Gary's Police Blog

Slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry Deserves Much More Than This!

2012-02-03T19:57:00.001-08:00

I imagine that most of us already know about the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry, but just in case you don't here are the basic facts surrounding his murder (as I understand them):

On December 14, 2010, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry was on patrol with three other agents in Peck Canyon, near Rio Rico, Arizona. The agents spotted a group of five suspected illegal aliens and at least two of these subjects were carrying rifles. Although the border patrol agents did identify themselves as federal agents, the suspects did not drop their weapons and at least one of them fired at the agents, who then returned fire. Agent Terry was hit and his wounds ultimately proved to be fatal.

While most of the suspected aliens fled the scene, one of them had been wounded and he was taken into custody. His name was Manual Osorio-Arellanes. As the suspects fled the scene they dropped their weapons, apparently so they could flee the scene faster. Two of these recovered weapons were AK-47 style rifles that had been bought back on January 16, 2010, by an individial named Jaime Avila.

Enter the A.T.F. (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) and their botched gun-smuggling probe nicknamed "Fast and Furious." I don't profess to be even remotely familiar with all the aspects of this complex operation and I imagine most ordinary individuals are just like me --- in the dark. Hell, even now, over thirteen full months after Border Patrol Agent Terry's murder, even members of the U.S. Congress can't get all the facts from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and his Justice Department. Congress has legitimate oversight authority and they have demanded all pertinent documents pertaining to "Fast and Furious," but they are being stonewalled and it's my understanding that they have received less than 10% of the total documents they demanded.

But, what is known, or what has been reported in the media however, is mind-boggling! Even before Border Patrol Agent Terry's murder, the A.T.F. were well aware of the subect Avila. In fact, he had been a frequent purchaser of weapons via the "Fast and Furious" fiasco and he was apparently first entered as a suspect in the A.T.F. investigation back in November of 2009. Without going into great detail, let me just say that one of Avila's apparent associates was a guy named Uriel Patino. According to reports, as part of "Fast and Furious" Avila's gun purchases would eventually total fifty-two (52). Incredible! But, what's even more incredible is that Patino's "Fast and Furious" purchases would eventually top 660 guns. 660 guns? That can't be right, can it? 660 is almost enough guns to equip a military battalion in the U.S. Army.

The death of Border Agent Brian Terry was a tragedy that never should have happened! What is also inexcusable, and maybe even criminal too, is the fact that even after thirteen months has gone by, we still do not know the full and honest story behind this mismanaged and ill-conceived operation. And, as absurd and unbelievable as it is, Attorney General Eric Holder still maintains he had no previous knowledge regarding this "Fast and Furious" fiasco. I believe Mr. Holder is lying.

Apparently the mother of Border Agent Terry thinks this too. On her Facebook page Mrs. Terry posted, "THIS IS FOR YOU SON." The rest of her message read:

"Mr. Holder. How come you can never say my son's name. You never have. All I ever hear you say is 'I didn't find out or I can't say' I'm actually tired of hearing your double talk in answering questions. What a joke you are. You know my son was a real AMERICAN, a WARRIOR, and a HERO, who was also protecting COWARD POLITICIANS like you. Hope you remember that."

Mrs. Terry signed her message, "PROUD MOM OF BRIAN A. TERRY."

Mrs. Terry, I couldn't have said it any better. Yes, your son Brian Terry WAS a real American Hero. And, he and his memory deserve so much more than what is happening now.

Note: The family of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry has now filed a $25 million wrongful death claim against the federal government. Their main argument is that the federal government (A.T.F. and/or the Justice Dept.) was extremely negligent because United States investigators allowed dangerous weapons into the hands of criminals, some of who were violent repeat offenders, and as a result Brian Terry was murdered.

Mrs. Terry, I hope you get every penny, but I doubt that you will. I also know that no amount of money will every bring your loving son back to you.

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]
Fort Lauderdale Police Department

author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"

www.badge149.com

Law Enforcement Officers Need To Be Smart --- Always!

2012-01-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

On December 31, 2011, two uniformed deputies from the Putnam County Sheriff's Department (Florida), in separate marked units, were racing to the scene of a call. It must have been a very serious call because both of these deputies were hauling ass.

Both of the S.O. units were equipped with an Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL). Most individuals would regard these sophisticated devices as an important officer safety tool. If an officer, or a deputy, were in trouble these devices might just help to save their lives. Others, like the two deputies involved in this incident, would probably disagree. To them, the AVLs were probably viewed as an impartial witness to their transgressions.

You see, according to the AVLs one deputy was traveling at a speed of 124 miles per hour. The other deputy's speed was a little less, just 119 miles per hour. What was the posted speed limit in the area where these two deputies were traveling? It was reportedly just forty-five (45) miles per hour.

The departmental investigation of this incident indicated that both officers were traveling eastbound on State Road 20. Initially, Deputy "A" (the 119 m.p.h. deputy) was in the inside lane. Deputy "B" was behind Deputy "A" and near the intersection of State Road 20 and Twin Lake Grove Drive he moved his vehicle into the outside lane. Apparently, his intention was to pass his fellow deputy, but instead Deputy "B" lost control of his marked unit. After his vehicle spun out of control and crossed a concrete median, it came to rest in the westbound lanes of State Road 20.

The investigation revealed that when Deputy "B" lost control of his vehicle his AVL indicated that he was traveling at a speed of 124 miles per hour. The police vehicle reportedly sustained approximately one thousand dollars in damage to the vehicle's suspension and under carriage. Hell, considering the extreme speed that was involved, it seems to be a damn miracle that Deputy "B" wasn't killed, or seriously injured. And, thank God, his runaway and out of control vehicle did not kill or maim some innocent civilian either.

Putnam County Sheriff Hardy reportedly eventually stated, "We are very fortunate that no one was killed or severely injured as a result of these officers' reckless behavior and lack of judgment. Although accidents are often unavoidable, had these officers been operating their patrol cars at reasonable speeds, this traffic crash could have been prevented."

I imagine that at most police departments traveling at such a high and dangerous rate of speed, to a routine call for service, is a very serious violation of agency policy. After the administration investigation was concluded both deputies were dismissed from the Putnam County S.O. Deputy "A" had been employed with the S.O. for six (6) years. Deputy "B" had been with the S.O. for about one (1) year.

But, wait a second. What was the call these two deputies were racing to? Was it a life-threatening situation? A felony in-progress? Maybe these two deputies were risking their own lives, and the lives of the citizens around them, for a higher purpose.

Reportedly, the call for service they were responding to involved a complaint of noise from golf carts in the area of Hunter Road, in Hollister, Florida. Noisy golf carts? You've got to be kidding me! A law enforcement officer would risk their life, and the lives of innocent civilians, reference a noise complaint involving golf carts? How utterly absurd is that?

Today, with all the modern technology that is available, we in the law enforcement profession have to be more alert and careful than ever before. Unless we want our actions, or inaction, to be recorded and shown to a sometimes unforgiving world, we need to double our efforts to act as profession as possible. We need to be smart --- always!

I'm sorry, but driving over 100 miles per hour to a "routine" call for service, such as a noise complaint, is NOT being smart. Unfortunately, in my opinion, these two deputies deserved to be fired.

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]
Fort Lauderdale Police Department

author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"

www.badge149.com

Real cops, in the real world, would never act like this! Would they?

2012-01-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

I was really looking forward to the two-hour premiere of the new Alcatraz series, but then when I watched it Monday night I got turned off by something one of the main characters did --- but didn't do.

For those of you who didn't watch it, or don't even know what I'm talking about, this new series about Alcatraz takes place in the present, but there are also lots of flashbacks too. You see, back in March of 1963 Alcatraz, for a variety of reasons, was closed down and the prisoners housed there were moved to other correctional facilities --- or were they?

According to the storyline of this new series several hundred prisoners, along with dozens of guards too, just vanished. Now, these brutally vicious criminals were coming back from where ever they had been for the past 50 years. They hadn't aged and their mission was unclear. I found that this Alcatraz series reminded me a lot of the popular "Lost" series from a few years ago. There were lots of questions, and at least initially, very few answers.

One of the first Alcatraz alumni to suddenly reappear here in the present was Prisoner #2024, better known as Jack Sylvane. The first thing Jack did was to murder the ex-deputy warden of Alcatraz, a bad guy himself, with the last name of Tiller. He tormented Jack while he was at Alcatraz and it's easy to understand why Jack wanted him dead. Then, Jack heads out to murder another individual, although we don't know why.

Before Jack can carry out this second murder however, he is stopped by two officers from San Franciso P.D. Jack promptly shoots both officers, killing one and critically wounding the other. Then, he goes and kills the second individual who had originally been his intended target.

Now we come to Detective Rebecca Madsen, of San Franciso P.D. She is investigating the original murder of ex-Deputy Warden Tiller and she is just seconds behind Jack as he shoots the two officers, and then the other intended victim too.

Det. Madsen eventually tracks Jack Sylvane down and she finds him standing at the grave of his ex-wife. Jack has an automatic pistol in his right hand and initially he doesn't notice the arrival and approach of Det. Madsen.
"Now give me your gun and I won't blow your brains out," Det. Madsen tells Jack. Okay, so far, so good.

Jack looks at the gun in his right hand and he seems to shake his head from side to side as if to say "No." Det. Madsen doesn't give up.
"Give me the gun Jack," she begins again. "You don't want to hurt anyone else."
As this confrontational encounter takes place sirens can be heard in the background. More San Francisco P.D. officers are coming.

Det. Madsen and Jack talk some more and he admits to killing the two civilians. He even states, "I killed Tiller out of hate." But, he never mentions the two San Franciso cops he gunned down AND Det. Madsen, who is with San Fransciso P.D. herself, never even mentions them too. But, she does ask Jack about his second victim and why did he kill him.

"Where have you been? What happened to you Jack," Det. Madsen asks, as other heavily armed officers now move into position.
"Shoot me," Jack says to Det. Madsen. His words sound sad and it's almost as if he's begging her to do this.
"No" she says, as she shakes her head from side to side.

So far, I don't really have a major problem with the actions of Det. Madsen, although I still have to wonder a little about why she didn't ask Jack about why he shot the two San Franciso P.D. officers. If Jack were to live through this experience, and stand trial for the murder on that one officer, a verbal admission by him might have been nice to get. But, that's not really a major point. What happens next, however, is!

Jack the cop killer suddenly raises his right hand up and he points his automatic at Det. Madsen's head. I'm not sure, but it also sounded as if he cocked the gun too, as he was doing this. It also sounded as if Jack yelled, "Do it!" Det. Madsen's response?
"Jack, put down the gun! "Get on your knees!" she yelled.

Although Det. Madsen failed miserably to defend herself, one of the other San Franciso officers shoots him. There's only one shot. Det. Madsen's response? She throws up her hands into the air, like she's giving up and she yells "Hey, ????, stop!" She's yelling this at her fellow officers, the ones that may have just saved her life.

I found this scene, where cop killer Jack threatens to shoot Det. Madsen, and she doesn't shoot him, to be incredibly unrealistic and even absurd. Yes, this appeared to be a classic example of the "Suicide by Cop" mentality some malcontents may have, and many people may argue that Det. Madsen was probably not in any real danger --- that bad guy Jack wouldn't have really shot her.

Also, many others may argue that she didn't want to shoot him because they needed him alive, so that they could learn where he had been for the past 50 years, and also what was the secret to his still youthful appearance --- had he found the Fountain of Youth?

All of this is hogwash, though. When an individual, any individual, points a loaded pistol at a police officer, there is every expectation that that individual will be shot, and probably killed. Jack? The other officers around Jack and Det. Madsen fired a grand total of one (1) shot and they apparently wounded poor old jack in a non-lethal location. Just one bullet? I find that also absurd too.

As they led Jack away, he turned to Det. Madsen and said, "You should have killed me!"

I could agree more!

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]
Fort Lauderdale Police Department

Author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"
www.badge 149.com

Final Note: If you saw this series premiere, or even if you didn't, I would very much like to hear any comments you might have about this post. Thank you!

Do we really need more gun control?

2012-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

My previous post ("Shame of those who would politicize the murder of a law enforcement officer") was about the murder of Park Ranger Margaret Anderson at Mount Rainier National Park. Her killer was an Iraq war veteran named Benjamin Colton Barnes, age 24. He fled the scene of Ranger Anderson's murder and entered the woods of the massive park. Thanks to Mother Nature, he did not survive. His body was discovered Monday lying face down and partially submerged in an icy, snowy mountain creek. Several weapons were found nearby. An autopsy performed Tuesday showed that Barnes had hypothermia and drowned.

I'm not that familiar with the current law reference firearms and America's National Parks, but it is apparently legal for park visitors to bring loaded weapons with them when they enter one of our nation's National Parks (unless there are state laws that make it illegal). After Ranger Anderson's murder I read several other articles that mentioned that her murder has now renewed the debate regarding this new 2010 federal law.

It seems that some people are of the opinion that if firearms were outlawed in our National Parks this would have stopped the subject Barnes from bringing weapons into the Mount Rainier National Park and therefore Park Ranger Anderson would never have been murdered. What absurd logic! Does anyone really believe that if Barnes saw a sign at the park's main entrance that said "No firearms permitted," that he would have turned around and not entered the park? Really, does this even make any sense to you?

The subject Barnes had apparently been involved in another shooting earlier, and four people were injured, two critically. He apparently went to Mount Rainier National Park to hide from the investigating authorities, and now there are those misguided individuals among us who would have us believe that Barnes would obey the law now and not bring his guns into the park. What hogwash!

We should remember that when Barnes was still in the military he was charged with driving under the influence AND improper transport of a privately owned weapon. So, if he didn't obey the rules while in the army, with respect to his weapons, why should we believe it would have been any different after he had been involved in that earlier shooting?

Bill Wade is the outgoing chair of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Because of Ranger Anderson's murder he reportedly said that, "The many congressmen and senators that voted for the legislation that allowed loaded weapons to be brought into the parks ought to be feeling pretty bad now." Mr. Wade apparently called Ranger Anderson's murder a tragedy that could have been prevented. Again, with all due respect to Mr. Wade, what bull! Posting a "No firearms permitted" sign would NOT have prevented this tragedy from happening.

One thing that always seems to happen after a tragedy like the Ranger Anderson murder is that some individuals and/or politicians can't resist the urge to use these tragedies for their own political gain. I remember back to the Tucson shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in January of 2011. Jared Lee Loughner was the nut who shot Giffords, and who wounded a dozen others, and killed six. On his resume it says that he was rejected by the U.S. Army, although they won't say why. A judge eventually declared that Loughner was NOT competent to stand trial.

Shortly after the Arizona tragedy involving Rep. Giffords, New York Rep. Peter King, an outspoken Republican who favors more gun control, said he wants a new Federal law that would make it a crime to knowingly carry firearms within 1,000 feet of high-ranking officials (which, of course, would include the members of Congress).

Yes, I suppose such a law might keep a rational and a sane person from carrying a gun to a political rally. But, what about a nut like Loughner, who has been declared not competent? Do you think such a law would stop him? I don't think so.

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]

Fort Lauderdale Police Department (1967-1993)

author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"

http://www.badge149.com

Shame on those who would politicize the murder of a law enforcement officer

2012-01-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, tragedy never takes a holiday --- not even on New Year's Day. 34-year old National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson, the mother of two young daughters, was shot and killed Sunday morning at beautiful Mount Rainier National Park, in Washington State.

The park rangers at Mount Rainier have one of the most important jobs there and they are the park's front-line law enforcement officers. They drive lonely rural roads by themselves and they do everything from responding to car accidents, issuing speeding tickets and arresting lawbreakers. They also respond to fires, hike the park's many miles of trails and help search for lost or injured visitors. They also conduct checkpoints where they inspect vehicles entering the park to see if they are properly equipped with snow chains on their tires.

When the driver of the blue pontiac did not stop at the checkpoint the rangers there radioed for assistance. Ranger Anderson then established a roadblock to stop the car which was now being pursued by another park ranger. When the fleeing driver encountered Ranger Anderson's roadblock, he exited his vehicle and began firing on both Anderson and the other ranger who had been chasing him. Anderson was struck while she was still inside of her car and she never got a chance to get out of it. Even though her wounds were extremely critical, as the subject fled on foot she apparently still was able to radio for help. And although the pursuing ranger's cruiser was peppered with gunfire, he was not injured.

The vehicle was operated by a white male, Benjamin Colton Barnes. What the park rangers didn't know was that the subject Barnes was a suspect in a shooting that happened about eight hours earlier at a Skyway (King County) home. The subject Barnes and several other armed individuals were apparently having some sort of a "show and tell" with their guns when an argument resulted into a deadly shootout. Four people were shot, and two reportedly were in critical condition.

No one will ever know for sure what Barnes was thinking, or why he acted as he did. But, we can speculate that after he was involved in the Skyway shooting he may have decided to hide out at the 368-square-mile Mount Rainier National Park. He may have reasoned that the cops would never think to look for him there, and if they did they wouldn't be able to find him. We don't know if Barnes already had more weapons and gear in his car when he fled the Skyway home shortly after 3:00 a.m., or if he retrieved them afterwards, but he was heavily armed and equipped with survival gear when he arrived at Mount Rainier National Park at about 10:00 a.m. He apparently planned to survive in the rugged wilderness.

I think it is also safe to speculate that when Barnes first encountered the checkpoint, his guilty conscience told him that the rangers were after him. That's why he blew right past the checkpoint. And, with the one ranger chasing him, and when he saw the roadblock that Ranger Anderson had established with her own car, he must have thought the cops were really after him. It's such a tragedy, again. Like so often happens in traffic stops that turn deadly, the bad guy(s) may have done something very serious, yet the officer(s) are only believing they're stopping them for traffic. There's a definite lesson to be learned here --- again. Never assume you're only stopping an individual for a "routine" reason. There is nothing "routine" about any traffic stop.

As many criminals will often do, when suddenly faced with a very stressful and unexpected encounter, the subject Barnes panicked. After shooting Ranger Anderson, and shooting at the other ranger(s) too, Barnes fled into the nearby woods without any of the survival gear he had arrived with. Approximately 200 officers from a number of different law enforcement agencies were involved in the search for Ranger Anderson's killer. In addition to the search teams on the ground, which included K-9 units, the massive search Monday also involved fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters with sophisticated infrared detection equipment.

Without adequate survival gear the subject Barnes was definitely in a no win situation. He was totally unprepared for the bitter, freezing temperatures and the chest-deep snow he had to maneuver through. When Barnes was eventually found, he was dead. His body was lying half-submerged in Paradise Creek and he was wearing only one tennis shoe, a T-shirt and jeans. He was barely one mile away from where he had first fled into the woods. All indications were that he had died from his harsh exposure to the elements. His body showed no signs of injuries.

At a press conference before Barnes was found, the person conducting the press conference indicated that the police and the park rangers would be very happy if Mother Nature did them a favor and dealt with Barnes before he would be able to do any further harm to anyone else. Well, chalk one up for good old Mother Nature --- and the good guys!

When the body of Barnes was found he reportedly was carrying a handgun, a magazine of ammunition and a knife. Another ammunition magazine was found near Barnes' body and an assault-style rifle was also found about 50 yards upstream. So, when he fled the scene of Ranger Anderson's murder Barnes took his weapons and ammunition, but not his survival gear. Yes, it sounds as though he definitely did intend to do more harm if he could. Thank you Mother Nature!

The subject Barnes was an Iraq war veteran (2007-2008) and while he was there he supposedly served in communications. He had been a private first class and his military service ended in the fall of 2009. He reportedly received a misconduct discharge after he was charged with D.U.I. and improper transport of a privately owned weapon.

Barnes also reportedly had had a difficult time making the transition back to civilian life. He also may have suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and he may have even been suicidal too.

First of all, I feel bad for any military veteran who is having a difficult time after having served our country. I love the brave men and women of our military and will never forget all that they do to help keep us free!

However, when I read some of the posts by individuals who were commenting on the murder of Park Ranger Anderson, I was appalled and disgusted. Some of these people had the nerve to blame Ranger Anderson's murder on --- you guessed it, President George Walker Bush (43rd President). After all, it was President Bush that sent the subject Barnes off to Iraq where he became a ruthless killing machine. Therefore, according to their perverted reasoning, it was the fault of President Bush, and not Barnes' fault. Give me a break! Don't these people have anything better to do than blame President Bush for everything they can. I suppose next we'll hear that it's his fault that................... You pick the topic.

Before I would blame anyone for Barnes' criminal behavior, I would like to remind everyone that there are a great many military veterans, both men and women, who suffer from PTSD, and they don't go around shooting innocent people. They don't kill law enforcement officers.

Also, I would like to know much more about the subject Barnes BEFORE he entered the military. What was he like? I suspect that his love affair with guns was something he had long before he became a soldier. I also suspect that his unpredictable and violent personality was something he had long before he went to Iraq. I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think I am.

Sadly, but it's a true fact, not every person is qualified and/or has the necessary qualities, and mental stability, that would make them a good soldier. Unfortunately, the same can be said for the law enforcement profession too. Some individuals are just not suited for these important roles. I would venture to say that Benjamin Colton Barnes was one of these individuals. Again, I may be wrong, but before we jump to almost insane conclusions and blame President Bush for this man's criminal behavior, I think we should have all the facts first.

Shame on anyone who would politicize such a tragic thing as the murder of a law enforcement professional.

Ranger Anderson's murder has stunned her colleagues of the National Park Service. Only eight other rangers have been murdered in the line of duty in the past century.

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]
Fort Lauderdale Police Department (1967-1993)

author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"

www.badge149.com

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/01/02/2333928/death-on-mount-rainier-a-timeline.html#storylink=cpywas closed as dozens of officers searched for the armed gunman over snowy and rugged terrain.who was gunned down after she had set a roadblock to stop

BILL MAHER IS A DISGUSTING INDIVIDUAL

2011-12-28T23:19:00.000-08:00

Most of my previous posts at “Gary’s Police Blog” have been law enforcement related and I usually try to stay away from politics and other non-law enforcement topics. But, because of some of the latest vile comments by t.v. host (HBO) Bill Maher I just felt the need to express my outrage and disgust at this horrible excuse for a human being.

From what I hear Mr. Maher is an avowed atheist and proud of it. Okay, that’s his choice and here in America that’s his right. In addition to being anti-religion Maher also apparently has a real intense dislike for the new quarterback of the Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow. Why? I don’t know why. Maybe he doesn’t like Tebow’s college alma mater the University of Florida and/or the Florida Gators. Maybe he doesn’t like the Broncos, or maybe he just doesn’t like professional football at all. I don’t know why this man obviously hates Tim Tebow so much, but I bet it has something to do with Tim’s unshakable faith in God.

What also seems very apparent though, at least to me, is that Mr. Maher’s dislike for Tim Tebow, plus his anti-religion attitude, has caused him to now cross the line. In a Christmas Eve tweet Mr. Maher poked fun at Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. Tim and the Broncos had been beaten badly by the Buffalo Bills. Tebow threw four interceptions and Denver lost the game to Buffalo in a blowout, 40-14. Mr. Maher tweeted:

“Wow, Jesus just F___ed Tim Tebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler 'Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.’” (In an effort to avoid offending anyone I’ve removed most of the letters from the word that begins with the letter “F” that Mr. Maher used).

“Tebowing” is a new word you will not find in the dictionary. It is a word coined exclusively because of Tim Tebow, of course, and it means to get down on a knee and begin praying, even though everyone else around you will probably be doing something else. If you’ve watched any of the Bronco’s games that Tebow has quarterbacked you’ve probably seen him do this after he has scored.

Personally, I’d rather see a professional football player “Tebowing” than doing some of the other stupid things they do after they score a touchdown. I’m particularly turned off by the idiotic dances that so many of them seem to feel are necessary. I don’t mind the “Lambeau Leap” that I believe began with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field where they play their home games. At least those players are involving the fans when they celebrate a score, but these stupid dances that many other players do are disgusting. It’s as though they are saying, “Look at me --- I’m great.” So yes, I’d much rather see a Tim Tebow thanking God that some other conceited player thanking himself!

Many people who are upset with Mr. Maher’s comment about Jesus have called for a boycott of HBO, which is the home of his show, “Real Time.” A boycott may happen, but I doubt it will have any effect on HBO’s decision to keep this controversial individual on the air. Again, personally, I gave up HBO a long time ago, manly because I didn’t like some of their programming. Even if I had HBO I would never watch Mr. Maher’s show because I don’t like him and I don’t like the kind of man that he his.

I know he could care less, of course. Arrogant people like him usually don’t care what the common folk think about them. After all, they’re better than the rest of us, right? Yeah, right! I doubt it!

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]

Fort Lauderdale P.D. (1967-1993)

author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"

www.badge149.com

Attorney General Eric Holder should resign!

2011-12-22T00:46:00.000-08:00

United States Attorney General Eric Holder needs to resign --- now!!!!! But, if he doesn't resign then President Obama needs to fire him --- immediately!!!!! Anyone want to take bets on whether of not that will ever happen? Not me!

From a law enforcement point of view Eric Holder has been a disgrace. Remember the New Black Panther voter intimidation case in Philadelphia, back in 2008? Two members of the New Black Panther Party brandished a nightstick at a polling place, but Mr. Holder was responsible for his Department of Justice (D.O.J.) dropping that case, although there was sufficient evidence to prove that voter intimidation DID occur.

What about Mr. Holder's decision that we must give Miranda Rights to terrorists who are captured on the field of battle --- and in foreign lands? What about Mr. Holder's defense of civilian trials for terrorists captured on the field of battle? Mr. Holder supported this too, in fact, he has passionately advocated for this very questionable decision.

What about illegal immigration and Mr. Holder's D.O.J. filing lawsuits against individual states (like Arizona) that have tried to protect themselves and their citizens from the awful scourge of illegal immigration? This perverted line of thinking is just absurd.

Now we have the A.T.F. fiasco called "Operation Fast and Furious" which played such a direct role in at least one U.S. law enforcement officer being murdered.

Louisiana Rep. John Fleming (R) is just one of the latest elected officials now calling for Eric Holder's resignation OR termination. In a prepared statement Rep. Fleming said, "Attorney General Eric Holder is either withholding what he knows about Operation Fast and Furious, and the guns that ended up arming Mexican drug cartels, or he is incompetent for not knowing how the secret program worked." Rep. Fleming also believes that Mr. Holder's leadership at his D.O.J. has been an "absolute disaster." I couldn't agree more.

Even if we give Mr. Holder the benefit of the doubt, and assume he did not know about "Fast and Furious" beforehand --- he should have known. He is the head of the Department of Justice, the chief law enforcement officer in America, and he IS responsible for everything that takes place at the Department of Justice. That's how it works. President Harry Truman liked to say that "The buck stops here." Well Mr. Holder, that goes for you too.

Now, in an interview that appeared in the New York Times on Sunday an arrogant Eric Holder claims that the attacks against him by his critics are racially motivated. He said, "This is a way to get at the president because of the way I can be identified with him. Both due to the nature of our relationship and, you know, the fact that we're both African-American." How pathetic! Race has nothing at all to do with any of this. Competence, honesty and integrity do --- and these are all qualities that Mr. Holder apparently lacks.

At least 60 congressmen, two senators, four Republican presidential candidates and two sitting governors have reportedly demanded Mr. Holder's resignation. Seventy-five congressmen have reportedly signed onto a House resolution for a vote of "no confidence" in Mr. Holder as attorney general. Including both lists, that means there are at least 86 members of the House who no longer trust Mr. Holder to head the all-important Department of Justice.

It is time for Eric Holder to leave the Department of Justice!!!!!

Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired]

Fort Lauderdale P.D. (1967-1993)

author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"

www.badge149.com

Why it should never be Departmental policy that high speed vehicle pursuits should be called off if only traffic charges are known and/or involved.

2011-08-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday, in San Diego, another hero died! Not only was Officer Jeremy Henwood, age 36, a four-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, he was also a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He had already served two combat tours in Iraq, and now he had recently returned home after he completed a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. He had commanded a logistics company. I believe he was assigned to the 4th Marine Logistics Group. Logistics groups are very important and they arrange for the convoys to resupply the front line troops.

Jeremy Henwood originally joined the Marines in the enlisted ranks and he was a sergeant before he became an officer. His initial training was as an infantryman and in 2003 he took part in the assault on Baghdad. Then, in 2004 he participated in the savage fighting at Fallouja. Fallouja was the heart of the notorious Sunni Triangle. How painfully ironic it is that Officer Henwood would survive the violence of the insurgency in Iraq, and the brutality of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, only to be assassinated in a senseless murder right here in America.

Officer Henwood was murdered by a 23-year-old male individual. Initial reports, which may not be entirely accurate (they usually aren't), indicated that the subject lived alone in a rented apartment and when he could find work he was a construction worker. He apparently had a minor criminal record that included petty theft and resisting arrest. But, although the murder of Officer Henwood appeared to be the deranged work of some insane madman, the subject apparently had no prior history of mental illness.

Earlier Saturday, before Officer Henwood was murdered, the subject was apparently involved in a shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant, 14 miles away in El Cajon. In this shooting a male individual was sitting with his girlfriend in his vehicle in the parking lot. Suddenly, they were approached by a man who was carrying a shotgun. This man, who apparently was the subject who eventually murdered Officer Henwood, then shot the man in the car in the face, with a single round. Then, he fled the area in a black Audi.

Considering Officer Henwood's Marine Corps service in Iraq it is also a little ironic that the shooting victim from the restaurant was an Iraqi immigrant. And, while he was still in Iraq he even served as a translator for the U.S. military. The man is expected to survive, but with a shotgun round to the face I would imagine he will probably require some extensive plastic surgery. According to initial reports, police investigators had not been able to establish any sort of a relationship between the male shooter and the male victim at the restaurant.

Then, according to media reports, only a few minutes after the shooting at the restaurant an officer spotted the black Audi speeding and gave chase. The officer apparently had no knowledge of the shooting at the restaurant and was only chasing the Audi for traffic. The officer eventually terminated the high speed pursuit of the Audi when their speeds reached 100 m.p.h. The attack on Officer Henwood occurred shortly after this.

The armed subject in the black Audi got behind Officer Henwood's patrol car and flashed his headlights, as if he were trying to get the officer's attention. Then, he pulled up alongside the left side of Officer Henwood's marked unit. As the two cars sat there side by side, either stopped completely, or moving forward very slowly, the individual with the shotgun pointed his weapon out the passenger's window and he shot Officer Henwood in the face. Civilian witnesses tried to help Officer Henwood. One used his police radio to alert the dispatcher that an officer had been shot. They also gave him first aid until paramedics arrived at the scene.

After the unprovoked ambush-like attack on Officer Henwood late Saturday afternoon, the police were able to track down his 23-year old assailant. The police located the suspect and the black Audi at an apartment complex and when they saw a man with a shotgun get into the car, and start to drive away, they moved in. Several marked units blocked the road so the Audi couldn't escape and then the officers moved in to make the arrest. When the suspect reached for the shotgun, the police opened fired. The officers pulled the wounded suspect from his vehicle and called for the paramedics. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

I guess we will never know for sure what this individual was thinking when he savagely attacked Officer Henwood. After all, he had apparently just bought himself a used black Audi sedan, so it would seem that he at least had some positive thoughts of living the good life. Yet, when police investigators eventually searched the subject's apartment they found a two-page rambling suicide note. Although the note suggested that there may have been some financial and mental problems troubling the subject, he did not say how he was going to kill himself, or why.

Officer Henwood died at the hospital, at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, more than eight hours after he was shot in the face by the subject in the Audi. The police investigation is still ongoing, but as of now the investigators say they have no known motive for the unprovoked and cowardly attack on Officer Henwood. Located outside the downtown police department headquarters there is a granite memorial to all of the San Diego officers who have died in the line of duty. Jeremy Henwood's name will now be added to this memorial, and he becomes the 32nd San Diego officer to die in the line of duty since 1913.

I really hate being a Monday-morning-quarterback, but I have to wonder about that officer who chased the Audi, but then stopped the chase when their speeds reach 100 m.p.h. I wonder, did the officer decide on his own to stop the pursuit, or was he told to stop because their Departmental policy dictated that he should? If he stopped on his own, then I imagine he feels terrible. After all, if he had continued chasing the Audi, and not stopped the pursuit, then Officer Henwood would more than likely not have been shot. But, if he stopped the pursuit because he was told to stop, or Departmental policy indicated he should, then I imagine that officer is probably mad as Hell. I know I would be!

For over twenty-six (26) years I worked at Fort Lauderdale P.D. F.L.P.D. is an excellent agency with good leadership and outstanding officers. Times have changed though, and I know that the F.L.P.D. pursuit policy has changed too. I can almost bet that if the same exact circumstances that happened in San Diego happened in Fort Lauderdale, that the only known reason for the pursuit was a traffic charge (speeding), then I'm certain that a road patrol supervisor WOULD advise the officer to stop chasing the Audi. That's the way it is now at F.L.P.D., and I imagine many other law enforcement agencies too.

Unfortunately, these are the litigation-happy times we live in, and police departments all across America have had to adjust to these new realities. Did this more restrictive sort of a pursuit policy play a hand in getting Officer Henwood shot. God, I hope not!

Officer Jeremy Henwood Family Trust
c/o San Diego Police Officers Association
8388 Vickers Street, San Diego, CA 92111

Gary P. Jones
Law Enforcement Ambassador
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

author of: Badge 149 - ''Shots Fired!''
www.badge149.com

Who is more stupid --- the bird, the cat, or me?

2011-07-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Most, if not all, of my blog posts have involved the law enforcement profession, but not this one....

In the early morning hours, when the sun comes up and a bright new day begins, I almost always awake to the annoying banging of a few stupid birds flying into the bedroom window. I suppose they see their reflection in the glass window and think they are seeing another bird. I would think that after they slam beak first into this glass wall a few dozen times they would get the hint. Hey stupid, it ain't another bird, it's glass!

Then, we have my stupid cat. She sits there quietly on a chair by the window and she watches these birds crashing into the glass. And, it's very obvious what she is thinking. She desperately wants to sink her fangs into one of these feathery creatures. Suddenly, the cat bolts forward and she herself slams headfirst into the window. She does this with such force that the whole damn bedroom seems to vibrate. After she does this several times, I'm definitely awake.

Usually, I'll just tell the cat, "Hey stupid, you can't get the bird because it's on the other side of the glass window."

This morning, after I made this same comment again, I got to thinking. Who is more stupid, the birds for repeatedly flying into the glass window, the cat for trying to go through the glass to get at the birds, OR ME, for trying to explain it all to my dumb cat?

You have the right to remain silent - or do you?

2011-06-29T00:13:00.000-07:00

During the first 14 years of my law enforcement career (1967-1981) I always tried my best to avoid verbally criticizing another officer's actions, especially when they involved the use of deadly force. Yes, there were a few occasions when I quietly wondered (to myself) if the officer's actions were really necessary. Did the officer really need to do what he/she had done? But, I always tried to remember that I was not there when the incident actually transpired, and I did not experience the same things the officer had, so it wouldn't be right for me to second-guess them later. I didn't like people Monday-Morning Quarterbacking me when I was involved in a stressful situation, so I definitely didn't want to do this to someone else.

In 1981 I was promoted to the rank of sergeant and as a sergeant I no longer had the luxury of being able to remain silent when I had my doubts concerning an officer's actions. As a sergeant it was my responsibilty to accurately AND honestly evaluate the questionable actions of the officers I supervised. When you put on those stripes that's one of the things you know you will have to do. If you're not prepared to do this, then you have no business being a supervisor. Luckily, Fort Lauderdale P.D., where I worked, was a good department AND the overwhelming majority of the officers I supervised were dedicated and honest cops --- so, I never did have to make that choice; doing the right thing, or remaining silent.

Perhaps this is why it bothered me so much when I read the article about the New Orleans Police Department (N.O.P.D.) lieutenant who is now on trial in Federal Court. This lieutenant's decision-time, his own Waterloo if you will, occurred back on September 4, 2005, during the height of the post-Hurricane Katrina chaos. In what was reported to be an exchange of gunfire on the Danziger Bridge (U.S. Route 90), between the cops and the bad guys, two individuals were killed and several more were wounded. But, when the lieutenant arrived at the scene of the shooting he quickly observed that these supposed bad guys did not have any weapons. He wondered, if these where the individuals who shot at the police, then where were their guns?

The sad fact is that these individuals who were killed and wounded by the N.O.P.D. cops were all unarmed. Sadly, this apparently was not a case of officers just doing what they thought was right, and then having a tragedy occur instead. No, it appears that many of the officers involved just lost control of themselves and their emotions, and they committed murder. One of the two men that were killed was forty years old and mentally disabled. An officer in a moving police vehicle shot him in the back with a shotgun, as he ran away. His hands were in plain site and he held no weapon. Therefore, he posed no threat to the officers.

Did going through the turmoil, mayhem and devastation of Hurricane Katrina play a part in this? I don't know. I guess it could be a possibility, but it is still not an excuse. What the officers did was bad enough, but then the lieutenant didn't do his job and he apparently initiated a cover- up. This cover-up included encouraging and allowing the officers involved to provide false stories about what actually occurred during the shootings on the Danziger Bridge. He also apparently had knowledge and condoned a "throw down" weapon being planted at the scene.

On January 2, 2007, the police officers involved in the shootings were taken into custody. They were indicted for murder and attempted murder. However, on August 13, 2008, charges against all of the officers were dismissed by the District Judge. He said his reasons for doing this involved misconduct by the prosecution reference to the grand jury. I wonder what that really means. Did the prosecution try to help the officers involved, or did the prosecution just engage in stupid and/or unethical conduct? I suppose that's another story all by itself.

Although the federal government couldn't file their own murder charges against the officers, they could charge them with "Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law" --- after a lengthy and thorough investigation this is what they did. I was surprised to read that an individual convicted of this specific federal statute can be sentenced to death. Maybe this is why so many of the officers involved, including the lieutenant, made deals and/or pled guilty to lesser charges.

I began this post intending to talk about a supervisor's duties and responsibilities. But, the more I read about this terrible event, and the shocking way it happened, the more I realized that what happened there in New Orleans was not the norm. Most law enforcement officers in America would never behave as those few N.O.P.D. cops did. Most supervisors woud act in a totally different way too.

In fact, most of the men and women of the New Orleans P.D. acted honorably and bravely during the very trying times during and then after Hurricane Katrina. They endured looting, sniping and a host of other problems that most of us in law enforcement will never have to experience. Yes, some N.O.P.D. cops abandoned their duties and left the area, but most didn't. Some of those who stayed and served couldn't handled all the stress, and at least two N.O.P.D. officers committed suicide. I read what one N.O.P.D. Captain had to say about those two officers: "To me, they died in the line of duty. They died of injuries caused to their psychological being from the storm." Then he said, "...they were told you have to perform, you have to protect, and you have to serve, and they did."

I prefer not to remember those few N.O.P.D. cops, including the lieutenant, who disgraced the badges they wore, and the oath they swore. Instead, I want to remember what that one N.O.P.D. captain said to his wife when she asked him, "Why do you still do this? Why?"

"Well, you get up every day, and you go to work with heroes. Not everyone can say that."

God bless the dedicated men and women of the New Orleans Police Department!

Gary P. Jones
Law Enforcement Ambassador
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

author of: Badge 149 - ''Shots Fired!''
www.badge149.com

Who was that beautiful woman?

2011-06-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Most people know that Tallahassee is the capitol of Florida. It is a beautiful city, although at times it does get a little bit crowded. It has two major colleges, Florida State University and F.A.M.U., and thousands of students attend these two fine schools every semester. Usually in February or March Florida’s legislative session begins and Tallahassee really becomes crowded and congested when lawmakers from around the state flock to the city. Tallahassee natives complain about the excessive traffic and the congested roadways, but I still think it’s a whole lot better than having to travel on busy I-95 in south Florida during rush hour. You literally take your life in your hands when you do that.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001, the State of Florida, like almost every other state I imagine, decided to beef up its security at future legislative sessions. Uniformed officers of the Capitol Police usually handles security at the Capitol and its buildings but now, in our post-9/11 world, that would all change. The decision was made that all other state law enforcement agencies would be asked to volunteer manpower to help augment the Capitol Police.

Even though I was a Captain with the Department of Insurance (Division of Insurance Fraud), rank didn’t matter and they were really just looking for warm bodies to fill all of the vacant posts they wanted to cover. When the session finally rolled around I worked it for four full days (February 26th thru March 1st). Although these were all 10-hour days and the work at times was demanding and stressful I liked doing it. It afforded me an opportunity to get away from my normal routine at Insurance Fraud and I also enjoyed watching the state senators and representatives, the lobbyists and the private citizens who came to the Capitol to watch their government in action. It was all very interesting.

Unless I was rotated to another position I usually was located at the front entrance to the Senate Office Building. I mostly worked with two other officers, a uniformed officer with the Capitol Police and an officer who worked at Fish and Game. Although they were in uniform I was not and I was in a business suit with a jacket and tie. The work was pretty much what you would expect to see as you went through security at an airport prior to boarding a plane. We x-rayed the contents of people’s briefcases, women’s purses and they also had to go through a walk-thru metal detector. Things usually went along smoothly but every so often the line might get a little long. For the most part though people were patient and they seemed to understand that what we were doing was important and it was for their own good. The painful memories of 9/11 were still fresh and had not yet faded away.

One day near the end of my shift I saw two women standing in line and waiting for their turn to go through the metal detector. When the first women walked through nothing at all happened. When the second young lady walked through the detector it suddenly buzzed and beeped to let me know that something was amiss. I looked at the young woman and suddenly realized what a true beauty she was. She was beautiful! Her hair was perfectly in place, her make up looked like it had been professionally done, her clothes were stylish and elegant and she wore some pretty expensive-looking jewelry. This woman looked like she had just stepped off of the cover of a fashion magazine. When the metal detector alarm went off she looked at me and smiled. It was an “I’m sorry” kind of an innocent smile and it almost made me melt. I told her to go through the detector again. When she did, the same thing happened. The alarm went off again.

I motioned for her to come forward towards me and I picked up the portable hand wand detector that was used when we wanted to be more thorough and certain. In my own mind I was convinced no one this lovely could be a terrorist or a threat to anyone in the Senate Office Building but rules were rules and I would have to use the hand wand. I slowly ran the wand up and down her body, front and back, and both sides too. The wand and my hand never actually touched her, but I still felt like I was invading her space and I was a little embarrassed. She didn’t seem to mind though and she patiently waited for me to finish. As I did, I looked over at the other two officers I worked with to see what they were doing. They were busy with other people at the x-ray machine.

I told the woman that I suspected her jewelry may have set the walk-thru detector off. As I was telling her this I looked over to the right of the detector and saw two men standing there. They were both dressed in business suits and they were smiling. They seemed to be very interested in me AND the young lady. From my many years of law enforcement experience I immediately formed the opinion that these two guys were cops. They were. They showed me their identification and it indicated they were with the Tallahassee Police Department. The beautiful woman walked away from me and then rejoined the two plainclothes officers and the other woman. They entered the Senate Office Building and I never saw them again.

Who was this beautiful woman? I eventually learned that she was Katie Harman and she hailed from Gresham, Oregon. But, she’s better known as Miss America 2002. She had been crowned on September 22, 2001, just days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Now, she was touring the nation and meeting the people. At Florida’s Capitol she met Governor Jeb Bush, AND me!

Should President Bush Pardon Border Patrol Agents Compean and Ramos?

2008-02-18T03:40:00.000-08:00

For those not familiar with the incredible story surrounding Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos, 37, and Jose Alonso Compean, 28, I’ll repeat the facts as I understand them. Both of these men, Compean and Ramos, were employed by the United States Government as Border Patrol agents. And, they had taken an oath to serve and protect the citizens of this great nation.

On February 17, 2005, Compean and Ramos were patrolling the area around the small Texas town of Fabens, which is located about 30 miles Southeast of El Paso. Fabens is also located just off of Interstate Highway 10 and it isn’t that far away from the Rio Grande River and the Texas-Mexican border.

Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila was an illegal alien from Mexico and he was also a career criminal (drug smuggler) too. He was driving a van full of 743 pounds of marijuana when Agent Compean tried to stop him. This was at approximately one o'clock in the afternoon. Agent Compean chased Aldrete-Davila's vehicle and then when the subject jumped out of the van and he tried to run back towards nearby Mexico, Compean chased him on foot too. He ordered the subject to stop, but he didn't. The subject jumped into a steep ditch filled with dirty water and this is when Compean apparently caught up with him and confronted him. According to Agent Compean a struggle ensued and the suspect pushed him down and assaulted him. The Border Patrol agent called for help and Agent Ramos was the first one too arrive. More agents arrived later.

When Agent Ramos arrived at the scene he saw Agent Compean on the ground bleeding and the suspect Aldrete-Davila still resisting arrest. As the subject ran away from Compean he appeared to have something shiny in his hand and both agents thought this may have been a handgun. Aldrete-Davila kept looking over his shoulder at them and the agents thought he was going to shoot at them. Because they both felt threatened, they now fired at the still fleeing subject. According to the press release from the Office of U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, dated August 11, 2006, Agent Compean is believed to have fired approximately fifteen (15) rounds from his weapon and Agent Ramos fired just one (1). Although Aldrete-Davila was hit once in the buttocks he still managed to get away. But, because of the dedicated efforts of these two Border Patrol agents, almost 800 pounds of marijuana was seized and eventually destroyed.

This is where the facts get a little muddied. And, to be honest, it sounds as if Compean, and maybe Ramos too, definitely did do some things that were indeed questionable, if not downright improper. First of all, both of them did not file a report of their gunfire. I'm not quite sure what their eventual explanation was, but it sounds as if they said that because other agents were on the scene and because they thought these other agents reported the events surrounding the shooting, they didn't. This is a stupid explanation and both men should have been honest and did reports detailing exactly what happened. Secondly, Agent Compean picked up his spent shells from the scene (Ramos did not). Again, according to the press release from U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton's Office, Agent Compean did not recover all of his spent shell casings from the bullets he had fired. He only recovered nine (9) spent casings. Later, Compean told another Border Patrol agent about the shooting and the missing casings, and this other agent found five (5) more casings which he threw away instead of turning them into evidence, which is the proper thing to do.

I don't know what U.S. Border Patrol policy is, but one article I read said that it is a violation of Border Patrol regulations to chase after someone who is fleeing. What I read also said that no matter what the offense, Border Patrol agents should not chase after fleeing subjects. I admit, as a career police officer myself, I can't imagine such an absurd rule really being a requirement. But, this is apparently what one Assistant U.S. Attorney said. Okay, so it definitely seems that Ramos and Compean violated several Border Patrol policies and procedures. And, if they did, then I agree they should be disciplined, and maybe even be terminated. But, other than a possible charge of Tampering with Evidence (or whatever the Feds call it), I don't believe Ramos and Compean should have been prosecuted. But, that's exactly what eventually happened.

When Aldrete-Davila got back to Mexico, with a Border Patrol bullet still in his butt, he told his mother about what had happened. She apparently knew someone who was related to another Border Patrol agent, and mommy called that person. This other agent apparently contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and they sent people down to Mexico to meet with Aldrete-Davila. Initially, he was supposedly reluctant to cooperate, but then they offered him immunity if he would be a witness against Border Patrol Agents Compean and Ramos. The Department of Homeland Security wanted to prosecute these two agents for shooting the illegal alien drug smuggler.

And, to make the immunity deal even more appealing to our drug smuggler, the feds even paid for the medical treatment that Aldrete-Davila received, reference his gunshot wound in the butt. This U.S. taxpayer-financed recuperation occurred at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. One thing is for sure; Aldrete-Davila is no dummy! Why have just mediocre care in some Mexican clinic when you can have the best medical care right here in America, for FREE.

In 2006 Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean stood trial in federal court. The prosecution claimed that Agent Compean had called the illegal alien a "Mexican piece of shit." I don't know if this was before Aldrete-Davila was shot in the butt, or afterwards. The DHS tried their best to paint the two Border Patrol agents as out-of-control bloodthirsty racists. They even told one Texas Congressmen, who was concerned about this whole affair, that the agents had supposedly confessed that they "were out to shoot Mexicans." As far as I know there is NO proof of this supposed confession and the Inspector General's Office of the DHS hasn't provided any either. What is really ironic, and which tends to discredit the DHS theory that the agents were racists, is the fact that both Ramos and Compean are of Hispanic and/or Mexican descent themselves.

During the agent's trial the prosecutor claimed that Aldrete-Davila had actually attempted to surrender and he even had his open hands in the air. According to the prosecution's version, as told by career criminal Aldrete-Davila, Agent Compean tried to hit the suspect with the butt of his shotgun and this caused our illegal alien to take off running because he feared what the agents might do next. Apparently, when all of this was happening, and Aldrete-Davila had tried to surrender, he had been climbing out of a ditch. The prosecutor did not explain how our bad guy got into the ditch in the first place and I would assume he ran there as he tried to escape. The prosecutors also claimed that when Compean tried to hit the smuggler with his shotgun, Compean slipped and lost his footing and fell face down into the dirt and the brush. This is how the agent got bloodied and our poor unfortunate misunderstood illegal alien never laid a hand on him. After all, this career criminal had to much respect for the law to do something like that. Yeah, right!

When Aldrete-Davila testified under oath at the trial of the two agents he purposely lied. He described himself as only an "amateur" drug smuggler who was forced by his indigent state to drive this load of drugs to America. He also testified that he did not know who had hired him and he didn't even know where the stash house in America was located. He indicated he needed the money for his mother's medical bills and he also needed money so he could renew his commercial driver's license, apparently so he would be able to find legal work in Mexico.

This version by Aldrete-Davila was, of course, a fairy tale and the prosecutors knew it! As I said before, Aldrete-Davila IS a career criminal so it shouldn't have been a big surprise when he showed his gratitude in October of 2005, by breaking his immunity agreement. That's when this bad guy was caught again as he tried to smuggle another load of marijuana into America. This time though, it was 1,000 pounds. What did the federal prosecutors do with their star witness? Absolutely nothing! Instead, they apparently extended his immunity to this new felony and they sealed the indictment from jurors. How did this jerk repay this latest pathetic gesture by the United States? He sued the federal government for $5 million alleging that when he was shot in the butt, while fleeing arrest, this violated his civil rights. Even with all of this, the U.S. Attorney's Office was still more than thrilled to have scum bag Aldrete-Davila be their star witness against Agents Compean and Ramos.

Chris Antcliff, who was Compean's attorney, tried to keep the jury focused on just who exactly was the bad guy, and who were the good guys, in this twisted affair. "This case is a little upside down in my mind," attorney Antcliff reportedly told the jury. But, thanks to the prosecution's somewhat questionable efforts, the jury did not know about Aldrete-Davila's second drug offense. If they had, I'm sure they would have viewed the prosecution's star witness differently. The prosecution, and the DHS too, did their best to demonize the two agents and this, along with the mistakes and misdeeds the two agents had made, sealed their fate. The Texas jury convicted them of assault with serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, violating the "civil rights" (of an illegal alien drug smuggler) and obstruction of justice because they did not report that their weapons had been fired.

It has been reported that some of the Texas jurors broke down in tears when the verdicts were read. Three jurors, who were even named in the one article I read, came forward days before the October (2006) sentencing and said they had been holding out against a guilty verdict. They eventually voted with the majority after the other jurors told them the judge did not want (would not allow?) a hung jury. Changing their votes to guilty, according to one of these jurors, violated their consciences, but they did it anyway. What dribble! These three should have stood their ground, no matter what the rest of the jurors did and/or wanted them to do. I guess none of these three had ever seen the 1957 movie "Twelve Angry Men" starring Henry Fonda. He wouldn't have wimped out as these three eventually did.

Apparently because of this new information about the three jurors originally wanting to vote for a not guilty verdict, there was a motion for a new trial. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone denied this motion (Judge Cardone was a 2003 George W. Bush appointee). Ignacio Ramos was sentenced to eleven (11) years in prison and Jose Compean received twelve (12) years. This is indeed a travesty of justice. As I said before, Compean and Ramos acted stupidly by not originally reporting the shooting, and Compean picking up his spent shells was also inexcusable. Both men deserved to be disciplined, and maybe even fired, but not prosecuted and sentenced to prison.

We should remember that there were only three eye-witnesses to this incident involving Ramos, Compean and Aldrete-Davila. Those three men are the only ones who really know what happened that day. The two Border Patrol agents deny that Aldrete-Davila had his hands in the air and that he was trying to surrender. Even with the agents own misdeeds, what makes Aldrete-Davila a more credible witness than Ramos and Compean? Up until this incident both men had been exemplary agents with spotless records and Ramos, who was a Navy veteran, had even been nominated for Border Patrol Agent of the Year.

The jurors also did not hear that according to some members of Aldrete-Davila's family, this "amateur" smuggler had been smuggling since the age of 14. They also indicated that Aldrete-Davila "wouldn't move drugs unless he had a gun on him." One family member even mentioned that he now bragged about all the money he was going to get as a result of his lawsuit against the United States Border Patrol. To be fair, I'm not really sure when this explosive information first became known and the reason the jury never heard it may have been because it wasn't known yet. But, it wasn't the federal prosecutors who eventually unearthed this information, it was a newspaper that was doing a series of articles about this whole affair. Shame on the federal government's investigators for not doing a more thorough investigation and learning of this information themselves.

Should President Bush pardon Compean and Ramos? I believe the only answer to this controversial question is: YES! In fact, I'm amazed that he hasn't done this already. Many members of Congress, Republicans AND Democrats, have called on the President to do this. Yet, he hasn't and his reasoning behind his refusal to do what seems like the right and fair thing to do is indeed baffling to many. I'm not an anti-Bush person, in fact I voted for him twice, but I think it is very hypocritical of him to commute the sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, but then let Compean and Ramos continue to rot in prison. "Scooter" Libby was sentenced to thirty months in prison but then, within hours of his conviction, President Bush commuted his sentence so he wouldn't have to serve any time in prison. Although President Bush said that he "respected" the jury's verdict, he also said that he had "concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive." Duh! What about the length of the sentence given to Compean and Ramos?

As governor of Texas, President Bush earned a reputation for toughness and he routinely refused to commute death sentences, even when the Pope asked him to. Well, I'm all for toughness and I usually admire a politician who will stick to his beliefs and principles, no matter what. But in this case, Compean and Ramos should be pardoned, or at the very least, their sentences should be commuted just like "Scooter" Libby's sentence was. This is the fair, and the right thing to do.

Final note: Joe Loya is the father-in-law of Border Patrol Ageny Ignacio Ramos. On December 25, 2006, Mr. Loya sent a Letter to Congressman Walter Jones. This letter is very, very interesting and it explains in detail what actually occurred that day at Fabens, Texas. Yes, Mr. Loya is the father-in-law of Agent Ramos, so the letter is obviously slanted in his defense, but what he reveals in the letter does answer many questions I had, plus it also raises some new ones too. For anyone who is interested in this incident involving Compean and Ramos, I would urge them to read this letter.

The terrible tragedy involving Sean Taylor

2007-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

I’m sure most of us, football fans or not, have heard the tragic story of 24-year old Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor. On Monday (November 26^th), Sean Taylor was at his home, located in an affluent Miami suburb. He was with his wife and his 18-month old daughter. Because of a serious knee injury Sean hadn’t gone with his team (Washington Redskins) to Tampa Bay where they played the Buccaneers on Sunday. Washington lost that game, but when we consider what actually happened to Sean Taylor and his grieving family, the loss of a mere football game doesn't really seem to be that significant.

Sean was home recuperating from that knee injury when four subjects apparently broke into his home and then eventually shot him. The bullet hit and damaged the femoral artery in Sean's leg and this caused a significant amount of blood loss. Sean Taylor never did regain consciousness and he died Tuesday, a little more than 24 hours after he’d been shot.

Besides the obvious, that a human being’s life had suddenly and senselessly been cut short, there are other factors that make this crime also tragic. Sean Taylor grew up and lived on the so-called “mean streets” of Miami. He apparently had some past associations he was now trying to end. People who knew him well said he had changed dramatically, ever sense the birth of his young daughter. He was now more focused and more mature. But, according to some of his friends, former Miami Hurricanes and current NFL players themselves, Sean Taylor had enemies. These were individuals who were jealous of what Taylor had become, and their envy and greed made Sean a likely target.

Yesterday (Nov. 30^th) the Miami-Dade Police Department announced they had made four arrests reference the murder of Sean Taylor. It would be nice if the one who actually pulled the trigger received a death sentence, and then WAS executed. But, I can confidently predict that this will never happen. Why? Well, I'm sure Director Robert Parker (Miami-Dade Police) had very good intentions when he spoke to the media about the arrests of the four subjects. But, Director Parker, who is a 31-year veteran of the Miami-Dade P.D., broke one of the Cardinal Rules of law enforcement when he said more than he needed to, AND more than he should have.

"They were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone," Director Parker reportedly said. "They were expecting a residence that was not occupied. So murder or shooting someone was not their initial motive." As an ex-homicide detective myself, I cringed in disbelief when I read these quotes from the head of the Miami-Dade Police. Where did Director Parker get this information? Well obviously, this is what the suspect(s) told the homicide detectives. Director Parker wouldn’t discuss how many of the suspects confessed, or what specifically they said, but it was obvious they were saying murder was not their original intent. But, why would the Director report what they said as if it were fact? He should not have said what he said, period!

Okay, they didn't initially intend to shoot anyone, right? Well, the media reported that Sean Taylor and his wife were awakened when they heard loud noises coming from other areas of their home. Taylor reportedly kept a machete in the bedroom, for protection, and he grabbed it. Someone reportedly broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missed, but one also hit Sean in the upper leg. So, my question to Director Parker is this: If these four individuals "...were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone" then why did they bust down Sean's bedroom door and start shooting? When they realized that the home was occupied, and not empty as they supposedly first thought, why didn't they then just flee, instead of shooting?

When we also remember the previous burglary at Sean’s home, when the subject(s) apparently left a kitchen knife on one of Sean’s beds, it is obvious to me that there are still so many unanswered questions surrounding this tragic event. Sorry Director Parker, but you goofed badly when you made the statements you did. They will only complicate the prosecution of these individuals and I suspect if they are charged with a capital crime, and they face the death penalty, YOU will be called as a defense witness. After all, YOU have already proclaimed to the world, through the media, that they guys never did mean to kill Sean Taylor.

Final note: The Washington Redskins' web site has a nice tribute to Sean Taylor.

America's Bravest of the Brave

2007-11-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

Here's one of my recent posts from AuthorNation.com

(Infinity Publishing created AuthorNation.com for people who like to write)

Although my own book is about law enforcement in south Florida during the violent 1970s, I respect and admire all of the brave and dedicated men and women of our military. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been brutal and bloody. But, regardless of a person’s personal opinion concerning these two conflicts, we should still consider the men and women fighting in these wars to be nothing less than true heroes.

We all know the gruesome figures. Thousands of our best have been killed and many more thousands have been wounded. All of these brave individuals of our military volunteered to serve and this includes the many thousands of reservists who have also been called up to active duty. Some of these reservists called up are police officers and I’m sure most police departments around the country have at least one or two officers who are now on active duty. I recently read a tribute to the first New York City (N.Y.P.D.) police officer killed in Iraq. He died back in August of 2005, and even back then N.Y.P.D. had over 270 police officers on active duty with our military. Many police officers from around the country continue to serve.

Captain Martin Steiger, a sergeant with the N.Y.P.D. narcotics division, was activated in January of 2002. Over the past two years Capt. Steiger, who is a member of the Army Reserve’s 800^th Military Police Brigade, has traveled to Afghanistan (Bagram & Kandahar), Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Oman and Kuwait. In each place he has been he has flown the N.Y.P.D. flag which is embroidered with these words, “NYPD Gone but not forgotten, 9-11-01” (23 N.Y.P.D. officers died in the terrorist attacks of September 11^th).

On the web site I created to help promote and market my book I’ve added a new section where I intend to pay tribute to police officers who have been called to active duty and who were then either killed in combat, or seriously wounded. In my opinion these men and woman are definitely “

America

’s Bravest of the Brave" and I want to honor them.

From the research I have already done I have located the names of approximately a dozen police officers who were called up and then killed while on active duty. I know there are many more and I request that anyone who may know of a deserving officer please forward his/her information to me. Initially, I intend to focus on those officers who have died, but I would also like to hear about those who have been wounded too.

Gary P. Jones, Captain (retired)
Fort Lauderdale Police Department
Author of: Badge 149 – “Shots Fired!”
My book’s web site: www.badge149.com
My e-mail: Jones313@aol.com

Freedom of Speech: a right that should not be abused

2007-11-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

Here's one of my recent posts from AuthorNation.com

(Infinity Publishing created AuthorNation.com for people who like to write)

Late last night I read two different pieces of news that left me feeling sad, angry, disgusted and even a little bit confused. The first article I read was about those misguided and heartless individuals who belong to the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) in Topeka, Kansas. These are the people who profess to believe in God’s word, but then they go out and protest and picket at the funerals of our slain military personnel who have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. They hold up hateful signs that read: “Thank God for maimed soldiers” and “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates fags.” These homophobic idiots believe that the United States is being punished by God because of our nation’s supposed tolerance of homosexuality. According to their twisted and obscene logic, this is why our brave men and women are being killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. We, as a nation, are being punished. They also believe that they are entitled to protest at these funerals because of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.

One source I read said that these protests by the WBC have taken place in at least 22 states and as a result eleven states have already enacted legislation restricting demonstrations like this at funerals. More than 30 other states are considering similar legislation. The president also signed a bill that made it a violation of federal law to protest at military funerals at federal cemeteries. Fred Phelps, the head of the WBC, has supposedly vowed that he and his church will challenge all of this new legislation. Good! Maybe it will bankrupt them and they will cease to exist.

Before becoming infamous because of their disrespect to America’s dead military personnel and their grieving families, the members of the WBC were picketing and protesting the funerals of gay people, or people they believed were gay. One well known case in 1998 involved the funeral of gay murder victim Matthew Shepard, in Wyoming. Shepard’s brutal murder brought national attention to the issue of hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels. At his funeral WBC members held up signs reading: “No Fags in Heaven” and “God Hates Fags.” According to the WBC web site, since 1991 they have staged “over 22,000” protests across America and around the world.

I’m all for freedom of speech, but it has been established long ago that there are definite limits to this cherished right that is guaranteed by our Constitution. I’m sure most of us are familiar with that well known example that an individual can’t falsely yell “Fire!” in a crowded theatre, if there is no fire. That’s not freedom of speech, that’s a crime! An individual’s freedom of speech is not endless and without any boundaries. And, what about a family’s right to bury their son, or daughter, with dignity and honor? Should they be subjected to the hateful emotions of a few malcontents, who apparently don’t have a clue about what God’s message of love and compassion truly is?

Well, Albert Snyder (God bless him!) sued Phelps and his church after they protested at his son’s funeral last year. Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder had been killed in Iraq. Mr. Snyder claimed that the church’s protest intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and it sullied and forever corrupted his memory of that somber event. A jury agreed and on Wednesday the church and its leaders, including Phelps, were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress. These pathetic morons, who smiled as they walked out of the courtroom, were ordered to pay nearly $11 million in damages to a father who is still grieving over the loss of his son. The WBC members vowed that the verdict would not deter them from conducting more protests at future military funerals.

I visited the WBC web site (I want to know what hate groups and other sickos are up to) and I looked at their upcoming schedule for future protests. Almost all of them were reference gay churches and organizations, but they did have one non-gay protest scheduled for November 10, 2007 in Washington, D.C. This protest will be at the Vietnam Memorial's 25^th Anniversary Parade either at, or near, the National Mall. There was also the following disgusting comment: "This is a major squall and worship the dead who served with honor (Barf!) fest.” I imagine this comment will anger many of the brave men and women who served so valiantly in that brutal war so long ago.

At the beginning of this post I said I was sad, angry, disgusted and a little confused. I’m sad that an obnoxious and arrogant person like Fred Phelps, who is obviously a cold and uncaring human being, can have such a huge negative impact on so many people’s lives. Regardless of what a person’s feelings are about this war in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, the men and women of our military are ALL heroes and they don’t deserve to be dishonored in the cruel way that Phelps and his gang of brainwashed disciples have done. I know that there will always be the Fred Phelps of this world, who will make it a hell here on earth, and we just have to live with them and do the best that we can. But, it is still sad, and disgusting, just the same.

Angry? You bet! For the record, I am not gay. I never have been and I don’t plan on changing. But, I’ve spent my entire law enforcement career trying to do the right thing and I know it’s not right to hate a person just because they are gay. This is wrong. How can Phelps, who professes to be a man of God, believe and preach the ugly hateful things that he does? I guess this is one of the places where I am a little confused.

When the jury awarded Mr. Snyder the nearly $11 million, they specifically ordered $2.9 million in compensatory damages and then another $8 million in punitive damages. Juries don’t usually award punitive damages unless they are convinced that a person’s conduct was so egregious that it warrants that person being punished. That’s why they’re called “punitive” damages. Well, Phelps and his immoral band of hate mongers have been ordered to pay $8 million. That’s a lot of punishment! But, it’s also, in my humble opinion, well deserved. Unfortunately, if Phelps is anything like the elusive O.J., he’ll find numerous ways to avoid paying. In fact, they’ve already begun and he and his other cohorts are now apparently claiming that they don’t have the money to pay. The total assets of the WBC and the other defendants are supposedly less than a million dollars (mainly in homes, cars and retirement accounts). The church reportedly has about 75 members and it is mostly funded by tithing. Gee, I wonder, where did they get all that money to pay for those “22,000” protest trips?

When Mr. Snyder heard the jury’s verdict he reportedly sobbed. His lawsuit was never about the money and he hopes the success of his suit will encourage other families of the fallen, who have been victimized by the WBC, to also sue. As far as Phelps is concerned, he is confident the jury’s award will be overturned on appeal. I hope, and pray to God, he’s wrong!

One of Mr. Snyder’s attorneys, Sean Summers, reportedly said that they would go after Phelps and get the money from him, wherever it is. "We will chase them forever if it takes that long,” he said. I hope that attorney is part bloodhound, because I suspect it’s going to be a long and difficult pursuit. Fred Phelps, who was an attorney himself, was disbarred by the Kansas Supreme Court in 1979. They asserted that he had “little regard for the ethics of his profession.” Although he originally continued to practice law in Federal courts, he eventually ran afoul of the Federal courts too and in 1989 he agreed to surrender his license to practice law in Federal court. So, I’m sure this man knows the legal system well, and he and his lawyers will do everything they can to avoid having to pay Mr. Snyder the judgment the jury says he deserves.

Earlier in the day, apparently before the jury’s verdict was announced, WBC members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse. The small group reportedly wasn’t well received and passing motorists shouted insults and blew their horns. It may have been because one of the group (one of Phelps’ daughters) stood on an American flag as she carried a sign proclaiming “God hates fag enablers.” Or, maybe it was because members of the group sang “God Bless America” BUT, they changed those powerful words to “God Hates America."

People like Fred Phelps are a cancer to the very fabric of what makes America the great nation it is, and I believe ALL of us should take a stance against such hateful and vicious individuals. The fight to get Phelps to pay what he should will be a long one, just like it has been with the O.J. saga. I, for one, feel so strongly that Phelps should pay, that I wouldn’t even mind contributing financially to this effort myself.

Oh, what was that second news article I read, that caused me to think about this entire issue of how some people treat and/or honor our dead military personnel? Well, General Paul Tibbets, who was a Colonel when he piloted the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, has died. He was 92. Before Tibbets transferred to the Pacific and flew B-29s, he flew B-17s over Europe. Tibbets unit in England was the 97^th BG, which supposedly even served as a model for the famous World War II action movie Twelve O’Clock High. Tibbets was even reportedly depicted in that movie. He flew 25 missions in B-17s and this included the first American Flying fortress raid against occupied Europe. Later, he was in Algeria leading the first bombing mission in support of the Invasion of North Africa. But, without question, Tibbets is best known and remembered for that single mission on August 6, 1945, in the empty skies over Hiroshima, Japan. The exact number of people killed by that one bomb (Little Boy) will never be known for sure, but it is thought that approximately 230,000 people probably perished, from either the initial blast that consumed most of the city, and in subsequent years from Toxic radiation.

Before he died General Tibbets may have been thinking of the Fred Phelps’ of this world, because he apparently left instructions that he wanted no funeral, and no headstone. He feared that if he were laid to rest in the ground this would provide his detractors, and there are many, with a place to protest. He didn’t want this, so he requested that he be cremated and his ashes be scattered over the English Channel. He loved flying over the Channel.

General Tibbets was probably right. I’m sure idiot Phelps and his mindless blog of followers would have protested at General Tibbets grave, if given the opportunity to do so. After all, Tibbets named his B-29 the “Enola Gay” – after his mother. Even though her middle name was Gay, I don’t believe she was gay herself. But, I’m sure that wouldn’t stop someone like Fred Phelps.

This stirring of my emotions, and my intense desire to see that justice is done in this case, has made me realize one other thing, as well. In addition to being sad, angry, disgusted and confused, I find myself just a little bit ashamed of myself too. I admit I’ve heard of Phelps’ WBC before, as well as some of their gay-bashing activities, yet it wasn’t until they began to dishonor our military heroes that this became a BIG issue for me personally. I realize now, long after I should have, that we ALL need to confront hate mongers like Phelps immediately. We should not wait. No matter what their twisted cause and agenda, we should not wait until they actually attack and hurt us personally, or those we love and respect. This is the valuable lesson I learned from this whole disgusting and nauseating affair.

Suicide, 2-1-1 and Me

2007-10-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

Suicide and I are old friends! I guess “friends” isn’t the right word to use, so I’ll just say we are “acquaintances” instead. And, throughout my thirty-six year career in law enforcement I unfortunately have had to renew this acquaintance all too often. I was even a homicide detective for four years and I routinely saw the raw ugliness and horror that successful suicides often leave behind them. When some desperate and pathetic soul puts the barrel of a shotgun in their mouth and pulls the trigger there is no way to adequately describe what that horrible scene looks like, nor do I want to. Let me just say it is a sight I will never forget and I can’t imagine the pain, suffering and the total feeling of helplessness a family experiences when confronted with such an obscene discovery.

Not all of the suicidal encounters I’ve been involved in have been so gruesome. And, like most police officers in America, who want to save lives if they can, I’ve even been able to play a role in salvaging a few of these potential victims. Once, when I was a homicide detective, I tried to wrestle a loaded automatic from a young lady who was high on valium and alcohol. She wanted to end it all and she had already fired some bullets into her bedroom walls and ceiling. During the brief but desperate struggle for the gun it suddenly discharged and the bullet hit my sergeant who was also involved in the struggle. I ended up with the gun and my sergeant ended up on the floor, writhing in agony. The bullet, thank God, hit him in the leg and he would survive. So would the shooter and instead of being charged with a crime she was taken to a local mental health care facility. I’ve always been proud of the fact that my sergeant and I were named police officers of the month because of this incident, but I was also very sorry he had to be wounded in the process.

Later in my career, when I was assigned back to the Patrol Division in uniform, I had other close encounters with suicidal individuals. Once, without even thinking about what I was doing, I rushed into the path of a charging tractor trailer truck that was headed westbound on busy State Road #84, in southwest Ft. Lauderdale. A young lady wanted to end her life and she decided that stepping in front of a truck would be a quick and a sure way to accomplish this. She was almost right. After I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the front of the speeding truck, and then somehow managed to elude this huge metal monster myself, by only a few inches, I started to shake uncontrollably as I suddenly realized just how close to death I had actually come - again!

Another time, I kneeled down a few feet away from a teenager who was sitting on the floor with his back against a wall, and who threatened to kill himself with the large kitchen knife he was holding to his own throat. Unlike the two girls that I've previously mentioned, who were both white, this lad was black. The ugly demon called suicide doesn't give a damn about race, age, gender, sexual orientation or social status. As his worried family quietly stood nearby, hoping that we could convince him to put the knife down, I tried my best to reason with him. To be honest, even though I know the topic of suicide did get mentioned during my initial training at the police academy, I really wasn't totally prepared to handle such a unique and stressful situation. I did my best, and like the family, I hoped things would work out for the best. Eventually, when it seemed that we weren't making any real progress, I lunged at the youth and took the knife away from him. In hindsight, I don't think that he really wanted to die and he was probably relieved, like I was, when the incident was finally over. Again, he was taken to a mental health care facility for evaluation and treatment.

Several years after I retired from law enforcement I decided to do some volunteer work in my own community. I saw an article in my local Tallahassee newspaper about an organization called 2-1-1 Big Bend. I’m sure almost everyone knows that when you dial 9-1-1 you get emergency help, fast! And, 4-1-1, of course, is directory assistance. Heck, Florida even has a 5-1-1 which is a statewide Travel Information System. But, I wondered, what exactly was 2-1-1? My last ten years in law enforcement was as a captain with Florida’s Department of Insurance (Division of Insurance Fraud), so I was no longer involved as a “first responder” and I really hadn’t heard that much about 2-1-1. As of June 2007, approximately 65% of the U.S. population (198 million Americans) were being served by 2-1-1, so I imagine many other people just like me are not that familiar with 2-1-1. It seems to be one of America’s best kept secrets, but hopefully this will change soon. By the end of 2008 it is estimated (hoped) that 80% of the U.S. population will have access to 2-1-1.

I'm almost positive that all of the different 2-1-1 organizations across America operate pretty much the same way. But, I'll still just discuss my own 2-1-1 Big Bend because that is the 2-1-1 I know the most about. Among other things, 2-1-1 Big Bend is the crisis hotline for the north Florida/Big Bend area. The newspaper article I read indicated they were always looking for new volunteers to be crisis counselors for their hotlines. The training was extensive and the only requirement was that you faithfully attended all of the training sessions and you committed to doing 200 hours or one (1) year of volunteer work after your training was completed.

During my long police career I’ve had more training, reference all sorts of different topics and issues, than I even care to remember. Yet, I can truthfully say that the training I received to become a phone counselor with 2-1-1 was some of the best, if not the best, training I have ever received. It was very detailed and it involved lots of role-playing. I’m sure the thought of role-playing in front of others might turn some would-be volunteers off, but to be honest, it was very informative and helpful, and it was even kind of fun too.

Even with all of my past experience, training and job knowledge, becoming a good telephone counselor became a definite challenge for me. I quickly found that I needed to change the overall way I viewed and sometimes even interacted with people. One of the very first things the 2-1-1 training covered was the need for a phone counselor to be able to empathize with a caller. Could I put myself in the caller's place and imagine what they were feeling? Police officers, unfortunately, sometimes develop a hard outer shell and they purposely condition themselves not to become emotionally involved with the many different people they encounter. This defense mechanism is what often keeps an officer from losing his sanity as he/she deals with the cruelty and unhappiness they often see. Could I empathize? I didn't know.

2-1-1 counselors are also required to be non-judgmental when they talk with the people that call in. Non-judgmental? I’d spent my entire law enforcement career making judgments and now 2-1-1 wanted me to turn this trait off completely. They also don’t want their counselors to come across as being authoritative. Again, being a cop is one of the most authoritative jobs there is. If you’re not authoritative then there’s a real good chance you might not survive. As a cop you need to take charge of situations and be in control, but now 2-1-1 wanted me to turn this trait off too. Phone counselors are also requested not to give callers advice and/or suggestions. The 2-1-1 philosophy is to empower the individual callers to come up with their own solutions, if possible. I admit, these challenges made me wonder just how successful I would be as a 2-1-1 phone counselor. I’ve been with 2-1-1 Big Bend for several years now, and I fulfilled my 200-hour commitment long ago. In fact, before this year is out I may even reach 500 volunteer hours, which is not that far away.

2-1-1 Big Bend is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology and it is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Even though there are areas of America without their own crisis hotlines, people can still dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and they will be connected to the crisis center that is nearest to them.

Because 2-1-1 handles the Suicide Hotline for the north Florida/Big Bend area, the suicide related training they give their telephone counselors is extensive. All the things I wish I had known before, when I was face-to-face with that young boy who threatened to kill himself with a knife, now I learned these things after my law enforcement career was finally over. I only wish I had this valuable training before I became a police officer. I think it would have made me a better officer, and probably a much better human being too.

Many of the calls we get at 2-1-1 are very routine in nature, and occasionally a caller probably intends to get 4-1-1, instead of 2-1-1. In addition to counseling people who are in crisis, 2-1-1 counselors give out all sorts of referrals, ranging from A to Z. Some people call because they need help paying this month’s utility bill. Some need shelter, some need support groups and the list of referrals 2-1-1 gives out is almost endless. And, in any one 24-hour period, 2-1-1 Big Bend will get approximately one (1) call reference an individual thinking about and/or threatening suicide. This might be a first-party type call, from the person themselves; or a second-party type call from a concerned friend or family member.

A couple of nights ago I worked a three-hour volunteer shift at 2-1-1. It was unusually quiet and I didn't have a call all evening, not until "Dave" called. Dave is not, of course, his real name. 2-1-1 takes the confidentiality of their caller's information very seriously and that's why I can't go into any great or descriptive detail. But, Dave said that he wanted to die and he saw no other way out. I talked with him for almost forty-five minutes and again, without going into detail, the call was concluded in a positive manner and Dave got the help he so desperately needed. A successful call like this one always makes me feel so good inside, because I know I've been able to help someone who really needed it. And, I didn't have to jump in front of a speeding truck, or wrestle a gun or a knife away from someone, to do it. When I think back on all the gruesome and bloody suicide investigations I've been involved in during my career, it is such a rewarding experience to be able to intercede before things get so bad that the only thing the police can do is to call for the medical examiner.

I would suggest that anyone thinking of pursuing a career in law enforcement might want to seriously consider volunteering with their local 2-1-1 first. The training will be invaluable to them and being able to mention 2-1-1 as a reference on their resume won't look that bad either.

To find the local 2-1-1 in your area, click here.

Author of book: Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"
My book's web site: www.badge149.com

Why I believe we still need the death penalty

2007-10-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Wynne Unit is one of the oldest in the Texas prison system and it was established way back in 1883. Along with two other prisons, which share about 1,500 acres with the Wynne Unit, it is located approximately 80 miles north of Houston, in Huntsville. It straddles the main north/south highway between Houston and Dallas. The Wynne Unit is home to approximately 2,600 inmates of various custody levels. Monday morning; September 24, 2007, a sad and senseless thing happened there. But, it shouldn’t have.

Corrections Officer Susan Louise Canfield, a 59-year old grandmother, and a seven year veteran of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), was murdered by two inmates who were attempting to escape. These two inmates, along with more than 70 other prisoners, were working outside the prison’s fence at the Wynne Unit. They were assigned to what is sometimes called the “hoe” squad, which is when a group of inmates literally use hoes to clear farm lands of weeds and other unwanted brush and vegetation.

A group of six corrections officers, which included Susan Canfield, plus a supervisor, watched over this large group of inmates. All of these corrections officers were armed and on horseback. I’ve read several different accounts about what happened, and although basically they all tell the same tragic story, I’m not really sure what happened, and when. But, I’m sure in time, after the investigation and reviews are fully finalized, we will know exactly what transpired, but right now some things are just a little unclear.

The two white male inmates, Jerry Duane Martin, 37, and John Ray Falk Jr., 40, approached one of the male corrections officers on horseback. They used the pretext that one of them had a watch and he wanted the officer to hold it for him. Martin handed the watch to the 29-year old officer and that’s when he pulled him down off of his horse. He struggled with the officer for his weapons and then when he got possession of them, he tossed the officer’s rifle to Falk.

One version I read said that when Falk got the rifle almost immediately he began to fire at Canfield. She reportedly returned fire. Three other corrections officers also apparently returned fire. Although a number of shots were exchanged between Martin and Falk, and the officers, no one was hit during this brief but intense gunfight. Later, after everything was finally over, it was learned that Corrections Officer Canfield’s horse had indeed been hit, apparently by the suspect’s fire.

After the initial struggle with the first male corrections officer, when they got his rifle, Martin and Falk went over a fence that separated the field they’d been in from the nearby City of Huntsville Service Center. Martin and Falk stole a City of Huntsville flatbed truck that was parked there. The truck was parked behind the fence, on city property, right next to the 1,400-acre vegetable field being tilled by Martin, Falk and the other inmates. Two street sign workers were apparently picking up street sign materials at a municipal building which was adjacent to the prison and, contrary to policy, they left the keys in the truck’s ignition. I’m almost certain that when all the reviews are finally concluded, these two city workers will more than likely be disciplined for their failure to follow policy. Unfortunately, this “wake up call” for them will come to late to help Corrections Officer Susan Canfield.

As the other corrections officers fired at them and their now stolen vehicle, Martin and Falk drove the stolen truck into Canfield’s horse as she tried to stop them. She, and I assume the horse, fell to the ground. She reportedly died instantly. The two inmates then grabbed her rifle and handgun and fled the area. I believe this is the way things happened, but I’m not 100% sure. Did Martin and Falk have a previous struggle with Corrections Officer Canfield, to get her weapons, as one account I read seemed to indicate, or was she already dead when they took them from her? I’m sure the investigators in this case already know exactly what happened, and in time we will know too. And, of course, none of this will change the brutal fact that these two vicious thugs murdered Susan Canfield!

After their violent escape Martin and Falk quickly abandoned their stolen truck, about a mile away from where they had murdered Susan Canfield. They then confronted a woman at a bank drive-through lane in Huntsville, and took her car by force. I believe the woman in question was also taken along with the vehicle, because one account I read said they had taken a hostage. Huntsville P.D. officers, who were already apparently looking for the two escapees, quickly took off in pursuit of the carjacked vehicle. They shot out one of the vehicle’s tires and Martin and Falk jumped out of the car and again tried to flee on foot.

In addition to officers from many different agencies, the massive manhunt to find the two killers included at least one police helicopter, lawmen on horseback and eager and hungry bloodhounds. The TDCJ reported that Falk was captured within an hour. They found Martin hiding in a tree about 3½ hours later. He was in a wooded area just west of the I-45 Interstate, and south of state highway 30. And, when they did find Martin he was reportedly shirtless and wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. He did this in an attempt to throw off the search dogs that he knew would be trying to locate his scent.

Unfortunately, there seems to have been a major violation of policy that allowed Martin and Falk to put their escape plan into motion. According to reports, TDCJ policy says that mounted corrections officers working with “field squads” are required to stay a minimum of 30 feet away from the inmates they are guarding. No inmate on foot should ever be allowed to approach an officer on horseback. The officers on horseback form a kind of perimeter around the field workers, and they act very similar to the officers manning the guard towers at the prison itself. No inmate is ever allowed to get near an armed officer, and for good reason. Again, I’m sure the corrections officer who violated this policy, and allowed Martin and Falk to gain control of him and his weapons, will eventually be disciplined. But once again, this will be too late to help Susan Canfield.

Initially, the horse Susan Canfield was riding was thought to only have cuts and bruises. Later, they noted a wound that they thought was a cut that resulted from the horse skidding along the gravel driveway. Eventually, after the horse exhibited symptoms of a more serious injury they examined the horse again and found a bullet hole under its girth strap. Sadly, the horse had to be euthanized. “Pecos” may have been the name of Corrections Officer Canfield’s horse, but I’m not really certain of this. In none of the accounts I read did they name her horse, but I did find a picture of Susan Canfield happily sitting on a pretty horse named “Pecos” and I assume this may have been the same horse she rode that fatal day.

Susan Canfield’s husband is a training officer with the Houston Police Department. She also had two daughters and a son, plus two grandchildren.

So, getting back to the title of this narrative, why do I think we need to keep the death penalty? First of all, I do realize that not all fifty states have the death penalty, but in Florida, where I live, we do.

Most police officers probably favor the death penalty. I know I do. But, I do agree it should only be used for the worst of the worse and it should only be imposed if there is absolutely no doubt at all about the person’s guilt. That means (in my opinion) that for most homicides, which are mostly “heat of the moment” passion-type crimes, the death penalty would not be appropriate.

I do believe that when an individual murders a law enforcement officer, the death penalty is definitely appropriate. But, sadly, even cop killers do not always get the ultimate penalty. A perfect example involved the guy who murdered Fort Lauderdale Police Officer Bryant Peney in 1996. I use this specific example because I was a Ft. Lauderdale officer myself, and I knew Bryant Peney. He was an outstanding young man and an excellent officer. He should not have died at such a young age. His killer was convicted and the jury did not recommend the death penalty. In Florida, the judge has the final say, and the judge in this case felt that the death penalty was indeed appropriate, so he disregarded the jury’s recommendation and he gave this bad guy the death penalty. Well, in Florida, if a judge disregards a jury’s recommendation for leniency in a homicide case, the Florida Supreme Court will almost always overrule that judge. That’s what happened to the killer of Officer Bryant Peney. He was sentenced to life, without parole.

I know that many good and intelligent people don’t like the death penalty for a variety of reasons, and they want it abolished completely. This is an emotional issue and I do understand some of their arguments. But, if we do away with the death penalty completely, don’t we make it a lot easier for the violent thugs in our prisons (like Martin and Falk) to kill our corrections officers? If a guy is already in jail for murder, doing “life without parole” (as Merle Haggard says in one of his song), then what is there to prevent these low-lifes from killing a prison guard, or two, or three? What are they going to do to him, give him another “life without parole” sentence? I have absolutely no statistics to back up my beliefs, but just good old-fashioned common sense tells me that if we do away with the death penalty completely, then attacks and murders of corrections officers around the country WILL go up.

Let’s get back to Martin and Falk who killed Texas Corrections Officer Susan Canfield. Martin had been convicted of attempted capital murder and he had served just 10 years of a 50-year sentence. He had been charged in Collin County with two counts of attempted murder after a domestic dispute he was involved in turned potentially deadly. Somewhere along the line Martin apparently indicated that he intended to shoot himself and he eventually ran from the cops who tried to stop him. One account I read of the Collin County incident said that Martin fired on police negotiators that had tried to stop him from shooting himself during a four-hour standoff. In all, he reportedly fired seven rounds from a .38 caliber revolver at the police negotiators and Collin County Sheriff’s deputies. In 1997, Martin was convicted of two attempted murder charges, along with a charge of aggravated assault. And, documents from TDCJ’s web site indicated that in addition to the 50-year sentence, Martin was also facing another 60 years for some other additional charges. I don't know if these other charges are connected with the Collin County incident, or are from some other violent event.

Falk? Well, our boy Falk was already a grand prize winner! He had been convicted of murdering a lawyer in Matagorda county and he had served 21 years of a life sentence. Falk reportedly confessed to striking the man over the head with a piece of lumber and then cutting his throat with a knife. He and an accomplice then stuffed the victim’s body into the back of a car and drove it into the Colorado River. Falk was up for parole in 2006. It was denied.

So, why were these two walking time bombs of violence allowed to work outside the prison’s confines? Because, according to the TDCJ, based on their good disciplinary records while in prison, they were only classified as “minimum” security inmates and they could do field work outside the prison while under the supervision of officers. Okay, sounds good to me. But, I wonder what Susan Canfield’s husband, her children, and her grandchildren, think about this cockeyed explanation. As with everything else, I’m sure the TDCJ screening procedures will be reviewed, and maybe even revamped, but this won’t help Susan Canfield.

I know many individuals are still not convinced that the death penalty should be used, under any circumstances. Okay, I respect their right to have that opinion, even though I don’t agree with it. But, I would ask just one more question: What about the Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh? Didn’t he deserve to die for what he had done? He coldly and brutally killed 168 men, women and children. Children! Nineteen of the victims were children, fifteen of which were in the building’s day care center when the bomb went off. Three pregnant women and their unborn babies also died. Later, when McVeigh once spoke about the bombing, he coldly called these deaths “collateral damage” - as if he could care less.

Whenever I might start to wonder if the death penalty should be imposed, especially for the worst of the worse, I take a quick look at the famous Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken by Charles Porter. It is the picture of firefighter Chris Fields holding a dying infant in his arms. The baby's bloodied and battered body speaks volumes about McVeigh's cruelty and inhumanity. Timothy McVeigh was a monster and no one will ever make me believe that executing him, and other animals like him, isn't the right and the just thing to do!

Here's a big "Thank You!" to Fort Lauderdale P.D.'s Aviation Unit - It is long overdue!

2007-09-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my recent posts from AuthorNation.com

(Infinity Publishing created AuthorNation.com for people who like to write)

From our favorite t.v. cop shows, and action flicks at the movies, most people do know that helicopters are routinely used by the various law enforcement agencies around the country. Heck, who could ever forget that dramatic low-speed pursuit with O.J. and the white Bronco. And, thanks to the many helicopters that were overhead, we all got to watch this drama unfold in real-time on our t.v. sets.

But, I bet most people don’t know that even before helicopters became the favorite high-priced toy of the police, some departments experimented and used single-engine fixed-wing aircraft for patrol and surveillance duty. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department, in Florida, was one of these. In fact, I believe Fort Lauderdale P.D. was one of the very first in Florida, if not the nation, to do this. Fort Lauderdale’s plane was a single-engine Cessna and “Aerial 1” was its radio call sign.

In the mid-1970s there was a dramatic increase in violent crime in Fort Lauderdale. One of the things the police department did to combat this was to create a special tactical unit, called the Tactical Impact Unit (T.I.U.). Thanks to a federal grant, this unit was equipped with some of the newest and most sophisticated equipment available (see my previous post under the “Guns” Forum which tells about the .22 cal. laser-sighted machine gun).

In the mid-1970s T.I.U. was involved in a couple of major surveillances. These surveillances, which lasted for many weeks, also involved the Department’s Aviation Unit (“Aerial 1”). In fact, without the assistance of this unit, and its dedicated pilots and observers who were all sworn F.L.P.D. officers, it is highly doubtful these surveillances would have succeeded, as they eventually did. T.I.U. received most of the glory and the accolades, but the Aviation Unit really deserved much of the credit.

For anyone interested in these events, they are described in detail in my book published by Infinity in August of 2006. If you like stories about true crime, guns and aviation themes, with lots of action, then I believe you’ll enjoy reading my book. My book is titled: Badge 149 – “Shots Fired!”

Sadly, Fort Lauderdale P.D. no longer has an Aviation Unit. Thanks to modern budget considerations, declining manpower, or what have you, F.L.P.D. did away with its Aviation Unit (which did eventually use helicopters), and now they rely solely on the Broward County Sheriff’s Department for aerial support. Fort Lauderdale’s Aviation Unit is just a fond memory for those of us who worked and served with its proud members. It is now just a piece of law enforcement and aviation history.

Here is a brief excerpt from my book’s Epilogue:

“On August 3, 1981, ‘Aerial 1’ crashed while on routine patrol over the southwest section of the City. Kenneth Petersen, one of the original members of our department’s Aviation Unit, and another officer pilot/observer, John Alexander, were both killed instantly.

Joe Gerwens, one of my sergeants from my old T.I.U. days became Chief of Police of Fort Lauderdale P.D. in 1987. Unfortunately, Joe also had to endure the unthinkable during his tenure as Chief and on May 25, 1989, tragedy again struck F.L.P.D. when ‘Aerial 1’ crashed during a return flight from the City of Tallahassee. Both the pilot, Officer Frank Mastrangelo Jr., and his passenger, Detective Norman Eddy, were killed.”

* * * * * * * *

If any readers of this post are ex-officers who worked in an Aviation Unit during the mid-1970s, I would love to hear back from you. Or, even if you were not in law enforcement yourself, if you know of a specific law enforcement agency that employed single-engine fixed-wing aircraft in the 1970s, I’d like to hear from you too.

Are these people just stupid, or what?

2007-09-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Let me see if I have this weird story straight:

A 19-year old college student went to Boston's Logan International Airport to meet her boyfriend who was arriving there. This student, Star Simpson, is a sophomore at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I don't know that much about MIT, but I do believe you have to be at least a little bit smart to go there. According to the attorney who was appointed to represent her, Ms. Simpson is a graduate of the Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a private boarding school, and she is now the secretary of MIT's Electrical Research Society. She has also won school prizes for chemistry and leadership and has even received a Congressional citation for her work in robotics. So, MIT is definitely not a school for the intellectually challenged.

Anyway this girl Star (I hope she doesn't mind me calling her Star), she apparently approached an information counter at the airport's arrivals terminal around 8:00 a.m. At least one of the counter people noted her unusual attire, which consisted of an object strapped to her body (chest), that looked like a possible bomb. It was a white circuit board measuring roughly 2 inches by 6 inches, with protruding wires, lights and a nine-volt battery. The device, whatever it was, apparently was functioning because the nine lights were flashing. Oh, she also reportedly was carrying a lump of something that was either modeling clay or Play-Doh. For those who might not be that familiar with explosives, plastic explosives (like C-4) is a relatively stable, solid explosive that has a consistency similar to Play-Doh and/or modeling clay.

Because I'm talking about plastic explosives, I guess I should also mention the nut Richard Reid, a member of al-Qaeda, who tried to blow up American Airlines Flight #63 on December 22, 2001, just a few short months after 9/11. Reid is the so-called "shoe bomber" and that's because the plastic explosive he used (PETN) was hidden in the lining of his shoes. Flight #63 was headed from Paris to Miami, but when Reid's actions were interrupted the plane was quickly diverted to Boston's Logan International Airport.

After Star inquired about the arriving flight, she walked back outside the terminal. The person manning the information booth inside the terminal notified a nearby trooper. That trooper, along with other law enforcement officers with machine guns, confronted Star in front of the terminal. According to Major Scott Pare, Logan Airport's commanding officer of law enforcement, "She was immediately told to stop, to raise her hands and not to make any movement, so we could observe all her movements to see if she was trying to trip any type of device." Major Pare then noted that had she not followed instructions, and had she done something unusual, deadly force could have resulted. "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue," Major Pare reportedly said. Amen to that! I can just visualize what would have happened if the poor girl had decided to put the Play-Doh in her pocket.

Because Star was arrested outside of the terminal airport operations were not affected. The terminal was not evacuated and no flights were affected either. Authorities quickly determined that the device she wore was not a real bomb. And, even though Star said it was just a piece of "art" she had created, they did charge her with possession of a hoax device and she was eventually released on a $750.00 bond. The prosecutor reportedly wanted a much higher bond ($5,000.00), but didn't get it. Even though the "hoax" bomb charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, I seriously doubt she will be sentenced to any jail time. That is, of course, if she's even found guilty. I say "if" because nothing is certain in this sometimes crazy Post-9/11 world we live in.

Speaking of 9/11, some of the news sources I read said the authorities were amazed that someone would wear such an odd looking device after the tragic events of September 11 (2001). Two of the jets hijacked that dreadful day took off from Logan Airport. American Airlines Flight #11, bound for Los Angeles, struck the World Trade Center's North Tower; United Airlines Flight #175, also bound for L.A., hit the Trade Center's South Tower. Both of these planes departed Logan Airport. "I'm shocked and appalled that someone would wear this type of device to an airport," Major Pare stated. I would have to agree with him.

Although I do feel that Star used some very poor judgment, I also believe she did not really intend to cause a problem at Logan Airport. In my opinion, she's probably naive and immature, just like so many other young people her age and she really didn't have a clue that what she was doing could turn out so wrong. Young people often don't think about the possible negative ramifications of their actions. I know when I was 19, many years ago, I didn't. Now, I often wonder how I managed to survive. As a teenager I did some incredibly stupid things. I'm sure we ALL did. Then, even after I became a police officer, when I turned 21, I was still immature and didn't have a clue about the real world. Unfortunately, I think that's what Star's problem was too. So, I think a mere $750.00 bond was definitely appropriate. I don't see her as being a risk to either repeat this experience, or to flee.

Even though I can sympathize (a little) with Star, I still feel it is disgusting that her court appointed attorney (Ross Schreiber) is so quick to blame the police for what happened. In the news articles I read it indicated the attorney used words like "overreaction" and "off base" to describe the charges Star now faced. He also reportedly said, "I would characterize it as almost being paranoid at this point." According to the attorney, Star was at the airport for "legitimate purposes." In his argument before the court, I imagine to get the bond lowered (as it was), the attorney said that Star did not act in a suspicious manner and she even told the person at the information counter that the device was just her "art" project she created.

Once piece I read said that when Star was originally asked about the device she was wearing, she didn't even answer and turned and walked back outside the terminal. I don't know if that's true. But, let's go ahead and suppose she DID answer and told the person what she had on was her "art" work. So, Star says the device she's wearing is just art, and the person who first saw her is supposed to take her at her word? Give me a break! It's to bad that someone at Logan wasn't a little "paranoid" back on 9/11! I read that 3 of the 5 hijackers of American Airlines Flight #11 were selected for further screening by CAPPS (Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System). So, apparently the computer was at least a little "paranoid" about these three. It's to bad someone human wasn't "paranoid" too.

Law enforcement officers are just like everyone else on this planet; they're human, and they have to rely on their senses, training and experience to influence their decision-making. Sorry Mr. attorney, but police officers are NOT mind readers! I wish we were. It would be nice to be able to read a person's mind and instantaneously know what they're thinking, and what their intentions are. But, unfortunately, we don't have that ability, so we have to reply on our own good common sense. So, it would have been nice for Star's attorney to have talked about her lack of serious intent, rather than blame the cops for what transpired. He did a huge disservice to the men and women who were out there on the front lines trying to do their jobs and protect the public.

One of these days, I'm sad to say, I do expect that there will be a suicide bombing somewhere here in America. There are so many of these lunatics and fanatics out there, that to me, it almost seems inevitable. Remember homegrown American terrorist Timothy McVeigh? Back on April 19, 1995, this nut coldly and deliberately killed 168 innocent men, women and children in Oklahoma City. I'm not sure if this is true, but I seem to remember McVeigh once saying (after he'd been caught) that if he had been approached by anyone, including a police officer, when he left that Ryder Truck in front of the Federal Building, he was prepared to blow himself up with the truck, just to make sure his plans succeeded.

Unfortunately, if that day does come, and a suicide bombing does eventually occur here in America, there is also a very good possibility that some of the people killed will probably be law enforcement officers trying to stop it. Paranoid? You bet! Only a fool doesn't worry about these nuts and what they might do someday.

I guess the best thing I ever heard was something Henry Kissinger supposedly once said:

"Even a paranoid can have enemies."

Unruly college student meets the Taser

2007-09-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sure we've all at least heard about that poor innocent 21-year old college student who got introduced to a police taser the hard way. I also know that many of us have viewed the various videos of this incident. One article I read said that as of Tuesday afternoon the videos of the arrest had been viewed more than 400,000 times on YouTube.

Monday's incident started when the University of Florida student refused to leave the microphone after his allotted time was up. Most of the original videos that were shown only showed the confrontation with the campus police and not what led up to it. But, on the web site MichaelSavage.com there are two (2) different videos, taken from different angels. One of these two videos even shows Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) on stage as he calls on the student in question. But, instead of asking a specific question, the student makes a speech and he even recommends a book that Kerry should read. Kerry says he has. This is when the campus police officers first try to talk with him.

You can't really hear or see what the officers are saying, but it seems they are telling the student to either ask a specific question, or telling him that his time is up. Instead of being co-operative he is rude, obnoxious and confrontational. It is obvious he could care less what the officers have to say. They are bothering him and they are interfering with his own personal agenda. "I'll ask my question!" the student says forcefully, apparently not intending to be denied this moment in the spotlight. He pretty much just dismisses them and it seemed very apparent to me, from watching this video, that this student has absolutely no respect at all for the police.

Shortly before the microphone is cut off, the student says something like, "I'm gonna inform people and then I'm gonna ask you my question." Kerry can be heard in the background, but I'm not sure what he's saying. He may have asked the student to go ahead and ask his question. When the officers apparently try to intervene again, he says something like, "I'm not even done yet and I have two more questions." Shortly after this is when he asks Kerry about the secret organization at Yale (Skull and Bones) and did he and President Bush belong to it. The microphone cuts off shortly after that.

The student is clearly agitated that the microphone has been turned off and he obviously blames the police. I'd bet money the police officers didn't cut it off themselves and someone with the event probably did. Maybe the Tech-guy. "Thank you for cutting my mike. Thank you," he says disgustedly at the officers. They try to escort him away from the area and that's when he really becomes unruly. At one point the audience applauds, but we don't know if this is because of a remark Kerry has just made, or because the officers were taking this disruptive and disorderly individual away. Or, maybe they were applauding the actions of the student and letting him know they were behind him. We don't know. For the most part, the audience just sat there and watched the incident in silence. The only person really heard is the disorderly student as he yelled at the officers, and the crowd too.

At one point in the altercation, in the main audience area near the microphone stand, one officer is standing there and pointing what looks like a Taser at the student, while other officers are trying to control him. I think it's important to note, I don't believe they used the Taser then, and they were able to remove him from the audience area to the back lobby area by physical force alone. This shows me that the officers didn't want to use a Taser if they didn't have to.

It took up to four officers to remove the student from the main audience area to the back lobby-like area. As he was being pushed backwards he continued to scream for help as he tried to break away from the officers. His arms were flailing at them and I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of them had been struck by the student. As the officers tried to force him to the floor so they could handcuff him, they ordered him to stop resisting.

At the back of the audience area the student momentarily breaks away from the officers trying to control him and he backs up away from them and he even seems to take up a fighting stance. He also yells angrily, "Get away from me man! Get away from me!" I'm sure the officers felt that he was going to continue to struggle and he may even attack them with his fists and/or legs. He almost looked as if he was ready to kick out at the officers, but then they quickly took him down to the floor. On the floor, as the officers tried to handcuff him, he yelled, "Get off of me!" It wasn't until the student was on the floor, still struggling to get free, that they used the Taser. And, I believe they verbally warned him that if he didn't stop his resisting, they would do this.

Was this an unnecessary and/or an excessive use of force? To be honest, I don't know. There is no doubt in my mind that the subject was fighting the officers and resisting arrest. No doubt! I have been, and most officers have been too, in numerous incidents just like this. Years ago, before we had Tasers, we had Mace. So, in a similar incident years ago, would I have used Mace? Maybe. The only reason I might not would have been my concern for the crowd, and how the Mace might effect them. But, with a Taser, you don't have those same concerns. It's a one-on-one weapon. And, that's why they give nightsticks, Mace, and yes, even Tasers, to police officers. When an individual resists arrest an officer can use whatever force he needs to overcome that resistance. If the individual increases his resisting, then the officer increases the level of force he needs to use.

But, was the use of a Taser in this instance, when the subject was on the floor, with 3-4 officers trying to control him, and HIM still struggling to get free, was the use of the Taser justified? Could be. The college, the police department and F.D.L.E. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) will all look at this incident and investigate it. I would suggest before anyone rushes to judgment, they give these reviews a chance. I looked at a number of different videos and each showed me something different. On one video it even sounds like, just before the microphone is turned off, that the student said the word "Blowjob." Did he? Is that why the mike was turned off, because he used profanity? I don't know, but it sure sounded like he said that Clinton got impeached for a "Blowjob." He was asking Kerry why he wouldn't impeach President Bush. I looked at a few of the other videos and I didn't hear this offensive word. Maybe the offending word was deleted before the video was turned over to the media. That's one possibility. A review of all available video should be done and this will, and should, take some time.

I listened to the Sean Hannity radio show today and he was very pro-police and his opinions and comments very much mirrored my own. All this student had to do, to avoid the incident he caused, was to obey the rules and when his time at the microphone was up, his time was up! What made HIM so special that he could stay there at the microphone and continue to make a speech and monopolize Senator Kerry's time? After all, the audience didn't come to hear the student spout off, they came to hear John Kerry. As usual, I wasn't disappointed by Sean Hannity's insightful reasoning and his good common sense logic. I am still a fan!

But then, later today I stumbled upon the Michael Savage radio program and I was really appalled by some of his harsh criticism. In fact, I couldn't believe some of the things he said. And, in addition to him personally verbally attacking these campus police officers from the University of Florida, when a caller called in and tried to defend them, Mr. Savage verbally attacked the caller. Perhaps what bothered me the most about Mr. Savage's tirade was the fact he was so wrong in some of the things he said. He said the officers involved in this incident with the student were not really certified police officers and I think he even referred to them as rent-a-cops. Well, the University of Florida has its own nationally accredited law enforcement department and all they do is protect and serve the University. Yes, Mr. Savage, they are real cops and according to the department's web site there are approximately 89 of them. If you're going to state something as fact, how about first getting your facts straight?

I went to the web site of Mr. Savage, hoping to send him an e-mail telling him how wrong he was about the rent-a-cops he had verbally attacked. Well, on his web site I found the following disgusting and offensive title:

"BULL-DYKE FASCIST TASERS STUDENT WHO ASKS
KERRY TOO MANY QUESTION!"

Wow! Like I said, I'm still a huge fan of Sean Hannity. What about Michael Savage and the Savage Nation? Will I ever listen to him again? What do you think?

"Thank you!" Sheriff Ken Jenne

2007-09-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I would just like to say "Thank you!" to Broward County (Florida) Sheriff Ken Jenne. According to news reports Sheriff Jenne resigned Tuesday after he finally agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud and federal tax evasion charges. Sheriff Jenne will reportedly plead guilty to one (1) count of mail fraud and three (3) counts of tax evasion. Jenne faced a possible grand jury indictment on more serious charges, which even included money-laundering, and his plea agreement apparently helps him avoid these other charges. Jenne won't get off lightly though, and the once powerful Democrat, because of federal sentencing guidelines, will more than likely go to prison for up to two years.. The guilty plea also means that Jenne will probably be barred from holding any future public office and he will likely lose his license to practice law in Florida. His State of Florida pension could also be adversely effected too.

In 1998, then-Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Jenne to be the sheriff of Broward County, Florida's second-most populous county. Jenne, who was a lawyer and a veteran politician, had no previous law enforcement experience. He replaced Ron Cochran, an ex-Chief of Police from Fort Lauderdale P.D. Sheriff Cochran died in office while he was the Broward County Sheriff. Jenne was re-elected in both 2000 and 2004 and he would eventually run a law enforcement agency that had over 6,000 employees and an annual budget of almost $700 million dollars.

Tuesday morning, after Jenne's resignation was official, in an e-mail to his employees he said, "Today, I'm retiring from public service." He went on to say, "I need to turn my attention to myself and my family." His e-mail ended with, "Stand tall. Stand proud. Stay safe." What a bunch of crap!!!!!!!

My "Thank you!" to Sheriff Jenne is, of course, a purely sarcastic comment. Sheriff Jenne, Broward County's top cop, disgraced himself, and his office. But, what is really pathetic is the fact that his deputies will now have to be the ones to continue on with Jenne's tainted legacy hanging over them. How many citizens in Broward County will lose some respect for the agency and the proud men and women who serve there, just because Ken Jenne could not tell right from wrong.

I'm confident the men and women of the B.S.O. will "Stand Tall" and they will "Stand proud." And, I'm sure they will prevail and eventually move on and outlive this disgrace that Jenne has brought upon the Office of the Sheriff of Broward County. But, because of his disruptive and demoralizing actions will they be able to "Stay safe" too. I hope so.

Prosecutors working the Jenne investigation were ready in mid-August to finalize the plea the sheriff would eventually offer, but then on August 10, 2007, B.S.O. Sergeant Chris Reyka was murdered and this delayed the entire process a little longer. It was felt that it would be inappropriate, and probably very disruptive, to remove the sheriff at such a critical moment, so Jenne was given a brief reprieve, albeit for just a few weeks.

The brutal murder of Sgt. Reyka was a crime that shocked the citizens of Broward County. The viciousness displayed by the killer as he gunned down the veteran officer was unusual, even by south Florida standards where brutal and cruel sometimes seemed almost routine. To this day, the crime still has not been solved and the reward for information about the suspect(s) responsible is well in excess of $250,000.

There is also a very touching video tribute to Sgt. Reyka and I would urge anyone who reads this blog to view it.

Ken Jenne and Sgt. Chris Reyka both belonged to a very fine law enforcement organization, the Broward County Sheriff's Office. One man, Jenne, disgraced himself and cast a cloud over this agency he managed; but the second man, Chris Reyka, stood for honor, integrity and duty. I'm almost ashamed to mention Sgt. Reyka in the same post as I do Ken Jenne, but unfortunately their stories and lives, though very much different, are indelibly interwoven. What is important is that we never forget the sacrifices that men, and women, like Chris Reyka make on our behalf. Their unselfish devotion to duty, sometimes even giving their lives in the process, can easily make me forget about the Ken Jenne's of this world.

"Thank You!" Sheriff Jenne. Yeah, thanks for nothing!

Introduction to my law enforcement blog

2007-09-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

I have been a police officer for all of my adult life. I never really wanted to be anything else and my dream eventually became a reality. I've loved being a cop and overall I think I was a pretty good one too. I also think that most of the dedicated men and women in the law enforcement profession are here because they want to make a difference. They want to do something worthwhile and good. They want to help their fellow man and make this world a better place for all of us to live in.

I know there are some bad cops, the very few who dishonor us all and abuse the awesome power they've been entrusted with. But, these "rotten apples" are definitely in the minority and the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers try to do their difficult jobs the best way they can. Do some of them make mistakes along the way? Only those that never get involved in anything at all avoid the possibility they might do something wrong. Most, and I do include myself here too, can't help but make a mistake now and then. Unless you hide in your office every night, and never venture out onto the streets, occasionally making a few mistakes is almost unavoidable. The smart officers learn from their mistakes, and then never make the same mistake again. Others, and again I believe this is a relatively small number, don't learn a damn thing and they usually repeat the same mistake over and over again.

This blog is obviously about the law enforcement profession, the brave men and women in it, the bad guys they encounter, and the many other difficulties and challenges officers have to face on almost a daily basis. I am basically a very pro-police and patriotic individual, so this blog will usually be slanted in these directions, but if there is something negative that I feel needs to be said or pointed out, then I will do that too. I guess you could say that I hope this blog will be a combination of the good, the bad and the ugly.