Four police officers – three from Chicago, and one from Glenview – have been charged with felony perjury, for allegedly lying under oath in a drug case last year.

Dashcam video from a Glenview police squad car led to the charges against Chicago Police Sgt. James Padar, Chicago Police Officers William Pruente and Vince Morgan, and Glenview Police Officer James Horn.

The four officers testified against 23-year-old Joseph Sperling about a pound of marijuana being found in plain view in his car during a traffic stop in Glenview in June 2013. However, video shown during a court hearing last year proved the findings and the arrest did not take place the way the officers claimed.

There were five officers at the scene at the time of the arrest. A source said a fifth officer from Glenview was not charged, because the video was shown while she was testifying, and she changed her story on the stand to agree with the video, so there was no proof she lied on the stand.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez was scheduled to discuss the case after the officers’ bond hearing at 1:30 p.m. at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building.

Sperling has sued the four officers, claiming Horn disabled his vehicle’s recording devices at the request of one of the Chicago officers. However, another Glenview squad car was still recording the traffic stop.

At a March 2014 hearing, Judge Catherine Haberkorn called the officers’ testimony “very outrageous” after the video revealed they were lying under oath. She said there was strong evidence of a conspiracy to lie on the stand.

All charges have been dropped against Sperling.

A Los Angeles police officer has been convicted by a jury of assaulting an arrested woman who later died, according to a statement issued Friday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Mary O'Callaghan, 50, was tried on one count of assault under the color of authority. She will be sentenced July 23 and could face three years in prison.

O'Callaghan was accused of assaulting Alesia Thomas who, while under under arrest, lost consciousness in a patrol car. She was later declared dead.

The incident occurred July 22, 2012, when police investigating possible child abandonment went to Thomas' home.

Earlier, Thomas had dropped off her two children at a police station because she felt her drug abuse had made her an unfit parent, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

At the mother's home, police talked with Thomas and arrested her. O'Callaghan arrived on the scene and helped fellow officers put Thomas -- then wearing handcuffs and leg restraints -- in a patrol car.

Video captured what happened next, the prosecutor's office said, including "O'Callaghan kicking Thomas in the stomach and groin area and pushing her in the throat."

Thomas lost consciousness in the patrol car, then was transported by paramedics to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

According to the Los Angeles Times, O'Callaghan's attorney, Robert Rico, said his client used her foot to push Thomas into the patrol car but didn't kick her. He said Thomas had not complied with officers' orders.

CNN affiliate KTLA reported that prosecutors didn't charge O'Callaghan with involuntary manslaughter because there was insufficient evidence to prove that her conduct caused Thomas' death.

Thomas' official cause of death was "undetermined," according to a coroner's report.

Some police officers see their "thin blue line" immunity from traffic tickets as a perk that comes with the job. It is not uncommon to see squad cars momentarily turn on their flashing lights to speed through a red light, only to have the lights turned off once they make it to the other side. On February 10, 2013, Albuquerque Police Sergeant Adam Casaus did not make it to the other side.

On Tuesday, the Tenth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled that Casaus will not enjoy any immunity for the conduct resulting in his police SUV slamming into another vehicle, killing Ashley Browder, 21, and gravely injuring her sister Lindsay. Though charged with felony homicide by reckless driving, a state court found him guilty of careless driving, a misdemeanor. The Browders went to federal court to sue for damages. The three-judge panel found his arbitrary actions involved a constitutional violation -- the deprivation of life -- under the color of law.

"He used his official squad car and activated its emergency lights and proceeded to speed through surface city streets at more than 60 miles per hour over 8.8 miles through eleven city intersections and at least one red light -- all for his personal pleasure, on no governmental business of any kind," Judge Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the court. "What's more, the New Mexico statute empowering police officers to speed and run red lights when pursuing a lawbreaker expressly states that it does not insulate an officer 'from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others.'"

The appellate court dismissed the claim of immunity by Casaus, and a trial will have to decide to impose liability. The judges acknowledged that a jury might only find that Casaus was negligent.

"But on the facts pleaded a reasonable jury could infer something more, a conscious contempt of the lives of others and thus a form of reckless indifference to a fundamental right -- precisely the sort of mens rea Lewis says will normally suffice to establish liability," Judge Gorsuch wrote.

Casaus testified that he was pursuing a reckless driver when he sped through the intersection, and that this justified his conduct as "official business." The court pointed out that Casaus made no call to dispatch about any other car, as required by department policy. An eyewitness also contradicts the claim. A jury will have to resolve the dispute.

"We don't doubt the Browders have stated a plausible claim for relief," Judge Gorsuch wrote. "Indeed and again, we do not doubt that, when an officer uses his emergency lights on his business and not the public's and goes racing through traffic lights, a reasonable jury could conclude that his conduct amounts to an abuse of power; a demand that others get out of his way so he might pursue his personal business before they might pursue theirs."

In an unusual move, Judge Gorsuch wrote a separate concurring opinion to express his personal preference that state, not federal, courts handle such cases.

A devastated family is now filing a lawsuit against police for letting a K9 maul their child’s genitals.

The boy, Javarius Ragin, was just 14-yrs-old and the police attack dog was allowed to “literally rip open” his ***** under the supervision of the cop.

The incident began when Ragin was a passenger in a car that was pulled over by police.

Police claimed that the car was “stolen.”

...

An officer began chasing him as he left the traffic stop, and that’s when Ragin tried to hide away in a random shed, according to reports.

But Officer Earles Gonzalez opened the door of the shed and gave an order to his K9 to attack Ragin, reports say.

Ragin had his hands raised in the air, completely surrendering to the officer.

But this did not stop Officer Gonzalez from letting the K9 — named “Diesel — continue to sink its teeth into Ragin, the lawsuit claims.

As Ragin surrendered, the animal was allowed to maul his ***** and “ripped it open” according to reports.

...

When the officer stopped the attack, Ragin was not given timely medical attention afterwards and that other officers who arrived to the scene would not call an ambulance, the lawsuit states.

Ragin and his family are suing for excessive force.

Their attorney says that doctors eventually stitched up the wounds on Ragin’s genitals, which left significant scar tissue.

The attorney says that the officers also failed to document the attack that occurred on Ragin.

A former Greece police officer was sentenced Monday for possession of child pornography.

Prosecutors say John Casey, 47, was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 10 years supervised release. Casey will also have to register as a sexual offender.

Investigators say in March 2014, Casey was sharing images of child pornography online. At that time, officers were able to download several sexually explicit images of children being raped from Casey's computer.

Investigators say the time of the online activities determined that the images were never downloaded when Casey was at work.

A man arrested after he recorded cops and carried cracker crumbs in wax paper to resemble crack has agreed to settle his lawsuit against a Gloucester County police department for $35,000.

News of the settlement reached earlier this year was first reported Wednesday by NJ Civil Settlements, which compiles lists of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.

Plaintiff John Cokos was stopped by Deptford Township police when he was seen walking to Gloucester County College carrying a video camera in November 2011.

Cokos said police told him there has been burglaries in the area and that the camera made him appear suspicious, according to court papers.

The Wenonah resident said he got into a skirmish with police and was forced against a guardrail after he refused their orders to turn off the recorder. While searching him, a detective and another officer uncovered Saltine cracker crumbs in brown wax paper that police believed to be crack cocaine, the suit alleges.

Cokos was then arrested on drug possession charges.

While being held at the police station, Cokos said one of the officers informed him that "the supposed crack cocaine was, in fact, a piece of saltine cracker."

Police then charged Cokos with obstruction of the administration of law.

He was found not guilty of that charge in January 2012, court papers say.

In agreeing to the settlement, Deptford police don't admit to wrongdoing.

In the lawsuit, Angela Zorich claims that St. Louis County Police tactical officers -- aka the department's SWAT team -- raided her house in April 2014 and killed Kiya, her four-year-old pit bull.

Update: See the police version of the incident, as detailed in its incident report.

The reason for the raid: to check if her home had electricity and natural gas service.

"This is an example of police overreaching and using excessive force to get a family out of their house," said Kenneth Chackes, the attorney who represents Zorich.

Online court records suggest that Zorich and relatives have had various landlord actions and complaints filed against them since 2005 at two separate addresses in south St. Louis County.

Chackes preferred not to elaborate on the complaint, which is already 24 pages long. The St. Louis County Police Department declined to comment since the lawsuit is pending.

...

The next day, around 12:41 p.m., Zorich was at home with several family members and her pit bull, Kiya, when a St. Louis County Police Tactical Response Unit burst through the door without knocking, according to her suit. The unit had at least five officers with M-4 rifles, supported by at least eight uniformed officers.

The officers entered so quickly, Zorich's suit alleges, that Kiya didn't even have time to bark. A tactical officer fired three shots into the dog, and the dog's "bladder and bowels released and she fell to the floor." The dog "was laying on the floor in her own waste and blood struggling to breathe. She had a gaping hole in her chest."

Zorich claims the officers kept trying to talk to her about the natural gas, but she was focused on her dog, whom she'd raised as a puppy and who (she says) had "never shown agression to any person."

At one point in the raid, Zorich alleges, an officer pointed his firearm at her son's head and said "One word, ************, and I'll put three in you."

Zorich was taken into custody and later given a notice of violation from the Housing Inspector. It listed citations concerning her siding, guard rail, screens, window glass and deck.

When she returned home, she found beds overturned and items that had been on her shelves thrown to the floor.

She is suing St. Louis County and two officers, Corey Zavorka and Robert M. Rinck. Her allegations include unlawful seizure and unlawful infliction of emotional distress (for the killing of the dog) and unlawful retaliation.

We asked the police for a copy of the incident report and any stats on how frequently dogs attack officers who execute warrants. They replied that such information could take up to two weeks to release, given the "massive amount of records requests."

Stephen Ryals, who represents Zorich along with Chackes, says that within the last decade, more and more plaintiffs have filed suit against law enforcers who conducted a raid or executed a warrant and killed the family dog.

LOUISIANA DEPUTY ARRESTED WITH 18 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA
Dabber McCrackin | June 4, 2015 | Law Enforcement | 4 Comments

deputy arrested marijuana

An off-duty Cameron Parish, Louisiana sheriff’s deputy was arrested for possession with intent to distribute nearly 18 pounds of marijuana following a search of his vehicle Tuesday night by state troopers.

28-year-old Derek Nothnagel was arrested on Interstate 10 in Sulphur, LA after being stopped for following too closely and improper lane use, two infractions the young deputy obviously forgot he himself was taught to use in order to stop (alleged) marijuana traffickers like himself. Deputy Nothnagel did apparently recall part of his police academy training, however, as troopers were forced to call a K9 after Nothnagel refused to consent to a search of his vehicle.

Nothnagel, who was immediately fired by the Cameron Parish Sheriff after being (allegedly) caught with what appears to be an impressive mixture of both good bud and Mexischwag brick weed, doesn’t appear to have been a member of the law enforcement community for too long. A March post on the former deputy’s Facebook page shows him standing with who is presumed to be his wife (and who he shares his Facebook page with- awww), holding a police academy diploma.

A jury unanimously ruled Jefferson County Sheriff Blair Olsen is guilty of three felony charges of misusing public money Wednesday.

The trial's focus was on the cell phone paid by the county that was in possession of Olsen's wife, Marie. The defense said the phone was kept for backup purposes in case of emergencies, but the prosecution argued it was for Marie Olsen's personal use.

The jury took three hours to make its decision.

After the reading of the verdict, Judge Greg Moeller told the sheriff he is no longer allowed to carry a gun on his person.

Prosecuting attorney Jason Spilman said he was pleased with the outcome.

"It's a case we felt strongly about," he said. "I know the attorney general (Lawrence Wasden) felt strongly about pursuing misuse of public funds, so we're pleased with the result. ... I think it was a really hard, at times complex and tedious case. They did a really excellent job of staying on track and paying good attention, and they just did a really nice job."

Newly released surveillance footage showing a New York City police car mowing down a dirt bike, leaving a 20-year-old man dead and his 17-year-old male passenger paralyzed with brain damage, proved witnesses were correct when they accused the NYPD of lying.


Now the family of the teen is suing the New York City Police Department.
The incident took place in October 2012 but the video is just now surfacing, disproving the NYPD tale that police were not pursuing the occupants on the dirt bike, but that it tried to “overtake” the police vehicle before it lost control, swerving in front of the patrol car, which was when the cops struck the bike, killing Ronald Herrera and leaving Leonel Cuevas paralyzed.

But even back then, witnesses contradicted the official police report, according to a New York Daily News article published December 10, 2012.

...

The only discipline the two officers received was over minor policy violations; failing to notify the radio dispatcher about the chase and documenting it in their memo books. They received minor slaps on the wrist, even though the NYPD Patrol Guide prohibits “ramming” in an attempt to stop a vehicle.

...He settled that suit with the city of Inkster for $1.4 Million, last week.

The only problem is, the city cant seem to come up with the money. But don’t worry, local officials have a solution – a tax hike.

Thats right, Inkster is seeking a one-time tax hike this summer from residents. The July 1 tax bill levies 6.45 mills, city treasurer Mark Stuhldreher said Monday. For a resident who has property with a $40,000 market value, that means roughly $130 more, he said.

Inkster’s liability insurance policy allows only for payouts above $2 million, Mayor Hilliard Hampton said, and although the city has a surplus and is out of debt, a consent agreement it has operated under for several years restricts tapping the general fund to finalize such settlements.

The higher tax is due by Aug. 31...

An NYPD officer is accused of stealing credit card information from a dead man she'd been asked to check on and using it to purchase a diamond ring, authorities say.

The accused officer, 30-year-old Ymmacula Pierre, was on the job when she went to an apartment building on East 14th Street in Union Square last July to conduct a wellness check requested by the tenant's family, prosecutors said.

It turned out the man who lived there, 65-year-old Ken Sanden, had passed away. After notifying the man's family, Pierre obtained his credit card information and then allegedly bought a $3,200 diamond ring from Zales two days later.

She was arrested Tuesday after months of investigation following the credit card fraud last year.

Pierre, who has been on the force for three years, was charged with possession of stolen property, identity theft and official misconduct. She pleaded not guilty in court.

The NYPD said the officer is currently suspended without pay for 30 days.

There was no response at her official address in West Hempstead Tuesday, but her lawyer told reporters at court his client is a good person.

A Holbrook police dog that got loose and bit a teen and his mother several times Sunday was ordered into quarantine by the state Wednesday.

Typically, when a dog bites a person, the dog is put into quarantine for 10 days by the local animal control officer to examine whether it shows any signs of rabies.

State law says that police dogs are exempt from having to be placed into quarantine “when such dogs are under the direct supervision, care and control of a police officer.”
Because the police dog, Bo, was not with his handler and partner – officer Joshua Knowlton – when the attack occurred, the dog is not exempt from the quarantine law, a spokesman for the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Division of Animal Health said.

Holbrook Animal Control Officer Laurice Hedges was notified by the Division of Animal Health that the dog would need to be put into quarantine Wednesday. Hedges did not return multiple calls and email requests for comment Tuesday and Wednesday.

The German shepherd was fenced in behind Knowlton’s Holbrook home on Sycamore Street when he got free from his kennel.

The German shepherd went around the house where a 15-year-old boy, who lives next door to Knowlton, was swinging a baseball bat in his front yard.

Bo saw the swinging of the bat as a sign of aggression and attacked and bit the boy multiple times in the ankle, buttocks and thigh, Holbrook Police Chief William Smith said. The mother of the teen victim went outside to free her son and was also bitten, Smith said.

Knowlton came out of his house and was able to get the dog under control.
The teen suffered multiple puncture wounds and was taken by ambulance to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Smith said.

An Atlanta police officer has been suspended without pay and faces charges after police said he helped a murder suspect escape.

Officer Tommy Williams was arrested on May 21 after being accused of helping Jabri Mathis, 20, escape. Mathis was wanted on 13 charges, including two counts of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon while committing a felony.

The arrest report shows officers were chasing Mathis when he ran inside a home in the 500 block of James P. Brawley Drive. That's when Mathis escaped from the back of the house, jumped a fence and ran away.

Police told CBS46 that Williams and Mathis, who are friends, were together when Mathis escaped on May 15.

Williams is charged with violation of oath of public office, obstruction of officer, and hindering apprehension or punishment. He was relieved of duty and is scheduled for an emergency hearing with APD Chief George Turner.

The department issued the following statement:

"The Atlanta Police Department takes these allegations very seriously. Chief Turner has always prioritized officer accountability and honesty, and will continue to take decisive action when necessary to hold his officers to the highest standard."

Williams joined the department in October of 2012.

An eighth conviction garnered by retired NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella of Staten Island has been tossed, this time because of the "reasonable probability" the confession the former cop claimed the suspect made was fabricated, according to media reports.

The Brooklyn District Attorney's office has been reviewing at least 57 cases investigated by Scarcella, a former homicide detective.

State Supreme Court Justice Desmond Green on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Shabaka Shakur, who has been serving two consecutive 20-years-to-life prison terms for the 1988 killing of two high school classmates in Brooklyn after a dispute over a car. Shakur has spent 27 years in prison, according to the Daily News.

Green ruled there was a "reasonable probability" that the confession was fabricated.

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