police said he refused commands to show his hands and "suddenly turned on the officers in a threatening manner," leading to the shooting.

The approximately eight-minute video shows Jones in a car, ignoring commands to get out. He backs the car away.

Later, it shows the car pulling into a brush-filled area. Jones gets out and doesn't comply with commands to show his hands, the video shows.

One officer is seen deploying a stun gun, which police said wasn't effective. Jones quickly turns around toward police while lifting his arms, and shots are fired.

Sarah Lipscomb, Jones' aunt, said she was among the family members who met with police to watch the video before it was released to the media. She told The Associated Press she does not believe the shooting was justified.

"They did not have to shoot him," Lipscomb said, adding that her nephew was unarmed.

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said Tuesday that no weapon was recovered at the scene.

Jones' shooting has prompted protests in Danville, a city of about 40,000. Scores of people rallied Monday, and a smaller crowd had gathered outside the police department Tuesday evening.

Police Chief Scott Booth urged the community not to rush to conclusions about what happened.

"Let justice happen," he said Tuesday at a news conference in which he confirmed he had met with Jones' family to share the video.

The department has said the officers involved, who have been put on administrative duty, will be identified later this week. Their races have not been released.

According to the local newspaper, the Danville Register & Bee , Jones' shooting was the second fatal police shooting in the city so far this year. It came two days after the local prosecutor announced he would not seek charges against the officer who fatally shot a man after a standoff Jan. 7.
Click to expand...
 


https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/04...otage-from-fatal-shooting-of-20-year-old-man/

West Valley police shot, killed man when he ‘rapidly’ removed hand from pocket after they instructed him to show his hands

West Valley City • For a few seconds before a police officer shot a 20-year-old black man in a garage of a West Valley City house last week, the man had his left hand raised in the air.

Then he abruptly pulled his right hand out of his pocket and a West Valley City police officer fired, three times.

One bullet struck Elijah James Smith.

The fatal shooting has sparked protests from activists who have called for the department to fire the officer, and who on Tuesday after learning more about the shooting, called Smith’s death a “murder.”

Body camera footage, released by West Valley City on Tuesday afternoon, show the tense seconds before Smith was fatally shot just after 3:30 p.m. on April 8.

Police later found a screwdriver on the ground next to Smith. Investigators believe it had been in his pocket.

Three children — ages 9, 10 and 13 — were inside the house at the time of the shooting.

Smith had come to the house while running from police, who were searching the area for someone suspected of stealing from a cell phone store near 3400 South on Redwood Road.

Smith matched the suspected thief’s description of being a black male, wearing a gray hoodie and black pants, police said.

An officer saw Smith hop over a fence into the backyard of a house in a cul-de-sac, according to police. The homeowner reportedly told Smith to leave, and he did.

Officers found two cell phones at that house. Investigators haven’t determined whether the cell phones came from the robbed store.

But, “to my knowledge, they have video from the store, and it was Mr. Smith who was in the store,” police Chief Colleen Jacobs said Tuesday at a news conference.

A police officer then saw Smith go into another house.

The released body camera footage shows three police officers arrive at the West Valley City house, located near 3550 South and 2100 West.

A 13-year-old boy answered the door.

“There’s some, some guy here,” the 13-year-old is heard telling police.

The officers walked through the house, and opened the door into the garage, where Smith is standing next to a car.

“Put your hands up now. Let me see your hands,” the officers shout repeatedly, from a staircase leading down into the garage.

The officers told Smith to show his hands 15 times in 24 seconds, Jacobs said on Tuesday.

Video shows Smith move from one part of the garage to where he was behind a car.

Smith then put up his left hand.

“Get your hand out of your pocket,” officers shout.

One of the officers was inching around the car, toward Smith, who raised his right elbow while pulling his hand out of his pocket.

One of the three fired bullets hit Smith, killing him.

Simultaneously, another officer deployed a stun gun, which didn’t reach Smith.

Afterward, next to Smith on the floor, police found a “modified” screwdriver, said Jacobs, who declined to detail how the screwdriver was modified. She said investigators believe the screwdriver had been in Smith’s pocket.

The 13-year-old boy later told police that Smith had knocked on the door. Then, when the teen answered, Smith “barged in” the front door “aggressively,” according to police. Smith reportedly said something about getting a drink of water, Jacobs said.

Protestors and friends have said they believe Smith ran and hid because he was scared.

“Once again, it’s clear that police will see whatever they want to see in order to justify violence against people of color,” Dave Newlin, of Utahns Against Police Brutality, wrote in an email on Tuesday.

“I see a terrified young man with his hand in the air, desperately and clearly trying to put up his other hand exactly as police have demanded. I see someone who is trapped after running for his life, who knows that at any moment, the violent racism of Utah’s police could take his life, as indeed it does,” Newlin continued.

The officer who fired the shots is on administrative leave, pending the conclusion of the investigation. The other two officers are on full duty, according to Jacobs.

The officers perceived Smith raising his right arm rapidly as a threat, she said.

But Newlin wrote: “The West Valley City Police Department sees what it wants to see: they see black men as inherently threatening. I see this as a clearly unjustified killing. This was murder.”

As to what officers could have done differently, Jacobs didn’t really have an answer.

“It’s a little premature for me to make any kind of assumptions without knowing the full totality of the circumstances, up to and including the perception of the officers,” Jacobs said. “My officers followed protocol.”

The patrol officer who fired his weapon has been with West Valley City for just under two years, according to police, who have not released his name.

Activists have said the police officer’s use of force was excessive. On Saturday, they called for the release of the body camera footage and the firing of the officer who shot Smith. Friends and family members have raised $5,700 for his funeral costs through an online campaign.

Smith and his cousin, Monte Brown, often talked about their fear of police because they were young black men, Brown said at Saturday’s protest.

“I want justice for my cousin and my family,” he said. “Because this wasn’t right.”

Other protestors said Smith was “happy,” “energetic,” “a talented artist,” and had “the best smile.”

The last text message Selena Montoya received from Smith, her childhood friend, asked about how to apply to college, she said at a protest.

“It was his dream to go up to that University of Utah,” she said. “And I was excited to guide him and be his mentor to follow his dreams. But that was cut short by [the] West Valley Police Department. They cut his dreams. I don’t get to see Elijah graduate from college. I don’t get to see Elijah create that family that he always wanted. ... There was an innocent life taken.”
Click to expand...
 


25316301154_e968ac1aa2_o.gif
 


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/ma...h-desousa-ericb-rakim-20180419-htmlstory.html

Baltimore police chief apologizes for 200 years of policing at Eric B & Rakim show, gets frosty reception

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa took the stage during the reunion tour for hip-hop act Eric B. & Rakim at Baltimore Soundstage on Wednesday night, and videos of the appearance posted to social media suggest they didn't exactly get a warm reception.

Videos posted to Instagram show De Sousa making a brief speech to say sorry about how police have treated black communities since the nation’s founding.

“I want to take about 20 seconds to apologize for all the things the police have done dating back 200 years,” the commissioner said. “Two hundred years ago all the way to civil rights. All the way to the ’80s where crack was prevalent in the cities and it affected disproportionately African-American men. All the way to the ’90s. All the way to the 2000s when we had zero tolerance.”

“I want to take the time to apologize for what policing did and I promise you we’re going to make a change in the future.”

Some people applauded. But as De Sousa spoke, a person can be heard on one of the videos yelling profanities. In another video someone repeatedly shouts “get the police off the stage.”

And by Thursday afternoon, the union that represents De Sousa’s rank and file officers was also pushing back on his comments.

Gene Ryan, the president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #3, issued a statement saying he didn’t think the blanket apology was appropriate.

“Law enforcement was created to protect and serve the citizenry despite race and that is what we strive to do, daily,” the union president wrote. “Are we perfect? No, of course not, but as a profession we work very hard to care for all of our citizens.”

In an interview, Ryan said that while he disagreed with De Sousa’s comments, he remained willing to give him a chance.

“I think he’ll do a great job because he’s homegrown,” he said. “He knows Baltimore.”
Click to expand...
 
Gene ryan is lying his ass off. All of the misconduct, civil violations and intentional murders w/ no accountability clearly states there is no "care" for all citizens
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/...&gwh=C7A6142A377A7493CFD64A8B45B51067&gwt=pay

Sheriff’s Deputy Is Fired After Fatally Shooting Unarmed Man in Houston

A sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an unarmed black man who was acting erratically at a Houston intersection last month has been fired, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday.

The deputy, Cameron Brewer, who is also black, did not adhere to the department’s policy on use of force when he fatally shot Danny Ray Thomas, 34, on March 22, the agency said in a statement.

A video camera inside Mr. Brewer’s car captured part of the encounter: Mr. Thomas can be seen at an intersection with his pants around his ankles and in an altercation with another man as the deputy’s car pulls up. He can then be seen walking toward Deputy Brewer, who is yelling: “Get down, man! Get on the ground.”

The deputy was not wearing his newly issued body camera, so what happened next was not captured in the video released by the sheriff’s office. But the sound of a single gunshot could be heard, and Mr. Thomas was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Deputy Brewer, who joined the sheriff’s department in 2016, was placed on administrative duty after the shooting, pending an internal affairs investigation. In its statement on Friday, the department said that Mr. Thomas was “behaving erratically” but that he was unarmed. Although Deputy Brewer was carrying a Taser, he did not use it before shooting Mr. Thomas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has said.

“The brave men and women of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are called upon to make life-or-death decisions on a daily basis, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Sheriff Gonzalez said in the statement. “We hold the community’s trust as sacred, and we will continue to support our deputies with clear policies and the valuable training they need to protect the lives of all our residents.”

Deputy Brewer did not respond to a phone call seeking comment on Friday. A spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department said on Friday that the department was still investigating the shooting.

The Harris County Deputies’ Organization expressed condolences to Mr. Thomas’s family but said in a statement that it stood behind Deputy Brewer. “Sheriff Gonzalez has second-guessed Deputy Brewer’s split-second decision,” it said. “We do not agree with the decision of Sheriff Gonzalez to terminate Deputy Brewer.”

The shooting happened at a time of heightened scrutiny over the use of force by the police. Another unarmed black man, Stephon Clark, 22, had recently been shot by officers in his backyard in Sacramento, and protests over his death were taking place on the same day Mr. Thomas was killed.
Click to expand...
 
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n...ty-detroit-police-officer-pulls-gun/34141415/

Off-duty Detroit cop arrested after pulling gun

An off-duty Detroit police officer has been charged after he allegedly tussled with his girlfriend downtown Sunday and pulled out his gun when citizens tried to help the woman, police said.

Officer Will Fortner, 25, has been charged with two counts of felonious assault, two counts of felony firearm and domestic violence.

On Monday, a 36th District Court judge ordered Fortner held on a $15,000 bond. She also ordered him to not have any contact with the victim.

“The officer has been arrested, and we’re talking with Wayne County prosecutors,” Detroit police Chief James Craig said Sunday. “It’s a very serious situation.”

Detroit police internal affairs investigators are looking into the alleged infraction by the officer, who has been on the force two years and works at the 5th Precinct.

In addition to the internal probe, police have launched a criminal investigation into the allegations.

A felonious assault charge is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Fortner and his girlfriend were arguing inside a nightclub near Fort and Beaubien at about 2 a.m. Sunday, police said. The squabble continued after they exited the club, and the officer tried to force the woman into his car.

When two men saw the struggle and attempted to intervene, the officer allegedly opened his trunk and produced his gun, according to police.

“At this point, we’re not sure if the officer was under the influence of alcohol or not,” Craig said. “There’s an allegation he may have pointed his gun at the men who tried to help.”

Internal affairs investigators were poring through surveillance video to get a clearer idea of what happened, Craig said.

“It’s a bad situation, but I applaud the captain on the scene who did all the right things,” Craig said. “He handled it like any other crime, secured witnesses and made the appropriate notification so we could do a thorough investigation.”

The officer was held in the Detroit Detention Center Sunday while awaiting charges.

Kenneth Reed, spokesman for the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, said the incident appears to be a domestic violence issue, prompting him to call for more training.

“I think there needs to be more training in terms of de-escalation, training these officers in term of how to treat others and with handing domestic violence,” Reed said. “Officers have to be held to a higher standard regardless of whether you are wearing the uniform or out for a night on the town.”
Click to expand...
 
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n...fic-crash-reports-fbi-investigation/34258523/

Detroit police sergeant suspended amid FBI probe

A Detroit police sergeant has been suspended amid an FBI investigation into allegations she sold information in traffic crash reports to a third party, who used the stolen material to perpetrate fraud, according to internal police documents.

The third party used the information in the crash reports to contact drivers and passengers, and convince them to obtain unnecessary legal and medical services, and file lawsuits, according to two Detroit police memos obtained by The Detroit News.

“(The sergeant) confirmed she has been providing information contained in State of Michigan UD-10 Crash Reports prepared by various members of the Detroit Police Department to a ‘third party’ on a daily basis, which allowed the ‘third party’ to contact victims and solicit them,” an April 19 memo said.

“(The sergeant) further indicated she would be compensated anywhere from $1,000 to $1,200 a week for the information she provided,” one memo said.

The sergeant, whose name is being withheld because she has not been charged with a crime, works with the Lieutenants and Sergeants Association union. She was suspended last week with pay, according the memos dated April 19.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said: “I can’t comment on any pending federal investigations.”

Lieutenants and Sergeants Association President Mark Young said federal agents seized the sergeant’s computer from the union offices Wednesday.

“The LSA is cooperating with the investigation, and we don’t condone this type of behavior,” Young said. “This all happened while she was off-duty, and has nothing to do with the union. This conduct is reprehensible. She tarnished the badge.”

A second memo discussing the allegations against the sergeant, also dated April 19, said: “The nature of the crimes alleged against (the sergeant) includes her gaining access, while off duty, into the secure password protected ... Record Management System Database.

“After gaining access to the system, (the sergeant) would view and print out ... Crash Reports containing sensitive and privileged information collected from victims involved in motor vehicle accidents throughout the City of Detroit,” the memo said.

“The information would then be provided to a ‘third party,’ who would compensate (the sergeant) for the information,” the memo said. “The ‘third party’ would make direct contact with involved victims and passengers in an attempt to solicit them into receiving legal and medical assistance, which would normally not be required,” the memo said.

“In addition, the information would be utilized to generate or inflate fraudulent claims, as well as to assist in seeking civil and personal injury lawsuits,” the memo said.

Per the City Charter, the police chief must solicit the Board of Police Commissioners to withhold an officer’s pay during a suspension.
Click to expand...
 
http://www.wdrb.com/story/38051070/...er-of-police-shootings-recently-is-concerning

LMPD Chief Steve Conrad says number of police shootings recently is 'concerning'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Police Chief Conrad expressed concern about the number of police shootings this year but noted that in each instance, his officers have been met with "aggression," including last night when a man threw at least one knife at officers before he was shot and killed.

Police released body cam video Thursday of the third fatal shooting by officers in less than a week. The video appeared to show Officer Degerald Watson-Morton being struck in the leg with a knife thrown by the suspect, 42-year-old Isaac Jackson.

However, Jackson was not shot immediately after throwing the knife and it is unclear from the video what he was doing when a second officer, Brendan Kaiser, fired several shots, killing him.

Conrad started the press conference by acknowledging that "this has been a difficult few days for Louisville, both for our officers and this community," and stressed that all of the shootings would be thoroughly investigated.

He also said the department has committed to more deescalation training, including for when officers are confronted by suspects with edged weapons.

The chief said he recognizes that "having so many incidents in a short amount of time is concerning."

And he said police will be going to scenes with backup in the immediate future because of "a number of comments on social media that appear to me to be threats to our officers."

The latest police shooting occurred a little after 10 p.m. Wednesday, on North 42nd Street in the Shawnee neighborhood. The two second division officers responded to a domestic disturbance inside a home and were confronted by Jackson, who police say was armed with at least one knife.

One of the officer's body camera videos shows Watson-Morton appearing to be struck with something as he entered the home. Kaiser reports to dispatch that the suspect had thrown a knife.

Kaiser walks around a corner towards the man, who at that point is not seen on video, repeatedly yelling at him to show his hands. Kaiser, who has been with the department since 2016, fired nine times. Conrad noted the video does not show what Jackson was doing when he was shot and Kaiser will have to explain what he saw and why he fired his weapon.

The house was on fire during the shooting and Kaiser told dispatch it was "getting out of control" and he needed back up as quickly.

Conrad said "a number of knives" were later found in the home. Jackson died at the hospital and Watson-Morton was treated and released.
Click to expand...
 
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...-officer-shoots-through-windshield/553328002/

Questions arise after Louisville police officer shoots at suspect through car windshield


This LMPD officer driving in his squad car shot through his windshield while pursuing a robbery suspect. LMPD video

During the pursuit of an armed robbery suspect Tuesday in Portland, one Louisville Metro Police officer took both hands off the wheel of his moving car, grabbed his gun and shot through his windshield.

It looked like something out of an action movie and caught the attention of cops and critics alike. Is shooting at a suspect through a windshield an appropriate police tactic?

Nicolai Jilek, an LMPD officer since 2007 and the president of Louisville's police union, said "you may not see it often" but that shooting through a windshield can be a useful tactic in a life or death situation.

"When you're in your car you've got your seatbelt on, equipment on and you have a steering wheel," Jilek said. "If you can, you want to return fire from the car as quick as possible."

Jilek said that while shooting through the windshield is a rarity, it is a situation that has been discussed in recent police training in Louisville.

"They're trying to train us to shoot through our windshield if we need to," Jilek said. "If you feel threatened and you're in immediate danger, it can be effective. I think there has been some tactical observations and research that shows officers are concerned with getting out of their cars safely in those situations."

But others, such as former Madison, Wisconsin, Police Chief David Couper said the move seemed "reckless."

Couper, a vocal advocate for law enforcement reform, said there are lots of repercussions to think about when shooting through a windshield.

"I've never heard of that before," Couper said. "I was led to believe that the bullet's trajectory could change or be deflected when going through a windshield. There's also the element of shattered glass too. It sounds bizarre."

Couper said the use of force obviously depends on the situation, but he criticized the practicality of firing through a patrol car's windshield. He pointed out more simple measures such as rolling down a side window or taking cover behind the vehicle before lining up a shot.

"It sounds hazardous, but I imagine the police force would defend the decision," Couper said. "There are two things you need to ask: Is this consistent with training or not? And was this a last-ditch method to save your life or the life of another person."

The officers shot and killed Demonjhea Jordan, 21, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, after he robbed a Metro PCS in the Portland neighborhood on Tuesday. Numerous officers fired more than 20 times at him in all.

Lt. Aaron Crowell of the department's public integrity unit said police think Jordan also fired his weapon, citing "multiple sources of information" that led them to that conclusion.

He declined to say what the sources were, how many shots were fired or who fired first. It's not clear in the body camera footage when or if the suspect fired his weapon, but a gun is visible between his legs when he is lying on the ground wounded.

Jilek said the risks of a bullet going off course or shattered glass causing injuries are insignificant in a life or death situation.

"Those potential risks are very fluid decisions," Jilek said. "Bullets go both ways through a windshield. I think it's one of those things where in a fraction of a second you have to decide if that risk was worth it."

James Clarkson, the owner of the residential building near where the suspect was shot, said his tenants estimated they heard between 15 and 20 shots. Damage was done to the apartment building he owns, including shattered windows and broken doors. The four people inside were, thankfully, unharmed, Clarkson said.

The officers involved in Jordan's death, including the officer who fired from behind the windshield, have been placed on routine reassignment pending the outcome of the department's internal investigation.
Click to expand...
 
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/04/naacp_clevelands_black_shield.html

NAACP, Cleveland's Black Shield Police association blast racist texts from Cleveland cop

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The presidents of the NAACP and the police association that represents black police officers on Thursday criticized a white veteran police officer who sent racist text messages from his personal phone to another officer.

"There is no place within the Cleveland Police Department for such language, specifically, the use of racially insensitive language that is hurtful to the community we serve and to fellow officers," Black Shield President Vincent Montague said in a statement.

Montague was referencing the internal disciplinary action taken against Det. John Kraynik, who was found to have "used disparaging and racial remarks when referencing African American football players" on Oct. 15, Oct. 16 and Nov. 26, 2016, according to a disciplinary charging document obtained by cleveland.com.

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams issued a letter ordering Kraynik to undergo sensitivity training. No other discipline was issued.

Cleveland police and city spokespeople have not responded to multiple requests for comment on how Williams reached his decision.

The city has also not responded to a public records request into the investigative file for Kraynik. It is unknown exactly what he said in the messages. Kraynik is a detective in the predominantly black Fourth District.

"It's not illegal to be a bigot, but it's unfortunate that Kraynik is in such an important position," Cleveland NAACP President James Hardiman said. "The Fourth District is overwhelming African-American and speaks overwhelmingly to biased policing and racial profiling, which are thing we all hope that Cleveland police has put behind them."

The disciplinary case against Kraynik and another officer is the subject of a lawsuit regarding the way investigators came across the messages. Internal Affairs investigators found the messages while investigating another officer in an unrelated case.

The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association sued the city and said investigators' violated Kraynik's First Amendment Rights and privacy rights by looking at text messages Kraynik sent from his personal phone. That lawsuit is pending.

CPPA president Jeff Follmer previously said the union is not defending what Kraynik said in the texts, but rather the method in which internal investigators got them.

Both Montague and Hardiman said the revelations that Kraynik sent racist text messages reverberates throughout the community.

"The text messages, while sent off duty, still reveal an underlying concern that biases and racially disparaging and insensitive language hurt the community and the morale of the department," Montague's statement said. "Diversity training is just one small part of the solution. We must ensure our officers are free of all biases (racial, gender, socioeconomic, etc.) that may impact the way we police."

Haridman said the text messages now bring into question the 2005 fatal shooting in which he and partner Phillip Habeeb shot 15-year-old Brandon McCloud while searching a house for evidence in the robbery of a pizza delivery driver. The officers claimed McCloud, who was black, moved out of a closet in a small, dark bedroom with a knife in his hand.

While a grand jury later cleared Kraynik and Habeeb of criminal wrongdoing and a city review board said the officers followed department policies as they existed at the time, the shooting called into question the bias of city police officers.

"What I don't understand is how these people can function in a majority black city," Hardiman said. "We know what happened 13 years ago. A young black man was shot and killed. How much of the attitude came into play in that particular incident? We'll never know. This is indicative of a police force that is not in tune with its citizens and that's unfortunate on so many levels."

Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones said the incident served to perpetuate mistrust between the community and police.

"It just increases the perception that officers don't like black people," Jones said. "It perpetuates the perception that creates not just physical violence but social and emotional violence that we don't trust each other."
Click to expand...

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/04/cleveland_detective_who_sent_r.html

Cleveland detective who sent racist text messages will not be suspended, will get diversity training

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland police detective who sent racist text messages about black football players will not be suspended.

Det. John Kraynik, who works in the majority black Fourth District in the city's southeast corner, was sent a letter that orders him to undergo diversity training, according to Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia.

The letter has not yet been provided to cleveland.com.

Kraynik "used disparaging and racial remarks when referencing African American football players" on Oct. 15, Oct. 16 and Nov. 26, 2016, according to a disciplinary charging document.

Police Internal Affairs investigators came across the text messages while investigating another officer on an unrelated matter. The investigators also found a second officer, Aaron Petitt, sent racist text messages during the probe, according to multiple sources who spoke to cleveland.com.

The messages were sent on the officer's personal phones and Kraynik's messages were sent while he was off-duty, according to Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Jeff Follmer.

The union representing the city's rank-and-file officers filed suit against the city to prevent Kraynik and Petitt from being disciplined, arguing that the discipline violated their First Amendment rights to privacy.

The union asked a federal judge to bar the city from disciplining the officers for the text messages. The lawsuit does not name Petitt or Kraynik, but multiple sources told cleveland.com that they are the officers involved in the suit.

Kraynik's punishment likely means that issue is now moot for him. Petitt has not yet learned his fate from the disciplinary hearing. The union has sought an extension to plead their case.

Kraynik and Petitt each appeared April 17 before Williams for a pre-disciplinary hearing, after U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko denied the union's initial request to bar the city from holding the hearing.

Boyko denied the request because the union provided little information in the lawsuit.

The union responded by saying it would file a more thorough explanation of the case, but asked the judge to allow it to make the filing under seal, meaning details of their cases would remain shielded from the public. Boyko has not yet made a ruling on whether to allow the filing to be made under seal.

Kraynik previously declined to comment and attempts to reach Petitt were unsuccessful.

Exactly what the officers are accused of saying was not immediately known. Cleveland.com requested the internal investigative files against both men on April 19, but the city had not fulfilled the request as of Wednesday.

In 2005, Kraynik and then-partner Phillip Habeeb shot 15-year-old Brandon McCloud in September 2005 while searching a house for evidence in the robbery of a pizza delivery driver. The officers claimed McCloud, who was black, moved out of a closet in a small, dark bedroom with a knife in his hand.

McCloud's death caused considerable consternation in the city's black community. While a grand jury later cleared Kraynik and Habeeb of criminal wrongdoing and a city review board said the officers followed department policies as they existed at the time, the shooting called into question the bias of city police officers.

Petitt is accused of using "disparaging remarks when referencing an Arabic male during a potential police action" on April 27, 2017, according to his charging document. Internal Affairs investigators also accused him of using force in October in downtown Cleveland, even though it was avoidable. Finally, he is accused of not covering up tattoos on his arm while on duty.
Click to expand...
 
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n...s-3-years-probation-meijer-assault/541291002/

Detroit cop gets 3 years probation for Meijer assault

A Detroit police officer Monday was sentenced to probation after pleading no contest to charges for beating a man inside a Meijer store in October.

Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Mariam Bazzi sentenced Lonnie Wade, 65, to three years probation. He could have faced up to 10 years in prison for the first charge and up to 4 years in prison for the second. Both charges are felonies.

Through his attorney, Steve Fishman, Wade declined to speak to the court before Bazzi handed down his sentence. Wade also declined to speak to the media after sentencing.

However, before Bazzi gave him his sentence, she chastised him for his actions. She also said that except for this one incident, he was a law-abiding citizen.

"What you did at that point in time has eroded trust in the police," she said. "It hurt the community and made things more difficult."

The judge also put a few conditions on Wade's probation. He must perform 80 hours of community service and he is also banned from working as a security guard, engaging in assaulting behavior and must not possess any weapons. In addition, he is to pay a couple of thousand dollars in court costs and legal fees.

In February, Wade entered his plea to assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. He also was charged with two counts of misconduct in office. Wade was captured on video in October striking 23-year-old David Bivins with his baton inside a Detroit Meijer store, where Wade was moonlighting as a security guard.

In January, the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to withhold pay from Wade because of the charges.

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger filed a $25 million lawsuit against Meijer in Wade’s assault case. The alleged victim, Bivins, whose teeth were knocked out, said during a press conference when the charges against Wade were announced he still felt “daily pain.”

Christopher White of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality said Wade should be fired from the force.

"Officer Wade's hostile actions contribute to an erosion of trust between the community and police department," he said via email. "His actions have cost the city in a lawsuit and the Chief and Board of Police Commissioners must terminate him to restore that trust."
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top