Officer assaults photographer

An Eyewitness News 4 photographer was cuffed and cited Thursday morning for disobeying a police officer. It was a situation where the photographer was trying to do his job. And now the Albuquerque Police Department is reviewing the tape to see if the officer crossed the line.

APD says a driver and officers had exchanged gunfire at Copper Avenue and Rhode Island Street NE. An Eyewitness News 4 photographer covering the incident approached two police cars at Copper and Grove NE, believing the suspect was already in custody. The photographer was told that he had to go to a media staging area, but he claims the officer wouldn’t tell him where that was, so he just moved back.

The two officers briefly talked, and then one of them told the photographer where to go.

Video of the incident shows one of the officers walking away, looking at the photographer, and then walking out of frame while the other officer drives away from the scene.

The photographer then began to put his camera in the news vehicle to move to the media staging area when the officer begins circling around.

“I’m not putting the camera down until (inaudible),” the photographer told the officer as he was approached.

The two scuffled for a short time, and then the photographer was handcuffed and detained for about 90 minutes.

A police report identifies the officer as a D. Guzman and Eyewitness News 4 was told Thursday evening that Guzman had been a police officer for 13 months and on the street for seven months.

APD Chief Ray Schultz has yet to release a statement about the video, but APD spokesman John Walsh said the tape will be looked at.

“I can't comment on exactly what occurred on it. That will be reviewed by the independent review officer and, like I stated, he will come across with recommendations and the Albuquerque Police Department will act on those recommendations," Walsh said.

APD says they will proceed with the citation against the photographer.

Americans To Be Tortured For Refusing To Show ID?

This a horror video that wouldn't look out of place in Maoist China or Nazi Germany shows a student being repeatedly shot with a stun gun by UCLA police for the crime of not showing his ID. As similar cases begin to pile up how long will it be before Americans are routinely tortured for noncompliance and refusing to have their 4th amendment violated?

Source: JonesReport

Police Physical Abuse Complaints Rise 40%

The video of the violent Philadelphia Police arrest of three shooting suspects has led to several investigations.

“We investigate them all and try to get to the bottom of it,” said Chief Inspector Anthony DiLacqua. He said it’s one of many alleged police involved incidents Internal Affairs is investigating. In fact, they’ve received more complaints this year than in the same time last year and they’ve seen an increase since the arrest that was caught on tape.

“There were five additional jobs this week compared to the same week last year.”

Overall, complaints against police are up 14%. Internal Affairs data shows complaints of police committing verbal abuse are up 77% and physical abuse complaints against police are up 40% so far this year. It’s important to note that physical abuse complaints are not always extreme.

“It could be everything to I was beat up by police to my handcuffs were too tight and my wrists are sore,” said Chief Inspector DiLacqua.

William Johnson is with the Police Advisory Commission and said, “We noted that there were about 87 complaints filed with the police department around this time last year we’ve received about 131.” Johnson said they take all complaints seriously, not just violent ones.

“Issues of abuses of authority are most common. Illegal searches, seizures and detainments are reported too.”

Chief Inspector DiLacqua also stressed that not all complaints are founded and in some cases the officers are exonerated. He cites the violent arrest as a possible example.

“There were many officers on the scene that simply pulled up and got out of the vehicle and were just standing by who had no physical contact at all with any of the three defendants who were arrested but we look into them.”

Woman killed because of a marijuana seed in garbage.

At 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 21, 2005, Noel and her husband, Charles, were asleep in the master bedroom of their row house when the heavily-armed Baltimore County SWAT team stormed through her home. According to the suit, officers had found “trace amounts of drugs”(marijuana seed) in trash cans outside of the home.

Cheryl Noel feared criminal intruders had broken into her home and grabbed a lawfully registered gun and held it pointed at the floor, the suit states.

Artson kicked in her bedroom door with his boot and, without identifying himself or telling Noel to drop her weapon, shot her three times, including once after she already had slumped to the floor, according to the suit.

“The use of a SWAT team to execute a routine drug warrant was excessive and overkill,” Roberts said. “The woman never knew the police had entered her home. She was doing everything that could be expected of a law-abiding citizen to protect her own life. She was shot and killed without any warning that the police were present or to drop her gun.”

Roberts said his clients “vigorously dispute” arguments that Noel was pointing her gun at the police officer when the officer shot her.

“Clearly, a third shot was wholly unnecessary and grossly excessive,” he said.

Baltimore County Police spokesman William Toohey said police did nothing wrong and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s backs the officers.

“The State’s Attorney’s Office ruled that the shooting was justified,” he said.