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Police Misconduct

Chesco Cop Convicted For Shooting At Driver During Traffic Stop: DA Chesco Cop Convicted For Shooting At Driver During Traffic Stop: DA
Chesco Cop Convicted For Shooting At Driver During Traffic Stop: DA A West Caln police officer was convicted of shooting at a driver during a 2021 traffic stop, according to Chester County prosecutors.  Sergeant Anthony Sparano pulled over a Chrysler 300 after midnight on Nov. 10, 2021, on the 100 block of Octorara Trail Road, the DA's Office said.  Body camera footage showed the driver, Takeisha Landry, was filming Sparano while he asked for her license and registration, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities said Landry "refused to comply" with Sparano's repeated requests.  "The interaction between Sergeant Sparano and Landry beg…
Eddie Irizarry Killing: Murder Charges Reinstated Against Ex-Philly Cop Eddie Irizarry Killing: Murder Charges Reinstated Against Ex-Philly Cop
Eddie Irizarry Killing: Murder Charges Reinstated Against Ex-Philly Cop A Philadelphia judge has reinstated the criminal charges against an ex-police officer related to the August killing of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry, according to multiple news outlets and court records.  Former PPD officer Mark Dial was charged with murder, aggravated assault, official oppression, and related counts after he shot Irizarry dead during a traffic stop in Kensington on Aug. 14.  Dial originally told investigators he shot Irizarry after the 27-year-old lunged at him with a knife, though his body camera footage later revealed Irizarry never got out of his car.  He w…
BETRAYER OF THE BADGE: NJ Officer Admits Using Authority On Duty To Pressure Women Into Sex BETRAYER OF THE BADGE: NJ Officer Admits Using Authority On Duty To Pressure Women Into Sex
Betrayer OF THE Badge: NJ Officer Admits Using Authority On Duty To Pressure Women Into Sex UPDATE: A Vernon Township police officer who was accused of groping a Bergen County woman during a domestic violence call admitted abusing his authority on duty to force women to submit to his sexual advances. Emanuel Rivera, 38, acknowledged the “imbalance of power” between him and the women he was hitting on, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said in a joint statement. This left them unable to consent, he admitted, because of the “coercive, intimidating nature of such requests” coming from a uniformed police officer," the s…
On-Duty Pennsylvania State Trooper Charged For Drunk Driving On-Duty Pennsylvania State Trooper Charged For Drunk Driving
On-Duty Pennsylvania State Trooper Charged For Drunk Driving A Trooper with the Pennsylvania state police is accused for accused of driving intoxicated while on duty, according to a release by PSP on Tuesday, Dec. 6.  29-year-old Austin J. Burney, of Cooksburg, was assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run when he "was found to be under the influence of alcohol during his assigned shift on the afternoon of Sunday, November 27," as stated in the release.  He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, roadways laned for traffic, and driving on the right side of the roadway, according to the police and confirmed by court documents.  B…
Ex-Police Officer In Two PA Boroughs Took $98K, Stole Guns From Evidence Locker: Authorities Ex-Police Officer In Two PA Boroughs Took $98K, Stole Guns From Evidence Locker: Authorities
Ex-Police Officer In Two PA Boroughs Took $98K, Stole Guns From Evidence Locker: Authorities A central Pennsylvania former police officer has been charged for thefts he committed on the job, authorities say. 48-year-old Christopher John Still formerly of the Marysville and Halifax boroughs of police is accused of submitting for hours he never worked while employed with the Halifax Borough from 2019 and 2022— resulting in a theft of $98,754.50, according to a release by the Dauphin County district attorney's office on Dec. 1.  Additionally, he is accused of taking three guns from the evidence locker— two of which were sold to Reeser’s Gun Shop for $500, according…
Ex-Philly Cop Found Guilty Of Manslaughter In On-Duty Killing Of Unarmed Black Man Ex-Philly Cop Found Guilty Of Manslaughter In On-Duty Killing Of Unarmed Black Man
Ex-Philly Cop Found Guilty Of Manslaughter In On-Duty Killing Of Unarmed Black Man A now-former Philadelphia police officer was convicted Wednesday, Sept. 21 in the on-duty killing of an unarmed Black man nearly five years earlier, authorities said. After an eight-day trial, Eric Ruch Jr., 34, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime for his role in the shooting death of 25-year-old Dennis Plowden in 2017, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.  His bail was revoked and sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17 The DA's office says this trial was the first in the city in which an on-duty police officer was tried fo…
Video Shows Now-Former NJ Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says Video Shows Now-Former NJ Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says
Video Shows Now-Former NJ Officer Beating Defenseless Suspect, Prosecutor Says Body camera video proves that a now-former Paterson police officer beat a defenseless suspect with a flashlight and kneed him in the face in an apartment hallway, a grand jury indictment charges. Spencer Finch, 45, of Mahwah filed an official report maintaining that he needed to use force against what he claimed was a combative suspect, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The video from a fellow officer’s bodycam tells a different story, Valdes added. Finch – who was with the department for nearly 18 years -- is charged with aggravated assault, official misconduct, perjury, t…
Video Surfaces Of Rescue Dog Shot Dead By Police In Lebanon Video Surfaces Of Rescue Dog Shot Dead By Police In Lebanon
Video Surfaces Of Rescue Dog Shot Dead By Police In Lebanon Lebanon City police have issued a statement after a distributing video of officers shooting a lost rescue dog surfaced on social media.  Lebanon City police, were called to a report of a stray dog in the first block  Tiffany Lane at around 10:26 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, according to the statement.  The officers claim to have called the Lebanon County Humane Society and the Pa. Dog warden but say "no assistance was available." Daily Voice has reached out to both organizations as well as the PSPCA and has yet to hear back.  The statement goes on to claim that the dog became aggressive and…
PA State Trooper Caught On Cam Kicking Driver In The Chest Authorities Say PA State Trooper Caught On Cam Kicking Driver In The Chest Authorities Say
PA State Trooper Caught On Cam Kicking Driver In The Chest Authorities Say A Pennsylvania state trooper is accused of assaulting a motorist during an arrest earlier this year, state police say. Israel T. Moore "used his right leg to deliver two strikes to the upper torso of a motorist who led troopers on a vehicle pursuit on the evening of Feb. 13" according to a criminal complaint filed by internal affairs. Another trooper was handcuffing the motorist at the time of the alleged attack, PSP IA says. Moore was working in Troop H, Chambersburg when he started chasing the driver, which ended in a grass field near the intersection of High Street and Lincoln Way…
Newly Released Video Shows Virginia Deputies Tackling 77-Year-Old Man (WATCH) Newly Released Video Shows Virginia Deputies Tackling 77-Year-Old Man (WATCH)
Newly Released Video Shows Virginia Deputies Tackling 77-Year-Old Man (Watch) EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video could be difficult to watch for some audiences.  Newly released police camera body footage captures deputies with the Warren County Sheriff's Office slamming a 77-year-old man to the ground during his arrest. Authorities originally said that Ralph Ennis "fell over" when deputies arrested him for reckless driving in Fort Royal, Virginia in April.  However, the video shows one deputy running up to Ennis and throwing him against Ennis' red pickup truck. Another deputy is seen jumping on top and sending both men to the ground. Ennis died 13 days later …
Drunk Man With 'Fearless' Tattoo Spits On PA Officer Giving Him Ride Home: Police Drunk Man With 'Fearless' Tattoo Spits On PA Officer Giving Him Ride Home: Police
Drunk Man With 'Fearless' Tattoo Spits On PA Officer Giving Him Ride Home: Police A drunk man getting a ride home by police officers thanked them by spitting on them, according to authorities who arrested him in Central Pennsylvania. Manheim officers were initially called to the 200 block Waterford Ct., for reports of a disturbance when they found Joshua T. Stewart, 28, of Lancaster, around 3:50 a.m., police said. Stewart — who has a tattoo of the word "fearless" on his neck — was initially charged with public drunkenness, but after attempts to take him into custody, Stewart repeatedly pushed back on the officers and attempted to free himself, Manheim police sa…
PA Officer Details Alleged Rape By Coworker In Email To 900 Police Force Members: Report PA Officer Details Alleged Rape By Coworker In Email To 900 Police Force Members: Report
PA Officer Details Alleged Rape By Coworker In Email To 900 Police Force Members: Report A police officer in Pennsylvania in a detailed email to 900 other officers on the force accused a coworker of raping her while off-duty at a party, WPXI reports. The unnamed Pittsburgh police officer said the alleged assault occurred in the Summer 2021, and was subsequently granted a temporary protection order from her unnamed attacker, the outlet reports. The male officer accused has not been charged, but was suspended for three days per a recommendation by then-Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, the report explains. The chief reportedly suggested firing him. Both officers app…
Mom Of Kidnapped Girls Murdered By Dad Withdraws Complaint Against York Police: Report Mom Of Kidnapped Girls Murdered By Dad Withdraws Complaint Against York Police: Report
Mom Of Kidnapped Girls Murdered By Dad Withdraws Complaint Against York Police: Report The Pennsylvania mom of two young girls who were kidnapped and killed by their dad in Maryland late last year has withdrawn her private criminal complaint against a regional police chief, PennLive reports. Vicosa's attorney said she withdrew her complaint due to a "recognition of the high threshold for proving a criminal action," according to PennLive. Instead, the attorney said Vicosa plans to "pursue to the fullest extent of Marisa and her childrens’ civil rights all civil claims that they have against the chief and the police department for its mishandling of the case, and his and their…
NJ Correctional Officer Admits Assaulting, Breaking Wrist Of Detainee, 16, With No Cause NJ Correctional Officer Admits Assaulting, Breaking Wrist Of Detainee, 16, With No Cause
NJ Correctional Officer Admits Assaulting, Breaking Wrist Of Detainee, 16, With No Cause UPDATE: A retiring New Jersey correctional officer admitted breaking the wrist of a detainee during an unprovoked attack at a state facility for juvenile offenders, authorities said. Lt. Edward Day, 52, of Paulsboro, assaulted the 16-year-old without cause or justification at the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission's medium-security facility in Bordentown on Oct. 25, 2020, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. The boy had his arms handcuffed behind his back during a transfer from his room to another location at the facility when Day "grabbed the victim’s ankle from …
Family Of NJ Man Shot Dead By Officer At Dorney Park To Get $950K In Settlement Money Family Of NJ Man Shot Dead By Officer At Dorney Park To Get $950K In Settlement Money
Family Of NJ Man Shot Dead By Officer At Dorney Park To Get $950K In Settlement Money The family of a New Jersey man shot and killed by an "inexperienced" police officer directing traffic at Dorney Park will receive $950,000 reached in the settlement of a wrongful death suit, The Morning Call reports. Joseph Santos' two adult sons and 11-year-old daughter will receive a portion of the settlement, aside from law firm costs and fees, according to a copy of the settlement obtained by The Morning Call. Santos' estate administrator, Juliana Valenzuela, agreed to end the lawsuit on Sept. 14, according to the settlement. South Whitehall Township Officer Jonathan Ros…
TikTokers Want Justice For Woman Who Died On Bumble Date TikTokers Want Justice For Woman Who Died On Bumble Date
TikTokers Want Justice For Woman Who Died On Bumble Date The family of a Connecticut woman who was found dead in her apartment is upset over the way her death was handled is being backed by TikTok users. Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, of Bridgeport, was found dead in her apartment on Sunday, Dec. 12 by Bridgeport police after a date with 37-year-old Matthew LaFountain, whom she met on a dating site. LaFountain was the one who called to report her death, the family said at a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 16. More than a month after Smith-Fields died, her family still doesn't have a cause of death and is frustrated with the way they are being treated …
Judge Won't Toss Excessive Force Claims In Wrongful Death Lawsuit Of Anton Black Judge Won't Toss Excessive Force Claims In Wrongful Death Lawsuit Of Anton Black
Judge Won't Toss Excessive Force Claims In Wrongful Death Lawsuit Of Anton Black A ruling by a federal judge paves the way for the family of 19-year-old Anton Black to continue with a lawsuit claiming that police on Maryland's Eastern Shore used excessive force when they handcuffed him and shackled his legs, according to the AP. US District Judge Catherine Blake refused to throw out the family's claims in the lawsuit and says body camera video of the deadly encounter doesn't contradict what Black's family says was use of excessive force by police. The three white police officers who tried to restrain him after they chased black outside of their home in rural Greensboro,…
NJ Officer Indicted In Accused Beating Of Arab-American Resident NJ Officer Indicted In Accused Beating Of Arab-American Resident
NJ Officer Indicted In Accused Beating Of Arab-American Resident A Paterson police officer beat a 19-year-old Arab-American man and then lied about it, a federal grand jury charged. Officers Kevin Patino, 29, violated the civil rights of the victim, according to the indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Newark, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Osamah Alsaidi was walking with his hands in his pockets the night of Dec. 14, 2020 when Patino and Officer Kendry Tineo-Restituyo approached him, the U.S. attorney said. What they didn’t know was that area surveillance cameras were recording the incident (see below). “Patino grabbe…
Ex-NJ Police Officer Admits Exchanging Nude Pics With Underage Teen Ex-NJ Police Officer Admits Exchanging Nude Pics With Underage Teen
Ex-NJ Police Officer Admits Exchanging Nude Pics With Underage Teen A now-former Pompton Lakes police officer avoided potential prison time by pleading guilty to exchanging nude photos online with an underage teenager, authorities said. Mark Stinnard, 37, engaged in the relationship with the Riverdale youngster on his own time 3½ years ago and not while he was on the clock, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. Stinnard was arrested in late September and charged with “engaging in sexual conduct with a child” and endangerment for manufacturing child pornography and “causing harm to a child,” the prosecutor said. No sexual assault charges were fi…
Pennsylvania Police Officers Fired For Submitting Bogus COVID Vaccine Cards, Report Says Pennsylvania Police Officers Fired For Submitting Bogus COVID Vaccine Cards, Report Says
Pennsylvania Police Officers Fired For Submitting Bogus COVID Vaccine Cards, Report Says Two police officers from Central PA were fired for submitting bogus COVID-19 vaccine cards, Lancaster Online reports. Heather Schaeffer obtained a blank vaccine card from a relative in the military, made a copy and sold it to Benjamin Lapp for $20, the outlet said citing documents obtained through a Right to Know request. The officers had apparently been speaking openly about having bogus vaccination cards, Capt. Richard Mendez apparently learned in September, Lancaster Online said. The DA's office was apparently investigating, the outlet said. The police department on Friday announc…
Family Of DelCo Girl Killed By Police Gunfire Files Federal Lawsuit Family Of DelCo Girl Killed By Police Gunfire Files Federal Lawsuit
Family Of DelCo Girl Killed By Police Gunfire Files Federal Lawsuit The family of a young girl who was killed by police gunfire in Delaware County earlier this year has filed a federal lawsuit. The 10-page lawsuit named the borough of Sharon Hill, Sharon Hill police chief Joseph Kelly, police officers John Scanlan III and Devon Smith, as well as an unspecified number of additional officers whose names are unknown by the Bility family. Fanta Bility, 8, was killed when gunfire rang out outside Academy Park High School after a football game on Aug. 27, Daily Voice reported. Preliminary ballistics analysis has concluded with "near certainty" that the shots tha…
White Philly Police Officer Under Investigation For Video Of Him 'Harassing' Black Man White Philly Police Officer Under Investigation For Video Of Him 'Harassing' Black Man
White Philly Police Officer Under Investigation For Video Of Him 'Harassing' Black Man A white Philadelphia police officer is being investigated after a video showing him "harassing" a black man went viral on social media (scroll down for the video). "We understand the video circulating has caused anger and disappointment," Philadelphia police said in a tweet Tuesday. "All PPD officers are expected to discharge their duties with honor and integrity. We understand the video circulating has caused anger and disappointment. All PPD officers are expected to discharge their duties with honor and integrity. The officer involved has been placed on administrative duty pending th…
Pennsylvania State Trooper Charged With Harassment Pennsylvania State Trooper Charged With Harassment
Pennsylvania State Trooper Charged With Harassment A Pennsylvania state trooper has been charged with harassment. Pennsylvania State Trooper Nickolas Robert Elliott, 30, of Butler County, was cited on Thursday. He has been charged with a summary offense for harassment/physical contact, according to court documents. The charge is based on an allegation of unwarranted use of force. The charge was filed following an investigation by the Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards, Internal Affairs Division. Trooper Elliott enlisted in the PSP in October 2016 and graduated as a member of the 148th cadet class. He is assigned to patrol …
OBSESSION: NJSP Trooper Headed To Prison For Stalking Female Driver OBSESSION: NJSP Trooper Headed To Prison For Stalking Female Driver
Obsession: Njsp Trooper Headed To Prison For Stalking Female Driver A New Jersey state trooper will be sentenced to a year without parole in state prison and lose his job after admitting that he stalked a female driver while on duty and disabled his dashcam to cover it up. Trooper Michael Patterson, 30, had pulled the victim over twice and then followed her home to hit on her, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton had charged. Patterson took a deal from prosecutors and pleaded guilty Monday in Superior Court in New Brunswick to tampering with public records rather than risk trial, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. In exch…
Federal Grand Jury Indicts South Jersey Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Driver Federal Grand Jury Indicts South Jersey Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Driver
Federal Grand Jury Indicts South Jersey Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Driver An angry South Jersey police officer doused a drunk driver with pepper spray twice after he’d been handcuffed, then filed a false report about the incident, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Thursday alleges. Another officer had handcuffed the disruptive driver and was beginning to put him in the rear of a patrol vehicle at a local gas station when Bridgeton Police John Grier III “grabbed a large can of OC spray and pulled out the pin,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. Grier, 49, of Cedarville, told the officer to “step back,” then asked the driver, “Do you want to …
Social Media Post Leads To Misconduct, Criminal Sex Charges For Longtime NJ Police Officer Social Media Post Leads To Misconduct, Criminal Sex Charges For Longtime NJ Police Officer
Social Media Post Leads To Misconduct, Criminal Sex Charges For Longtime NJ Police Officer A longtime New Jersey police officer has been jailed on sex crime and misconduct allegations that came to light after a social media post called him a "perv," authorities said. Phillipsburg Police officer William Lance, 50, was arrested Tuesday after a social media post made by a resident stated, "Officer Lance is A PERV” and asked viewers to "share" their "stories" "if [they] have one,” Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a Wednesday release. A follow-up investigation into the source of the post led to charges for fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and second-degree offic…
DA: Hilltown Police Officer Busted With Child Porn In MontCo DA: Hilltown Police Officer Busted With Child Porn In MontCo
DA: Hilltown Police Officer Busted With Child Porn In MontCo A Hilltown Township police officer is out on bail after investigators found that an email account associated with his cell phone number contained 10 images of child pornography, authorities announced. Matthew Reiss, 47, of Palm., PA in Upper Hanover Township, was arrested and charged with 10 felony counts of child pornography, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office said. An investigation was launched on April 16 when the Montgomery County Detective Bureau received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the upload of two chi…
Police Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of Trenton Man Who Died Weeks Later At Hospital Police Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of Trenton Man Who Died Weeks Later At Hospital
Police Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest Of Trenton Man Who Died Weeks Later At Hospital New Jersey's chief law enforcement official on Thursday released police bodycam footage of the arrest of a 64-year-old Trenton man who died 18 days later in the hospital. Joseph Ahr Sr., 64, was already being restrained by three police officers when a fourth pepper-sprayed him in the face last July 6, video released by state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal shows. “I can’t breathe,” Ahr says over and again, both before and after the officers got him up and sat him handcuffed on the front steps of his Monmouth Street house following a seconds-long struggle. They had responded there followi…
REPORT: Northampton County Man Illegally Snooped Through Woman’s Phone While Working As PA Cop REPORT: Northampton County Man Illegally Snooped Through Woman’s Phone While Working As PA Cop
Report: Northampton County Man Illegally Snooped Through Woman’s Phone While Working As PA Cop A Northampton County man was working as a police officer when he illegally looked through the personal contents of a woman’s cell phone, including photos, videos and emails, authorities charged. Victor Alpizar, a former part-time officer in Nesquehoning, Carbon County, was charged last week with computer theft and unlawful use of a computer and released after posting $2,000 unsecured bail, LehighValleyLive reports citing court records.  Alpizar, of the of the 800 block of Hayes Street in Bethlehem, is accused of confiscating the iPhone of a woman he arrested on a mental health wa…
'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Report Details PA Officer's Alleged Sex Assaults On 4 Teen Boys 'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Report Details PA Officer's Alleged Sex Assaults On 4 Teen Boys
'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Report Details PA Officer's Alleged Sex Assaults On 4 Teen Boys An 80-page presentment detailing how a former Warminster Township police officer sexually abused four teenage boys while working as their D.A.R.E. officer nearly 20 years ago was released Wednesday -- ending a year-long investigation (scroll down for victim testimonies). A renewed investigation into former D.A.R.E. Officer James Carey was launched last spring, after one of the alleged victims -- now 36 years old -- reported the abuse to police, who referred the case to DA Matt Weintraub's office, authorities said. Carey, 52 -- who retired from Warminster PD in 2009 -- was arrested and char…
Indictment: NJSP Trooper Put Female Motorist In Fear By Stopping Her Twice, Following Her Home Indictment: NJSP Trooper Put Female Motorist In Fear By Stopping Her Twice, Following Her Home
Indictment: Njsp Trooper Put Female Motorist In Fear By Stopping Her Twice, Following Her Home A New Jersey state trooper accused of pulling over a female motorist twice and then following her home to hit on her was indicted Thursday by a grand jury in Trenton. Michael Patterson, 29, of Bayonne first the victim for an unspecified offense on the New Jersey Turnpike on Jan. 28, 2020, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. After letting her go with a warning, Paterson “conducted a second, unwarranted stop of her vehicle a few minutes later when she exited the Turnpike at Exit 11….in order to make unwanted advances on the woman,” Grewal said. Patterson “put the victim in fear by …