Latest casualty in War on Cops

[waltky]

Deputy killed in Colorado, others injured, responding to domestic disturbance near Denver...

One sheriff's deputy killed in Colorado, others injured, responding to domestic disturbance near Denver; suspect believed killed

December 31,`17 - The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that five deputies had been shot after being called to the scene of a domestic disturbance early Sunday in Highlands Ranch, south of Denver. Two civilians were also shot, the sheriff’s office said.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.

One sheriff's deputy killed in Colorado, others injured, responding to domestic disturbance near Denver; suspect believed killed

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5 Deputies Shot, One Fatally, by Colorado Gunman, Officials Say
Dec. 31, 2017 - Five deputies were shot, one fatally, after they responded to a report of a domestic disturbance on Sunday morning in a suburb of Denver, officials said.

The gunman was shot by deputies and was “believed to be deceased,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Two civilians were also shot by the suspect, the Sheriff’s Office said. The office had reported “multiple deputies down” after the shooting, which happened in Highlands Ranch, Colo., about 15 miles south of Denver. Three of the injured were taken to Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colo., with injuries that were not critical, Linda Watson, a hospital spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. She declined to say if the injured were civilians or members of law enforcement.

Another four were taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton, Colo., Alyssa Parker, a hospital spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. She could not say how serious the injuries were. Deputies had responded to a call of a domestic disturbance around 5:15 a.m. at the Copper Canyon Apartments on County Line Road in Highlands Ranch, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook. In updating its Facebook page with the news of the deputy’s death, the Sheriff’s Office changed it profile image to a badge with a black band across it.

Lauren Lekander, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said a SWAT team had responded. The Sheriff’s Office issued a “code red” alerting civilians in the area to shelter in place, avoid windows and stay away from exterior walls. The Sheriff’s Office said an emergency shelter for people displaced from their homes was opening at the East Ridge Recreation Center, which features meeting rooms and two gymnasiums, among other amenities. The Denver office of the F.B.I. said on Twitter that it was monitoring the situation.

The Copper Canyon Apartments website describes its homes as some of the “friendliest apartments in Highlands Ranch,” minutes away from shopping, dining and entertainment in Denver.

5 Deputies Shot, One Fatally, by Colorado Gunman, Officials Say

 

[waltky]

Additional info on Colorado shootout...

Colorado Sheriff's Deputy Dead in Shooting
Dec. 31, 2017 - One Douglas County deputy died and four more wounded along with two civilians Sunday morning at a Highlands Ranch apartment complex.

The shooter was also shot and is believed dead, the Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet at 9:32 a.m. The Sheriff’s Office announced at 10:02 a.m. that the slain officer would soon be moved from Littleton Adventist Hospital in a procession. “Expect heavy law enforcement presence and traffic congestion on Broadway, C470 and SB I-25,” the Sheriffs Office tweeted. The incident began at an apartment near the 3400 block of County Line Road, according to Lauren Lekander, DCSO spokeswoman. “We have multiple officers down,” said Deputy Jason Blanchard of the incident at Copper Canyon Apartments in Highlands Ranch. “We are not giving numbers or status at this point, we are still working on getting the suspect in custody.” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle’s son is among the wounded deputies, according to the sheriff’s Facebook page. Residents have been told to stay inside and avoid windows and exterior walls.

Due to the size of the investigation an emergency shelter has been set up East Ridge Recreation Center, located at 9568 University Blvd. in Highlands Ranch. Anyone who has been displaced can go there, the Sheriff’s Department said. Three of the injured were taken to Skyridge Medical Center in Lone Tree with non-critical injuries, said Linda Watson, a hospital spokeswoman. She couldn’t say if the injured were officers. Another four have been taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital, said Alyssa Parker, a hospital spokeswoman. Parker couldn’t say how serious their injuries are. Steven Silknitter lives in the Copper Canyon Apartments, where the shooting occurred. He heard about the shooting when he was working elsewhere and called home waking up his fiance. She woke to hear “a barrage” of gunfire in the dark, said Silknitter who has lived in the complex for a few years. “She was pretty scared. She kept saying how loud it was.”

One Douglas County deputy died and four more wounded along with two civilians Sunday morning at a Highlands Ranch apartment complex.​

Silknitter lived in Aurora during the 2014 Aurora Theater shooting. “Where do you move to? It’s everywhere.” Multiple law enforcement vehicles, Douglas County Sheriff, South Metro and Littleton fire rescue vehicles have been coming and going from the scene. “There is still a lot of activity out here,” Larry Ryckman, Denver Post editor at the scene, said at 9:30 a.m. Vehicles at that time were both coming and leaving the scene. Deputies were responding to a disturbance call when shots were fired from the home near Colorado Boulevard before 6 a.m., Lekander said. Denver 7 reported hearing shots fired as a reporter arrived at the scene. “We have SWAT out there setting up and preparing to go in right now,” Lekander said at about 7:15 a.m.

Video broadcast by Denver 7 shows an Arapahoe County Sheriff Bomb Squad truck at the scene. In a Code Red the Sheriff’s office told residents to shelter in place, avoid windows and stay away from exterior walls. An investigation is in progress and most of County Line Road is closed down from Colorado Boulevard to University Boulevard. C-470 is closed from Quebec Street to University Boulevard. Parker Police Department, Lone Tree Police, Castle Rock Police and Colorado State Patrol are involved in the incident.

Colorado Sheriff's Deputy Dead, Four Others Wounded in Shooting

 

[waltky]

Road rage claims officer's life...

California Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Road Rage Attack
January 3, 2018 - San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy Lawrence "Larry" Falce died Tuesday evening after being violently attacked by a driver following a minor off-duty crash on New Year's Eve.

A 36-year veteran of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department died Tuesday evening after a violent attack following a minor off-duty crash on New Year's Eve, authorities said. Lawrence "Larry" Falce, 70, was hospitalized after he was attacked following a traffic accident about 11 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Kendall Drive and University Parkway, according to a statement released by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Employees' Benefit Assn., of which Falce was a member. According to the association, Falce "contacted the party in the other car and was brutally attacked." Officials have declined to identify the suspect, pending further investigation.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy Lawrence "Larry" Falce died Tuesday evening after a violent attack following a minor off-duty crash on New Year's Eve.​

Falce, an Army veteran, worked patrol at the department's Central Station for 32 years, according to the sheriff's department. Falce also worked corrections at the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center and the Central Detention Center, both in San Bernardino. "I think that in itself describes his commitment to the department and to the community," Cindy Bachman, a public information officer for the department, said Tuesday night. The department described Falce as a man who was "loved by his peers and the community members he served." Falce is survived by his sister, Marjorie, and his longtime companion, Deborah.

The sheriff's employees' association said Falce was the oldest sworn member of the department. "Larry was a hard-working, dedicated professional, who loved his job as a deputy sheriff," Sgt. Grant Ward, president of the association, said in a statement. "I worked with him, and I can tell you his commitment to this profession was second to none. He was generous to all those he cared about and gave willingly from the bottom of his heart." Officials said there would be a procession beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday from the Loma Linda University Medical Center to the San Bernardino coroner's office.

California Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Road Rage Attack

 

[waltky]

Washington Deputy Slain...

Manhunt on in Killing of Washington State Deputy, Navy Vet
8 Jan 2018 — Authorities in Washington state appealed to the public for help Monday in tracking down a man believed to have been involved in the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy overnight.

Pierce County deputy Daniel McCartney, a 34-year-old Navy veteran and married father to three young boys, was shot during a foot chase late Sunday as he responded to a home invasion near the small community of Frederickson, 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Tacoma, said sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. One suspect was found dead at the scene, but another got away, authorities said. They said they were looking for a mixed race or white man who is tall and thin, with curly dark hair in a ponytail; a large, pointy nose; and pock marks on right side of his face.

Officers and medical staff take part in a procession for officer Daniel McCartney, of Yelm, at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash.​

Police closed off roads in the area and conducted a manhunt in an area that includes industrial sites as well as wooded areas, asking local residents to stay indoors, but did not find the man. It was unclear whether he had access to a vehicle. The sheriff's office asked anyone with information about the shooting to come forward, and a nearby school district canceled classes in what it described as an abundance of caution. "There's a sadness that will be felt and should be felt in the community," said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor. "He is a young deputy who signed up to watch over other people. He had an ethic in his heart for doing something for other people."

McCartney was hired at the sheriff's department in 2014 after stints with police departments in the small Washington state cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. After the shooting he was taken to a Tacoma hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His family members and dozens of law enforcement officers gathered at the hospital to say goodbye, The News Tribune newspaper reported . More than a dozen officers and deputies saluted as McCartney's body was carried from the hospital in a flag-draped coffin and loaded into a van. A memorial fund was set up to benefit his wife and children.

Manhunt on in Killing of Washington State Deputy, Navy Vet

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Washington Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Shot During Foot Pursuit
January 8, 2018 - Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney was shot and killed late Sunday night while chasing two burglars in the Frederickson area.

It was about 11:25 p.m. when deputies were called to a home in the 5100 block of 200th Street East for a home invasion. During the 911 call, dispatchers said they could hear screaming and the sounds of a scuffle. Deputy Daniel A. McCartney arrived six minutes later and gave chase as the burglars ran, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. Three minutes later, shots rang out. McCartney suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. The 34-year-old Yelm man died just after 2 a.m. It’s unclear whether he was able to return fire. “There’s a sadness that will be felt and should be felt in the community,” Sheriff Paul Pastor said. “He is a young deputy who signed up to watch over other people. He had an ethic in his heart for doing something for other people.”

One suspected burglar was found dead near the home next to a handgun. The other suspect, who is also believed to be armed, is on the run. He was described as white or mixed race, tall and thin with dark curly hair in a ponytail, a large pointy nose and pock marks on the right side of his face. He was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and a black beanie. Deputies were doing a K-9 track in the area and closed 176th Street East to 200th Street East, and 38th Avenue East to Canyon Road East. By 6:30 a.m., they’d opened everything except 200th Street East from 42nd Avenue to 50th Avenue. Drivers were asked to avoid the area and residents were asked to stay inside their homes. “We have somebody who is very dangerous out there,” Troyer said.

Deputy Daniel McCartney​

All schools in the Bethel School District were cancelled Monday due to the investigation. Neighbors woke up confused by the commotion and large presence of law enforcement officers in the area. Soobie Yoo, a 32-year-old who lives less than two blocks from the scene, woke up when she saw flashing lights outside her window. She never heard the shots and said she was surprised when she finally learned what happened on Monday morning. “It’s a pretty safe neighborhood,” Yoo said, pointing out that she left her garage door open while walking to the scene. “... There are a lot of kids in the area.” McCartney was hired in 2014, previously worked in Aberdeen and Hoquiam and was a U.S. Navy veteran. He leaves behind a wife and three young sons.

His family members gathered alongside dozens of law enforcement officers at the hospital to say goodbye to McCartney and join a procession to the Medical Examiner’s Office. More than a dozen officers and deputies saluted as McCartney was carried outside in a flag-draped coffin and loaded into a van. From here on out, McCartney’s body will never be alone. The Honor Guard and fellow deputies will stand watch until he is buried. Planning for his funeral will begin at 10 a.m., officials said. A donation site is also expected to be created later Monday. The Sheriff’s Department has set up a tip line and is asking anyone with information on the shooting or the suspect at large to call 855-798-8477.

Washington Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Shot During Foot Pursuit

 

[waltky]

Cop-killer suspect captured...

Suspect in Slaying of Washington Sheriff's Deputy Captured
January 9, 2018 - A man suspected in the fatal shooting of Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney was sitting in jail as officers were mounting a massive manhunt Monday in the Frederickson area.

The 32-year-old suspect was taken into custody not far from where McCartney was killed in a shootout shortly after responding to a 911 call late Sunday night. A suspect was killed in the shootout, but deputies believed a second person was involved. An “alert” Washington State Patrol trooper working near the scene of the shooting stopped a person just after 8 a.m. Monday, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. But the man did not match the initial description of the suspect and gave the trooper a false name. The man was initially detained for obstruction, but was later booked into the Pierce County Jail for felony warrants out of Shelton, Troyer said. Meanwhile, detectives at the scene of McCartney’s shooting received updated witness reports on the second suspect’s description and found that it matched the 32-year-old man already in custody, Troyer said. “Our detectives spent the whole day tying evidence to him to identify him as the second suspect,” Troyer told reporters Monday afternoon.

The suspect was booked on a first-degree-murder charge and is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday, he said. The Seattle Times is not naming the man because he has not been charged or appeared before a judge. No further details on the suspect were released Monday. McCartney, 34, of Yelm, died at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma just after 2 a.m. The married Navy veteran and father of three boys ages 4, 6 and 9 had been a Pierce County deputy for three years. He was a “good, solid, stalwart man,” Sheriff Paul Pastor said. “During the 911 call, dispatchers could hear screaming and a scuffle taking place,” the Sheriff’s Office reported. McCartney arrived on the scene and chased a suspect on foot. During the chase, shots were fired. Troyer said that detectives believe McCartney fired shots during the fatal encounter. “We believe our deputy did fire shots and that there was a gunbattle,” Troyer said, adding that investigators won’t know for sure until ballistics tests are done.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney​

A handgun was recovered at the scene, and Troyer said investigators believe preliminarily that it may have been the gun used to “shoot our deputy.” He said a second weapon was recovered after the arrest of the second suspect. The wounded deputy was found near the dead suspect’s body, about a block from the home on 200th Street East. McCartney was rushed into surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center, but his wounds were “too catastrophic” to survive, Troyer said. Troyer said the dead suspect and the man in jail have felony criminal records and would have been prohibited from possessing firearms. Pierce County detectives were working with agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine where the guns came from. No further details on the deceased suspect were available, Troyer said, as the Pierce County medical examiner has yet to identify him.

Before joining the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, McCartney served as a Hoquiam police officer for four years and as a detention officer at the Grays Harbor Juvenile Facility. He was deployed to Afghanistan while in the Navy. “Daniel was the kind of person that if you called 911, you would want him to show up at your house,” friend Shon Malone told The (Tacoma) News Tribune. “If you had a problem, if you were in a crisis, you would want him there to handle that.” Donation to McCartney’s family can be made through tpcrimestoppers.com by using PayPal, or visiting any TAPCO Credit Union location, the Sheriff’s Department said. A procession bearing the slain officer’s body from the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office in Tacoma to Mountain View Memorial in Lakewood is tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office said. Officials will confirm the schedule Tuesday morning. McCartney is the first Seattle-area law-enforcement officer to be killed in the line of duty since Tacoma police Officer Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez, 45, was fatally shot on Nov. 30, 2016, while responding to a domestic-violence call. The gunman was killed the next day, after an 11-hour standoff.

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[SavannahMann]

If there is a war. The citizens are the victims.



Deputy smashes into a Smart car at 104 mph, newly released dashcam video shows

He was looking for a car used in a felony hours earlier despite being told three times not to pursue the car. Well fuck the bosses. He cop, and he gonna get the baddies no matter how many innocents are hurt or killed.

 

[waltky]

Colorado Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Shot...

Colorado Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Shot
January 25, 2018 - Adams County Deputy Heath Gumm was shot and killed Wednesday night after responding to a call, with a search for suspects sending a suburb north of Denver into lockdown.

A Colorado sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed after responding to a call, with a search for suspects sending a suburb north of Denver into lockdown. The unidentified officer for Adams County was called to an alleged assault in Thornton Wednesday night before the killing, according to the sheriff's office.

Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm, who was chasing a suspect in an assault case, was shot and killed Wednesday night.​

Officers chased one suspect behind a house, where one, identified by the Colorado Police Officers Foundation as 32-year-old Heath Gumm, was fatally shot in the chest. “We are deeply saddened to learn that the deputy has died from injuries sustained in the shooting,” Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a statement. The suspected shooter was later taken into custody after fleeing on foot, according the sheriff's officials.

The search for two additional suspects set the area on alert, including a lockdown at nearby Regis University that was later lifted. Police searched a local Walmart as customers fled the store, KMGH reported. Gumm had served as a sheriff's deputy in Adams County since 2013 and leaves behind a wife and family, according to the Officers Foundation. This is a developing story and will be updated

Colorado Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Shot

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FBI Closely Tracking Attacks on Law Enforcement Officers by Extremists
January 25, 2018 | WASHINGTON — Far-right and black identity extremists have killed 62 law enforcement officers since 1990.

White supremacist and other far-right extremist groups have killed 51 police officers since 1990, according to a report published by the Anti-Defamation League last week. Left-wing extremist groups, including black nationalists, killed 11 during the same period. In 2017 alone, black nationalists and other leftists killed no police, while white supremacists and anti-government extremists fatally attacked a police officer and two corrections officers, the report said. But while the FBI tracks so-called “black identity extremists” as domestic terror threats — as a report from the bureau completed in August and leaked in October revealed — it doesn’t have an equivalent designation for white extremists. Experts worry that the broad labeling of black groups, and not white ones, is an indication that federal law enforcement’s targeting of certain groups is based less on evidence than on politics.

That targeting can significantly affect how law enforcement chooses to police protests or events organized by specific groups. Many worry the report on black identity extremists specifically could be used to home in on members of Black Lives Matter — possibly infringing on their right to speak freely and protest peacefully. The Congressional Black Caucus asked FBI Director Christopher Wray in a private meeting in November, as well as during public testimony in December, to rescind the report. Wray did not commit to doing so, and FBI spokesman Andrew Ames said Tuesday there was “no update” since then.

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks before laying a wreath at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 15, 2018.​

The FBI counterterrrorism report, titled “Black Identity Extremists Likely Motivated to Target Law Enforcement Officers,” defines black identity extremists as people who seek to commit acts of violence motivated by “perceived racism and injustice in American society.” The report said the increase in violence against law enforcement “likely” began after the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and subsequent grand jury decision not to indict the police officers involved. It lists six attacks since 2014, including Micah Johnson, the Dallas shooter who killed five police officers in July 2016, and Gavin Eugene Long, the Baton Rouge, La., shooter who killed three officers 10 days later, as examples of black identity extremists. “This document essentially says we don’t care about your ideology, we care about your black identity,” said Michael German, a former FBI agent who worked in the counterterrorism division. “It’s an enormous classification that could encompass any violence by a black person.”

Nusrat Choudhury, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union Racial Justice Program, referred to the term black identity extremist as a “manufactured threat.” The six attacks named in the report span 2014 to 2016 and resulted in eight deaths to police officers and several injuries. The last time black nationalist groups fatally assaulted police officers before 2016 was in the 1970s, according to German. Between 2011 and 2017, there were 11 officers killed by right-wing extremist groups compared to those eight officers killed by left-wing groups, according to ADL. That’s a much narrower gap than in the previous two decades: From 2001-2010, right-wing extremists killed 24 officers while those on the left killed two, and from 1991-2000 the figures were 16 and one, respectively.

Joshua Freilich, co-creator of the Department of Homeland Security-funded U.S. Extremist Crime Database, had similar findings on far-right extremists: 45 police officers have been killed by far-right extremists since 1990, with four additional killings still under review. Far-right extremists have killed one officer in 2017, according to his research, while far-left extremists have killed two, with another death still under review. (Freilich’s numbers don’t include the killings of the two corrections officers that were part of the ADL’s tally; while the two Georgia inmates were members of a white supremacist gang, their attacks on the corrections officers came during an escape attempt and were not seen as ideologically motivated, a requirement in Freilich’s calculations.)

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[waltky]

Detroit Officer Shot in the Head Dies...

Detroit Officer Shot in the Head Dies
January 29, 2018 - Officer Glenn Doss died days after being shot in the head during a domestic violence call.

Doss had been in critical condition at Detroit Receiving Hospital. "As you now know, our officer just passed 45 minutes ago," Detroit Police Chief James Craig said outside the hospital Sunday afternoon. "He fought a good fight. He is truly what we call one of Detroit's finest. He is what we call an American hero. He did what we expect each and every officer to do: Go out and serve this community with distinction and honor." Craig introduced Doss's father, who is also a Detroit police officer. Also named Glenn, he could be heard in the flurry of scanner traffic Wednesday night after Doss was shot. His request over the airwaves was resounding: "Please pray for my son."

And those sentiments were echoed Sunday as he reflected on his family's loss. "First of all we want to thank everyone for their prayers and their support that they sent up to God for my son," the father said. "I want to thank God for the 25 years that have allowed me the honor and the pleasure to raise such a great young man, who was so positive and who was so humble. "He never gave me any problem at all." Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones stood with Craig and Doss’s father “The whole Doss family is a family the city should be proud of, and in our thoughts and prayers today,” Duggan said.

Glenn Doss, the 25-year--old Detroit police officer who was shot in the head responding to a domestic violence call last week, has died.​

Duggan said 46-year-old officer Waldis Johnson, should also not be forgotten – he is still fighting for his recovery after he was shot in the head while responding to a domestic call in April. “There has never been a time, it has been more dangerous to be a Detroit police officer than the last year and a half," the mayor said. "There have been more shootings of police officers than I can ever remember, and yet the 2,500 men and women of the department go out there every day. And I would say to the folks of this city: When you see a police officer, thank them for their courage and their service.” Doss’s partner, officer Samuel Anderson also spoke at the news conference. He thanked God and recognized the people who have trained him throughout the years, because this allowed him to react quickly the night his partner was shot. “To this day I still remain ambitious, I still remain courageous, I still get out there and do the job,” Anderson said.

Doss, who joined the force nearly two years ago, was answering a call on the 5500 block of McDougall Street near East Kirby when a man with a long gun shot him in the head before he could get out of his patrol car. Around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday a man called police and said he assaulted his wife, then a woman called and said her father might have fired shots. When officers arrived, they saw a 43-year-old man standing outside a home with a weapon. He then took a stance and fired shots at the police squad car, hitting Doss. Doss’ partner transported him to Detroit Receiving Hospital. The gunman barricaded himself inside the home until officers threw tear gas into the house and he was eventually captured. Decharlos O. Brooks, 43, was arraigned Saturday on eight counts of assault with intent to murder, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. Brooks' family has said he has a history of mental illness.

Detroit Officer Shot in the Head Dies

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Execution Called Off for Alabama Cop-Killer
January 29, 2018 - Vernon Madison, one of the longest serving inmates on Alabama's Death Row, was scheduled to be executed for the April 1985 killing Mobile Police Cpl. Julius Schulte.

Vernon Madison, one of the longest serving inmates on Alabama's Death Row, was scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. last Thursday, but 30 minutes before the scheduled execution the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary stay. The stay was later granted, and Madison was not executed. Madison, 67, has been on death row for over 30 years after being convicted in April 1985 of killing Mobile police Cpl. Julius Schulte. He was set to die by lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore Thursday night, but escaped execution for the second time via a court order. Madison was 34 when he was charged Schulte's death, who was responding to a domestic disturbance call. Madison also was charged with shooting the woman he lived with at the time, 37-year-old Cheryl Ann Greene. She survived her injuries.

According to court records filed by the Alabama Attorney General, here's a police account of what happened that night: Madison's neighbor's had called police, and Schulte was assigned to protect Greene and her 11-year-old daughter as Madison moved out of their house. After pretending to leave the property, Madison retrieved a pistol, crept behind the police car Schulte was sitting in, and fired two shots into the back of the officer's head. After shooting Schulte, Madison then shot Greene as she tried to flee. There were three eye witnesses. Madison's first trial took place in September 1985. He was convicted, but a state appellate court sent the case back for a violation involving race-based jury selection. His second trial took place in 1990. Prosecutors presented a similar case, and defense attorneys again argued that Madison suffered from a mental illness. They did not dispute the fact that Madison shot Schulte, but said he did not know that Schulte - dressed in plain clothes and driving an unmarked police cruiser - was a police officer.

Vernon Madison, left, and Cpl. Julius Schulte​

He was again convicted, and a jury recommended a death sentence by a 10-2 vote. An appellate court again sent the case back to Mobile County for a retrial, this time based on improper testimony from an expert witness for the prosecution. His third and final trial took place in April 1994. He was convicted, and the jury recommended a life sentence after both Madison and his mother, Aldonia McMillan, asked for mercy. Mobile County Circuit Judge Ferrill McRae sentenced Madison to death-- this time overriding the jury's recommendation. In April 2017, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that says juries, not judges, have the final say on whether to impose the death penalty. That law officially ended Alabama's judicial override policy, as Alabama was the last state to allow it.

Late Wednesday, Madison's attorneys filed two more petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court-- an application for a stay of execution, and a petition for a writ of certiorari focused on the issue of judicial override. Madison's attorneys argued that since he was sent to death under the judicial override statue, he is entitled to a stay and a review of his case. Attorneys filed similar motions to the Alabama Supreme Court, but they denied the request earlier Wednesday. "Because a death sentence is no longer permissible in cases where the jury has returned a sentence of life, Mr. Madison filed a challenge to his death sentence and scheduled execution in the Alabama Supreme Court. He contended that this execution would be arbitrary and capricious and constitute a violation of the Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment," the petition states. "The judicial override in this case resulted in a death sentence that is arbitrary, disproportionate, and unconstitutional..."

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[waltky]

Missouri Police Officer Fatally Shot...

Missouri Police Officer Fatally Shot, Two Others Wounded
March 7, 2018 - Clinton Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton was killed and two other police officers were shot and wounded while responding to a 911 call Tuesday night.

A Clinton, Mo., police officer was killed and two others were shot Tuesday night while responding to a 911 call. Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, 30, was identified as the officer shot and killed, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. A suspect in the shooting also died. The incident occurred seven months after Clinton officer Gary Michael was shot to death during a traffic stop.

Investigators inspect the outside of a house where Clinton Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton was killed and two were injured on Tuesday night, March 6, 2018, after they responded to a 911 call.​

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said the 911 call came about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday from a home near downtown Clinton. During the call, two women were heard screaming in the background, and police officers were dispatched. Officers arrived at the home at 9:25 p.m. and were fired on, Lowe said. Officers entered the residence as a suspect retreated inside. The three officers were shot, including one officer who died inside the home.

The injured officers were taken away from the scene and the Missouri Highway Patrol arrived to help. A highway patrol SWAT team made a plan to enter the residence. It entered about 12:10 a.m. The suspect was found dead inside the home. Lowe said it was unclear whether officers killed the suspect or whether he killed himself. Lowe said he didn’t know what happened to the women on the 911 call. Hours later, investigators with the highway patrol continued to work at the scene.

Missouri Police Officer Fatally Shot, Two Others Wounded

 

[waltky]

Ind. Deputy Fatally Wounded...

Indiana Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Wounded
March 5, 2018 - Boone County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Pickett was fatally wounded Friday morning while assisting Lebanon police officers in catching a wanted suspect.

Boone County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Pickett, 30, will not survive a gunshot wound sustained Friday morning, Sheriff Mike Nielsen said. Pickett was with with the Tipton County Sheriff's Department for two years and with Boone County for three years. He was a K-9 officer. He and wife Jen Pickett have two young sons, Nielsen said. Pickett's family has chosen to donate his organs. “Jake was a good man and he was a warrior,” said Nielsen, who had given Pickett cardiopulmonary resuscitation before his hospitalization. Pickett was at a school showing his K-9 partner Brick to children just before he left to help Lebanon Police, Nielsen said. “We are a family,” Nielsen said of law enforcement. "We are grieving. We are desperate for God’s mercy and grace … The next several days will be some of the hardest we have ever been through.”

Pickett was shot and transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis after a shooting exchange with a person wanted on a warrant this morning, Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said. Lebanon Police were serving an arrest warrant on a woman on Yates Street at about 9:30 a.m. While there, police saw John D. Baldwin Jr., 28, of Lebanon, who was also wanted on a warrant. Baldwin and two other men — John D. Baldwin Sr., 55, and Anthony Baumgardt, 21, both of Lebanon — proceeded to flee in a car shortly after police first made contact with them. The men, driving a silver Ford focus, led police through the streets of Lebanon before two exited the vehicle to flee on foot. While pursuing the suspects, police say Pickett was shot by Baumgardt.

Deputy Jacob Pickett​

Meanwhile, Baldwin Jr. led police on a chase heading northbound in the southbound lane on Interstate 65 after driving through the main streets of Lebanon, Perrine said. Armed officers were seen on foot outside of schools and on the streets throughout the city. Businesses locked down, and the Lebanon Public Library let patrons in one at a time to get them off the streets and to safety. There were reports of children visiting the Boone County Courthouse who could not leave during the lock-down. John Baldwin Sr. turned himself into police shortly before 11:30 a.m. All three suspects are in custody, police said. Baumgardt was shot by an officer and is listed in stable condition at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis. He will be jailed as soon as he is released, police said.

Another officer was involved in the initial shooting, but police have not yet released his name. Police have not yet said who shot Baumgardt. “It’s gut-wrenching ... our thoughts and prayers are with the family," Perrine said. "The police community is hurting today.” Community prayer service planned A multi-denominational prayer service for the community is planned and open to all at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Lebanon Christian Church, 610 W. 250 N., Lebanon. "We want to come together and pray for comfort, healing and peace for the community," the Rev. Tom Evans of Pleasant View Church said.

Indiana Sheriff's Deputy Fatally Wounded

 

[waltky]

Fallen Rookie Officer 'Left His Family at Home to Protect Yours'

California Police Chief: Fallen Officer 'Left His Family at Home to Protect Yours'
March 12, 2018 - Rookie Pomona Officer Greggory Casillas was killed in a shooting Friday night that led to a standoff that ended about 15 hours later when Isaias De Jesus Valencia taken into custody.

The officers ran into a Pomona apartment building after a pursuit, chasing a suspect who had just crashed nearby and was barricaded in one of the units. As they approached, gunfire blasted through a door. Officer Greggory Casillas, a 30-year-old Upland father just six months on the job, was struck and killed. A second officer was shot in the face trying to save him. The shooting Friday night led to a standoff that ended about 15 hours later when the suspect, identified by authorities as Isaias De Jesus Valencia, 39, was handcuffed and taken into custody by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. "It's a sad day for our community and a sad day for law enforcement in general," Pomona Police Chief Michael Olivieri told reporters, calling the fallen officer a hero. "He left his family at home to protect yours and his ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten." Casillas joined the Pomona Police Department in 2014. He took on different positions — he was a records specialist and jailer before becoming a police recruit — to "better prepare himself to achieve his goal" of becoming an officer.

He was sworn in as a police officer in September. Casillas was nearly finished with his field training when he was killed. Raised in Los Angeles County, Casillas attended "local colleges and universities," Olivieri said. He is survived by his wife and two children, as well as his parents and two brothers. At the end of the news conference, sheriff's deputies surrounded Olivieri as he walked away from the crowd. Some patted him on the back. "It has been a long night," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. According to an acquaintance, the suspected shooter suffers from depression and drug addiction. Valencia served in the U.S. Army and has two children, said Amos Young, who knew the suspect through his father's Pomona church, Kingdom of God Revelation Ministries. Despite having a home, Valencia often slept on the streets and rejected help from his family, Young said.

A woman leaves flowersl for fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas at the Pomona Police Department Sunday evening in Pomona on March 11, 2018.​

Police said the incident began Friday night after they received a call about a reckless driver. The suspect refused to stop, leading police on a pursuit that ended when he crashed into a parked car. The driver then ran into an apartment building. About 9:10 p.m., dispatchers relayed reports of an officer down in the 1400 block of South Palomares Street near Fernleaf Avenue. A law enforcement source said about 75 officers from several agencies swarmed the scene but were unable at first to move the wounded officers to safety because of gunfire. A mother and daughter who gave only their first names said they ran out of their apartment after hearing the crash. Marlene, 12, said she saw the suspect exit a truck with a gun tucked under his arm and run into the nearby apartment. When the gunfire began, Marlene began recording on her cellphone. The video shows Marlene and her mother, Jessica, 29, running for safety as the gunfire continued. "He's inside," a woman says in the video. "Let's go!"

Marlene said she saw police bring a wounded officer outside and rip off his vest. In the video, an officer is seen giving chest compressions to an officer on the ground. Several officers huddle around them. Marlene and other neighbors said they spotted a woman they said was the suspect's mother crying and vomiting outside the apartment building before she got into a police SUV. Ninfa Martínez, who lives in a neighboring complex, said she saw residents running out of the building where the shooting occurred. "Then I heard some shots and went back running," said Martínez, 24. "It was crazy." After dawn, Casillas' body was escorted by a police procession from Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center to the coroner's office. More than a dozen law enforcement vehicles blocked the street in front of the apartment building where the suspect was still barricaded. A handful of SWAT officers gathered outside the entrance. Every so often, their muffled megaphone calls to the man to come out echoed through the street.

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Four-Time Felon Charged With the Killing of Chicago Police Commander Pleads Not Guilty
March 12, 2018 | Four-time felon Shomari Legghette pleaded not guilty Monday to a 56-count indictment charging him in the killing of Chicago Police Cmdr. Paul Bauer last month.

Shomari Legghette, 44, clad in an orange jail jumpsuit with his hands shackled, made his initial appearance before Cook County Judge Erica Reddick, who was randomly assigned Monday to handle the case. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson attended the arraignment along with about a dozen other uniformed police officers in the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Reddick told Legghette of the 56 counts he faces — a number that drew murmurs from the crowded courtroom gallery. Over the objections of Legghette’s lawyers, Reddick granted prosecutors’ request to sign an order prohibiting the public release of audio, video, reports or anything else that may be considered potential evidence in the case.

Reddick has been on the bench since 2010 after an extensive career as a Cook County assistant public defender. Last year, she presided over the trial of Edgardo Colon, who was convicted of murder in the 2011 shooting of off-duty Chicago police Officer Clifton Lewis during a botched armed robbery of a West Side convenience store where Lewis was working security. Reddick sentenced Colon, the alleged getaway driver, to 84 years in prison in October. A co-defendant is awaiting trial. Legghette’s 56 felony charges include 24 first-degree murder counts as well as additional armed violence, weapons and drug charges. Prosecutors intend to seek a life sentence if he is convicted of Bauer’s killing.

A resident shows support with a sign outside the funeral of slain Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018.​

Bauer’s midday slaying last month outside the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago shocked the city and provoked criticism from police that Legghette shouldn’t have been walking the streets with his extensive criminal record. Legghette was scheduled to go on trial in 2009 on felony gun and drug charges after serving about eight years in prison for armed robbery when prosecutors suddenly agreed to a deal in which he pleaded guilty to the least serious charge in return for a 3-year prison sentence. Since he had already spent 15 months in custody on those charges, Legghette was released from custody a few weeks later. On Feb. 13, officers patrolling Lower Wacker Drive because of a recent shooting and drug sales in the area approached Legghette, but he took off running, authorities said.

Bauer, downtown for a meeting with aldermen after attending training for mass shootings earlier in the day, heard a radio call of a fleeing suspect and spotted Legghette running nearby moments later, authorities said. Bauer chased down Legghette at the top of a stairwell outside the Thompson Center and attempted to detain him, authorities said. The two struggled, ending up on a landing below. Legghette, who was wearing body armor, drew a handgun and fired seven shots, fatally wounding Bauer, prosecutors said. Bauer’s weapon was still holstered. His police radio and handcuffs were found next to his body. Officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine in Legghette’s possession as well as heroin, marijuana and cocaine, prosecutors said. Legghette, ordered held without bail last month, is being held in Kankakee County Jail, records show.

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[waltky]

Kentucky Police Officer Shot and Killed...

Kentucky Police Officer Shot and Killed
March 14, 2018 - Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton was shot and killed in the line of duty Tuesday night.

A Pikeville police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty Tuesday night, according to the city of Pikeville. Scotty Hamilton had been a member of the police department since 2006 and was killed after responding to a call with Kentucky State Police in the Hurricane community around 11:30 p.m., the city said. Hamilton leaves behind a wife and a child.

Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton was shot and killed in the line of duty Tuesday night.​

Pikeville Mayor Jimmy Carter said KSP is in charge of what they are calling an ongoing murder investigation. No other details have been announced. One person is in custody and Kentucky State Police is using drones in its search for a second person involved in the shooting, WYMT reported. The flag outside the Pikeville Police Department was placed at half-staff in honor of Hamilton, according to WYMT.

If you have any information regarding the incident on Tuesday night, contact the Pikeville Police Department at (606) 437-5111 or the Kentucky State Police Post 9 at (606) 433-7711. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Frankfort Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Carrollton Police Department took to Facebook to send their condolences.

Kentucky Police Officer Shot and Killed

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Boy Raises $7,000 for Fallen Indiana Deputy's Family
March 14, 2018 - Malachi Fronczak brought in more than $7,000 in two days of operating his stand at Solidarity Federal Credit Union and Kokomo-Howard County Public Library.

A lot of people wouldn’t pay $100 for a cup of lemonade. But people were dropping $100s, $50s and all sorts of bills at Malachi’s Magnificent Lemonade stand last weekend. “It was crazy. It was definitely a crazy weekend,” said Jason Fronczak, Malachi’s father. Overall, 6-year-old Malachi Fronczak brought in more than $7,000 in two days of operating his stand at Solidarity Federal Credit Union and Kokomo-Howard County Public Library. All of that money will be donated to the family of Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett, who was killed in the line of duty on March 2 after he was shot during a foot pursuit.

This was not the first time that Malachi — who salutes police cars as they drive by his house — has jumped into action after hearing about the devastating loss of a member of law enforcement. At the end of July, Malachi raised about $2,000 for the family of Southport Police Department Lt. Aaron Allan, who died after responding to a car crash. Jason said he and his wife Trisha asked their son if he wanted to raise money again and he excitedly agreed. They set up the lemonade and hot chocolate stand in Solidarity Federal Credit Union on Friday and raised more than $5,000 in just four hours. “Our jaw kind of dropped — we did not expect that kind of a fundraising effort to happen,” Jason said. “It really says a lot about the community of Kokomo as a whole and the greater part of Indiana that showed up from all over the state to filter their money through this little guy to get to the family.”

Malachi Fronczak brought in more than $7,000 in two days of operating his stand at Solidarity Federal Credit Union and Kokomo-Howard County Public Library.​

On Sunday, the Fronczak family traveled to Boone County to visit Deputy Pickett’s memorial. Jason said it was a very somber experience for his family. “It’s very humbling — when we sit here and raise money from afar and you see stuff on TV, you feel sad for the family and you are proud of this hero that stepped forward," he said. "But when you go to the funeral like we did for officer Aaron Allan and then you go down to a memorial and you pray with your family for that family and those little boys, it’s hard not to get emotional and not to think about the changes that this family has coming for them. “The reality sets in, when you are able to see the real impact that one individual was able to have on their community by serving in law enforcement, it does hit you.”

Even when Malachi isn’t selling lemonade, he is still running around and trying to thank every first responder and military member he sees, Jason said. “Thank you for saving our world,” he tells them. Malachi will be bringing his Magnificent Lemonade to the south branch of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Jason said they plan to open the stand on Friday as well, but a location has not been set yet. For more information and updates, follow Malachi’s Magnificent Lemonade on Facebook. Haley Church can be reached at 765-454-8580, [email protected] or on Twitter @HaleyDrewChurch.

Boy's Lemonade Stand Raises $7,000 for Fallen Indiana Deputy's Family

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Woman Charged With Stealing Donations for Slain Officers
March 14, 2018 - A closed-circuit television camera, police say, caught a woman taking $300 from a donation jar set up for two slain Westerville police officers on the counter of a Northwest Side bar.

Donna Lee Ater, 62, of the 3500 block of Rocky Way Lane on the West Side, was charged Tuesday with theft in connection with the incident this past Saturday at the Average Joe's Bar, 1126 W. Henderson Road. If she is convicted, the first-degree misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Donna Lee Ater​

Court records say that Ater used the stolen money to then play Keno at Average Joe's. More than $300 in cash was stuffed into the jar on behalf of Officers Anthony Morelli and Eric Joering, who died after they were shot when they responded to a 911 call in connection with a domestic-violence incident Feb. 10. Quentin L. Smith, 31, has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder in their slayings.

Only a few dollars was left in the jar after the money was taken, police said. A break in the theft came Monday when an anonymous caller contacted Average Joe's management and provided Ater's name. Two people who were in the bar at the time were able to identify Ater out of a photo array, court records show.

Woman Charged With Stealing Donations for Slain Ohio Officers

 

[waltky]

Woman Charged in Missouri Officer's Slaying...

Woman Charged in Missouri Officer's Slaying
March 15, 2018 - Tammy Dee Widger was charged on Wednesday with felony murder in the shooting death of Ryan Morton, a Clinton police officer killed in the line of duty last week.

Widger, whose rental home was the site of the fatal shooting, had previously been charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and with keeping or maintaining a public nuisance. The second-degree murder charge was added by Henry County prosecutors on Wednesday in an amended complaint, according to court records. Widger allegedly committed felony murder because Morton was shot and killed "as a result of the perpetration of the class C felony of delivery of a controlled substance," according to court records. John Picerno, a Kansas City defense attorney, said that during the commission of a felony, a person can be charged with murder even without directly killing someone.

Widger, 37, said she has not been provided with a public defender as she sits in jail facing charges. Widger has been in the Henry County jail since the night of March 6, when police arrived at her home at 306 W. Grandriver St. after a 911 call made 20 miles away mistakenly sent officers there. Henry County emergency communications officials later said that a database error sent police to the wrong address. An investigation into that error is ongoing. According to court documents, Widger answered the door and said there was no disturbance. She had not made a 911 call, she said. Five officers went into the house anyway, to ensure no one was being harmed, authorities said.

Tammy Dee Widger​

An armed man, later identified as James Waters, was at the house. Soon after the officers entered, gunfire erupted. Morton was mortally wounded. Four officers escaped, two of them wounded. Morton lay dying in the home and officers were unable to reach him for hours because of the gunfire. About midnight that night, a Missouri Highway Patrol SWAT team entered the house and Waters was found dead. Widger was arrested at the scene. She was charged that day with keeping or maintaining a public nuisance by using her home to sell methamphetamine, according to Henry County prosecutors. She allegedly told investigators that in exchange for helping Waters distribute methamphetamine, he agreed to pay her bills, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say that investigators serving a search warrant found a purse with Widger's identification inside and a bag containing what appeared to be marijuana, meth and pills, each packaged separately. A day after the shooting, she was charged with delivery of a controlled substance. Widger made her first court appearance via video March 8 and remains in custody. Her bond has been raised to $100,000. She asked to be represented by a public defender, but according to court records no attorney has been appointed to her case more than a week after her arrest. Widger is scheduled to appear in court April 6. Thousands of law enforcement officers and members of the military attended Morton's funeral in Clinton on Monday.

Woman Charged in Missouri Officer's Slaying

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Manhunt Continues for Gunman in Fatal Shooting of Kentucky Police Officer
March 15, 2018 - Kentucky State Police searched Wednesday for a person suspected of shooting and killing Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton Tuesday night as the Eastern Kentucky community mourned the fallen officer.

Scotty Hamilton was killed after responding to a call with Kentucky State Police in the Hurricane community around 11:30 p.m., the city said. He had been a member of the police department since 2006. According to state police, Hamilton and Trooper Matt Martin were patrolling the area when they saw a suspicious vehicle. The officers spoke with people in the vehicle and then separated as they searched around a nearby residence for someone on foot. After hearing gunshots, Martin found Hamilton close to the residence with a fatal gunshot wound, police said. The shooter escaped. Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene. KSP spokesman William Petry said police arrested four people who were at the scene on charges unrelated to the shooting, and that police are searching for the suspected shooter.

Hamilton is survived by a wife and one child. “Wherever I’ve seen Officer Hamilton, whoever he was with, whatever he was doing, he always took the time to shake my hand and ask me how I was doing,” said James Maynard, who worked with Hamilton at the City of Pikeville 911 Public Safety Center. “He was more than a stand-up class act. He was a man’s man. A true American hero.” Maynard said Hamilton loved to spend his free time riding ATVs on trails with his friends and family. Flags outside the Pikeville Police Department and the Pikeville Fire Department were placed at half-staff Wednesday in honor of Hamilton. Dozens of people gathered along Hambley Boulevard in downtown Pikeville to watch and pay their respects Wednesday afternoon as Hamilton’s body was transported to the J.W. Call Funeral Home.

Kentucky State Police searched Wednesday for a person suspected of shooting and killing Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton Tuesday night.​

A fire truck hoisted an American flag as police cars filed underneath during the procession. Police officers, firefighters and others stood saluting as Hamilton’s flag-draped casket was carried into the funeral home. “Scotty got along with everybody,” said Jason Akers, a friend of Hamilton’s who also worked in law enforcement. “We spent the majority of our time laughing together.” Akers recalled going to ball games with Hamilton and being “literally sore from laughing the next day.” “Scotty’s the type of guy, if he runs across somebody who’s homeless on the street, he would buy them a hotel room and get them something hot to eat,” Akers said. “He was just a terrific guy.”

Hamilton loved his wife and child “more than life itself,” Akers said. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Pikeville Police Department at (606) 437-5111 or the Kentucky State Police Post 9 at (606) 433-7711. Hamilton’s funeral will be at the East Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville at 1 p.m. Sunday. Two visitations are also scheduled, one for 5 p.m. Friday and another for noon Saturday, both at the East Kentucky Expo Center. A candlelight vigil will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday, also at the East Kentucky Expo Center.

Manhunt Continues for Gunman in Fatal Shooting of Kentucky Police Officer

 

[waltky]

Cop killer suspect captured...

Suspect Captured, Charged in Slaying of Kentucky Police Officer
March 16, 2018 - A man who was wanted in connection to the murder of a 35-year-old veteran Pikeville police officer was captured Thursday.

John Russell Hall, 55, of Pikeville, was charged with one count of murder of a police officer and one count of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon in connection with the slaying of Pikeville police officer Scotty Hamilton. Hall was captured near the Floyd County and Pike County border, according to Kentucky State Police. Gov. Matt Bevin said Hall was captured without incident. Hamilton was shot after responding to a call with Kentucky State Police in the Hurricane community around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, the city said. Hall lives in the Hurricane area, according to recent court records.

John Russell Hall, left and Pikeville Police Officer Scott Hamilton​

According to state police, Hamilton and Trooper Matt Martin were patrolling the area when they saw a suspicious vehicle. The officers spoke with people in the vehicle and then separated as they searched around a nearby residence for someone on foot. After hearing gunshots, Martin found Hamilton close to the residence with a fatal gunshot wound, police said. The shooter escaped. KSP spokesman William Petry said police arrested four people who were at the scene on charges unrelated to the shooting.

Hamilton was with the Pikeville department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife, Chelsie Hamilton, and his infant daughter, Brynlee. Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Saturday at the East Kentucky Expo Center, 126 Main Street in Pikeville. The funeral is at 1 p.m. Sunday, also at the East Kentucky Expo Center. He will be buried in the Pikeville City Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the Brynlee Hamilton Scholarship Fund, c/o Community Trust Bank, P.O. Box 2947, Pikeville, KY 41502.

Suspect Captured, Charged in Slaying of Kentucky Police Officer

 

[IsaacNewton]

War on cops?

 

[waltky]

Heavy.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - let God figger out what to do with him...

Suspected Cop-Killer Set to Face the Death Penalty
March 23, 2018 | A Franklin County grand jury has returned a death-penalty indictment against Quentin L. Smith in the Feb. 10 shooting deaths of Westerville Police Officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli.

A Franklin County grand jury has returned a death-penalty indictment against Quentin L. Smith in the Feb. 10 shooting deaths of two Westerville police officers. The indictment was announced by county Prosecutor Ron O’Brien at a news conference this morning.

Officers Eric Joering, left, and Anthony Morelli​

Smith, 31, is accused of killing Officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli in an exchange of gunfire after they entered his townhouse in the 300 block of Cross Wind Drive to investigate a 911 hang-up call. Investigators said Smith’s wife told the officers that he had assaulted her and had a gun. Joering died at the scene; Morelli died of his injuries at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. Smith was hospitalized with gunshot wounds for a week before being transported to the Franklin County jail, where he is being held without bail.

The charges against Smith include two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, one count of domestic violence, one count of possessing a gun despite a previous felony conviction, nine gun specifications and four repeat-violent-offender specifications. In Ohio, the purposeful killing of an on-duty police officer and the purposeful killing of two or more people are among the crimes that qualify for the death penalty.

Suspected Cop-Killer Set to Face the Death Penalty

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Slain Officer Laid to Rest
March 23, 2018 - Hundreds of law enforcement officers, civic leaders and other mourners gathered Thursday to honor the short life of Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas.

As the rain fell outside Pomona’s Purpose Church on a dreary Thursday morning, hundreds of law enforcement officers, civic leaders and other mourners gathered solemnly inside to honor the short life of Pomona police Officer Greggory Casillas, who was killed in the line of duty just days away from finishing his field training. During an emotional hour-and-a-half ceremony, mourners recalled in tearful detail a young man inspired to help others and to be a devoted husband and doting father — and whose legacy in the community will persist. Casillas, 30, was shot to death March 9 as he and his partner approached an apartment where a reckless-driving suspect had taken refuge. His partner was injured but survived. “Lord, we have lost a champion of the community,” Glenn Gunderson, Purpose Church’s lead pastor, said in his opening prayer. “Greg Casillas has done the ultimate act of sacrifice for us.”

Hundreds of law enforcement officers, civic leaders and other mourners gathered Thursday to honor the short life of Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas.​

Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval addressed a crowd estimated at more than 2,000, mostly police officers from around the country, during a ceremony that moved many speakers to tears. Among those paying tribute was California Gov. Jerry Brown. “Officer Casillas’ selflessness and dedication to Pomona will never be forgotten, and his loss will forever be mourned in the city. Today we mourn the loss of a real-life superhero, the end of a promising story, ending long before many of its greatest chapters were to be written,” Sandoval said. Casillas’ brother-in-law, Arturo Fematt Jr., recalled a day when Casillas gave his son a police sticker in the shape of a police badge. The boy then excitedly ran up to Fematt and exclaimed, “Now I”m a superhero like Tio Greg.” “‘He’s out there fighting crime, arresting bad guys … for that, he’s a superhero,’” Fematt told mourners including those in a tent set up outside to accommodate the overflow crowd. Some comic book heroes can’t ever be killed off, and in some ways Casillas’ legacy of service and friendship will always be there, mourners said.

Rather than speak of despair, a former classmate in the sheriff’s academy, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Christian Guevara, wanted to talk about hope and honor and to celebrate Casillas’ life. He said Casillas helped him through the academy in everything from learning to shoot to shining his boots. “I know he’ll be with me on the streets, he’ll be with me in my time of need, when I need to make a decision. He’ll be my guardian angel the rest of my career,” Guevara said.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR OFFICER

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New Details Revealed in Investigation of Baltimore Police Detective’s Death
March 23, 2018 - There are contradictory theories within the Baltimore Police Department about Detective Sean Suiter still-unsolved killing.

When Baltimore Police Detective Sean Suiter was shot in West Baltimore last fall, responding officers found their dying colleague lying face down in a vacant lot. He’d been shot once in the head — and his freshly fired service weapon was beneath his body. Moments before his death, surveillance cameras showed, Suiter had paced back and forth on the street. Then he darted out of view and into the lot where three shots rang out. This and other previously undisclosed evidence, described by sources to The Baltimore Sun, lies behind contradictory theories within the Police Department about Suiter’s still-unsolved killing.

Some say the evidence — including the location of the gun, the pacing as though preparing himself — suggests Suiter could have committed suicide staged to look like a murder. But others see that interpretation as an easy out for the department in a stalled case. They point to other evidence as bolstering their view that Suiter likely scuffled with an assailant before his death. Sources say the bullet that ultimately killed Suiter entered behind his right ear and traveled forward, exiting from his left temple. The path of the bullet is not typical of a suicide, some note.

A Baltimore City Police officer salutes as the processional moves under the Seminary Avenue overpass during the funeral for Baltimore Police Detective Sean Suiter on November 29, 2017.​

In this view, dirt found on Suiter’s clothing, an unintelligible transmission over his radio, and the two other shots from his gun all support the theory that he struggled with an assailant who has eluded detection. Police have said Suiter was killed with his own gun, though the shooting could have happened during such a struggle. “The realistic version of this is that there are two things that are possible: suicide and murder,” one source said. “I could convince anybody why it’s a murder, and I could convince anybody why it’s a suicide.” Suiter’s death is one of the only unsolved killings of a police officer in the Baltimore department’s history. New Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa has said he is preparing to open the case to outside investigators for an independent review. He has declined to share his opinion.

The detective was shot the day before he was to give testimony before a federal grand jury investigating Baltimore’s corrupt Gun Trace Task Force. Suiter was not a target of that investigation, police have said. The Sun has not viewed the surveillance footage or other evidence in Suiter’s killing — which includes body-camera footage from the first officers who reached his side — but spoke with five law enforcement sources knowledgeable about it. These sources had different interpretations. The new details help to explain public comments made by police that previously lacked context.

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[waltky]

Were at court on a separate matter...

Mother, Sister of Slain Indiana Sheriff's Deputy Assaulted at Courthouse
March 27, 2018 - Alice Koontz and Jackie Koontz, the sister and mother of fallen Howard County Deputy Carl Koontz, were on the courthouse’s third floor for a paternity hearing when approached by Bryson Smalls.

A Kokomo man faces multiple felony charges after police say he battered and caused the hospitalizing of two women inside the Howard County Courthouse Monday morning. Bryson Small, 36, faces preliminary charges of attempted involuntary manslaughter, neglect of a dependent, battery against a public safety officer, battery resulting in bodily injury, domestic battery, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct. He’s currently being held at the Howard County Criminal Justice Center without bond.

Alice Koontz and Jackie Koontz, the sister and mother of fallen Howard County Deputy Carl Koontz, were on the courthouse’s third floor for a paternity hearing when approached by Bryson Smalls.​

According to a press release from the Howard County Sheriff’s Department, Alice Koontz, 26, and Jackie Koontz, 54, the sister and mother of fallen Howard County Deputy Carl Koontz, were on the courthouse’s third floor for a paternity hearing when approached by Smalls, the respondent in the hearing. Witnesses say Small approached the women and began to attack them, knocking them both to the floor, according to the press release. Both were struck several times by Small. Several bystanders and attorneys in the area responded to help the women, and assisted in subduing Small, the press release states. Infant Amelia Koontz was present in a baby carrier but not injured.

Alice Koontz and Jackie Koontz suffered facial and head injuries, and Alice Koontz was unconscious prior to being transported via ambulance to St. Vincent Hospital. She was later transported to an Indianapolis hospital for further treatment for facial and head injuries. Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers confirmed Alice Koontz and Jackie Koontz are the sister and mother, respectively, of fallen Howard County Deputy Carl Koontz. Jackie Koontz was also transported to St. Vincent Hospital where she was treated and later released. Rogers commended the actions of individuals who rushed to protect the victims.

https://www.officer.com/command-hq/technology/security-surveillance/news/20998182/mother-sister-of-slain-indiana-sheriffs-deputy-assaulted-at-courthouse

 

[waltky]

Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Calif. Cop Killer...

Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Calif. Cop Killer
March 28, 2018 - A jury on Tuesday recommended the death penalty for Luis Bracamontes in the 2014 slayings of Sacramento Sheriff's Deputy Danny Oliver and Placer County Detective Michael Davis Jr.

The verdicts, announced after four hours of deliberation by a Sacramento Superior Court jury, came in a brief hearing before Judge Steve White during which Bracamontes spent the entire time smiling broadly, sometimes at the families of the dead deputies. Whatever effect he was hoping for didn't work. Elated family members of the deputies said afterward that they wanted Bracamontes in the courtroom, and they wanted him to see them smiling back at him as he heard the verdict. "I was smiling back at him purposely," Jeri Oliver, Danny Oliver's mother, said after court. She said she Davis' mother, Debbie McMahon, had agreed that was how they would handle the delivery of the verdict. "We decided we were going to smile at him for a change."

Bracamontes has acted out throughout the trial, cursing at the families and jurors and threatening to kill more officers. At times, he has insisted he wanted to skip trial and move directly to execution. Family members of the deputies said Tuesday they believe it was all an act. "He's a coward," said Oliver's sister, Phyllis Sylvia. Bracamontes grinned and silently clapped his hands after the verdict was delivered, while public defenders Norm Dawson and Jeffrey Barbour sat grim faced on either side of him in the courtroom. Later he shook hands with his lawyers as deputies prepared to lead him out of the room.

A jury on Tuesday recommended the death penalty for Luis Bracamontes in the 2014 slayings of Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Oliver and Placer County Sheriff's Detective Michael Davis Jr.​

Until Tuesday's verdict, family members and law enforcement officials were hesitant to speak out on the record about the case, but with the verdict in place they appeared relieved and unrestrained. "I feel free to say it now, he's a despicable and evil human being and the death penalty is totally appropriate," said Placer Sheriff Devon Bell, who hugged Davis' mother in court before the jury came in. Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones said the verdict won't erase the loss of Oliver or Davis, but that it "is a step along the road toward justice." Others praised the prosecutors – Rod Norgaard from Sacramento and Dave Tellman from Placer County – for helping shepherd the case to its conclusion. "I was ecstatic," Oliver's sister said. "We couldn't have asked for a better team of DAs or a better jury."

Juror Sam Wood, 56, of Sacramento, spent five and a half months on the case and said that in the end the facts against Bracamontes "were just so powerful." "There were just so many facts," he said. "It was not something that you could go one way of the other on." Wood added that jurors took their responsibility seriously, and did not allow Bracamontes' outbursts – which included threats against them – to influence their decision. "It wasn't like everybody got in there and agreed to one outcome or another right away," Wood said. "We did work at it." Bracamontes is due to return to court April 25 for a formal sentencing by White at a hearing during which family members of the slain deputies are expected to address the court and Bracamontes.

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Fake cop kills real cop, then is killed himself...

Off-Duty Kentucky Police Officer Killed by Man Impersonating Law Enforcement Officer
March 30, 2018 - A manhunt is on for a suspect after Hopkinsville Police Officer Phillip Meacham was fatally shot by a man impersonating a law enforcement officer who pulled him over Thursday evening.

A manhunt is on for a suspect after a Hopkinsville, Kentucky police officer was fatally shot by a man impersonating a law enforcement officer Thursday evening. Officer Phillip Meacham was off-duty driving his personal vehicle when officials say a man pretending to be a police officer pulled over his car around 5:10 p.m., according to The Leaf Chronicle. Sometime during the interaction, the suspect, identified as 35-year-old James Kennith Decoursey, shot Meacham.

James Kennith Decoursey, left, and Officer Phillip Meacham​

The 38-year-old officer who worked for the Hopkinsville Police Department since May 2017 was transported to Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville where he was pronounced dead. Officials said that Decoursey fled on foot after the shooting before stealing a 1997 white Chevrolet pickup truck with license plate number 2070GH. He is described as a white male, 6 feet, 1 inch tall with brown eyes and black hair. Authorities say Decoursey should be considered armed and dangerous and anyone who spots his vehicle is advised not to approach him and to call 911.

Hopkinsville Police Chief Clayton Sumner said he wasn't sure if the men two men knew each other personally, but that since both are from the small town it's likely. "Officers are never off duty," Sumner told reporters after the shooting. "This is new to me. I don't know how to do this. I don't know what I'm supposed to say. I just ask for everybody's support." Kentucky State Police has taken over the investigation of the fatal shooting. Meacham, who worked for more than a decade at the Christian County Sheriff's Office before joining the Hopkinsville police force leaves behind a wife and two children.

Off-Duty Kentucky Police Officer Killed by Man Impersonating Officer

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Accused Cop-Killer Claimed He Was 'Just Trying to Scare' Trooper
March 29, 2018 | New York State Police Trooper Chris Wyant testified Wednesday that Justin D. Walters told him he “was just trying to scare him” when he allegedly shot and killed Trooper Joel Davis last July.

The Fort Drum staff sergeant accused of killing Trooper Joel R. Davis last summer during a domestic incident is headed to trial in the fall. On Wednesday, Justin D. Walters appeared in court for an evidence suppression hearing in which a trooper testified that Walters told him he “was just trying to scare him” when he allegedly shot Trooper Davis in the driveway of the defendant’s County Route 46 home last July. Walters also is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Nichole V., 27, multiple times at their Theresa home on July 9 and injuring her friend, Rebecca Finkle. Trooper Davis was responding to a domestic incident. Ms. Finkle has since recovered from her injuries.

Trooper Chris Wyant was the first officer to arrive on the scene and heard gunshots as soon as he got there. The exchange occurred when Walters was walking down the driveway with his hands out to his side, saying “I’m done. I’m done,” according to Trooper Wyant. Walters asked if the trooper was okay. Trooper Wyant responded that his friend was dead. Gesturing to another trooper near the deceased Trooper Davis, Walters told Trooper Wyant “No, he’s not. He’s right there.” “No, there’s another trooper dead in the ditch,” Trooper Wyant told Walters, referring to Trooper Davis. “I was just trying to scare him,” Walters said.

Trooper Joel Davis, left, and Justin Walters​

A number of state troopers and investigators testified during Wednesday’s hearing about what happened the night Walters was interviewed. Walters gave several statements, both at the scene and then later when interviewed at the troopers’ station. While the interview occurred over several hours, Walters asked for a lawyer about 54 minutes into the session, Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna S. Mills said. Anything after that request will not be used during the trial. Walters is accused of three counts of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty to all 55 counts lodged against him in a grand jury indictment. Walters’ attorney, Edward F. Narrow, said he would file a notice to use “mental disease or defect” as a defense for his client.

In the weeks leading to the shooting, Walters posted to Facebook about death, getting treatment at Fort Drum’s Warriors in Transition Unit and frustrations with the Army. He had been in the Army for 10 years and was deployed to Afghanistan twice. Walters will continue to be held in the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building without bail. Jefferson County Court Judge Kim H. Martusewicz told the district attorney and Mr. Narrow to submit a written “memorandum on the law” by April 13. The judge will decide whether any of Walters’s statements should be suppressed. He will also determine whether evidence collected by investigators from the house, the yard, some electronic items and the T-shirt containing blood that Walters was wearing should be suppressed.

Accused Cop-Killer Claimed He Was 'Just Trying to Scare' Trooper

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Man Convicted in Slaying of New Orleans Police Officer
March 26, 2018 - A jury on Saturday unanimously found Travis Boys guilty in the 2015 murder of veteran New Orleans Police Officer Daryle Holloway.

The family of a slain New Orleans police officer says that justice has been served after the suspected gunman was convicted over the weekend. A jury on Saturday unanimously found Travis Boys guilty in the 2015 murder of veteran Officer Daryle Holloway, according to NOLA.com.

Fallen New Orleans Police Officer Daryle Holloway’s family speaks after the jury finds Travis Boys guilty of first-degree murder.​

A group of about a dozen New Orleans officers and commanders stood after the verdict was read in a salute to Holloway as family members embraced in and outside the courtroom. "Daryle did not deserve what was handed to him that day, but today we were able to see justice handed out of Daryle Stephen Holloway," Olander Holloway, the officer's mother, said outside the courthouse.

Holloway was taking Boys to jail on the morning of June 20, 2015, when the man crawled through the small window opening between the front and back seats in the officer's patrol car and fatally shot him. Judge Karen Herman set a May 3 sentencing date for Boys, who faces an automatic life sentence. Holloway's family is expected to give victim impact statements at the hearing.

Man Convicted in Slaying of New Orleans Police Officer