Jordan Miles testifies he did nothing wrong before arrest

            By Bob Mayo

PITTSBURGH —A former high school student said Thursday he did nothing wrong before three Pittsburgh police officers forcefully arrested him more than four years ago.

The former CAPA school honors student said he thought they were muggers when they demanded drugs, guns and money during the incident in January 2010. Miles, who is suing the officers over alleged civil rights violations, told the jurors that he slipped on ice and fell as he tried to get away, then they attacked.

"They set upon him and beat him. They beat him savagely while he laid his face in the snow. He struggled to get up. He struggled to get away, but he never touched them. He never swung at them," recounted Miles' attorney, Joel Sansone, outside the federal courthouse in Pittsburgh.

Bryan Campbell, an attorney for one of the officers, also spoke with reporters during a recess in testimony.

"There's no doubt he used force against these officers. The one officer had to go to the hospital. Today he said he didn't resist, he didn't do anything like that," Campbell said.

Officers Michael Saldutti, David Sisak and Richard Ewing previously testified that Miles resisted arrest and that they thought he had a gun, though none was found. They've suggested they may have mistaken a bottle of Mountain Dew in his coat pocket for a weapon. The officers say they discarded the bottle.  Miles said he never had a pop bottle with him and doesn't like Mountain Dew. On every major point, Miles' testimony and that of the officers is at odds and there were no independent witnesses.

"He didn't know that they were police officers, because there were no badges. There was no 'Pittsburgh police' shouted in a commanding voice. He saw three guys jump out of a car and mug him," said Sansone.

The officers have said they plainly showed their badges and repeatedly called out that they were police.

"That's what's not credible. You have three experienced police officers and he said from the very start of this to the very end, he never knew they were police officers, they never said they were police officers," said Campbell.

Miles testified they kept hitting him after he was handcuffed and that they hit him with a hard object in addition to striking him with their fists and knees.

"So he lay there and he took their beating. Then they handcuffed him. And as he lay with his face in the snow, praying, they beat him because he prayed," said Sansone.

"We find it incredible to listen to his story. That he thinks that three white males driving around Homewood at 11 o'clock at night (were) looking to mug or rob anybody," Campbell said.

Miles, who is black, alleges in his federal civil rights lawsuit that the white officers wrongfully arrested him and used excessive force

The former high school student testified Thursday that he did nothing wrong before the three Pittsburgh police officers arrested and beat him in 2010 as he was walking to his grandmother's house.

Miles testified that he had never before been arrested, played the viola in school and was an honors student.

Miles' attorney introduced pictures taken at a hospital after the arrest that showed his face swollen almost beyond recognition and said examinations showed he could have been hit 14 times in the head. The officers acknowledge kneeing Miles repeatedly and punching him in the head, but they said that was all necessary to keep him from reaching for what they believed was a gun.

After the arrest "it hurt to move just about every part of my body," Miles said.

Saldutte, Sisak and Ewing say many of Miles' facial injuries occurred when he was tackled by Sisak and driven through a shrub, head-first. Miles has insisted he was never driven through the bush and has said the officers ripped locks of hair from his head.

Miles also said he agreed to a drug test at the hospital because he never used drugs. The test came back negative.

A district judge said he didn't find the police version credible and dismissed all criminal charges against Miles. An FBI investigation resulted in no criminal civil rights charges against the officers.

Miles' lawsuit was heard by another jury two years ago, which cleared the officers of allegations they prosecuted him maliciously. But that jury couldn't decide the excessive force and wrongful arrest claims that are the focus of the current retrial.

Miles said that he felt confused and "helpless" at the jail.

"I didn't do anything wrong," he said.

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Officer Chris Webb did this

Maui police officer charged after allegedly slapping daughter

 Maui authorities Wednesday charged a 46-year-old police officer for allegedly slapping his 13-year-old daughter, who fell and sustained a concussion.

Nelson Johnson was arrested today and charged with abuse of a family and household member. His bail was set at $1,000.

The 18-year Maui Police Department veteran allegedly got into an argument with his daughter.

Police said the girl fell back and hit her head 9:40 p.m. Tuesday on a wall-mounted air conditioning unit, sustaining a concussion. She was taken to  the Maui Memorial Medical Center and later released in good condition.

Johnson was also arrested for second-degree assault, but was not charged with that crime, although the case is still being investigated, police said in a news release. Johnson is on administrative leave, pending further investigation.

Baltimore County officer suspended after on fires service weapon

A veteran Baltimore County police officer has been suspended by the department for allowing his young son to get ahold of his service weapon, according to a release.
Ofc. Timothy Kennedy, a 27-year veteran, was charged with one count of failing to secure a firearm to prevent access by a minor.
Kennedy set his gun down on an armoire in his bedroom on Oct. 11 after he came home from work. Kennedy’s son grabbed the gun off the armoire and fired it, striking a door.

School security officer could face 1st degree murder charges

WBIR - Luttrell) At a preliminary hearing Friday morning, a judge determined there was enough evidence for a grand jury to consider first degree murder charges against a Knox County School security officer accused of shooting his neighbor.

Kevin Lee Waggoner, 42, of Luttrell, was charged with one count of criminal homicide after his neighbor, Michael Woodby, was shot and killed during a dispute between the two men and Waggoner's son earlier this month. Investigators said there had been a long history of disagreements between the two men.

The prosecution argued in court that Waggoner's actions before the shooting were evidence that he planned to kill Woodby.

Just days before the shooting, Waggoner sent 10News and several other media outlets copies of documents and videos, claiming he was the victim of harassment in an ongoing feud between the neighbors.

Prosecutors say where the shooting took place also raised suspicions.

"This shooting was nothing short of an ambush, your honor. It occurred on the only place on that roadway where there was no visibility for anybody to see what happened besides Kevin Waggoner and [his son]," said Tracy Jenkins, Union County Assistant District Attorney.

The defense, however, argued that Waggoner shot Woodby in self-defense. They say he shot Woodby to protect his son.

"The deceased in the case struck the first blow. He had in his hand, admittedly, some portion of a fence post and struck this man's son. Your honor, I contend that the only thing he did was protect his son and protect himself," said defense attorney Tommy K. Hindman.

The defense says the feud started when Waggoner refused to sell Woodby a gun, because he was a convicted felon.

The grand jury is set to hear the case in October, but the defense expects it could be delayed because they are still waiting on forensic evidence that may not be back in time.

Waggoner's bail remains at $250,000 dollars. During his original arraignment, a judge ruled Waggoner cannot return home during his trial. Waggoner also is prohibited from contacting any family member of Michael Woodby, cannot have a firearm in his possession, and he cannot be with a person who has a firearm. Those provisions were upheld in court Friday morning.

 

Prichard Officer Arrested

PRICHARD, Ala. (WPMI) Less than 24 hours after Prichard names a new police chief, one of the department’s own officers is thrown in jail.  24-year-old Bryan Pearman is charged with aggravated child abuse.  Hospital workers called Mobile County Sheriff’s Investigators in July after treating a two-year-old girl for injuries they say were not accidental. A prosecutor tells LOCAL 15 the girl had injuries to her head, face and neck. Investigators got a warrant for Pearman this week. One prosecutor says any child abuse case is disturbing – even more so when the suspect is someone who is supposed to enforce laws. Pearman is scheduled to appear in court October 21. 

Davie officer cleared in child abuse gets job back

A veteran Davie Police Officer recently returned to work eight months after he was accused of striking his two teenage daughters during a fight. Timothy "Scott" Donohue, 47, resumed his position as a road patrol officer on Aug. 29 after he was suspended without pay for two weeks and signed an agreement regarding future discipline.

Davie Police Chief Patrick Lynn recommended firing Donohue as a result of his arrest in December on felony child abuse and misdemeanor battery charges. But the town pursued a lesser discipline that allows Donohue to keep his position as long as he doesn't violate another police department policy, such as neglecting his duties or not showing up for work, within the next three years.

Donohue first joined the Davie Police Department in 1998 and makes $84,237 annually. Donohue was paid his regular salary while he was on leave during the investigation.

The officer was arrested by his own police department after he allegedly struck one of his daughters in the face and pushed another daughter during a fight over a Bible that he apparently tossed on the floor. Donohue was on-duty and was not supposed to be at home when the domestic dispute happened.

Idiot cop shoots teen by accident

Officer accidentally shoots woman in leg, SPD says

A Seattle police officer who accidentally shot a 19-year-old woman in the leg Wednesday night has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, police said

A Seattle police officer who accidentally shot a 19-year-old woman in the leg Wednesday night has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, police said.

Assistant Police Chief Paul McDonagh said the shooting is being investigated by the department’s homicide and assault detectives and will be reviewed by the Firearms Review Board as well as the Use of Force Review Board.

“Any discharge of a weapon is very, very serious to us,” he said during a news conference.

The 29-year-old officer, who has not been identified, has been with the department a year and a half, police said.

The woman, who was wanted on felony warrants, suffered a wound not considered life-threatening, police said. She was unarmed.

McDonagh said the officer was among those responding to a false report of an exploding incendiary device at a hotel on Aurora Avenue North and North 120th Street around 11 p.m. when he saw one woman punching another on the sidewalk near the hotel.

One woman saw the officer and took off running, McDonagh said.

He said the officer got out of his car and chased the woman across the street, through a parking lot and behind a building into a dark corner. The woman refused the officer’s commands to stop and show her hands, McDonagh said.

He said the officer could not see the woman’s hands, but believed they were near or in her waistband. The officer then “drew out his gun” to cover himself and in doing so the weapon discharged unintentionally, police said.

The officer immediately realized he’d made a mistake, called for help and apologized to the woman.

The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center. It was unclear if she was still there Thursday evening. She was booked on several felony warrants out of Snohomish County, McDonagh said.

McDonagh said officers are trained to place their index finger along the side of the handgun rather than on the trigger whenever they pull a handgun from its holster. An officer is only to place his finger on the trigger once he decides to use deadly force, the assistant chief said.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances that caused the weapon to discharge, said police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

According to police, the original call about the incendiary device was not connected to the brawl between the two women, police said. It turned out to be a bogus report made by a person with mental-health issues, police said.

Teen accidentally shot by police

Teen accidentally shot by police recovering at Grady

A 16-year-old teenager skipping class from Southwest DeKalb High School was shot by a DeKalb County police officer investigating a home invasion.

DeKalb County police said one of their officers was forced to shoot a burglary suspect Tuesday morning.

It all started around 10:30 a.m. on Streamside Court when Prince Norwood heard the sound of someone trying to break into her house.

Continue reading >>

Zaynaah Griffin, a friend of the teen, who she identified as Marquez Redden, told CBS Atlanta's Mike Paluska, Redden was shot through the right forearm. The bullet went through muscle and came out his elbow.

"He told me 'They shot me, he shot the wrong person,'" Griffin said. "He didn't know anyone's house got broken into, he got scared because kids get locked up for truancy, he ran and hid behind there."

We spoke to Griffin before she went to visit Redden at Grady Memorial Hospital.

"He was in a lot of pain, he thought he was dying," Griffin said.

Police Chief Cedric Alexander said officers were searching the area near Streamside Court in Decatur when one of them noticed someone start running through the woods.

"He saw police officers in the area, knew he was truant so he took off running," Alexander said. "And at one point, one of our officers saw him take off, along with a K-9 too."

The home invasion started around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Prince Norwood heard the sound of someone trying to break into her house. She hid in her closet and called 911 and then phoned her husband. DeKalb police were able to capture two suspects involved in the burglary hiding inside the ceiling of the home. At least two other suspects were on the run. At the time, Alexander said his officers were actively searching for the suspects and had no idea the teenager the officer was chasing was truant.

"He [the officer] was not aware at all, because he was going house-to-house still following the trail and that is when he came up on this truant kid," Alexander said. "We weren't even looking for him but unbeknown to the officers, they thought he was the one running away from the other crime scene."

The officer entered a shed where the teenager was hiding, got startled and fired one shot striking the teenager in the right arm.

Alexander said they just learned this morning that the 16-year-old was not involved in the home invasion when they went to the hospital to interview him.

"What I will say to the community is this, as things unfold in this department we are going to be forthright and transparent about it. And that is what we are doing here," Alexander said.

Griffin said Redden told her he was trying to surrender to police when he was shot.

"The officer came back there with a dog, and the officer said some language cussing him, and he threw his hands up and the police officer just shot him," Griffin said.

No new trial for ex-cop convicted in teen suspect beating

HOUSTON -- The only Houston police officer convicted in the beating of Chad Holley

Drew Ryser was convicted of official oppression and sentenced to two years probation. Ryser's defense team requested a new trial. It contends there was jury misconduct when a juror went home, looked up the definition of misconduct on the internet and brought that information into jury deliberations.

On Tuesday morning, a judge rejected the request.

"Both sides were very competently represented," said special prosecutor Jon Munier. "Their argument has some merit to it, just as ours does, but in the end I believe justice was served."

"We'll appeal the case and let the court of appeals decides whether or not this was a correct ruling," said Ryser's defense attorney, Lisa Andrews.

Three other former officers were charged with crimes in this case. Andrew Blomberg was acquitted, while Raad Hasan and Phil Bryan accepted plea deals. 

Family of teen slain by police awarded $8.5M

A jury awarded Annie Johnson $8.5 million for the wrongful death of her son, Aaron Harrison, who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in 2007/

Police said Harrison was shot after raising a gun at an officer during the chase in the 1300 block of South Mozart Street. But five eyewitnesses testified that Harrison wasn't carrying a gun and didn't point one at an officer, and that they saw no gun near his body immediately after the shooting, said the family's attorney, James Montgomery, at a news conference Friday in his office.

"Then after the handcuffing — magically the gun appears," Montgomery said of the 9 mm weapon police said they recovered. "Evidence pointed to a planted weapon on the ground."

The wrongful death lawsuit took six years to play out in Cook County Circuit Court. Jurors, who were encouraged by the family's attorneys to re-enact the shooting, took less than three hours to reach a verdict, Montgomery said. An earlier trial in May ended with a mistrial after that jury deadlocked.

The city already has spent more than $54 million this year — twice what was budgeted — to settle police misconduct lawsuits.

Teen, 16, alleges excessive force, false arrest in lawsuit against Hanceville cop

A lawsuit filed against a former Hanceville police officer alleging he used excessive force against a 15-year-old girl and caused her to be bitten by the department’s K-9 police dog will be heard in Cullman County Circuit Court Tuesday.

Harold Cox, who now works for the Sumiton Police Department, is accused of pulling the sleeping girl out of bed, dragging her outside the home on Williams Avenue Northeast in only a T-shirt and panties, slamming her on the hood of a police car and then putting her in a police vehicle with the K-9 dog that bit her twice on her arm.

The lawsuit filed in March by the girl’s mother, Aimme Davis Cooper, on behalf of her daughter accuses Cox of assault and battery, false imprisonment, excessive use of force and false arrest stemming from the alleged incident on Sept. 29, 2012.

According to the complaint, Cox went to the home of Johnnie and Jamie Davis to investigate a reported noise complaint. Attorneys for Cox and Hanceville allege in court documents that a house party was going on at the residence, and police arrested several individuals, including minors, that night. However, Porter said his client, although she was arrested, was never charged with any crime. Juvenile criminal records are not public.

Cox found Johnnie Davis in the front yard and informed him of the noise complaint. Davis went inside, closing the door behind him, turned down music and came back outside to talk with Cox, according to the complaint.

“Officer Harold Cox, then without consent of Mr. or Mrs. Davis or anyone else at the residence entered through the front door while Mr. Davis was still in his living room,” the complaint stated. “Officer Harold Cox was immediately put on notice that his entry was without consent, as Mr. Davis asked Harold Cox  if he had a warrant. Officer Cox had no warrant. Officer Cox stated he did not need one and still without consent entered the living room of the home.”

Cox walked to a back bedroom where he found the teen girl, now 16, another minor and Jamie Davis. According to the complaint, Cox told the sleeping girl to get out of bed, and when she did not respond, he allegedly forcibly picked her up, threw her in floor and then on the bed, stuck his knee in her back while he handcuffed her and took her outside. The complaint states the girl suffered a head injury in the bedroom and two dog bites on her arm when she was placed inside a police vehicle with the K-9, rather than the back of other available patrol vehicles that had arrived on the scene.

Cop taunts a child....do you believe this lunatic?

Officer Paul Bradley Rogers’ Record Cleared Six Years After Accidentally Killing 5-Year-Old Austin Haley

A Noble, Okla., police officer, who  shot and killed a child while trying to shoot a snake, has had his record cleared.

Six years ago, Jack Tracy was fishing with his 5-year-old grandson Austin Haley when two police were called to home on a report of a large snake dangling from a birdhouse. One of the officers, Paul Bradley Rogers, fired two shots from his gun. The bullets missed the snake, but one struck Haley, who was in the woods directly behind the home.

“The second bullet hit him in the back of the head and came out here in his forehead,” Tracy said, according to KFOR-TV. “It was horrible. Blood and brains everywhere.”

 Robert Shawn Richardson and Rogers pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter for the accidental shooting death. Richardson received a five-year deferred sentence, and Rogers received two and a half.

Rogers’ record has now reportedly been cleared.

Haley’s father, Jack said, “I hate to dredge this up again. But here we are six years later, and we’re finding out the shooter, Brad Rogers, his records have been expunged.”

The family believes the law is outrageous according to Jack Tracy.

“He was shot and killed by the reckless act of another person and they want to sweep the whole thing under the carpet and forget it?” Tracy said.

Paul Bradley Rogers fired two shots from his 357 at the snake which was dangling from a wooden birdhouse.

Both bullets missed the snake and one struck the child who was in the woods. 

State pays after child shot with Taser

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The state is shelling out in excess of $500,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 10-year-old boy accidentally shot with an electric stun gun by a police officer at a career fair.

Officer Chris Webb, during a career day in May 2012 at Tularosa Intermediate School in Tularosa  pointed his Taser at the boy and said, "Let me show you what happens to people who do not listen to police."

The young victim's attorneys say 50,000 volts of electricity traveled through the boy.

Ardmore school resource officer issued warrant for rape- molestation in 1997

ARDMORE, OK - Court documents show that an Ardmore police officer who serves as the resource officer for Ardmore schools had an arrest warrant issued for him 16 years ago for lewd molestation and second degree rape.

An arrest affidavit from Wagoner County, Oklahoma states that a 14-year-old girl accused Corporal Barry Antwine of touching her inappropriately while they were in class at Wagoner High School, to which Antwine admitted doing so.

Antwine then entered into an agreement of deferred prosecution with the State of Oklahoma that stated charges would not be filed if he met the conditions of the agreement for four years, including restitution, probation fees, community service and a victim's compensation assessment.

We spoke to Ardmore police Sergeant Ryan Hunnicutt about this information. He said in a statement,

"Having just been made aware of these documents and the accusations they contain we are certainly going to look into them. Potentially this is a very serious matter and we are looking into it but do not know enough of the situation to make a statement at this time."

We also spoke with city manager J.D. Spohn today who said that interim police Chief Kevin Norris recommended that Antwine be reassigned pending an investigation.

Antwine has recently filed an EEOC complaint against the city of Ardmore alleging discrimination for an unrelated matter.

We'll continue to follow this story.

Wiley student alleges police brutality, spurs outrage

BLOOMINGTON, ILL.— An alleged police brutality incident that occurred against a Wiley College honor student while at home for the summer in Illinois has outraged members of the student body, who have rallied together, seeking justice for the alleged victim, Gabriella “Gabby” Calhoun.

“We’re highly disturbed and disheartened that this happened to her,” said Daryl Walters, chief of staff for Wiley’s Student Government Association.

“We’re trying to keep her uplifted and let her know that she is still beautiful and we still love her at Wiley College and expect her to come here and get an education and to flourish (past the pain).”

Calhoun, an early high school graduate and presidential scholar at Wiley, told the online publication, YourBlackWorld.net, that her life changed forever on June 29 when officers from the Bloomington, Ill., police department used excessive force against her and her friends at a Denny’s while responding to a stabbing that occurred outside of the restaurant.

The freshman biology major said when officers arrived on the scene they approached her table, asking her group if they had anything to do with the fight. The group said after telling the officers that they were not involved, the officers went back outside to talk to the participating parties and allowed the actors to go inside of the restaurant to clean up. The article says the parties started brawling again while inside of the Denny’s and the officers rushed back in to break up the fight.

The article goes on to say that as the cops tried to clear Denny’s, they approached Calhoun and a close friend of hers again, grabbing the friend as Calhoun followed them, holding her friend’s side.

That’s when Calhoun said police attacked her, knocking her unconscious.

“As she exited the Denny’s, she felt a grip on her neck and arm and says that out of reaction, she tried to pull away,” the article stated. “What happened next was unimaginable.”

Friends say Calhoun was hit in the face with a night stick by a female officer, knocking her unconscious.

“I awoke spitting my teeth out on the ground,” she told YourBlackWorld.net, sharing she hates looking at herself in the mirror now.

“When I look at what I used to look like to what I look like now, it hurts,” she said.

“I had the prettiest smile,” she said, sharing she has three fake teeth, as a result, and has to get accustomed to talking with them. “Nothing is the same.”

The alleged victim said when she began to gain consciousness the officer began choking her again, held her face to the ground and ignored her plea to stop because of her asthma.

She ended up being arrested and booked in jail on one charge of felony aggravated battery and two misdemeanors for resisting arrest. According to the Bloomington Police Department, she was indicted Wednesday on charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer, and resisting a peace officer with officer injury — all felony offenses.

However, the department has acknowledged in a press release that they have received an allegation from a third party of improper police conduct regarding the incident, and have attempted to reach out to Calhoun for further investigation.

“The Bloomington Police Department reviews all allegations of misconduct seriously,” the department stated in the release posted on their website.

“The Bloomington Police Department has reached out to Gabriella Calhoun regarding any complaint of officer misconduct,” the department said. “The Bloomington Police Department has yet to receive a response.”

However, “preliminary review of the video and audio evidence appears consistent with officers’ statements regarding the incident,” the department advised.

According to the press release from the police department, the responding officers reported that Calhoun allegedly pushed and then struck a police officer with a closed fist as officers were clearing out the people involved in the fight from the business.

“As officers were clearing out the problem subjects from the business, a female, identified as Gabriella Calhoun, allegedly pushed and then struck a police officer with a closed fist,” the press release states.

It goes on to say that the officer attempted to place Calhoun under arrest, but she allegedly continued to swing her right arm toward the officer, and the officer was unable to handcuff her.

“A second officer had to come to the aid of the arresting officer,” the release states. The release says as officers were struggling with Calhoun, a large crowd became aggressive towards them, causing the officers to call for backup and spray oleoresin capsicum in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

The officers claim that two officers suffered minor injuries during the incident, and Calhoun allegedly refused medical treatment.

“The Bloomington Police Department is continuing the investigation,” officials said.

Walters said they know Calhoun’s character, which totally contrasts with the behavior police officers claim the honor student exhibited when they confronted her at a Denny’s while responding to a stabbing there.

“She does not drink, smoke or act a fool so when we read the statements we were like, ‘This is false,’” said Walters. “We can say, as a student body, these claims against her are false.”

She said the student leaders know there are two sides to one story, and want to be impartial, but still feel that the accusations are farfetched.

“We want to hear both sides, but her charges were just too much for any one person,” said Walters.

In the meantime, Walters said they are keeping their fellow Wileyite uplifted, and attempting to reach out to politicians, churches, and other historical black universities and colleges for their support in helping them fight against what they believe is racial profiling.

“We have several surprises when she gets back to school,” she said, sharing she along with SGA president Mahogany Terry, student Amber Robinson and other students have rallied together to help bring awareness to the situation, splitting themselves up into teams.

“All the teams combined is about 25 people,” said Walters. “We have a political team, making calls to her state representatives, to her mayor, to her congressman, to her senator and making them all aware.

“Then, we have a media team that puts the story out there and sends emails, informs newspapers and activists,” she said.

Another team was charged with planning something special for the second semester freshman when she returns for the fall semester.

“We’re hoping to ultimately accomplish not only have the word out, but have accountability on the police’s part, letting law enforcement across the USA know that this is not the 1960s anymore,” said Walters.

She said she’s adamant about speaking out against police brutality because her own pastor, Rev. Harry Blake, was beaten on the steps of a church in Shreveport, La., during the civil rights era.

“We are no longer living under Jim Crow Laws; minorities will not be mistreated or racially discriminated against,” said Walters.

“This is justice for her,” she said, sharing Calhoun lost her internship at the medical examiner’s office, as a result of the incident.

“We’re just keeping her uplifted as best we can,” said Walters.

“Her brother graduated with honors from Wiley as well; he encouraged her to go to Wiley. He’s not here anymore, but she has a lot of big brothers and big sisters” still there for her, she said.

Former Wiley College student leader Chris Brown took to his Facebook page, expressing his support for Calhoun.

“As a past Wiley College student leader and as the Statewide Executive Vice President for Y. Democrats of Louisiana, I'm deeply saddened by the incident that occurred in Bloomington, IL, to Gabby. Gabby is a scholar student who represent(s) what (it) is to be a true Wildcat,” he wrote. “I will be writing to the mayor and chief of police about this case and how I will feel it should be investigated. Let’s like in support of justice and please pray for peace among all who have been placed in an uncompromising and uncomfortable case. Chris Brown.”

“We’ll send out messages to the students’ pastors, churches, requesting them to hold meetings with their associations, various pastoral friends and ministries to make them aware,” said Walters.

Walters said anyone is welcomed to be a part of the effort to seek justice for Calhoun.

“If they would like to help, send all information to arobinson@wileyc.edu,” she said. “We want everybody that wants to help to help.

“Everybody can play a role in this initiative,” said Walters. “This is not a Wiley College issue or a black issue. This is an ‘everybody’ issue.

“You never know when this can be your daughter or you,” she said.

Drew Ryser, Ex-Cop Convicted Of Beating Teen, Wants New Trial

HOUSTON -- A former Houston police officer convicted in the videotaped beating of a 15-year-old burglary suspect during a daylight arrest is seeking a new trial, citing juror misconduct. Attorneys for Drew Ryser said in a court motion filed Wednesday that the jury foreman researched the case online outside the courtroom, looking up the word "mistreatment" and sharing the search results with fellow jurors, contrary to instructions from the judge, the Houston Chronicle reported (http://bit.ly/12jxTL3).

Baltimore City Officer Suspended, Charged with Pulling Gun on Son

A Baltimore City police sergeant is suspended without pay after Baltimore County police said she allegedly pulled a gun on her son at her Catonsville home on June 17, according to ABC's WMAR-TV. In addition to her suspension, Robin Blackmon, 44, who was assigned to the Western District, had her service weapon reclaimed by the department pending the outcome of the case. Blackmon was arrested last month in Baltimore County accused of DUI and allegedly pulling a gun on her adult son, Andrew Bratcher.

 

Cop charged in Ocean Springs teen's hit and run death

JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Daniel Snyder, the Pascagoula Police cop accused of hitting and killing an Ocean Springs teenager in February, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident-Felony. Kaytlynn Brann was struck by a truck while walking on Pointe Aux Chenes Road the evening of February 22nd. She died the next day. The driver of the truck was an off duty Pascagoula police officer.