What it looks like to me is a picture of someone who is either deceased or pretending to be deceased. It looks like it could be a crime scene, but like an onion there will be a lot of layers to something like this.

- Officer’s Facebook Page Pic Draws Fire

The men were charged with possession of crack cocaine and taken to jail. Pena was held for three days, but Rodriguez spent five days in jail before police completed testing on the candy and dropped the charges.

- Police confuse candy for crack

Organizers returned to the park Tuesday but didn’t locate the bag.

- Police lose bones after demonstration

One union official worried the new rule could be used to punish an officer who makes an honest mistake.

- Commissioner To Boston Cops: You Lie, You’re Fired

No other employee has been terminated based on dishonesty.

- Seattle cop fired for dishonesty will get job back

According the police report, Toner told the arresting officer he was “messed up” and was just trying to “make a big bust.” Toner told police he was doing undercover work inside the bar, but police said Toner’s JSO car was parked right outside the bar.

- Neptune Beach Police Arrest JSO Officer

I’m not questioning if he can do the job. I’m just questioning the bad judgment he used.

- Iowa Police Chief Suspended Over Fighting Video

There have been a number of what I would describe as ‘Come to Jesus’ meetings in my office where I have been very blunt with him.

- Ex-Obetz officer guilty in sexual assault of prisoner

She said he caught the baby before he landed on the floor in the jail.

- Miss. Inmate Claims No One Believed She Was in Labor

I’d prefer we focus on showing the community in a positive light.

- For $65, tourists get peek at Los Angeles gangland amid cease-fire negotiated among rivals

… as he opened the door the officers pulled him out of the house and beat him.

- Vancouver police apologize after man beaten

Congress has failed to take even the relatively easy first steps to consolidate oversight authority of the Department of Homeland Security … The estimated number of committees and subcommittees that oversee DHS ranges from 82 to 108. Virtually no progress has been made since consolidation was first recommended by the 9/11 Commission in 2004.

- Report: National security falls short

A refrigerator used to store evidence, like blood, urine and semen, malfunctioned in December, and investigators are trying to determine if evidence was ruined.

- Police: Refrigerator Used To Store Evidence Malfunctioned

The cemetery where Sparkman committed suicide was known for ”a large amount of drug activity” including the production of methamphetamine.

- U.S. Census Worker in Ky. Makes Suicide Look Like Murder

It’s not so often that I have an opportunity to dine on the sweet flesh of corvus corvidae (no accident though I remain human and I do sometimes fail to apply that in dubiis non est agendum maxim) – so here goes: the most likely suspect in the recent killing of a Seattle police officer is likely an assassin and not a murderer in the traditional sense of the words:

We now know that Monfort was deeply interested in government and social justice issues—like police misconduct, jury nullification, and the loss of rights under the Patriot Act—but it’s still unclear what allegedly drove Monfort to make the leap from being a loner college student interested in policing and justice to, as police have said, a “terrorist.”

So far, it sounds quite a bit like Monfort saw himself as an anti-government patriot akin to Timothy McVeigh. The American flags left at the two scenes, his alleged manifesto written to police, and the numerous college paper articles and school projects all seem to indicate that Monfort believed our government, or at least law enforcement system, was fundamentally flawed or broken.

In the coming weeks we’ll find out more about Monfort, what made him tick, and hopefully, what (allegedly) pushed him over the edge.

- Anatomy of a Murder
by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee
2009-11-09 18:35

It will be intriguing to see where the trial of Monfort goes – obviously the guy had a couple screws loose if he was leaving calling cards and blowing up police cars (the calling card link was neglected in news reports until now).

So my initial statement implicating a bad-cop-kills-good-cop murder can safely be considered incorrect (and, based on a dearth of information, it should have come with a real caveat). The evidence is heavily stacked against Monfort (which is not to say it would be impossible to frame the guy, but the likelihood that he would be framed is extremely low: no sufficient police record to draw the attention of those who would be in a position to frame him, et cetera).

Still, Seattle has no lack of dirty and brutal cops.

Today’s lesson of the day: you can probably survive being shot (particularly if you do not go into shock unnecessarily) – but if you can avoid being shot, you should probably try that first.

Do this:

You’ve Been Shot

Other than a cranial vault shot, you can survive most wounds if you get focused, get aggressive and eliminate the threat, Valone said. Move to a tactical position, get help on the way, and assess and treat your wounds.

Tactical Positioning

When taking a position of cover, concealment or both, consider whether help will be able to find you, Valone said. And consider any option available — officers have survived by standing behind a pole or lying next to a curb. Valone has his trainees use a fire hydrant in simulation training.

When positioned, check your weapon and do combat breathing to get your heart rate down and clear your tunnel vision, Valone advises. His version is to inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, and cycle through this three times.

Calling for help

Give your location, what happened, a threat description and the resources needed. “It’s basic stuff, but you have to know it inside and out because you won’t be thinking,” Valone said. Self assessment is to look for any additional holes.

Valone advised officers to repeatedly re-evaluate their position and threat, and “Don’t give up until your backup gets there.”

- Expo: Bang! You’ve Been Shot at Officer.com
2009-11-03

… not this:

Retired Army Col. Greg Schannep, an aide to Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, who was on the post to attend a graduation service, told the Fort Hood Sentinel that he heard “three or four volleys of shots, with eight to 12 shots in each volley.”

“Initially, I thought it was a training exercise,” he said. But then, “a soldier came running past me and said, ‘Sir, there is someone shooting.’

“As he ran past me, I saw blood on his back,” Schannep told the base paper. “I don’t think he even knew he had been shot.”

- Gunman kills 12, wounds 31 at Fort Hood
2009-11-05

A veteran Seattle police officer was fatally shot Saturday night as he and a rookie officer sat in their patrol car in the Central District. The officer who was killed was identified as Tim Brenton, 39, a nine-year veteran of the Seattle Police Dept.

. . .

“This is an assassination and every resource is being used to bring it to a conclusion,” he [Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel] said.

- Seattle cop is assassinated but his partner survives
Associated Press
2009-11-02

Young people kill other young people, poor people kill other poor people, gang members kill other gang members, and so on. Thus, contrary to stratification theories, a particular murder is not so much the outcome of the differential distribution of attributes as it is an interaction governed by patterns of social relations between people similar in stature and status.

- Mind Hacks’ Social Networks of Murder quoting
Murder by Structure by Papachristos AV

The connotations of the word murder suggest some level of intimacy; the word assassination connotes a political act. If you want to shape public perception of an event, choose the words which preclude an explanation (murder suggests intrigue; assassination is an open-and-shut case).

Given the very low likelihood that an “assassin” would have anything to gain by killing a police officer (notice that the partner survived – the killer[s] did not make much of effort to eliminate a prime witness and an immediate threat with a gun) and the low ratio of psychotically insane individuals in proportion to individuals who may have a grudge against a nine-year veteran of the police force, I would tend to toward wondering whether Officer Brenton perhaps had some enemies on the force or elsewhere…

As with any city, Seattle has its share of dirty cops.

Update:

The approach of the suspect vehicle also seems to have carefully planned to avoid that camera, as it approached from the rear, opened fire from the side, then backed up and drove away in the direction from which it came. SPD spokesperson Mark Jamieson told me this morning that the events “would lead someone to believe that they were trying to avoid detection.”

- SPD: Murderer’s approach, escape shows detailed planning
2009-11-04 12:14

Working night shift at the building at       in       it’s not uncommon to see people hiding out smoking glass pipes (highly doubt they’re hiding out to smoke tobacco) and engaging in prostitution in the back alley when I go out for a cigarette break.

All very true – just saw a male crackhead performing fellatio on another, uglier male crackhead.

I’ve seen patrol cars in the alley a handful of times, however, the one time there was someone presumably smoking drugs in the alley and a patrol car came through the officers appeared to be looking for someone else already and paid more attention to me (and the fact that I was waving them towards the woman hiding out in the corner) than whom I would consider to have been the suspicious person.

The incident in question was definitely good for a laugh.

The neighboring business whose portion of the alley is most often used has installed cameras which probably catch most of the activities in the alley, though I would be interested to know whether their recordings are ever reviewed and what would be the best recommendation you can offer to get an available patrol car through the alley on short notice to reduce the amount of illicit activity going on back there.

There was a nasty car accident the other night and it took the police a full 15 minutes to respond – they arrived long after the ambulance and a horde of concerned bystanders.

Why this letter will never be sent: Another appearance in whichever database the local police department uses to aggregate their complaints, victims, and perpetrators isn’t worthwhile.

I figure that it does not pay to make a name for oneself anywhere in there and the most I can hope for is some bad advice on top of that…

Crackpot theory of the day: Police budgets are manipulated to allow portions of a city to go downhill – whether it be in the interest of the real estate owners who often happen to comprise the city council or some Illuminati master-plan to scare honest, god-fearing `Merikuhns into submission, it definitely seems as though most cities have corpulently-safe little suburbs surrounding their invariably-rotten cores (though there is always that one part of town with all the big houses which seems to receive just enough extra police attention to keep graffiti in check).

Update T+13.23:10

Supporting evidence?

Allen Carrel recently called police to tell them about the latest drug deal he watched go down in his Columbus city, South Side neighbourhood.

“Police say, ‘Well, why did you move here? Why don’t you move out if you don’t like it?’” said Carrel, who said he calls police at least once a week.

- Crime-ridden residents say police suggest they move elsewhere
Arbroath 2009-11-01

Always blow on the pie!

Update: 27D – Interview

Thursday’s SPD blotter reads like something out of an action flick:

On October 22nd at approximately 4:53 a.m. police and fire department personnel responded to a fire at a city maintenance facility located in the 700 block of South Charles Street. City employees who were working on site saw a suspicious male subject walking inside the yard who was coming from an area where police vehicles are parked. As the employees attempted to contact the subject a police car erupted in flames. The subject then took off running. The employees called 911.

- Arson in city maintenance yard
Seattle Police Department Blotter
2009-10-22

Yes, I have an alibi with credible witnesses and all that.

You have to get into their mindset, the way they’re thinking, and have a discussion with them.

. . .

Video tapes are wonderful things. I use a tape recorder.

… they talk, and this is how I do it: I bring the tape recorder in and say, “Look I’m gonna use this recorder because my writing’s terrible and I can’t read it if I write it down…”

And they watch the tape recorder – and if I have a problem with the interview I say, “I wanna talk to you for a second – just, off the record…”

Everyone hear “off the record”? It’s like the unicorn – no such thing.

I pick up the tape recorder and I go “click” and set it right in front of them. And they look at the tape to make sure it’s not turning.

Interview rooms have microphones and video cameras. Everything is being recorded. My tape means nothing because I’m recording it anyways… and then I start talking to them quietly and they start telling me stuff.

. . .

Back to the people – yes, they’re stupid. Yes, they’re stupid… people are inherently stupid.

- Good cop? Bad cop? Typical cop.

I’ve been keeping the dispatch scanner playing quite a bit lately – for the most part, public servants go about their work with expert aplomb (and it adds to an understanding of the causal relationships oft-hidden in the city to associate a patrol car prowling by or the klaxon sirens with actual events) … but sometimes, in some officers’ voices, there’s a tickling hint of sarcasm which belies how police officers view their work.

The implications aren’t pretty, however, they’re unavoidable: the officers know that they’re on a public broadcast (disappointing, in a sense) and cannot overtly voice their frustrations. Common errors in the mechanics of language suggest a lower order of intellect in some cases. Your local police force are not the best and brightest of the community – they are, however, the only ones who stepped up to the calling.

… but when it comes down to your personal safety, there is one thing you really need to bear in mind:

They’re not paid to protect you and they’re not paid to care.

Normally I would hesitate to lean so heavily on quotation, however, as the blog no longer exists, the information is valuable, and WikiLeaks.org has a spotty record for uptime… Detective Jack Night, formerly-anonymous author of the now-defunct Nightjack blog, has this to say (sarcasm noted) on dealing with police:

I thought it would be a good idea to give out a bit of general guidance for those law abiding types who find themselves under suspicion or under arrest. It works for the bad guys so make it work for you.

Complain First

Always get your complaint in first, even if it is you who started it and you who were in the wrong. If things have gone awry and you suspect the cops are going to be called, get your retaliation in first. Ring the cops right away and allege for all you are worth. If you can work a racist or homophobic slant into it so much the better.

Make a counter allegation

Regardless of the facts, never let the other side be blameless. If they beat you to the phone, ring anyway and make a counter allegation against them. Again racism or homophobia are your friends. If you are not from a visible minority ethnic culture, may I suggest that that the phrase “You gay bastard” or similar is always useful. In extremis allege sexual assault. It gives us something to bargain with when getting the other person to drop their complaint on a quid-pro-quo basis. This is particularly good where there are no independent witnesses. When it boils down to one word against another and nobody is ‘fessing up, CPS run a mile and you, my friend, are definitely on a walk out.

Never explain to the Police

If the Police arrive to lock you up, say nothing. You are a decent person and you may think that reasoning with the Police will help. “If I can only explain, they will realise it is all a horrible mistake and go away”. Wrong. We do want to talk to you on tape in an interview room but that comes later. All you are doing by trying to explain is digging yourself further in. We call that stuff a significant statement and we love it. Decent folk can’t help themselves, they think that they can talk their way out. Wrong.

Admit Nothing

To do anything more than lock you up for a few hours we need to prove a case. The easiest route to that is your admission. Without it, our case may be a lot weaker, maybe not enough to charge you with. In any case, it is always worth finding out exactly how damning the evidence is before you fall on your sword. So don’t do the decent and honourable thing and admit what you have done. Don’t even deny it or try to give your side of the story. Just say nothing. No confession and CPS are on the back foot already. They forsee a trial. They fear a trial. They are looking for any excuse to send you home free.

Keep your mouth shut

Say as little as possible to us. At the custody office desk a Sergeant will ask you some questions. It is safe to answer these. For the rest of the time, say nothing.

Claim Suicidal Thoughts

A debatable one this. Claiming to be thinking about topping yourself has several benefits. If you can keep it up, it might just bump up any compensation payable later. On the other hand you may find yourself in a paper suit with someone watching your every move.

Always always always have a solicitor

Duh. No brainer this one. Unless you know 100% for sure that your mate the solicitor does criminal law and is good at it, ask for the Duty Solicitor. They certainly do criminal law and they are good at it. Then listen to what the solicitor says and do it. Their job is to get you off without the Cops or CPS laying a glove on you if at all possible. It is what they get paid for. They are free to you. There is no down side. Now decent folks think it makes them look like they have something to hide if they ask for a solicitor. Irrelevant. Going into an interview without a solicitor is like taking a walk in Tottenham with a big gold Rolex. Bad things are very likely to happen to you. I wouldn’t do it and I interview people for a living.

Actively complain about every officer and everything they do

Did they cuff you when they brought you in? Were they rude to you? Did they racially or homophobically abuse you? Didn’t get fed? Cell too cold? You are decent folk who don’t want to make a fuss but trust me, it pays to whinge and no matter how trivial and / or poorly founded your complaint there are people who will uncritically listen to you and try and prove the complaint on your behalf. Some of them are even police officers. Nothing like a complaint to muddy the waters and suggest that you are only in court because the vindictive Cops have a grudge against you. Far fetched? Wait until your solicitor spins it in court and you come over as Ghandi.

Show no respect to the legal system or anybody working in it

You think that if you are a difficult, unpleasant, sneering, unco-operative and rude things will go badly for you and you will be in more trouble. No sirree Bob. It seems that in fact the worse you are, the easier things will go for you if, horror of horrors, you do end up convicted. Remember to fake a drink problem if you haven’t developed one as a result of dealing with us already. Magistrates and Judges do seem to like the idea that you are basically good but the naughty alcohol made you do it. They treat you better. Crazy I know but true.

So there you go, basically anything you try and do because you are decent and staightforward hurts you badly. Act like an habitual, professional, lifestyle criminal and chances are you will walk away relatively unscathed. Copy the bad guys, its what they do for a living.

- A Survival Guide for Decent Folk
Post from dead blog (nightjack.wordpress.com)
Now hosted at WikiLeaks.org

Valid points:

• Complain First – Perception of culpability generally lies in the idea that whomever hesitated to contact the police was acting the outlaw.
• Never explain to the Police – Explanations (should you be taken into custody) will not serve to your benefit and can only work against you or make later defense more difficult.
• Admit Nothing – Just keep your mouth shut (particularly if you have nothing to hide).
• Keep your mouth shut – It’s worth repeating.
• Claim Suicidal Thoughts – Most likely a joke, though it could serve you well in providing isolation from the general prison population; there are most always padded cells reserved for those who may be a risk to themselves.
• Actively complain about every officer and everything they do – Possibly a joke, though it would stand well toward one’s desired appearance of innocence that one would be unable to believe what was happening.
• Show no respect to the legal system or anybody working in it – Hunter S. Thompson had something to say about this:

… or, should you prefer to be a good citizen, there’s always the wrong way to handle a police stop.

Though, should you need this advice, it is already too late.