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Monday, January 5, 2009

Police Misconduct NewsWatch for 01-05-09

Cell phone video taken by witness to the BART shooting in Oakland, CA.

BART Officers in Oakland California Shoot Man In Back While He Pleads For His Life
22 year old Oscar Grant was fatally shot by BART officers in Oakland California while laying face down on the ground and begging officers for his life. We would likely be hearing a different story about this unwarranted shooting if it weren't for several witnesses video taping the incident at the same time and turning those over to the media instead of to the police department, which is still defending the officer involved.

Lawyer Alleges Police And Public Officials Conspired To Ruin A Man's Life
Disturbing case from West Virginia reported in the lawyer's blog who is representing his client who alleges that West Virginia officials and Snowshoe Mountain police officers conspired with the woman he was divorcing, to falsely imprison him, have him beaten, raped, and worse. The charges used to cover up for the attacks? Public intoxication, which doesn't even garner jail time in West Virginia.

*Tip thanks to Aaron from the Washington State Criminal Defense blog.

Illinois Officer Arrested on Allegations That He Sexually Assaulted Woman He Detained
Illinois State Police have arrested a Alorton Village Police officer on suspicion of sexual misconduct over allegations that he raped a woman that he pulled over. As part of that investigation the officer's unmarked police car has been sent to the state forensics lab for examination.

Former Pro Bowl Football Player Alleges Police Assaulted Him Without Reason
Former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Carl Eller is facing trial for charges of DUI, fleeing police, assault of an officer, and "making terroristic threats" against officers over an arrest on April 9th, 2008.

However, he also has a suit against Minneapolis for improper use of force in the incident... the lawsuit alleges that officers used tasers, choke holds, and blows from a flashlight over nothing more than a moving violation and that the department then intentionally destroyed video evidence of that arrest.

A Former Cop Files Criminal Charges Against Current Officer After Police Refuse To File Charges
A former cop's car was hit and the suspect fled the scene on August of 2007, but someone witnessed the accident and wrote down the license number of the driver who hit his car... but police never did anything else about the case, so the former officer filed charges himself and prosecutors refuse to cooperate.

Why? Because the suspect is a current police officer with the Baltimore Police Department, which is what an officer told him at the scene with a chuckle. The former officer says this:

"If this group went to this extent to cover up a very minor, $1,300 property damage hit-and-run, committed by a low-level officer, what do you think they are doing in other things?" Swiderski said. "I never saw something so blatant in all my 21 years as a police officer."

Indeed.

Connecticut Officers File Lawsuit Against Attorney General For Failing To Protect Them From Retaliation
Several police officers in Connecticut have filed a lawsuit against the state's attorney general for failing to protect them when they requested protection as whistleblowers reporting or investigating allegation of repeated incidents of police misconduct.

The officers include internal affairs investigators and state troopers who say the AG was more concerned about defending senior police managers and covering up misconduct than protecting whistleblowers and the victims of police misconduct.

Woman Sues Officer After Criminal Civil Rights Case Against The Officer Fails
While federal prosecutors and the testimony of five King County deputies couldn't convince the federal criminal jurors that Deputy Brian Bonnar had used excessive force and deprived Irene Damon of her rights when he allegedly beat her during an arrest, Irene has now turned to filing a civil case against the officer and the deparment.

Irene and the officers who testified in the criminal trial allege that Bonnar had struck her twice in the head with a knee after she was handcuffed. Bonnar was subject to a 20 day suspension without pay over the incident.

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