Police Officer Charged

A Mars Hill Police Officer is off the job after an alleged late night joy ride that included guns and underage drinking. Jacob Ballard is a local who grew up in Marshall and went to Madison High School. He also served in the Navy. Ballard joined the Mars Hill Police force three months ago. He's charged with multiple counts including aiding and abetting in a D.U.I. case, carrying a concealed weapon and allowing underage drinking.

Sheriff's investigator say he was out with 20 year-old James Fender, who is charged with D.W.I. and was driving Ballard's truck at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday morning. Sheriff's reports show the two were with three other underage men who were drinking and cited for underage drinking.

Investigators don't know who yet, but one of them shot up a sign on a rural road and also several  mailboxes.

News 13 spoke with the Mars Hill Police Chief who said he was contacted immediately when it occurred, and it was handled immediately. As for his reaction to his officer's alleged actions. "I was disappointed. An officer has a certain obligation when they're enforcing the law they also need to uphold the law."

Ballard did not have his police issued weapon with him, but other guns were recovered. 

Officer Charged With Assault of Teen Ref To Have Disciplinary Hearing

A Lexington police officer accused of assaulting a teenage referee at a ten-and-under soccer game last year will be facing a diciplinary hearing.

The Lexington Hearald-Leader reports the Urban County Council will move forward with a disciplinary hearing against Keith Spears, who pleaded guilty to grabbing a 13-year-old's arm over a call the boy made during a game in Scott County.

Officer Keith Spears pleaded guilty to an amended charge of harassment, which is not considered a misdemeanor, but a violation. He was originally charged with harassment with physical contact.

LEX 18's investigative team found paperwork that says Spears applied for "permanent occupational disability" in March. If granted, he will retire from the Police Department and collect tax-free checks for life.

A member of the pension board says they haven't reached a decision.

Spears' hearing is scheduled for June 30.

Cop in Towson Confrontation Disciplined

Derek Williams

An auxiliary police officer in Baltimore County will no longer patrol the streets and has lost his authority to make arrests.

44-year-old volunteer officer Matthew Betz was caught on tape shoving and cursing at a student who was using his cell phone to record police making an arrest.

Baltimore County police chief Jim Johnson says Betz "behaved inappropriately", including using some very foul language. 

Betz is being placed on permanent administrative duty and remains an auxiliary police officer.

In a statement, Chief Johnson says “the language he used was incorrect, unnecessary and not helpful in bringing the incident to closure.”

Betz has been a volunteer with Baltimore County Police for 22 years.

Police Throw Grenade into Home and It Lands in Baby’s Crib

by Tim Lynch

Officers raiding a Georgia home in search of a drug suspect used a flash grenade not knowing children were inside, severely burning a toddler who was sleeping just inside the door, authorities and the boy’s family said.

Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell said the officers were looking for a suspect who may have been armed and followed proper procedure by using the device, which creates a bright flash and loud bang to distract suspects

“It’s a tragic incident,” Terrell said. “The baby didn’t deserve this.”

Alecia Phonesavanh told local media her son was sleeping in his playpen when the raid began Wednesday morning.

“The cops threw that grenade in the door without looking first, and it landed right in the playpen and exploded on his pillow right in his face,” Phonesavanh told WSB-TV.

Officer accepts suspension after ‘tripping video’ surfaces

By Patrick TolbertP

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Officer George Bermudez will be suspended 40 days without pay as punishment for tripping students who were rushing the field following a high school soccer match.

“Officer Bermudez overreacted,” Georgetown Chief of Police Wayne Nero said in a statement. “The Georgetown Police Department failed to get it right.”

Nero announced the suspension Wednesday, saying Bermudez had several days to consider accepting the punishment or an indefinite suspension.

In a report for the internal investigation, Nero went on to say that he still believes Bermudez can be a viable officer for GPD but he can “confidently state that similar actions in the future will result in [Bermudez'] dismissal from our organization.”

Bermudez was placed on leave with pay after video of the incident surfaced in mid-April.

Chula Vista cop on leave for allegedly attacking teen

by Sharon Chen

CHULA VISTA, Calif. – A Chula Vista police officer was placed on leave after he allegedly attacked a teenage boy at the elementary graduation, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

An investigation is underway after the alleged victim said he was assaulted at Chula Vista Elementary School by an off-duty officer, CVPD Captain Lon Turner said. The unidentified officer has not been arrested or charged as of Wednesday.

“The officer was not arrested,” said Captain Turner.  “[Investigators] conducted witness checks and spoke with several parties that evening.  That officer later has been placed on administrative leave.”

The victim’s father told Fox5 that’s not enough.

“Nothing’s being done to protect my son, there’s no ankle bracelets, no automatic restraining order,” said the father, who wanted to remain anonymous. “He attacked my son and abuses my son. He’s only 16.”

According to the father, the off-duty officer ran behind his son and placed him in a choke hold – not once, but two times.

“He ran back and put him in a choke-hold again. He shoved him up against the wall and punched him in the stomach again,” said the victim’s father.

The father said the officer has a history of violence towards his family and is in a relationship with the alleged victim’s mother.

“She was at the ceremony and she did nothing,” said the father.

“There was apparently some history obviously between the mom and the son,” said Captain Turner.  “There was an incident that happened earlier in the day between the mom and son at another graduation ceremony. We believe that may have carried over into this situation, we’re still flushing those facts out.”

The father is in the process of filing a restraining order.

“He needs to be brought to justice, he needs to be charged and prosecuted for his crimes.”

The teen’s mother declined to speak to Fox5 Wednesday.

Fort Smith police officer resigns after arrest

Fort Smith police officer resigns after arrest

FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) - A Fort Smith police officer has resigned after being arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at a child and at deputies at his home near Muldrow, Oklahoma.

Police say 40-year-old Naaman Adcock resigned Wednesday after being placed on administrative leave following his arrest early Tuesday by Sequoyah County deputies who were responding to reports of shots fired at Adcock's home.

Authorities allege that Adcock threatened to shoot a 5-year-boy and pointed a weapon at deputies when they arrived at the home.

Adcock says he fired shots inside his home, but that no one was at home at the time.

Conroe police sergeant gets probation in teen's death

CONROE, TX (KTRK) –

By Deborah Wrigley

A police sergeant convicted of manslaughter in the death of a 19-year-old shoplifting suspect has been given probation.

A Montgomery County jury delivered a five year prison sentence and recommended probation. Sentences less than 10 years are automatically eligible for probation.

The mother of Russell Rios openly wept at the sentence. "He killed my son," she said through sobs outside the courtroom, "and he gets the five years?"

Neither Sgt. Jason Blackwelder nor his family had any public comments after the sentencing decision. His attorney says there is still a federal lawsuit pending against Blackwelder.

Until now, he has been on suspension from the Conroe Police Department. The conclusion of the trial means that he may now be fired. A felony on his record prevents him from working as a peace officer.

Everett Police Officer Arrested In Alleged Beating Of 10-Year-Old Son

LYNN (CBS) – A police officer from Everett faces charges for allegedly beating his 10-year-old because he got in trouble at school.

Jermaine Bellard, 32, of Saugus, was arraigned Friday in Lynn District Court on one count of assault and battery on a child with injury, according to the Essex District Attorney’s office.

Saugus police say Melrose-Wakefield hospital officials called them, saying the 10-year-old child was in the emergency room with injuries to his back and buttocks

According to prosecutors, the boy and his mother said Bellard told the boy to lie on his bed and beat him with a belt 14 times because a school principal said he’d been acting out in class.

Prosecutors said the boy told them his father has beaten him before.

A lawyer for the 260-pound Bellard described him as a “very very good police officer,” adding that “he’s been a very good father over the years.”

The judge set bail for Bellard at $1,000 and ordered him to stay away from the child.

He is scheduled to return to court Aug. 6 for a pre-trial

Denver cop arrested on child abuse, domestic violence charges

By Noelle Phillips

Denver police officer has been jailed on nine charges — including child abuse, domestic violence and a weapons charge — filed by the Thornton Police Department, officials said Monday.

Daniel Diaz Deleon, 42, was arrested for harassment, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, domestic violence, child abuse, criminal mischief, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and prohibited use of weapons, according to Adams County Jail records.

Documents related to the weekend arrest were not immediately available.

Deleon was being held on $5,000 bail.

Deleon has been ordered to speak with his commanders, said department spokesman Sonny Jackson.

Once that meeting happens, the command staff will decide how to handle his employment status, Jackson said.

Most likely, Deleon will be put on desk duty while the charges are pending, said Detective Mary McIver, a department spokeswoman.

Deleon, a detective who was hired in 2004, is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Thornton police were dispatched at 11:53 p.m. Saturday to a domestic violence in progress call on the 900 block of Thorncreek Court.

As officers arrived, they heard gunshots inside the house. A dispatcher was able to contact Deleon inside. He then came outside, where he was arrested, said Thornton Officer Matt Barnes, a department spokesman.

Fort Smith cop and wife arrested in Sequoyah County

Naaman Adcock

By Dianna F. Dandridge-Rystrom Staff Writer

A Fort Smith, Ark., police officer, Naaman Adcock, and his wife Tabitha Adcock, who live in Sequoyah County, were arrested Tuesday and charged with numerous felony firearms charges and child endangerment.

According to Sheriff Ron Lockhart, deputies responded to a call of shots being fired at a house north of Muldrow.

Lockhart said  a five-year-old child had asked neighbors for help.

Deputies determined the couple had argued and both parents had fired a gun, while intoxicated, with the children in the house.

On Thursday, deputies served a search warrant at the Adcock home and found video equipment that might have recorded the incidence.

Lockhart said the new evidence will be sent to Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for analysis.

Deputies reported that Tabitha Adcock did not want the children talking to the deputies and that her version of the incident was different from that of her husband.

Deputies removed all firearms from the house and allowed the children and Tabitha Adcock to go to a family member's home until a forensic interview could be scheduled.

Naaman Adcock was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, reckless conduct with a firearm, feloniously pointing a firearm and child endangerment.

Tabitha Adcock was charged with failure to protect, child endangerment, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and reckless conduct with a firearm.

The Adcocks were booked into the Sequoyah County Jail. His bond was set at $24,000 and hers is $14,000.Both bonded out on Wednesday.

According to Sgt. Daniel Grubbs, Fort Smith Police Department, public information officer, Naaman Adcock resigned Wednesday.

The Fort Smith Police Department closed further investigation against Adcock, upon his resignation.

Cop arrested after fleeing car accident that injured his girlfriend

Julio Jimenez, 29, hit the gas while his girlfriend leaned into the backseat of a vehicle to deal with the pair’s 3-year-old. She was thrown to the ground during early Sunday morning incident. Jimenez turned himself in to police later in the day and was charged with accident causing injury, reckless endangerment and assault, police said. The woman suffered cuts and bruises.

BY TINA MOORE 

A cop hit the gas pedal while his girlfriend was leaning into the backseat of a vehicle where their 3-year-old son was Sunday, throwing her to the ground, police said.

Julio Jimenez, 29, caused the car to jolt forward at the couple’s Bronx home around 2 a.m., police said.

He turned himself in at the 45th Precinct station house at 2877 Barkley Ave. in the Throggs Neck neighborhood.

He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing injury, reckless endangerment and assault, police said.

His 23-year-old girlfriend suffered from cuts and bruises. It wasn’t clear if she was treated at the scene or taken to a hospital.

Jimenez has been a cop for 4 years and is assigned to the 42nd Precinct in the Morrisanna neighborhood, police said.

Former MPD officer arrested, charged with kidnapping

Rebecca Burylo,

A man arrested last week and charged with kidnapping a young woman and also attempting to entice a 13-year-old into his car is a former lieutenant with the Montgomery Police Department

Bessemer police on May 21 arrested George David Salum, 53, on charges of first-degree kidnapping, enticing a child, eluding police and resisting arrest.

Detective Kenneth Reese with the Criminal Investigations at the Bessemer Police Department, said police received a call at about 7:30 a.m. May 21 concerning a white male having approached a 13-year-old girl.

Reese said a group of children were waiting at a bus stop when one girl was approached by an adult male, who later was identified as Salum. Witnesses said Salum offered the girl money to get into his car and leave with him, but she refused, according to Reese.

Police began a search for Salum's silver Hyundai sedan, but when they found it about noon with Salum inside and attempted to pull it over, he fled. Police pursued the vehicle to the Hoover-Bessemer city limits, where Salum stopped and was arrested without incident or injury.

A passenger in Salum's car, described by police as a woman in her 30s, told officers Salum had abducted her.

Salum had been living in an alcohol recovery house in Bessemer and had no previous run-ins with the law there, according to police.

Local attormey Julian McPhillips represented Salum when he faced allegations in 2005 of improperly using his office and selling the identity of an undercover officer.

The incident was related to the federal drug trafficking arrest of Montgomerian Leon Carmichael, who in June 2003 had built a $1.8 million, 3,000-seat entertainment facility in west Montgomery. Carmichael was arrested in November 2003 after federal agents found weapons and more than 500 pounds of marijuana. He was convicted in 2005.

A jury found that Salum had sold the police ID photo and personnel file for undercover officer Raymond David DeJohn — as well as police records and background on four prosecution witnesses — to Carmichael. DeJohn's ID photo later appeared on Carmichael's website under the banner "WANTED," along with photos of the four other witnesses.

McPhillips said he is surprised at the current charges facing Salum, adding that he always thought Salum was a fairly decent man having served in the police department for about 20 years.

"Deep down inside, he's a good guy, I don't know what went wrong," McPhillips said. "They are only allegations still. I hope it's not true, what he's been accused of."

Salum is currently being held under $80,000 bond in the Jefferson County Jail.