An Open Letter to American Law Enforcement

[Father of four]

I hope more LEO'S will read that Open Letter to American Law Enforcement at the beginning of this thread!

Another example of the problems....

Officer.com Home > Top News Stories

Ex-Officer Allegedly Abducts Man in Fla., Demands $100k

Posted: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Updated: March 20th, 2010 02:20 AM GMT-05:00

Most Read Stories TodayMost Read Most E-mailed Stories TodayMost E-mailed E-mail This StoryE-mail Article Print This StoryPrint Article

Story by justnews.com

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. --

A former Miami Beach police officer has been arrested by the FBI, accused of taking a man hostage for $100,000.

Richard Anastasi, 47, was taken into custody Thursday and questioned by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Friday that Anastasi and 42-year-old Francisco Arias are charged with taking a hostage for the purpose of obtaining a ransom.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Anastasi and Arias abducted a man several times between March 11 and 15 and threatened to harm him if he did not give them $100,000.

In one incident, investigators said, Arias and Anastasi impersonated police officers and went to the victim's house, where Arias choked the man into unconsciousness twice. Then, Arias and Anastasi put the man into an SUV, showed him a pair of pliers, threatened to pull his teeth out and stunned him with a Taser, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The police were notified Tuesday, and law enforcement officers recorded phone calls between the victim, Arias and Anastasi, prosecutors said. Arias and Anastasi were arrested Thursday on their way to a meeting with the victim, who was supposed to give them more money, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said that after their arrests, Anastasi and Arias claimed that Anastasi had been the victim of identity theft and credit card fraud and that they were trying to get some of his money back.

If convicted, Anastasi and Arias could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Anastasi was asked to resign from his former department this year after more than 10 years of service, following an internal affairs investigation. His arrest Thursday does not appear to be related to the incident that led to his resignation.

Copyright 2010 by Post-Newsweek Stations. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

 

[PhysicsGuy]

Guys, you're are welcome to disagree with each other, and debate your sides, but an good argument does not entail insults and flaming directed at other members on here.

Any further attacks on each other will result in this thread getting shut down.

Keep it clean and well thought out.

 

[Father of four]

I apologize if I was out of line in any way!

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

I apologize if I was out of line in any way!

You're all good with me if that matters any.

 

[DoktorT]

"As a police officer, I consider it a privilege, and the greatest honor that may be bestowed upon any person, to defend the principles of liberty."

Talk about a dilema. Must uphold many laws that serve to violate liberty, but must put liberty first and foremost. Lots and lots of tough calls in that alone.

 

[zeezee]

"As a police officer, I consider it a privilege, and the greatest honor that may be bestowed upon any person, to defend the principles of liberty."

Talk about a dilema. Must uphold many laws that serve to violate liberty, but must put liberty first and foremost. Lots and lots of tough calls in that alone.

As a citizen I am honored to have you serve and I am pleased to see that you understand the delima our government has placed you in.
The best of luck to you and thank you for your service.
Mario

 

[zeezee]

You're all good with me if that matters any.

You're good with me Toooooooooo! ;-)

 

[Father of four]

I just want to show everyone another story among many stories that are making there rounds on officer.com.

From the Chiefs, to the new recruits, there needs to be some severe cleaning up in Law Enforcement!

What do you think Leo's?

Alot more at Officer.com...



Calif. Cop Involved in New Year's Day Shooting Fired

Posted: Friday, March 26, 2010
Updated: March 26th, 2010 03:31 AM EDT


Story by ktvu.com

OAKLAND, Calif. --

One of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officers involved in the New Year's Day shooting last year that ended in the death of Oscar Grant has been fired, according to a BART spokesman.

The officer, Marysol Domenici, was one of the first two BART police officers to respond to the call of a fight on board a BART train. Her partner was Tony Pirone, the officer Grant's family and their attorney blamed for escalating the situation that led to the shooting by fellow officer Johannes Mehserle, now charged with murder.

As KTVU first reported last year, an internal investigation of the shooting conducted by law firm Meyers Nave have recommended that BART fire both Domenici and Pirone. But it has taken this long for that to happen.

KTVU also learned that the administrative hearings for both Domenici and Pirone have been held separately; Domenici's first. She was a black belt in karate and a training instructor for the police department. Sources say that if she's fired, it is highly likely that Pirone's firing will soon follow.

Both officers have been on administrative leave since the day of the killing, drawing their salary but not working.

We contacted Marysol Domenici's attorney Thursday afternoon and she said she had no comment on her client's firing. KTVU also learned that the acting BART police chief notified officers in an email last night about this latest action.

Copyright 2010 by KTVU.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.




Killed a guy. Received a LONG paid leave. Was later fired over it. Now charged with murder.

The "Open Letter to American law Enforcement"?

Like I said before, I bet most Leos don't care.

 

[Father of four]

Here is the video of the incident...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJukcFzEX4

 

[Father of four]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BART_Police_shooting_of_Oscar_Grant


BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant Date January 1, 2009 (2009-01-01)
Time 2:15 AM PST (10:15 UTC)
Location Oakland, California, United States
Casualties
1 killed

The BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant was a fatal shooting in Oakland, California, United States, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009.[1] Responding to reports of a fight on a crowded BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train returning from San Francisco,[2] BART Police officers had detained Grant and several other passengers on the platform at the Fruitvale BART Station. Officer Johannes Mehserle and another officer were restraining Grant, who was prostrate and allegedly resisting arrest. Officer Mehserle stood, drew his gun and shot Grant once in the back. Grant turned out to be unarmed.[2][3][4] Grant was pronounced dead at 9:13 am the next morning at Highland Hospital in Oakland.[4] On January 13, Alameda County prosecutors charged Mehserle with murder for the shooting. He resigned his position and pled not guilty.[1]

The events were captured on multiple digital and cell phone cameras. The footage was disseminated to media outlets and to various websites, where it was watched hundreds of thousands of times.[5] The following days saw both peaceful and violent protests.[6]

The shooting has been variously labeled an involuntary manslaughter and an execution.[7] Michael Rains, Mehserle's criminal defense attorney, claimed Mehserle intended to fire his Taser, but mistakenly shot Grant with a pistol when he thought Grant was reaching for a gun.[3][8]

Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris filed a $25 million wrongful death claim against BART on behalf of Grant's family.[9][



Cover up? "Michael Rains, Mehserle's criminal defense attorney, claimed Mehserle intended to fire his Taser, but mistakenly shot Grant with a pistol when he thought Grant was reaching for a gun."

 

[Father of four]

The incident
[edit] Background

Oscar Grant had been celebrating New Year's Eve with his friends in San Francisco on the Embarcadero and was returning to the East Bay in the lead car of a BART train bound for Fruitvale.[2][11] BART offered extended service and a special "Flash Pass" for the New Year's Eve holiday.[4][12] At approximately 2:00 a.m. PST, BART Police responded to reports that up to 12 people were involved in a fight on an incoming train from the West Oakland BART Station and the participants were "hammered and stoned."[2][3][13]

Officers removed Grant and several other men suspected of fighting from the train and detained them on the platform. Grant and another man ran back onto the train after being detained, but Grant voluntarily returned to the platform when officer Tony Pirone grabbed the other man and dragged him from the train.[2] Pirone handcuffed Grant's friend, angering other riders.[2] Pirone then lined up Grant and two other men against the wall.[2][14] According to Mehserle's motion for bail, Pirone confirmed with the train operator that the men detained were involved in the fight.[8] When five other officers, including Johannes Mehserle, arrived at the Fruitvale station, they found the situation chaotic.[2][15] Mehserle's partner on duty, Officer Jon Woffinden, said the "incident was one of the most frightening he had experienced in his 12 years as a police officer." [16]

Mehserle's motion for bail, citing the police investigation, stated:

"Officer Pirone directed Officer Mehserle to arrest two of the individuals who had not been handcuffed. One of the individuals to be arrested was Oscar Grant, and Officer Pirone’s direction to Mehserle was overheard by Grant. Grant, upon hearing that he was under arrest, attempted to stand up, but was forced to the ground face first. Both Officer Mehserle and Officer Pirone attempted to restrain Mr. Grant and to seek his compliance by ordering him to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed, but Mr. Grant resisted and refused to submit to handcuffing. Officer Mehserle was pulling at Mr. Grant’s right hand and arm, which remained under his torso near his waistband. Mr. Grant had not been searched by any officer for weapons, either prior to his initial detention or after being seated near the wall."

A cell-phone video broadcast on local television station KTVU on January 23 showed what appeared to be Pirone rushing towards Grant and punching him in the face two minutes before he was shot.[2][14][17] Grant's family alleges in their civil claim against BART that an officer threw Grant against a wall and kneed him in the face.[18] Pirone's attorney stated that Grant provoked Pirone by trying to knee the officer in the groin and by hitting Officer Marysol Dominici's arm when she attempted to handcuff one of Grant's friends.[19][20] Witnesses testified that Pirone was the aggressor during the incident.[21] Burris also disputes Pirone's account and claims that Grant and his friends were "peaceful" when the train stopped.[20] Grant then raised his hands while seated against the platform wall.[22] Additional footage from a cell phone was presented in court showing Pirone standing over the prone Grant before the shooting and yelling: "bubblegum-*** bubblegum." Pirone and his attorney say he was parroting an epithet that Grant had said to him.[23]

BART police had been on edge before the shooting because two guns had been recovered in separate incidents along the rail line over the previous hour.[24] Immediately before he arrived at Fruitvale, Mehserle was involved in an incident at the West Oakland station where a teenage boy with a semi-automatic pistol had fled from police and jumped off the station platform, breaking several bones.[2]
[edit] Fatally shot

While dozens of people shouted and cursed at officers from the stopped train, Mehserle and Pirone positioned Grant face-down. According to Pirone, Grant was disobeying instructions and cursing at officers.[3] Witnesses stated Grant pleaded with BART police not to shock him with a Taser.[9] Pirone then knelt on Grant's neck and told him that he was under arrest for resisting an officer.[3][14]

Mehserle's motion for bail, citing the police investigation, stated:

Pirone said he told Grant "Stop resisting, you're under arrest, put your hands behind your back." At that time Pirone said he heard Mehserle say, "Put your hands behind your back, stop resisting, stop resisting, put your hands behind your back." Then Mehserle said, "I'm going to taze him, I'm going to taze him. I can't get his arms. He won't give me his arms. His hands are going for his waistband." Then Mehserle popped up and said, "Tony, Tony, get away, back up, back up." Pirone did not know if Grant was armed. Mehserle had fear in his voice. Pirone had never heard Mehserle's voice with that tone. Mehserle sounded afraid.[8]

The motion also states that the man sitting next to Grant also told police he heard Mehserle say "I'm going to taze him."[8]

Mehserle then stood up, unholstered his gun, a SIG Sauer P226,[3] and fired a shot into Grant's back.[22] Immediately after the shooting, Mehserle appeared surprised and raised his hands to his face; according to Michael Rains, Mehserle's criminal defense attorney, several eyewitnesses described Mehserle as looking stunned.[3][25] Witnesses say Mehserle said "Oh my god!" several times after the shooting.[26] and many saw him put his hands to his head.[27]

The .40 caliber bullet from Mehserle's semi-automatic handgun entered Grant's back, exited through his front side and ricocheted off the concrete platform, puncturing Grant's lung.[25][28] According to one witness, Grant yelled, "You shot me! I got a four-year-old daughter!"[29] Grant died seven hours later at Highland Hospital in Oakland.[15]

There is disagreement whether or not Grant was handcuffed before he was shot. The day after the shooting, BART spokesman Jim Allison said that Grant was not restrained when he was shot.[4] Court filings by the district attorney's office say that Grant's hands were behind his back and that he was "restrained and unarmed" but do not say he was handcuffed.[1][3] The attorney for Grant's family's claimed that Grant's hands were restrained by Mehserle immediately prior to the shooting.[30] The family's claim against BART alleges that Grant was handcuffed only after he was shot.[18]

 

[U201491]

As a LEO, wichaka. I am interested in what you think about the link that zeezee has posted. The writer could have written it a little less confrontational in my opinion, but I do believe most of it was well written. And couldn't you of at least left me my pants?

I think the point was most well intentioned.
To make ALL think about the oath they took and to not blindly follow orders from subversive (to the Constitution) Leaders.
Anything that goes against the US Constitution can and should be viewed as an unlawful order.
It was a little confrontational, but I have a hunch the
true intent was good.
I hope LEO's listen to the intent as well as our National Guard and our regular Military.
Someday they will most likely be called to act against their friends, neighbors, family and lets hope they recognize it as an unlawful order and continue on the side of the citizens of the nation, and not tyranical leaders.
There are some in Government that are not far off that mark now.

 

[zeezee]

I think the point was most well intentioned.
To make ALL think about the oath they took and to not blindly follow orders from subversive (to the Constitution) Leaders.
Anything that goes against the US Constitution can and should be viewed as an unlawful order.
It was a little confrontational, but I have a hunch the
true intent was good.
I hope LEO's listen to the intent as well as our National Guard and our regular Military.
Someday they will most likely be called to act against their friends, neighbors, family and lets hope they recognize it as an unlawful order and continue on the side of the citizens of the nation, and not tyranical leaders.
There are some in Government that are not far off that mark now.

Well said, God Bless all who took the Oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign & DOMESTIC.

 

[Partsproduction]

Quick question. Has this ever happened to anyone here?
Quote:
When a policeman pulls over a driver whose computer record shows not only the driver’s license of the vehicle’s owner, but the fact that they have a concealed carry permit, it is too often SOP for the cop to approach the vehicle, gun drawn, order the man or woman from the car, put them on their knees and cuff them before anything else transpires.

Today I was driving a route I drive almost every day, passed two idiots driving 40 in a 55 and came up behind a $%^&*#@! motorhome doing 35. Double line. I wait until it turns to a broken line and begin to pass, a state policeman coming the otherway was too close so I pulled back in behind the behemoth.
The cop turned around and pulled me over, I explained that I didn't do anything wrong and he said it was a no passing area, to which I corrected him in that the line is dashed where I pulled out. (He didn't believe me, but he should have, I drive by the book, I know exactly where the line breaks and it's legal to pass slow rollers.) Anyway, he was upset because I didn't see his hand sign that I should pull over. He ran my info after I failed to find my registration and insurance. He let me go in spite of that infraction and never said a word about the CCW.

Maybe it was the "Impeach Obama" bumper sticker?

He was still mad when he left, and I was mad that no one pulls over the idiots who drive 15-20 MPH below the posted speed. (I didn't say that to him though).

Later I found the insurance card in the GB but not the registration, the wife says it's there somewhere.

 

[zeezee]

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

 

[sir-frogman]

good read, Remember the oath!

 

[Bruce]

Father of four, with each post you claim you do not hate LEOs you do a poor job of hiding your hatred for law enforcement.

Bruce.

 

[Atroxus]

Father of four, with each post you claim you do not hate LEOs you do a poor job of hiding your hatred for law enforcement.

Bruce.

I think it would be more accurate to say he hates bad/corrupt LEOs, and those that defend them. The fact is that while they are just a small portion of the total, there are plenty of LEOs out there that should not be working in law enforcement. The fact is that even as rigorous as the screening process is for LEO's that screening is done by fallible human beings. The best we can hope for is that those bad cops that make it through the pre-hire screening get retrained, or fired, or in some cases prosecuted as needed. In my opinion anyone who looks the other way instead of demanding that they(the bad cops) be held accountable for their actions is part of the problem.

 

[Father of four]

Thank you Atroxus.

 

[zeezee]

Father of four, with each post you claim you do not hate LEOs you do a poor job of hiding your hatred for law enforcement.

Bruce.

Sir, please be so kind as to explain in past post where Father of Four has expressed his hatred for LEO's. Because he speaks the truth, like any profession it has it's good and bad employees? It is the bad ones that taint the whole group.
Please back off because I have not seen any hatred directed to any LEO. 99.99% of us do not hate LEO's but we have come to learn there are many liberal democrats that are willing to turn the truth around to fit their agenda. Like some Adam Henry on here saying Bush 1 banned assault weapons, when in reality is was mr. "I did not have sex with that woman" cliton.