Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is proud of a few things, and rightly so. First, DeSantis ended all COVID-related restrictions and lockdown measures on July 1st, 2021, completing the job he started in September 2020. The legislation, passed by the Florida Legislature last week, bars state and local governments from shuttering businesses and schools during health emergencies … [Read more...]
OPP Sergeant Jamie Gillespie Pleads Guilty to attempting to intercept private communications
On December 28, 2020, Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Jamie Gillespie was arrested and charged with attempting to intercept private communication, obstructing justice, breach of trust, counselling an offence that is not committed, and obstructing a peace officer. These charges stemmed from Gillespie's illegal recordings of fellow Wellington OPP Detachment officers earlier … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Austin Police Department Officer Lewis “Andy” Traylor
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. On July 28, 2021, while responding to a serious injury traffic call, Austin Police Department Officer Lewis "Andy" Traylor was critically injured when a tractor-trailer made a U-Turn in front of his cruiser. Officer Traylor’s vehicle slammed into the … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Kern County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff Phillip Campas
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. It was a domestic violence call that turned into a deadly standoff in rural southern California. On July 25, 2021, Kern County Sheriff's Office Deputy Sheriff Phillip Campas was shot and killed during a standoff that also wounded another police officer. When … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Clark County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jeremy Brown
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. Clark County Sheriff's Office Detective Jeremy Brown was shot and killed while conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in the 3500 block of Northeast 109th Avenue in Vancouver, Washington. While he sat in his vehicle, he was approached by three people, … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Josh Bartlett
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. On July 15, 2021, Lubbock County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Josh Bartlett was murdered during an hours-long SWAT standoff that also left three others injured. The Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of our own, tonight, SWAT Commander … [Read more...]
Jared Lowndes Shooting Death: The RCMP Has A Lot to Answer for
On July 8, 2021, Jared Lowndes – wanted for an outstanding warrant for his DNA – was shot and killed by RCMP in the parking lot of a Campbell River Tim Hortons restaurant after evading police after an earlier traffic stop. From the RCMP’s version of events: The BC RCMP has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in Campbell … [Read more...]
Can Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah Succeed Where Every Other Police Agency has Failed?
Peel Regional Police Services Chief Nishan Duraiappah wants to transform of his department away from its current culture of secrecy to a departmental culture that is more open, more transparent and less defensive than in the past. The reason? He wants to rebuild credibility and trust in the department that the region’s citizens lost a long time ago. High-profile cases of … [Read more...]
Ottawa Police Constable Ripped for Charter Violations by Justice David Berg
Justice David Berg lambasted Ottawa Police Service Constable Corey Bourguignon for lying under oath when he ruled Vincent Lebrun’s Charter rights were violated so egregiously the evidence against him must be excluded. That evidence was, according to news reports, a grenade launcher. “There is no excuse for a police officer not knowing this basic tenet of our … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Terre Haute Police Department Detective Greg Ferency
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. UPDATED JULY 16, 2021 to add Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett's comments after Detective Ferrency's funeral. Terre Haute Police Department Detective Greg Ferency was ambushed and murdered outside the FBI Indianapolis Resident Agency on Wednesday, July 7, … [Read more...]
Paul Palango: One Man’s Pursuit of the Truth Could be the RCMP’s Undoing
Investigative Reporter Paul Palango is one of those rare individuals, one of those old-school reporters, for whom the truth still matters. Unfortunately for the RCMP, the truth he uncovers may well be the organization's undoing. Lest you fall into the RCMP-baited trap that Palango has a hate-on for the RCMP, allow me to quote a couple paragraphs from the description of his … [Read more...]
Santa Fe County Deputy Sheriff Patrick Ficke: Hero Cop Saves Child’s Life
On the afternoon of June 5, 2021, Santa Fe County Deputy Sheriff Patrick Ficke was on patrol along Interstate 25 when he noticed a vehicle driving erratically. Here's how it went down, in Deputy Sheriff Ficke's own words: So I decided to do a traffic stop. Right as I stopped the vehicle, the driver, who was a father jumped out - which is usually a red flag for law … [Read more...]
Officers Down: San Diego Police Department Detectives Jamie Huntley-Park and Ryan Park
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. Tragedy struck the San Diego Police Department on June 4, 2021, when married Detectives Ryan Park and Jamie Huntley-Park were killed by a driver going the wrong way on Interstate 5. That vehicle struck the detectives' vehicle, killing them both. The detectives … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Worcester Police Department Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. On June 4, 2021, Worcester Police Department Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia gave his life attempting to save 14-year-old Troy Love, who also drowned in Green Hill Pond. “Two kids were in the water trying to hold onto each other in the water when I got here, … [Read more...]
Halifax Regional Police Constable Pierre-Paul Cadieux Found Guilty of Racism
On May 5, 2021, Halifax Regional Police Constable Pierre-Paul Cadieux and Constable Steve Logan were found guilty of racism by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. The Commission's 51-page decision (view PDF) doesn't pull any punches about Constable Pierre-Paul Cadieux's and Constable Steve Logan's behaviour. [3] I find that race was a factor in the police … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Canada Corrections Officer Bikramdeep Randhawa
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. Canada Corrections Officer Bikramdeep Randhawa gunned down in a brazen daylight hit at a Delta gas station on May 1, 2021. The getaway vehicle, a Mazda SUV, was found burning in South Burnaby later that day. Police are unsure if Randhawa was murdered because … [Read more...]
Officer Down: RCMP Constable Shelby Patton
Constable Shelby Patton, a six year veteran of the Indian Head RCMP detachment, was murdered while performing a traffic stop outside Wolseley, SK, on June 12, 2021. Constable Patton pulled over a truck reported stolen from Manitoba. After he exited his RCMP cruiser the driver of the stolen vehicle hit him and ran him over, killing him. Assistant Commissioner … [Read more...]
Officers Down: Deputy Sheriffs Samuel Leonard and Stephen Jones
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. On May 10, 2021, Concho County Sheriff's Office Deputy Sheriff Samuel Leonard, Deputy Sheriff Stephen Jones and an unidentified in Eden, Texas, city employee responded to a disturbance call about a dog. When they arrived the got into an altercation with Jeffrey … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper John Harris
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper John Harris died on May 28, 2021, when he was hit by a transport truck while performing a traffic stop on another motorist. "The Mississippi Highway Patrol mourns the loss of Trooper John Harris," said Col. Randy Ginn, … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Detective Luca Benedetti
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. San Luis Obispo Police Department Detective Luca Benedetti died May 10, 2021, while executing a search warrant. Detective Benedetti and Detective Steve Orozco identified themselves as they approached the residence with three other officers. Hearing no … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Stockton Police Officer Jimmy Inn
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. Stockton Police Department Officer Jimmy Inn gave his life in defence of a stranger on May 11, 2021. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice and he came to work every day, putting his life on the line for strangers he’d never met — coming to work to protect members of … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Champaign Police Department Officer Chris Oberheim
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. Shortly before 3:30am on May 19, 2021, the Champaign Police Department received a call about a domestic disturbance. Officer Chris Oberheim responded, as did a second officer. Both were met with a hail of gunfire as they exited their squad cars. They responded … [Read more...]
Officer Kristin Mitrisin: Hero Cop Saves 9-day-old Baby Olivia’s Life
Pleasant Hills Police Officer Kristin Mitrisin found more than she bargained for when Joe and Jody Schleicher flagged her down on Pennsylvania Route 51 on April 27th. The frantic parents told Officer Mitrisin their 9-day-old baby girl Olivia stopped breathing. Today Olivia is alive because of Officer Mitrisin's quick thinking and excellent training. “I just was doing … [Read more...]
LAPD Captain Jonathan Tom’s Home Searched for Stolen Firearms
On March 20, 2020, Archi Duenas, the manager of the Los Angeles Police Academy gun store, was arrested and charged with stealing 35 firearms from his employer and selling them to members of the Academy, all police officers. In September 2020 the LAPD announced they recovered 24 of the stolen guns, leaving 11 outstanding. On September 15, 2020, Archi Duenas pleaded not guilty … [Read more...]
Police Officer Latoya Dythe Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms
Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Officer Latoya Dythe was suspended without pay after a federal grand jury indicted her for illegally purchasing a firearm for her boyfriend, Devon Jones. That announcement came in a press conference with U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, FBI Special Agent in Charge Melissa Godbold and Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin on December 10, 2020 She pleaded … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Chandler P.D. Officer Christopher Farrar
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. On April 29, 2021, Chandler Police Department Officer Christopher Farrar was struck and killed by a violent moron driving a stolen vehicle. Gilbert Police Officer Rico Aranda was also struck and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He remains in … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Delmar Police Corporal Keith Heacook
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. On April 28, 2021, Delmar Police Department Corporal Keith Heacook passed away from injuries suffered when he responded to a 911 call from an elderly couple being attacked by a stranger. "Our community, my department, his family — we all mourn," Delmar Police … [Read more...]
Officer Terry Spence: Autism Awareness Training in Action
April was Autism Awareness Month in Tennessee and the Murfreesboro Police Department is one of the first departments in the state to deliver autism awareness training to its officers. Little did Officer Terry Spence know that, shortly after his training, he would need to put what he learned into practice. In a story published on April 24, 2021, Officer Terry Spence pulled … [Read more...]
Use-of-Force Up 27 Percent by Lethbridge Police Service
The Lethbridge Police Service tabled their annual report before the Lethbridge Police Commission on April 8, 2021. Among other things, this report shows use of force by Lethbridge Police officers is up 27% since last year. (see PDF) Every year the Lethbridge Police reviews all Subject Behavior Officer Response (SBOR) Reports to determine any trends or patterns that may … [Read more...]
Officers Down: Sergeant Chris Ward and Deputy Sheriff Logan Fox
When someone is so distraught they want to end their own life, why do they insist on involving others? Just kill yourself already and save the rest of us the grief and anguish. That's how I felt when I read the story of how two great police officers died last week in Boone, North Carolina. On April 28, 2021, an individual called in a welfare check on their … [Read more...]