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.

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.

Video shows Boynton Beach police officer kick boy's legs

Officer placed on adminstrative duty after video surfaces

Peter Burke

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -

A South Florida police officer has been placed on administrative duty after cellphone video that seemingly shows him assaulting a boy has surfaced on the Internet.

Boynton Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater said in a statement Tuesday that the department is aware of the videos, which first appeared on the website LiveLeak.com.

"We are concerned as to the initial appearance of the video, and despite the fact that we have received no formal complaints at this time, we are committed to reviewing the situation in its entirety and taking whatever action is deemed most appropriate at the conclusion of our investigation," Slater said.

According to the website, two sixth-grade students were pulled off a school bus for their behavior.

The first video apparently shows the officer putting one of the boys in a choke hold.

In the second video, it shows that same officer kicking the boy's legs, causing him to fall on his back to the ground.

The incident happened May 8 at the intersection of Northwest Fourth Street and Boynton Beach Boulevard.

Police did not say what school the boys attended.

The bastards murder him and got away with it

The new Klan

Police say video footage showed Officer George Bermudez tripping one person, attempting to trip another

GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The Vandegrift girls soccer team claimed the 4A title after beating Wylie East this weekend.

It's the first time any soccer program from the Austin area has won the state championship but that's not the only thing parents and students are talking about days after. Many are outraged after witnessing a Georgetown police officer tripping and pushing students as they rushed the field to celebrate.

Police say video footage showed Officer George Bermudez tripping one person, attempting to trip another, physically restraining another person and shoving a fourth person as people leaped from the stands after Vandegrift High School won the state championship Saturday.

"We get in the dog pile and it's just crazy you know," said Gray Goolsby, a Vandegrift student who joined in the celebration.

But before long Goolsby felt a tug on his back.

"I felt this hand grab my shoulder and just pull me out of the dog pile and says, 'Get back to the stands,'" said Goolsby.

Goolsby says he holds no ill will against the officer who he believes was just trying to do his job.

"I hope he doesn't lose his job over this because we were just trying to have fun, and he's just trying to do his job, and hopefully everything works out," said Goolsby.

"These kids were excited. They wanted to celebrate," said parent Karen Morse. Morse's daughter is a junior on the team. "It was so exciting. In fact, it was so exciting, I jumped up and almost blacked out and hit the woman in front of me!"

Karen Morse watched as her daughter's hard work paid off but something else on the field also caught her attention.

"All the kids are jumping over, friends, boyfriends, everybody's just running. Then I see this police officer just sticking out his leg," she said.

In the video, you see a student hit the ground then limp away. Bermudez then sticks out his leg in an attempt to trip a girl, then grabs another student and pushes him away and then another girl is pushed to the ground.

"They just wanted to, you know, go and celebrate with the girls basically and have a good time," said sophomore Rohan Gupta. "We're just kids running on to a field to celebrate our team and it was kind of too much. It was kind of a cheap shot going for his legs," he said.

Gupta also caught it on his phone and uploaded this video to YouTube.

"We've been inundated all day with not only media but concerned parents, not only from Central Texas/Georgetown but actually across the nation," said Georgetown Police Captain Roland Waits.

Waits said last year they named Bermudez officer of the year and now he's under investigation for misconduct.

"So naturally this is very alarming and concerning to us," he said.

"It wasn't like they were rowdy. They were just celebrating," said parent Lori Digesualda. "I hope that this doesn't overshadow all of the hard work and the dedication that the team, parents and coaches put in."

It was a sweet victory, turned sour. Now these parents have just one question: What was the wrong doing?

Bermudez has been with the Georgetown Police Department since 2005, and he is assigned to the Community Resources Unit. He's now on paid administrative leave.

The Georgetown Police Department Police Chief Wayne Nero issued a statement on Monday in response to the on-going internal affairs investigation:

"As would be appropriate given the circumstances, I have fielded a number of phone calls and emails regarding the recent actions of Officer Bermudez as depicted in the circulating videos. After personally watching the videos, the actions of my officer are very concerning to me as well. As the Chief of Police, it is my responsibility to ensure that this matter is investigated objectively, thoroughly, and in a timely manner without bias. We are doing just that.

I want to reassure the public that it is not the position of the Georgetown Police Department to neither condone nor tolerate misconduct of any type. This matter was immediately forwarded to the Professional Standards Division upon receiving notice of this incident. Given that we are a Civil Service agency governed by Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code, there is a well-defined process for investigating and rendering disposition of internal investigations and we are following that process. Consistent with allegations of similar nature, Officer Bermudez has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation.

I realize there are many condemning Officer Bermudez and demanding his immediate termination. As an executive manager, it is my duty to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted into this matter and that all of the appropriate and relevant facts are gathered so that a well-informed disciplinary decision can be rendered. I can assure you that this will take place in a timely manner. As a leader, it is my duty to support Officer Bermudez as both a human being and as a troop for which I am directly responsible. As a leader, I can support Officer Bermudez through the process of accountability without condoning or supporting his behavior – that is what leaders do. "

Special needs tot charged with resisting arrest by U.S. cops - 8-year-old had run away from school

By Donal MacIntyre

U.S. cops and the justice system are being held up to ridicule as an eight-year-old boy with severe learning difficulties has been charged by police after he ran away from his special needs school.

Police said that they chased 8-year-old Edward Hart, who had blted from the Hillside Learning and Behaviour Center in Allegan, Michigan. He then cursed and hit an officer when he tried to hand him back to his 'special needs' trained teachers.

The Allegan police force is facing public ridicule over the incident and the decision to charge the 8-year-old special needs student, with two juvenile charges which could result in juvenile detention, an institution not unlike the special needs school he currently attends.

Notwithstanding the fact that the child is learning disabled, the public prosecutor is adamant the charges will stick, despite the public outcry.

“I don’t even think he did anything wrong in this case. He’s special needs,” Robert Bluhm, Edward’s stepfather told Fox 17 news.

“He’s ran away from the school before… but he’s never made it as far as he did this time, he said.

Police said that when the child was asked his name, he cursed and assaulted armed officers.

The child was then thrown into the back of a police car and taken to the station in a move which is close to child cruelty, his stepfather said.

“He has special needs. He has anger issues. They know this, and they’re going to throw him in the back of a cop car all by himself,” Bluhm said.

The child apparently broke a $50 camera in the back of the car and has been charged specifically with malicious destruction of police property and resisting and obstructing arrest.

“If they had him under control, why didn’t they ride with him in the back of this cop car. So this incident would have never took place?”, the stepfather told Fox news.

The police force are insistent on reclaiming the cost of the camera and the prosecutor is insistent on bringing the child to court.

Florida Teen Wrongly Arrested In K-9 Attack, Files Lawsuit Against Orlando Police Department

Khier Casino, Thu, April 24, 2014

A Florida man has filed a lawsuit against the Orlando Police Department after one of its officers mistook him for a robbery suspect and was attacked by a K-9.

Isaiah Montanez, 19, was riding his bicycle on March 31, 2013 when he was dragged off his bike by Orlando Officer James Parker, who was looking for a suspect.

The cop then let his K-9 loose to take Montanez down and maul him.

“He is still very much traumatized,” Bradley Laurent, Montanez’ attorney, told WESH 2 News.

He was just riding along and all of a sudden he just gets yoked off his bicycle by a police officer and the dog is immediately released on him," Laurent told WFTV Orlando. According to a police report, Parker was searching in the same area at the time for a Hispanic robbery suspect, and he believed Montanez fit the description. Parker also saw another man, identified as Joshua Mejia, riding a bicycle with Montanez. The officer claims he ordered the duo to stop, but only Mejia listened to the command, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Montanez did not stop and “tried to pedal harder and go around me,” Parker said. That's when the officer pulled him off the bike. Montanez was charged with resisting arrest without violence, but the state attorney's office did not seek to prosecute and the case is now closed - See more at: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/florida-teen-wrongly-arrested-k-9-attack-files-lawsuit-against-orlando-police#sthash.NW8JT4kX.dpuf

SEE IT: Texas cop breaks teen's arm while trying to stop school fight

BY LEE MORAN

A Texas cop has been suspended after he was caught on camera snapping a student's arm as he broke up a school fight.

Stephen Rivers was filmed harshly grabbing the teen's limb and awkwardly slamming it forward, as a female security guard held the boy firmly on the ground.

The sound of the bone breaking can be heard in the graphic cellphone clip, recorded at West Brook High School, in Beaumont, on March 7.

The Beaumont Enterprise reports that Rivers, a part-time officer on the campus, was suspended without pay following the incident.

An investigation is due to be completed in the coming days, revealed Beaumont School District Police Chief Clydell Duncan.

The circumstances that led to the fight between the teen and another male student are currently unclear.

However, it has been reported that the pair had fought on various occasions before.

Ex-cop, son charged in slaying

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Action 7 News is learning about the arrest of a former state police officer and his son who were both arrested and charged with murder.

Jack McDowell and his son were arrested last year, but the warrant was just unsealed.

Rio Rancho police raided McDowell's home in January 2013 in connection with the murder of James Chavez, 35, who was killed a year and a half earlier.

McDowell and his son were arrested and charged, but any clues about possible motives were sealed in court documents until recently.

Our media partners at the Albuquerque Journal obtained an arrest warrant affidavit, claiming McDowell was a gun runner and meth dealer with ties to the Bandidos Motorcycle Gang.

Police said they always suspected the pair, but it took a year and a half to get enough evidence.

McDowell's defense attorney said his client is innocent. He also said the prosecution's witnesses are unreliable, and he'll try to keep some of them from testifying.

One of them, he said, has a separate case pending -- the high-speed chase that severely injured Corrales police Officer Jeremy Romero.

In the murder case, court documents said that witness and another were both hesitant to say anything for fear of retaliation.

McDowell and his son are being held on $1 million cash-only bonds in Sandoval County.

In 1984, McDowell was part of Gov. Toney Anaya's security detail while working for state polic