http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-missouri-st-louis-police-shooting-teen-20140811-story.html#page=1

Protesters and police face off in St. Louis suburb over shooting

 

 

The protesters, almost all of them black, raised their fists and chanted, “We shall not be moved!”

Down the hill, advancing against them late Monday night, were police officers in gas masks and riot gear, most of them white.

“Don’t shoot!” some of the demonstrators yelled, inching closer to the barely visible police line. One man drifted several dozen feet closer with his arms up, lifting his shirt and spinning around as if to say: Look, no gun.

Then an older woman in a dust mask to shield her a bit from the swirling tear gas spotted him and shouted, “Get your ass back here!”

The two sides were locked in confrontation in this working-class suburb of St. Louis, where the police shooting of an unarmed young black man triggered a night of looting Sunday — and demands for justice from a predominantly black population.

-----

Blacks in Ferguson are twice as likely to be stopped by police as whites, according to an annual report on racial profiling by the Missouri attorney general. Last year, 93% of arrests following car stops in Ferguson were of blacks. Ninety-two percent of searches and 80% of car stops involved blacks, the report said.
 

Toy gun waved by child mistaken for weapon

"POMONA (AP/CBS 8) - A frightening afternoon for a family in Chino after police charged at their minivan, guns aimed at them and their children.

The 7-year old boy's parents requested News 8 doesn't show his face or give their names.

Police were called after someone saw the little boy playing with a toy gun in the backseat. Sheriff's Sgt. R. Causey says the motorist thought it was a real gun, but deputies could tell it was a toy.

They were stopped in a parking lot and police approached with guns drawn.

The parents were hauled into the back of a squad car and police ignored their request to be cautious with the child, who just had surgery and was in a wheelchair.

"I was trying to tell them, you can be forcing him on his feet, he's not even supposed to be, he doesn't even stand on his feet."

After the toy gun was found, police released the family, who say they were on their way to Chuck-E-Cheese.

No arrests were made."

http://www.cbs8.com/story/16025582/toy-gun-waved-by-child-mistaken-for-weapon

Costumed reveler with fake gun shot by S.J. police

A drunken Halloween party-goer rousted by San Jose police on a hotel stairwell was shot by officers after he reached for a fake gun he had tucked into his surgeon's costume, authorities said.

Javier Gonzales-Guerrero, 25, of San Jose was shot by officers who confronted him at the Extended Stay Deluxe Hotel at 55 East Brokaw Road shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Officers found Gonzales-Guerrero either passed out or sleeping in a stairwell, said police Sgt. Jason Dwyer. They could see the butt of a gun in his waistband, Dwyer said.

They called out to him, and he awoke and reached for what turned out to be a gold-color fake firearm, police said.

Fearing he was going to shoot them, Sgt. Brian Johst and officers Mark Stephens, Gary Petrakovitz and Tim Stephens all fired at Gonzales-Guerrero, hitting him numerous times but not inflicting any life-threatening wounds, Dwyer said.

Investigators determined that Gonzales-Guerrero had attended a Halloween party dressed in medical scrubs.

The officers who shot their weapons have served between 13 and 20 years with the department.

The incident is the seventh San Jose officer-involved shooting this year, three of which have resulted in deaths. Police and the Santa Clara County district attorney are investigating the latest shooting.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/25/BAPJ1LM13V.DTL#ixzz1bpMdnBj2

Phoenix police shoot, kill man in wheelchair

"Phoenix police fatally shot a man in a wheelchair who they said had pointed a gun at them early Saturday morning.

Sgt. Steve Martos said two officers, whose names were not released, responded around 2:20 a.m. to the downtown bus and light-rail depot at 100 W. Van Buren St. after witnesses reported that shots had been fired by a man assaulting a female believed to be his girlfriend.

"Two officers approached the suspect and his girlfriend," Martos said. "As they approached the male suspect, he wheeled away from the officers and became belligerent. The suspect then turned back towards the officers and began approaching them."

The man then reached into his waistband and pulled out a handgun, pointing it at the officers, Martos said. The officers repeatedly commanded him to drop the weapon, Martos said, and when he refused, they shot him.

The man was pronounced dead on the scene. Neither officer was injured. The man's name was not released.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2011/10/15/20111015phoenix-police-shoot-man-in-wheelchair-brk.html#ixzz1axtrRiV2
"

Oakland officer videotapes his killing of suspect

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/03/MNGR1LBKEQ.DTL

"In a Bay Area first, a fatal shooting by police in East Oakland was captured on video - not by a bystander with a camcorder or a smart phone but by the officer himself, who wore a city-issued camera on his chest.

Oakland police officials will not say what the footage from Sept. 25 depicts, citing an ongoing investigation. But the fact that the shooting was captured at all illustrates a profound change in law enforcement, with officers increasingly strapping on cameras along with their guns, radios and handcuffs.

The incident is already raising thorny questions, principally this: When an officer films his own killing of a suspect, should that officer be allowed to review the footage before making a statement to investigators?

Then there's this: In the weeks and months ahead, will the video be made available to the public or the media?

The shooting happened shortly before 5 p.m. on the 9900 block of Cherry Street. Police officials said the trouble began when two officers, who have not been identified, pulled over a car for an unspecified violation, only to watch the passenger flee on foot.

One officer caught the suspect, who had a gun and drugs, and shot him during a struggle, police said. The department has refused to identify the man, and the Alameda County coroner will not give his name without police permission.

At some point, the officer had turned on the camera, which is about the size of a pager and was clipped to his chest, by sliding down a lens cover.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/02/MNGR1LBKEQ.DTL#ixzz1Zjx3izfa

After the shooting, neither the officer nor his partner was allowed to view the footage from the camera before speaking to investigators, said sources familiar with the matter.

That led to a dispute, the sources said, over whether the department followed policies adopted after the city bought 350 wearable cameras late last year from Vievu of Seattle for $540,000.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/02/MNGR1LBKEQ.DTL#ixzz1ZjxAKqfw


Police watchdogs were surprised to hear of Oakland's position - that the officers should have been allowed to view the video first - saying it seemed to violate basic investigatory principals.

John Burris, an Oakland attorney who specializes in police misconduct cases and supports use of the body cameras, said officers who shoot suspects should not have access to such a video.

"Absolutely not," Burris said. "I think it's contrary to the importance of the video. If you view the video beforehand, you have an opportunity to change your story to match the video."

Michael Risher, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney in San Francisco, said, "In any investigation, it is not a good practice to show a tape to a witness before an interview. ... I think any police officer will tell you that."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/02/MNGR1LBKEQ.DTL#ixzz1ZjxFnF00
"

Half of L.A. County deputies' 'waistband shootings' involve unarmed people

"Almost half the people shot at by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies after reaching toward their waistbands turned out to be unarmed, according to a study released Thursday.

"Waistband shootings" are particularly controversial because the justification for the shootings can conceivably be fabricated after the fact, according to the county monitor's report, which was commissioned by the county Board of Supervisors and which analyzed six years of shooting data.

The monitor was careful to point out that the report wasn't indicating that deputies were being dishonest, simply that those shootings left the department vulnerable to criticism.

Merrick Bobb, who was hired as a special counsel to county supervisors after a 1992 report exposed serious problems in the department, also found an increase in shootings in which deputies didn't see an actual gun before firing. In those cases, the suspects may have had a weapon but never brandished it.

Those shootings jumped from nine in 2009 to 15 last year, according to the report. Last year also saw the highest proportion of people shot by deputies who turned out to be unarmed altogether."

"In one case, deputies came across a narcotics suspect sitting in his car outside his house. When the 35-year-old man saw the deputies, he appeared to reach under his seat. One of the deputies thought he saw a gun, covered by a piece of cloth. The man then sat up, holding the object to his chest, prompting the deputy to shoot him. The man was killed but no drugs or weapons were found, only a pair of jeans. The county eventually paid $750,000 to the victim's family.

The analysis also found that 61% of suspects who were shot at by deputies were Latino, 29% black and 10% white. Even compared to Sheriff's Department arrest rates, Latinos and blacks are overrepresented, the study concluded.

In shootings in which deputies shot at a suspect before seeing an actual gun, all but two of the suspects were black or Latino."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-unarmed-shootings-20110923,0,2452551.story

oasis of peace

rip pkm

Woman detective sues SDPD for sexual harassment

"SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A veteran San Diego police detective is suing the department and four members of the force, claiming male detectives created a hostile work environment by making offensive sexual comments and slurs and posting photos of men and women in suggestive poses, court papers show.

Deborah W. Burger, a 22-year veteran of the department, alleging sexual harassment, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, gender and age discrimination and retaliation."

---

"Among other things, Burger claims that Cerar and other male detectives used derogatory terms when referring to sexual assault victims.

Two male detectives covered their cubicles with inappropriate sexual photos, and, when told to take them down after Burger complained, harassed her, according to her lawsuit.

Burger also claims that male detectives were treated better than their female counterparts, and that when she complained to SDPD internal affairs, she was harassed and endured retaliation."

http://www.cbs8.com/story/15455396/woman-detective-sues-sdpd-for-sexual-harassment

BART's Media Manipulation Strategy

Horn honkers cited near protest over man's death

"(09-12) 11:13 PDT Fullerton, Calif. (AP) --

Fullerton police have cited drivers who allegedly honked their horns near a protest over the death of a mentally ill homeless man after a violent confrontation with officers.

Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich says officers had received complaints about drivers honking excessively and holding down their horns at weekly Saturday protests.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/09/12/state/n111349D18.DTL#ixzz1Xm5brtGS
"

'Contempt' for Not Standing on a Broken Leg

"RALEIGH, N.C. (CN) - A man who was eating a taco at a Raleigh bus stop says a cop swept-kicked him to the ground, broke his leg and arrested him, then hauled him before a judge who sentenced him to 30 days in jail for contempt, because he could not stand on his broken leg.
Lynwood Earl Artis sued Raleigh police Officer James Rollins, Wake County and its sheriff, and others, in Federal Court.
Artis said that after buying his dinner at the Armadillo Grill, he "quietly began to eat his taco, waiting for the bus," when Rollins "approached Artis on foot ... and asked if a beer was his."
"Artis leaned forward and saw what appeared to be a discarded can of beer that had been concealed from his view" by a newspaper rack. He says he told Rollins, "'Why, Officer, if that beer were mine, I would be enjoying it with my meal.'" And he resumed eating his taco.
He says Rollins asked him for ID, then "Without either warning or being told he was under arrest, Rollins grabbed Artis by his still taco-laden arm, and spun Artis around with great force, which pivoted Artis on his left leg and sent the hapless taco flying.
"Rollins twisted Artis' arm behind his back and then swept-kicked Artis' legs from the side and threw him to the ground."

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/09/02/39495.htm

Modesto police shoot suspect in high-speed chase

"MODESTO, Calif. -- Modesto police say officers shot and injured a man who led police on a high-speed chase.

The Modesto Bee reports (http://bit.ly/nj2ORk) the incident began early Monday when an officer heard gunshots in Modesto's Mellis Park area and saw a pickup truck fleeing the scene.

Lt. Rick Armendariz says officers tried to stop the driver, but the suspect kept driving until police used a spike strip to deflate the truck's tires.

Officials say the suspect rammed a police car with an officer inside before the pickup got wedged against a tree. The officer was not injured.

Armendariz says three officers fired into the pickup and hit the suspect, who was taken to a nearby hospital.

The three officers were placed on paid administrative leave while officials investigate the shooting.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/05/3886240/modesto-police-shoot-suspect-in.html#ixzz1XClT7Wmi"

San Diego County Deputy Arrested In Palm Desert For Hit-And-Run

"PALM DESERT, Calif. -- A San Diego County sheriff's deputy was arrested in Palm Desert on felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence.

Sheriff's department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell told the San Diego Union Tribune that the deputy, Barbara Crozier, is currently on paid administrative assignment while the incident is being investigated.

Riverside County sheriff's deputies arrested Crozier Tuesday after getting reports that a car had run into a water fountain at a country club.

Investigators determined that Crozier was suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run accident several hours earlier at a Palm Desert apartment complex."

http://www.kesq.com/news/29077814/detail.html

Shoreline protest over fatal police shooting

"The mother of a man fatally shot by Shoreline police last month stood on North 185th Street on Thursday, only inches from traffic, holding a sign and a megaphone.

"Police killed my son," yelled Tatiana Albrecht to passing cars. "I loved you, my son."

David Albrecht was shot and killed Aug. 10 — his 22nd birthday — in front of his family home in the 700 block of North 200th Street.

Police were called to the house after Albrecht reportedly put a knife to his throat and threatened to kill himself."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016085498_shoreline02m.html

2nd Nassau County, NY police shooting in 2 days

"POINT LOOKOUT, N.Y. — Police on Long Island say a man was shot to death after he charged officers with a 12-inch knife.

It was the second shooting in two days involving Nassau County police. The first man survived.

Police did not identify the man shot early Tuesday outside a home in Point Lookout. Marie Doerbecker told Newsday (http://bit.ly/rkC3Gj ) that he was her son, 23-year-old Kurt Doerbecker.

According to Newsday, a web site for Queens College baseball says Doerbecker was a psychology major who played for the team in 2010.

His player bio says he was all-conference in 2004, all-county in 2005 and all-division in 2006 while playing for Long Beach High School.

On Monday, police wounded Brandon Pasker of Hempstead. They alleged he stole a patrol car and led officers on a high-speed chase that ended in Oyster Bay."

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP3205c272cd7444a8b49ec220837b5a91.html

Soldier found dead in Philadelphia suburb after 4 are killed

"An Army officer suspected of killing four people in Pennsylvania and Virginia was found dead in a wooded Philadelphia suburb on Sunday. Hours after he fired at several officers, wounding two of them, the body of Capt. Leonard John Egland, 37, of Fort Lee, Va., was found around 3:30 p.m. in the Bucks County community of Warwick Township, police Chief Mark Goldberg said. The chief said Egland had a gunshot wound but he would leave it to the coroner to determine whether it was self-inflicted. Authorities said Egland killed his mother-in-law, his wife, her boyfriend and the boyfriend's young son before taking his own young daughter on a frantic drive through Pennsylvania. The girl, believed to be 6 years old, was abandoned physically unharmed at a hospital Saturday night by Egland."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/soldier-found-dead-in-philadelphia-suburb-after-4-are-killedpp/1188586

"Gunpoint Rape Cop" Didn't Intend To Hurt Anybody, Says Lawyer

"The 27-year-old police officer accused of raping a woman at gunpoint in Inwood early last Friday was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan today. And while Michael Pena's two lawyers didn't deny any of the allegations against him, they told reporters as they left court that their client never intended to hurt anyone: “There is absolutely no doubt that there was no intent on the part of Michael Pena to hurt anyone. There was certainly no intent to sexually abuse anybody on that day," said defense attorney Martin Goldberg.

Pena, a three-year veteran who works out of the 33rd Precinct, is accused of accosting a 25-year-old teacher he met on the street at 6:15 a.m. last Friday, and drunkenly forcing her to have sex with him behind an apartment building. Pena was called "as mild-mannered and as humble an individual as you would ever meet" by Goldberg, while his other lawyer, Juan Campos, previously said: "If these allegations are true, I believe it is a complete aberration...I'm not saying alcohol excuses this, if that's true, but it may explain certain behavior." "

http://gothamist.com/2011/08/24/gunpoint_rape_cop_didnt_intend_to_h.php

Police Shoot, Kill Carjacking Suspect

"PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police shot and killed a man Saturday night who they say attempted to run over an officer.

Police tried to stop the suspect for riding an all-terrain vehicle through the streets in Germantown.

The suspect then jumped off the ATV and allegedly carjacked another man's car on Kemble Street. Police said he then hit an officer as he attempted to drive off.

One of the officers shot the suspect in the stomach. He died at the hospital.

Police said the officer is OK."

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Police-Involved_Shooting_082211

Miami police shoot, kill man in confrontation

"A Miami police officer shot and killed a man during a confrontation early Sunday morning.

Investigators said the officer was at Via Del Rio, a restaurant at 1673 NW 27th Ave., just before 2 a.m. According to a news release, there was some sort of altercation that led to the officer shooting a man identified as Drew Randolph Pozdol, 26.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/21/2368731/miami-police-shoot-kill-man-in.html#ixzz1VgTX8QJl"

La Mesa police kill man holding shotgun

"LA MESA — La Mesa police officers shot and killed a 35-year-old domestic violence suspect Friday night when he reportedly pointed a shotgun at them in the middle of an intersection.

Authorities did not release the man’s name.

The incident began when the man’s wife returned to their Pine Court home about 10 p.m. and they got into an argument, police Lt. Dan Willis said.

He said there were at least two children in the house when the husband allegedly pushed his wife around, slapped her face, then got out a shotgun. The husband did not threaten or harm the children, who were under age 10, Willis said."

.......

"Willis said six officers and a sergeant armed with rifles and pistols approached Pine Court, a cul-de-sac, from the south end of Pine Street. They saw a man walk into the middle of the intersection carrying a shotgun and ordered him to drop it. Instead, he racked it and pointed it at officers, who opened fire.

The man was hit at least once and died at the scene, Willis said.

He said he didn’t know if the shotgun was loaded. It wasn’t immediately clear how many officers fired or how many rounds hit the man."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/aug/20/la-mesa-police-shoot-and-kill-man-involved-domesti/