Jonathan Blanks is a Research Associate in Cato’s Project on Criminal Justice. His research is focused on law enforcement practices, overcriminalization, and civil liberties.

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-24-17

Here are the seven reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, February 24, 2017:

  • South Amboy, New Jersey: A detective was charged for allegedly stealing $3,000 from evidence.  ow.ly/72fX309j0Vs
  • Columbus, Ohio: An officer was charged with solicitation and dereliction of duty. ow.ly/lBmW309j17a
  • Woodstock, Illinois: An officer was charged with DUI after a one-car off-duty crash. ow.ly/rRB8309j1EK
  • Update: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania (First reported 12-09-16): A now-former officer was charged with aggravated assault for shooting a jail guard during an off-duty bar fight. He was fired after the incident. ow.ly/XXPH309j1VC
  • Update: Las Cruces, New Mexico (First reported 05-20-15): The City settled a lawsuit with a man who was beaten in his jail cell by two now-former officers for $400,000. ow.ly/rh0Q309j28p
  • Update: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (First reported 01-14-16): An officer was found guilty on five counts of sexual assault against a teen. The officer was on duty and in uniform when he approached her for smoking marijuana and then led her to a secluded area where he assaulted her. He had previously been fired by the Honolulu Police Department for falsifying records and lying to investigators about transporting an underage runaway.  ow.ly/kB2C309j2QU
  • Seattle, Washington: An officer was charged with drug possession and illegal access of law enforcement database. ow.ly/A1hj309j32B

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-23-17

Here are the 11 reports of police misconduct tracked for Thursday, February 23, 2017:

  • Mercer County, New Jersey: An officer was arrested for simple assault for allegedly beating his wife. ow.ly/ftov309gzw5
  • Update: U.S. Customs & Border Protection: A now-former agent was acquitted of attempted murder and aggravated assault for an off-duty shooting. ow.ly/NfZN309hSnq
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee: An officer was fired after making a false arrest, violating use of force policy, and harassing a man. ow.ly/41qc309hTHs
  • Crockett County, Tennessee: A deputy was indicted on federal charges for providing protection for drug trafficking while on duty and in uniform. ow.ly/YIHp309hUer
  • Burnett County, Wisconsin: A deputy was arrested for OWI with a child in the car and placed on leave. ow.ly/nGJ7309hWuL
  • Los Angeles, California: An officer was placed on leave after a video went viral showing him fire his gun in an off-duty confrontation with teens. ow.ly/yXvH309ikla
  • Update: Orange County, Florida: A deputy was suspended 40 hours without pay for berating a tow truck driver and flashing her badge to intimidate him out of towing her vehicle. ow.ly/Mi3J309hWZH
  • Moore County, North Carolina: A school resource officer was charged with numerous counts of sexual misconduct against students. He resigned. ow.ly/qRtC309hXpg
  • Ingalls, Indiana: The chief was suspended for five days by the town council for “15 to 20” reasons and “past actions.” ow.ly/KqWa309hYc4
  • Update: California Highway Patrol: A now-former officer was acquitted of child molestation charges. ow.ly/9n0c309hYTJ
  • Madison, Wisconsin: The City agreed to pay $3,350,000 to the family of Tony Robinson, who was unarmed when he was fatally shot by an officer. ow.ly/foQ3309i62t

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-22-17

Here are the 12 reports of police misconduct tracked for Wednesday, February 22, 2017:

  • Coloma Township, Michigan: An officer was arrested for allegedly stealing drugs from the scene of an overdose. ow.ly/jIT7309foVy
  • Custer County, Colorado: A now-former deputy and D.A.R.E. officer has been accused of having sex with a then-17-year-old student. He now works for the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. He has been placed on leave. ow.ly/b42i309ftbX
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The City is being sued by the state ACLU for racial bias in its Stop and Frisk program. ow.ly/qD8x309fzAc
  • Fremont County, Colorado: A deputy was suspended for evidence tampering in a murder investigation. The alleged murder weapon was found by a new tenant of a private storage facility that had previously been rented to the deputy. The victim’s family alleges a cover-up by the department. ow.ly/eBPU309ftZk
  • Montgomery County, Ohio: A deputy was charged with assaulting his wife and step-daughter. His wife lost three teeth during the incident. ow.ly/tyb0309fxLL
  • Haverhill, Massachusetts: An officer was arrested for OUI after hitting two cars while he was off duty. This is his second OUI offense. ow.ly/Zjdn309fy4K
  • Punta Gorda, Florida: An officer was charged with manslaughter for shooting Mary Knowlton, 73, during a gun demonstration. ow.ly/a9UT309ga3e
  • Clayton County, Georgia: An officer was arrested for family violence. His wife alleges multiple incidents of abuse. ow.ly/4U5T309fyoR
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Two officers are being investigated for DUI and one of them is accused of working a shift while intoxicated. Four Milwaukee officers have been accused of DUI so far in 2017. ow.ly/XXlm309fyZD
  • Pasadena, California: An officer was placed on leave after the ATF searched his home. ow.ly/bORn309fAJW
  • Nashville, Tennessee: An officer was arrested for theft. He allegedly stole a bottle of Jack Daniel’s from a driver after a DUI crash. ow.ly/ehWK309fCPE
  • Update: Benton County, Arkansas (First reported 02-26-16): A now-former deputy is facing additional charges of sexual assault against a teen during a traffic stop. He had previously been charged with child pornography possession and sexual assault for incidents with the teen off duty.  ow.ly/xJg4309fEJV

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-21-17

Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Tuesday, February 21, 2017:

  • Detroit, Michigan: An officer was charged with “super drunk” driving—that is, driving with a BAC more than twice the legal limit—for an off-duty incident in Monroe County.  ow.ly/YGjJ309cSf3
  • South Carthage, Tennessee: An officer was recorded making unwanted sexual advances on a clerk while he was on duty. He was suspended two weeks and has resumed regular duties.  ow.ly/nyrI309cXVR
  • Deschutes County, Oregon: A deputy was charged with harassment for an off-duty altercation with a woman after a fender bender. ow.ly/hxlC309cZCX
  • Update: Yellowstone County, Montana (First reported 02-05-16): Two now-former deputies were denied qualified immunity in a lawsuit for fatally shooting Loren Simpson. They were terminated but were not criminally charged for the incident. ow.ly/Lj1X309d04z
  • Nevada Transportation Authority: A supervisor was charged for drunk driving and purchasing heroin for himself and his mother. ow.ly/jl1Y309d1CH
  • Ascension Parish, Louisiana: A deputy was fired and arrested for domestic assault for an off-duty incident with his ex-girlfriend.  ow.ly/lYah309d2wp
  • Update: Grand Rapids, Michigan (First reported 01-30-17): One of the three officers investigated for aiding a prosecutor who was caught driving the wrong way while under the influence was suspended for 30 days after an administrative hearing. He and his colleagues were indefinitely suspended with a recommendation to be terminated. The remaining officers’ administrative cases are pending. ow.ly/MKcT309d4yl
  • Update: Prince George’s County, Maryland (First reported 01-19-17): An officer was given a one-year suspended sentence and three years of probation after his guilty plea to taking upskirt photos of women both while he was on and off duty. ow.ly/I31k309d4Zo
  • Tucson, Arizona: An officer’s certification was retroactively suspended for three weeks. Initially, he was fired for stealing a burrito while on duty but he was reinstated.  ow.ly/LPvn309d63r

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-17-17

Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, February 17, 2017:

  • Update: Helena, Montana (First reported 11-30-16): An officer entered into a deferred prosecution agreement for her domestic violence arrest. She retained her employment. ow.ly/HEpV3095lQj
  • Update: South Dakota Highway Patrol (First reported 11-08-16): A now-former trooper pled guilty to stealing $70,000 in drug money over several years. He will be sentenced in March. ow.ly/UaK630960hD
  • Jacksonville, Florida: Three sheriff’s deputies were suspended and charged with tampering after a fatal officer-involved shooting during an undercover drug buy. The officers allegedly got rid of beer cans and were thus not tested for intoxication at the scene. ow.ly/Y4463096cQw
  • Chicago, Illinois: An officer was fired for shooting 16 times into the wrong vehicle during a 2011 off-duty shooting. ow.ly/b6TT3096dD1
  • Portland, Oregon: An officer was fired for making threats with a gun after an off-duty poker game. This was one report listed among several in the periodic disciplinary release from the department. ow.ly/36Bn3096dXc
  • Amtrak: An officer was charged with murder for shooting a passenger in the back during a layover at Union Station in Chicago.  ow.ly/IfMp3096J5J
  • New York, New York: Two officers were indicted for misconduct, filing a false instrument, and perjury for making a bogus gun possession arrest. ow.ly/mNBL3096Y3L
  • Whitfield County, Georgia: A deputy was arrested for child molestation, false imprisonment, and child cruelty. ow.ly/IlTv3096ZBd
  • Beaufort County, South Carolina: A deputy was fired after approaching jurors about a civil case they were hearing. The act triggered a mistrial. ow.ly/vx3x30974Ry

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-16-17

Here are the six reports of police misconduct tracked for Thursday, February 16, 2017:

  • Shreveport, Louisiana: An officer was charged with accessory after the fact in the wake of a fatal shooting at a grocery store. ow.ly/nX2f3094049
  • Update: Robstown, Texas (First reported 11-08-16): An officer entered a pretrial diversion program for DWI, and will retain job after serving a five-day suspension. He was found unconscious behind the wheel of his truck. Successful completion of the program will purge the charge from his record. ow.ly/X9lq30948Ga
  • Update: Baltimore, Maryland (First reported 03-03-16): An officer was acquitted of charges for slapping a student in a viral video. The other officer involved entered an Alford plea and resigned.  ow.ly/551B3094gZF
  • Update: Columbus, Mississippi (First reported 09-08-16): A now-former officer was acquitted of domestic violence charges. She resigned after her arrest. ow.ly/NPWR3094hWY
  • Nashville, Tennessee: An officer was fired for social media posts about the fatal shooting of Philando Castile in Minnesota. The Chief said the posts were so bad that they discredited the officer. ow.ly/axM33094iHY
  • Providence, Kentucky: A patrolman resigned after an FBI investigation into alleged racial profiling. ow.ly/dXq83094kt2  The news story is gated so the following link is included for background information. ow.ly/anHr3094kvJ

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-15-17

Here are the eight reports of police misconduct tracked for Wednesday, February 15, 2017:

  • Bristol, Virginia: A detective was arrested for DUI and suspended. ow.ly/fY4q3091H8F
  • Update: Baltimore, Maryland (First reported 03-03-16): A school resource officer entered an Alford plea on an assault charge and resigned. He was video recorded slapping a student, and the images went viral. ow.ly/EJl23091LtR
  • U.S. Customs & Border Protection (NYC): An officer was arrested for aiding cocaine smugglers at JFK airport. ow.ly/Z8Vv3091M1r
  • Oviedo, Florida: An officer was indicted on aggravated assault charges for a shooting during a traffic stop. ow.ly/oiKj3091MvJ
  • Update: Pennsylvania State Police (first reported 02-17-16): A trooper is on trial for assault and official oppression. He was video recorded kicking an activist and subsequently lying in his official statement. ow.ly/2zyv3091NbN
  • Update: Memphis, Tennessee (First reported 01-19-16): A now-former officer was sentenced to one year in jail for stalking his ex. He put a tracking device on her car. ow.ly/3T9T3091OiG
  • Trenton, New Jersey: An officer was placed on leave after a domestic incident with his wife. ow.ly/wwkM3091OYT
  • Grover Beach, California: An officer was arrested for failure to control a dangerous animal after a fatal mauling. He resigned. ow.ly/wxy53091PHy

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Recap 02-14-17

Here are the seven reports of police misconduct tracked for Tuesday, February 14, 2017:

  • Jackson, Mississippi: An officer was fired after a cell phone video showed him knee a handcuffed suspect in the head. ow.ly/ELm7308ZD1a
  • Update: Denver, Colorado (First reported 10-31-16): An officer pled guilty to stealing $1,200 at a crime scene. He was discovered by a review of the footage on his body camera. He was allowed to resign and given 18 months of probation. ow.ly/DTjH308ZEjA
  • Update: Montvale, New Jersey (First reported 01-17-17): An officer pled guilty to DWI. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, but he is appealing the inclusion of his DWI test as evidence, so the probation has not yet gone into effect. ow.ly/AzHF308ZFhV
  • Ft. Myer U.S. Army Base (Virginia): A civilian police officer pled guilty to armed bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 12.  ow.ly/TX6G308ZG9A
  • Pensacola, Florida: An officer was arrested for trespass, battery, and obstruction for an off-duty incident at another person’s home. ow.ly/DDhQ308ZGSE
  • Tennessee Highway Patrol: A trooper was charged with reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, public intoxication, and resisting arrest for an off-duty incident involving his wife. ow.ly/iKfP308ZHx9
  • Las Cruces, New Mexico: The City was ordered to pay a couple $1,600,000 for an incident when an officer slammed a woman’s face into rocks during her arrest, thereby breaking her nose and wrist. ow.ly/vB6Y3090lMj

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-13-17

Here are the eight reports of police misconduct tracked for Monday, February 13, 2017:

  • Update: Marion County, Florida (First reported 01-27-16): A now-former deputy was acquitted of state battery charge for actions during a 2014 arrest that was caught on video. He was acquitted of federal civil rights charges for the same incident last year. Four other now-former deputies pled guilty to charges and testified against him. ow.ly/EMah308WomY
  • North Charleston, South Carolina: A deputy who was fired for excessive force was charged with third-degree assault and battery for an on-duty incident. This is the same community that is preparing for the retrial of its former officer Michael Slager for fatally shooting Walter Scott in the back. In both cases, the officer was white and the citizen was black. ow.ly/2Tw6308Wp3z
  • Florence County, South Carolina: A deputy who served as a school resource officer was charged with sexual battery of a student. ow.ly/CvjT308WpGP
  • Orlando, Florida: An officer was fired for lying on an official police report.  ow.ly/ftfg308X50d
  • Macon County, Tennessee: A deputy was charged with stealing a bale of tobacco. He was off duty at the time of the incident and is no longer with the department. ow.ly/tBHt308X5GY
  • Newark, New Jersey: An officer was charged with false swearing and making false statements. He was previously suspended for actions during the arrest of a 14-year-old boy. (See report of 02-05-16) ow.ly/oiEV308X6d8
  • Wichita, Kansas: An officer was jailed on rape charges for an incident while he was off duty. ow.ly/FR24308XBq9
  • New York, New York: An officer was cited in a lawsuit by a disabled man who alleges he was sexually assaulted by the officer under color of law in a bodega. ow.ly/TUz9308XYFV

National Police Misconduct Newsfeed Daily Recap 02-10-17

Here are the nine reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, February 10, 2017:

  • Friars Point, Mississippi: An officer was suspended for three days for threats and intimidation. ow.ly/XWrY308SvyB
  • Update: Ely, Minnesota (First reported 11-12-15): An officer who had been suspended indefinitely struck a deal so to resign after he admitted to a sexual relationship with an underage girl. He will receive $15,000 in severance pay. ow.ly/lYIM308SwhB
  • Chicago, Illinois: The independent review authority recommended firing an officer who fatally shot motorist Darius Pinex in January 2011. ow.ly/dvde308Sx8B
  • Atlanta, Georgia: An officer was arrested after a DUI crash. ow.ly/KgPU308SRRQ
  • Richmond, Virginia: An officer was charged with reckless handling of a firearm after a fellow officer filed a complaint.