Friday, December 17, 2010

Police misconduct roundup

I've noticed a number of remarkable Texas police misconduct stories in the news recently that deserve Grits readers' attention:

Ripping off drug dealers
A Harris County Sheriff's deputy has been arrested for allegedly conspiring with drug dealers to rip off their customers, reports James Pinkerton at the Houston Chronicle:
"It sounds like this person was using his position in law enforcement to act as muscle for a drug dealers, and this what is called a 'drug rip,' " said a law enforcement source familiar with the case.

"Basically what you're doing is selling dope," the source explained. "I meet up with you and sell you a kilo of cocaine. Then I have a dirty cop pull you (the buyer) over on some traffic violation and steal the dope back.

"So now I got my dope back — and the money. And it's unlikely somebody is going to report they had a kilo of cocaine stolen from them."
Cheating for Overtime
Six Fort Worth police officers have been fired for writing fraudulent tickets in order to qualify for overtime under a federal grant program. One of them had been on Fort Worth PD for 22 years.

Excessive Force
A judge sentenced state trooper to a six-month probated sentence for misdemeanor assault after using excessive use of force at a DWI traffic stop in Dallas. Three Bexar County deputies are under investigation after a beating of a mentally-ill suspect left him in intensive care. Also in Bexar County, "A federal jury Thursday found a former Bexar County Jail guard guilty of assaulting one inmate and acquitted him in the alleged beating of another."

Maybe get him a pen light
A Plano cop killed a man accidentally while he was attempting to use the flashlight attachment on his service weapon.

A Higher Standard?
A Seguin police officer pled guilty to evidence tampering after deleting text messages he'd sent to an underage girl soliciting a sex act. The chief said "Law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard," but I wonder if any non-officer in the same situation might find themselves on the state sex offender registry under the same fact circumstances?

Various disturbing allegations
In Killeen, an officer who'd previously been "suspended for allegedly exposing himself to a woman while on duty" but was reinstated to the force has been suspended again, this time for alleged, unspecified "criminal conduct." In Fort Worth, a police officer resigned amidst allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman while on duty.

If you're driving, you're probably breaking the law
In Houston, "A handful of Houston Police officers and Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies are under investigation after a video tape surfaced, revealing verbal attacks against a cab driver who called local law enforcement for help." One officer told the cab driver, "Take that cab and drive it down the street. See if I can't see find something to arrest you for." And you know what? He's probably right.

In-car computers vs. texting while driving: What's the difference?
Austin PD has been sued after a police officer ran a stop sign and severely injured a driver in a crash while he was using his in-car computer. The lawsuit includes the manufacturer of the computer system, alleging that "the software, as designed --meaning allowing and promoting texting while driving -- is a defective product."

Hat tip on most of these to the indispensable Injustice Everywhere.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

This kind of behavior is why an ever-increasing number of people dislike leos. You have to figure that what gets reported is only a small percentage of the whole, what with cops covering for other cops, things being 'kept quiet', etc. Not a very pretty picture. If I were a good cop, I'd really hate these sombitches.

Anonymous said...

The cop in Fort Worth was accused of sexual assault. The media agreed that they would not show or print the officers' picture due to the ongoing investigation. If it would have been anyone else the picture would have been plastered everywhere. About the same time the cop was accused there was a soccer coach accused of sexual assault. His picture was all over the place. Since then the coach was acquitted. NOT A WORD IN THE MEDIA ABOUT THAT. The public will always believe the coach was guilty. The media is so biased and so unfair in most of their reporting.

Anonymous said...

I find myself wanting to say something in defense of the LE community, but I'll just shut the heck up and make sure I do my job the best I can. Not all of us are like what is portrayed here. There are some truly great people serving our communities. But you already know that.

rodsmith said...

"Anonymous said...
I find myself wanting to say something in defense of the LE community, but I'll just shut the heck up and make sure I do my job the best I can. Not all of us are like what is portrayed here. There are some truly great people serving our communities. But you already know that."

We know that not all cops are like this. That they do a very dangerous and necessary job. But just like every other area of society...that 1 in 10 that's a lost couse makes everyone look bad.

Anonymous said...

Scott, I know that you focus on Texas issues. Just a few hours E in New Orleans there was horrific police misconduct and cover up by other officers following Katrina. See Friends of Justice blog for some of the gruesome details.

I know that most police officers are honest. Probably the worst thing in LE is the "stand by each other right or wrong" mentality evidenced in New Orleans and elsewhere.

Charles in Tulia

freekory said...

"You have to figure that what gets reported is only a small percentage of the whole, what with cops covering for other cops, things being 'kept quiet', etc" R. Shackleford said . Is so true .

I need you at grits for breakfast to help me get this in the media .

Arlington TX swat team got a No-knock search warrant for Kory Gautreaux home (after only a few hours of surrvalance, WTF ) As the swat team began to break the front door in UNANNOUNCED . Kory thought he was being robbed (again) so he shot 3 warning shot up towards the ceiling, and ran for the garage as then the swat team shot over 30 rounds . Still un aware that it was the police , Kory pressed the garage door open button to get help and throws his gun under the tahoe and as the garage door opens kory Relized it was the police and put his hands up and took a few steps out of the garage . HE WAS SHOT BY A SNIPPER OFFICER LAYING IN THE GRASS . This happened April 1 2010 and was never in the news or papers . The swat team covered it up . even in the sworn statement they didnt even say anything about any shots being fired or that Kory was shot ..
To make things wrose Kory Gautreaux in still in tarrant county jail with
TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED CAPITAL MURDER OF A PEACE OFFICER
1 Million dollars bond each
AGGRAVATED ASSULT OF A PEACE OFFICER ( the snipper officer that was laying in the grass that shot Kory )
50,000 dollars bond
Also the DA had Kory Gautreaux paided lawyer JIM SHAW kicked off of his case for conflicted of interest so now KORY HAS A COURT APPOINTEd lawyer PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY HELP ANYONE HAS TO OFFER freekory@gmail.com

Austex1151 said...

I worked alongside LEO's for many years. Most are decent, caring, honest people. But there is a significant minority that abuse their badges daily. The honest majority does itself and the public a huge disservice by covering up bad behavior in the ranks. Of course, I agree that a cop who breaks the law should be prosecuted fully. Otherwise we continue to have several codes of law: for the rich, for cops and politicians, and for the rest of us.

freekory said...

please read my blog i have police sworn statement on there http://freekory.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Kory lived? Shitty sniper.

freekory said...

Well he almost did die , the bullet hit a main artery. he wishes he would have died , on his birthday he tried to kill his self . but thanks for the comment .

Anonymous said...

11:27, you are a total douchebag.

Anonymous said...

Take it easy Shack. You've thrown some idiocy around here too.

DropCrate.com said...

I watched the video of the "Excessive Force" and it was painful to watch. He spun the woman around so that she slammed her head into concrete.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but I have never met a cop I wouldn't rather see in a firey crash on the side of the road or shot in the head by an errant round. One too many 'misreported' charges, to boost Felony arrests.

the 1 in 10 stat is bullshit too. Take a gander at the New Orleans tapes during Katrina of cops abandoning their posts, stealing in Wal Mart, shooting innocent people, abandoning the very people they swore to protect. of have a look at Cops of the 60's, of even today in Los Angeles. Far too many dirty LEO's to claim a 1 in 10 stat. I would go for a 6 in 10 or 8 in 10..

Rere3000 said...

Was he good lawyer an y was he kick off exactly