The LEO thread

[Vrede too]

Cop flees scene of his DWI crash — then assaults the driver he hit, Texas police say

A Texas police officer is accused of crashing into another car while intoxicated, fleeing the scene, and then assaulting the victim who chased after him.

Officer Dezi Rios, who was off duty and has been with the San Antonio Police Department for 14 years, was charged with driving while intoxicated and failing to stop to give information, following the July crash, court records show.

Police said assault charges could also be brought against Rios, 39, pending further investigation.

According to police documents obtained by McClatchy News, Rios rear-ended 61-year-old Ara Halibian at a red light around 9:45 p.m. on July 5. Rios then maneuvered his vehicle around Halibian’s car and fled the scene.

Halibian followed, documents say, chasing after Rios until the officer hit a curb, popping his front right tire, forcing him to stop.

Halibian got out of his car to confront Rios, asking him why he didn’t stop to trade information. He also tried to take Rios’ keys to prevent him from running away again, the police report said.

Rios reacted by punching him in the face “several times,” according to witnesses who called 911....

Halibian lost a tooth, suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket, he told the TV station.

When officers arrived and spoke to Rios, he initially denied that there had been a car accident.

Rios claimed Halibian pointed a gun at him and he acted in self-defense, disarming Halibian and punching him a few times to “get him away,” according to documents.

However, Halibian still had his gun with him in its holster. Rios “could not explain how or why” that was.

Cops lie, it's habit.

His speech was “confused,” his eyes “glossy” and he swayed as he walked, officers noted in a DWI arrest report....

While being interviewed in the back seat of a squad car, Rios seemed “very cocky,” an officer wrote in the DWI report.

Rios said he didn’t have anything to drink that evening, but admitted taking medication, though he wouldn’t specify what or how much.

Officers determined Rios “had lost the normal use of their mental and physical faculties” and arrested him. Now handcuffed, Rios started shouting at the arresting officer and banging his head on the car window, repeatedly complaining of a head injury, according to the report.

Video please.

Rios declined to take a blood test but investigators obtained a warrant to conduct one, the report said.

Gotta blame the SAPD, too:

The veteran SAPD officer has a history of road rage, spanning back to 2017, KSAT reported. This latest is his third such incident.

The second came in 2018. Rios got into an argument with another driver in a strip-club parking lot, who accused Rios of cutting him off in traffic, saying “Hey mo--------er, you know you almost got me killed back there,” documents obtained by KSAT show.

Rios responded: “Obviously, I f-----g didn’t because you’re still here.”

Tempers flared and the two men pulled guns on each other and exchanged fire, outlets reported. Rios was shot six times and the other man, Demontae Walker, eight times.

Walker was left paralyzed, and Rios would go on to recover and return to active duty after a 15-day suspension, KENS reported. Rios had drunk several alcoholic beverages prior to the shooting....

15 days???!!!

[Vrede too]

A man was locked in a state mental hospital in Hawaii for 2 years. Now officials realize they got the wrong guy.

A homeless man was arrested and institutionalized in Hawaii for more than two years, then set free when the authorities realized they got the wrong guy.

After a bizarre identity mix-up that led to him being locked up in a state mental hospital for two years, Joshua Spriestersbach is free. Now, the Hawaii Innocence Project, a legal non-profit group, is petitioning for the courts to vacate his arrest record.

According to a report by the AP, Spriestersbach was mistaken for a man named Thomas Castleberry back in 2017. A police officer somehow confused Spriestersbach for Castleberry, the latter of which had violated his probation from a 2006 drug offense.

Maybe the cop is on drugs.

Spriestersbach had never met Castleberry, but was committed at the Hawaii State Hospital for two years and eight months under the other man's name, wrote the AP. Attorneys at the Hawaii Innocence Project filed a petition on Monday, which argued that this case of mistaken identity could have been clarified - and Spriestersbach exonerated - if police had compared the two mens' likenesses and fingerprints.

You can't expect cops to use that newfangled, unproven tech like photography and fingerprinting.

"No one would believe him or take any meaningful steps to verify his identity and determine that what Mr. Spriestersbach was telling the truth - he was not Mr. Castleberry," Spriestersbach's lawyers argued. "Yet, the more Mr. Spriestersbach vocalized his innocence by asserting that he is not Mr. Castleberry, the more he was declared delusional and psychotic by the H.S.H. staff and doctors and heavily medicated." ...

A classic Catch-22.

Something tells me that once the lawsuits are settled he will never be homeless again.

[Vrede too]

Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison for wrong-apartment murder of innocent man

Came out in the sentencing phase:

Texas Cop Who Murdered Black Man in His Home Admitted She's Racist in Text Messages

I'm not sure why it wasn't part of the guilt phase, seems like it might have contributed to her hair trigger. Will the cops she exchanged racist conversations with get fired? They should.

Appeals court upholds murder conviction of ex-Dallas officer

3-0.

[neoplacebo]

Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison for wrong-apartment murder of innocent man

Came out in the sentencing phase:

Texas Cop Who Murdered Black Man in His Home Admitted She's Racist in Text Messages

I'm not sure why it wasn't part of the guilt phase, seems like it might have contributed to her hair trigger. Will the cops she exchanged racist conversations with get fired? They should.

Appeals court upholds murder conviction of ex-Dallas officer

3-0.

I saw part of her trial on Court TV. Botham Jean's brother, at the end of his victim impact statement, asked the judge if he could give her (the killer cop; not the judge) a hug. His request was granted. I was hoping it made her feel as shitty as she is.

[Vrede too]

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, like all cops, lies:

Video of Officer's Collapse After Handling Powder Draws Skepticism

... reactions to fentanyl such as Faiivae’s tend to be reported only by police departments or drug administrations, and rarely has a toxicology report or a medical follow-up shown that an officer, in fact, overdosed on fentanyl....

A report about the risks of incidental exposure to fentanyl found that the police and other authorities, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, have published false information about how fentanyl can become present in the body as well as what leads to an overdose, promoting the notion that a small amount of fentanyl absorbed through the skin can be fatal....

[neoplacebo]

Yeah, a good way of provoking a knee jerk reaction in the form of more money for big weapons and big noise general hell. Perfect. Except when it's not.

[Vrede too]

Yeah, a good way of provoking a knee jerk reaction in the form of more money for big weapons and big noise general hell. Perfect. Except when it's not.

It's been the same song and dance for the last 50+ years. The "new" drug is always the worst ever, and the LEOs will get on top of it if we just throw enough money at them this time.

[GoCubsGo]

Will these asswipes ever learn?

[neoplacebo]

Shit, that might generate a several hundred page report from some district attorney. But it probably won't.

[Vrede too]

Shit, that might generate a several hundred page report from some district attorney. But it probably won't.

Their purpose is mostly to help bad cops skate:

Police Killed An 18-Year-Old Man At A Funeral "For Being A Hero While Black," His Family Said In A Lawsuit

Murderers, liars, bastards.

[Vrede too]

More lying bastards:

'No credible evidence' to charge BLM protesters in Phoenix charged as gang members, report says

It may take decades to fix the damage done in Phoenix and Maricopa County by PPD and Arpaio.

[Vrede too]

Convicted of kidnapping his ex, Oklahoma man won a retrial. His new sentence is longer

... In 2018, Hamett was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to 20 years in prison but he appealed the decision. Last year, an appeals court reversed the conviction and ordered a retrial, ruling a judge “erred in finding that Mr. Hamett knowingly and intelligently waived his right to counsel” at trial.

In April, a federal jury once again convicted Hamett. But this time he was sentenced to 33 years in prison....

Opps.

[neoplacebo]

The AL cop who shot and killed the guy who was suicidal gets a 25 year sentence. Local mayor and police chief cry and whine.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-officer-s ... 06840.html

[Vrede too]

The AL cop who shot and killed the guy who was suicidal gets a 25 year sentence. Local mayor and police chief cry and whine.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-officer-s ... 06840.html

... Darby and others pleaded for leniency, saying there was no evil intent when he pulled the trigger.

Waaa, why don't people appreciate my killing the guy who was only threatening himself? Waaa.

Prosecutors argued during the sentencing hearing that Darby’s lack of willingness to admit wrongdoing and the “gravity of what he did to Jeffery Parker” deserved a long sentence, news outlets reported....

"There is no evil intent,” Darby said. “There is no malice… I am human. I am Christian.

Cowardly lack of accountability is "Christian."

"The taking of a human life was not lost on me … I’m asking for mercy, I’m asking for leniency.”

You gave no mercy and leniency to Jeffrey Parker, and people who think they've done no wrong don't deserve mercy and leniency.

... The case drew additional controversy when Darby was allowed to remain on the city payroll for two months after his conviction.

The guilty verdict was criticized by both the mayor and police chief ...

Huntsville is such a safe, lovely, and fiscally responsible town.

[billy.pilgrim]

The AL cop who shot and killed the guy who was suicidal gets a 25 year sentence. Local mayor and police chief cry and whine.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-officer-s ... 06840.html

... Darby and others pleaded for leniency, saying there was no evil intent when he pulled the trigger.

Waaa, why don't people appreciate my killing the guy who was only threatening himself? Waaa.

Prosecutors argued during the sentencing hearing that Darby’s lack of willingness to admit wrongdoing and the “gravity of what he did to Jeffery Parker” deserved a long sentence, news outlets reported....

"There is no evil intent,” Darby said. “There is no malice… I am human. I am Christian.

Cowardly lack of accountability is "Christian."

"The taking of a human life was not lost on me … I’m asking for mercy, I’m asking for leniency.”

You gave no mercy and leniency to Jeffrey Parker, and people who think they've done no wrong don't deserve mercy and leniency.

... The case drew additional controversy when Darby was allowed to remain on the city payroll for two months after his conviction.

The guilty verdict was criticized by both the mayor and police chief ...

Huntsville is such a safe, lovely, and fiscally responsible town.

About 25 years ago 6 or 8 Escambia County deputies unloaded 70 or 80 shots in the general direction of a distraught man with a gun in his mouth who had just been left by his wife. He was surrounded in a stopped pickup truck a half hour after schools let out at an intersection with 3 or 4 fast food places.

Bullets were found in the wall of a McDonald's (? or similar).

It's one of those things I should have copied. I haven't been able to find this recently.

[neoplacebo]

Cops generally and immediately lose their minds when they're presented with someone holding a gun to their own head. They also go haywire when they think someone is trying to run from them in a car. Hell, they LIVE for the pursuit gig. Don't matter if you're considering suicide or driving fast to a hospital with a pregnant wife. They just have to get their little dose of adrenaline no matter what. I shudder to consider what would transpire if one were holding a gun to one's own head while driving fast and not pulling over for some overweight half bright high school dropout who manages to obtain a BLET certificate.

[Vrede too]

Will these asswipes ever learn?

Not without real consequences. It looks like that vid is from MN, but what is up with Chicago cops? Are they jealous of the LAPD?

COPA Investigating After Chicago Police Officer Is Seen Struggling With Woman Walking Her Dog (video)

[GoCubsGo]

Will these asswipes ever learn?

Not without real consequences. It looks like that vid is from MN, but what is up with Chicago cops? Are they jealous of the LAPD?

COPA Investigating After Chicago Police Officer Is Seen Struggling With Woman Walking Her Dog (video)

No one really knows what exactly is up with Chicago cops and haven't known in my lifetime, although selective law enforcement has always seemed to be a consistency.

[Vrede too]

No one really knows what exactly is up with Chicago cops and haven't known in my lifetime, although selective law enforcement has always seemed to be a consistency.

Vermont assholes:

State troopers accused of making fake vaccination cards resign after colleagues turn them in

Three Vermont state troopers have resigned after they were accused of being involved in a scheme to create fake coronavirus vaccination cards in the nation's most vaccinated state, the state police announced Tuesday.

Shawn Sommers and Raymond Witkowski resigned on Aug. 10, a day after a colleague raised concerns about the alleged fraud to supervisors, while David Pfindel's resignation took effect Friday after an investigation by Vermont's Department of Public Safety, according to a police statement. Authorities said the three men, who were reported to supervisors by their fellow troopers, "are suspected of having varying roles in the creation of fraudulent covid-19 vaccination cards, which may be a violation of federal law."

The Vermont State Police said it was unable to announce the resignations before Tuesday, or provide any additional details about the case, because the FBI is now investigating the matter.

It remains unclear why and for whom the troopers allegedly made the fake cards.

... Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced last month that its officers seized more than 3,000 fake vaccination cards that were passing through Memphis, a shipping hub.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., recently pushed for a federal crackdown to curtail the sale of fake vaccination cards with covid cases on the rise due to the highly transmissible delta variant and the millions who remain unvaccinated.

"Some people, rather than get the vaccine, which is free, are paying money for a fake card and risking prosecution because it's against the law," he said at an August news conference. "Who could be that dumb?"

Arrests have been made in recent months of homeopathic doctors, bar owners, pharmacists and others accused of selling fake cards. The Manhattan district attorney announced last week that the person behind the "AntiVaxMomma" Instagram account - Jasmine Clifford, 31, of Lyndhurst, N.J. - has been charged with selling hundreds of fake vaccination cards. Clifford advertised fake cards on social media for $200 apiece featuring "real serial [numbers]" and available to "be mailed to any state" - some of which allegedly went to front-line workers....

Lock all of them up in prisons with poor CV-19 protocols.

[Vrede too]

Murdering racist red state cops and their sycophant enablers cover up their crimes:

Study: Police kill more people in this state than any other. And many deaths go unreported.

Oklahoma has the highest mortality rate of police violence of all 50 states and the highest rate of underreporting the killings, according to estimates in a study released Thursday.

About 84% of police killings in the state from 1980 to 2018 were unreported or misclassified in official government reports, according to the peer-reviewed study in The Lancet, one of the world's oldest and most renowned medical journals....

Nationwide, more than 55% of deaths from police violence from 1980 to 2018 were misclassified or unreported, the study estimated.

Arizona, Alaska, Nevada and Wyoming trailed Oklahoma as the states with the highest mortality rate of police violence, the researchers found.

Wyoming, Alabama, Louisiana and Nebraska were among the top five states with the highest underreporting rates.

Oklahoma had the highest rate of police violence against Black Americans, the study found.

From 2000 to 2009, the states with the highest rates of police violence toward non-Hispanic Black Americans were Oklahoma, Nevada, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas. From 2010 to 2019, they were Oklahoma, Alaska, West Virginia, Utah and Washington, D.C....

The states with the lowest mortality rate of fatal police violence from 1980 to 2019 were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire and New York, the study found.

The states with the lowest underreporting rates from 1980 to 2018 were Maryland, Utah, New Mexico, Massachusetts and Oregon....

17,000 Killings by Police Have Gone Uncounted Since 1980

... The proportion of undercounted police killings of Black Americans is even more extreme, the research shows, rising to 60 percent.

The Lancet study casts American police, unequivocally, as a threat to public health. The risk of death-by-cop for an American man in 2019, according to the paper, was higher than the risk of death by testicular cancer, appendicitis, or sexually transmitted disease. These dangers weigh disproportionately on the Black community, as the study emphasizes: “The police have disproportionately killed Black people at a rate of 3.5 times higher than white people.”

... Over the last four decades, nearly 31,000 Americans died at the hands of police, while fewer than 14,000 of those killings were properly recorded by the government — meaning the federal data “did not report 55.5 percent of all deaths attributable to police violence.” For police killings of Black Americans, the undercounting was greater still, with “5,670 deaths missing” from official federal statistics, “out of an estimated 9,540 total deaths.”

... The Lancet study also reveals that the prevalence of police killings has increased sharply during the timeframe of the study, jumping by more than 38 percent between the 1980s and 2010s, on a per capita basis....