[OCTOBER 2nd, 2001] Jefferson County Police Officer Pamela Dawn Powell appeared to investigators to have been shot in her sleep with her own service weapon. Her husband Robert "Bobby" Powell first claimed she had committed suicide, then claimed they had a suicide pact but that he just couldn't follow through when it was his turn. Pamela Powell's sister said "He's lying. She would never commit suicide," that her sister had been planning to leave him and had already packed her daughter's clothing. Robert was sentenced to life in prison.

...[Pamela] Powell will be remembered for her volunteer work and her generosity, [Officer Molly] Dentinger said. She spent a lot of time working on the department's Youth Summit this year and last year helped with Adam District's Christmas party for underprivileged youths... Last Christmas, Powell spent days sewing a bright green Grinch costume and elf get-ups for fellow officers to wear at the party... "She's really going to be missed in the community... She was jovial, crazy and fun"... 

[PAMELA POWELL'S 2 LAWSUITS AGAINST HER CHIEF]
SMALL TOWN DIDN'T TELL RESIDENTS OF LAWSUITS: Former officer got $75,000 in 2 cases against police chief 
The Courier-Journal
Scott Wade
February 21, 2000
[Excerpts] In the past three years, the city of Graymoor-Devondale has twice settled lawsuits against its police chief, Joseph Renzi - one for sexual harassment, the other for defamation... But Graymoor-Devondale leaders have never informed city residents about the lawsuits or settlements, nor told them that the chief was reprimanded for misconduct and insubordination for failing to get counseling. And Renzi remains police chief... "You just don't throw a guy out when he hits a little adversity or hits a bump in the road - you give him a break," said former City Council member Mike Kennedy... BOTH LAWSUITS were filed by Pamela Powell, who was fired by the city in September 1995 just hours after she filed the first suit. In the first lawsuit, Powell accused Renzi of making unwanted sexual advances in 1994 and '95... Powell filed the second lawsuit against Renzi and the city in July 1998 after she learned that Renzi had placed her picture on a dartboard in the police office above a hand-drawn picture of breasts and a sign with the words "Stick the Slut." That lawsuit, which claimed defamation, was settled Dec. 23 of last year... Powell, now a Jefferson County police officer, declined to comment... [Mayor John] Vaughan said there was no need for the city to publicize the matter... Council member [Thelma] Poe this week complained that the newspaper's reporting made the volunteer City Council "look bad... If we (told citizens what was happening), that would be like gossiping about our employees," she said... But Graymoor-Devondale resident Sally Craxton, who didn't know about the recent suit or settlement until told about it by a reporter, said residents should have been informed. "This is our city and our police chief and we wouldn't have known about it if it weren't for The CourierJournal," she said. "We have a right to know... As a woman, I'm affronted by the way he feels about women," she said. "Also, I think our police chief should be an exemplary person. Is this what we want our youth to see as an example of the person who is supposed to be enforcing the law?"...

MILLENNIAL MOTHERHOOD: Policewoman-mom-businesswoman-racing enthusiast enters Mrs. Kentucky contest for motivation 
The Courier-Journal
Mark Coomes
February 29, 2000
[Excerpts] Even by the standards of our turbo-charged times, Pamela Powell lives an outrageously fast, full life. She juggles five kids, a full-time job and vital roles in three family businesses. She also packs a gun, races motorbikes and hopes to be crowned Mrs. Kentucky 2000... Powell, 39, is a truly arresting figure: 5 feet 9 and 120 pounds, with raven hair and cinnamoncolored skin. She cuts quite a dash in her Jefferson County police uniform. And her racing gear. And her pageant gown. Her nightgown? Don't ask. That question might stump even Powell's husband, Bobby. He's usually asleep when she finally hits the hay around 1 a.m., and barely awake when she rises at 6:30 to get the children off to school. Thus begins a typical 18-hour day, typically packed with a week's worth of activities... "I'm a people person," she said. "If I was locked in a room where I couldn't talk to people, I'd probably climb the walls and start talking to myself." Powell needn't worry about the tortures of silence and solitude. Her Crestwood farm is home to a menagerie of children and critters, all lodged in a rustic A-frame overlooking a small pond. The Powells exchanged more than wedding vows in May 1998. Pamela had two children from a previous marriage... Bobby had three... "I guess we're sort of a modern-day Brady Bunch," Pamela Powell said... Her patrol rotation is six days on and one off... She races four-wheel ATVs... Bobby Powell plans to turn pro in the spring and already has lined up sponsors and an agent... "Oh, Bobby is a real hotshot," Pamela Powell said. "He thinks he's Evel Knievel." Powell is pretty Evel-minded herself... She decided to enter the Mrs. Kentucky pageant this June...

PAGEANT NEWS BUREAU
Offstage Archive
October - December 2001
Pamela Powell, a police officer in Kentucky who was Mrs. Jefferson County Globe 2000, has died. She placed third in the Mrs. Kentucky Globe Pageant and won the Family Values Award.

JEFFERSON POLICE OFFICER , NATIVE OF WOODFORD, FOUND FATALLY SHOT
Lexington Herald-Leader
Thursday, October 4, 2001
[Excerpts] A Jefferson County police officer was found dead Tuesday in her home in Oldham County, authorities said. Pamela Dawn Powell , 41, was fatally shot, but police would not say whether her death appeared to be a homicide or suicide... Mrs. Powell was found in her Crestwood home about 8:20 a.m. Tuesday. Police would not say who found her... Mrs. Powell was a Woodford County native and a graduate of Bryan Station High School in Lexington. She had been a police equipment magazine model and had worked for the Scott County sheriff's department at one time. Mrs. Powell had been a Jefferson County officer for about five years. She also had worked with several youth programs, Biven said. Mrs. Powell , a finalist in the Mrs. Kentucky 2000 pageant, lived with her husband, Bobby... Mrs. Powell, then Pam Conway, had been fired by the Graymoor-Devondale City Council in September 1995, just hours after filing a lawsuit against the city and Police Chief Joseph Renzi...

POLICE OFFICER FOUND FATALLY SHOT AT HOME: Pamela Powell on county force about five years 
By Shannon Tangonan
The Courier-Journal
[Excerpts] ..."The men and women of the Jefferson County Police Department are saddened" by her death, [Jefferson County police spokesman Officer Robert] Biven said. Powell, a finalist in the Mrs. Kentucky 2000 pageant, lived with her husband, Bobby, in a two-story house next to her in-laws. They had several children between them in what she once told a reporter was a "modernday Brady Bunch" family... Last year Powell operated a tanning salon and did bookkeeping for her husband's excavating firm, as well as police work. Before joining the county force, she was a deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department... Before that, she was employed by the Graymoor-Devondale Police Department, Yates said...

POLICE AWAIT TESTS IN OFFICER'S DEATH: Powell's friends recall work with children, jovial personality 
By Shannon Tangonan
The Courier-Journal
10/4/2001
[Excerpts] Investigators were awaiting laboratory test results yesterday to help determine whether a Jefferson County police officer [Pamela Powell] found fatally shot in her Crestwood home Tuesday was killed or committed suicide. There were no updates... Meanwhile, friends reflected on the loss of a dedicated officer who often volunteered to work with children... "Any time you lose another officer like this, it's a shock to everyone," [Jefferson County Police Capt. Bob Schutte] Schutte said. Officer Julie Schmidt, of the Jefferson County police canine unit and a friend of Powell's, said she helped family members make arrangements yesterday.... "I paged Pam and I called her house and nobody answered. That's when I knew it was true, and I was devastated"... Officer Molly Dentinger, who had known Powell for about four years, said she last saw Powell on Friday when they both arrived to assist another officer on a run. "Pam came flying to quickly back this officer up," Dentinger said. While on that run, "she handed me an invitation to her Halloween party"... Powell will be remembered for her volunteer work and her generosity, Dentinger said. She spent a lot of time working on the department's Youth Summit this year and last year helped with Adam District's Christmas party for underprivileged youths... Last Christmas, Powell spent days sewing a bright green Grinch costume and elf get-ups for fellow officers to wear at the party... "She's really going to be missed in the community," Dentinger said. "She was jovial, crazy and fun."

SLAIN OFFICER'S HUSBAND ARRESTED
The Courier-Journal
By Chris Kenning
Tuesday, October 9, 2001
[Excerpts] The husband of a Jefferson County police officer found dead at her Oldham County home last week has been charged with her murder. Police initially said tests were under way to determine if Officer Pamela Powell's shooting death was a homicide or suicide. Oldham County police arrested Robert L. Powell, 34, about 3 p.m. yesterday and charged him with first-degree murder... According to an arrest slip filed in Oldham District Court yesterday, Robert Powell shot "her in the head with a 9mm pistol"... Officer Robert Biven, a spokesman for Jefferson County police, said the arrest provided a measure of relief to a department that had been left with disturbing questions about Powell's death. The charges help "bring some closure," he said. Biven said Jefferson County detectives and evidence technicians helped with the investigation, and he praised Oldham County police for working quickly... [Pam's friend, Jefferson County police officer Julie] Schmidt said she hadn't spent much time with the Powells when they were together and wouldn't say if Pamela Powell had talked about any domestic trouble. "I'm just glad that her children will now know she didn't abandon them," she said...

SLAIN POLICE OFFICER'S HUSBAND HAS RECORD OF ASSAULT ARRESTS: Those charges were dismissed; he is now held in wife's death 
The Courier-Journal
By Shannon Tangonan
Wednesday, October 10, 2001
[Excerpts] An Oldham County man charged with the murder of his wife, a Jefferson County police officer, had two arrests in the last eight years involving domestic violence, court records show. Both cases of fourth-degree assault eventually were dismissed, and neither involved Officer Pamela Powell, whose body was found Oct. 2 at the home in Crestwood she shared with her husband, Robert L. "Bobby" Powell. She had been shot in the head... Pamela Powell's sister, Dana Scherrer, 39, of Ossian, Ind., said she never mentioned any domestic or financial trouble... Court records in Oldham County show Powell was arrested in two domestic disputes, one dating to 1993 involving a former wife, and the other in 1995 involving a woman with whom he shared a child. According to an arrest warrant filed in Oldham County District Court in March 1993, Stacy Powell said Robert Powell became angry with her and "grabbed her by the throat causing pain and slapping (her) when she tried to defend herself." She told police he also threatened to "rip her head off"... In the 1995 case, a domestic-abuse report stated that Melissa Holstein said that Powell pushed her "to the floor and held her there by the neck causing red marks." The report said the assault occurred as part of an ongoing confrontation...

PAMELA POWELL 
The Woodford Sun
October 11, 2001
[Excerpts] Pamela Dawn Powell, 41, of Oldham County, formerly of Woodford County, a Jefferson County police officer, wife of Bobby Powell, died Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001, at her residence of a gunshot wound. Authorities were investigating. Born Aug. 11, 1960, in Woodford County, she was the daughter of Amalid Garcia, Versailles. She formerly worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son... a daughter... two step-daughters... a step-son... three brothers... three sisters...

OFFICER'S HUSBAND PLEADS INNOCENT
Enquirer
Kentucky News Briefs
Friday, October 12, 2001
[Excerpts] A Crestwood man accused of killing his wife - a Jefferson County police officer - pleaded innocent on Wednesday in Oldham District Court.
A judge ordered Robert L. Powell, 34, to remain in the Oldham County jail under a $1 million cash bond... Mr. Powell is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 41-year-old Pamela Powell...

SPOUSE PLEADS GUILTY TO OFFICER'S MURDER: Victim's family rejects his claim that she had agreed to suicide pact 
The Courier-Journal
Shannon Tangonan
April 27, 2002
[Excerpts] Saying they both planned to take their lives because of "mental, emotional and financial problems," Robert L. "Bobby" Powell changed his plea to guilty yesterday in the October murder of his wife, Pamela, a Jefferson County police officer. "As she was raising the gun, my hand touched her hand and we put it to her head and the gun went off," Powell said in court. But when he put the gun to his own head, "I could not do it," Powell told Oldham Circuit Judge Paul W. Rosenblum. The judge accepted Powell's guilty plea, but Pamela Powell's tearful relatives and friends could not accept his explanation of what happened. And commonwealth's attorney Kim Snell told the court that evidence gathered by investigators conflicted with Bobby Powell's story that his wife was a willing participant... Pamela Powell's sister, Tonya Jones, said she knew all along that her brother-in-law was guilty, and wasn't buying his story. "He's lying. She would never commit suicide"... She said her sister had been planning to leave Bobby Powell, and had already packed her daughter's clothing... Steve Jones, the husband of Tonya Jones, said Pamela Powell hadn't talked as if she were preparing to kill herself. She was planning for Thanksgiving and collecting toys for needy children for Christmas, he said...

MAN SENTENCED FOR KILLING WIFE, POLICE OFFICER PAMELA POWELL: Oldham killer claimed they had suicide pact 
The Courier-Journal
Tonia Holbrook
June 6, 2002
[Excerpts] Robert L. "Bobby" Powell was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for the murder of his wife, Pamela Powell, a Jefferson County police officer. Saying "the loss of Pam Powell can only be described as tragic," Oldham Circuit Judge Paul Rosenblum handed down the maximum sentence. Bobby Powell will be eligible for parole in 20 years... Pamela Powell, then Pamela Conway, married Bobby Powell in May 1998 and helped him run his excavating business. They had five children from previous marriages and lived in Crestwood. Court records show that Powell had been arrested twice in the last eight years for domestic violence against his ex-wife and a woman with whom he had a child. He also was arrested in 1998 on a charge of flagrant nonsupport of that child, and again last year on a charge of nonpayment of child support. In court yesterday, Powell said nothing except to state his name and answered a question from Rosenblum with a soft "No, sir." After more than an hour of testimony by friends and relatives on behalf of Bobby and Pamela Powell, [Commonwealth's Attorney Kim] Snell said that while justice had been done, it was a sad day for everyone involved. "The rest of Pamela Powell's natural life is what he took, and the rest of his natural life is what he should forfeit for it," Snell said. Pamela Powell's brotherin-law, Steve Jones, agreed with the ruling, but said "there's never any satisfaction in a situation like this." Her friends and family told Rosenblum that she had planned to leave her husband - that he wasn't pulling his weight in the family's finances and that she was no longer happy. Her ex-husband, Ray Caudill, said that's why Powell shot her. Those who spoke on Bobby Powell's behalf said that they also grieve over his wife's death, and pleaded with Rosenblum to send him to an institution close by so that his family could visit him often... Pamela Powell's sister, Dana Scherrer, tearfully told Bobby Powell that she doesn't feel sorry for him. "I'll never forgive you for what you've done to us. I don't want anybody to see you - not unless they have to see you the same way I have to see my sister," Scherrer said.

APPEALS COURT BACKS NEW HEARING: Man wants murder conviction set aside
The Courier-Journal
By Andrew Wolfson
2004/12/04
[Excerpts] The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that Robert L. Powell is entitled to a hearing on his motion to set aside his conviction for murdering his wife, a Jefferson County police officer. Powell, 37, contends that he was given ineffective counsel when he pleaded guilty to the Oct. 2, 2001, murder of his wife, Pamela. In his motion, Powell claimed his lawyer failed to adequately investigate whether he acted under extreme emotional disturbance. But Oldham Circuit Judge Paul Rosenblum denied his motion without a hearing... Powell pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence, which he is serving at the Northpoint Training Center in Burgin. Snell said in an interview yesterday that he is confident Powell's plea will stand. If Powell had been convicted of murder while under extreme emotional disturbance, the conviction would be reduced to manslaughter, for which the penalty is 10 to 20 years in prison. Kentucky law says a person acts under extreme emotional disturbance when in a temporary state of mind "so enraged, inflamed, or disturbed as to overcome one's judgment, and to cause one to act uncontrollably" from the emotional disturbance "rather than from evil or malicious purposes." The law says there must be a "a reasonable explanation or excuse" for the state, "the reasonableness of which is to be determined from the viewpoint of a person in the defendant's situation." Pamela Powell, 41, had served as a Jefferson County police officer since 1993. She was shot with her service weapon.

COURT LETS MURDER CONVICTION STAND
Courier-Journa
Andrea Uhde
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
[Excerpts] An Oldham County Circuit Court judge has denied a motion to set aside the conviction of Robert L. Powell, a Crestwood man who murdered his wife, a Jefferson County police officer. Judge Karen Conrad ruled on March 30 that Powell's attorney, Jerry McGraw, adequately represented him during his trial, despite Powell's allegations to the contrary. "The Court can find no fault with the representation of defense counsel and finds that the Defendant was given more than ample opportunity to pursue a defense of extreme emotional disturbance had he so desired," Conrad wrote in her 16-page decision. Powell, 40, was sentenced in June 2002 to life in prison for murdering Pamela Powell. He is eligible for parole on Oct. 4, 2021...

...Patricia Williams, a Detroit police officer, was “extremely brutally” murdered by her husband in 2009... The suit from Patricia's mother claims two Detroit Police ranking officers protected [Catherine's husband, Detroit Police Detective] Ed Williams from criminal prosecution when he assaulted his wife in the days leading up to killing her... Ryan, argues the police department is liable for a “state-created danger” for not hospitalizing Ed Williams after a string of domestic violence and suicidal incidents...

PREVIOUS POSTS:

• [MI] Officer-Involved Murder-Suicide: Detroit Detective Williams' note to give his possessions to his mother "wasn't quite a suicide note"?
• [MI] One year ago today Detroit Police Officer Patricia Catherine "Katie" Ryan Williams was stolen away
• [MI] Family of slain Officer Williams is suing Detroit for not preventing her death

MURDERED POLICE OFFICER'S FAMILY WANTS TO SUE CITY OF DETROIT: Family wants bankruptcy judge to lift lawsuit freeze
ClickOnDetroit, Local 4
Published On: Oct 02 2013
[Excerpts] The family of a Detroit police officer murdered in 2009 has asked federal bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes to lift a freeze on lawsuits against the city of Detroit so they can pursue their case. Officer Patricia Kate Williams was shot and killed outside the Canton Township public library by her police officer husband, Ed Williams, who then committed suicide. Officer Williams' mother, Deborah Ryan, still feels the pain. "My daughter is missed by many," Ryan said. Deborah Ryan is suing Canton Township and the city of Detroit.  She says two days before the killing, her daughter told Canton Township police she had been battered'... According to the lawsuit, Canton police put the name of Ed Williams into the lien system, but Deborah Ryan said Detroit police advised them to remove it. "If they would have followed the same rules that would have applied to me as a person who did not wear a badge, that they would have arrested him," Ryan said. Now, Deborah Ryan believes the city is trying to hide behind its bankruptcy filing. "The city still needs to answer questions. Why? Be accountable for what you have done to our family," Ryan said... [Full article here]

BANKRUPTCY JUDGE: UNION CAN PURSUE RETIREE BONUS CHECKS
The Detroit News
October 2, 2013
[Excerpt] ...The family members of a slain Detroit police officer wants [U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven] Rhodes to let their lawsuit against the city and police personnel proceed despite the historic bankruptcy case.
Attorney William Goodman asked the judge for permission to seek restitution for the estate of slain Detroit officer Patricia Williams, who was killed by her husband, Ed Williams, a Detroit homicide detective, in a murder-suicide in the Canton Public Library parking lot on Sept. 23, 2009.
Patricia Williams’ mother, Deborah Ryan, is pursuing a lawsuit against the city, arguing the Police Department is liable for a “state-created danger” for not hospitalizing Ed Williams after a string of domestic violence and suicidal incidents. Goodman said the bankruptcy case’s automatic stay violates the family’s constitutional rights to due process. Rhodes set another hearing for Tuesday on the matter... [Full article here]

DETROIT BANKRUPTCY JUDGE HEARS SLAIN COP SUIT, RULES ON 13TH CHECKS
Detroit News
OCT 2, 2013
[Excerpts] Detroit's historic bankruptcy case is being held before U.S. District Judge Steven Rhodes. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes heard several requests today to unfreeze lawsuits against the city, including one filed by the family of a Detroit police officer killed by her estranged husband, a homicide detective...
8:44 am
SLAIN COP'S FAMILY FIGHTS TO PURSUE CASE AGAINST DETROIT
[Excerpts] The family of a slain Detroit police officer wants U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes to let their lawsuit against the city and police personnel proceed despite the historic bankruptcy case. The request, which you can read here, will be heard this morning, more than four years after Detroit homicide Detective Ed Williams, 36, of Canton Township, shot his wife, Patricia, 33, before turning the gun on himself. The shootings followed an argument in the Canton Public Library parking lot Sept. 23, 2009. Patricia Williams’ family filed a lawsuit in 2011 accusing two Detroit sergeants of protecting Ed Williams from possible criminal prosecution following reports he had assaulted his wife in the days leading up to the shooting. The 22-page complaint chronicled the last three days of Ed’s and Patricia Williams’ lives. The time was marked by allegations of domestic violence against the husband and a statewide law enforcement alert prompted by the discovery of what appeared to be a suicide note written by Ed Williams. A Detroit police sergeant convinced Canton Township Police to cancel the alert, and Ed Williams eventually shot and killed his wife, according to the lawsuit...
10:10 am
ATTY: SLAIN DETROIT COP 'EXTREMELY BRUTALLY' MURDERED BY HUSBAND
Patricia Williams, a Detroit police officer, was “extremely brutally” murdered by her husband in 2009, a lawyer for the late woman’s family told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes today. Attorney William Goodman wants permission to pursue a lawsuit against the city and police personnel while the Detroit bankruptcy case is pending. The lawsuit is two years old but was frozen after Detroit filed Chapter 9 bankruptcy in July. The bankruptcy case’s automatic stay violates the family’s constitutional rights to due process, said Goodman... The city is fighting the family’s request for relief... The judge said he would issue a written order soon.
4:44 pm
DETROIT BANKRUPTCY JUDGE SEATS HEARING IN SLAIN OFFICER LAWSUIT
[Excerpts] U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes scheduled an Oct. 8 hearing before deciding whether to unfreeze a lawsuit filed by the family of a slain Detroit police officer. The hearing will give Detroit lawyers a chance to prove the city would be harmed if the lawsuit continues in federal court. Attorney William Goodman asked the judge for permission to seek compensation for the estate of slain Detroit officer Patricia Williams... Patricia Williams’ mother, Deborah Ryan, argues the police department is liable for a “state-created danger” for not hospitalizing Ed Williams after a string of domestic violence and suicidal incidents. The lawsuit is two years old but was frozen after Detroit sought bankruptcy protection on July 18. [Full article here]

NEW EMAIL RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HIRING OF KEVYN ORR AND JONES DAY IN DETROIT BANKRUPTCY
WXYZ
10/02/2013
[Excerpts] ...The suit from Patricia's mother claims two Detroit Police ranking officers protected Ed Williams from criminal prosecution when he assaulted his wife in the days leading up to killing her... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder michigan state politics]

Worcester Police Officer Robert Farrar was granted bail with house arrest and electronic monitoring in a domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to assault and battery, aggravated assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon - a belt, and possession of Percocet. Farrar got around having to face a dangerousness hearing because the said-victim agreed to letting him be bailed out and put on house arrest with some conditions. They say he has turned in his weapons, is under a protection order to stay away from home and some schools, has a monitoring device, gets to leave his zone for work and appointments and is scheduled to be back in court November 12 for a pretrial hearing.

It's agonizing to realize the ramifications for all in this situation and I can only hope that there is some good that can come out of it's being public. Perhaps other officers will gaze beneath that hoodie, see themselves - and make changes.

And I have to pause and give props for the police and courts appearing at this stage to be handling domestic assault as a crime instead of a private matter. I wish the best outcome for all involved.

WORCESTER OFFICER GRANTED BAIL IN DOMESTIC ASSAULT [Full article here]

$5,000 BAIL SET FOR WORCESTER POLICEMAN ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC ASSAULT [Full article here]

LAST MONTH:
WORCESTER POLICE OFFICER HELD AFTER ALLEGED ASSAULT AND BATTERY WITH DANGEROUS WEAPON [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety preferential professional massachusetts state politics]

NEWTOWN POLICE: NORWALK COP THREATENS SUICIDE AT HOME
Norwalk Patch
October 07, 2013
[Excerpts] ... Officers here are wearing full tactical gear and it appears a SWAT team is forming in the area. Paramedics have just arrived on scene. At least two dozen police officers are at the location... Newtown police requested assistance from a state police tactical team, but local police are handling the case, according to state police. NBC Connecticut is reporting police responded to a report of a "barricaded man"... On 10/07/2013 [Monday] at approximately 1016 hours [10:16 a.m.] the Norwalk PD contacted Newtown Police and advised them that one of their off duty Officers had threatened to harm himself. That this individual was on his way to his wife’s home on Jo Mar Road, Newtown ,CT... The Connecticut State Police Emergency Services Unit and the Norwalk Police Negotiation Team were contacted for assistance and responded. Norwalk Police negotiators were able to make contact with the subject who later surrendered without further incident. He was transported to Danbury Hospital for evaluation. Two weapons, a hand gun and a shot gun were seized at the scene and turned over to Norwalk PD... Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik issued this statement... "It was an off duty incident occurring in Newtown. My comment would be that we are very thankful that the incident came to a safe conclusion and appreciate the assistance of The Newtown Police Department and members of the Connecticut State Police. We are fortunate that our officers who responded were able to quickly intervene and assist. The officer will be receiving all the assistance necessary and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as they work through some very difficult times ahead." [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal suicidal professional professionalism connecticut state politics]

Indiana - Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Roeger of Greenfield was arrested and faces charges of intimidation, criminal mischief and residential entry after breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home. Roeger punched some damage to structures and belongings in the woman's home and now has been placed on paid suspension.

Alcohol isn't mentioned in the news articles but it happened about 2 a.m. after a Saturday night.

One of the questions then would be how did he get to her home.


One of the questions now would be - what safety options are offered her.

I'm opting to not post his mugshot.

POLICE ARREST HANCOCK CO. DEPUTY
WISHTV.com
Updated: Monday, October 7, 2013
[Excerpts] ...The female resident told police Roeger walked in her house and became angry because she had another male guest at her home. He punched the door to a bedroom, found the man in the room, and began to break things. He then went down the stairs and started punching pictures on the wall. The resident told him to leave and Roeger told the man in the home that "he didn't know what he had gotten himself into" and that he was "done for"... The woman told police she believes Roeger used a plastic card to unlock the door, as he did not have a key or her garage code... [Full article here]

SCOTT ROEGER FACES FELONY CHARGE AFTER VIOLENT OUTBURST AT WOMAN'S HOME
Daily Reporter,
By Noelle Steele
October 06, 2013
Updated: October 07, 2013
[Excerpts] A special prosecutor has been asked to handle the criminal case against a sheriff’s deputy [Scott Roeger]... Roeger, who was off duty at the time, punched a hole in a bedroom door and also hit a number of glass-framed portraits hanging on the walls, breaking the glass and lacerating his hand... http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/local_story/Deputy-arrested-on-intimidatio_1381077505

HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ARRESTED AT HOME OF EX-GIRLFRIEND
indystar.com
Oct. 6, 2013
[Excerpts] ...[Hancock County Sheriff Mike] Shepherd said Roeger was booked into the Hancock County Jail and will remain there until he appears in court this week, at which time his bond is expected to be set... [Full article here]

SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ARRESTED AFTER DISTURBANCE AT EX-GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE: ROEGER PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
RTV6, TheIndyChannel.com
Posted: 10/07/2013
[Excerpts] ...Officials said he only hurt himself in the incident. Roeger spent the night in the Hamilton County Jail and posted bond on Monday. Roeger was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety indiana state politics]

San Joaquin County sheriff's Deputy Clinton Sizeula was arrested and placed on administrative leave after a single-vehicle accident that involved alcohol and injured both he and his wife.

DEPUTY ARRESTED AFTER DUI CRASH INJURING WIFE
recordnet.com
By Jason Anderson,
October 11th, 2013
[Excerpts] ...[San Joaquin County sheriff's Deputy Clinton] Sizeula sustained a laceration to the forehead and a concussion... Sizeula's wife suffered a severe laceration to the forehead, a small laceration to her liver, a potential fracture to her left hip, a broken nose, and multiple cuts and bruises... Both occupants had to be extracted from the vehicle before they could be taken to a hospital for treatment... Authorities said the case has been referred to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office for review. The District Attorney's Office will decide whether to file charges... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal alcohol california state politics]

Andale Police Chief Robert Bailey was arrested for domestic violence battery involving a female at his home in Colwich last Friday and then released from the Sedgwick County Jail on his own recognizance. According to a news source Baily hasn't yet been formally charged and was already on leave for an undisclosed reason when the domestic incident happened. No mention is made in any of the small articles about the victim, whether there was injury, or whether there are any safety options or extended protections.


Andale is a very small town - about 1000 people, with 2 full time law enforcement officers, 2 part-time, and 1 reserve. One of the part time officers also works full time for the the agency that arrested Bailey and that is investigating the domestic incident, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

[I can't imagine. You call the police and the alleged aggressor bounces right back out of jail without even having to pay a bond or bail. Then what?]

I hope this works out and everyone is safe. These really small towns in states that are not usually in national news headlines are just one of the reasons that I believe officer-involved policies should be mandated from a federal level. It will take forever for the tiny towns in  rural communities to establish protocol of what to do if, for example, the person who is accused is the chief of police.

• Andale Police Chief Arrested For Domestic Violence, KAKE TV, October 11, 2013
• Andale police chief arrested in DV case, KSN, October 11, 2013, 
• Andale police chief arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, The Wichita Eagle, Oct. 11, 2013 
• Facebook: Andale police chief arrested in DV case
• THE ANDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT 

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety brass repeat hx small town kansas state politics]

Houston Police Officer Jason Sealy resigned 3 days prior to being arrested for assaulting a family member by strangulation.


...Jason Sealy, 36, was charged with assault of a family member — impeding breathing... He is accused of throwing his wife onto the stairs at their home and causing her to temporarily lose consciousness by squeezing her neck with his hands...

Is she safe now?

FORMER HPD OFFICER ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF ATTACKING WIFE
by KHOU.com
October 14, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Police say [former Houston Police Department officer] Jason Sealy, 36, choked his wife when they got home from a bar... Sealy and his wife went out with a group of friends... "he broke a glass table, and then also started physically assaulting his wife”... She was allegedly choked so hard she couldn’t breathe for 30 seconds. Witnesses at the scene were able to stop the assault and called 911... The couple has been married 1.5 years and had just moved into the neighborhood a couple of weeks ago. Sealy was being held without bond Monday. In August, he was charged with two felony counts of tampering with government documents.  Police said he was relieved of duty, and just last week he resigned... http://www.khou.com/news/crime/Former-HPD-officer-arrested-accused-of-attacking-wife--227749031.html

MAN FACES FELONY, ACCUSED OF CHOKING WIFE AFTER NIGHT OUT AT BAR: Jason Corey Sealy, a Houston Police Department officer, is charged with assault of a family member, a third-degree felony.
abclocal
Monday, October 14, 2013
[Excerpts] A man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly choked his wife... Jason Corey Sealy was arrested on one charge of assault of a family member after officers responded to a disturbance call at his house in the 500 block of Cypresswood Brook... Officers say they found visible injuries on Sealy's wife. She was granted an emergency protection order, which is effective for 61 days... http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=9286791

EX-HPD OFFICER ACCUSED OF STRANGLING WIFE
Click2Houston.com Staff
Published On: Oct 14 2013
[Excerpts] HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A former Houston police officer is accused of strangling his wife ... Sealy was arrested and taken into custody. He’s charged with assaulting a family member by strangulation which is a third degree felony. Authorities said an emergency protection order was granted for the victim and Sealy’s bail was set at $0... http://www.click2houston.com/news/ex-hpd-officer-accused-of-strangling-wife/-/1735978/22430486/-/tfill0z/-/index.html

FORMER HPD OFFICER ACCUSED OF CHOKING WIFE
Houston Chronicle
By Mike Glenn
October 14, 2013
Updated: October 15, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Jason Sealy, 36, was charged with assault of a family member — impeding breathing after Harris County deputy constables were called to the home in the 500 block of Cypresswood Brook on Sunday night... He is accused of throwing his wife onto the stairs at their home and causing her to temporarily lose consciousness by squeezing her neck with his hands... The arrest wasn't Sealy's first brush with the law. He turned in his badge on Thursday, three days prior to the arrest on the family violence charge. The resignation came after Sealy had already been relieved of duty by HPD officials following an internal affairs investigation into phoney government documents... According to the criminal complaint, the motive was to "defraud and harm another." In August, Sealy was charged with two counts of tampering with government records. Bail was set at a combined $4,000 for both cases. He remains at the Harris County Jail without bail for the family violence charge. On Tuesday, Sealy is expected to be in court. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Former-HPD-officer-accused-of-choking-wife-4895422.php
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal strangulation strangle repeat hx alcohol texas state politics]

Philadelphia Police Lt. Marques Newsome appears to have brutally beat his girlfriend, and despite the serious injuries it took a over a week to arrest and fire him. His attorney says the victim "does not wish to pursue this matter."



...Newsome allegedly pummeled the woman badly enough that she suffered a broken nose, orbital bone and jaw. She was left with black eyes and gashes that required stitches, and had to be taken to an area hospital by police for treatment...  Newsome told detectives that the woman attacked him first, and that she was injured when she slammed into a wall after he pushed her off him in self-defense... Newsome was interviewed by detectives Saturday and released...

Philadelphia Police Lt. Marques Newsome's attorney Anthony Voci:

"Lt. Newsome is a decorated, 16-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, and enjoys a healthy relationship with the alleged victim in this matter, as they are the parents of an 11-month-old child. The District Attorney's Office was advised that the alleged victim does not wish to pursue this matter, and has signed a notarized statement of renunciation of all prior statements, both verbal and written. We look forward to meeting with the District Attorney's Office to discuss an amicable resolution to this matter."

PHILLY COP FIRED FOR ALLEGED BEATING
Philly.com
By David Gambacorta
November 08, 2013
[Excerpts] Marques Newsome, a veteran Philadelphia police lieutenant, was given his walking papers yesterday and locked up on domestic-abuse charges. The Daily News reported last week that Newsome, 35, had been stripped of his police-issued firearm and placed on desk duty while Internal Affairs investigated an incident that unfolded Oct. 27 inside his girlfriend's house... Patrol officers, Internal Affairs investigators and members of Southwest Detectives were among those who responded to the scene of the alleged assault... Newsome told detectives that the woman attacked him first, and that she was injured when she slammed into a wall after he pushed her off him in self-defense... [Full article here]

EARLIER:

PHILADELPHIA POLICE LIEUTENANT CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING GIRLFRIEND
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)
November 6, 2013
[Excerpts] A lieutenant with the Philadelphia Police has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. On Wednesday, Nov. 6th, Philadelphia police lieutenant Marques Newsome, a 16-year veteran of the department, was arrested... Newsome is now facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, possessing an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, and stalking. Police department officials say he has been suspended for thirty days with intent to dismiss. [Full article here]

EARLIER:

POLICE LIEUTENANT ALLEGEDLY ROUGHED UP GIRLFRIEND
philly.com
By Morgan Zalot,David Gambacorta
November 01, 2013
[Excerpts] A Philadelphia police lieutenant was placed on desk duty earlier this week over allegations that he brutally beat his girlfriend while he was off-duty. Lt. Marques Newsome, assigned to the 35th District, headquartered at Broad Street and Champlost Avenue, was at his girlfriend's parents' house in West Philadelphia Saturday night when the two got into an argument that quickly turned violent... Newsome allegedly pummeled the woman badly enough that she suffered a broken nose, orbital bone and jaw. She was left with black eyes and gashes that required stitches, and had to be taken to an area hospital by police for treatment, the sources said.... The woman's parents were in the house ... at the time of the assault, and rendered aid to their badly injured daughter immediately afterward... Newsome was interviewed by detectives Saturday and released. Sources said that in his statement to investigators, he claimed that the woman attacked him first... A police source said Newsome's gun has been taken from him, and that he's been placed on restricted duty... The lieutenant has not been criminally charged in the incident, raising eyebrows among some of his fellow police officers. "It was a bad domestic," said one source familiar with the investigation. "If it was anyone else, they would have been arrested on the spot" Newsome is at least the 12th police officer accused of assaulting a woman since 2011... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety philadelphia state politics recant noncooperative uncooperative]

From News: Arlington Assistant Police Chief James Hawthorne  is accused of attacking his wife with his “hands, fist, and feet” in the wee hours of November 17th. According to the offense report Hawthorne “was found to have intentionally and knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury” including but not limited to swelling and redness. "Police did not give details of the victim’s injuries." Assistant Police Chief Hawthorne was arrested by his own department's police officers for family violence, put on administrative leave, and charged with assault and bodily injury. Officers also seized a .38 special revolver and five unfired rounds from the scene. Mrs. Hawthorne, who is also a professional in the community, was given a 61-day emergency protective order against her husband and the case will now go to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.


ARLINGTON POLICE POLICE CHIEF WILL D. JOHNSON
"I am deeply disappointed that an Arlington assistant police chief was involved in an incident of domestic violence. Regardless of who you are or where you work, domestic violence will not be tolerated or ignored in our community."


INFO FROM PROTECTION ORDER:
James Emanuel Hawthorne is prohibitedfrom committing family violence, stalking or sexual assault, prohibited from communicating directly in a threatening or harassing manner with anyone in the household or communicating a threat through any person, prohibited from possessing a firearm "unless the person is a peace officer actively engaged in employment as a sworn full-time paid employee..." and prohibited from going within 500 feet of ANY residence, buisness, household or place of employment of the victim or member of the household.

  (That sounds like he still call and text her. Hopefully he can't have guns while he's on leave.)

SOURCES: 

• Arlington's Asst Police Chief arrested for family violence, myfoxdfw, Jenny Anchondo, Nov 17, 2013 
• Arlington assistant police chief put on leave after family violence arrest, Dallas News, Liz Farmer, 17 November 2013
• Documents: Arlington assistant police chief assaulted his wife, star-telegram, Deanna Boyd, Nov. 19, 2013
• Documents: Arlington police assistant chief accused of attacking wife, WFAA, November 19, 2013
• Updated: Arlington police supervisor arrested in a family violence dispute, Dallas News, Liz Farmer, November 19, 2013

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety beat down brass mum professional texas state politics]

...Through the lens of this complex case, FRONTLINE and The New York Times report on what law enforcement experts say is a vexing and under-reported national problem: officer-involved domestic violence...


PREVIOUS POST:
[FL] It's that simple? Anonymous deputy says his anonymous girlfriend killed herself and the anonymous investigators believe him.

New From Frontline and the New York Times: What Happens When the Police Investigate One of their Own?
11/21/2013

FRONTLINE Presents
A Death in St. Augustine
Tuesday, November 26, 2013, at 10 p.m. on PBS

On the night she broke up with her police officer boyfriend, 24-year-old Michelle O’Connell was found dead from a gunshot in the mouth. Next to her was her boyfriend’s semi-automatic service pistol.

The local sheriff’s investigation concluded it was a suicide—but was it?

In A Death in St. Augustine, premiering Tuesday, November 26 at 10 p.m. (check local PBS listings), FRONTLINE and The New York Times investigate the death of this young, single mother in Florida— and how effectively police handle cases involving their own officers, especially when there are allegations of domestic violence.

“What first caught my eye about this death was that an officer’s gun had fired the fatal shot,” says New York Times investigative reporter Walt Bogdanich, the on-camera reporter for A Death in St. Augustine. “The sheriff concluded this was a simple suicide, but I wanted to know how thoroughly did his office investigate the possible involvement of one of its officers.”

As part of the nine-month investigation, FRONTLINE and The New York Times reviewed police, medical and legal records, interviewed dozens of people connected to the case, and consulted with independent forensic and law enforcement experts who found significant problems with the investigation and conclusions of the local medical examiners and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

Through the lens of this complex case, FRONTLINE and The New York Times report on what law enforcement experts say is a vexing and under-reported national problem: officer-involved domestic violence.

“There are many barriers to reporting domestic violence under ‘ordinary’ circumstances,” Bogdanich says. “But when your abuser is the police, those barriers—including fear of retaliation—can feel even more daunting.”

The problem of officer-involved domestic violence is compounded by the fact that there’s no central, national collection agency to track complaints. Using police disciplinary records and its own survey of police practices nationally, The Times and FRONTLINE examined how police departments handle allegations of officer-involved domestic violence

“We’re pleased to collaborate with The New York Times to tell this important story in innovative ways, across all of our collective platforms,” says Raney Aronson-Rath, FRONTLINE deputy executive producer.

Credits

A Death in St. Augustine is a FRONTLINE Production with The New York Times and Left/Right Docs in association with Catalyst Media Productions. The director, producer, and writer is Glenn Silber. The co-producer is Frank Koughan. The reporter and writer is Walt Bogdanich. The deputy executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath. The executive producer of FRONTLINE is David Fanning.

About FRONTLINE

FRONTLINE, U.S. television’s longest running investigative documentary series, explores the issues of our times through powerful storytelling. The series has won every major journalism and broadcasting award, including 65 Emmy Awards and 14 Peabody Awards. More than 150 FRONTLINE films can be watched online at pbs.org/frontline.

FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation.

About The New York Times

The New York Times is one of the world’s most influential news organizations with numerous news bureaus around the New York region, the nation and the globe.  The Times is known for accuracy, depth and authority and produces award-winning journalism, breaking news coverage and opinion and commentary along with deep databases of content and rich multimedia presentations.  The Times has won 112 Pulitzer Prizes and Citations, more than any other news organization. Follow The Times on Twitter at @NYTimes.

Press Contacts
Patrice Taddonio, (617) 300-5375, patrice_taddonio@wgbh.org
Danielle Rhoades Ha, (212) 556-8710, danielle.rhoades-ha@nytimes.com

pbs.org/pressroom: Download promotional photography from the PBS Pressroom.

http://investors.nytco.com/press/press-releases/press-release-details/2013/New-From-Frontline-and-the-New-York-Times-What-Happens-When-the-Police-Investigate-One-of-their-Own/default.aspx

North Miami Oklahoma Police Chief Kevin Joe Sheppard was arrested on October 14, 2013, jailed in the Ottawa County  jail, and charged with one count of domestic abuse and one count of assault and battery. His injured ex-girlfriend reported that he pushed her down and her head hit the corner of a table as she fell [flew?]. She says she and Sheppard had been dating for several months but that she had recently[?] tried to break up with him. District Court Judge Culver set bond was set at $5,000 and granted an emergency protective order for his ex.

Information sources:

North Miami police chief is accused of domestic abuse
Tulsa World
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 [Full article here]

North Miami police chief officially charged with domestic abuse
KOAM
Oct 16, 2013 [Full article here]

North Miami, OK, police chief arrested on domestic violence complaint
NEWSOK
October 15, 2013 [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal brass oklahoma state politics]

It happens too frequently that a law enforcement or public safety officer reports that a woman in his life has killed herself. For the next few days I will be adding names to this post - women who were said to have taken their own life, and some proven to have been murdered. All loved. All missed. All never forgotten


[FL] St. Johns County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Banks called 911 to report that his girlfriend, Michelle O'Connell had shot and killed herself. The initial very short news article gave no names: "The girlfriend of a St. Johns County sheriff's deputy died overnight in an apparent suicide... it was the deputy's service weapon that was involved.." Investigators were quoted in that article as having had *believed* the deputy – that he was in another part of the house at the time the gun was fired.


[NY] Rotterdam Police Officer told police his new wife Melissa Messineo Varrone fatally shot herself while he was home. - At her husband Anthony Varrone's word of what had occured, Melissa's death was ruled a suicide 1 day after it happened. Her family says she would never have left her son, the love of her life. FROM NEWS: "State police said a 26-year-old woman died Saturday in her Floral Avenue home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No charges were filed stemming from the incident... The Times Union is withholding the name of the victim as a matter of privacy..."


[IL] Over 25,000 people would like a deeper investigation into the said-suicide of Molly Young - Carbondale Police Dispatcher Richard “Richie” Minton's lovely right-handed ex-girlfriend Molly Young died by a gunshot wound to the top left side of her head in his residence after he texted her to come over around 3 a.m. Minton says Molly killed herself. There were no fingerprints on the gun, no residue on their hands, there were bruises on her body, scratches on his body, and many other concerning dynamics. I am typing this in July of 2013 and Minton, who lawyered up the morning of Molly's death, has still not cooperated with the police investigation. [See Justice For Molly Facebook group]



[AZ] Chelsie Raidiger is said to have used her deputy boyfriend's service weapon to kill herself - "Chelsie Raidiger, 22, took her own life almost a year ago by firing a handgun into her chest... Raidiger lived in a Vail home owned by her boyfriend, Michael Kleinberg, who was reportedly in Ohio at the time of her death. Kleinberg is an Oro Valley Police Department officer - and Raidiger used his duty weapon to end her life..."


[IL] Chicago Police Sgt. Steven Lesner says that Catherine Weiland killed herself with his service weapon while he was in her bathroom. He washed his hands before he was checked for gun shot residue and no fingerprints were taken from the weapon. His fellow officers did swab the gun for DNA but they never provided the results to the state crime lab. The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications has declined to release the recording of his 1:42 a.m. 911 call. The detective assigned to lead the investigation played on a police union sports team with Lesner. The State Police say they were never given Lesner’s clothing to test for gunshot residue and Catherine wasn’t examined to determine if  there had been sexual contact.




THE SAME DAY, ONE HOUR'S DISTANCE FROM MARLO:


[WA] Fire Marshal's wife Susan McMahon said to have committed suicide by engulfing herself in flames at her ex-husband's home - Susan was found on the ground outside of a backyard shed that was fully engulfed in flames. The residence was her ex-husband's - where she had been staying with him. Her body was covered 100% with burns. Her husband, King County Fire and Rescue [IKCFR] Deputy Fire Marshal Melvin “Mel” McMahon was said to not be home at the time assistance was called for. Mapquest shows his station is 2 minutes from home and it was his station that first responded to the fire. Susan's name was never published in the news, and her husband was referred to only as a firefighter. Within 1 day, Susan's death was ruled a suicide.


[FL]Daytona Beach Police Officer Chris(topher) Reeder said his girlfriend Cathryn Moore shot herself with his weapon while he was in the shower. Before there was an investigation, police were already saying it looks to be what Officer Reeder said it was. “A policeman whose girlfriend killed herself with his service weapon was issued a written warning for leaving his gun unsecured.”  Cathryn was studying for her nursing degree at Daytona State College. Cathryn was well known throughout her life for her great love of animals, especially her beloved horse, Moonlight, and her two dogs, Brandy and Keoke.

[MI] Buena Vista Township Police Officer staged Jennifer Marie Webb's suicide, causing also the death of their unborn son Braxton James Donald Webb - Jennifer was Pregnant with Buena Vista Township Police Officer Kenneth "Ken" Bluew near-full term son when he staged Jenny's suicide at a gun range. Responding officers had some doubts so turned the case over to Michigan State Police. Bluew was charged and convicted of 1st-degree premeditated murder, assaulting a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth of a fetus or embryo, and two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Bluew was given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for murder plus 65 to 100 for the additional crimes.

[KS] Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputy Brett Seacat claimed his wife Vashti Forrest Seacat killed herself - but was convicted - Vashti filed for divorce 16 days before her death. Her husband, claimed Vashti wrote a suicide note, set a fire in their home, and then fatally shot herself down the hall from their two young sleeping sons. Vashti's sister said that Vashti had plans for the future, loved her children and would never commit suicide. Brett was found guilty of  first-degree murder, aggravated arson and two counts of aggravated child endangerment. Brett Seacat was a police trainer for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center at the time of Vashti's murder.


[PA] Which version of what happened to officer's wife Jennifer Aydin Piccini is true? -  When I first read news about Jennifer Aydin Piccini's death, my impression was her husband was a police officer, she went to his station, he wasn't there, that she had a confrontation with "police" and then fatally shot herself. After reading everything that I could find it seems the stories don't mesh. Most news reports didn't point out that the number of police present during her fatal wounding was two, OR that one of those two officers was her husband.


[NC] Amanda Graham Barker, Dispatch Supervisor
 is said to have shot herself with her Red Springs Assistant Police Chiefs' service weapon - Amanda was living with and engaged to Red Springs Asst. Police Chief Kevin Locklear, when he called 911 and reported that Amanda had shot herself in the head while he was in another room. It was his service revolver. Amanda was a dispatch supervisor for Cumberland County EMS and mother of 2. In 2009 Locklear was fired from his position as police chief of the Raeford Police Dept. after he was charged with the 2007 injurious assault of his then-wife.

[Audio] The Leonard Lopate Show - WNYC
Police Officer-Involved Domestic Violence 
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
"Pulitzer Prize winning Frontline correspondent Walt Bogdanich discusses “A Death in St. Augustine,” a collaborative project with The New York Times that investigates police officer-involved domestic violence. He discusses the hidden problem of officer-involved domestic violence, and the story at this investigation's heart: that of young single mother Michelle O'Connell who was found dead from a gunshot after she broke up with her boyfriend, who was a cop. The sheriff’s office ruled it suicide—but was it?"[LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder said suicide florida state politics st johns sheriff's deputy jeremy banks sheriff david shoar]

Dallas Police Officers Rashad Allen and Edgar Garcia-Martinez, both of the South Central Patrol Division, have recently been accused of domestic violence. Officer Allen received a family violence assault "citation" in DeSoto on Saturday and on Monday Officer Garcia-Martinez was arrested and charged in Dallas with family violence assault against his girlfriend. [LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety texas state politics]

...The victim [his wife] suffered a cut on her head that required five staples and a hairline fracture to her right wrist that she suffered while trying to protect her head. The victim said her husband has put the family through a lot over the years... “He pinned me against a wall and slid a butcher knife across my face and said, ‘I might as well finish it off,’”... [Officer Lawrence allegedly told daughter during separate assault on her] “You are disrespectful. You don’t deserve to breathe”...


SAMSON LAWRENCE, MPD OFFICER, CHARGED WITH TRYING TO KILL WIFE
WJLA
By Roz Plater, Stephen Tschida
December 20, 2013
[Excerpts]  A D.C. police officer has been indicted on charges that he attacked, beat and tried to kill his wife in Prince George's County just before Thanksgiving. Samson Lawrence, a 23-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, has been charged with first and second degree attempted murder and several other charges after the Nov. 24 incident, during which he allegedly beat the victim with metal light fixtures and held her at knifepoint... By the time authorities responded to the home, Lawrence was gone, but he was found and taken into custody the next day... [Full article here]

D.C. POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF TRYING TO KILL WIFE
NBC
Saturday, Dec 21, 2013
A D.C. police officer tried to kill his wife last month, using Lysol, a metal light post and knives to attack and restrain her in their home, according to prosecutors. Officer Samson Lawrence has been indicted in Maryland on charges of attempted first- and second-degree murder in connection with the Nov. 24 attack, Prince George's County State Attorney Angela Alsobrooks announced Friday... The victim suffered a cut on her head that required five staples and a hairline fracture to her right wrist that she suffered while trying to protect her head. The victim said her husband has put the family through a lot over the years, News4’s Mark Segraves reported. Lawrence has also been charged with wearing and carrying a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure and first- and second-degree assault... [Full article here]

D.C. POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF TRYING TO KILL HIS WIFE IN PRINCE GEORGE’S HOME
The Washington Post
By Peter Hermann and Lynh Bui
Published: December 20
A D.C. police officer has been indicted on a charge of attempted murder after allegedly trying to kill his wife with a metal light fixture and threatening her with knives in their home... Prosecutors announced the indictment Friday against Officer Samson Edwards Lawrence III... The 23-year veteran is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and two counts of possessing a dangerous weapon with intent to injure... Lawrence and his wife argued over her not knowing where household screws were stored. The documents say that when she tried to talk, he sprayed Lysol in the air, making her cough and choke, and then asked her to make lunch. As she headed into the kitchen, he followed her and told her: “Say one more [expletive] word, I dare you. You know you are scared”... The documents say his wife tried to break free but was pushed to the ground and hit over the head five or six times with a metal light fixture, causing her to bleed from the back of the head. “I’m going to finish it right now,” the officer allegedly said... The court documents state that the suspect held two large knives to her throat. “He pinned me against a wall and slid a butcher knife across my face and said, ‘I might as well finish it off,’”... Prince George’s police said they also filed a separate child-abuse charge against Lawrence after learning that he allegedly became physical with the 16-year-old during an argument a month earlier. Police said the teen was allegedly shoved into a hallway wall so hard that her head left an indentation and added that she fell down the stairs trying to run away. The officer “came down the stairs after her, pulled her hair, and began choking her,” police records say. The daughter said she couldn’t breathe, to which the suspect allegedly replied: “You are disrespectful. You don’t deserve to breathe.” Attempts to reach Lawrence were unsuccessful... [Full article here]-f0feafdd1394

New York City Corrections Cpt Brian Martin has shot his unnamed Corrections Officer wife in the face and she is in critical condition. So far Martin is charged with first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal attempted murder cop on cop new york state politics]

I had posted about the 1946 murder of deputy's wife Dorothy Eggers a couple of years ago,

[CA] 1948. Temple City Sheriff's Deputy Eggers was executed for the murder of his wife Dorothy

but didn't have a photograph. I found the photo here

A jury of seven women and five men found [Sandra] Plunkett guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action Friday in the death of her husband Paul Plunkett, a former Jefferson City police officer... For the murder conviction, she was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole...

Previous post:
[MO] Wife of retired Jefferson City Police Officer III Paul Wade Plunkett is in jail for his murder
Sandra Plunkett's presented heroin use, her contacting a hit man, her multiple stories of how and why Paul was shot and other elements all worked together against the abused woman defense.

WIFE CONVICTED OF KILLING EX-MO. POLICE OFFICER
chron.com
January 10, 2014
[Excerpts] A central Missouri woman has been convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the fatal shooting of her husband, a retired Jefferson City police officer... [Sandra] Plunkett testified during the trial that she shot Paul Plunkett in self-defense on Jan. 1, 2011. Plunkett said had long been abused by her husband, who was bedridden with a debilitating illness.But prosecutors presented evidence that Plunkett's heroin addiction had ruined the couple's finance... Sentencing is scheduled for March 3. The trial was heard by a jury imported from northwest Missouri's Buchanan County. [Full article here]


PLUNKETT FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING HUSBAND
ConnectMidMissouri.com
by Meghan Lane
Posted: 01.10.2014
[Excerpts]  A jury has convicted the Holts Summit woman charged with killing her husband. Sandra Plunkett was convicted of first degree murder and armed criminal action for shooting and killing her husband New Year’s Day 0f 2011. For the murder conviction, she was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. The case went to the jury Friday morning. During closing arguments Friday, prosecutors said the murder of Paul Plunkett, a former Jefferson City police officer, was premeditated... Prosecutors also said his murder was not a mercy killing... They argued Sandra viewed him as a burden because of his health and that’s why she killed him. Sandra’s defense argued she could not go to the police because her husband used to work for them, and argued her drug use did not lead to her shooting her husband because she used them as a coping mechanism... She also stated her husband never assaulted her in front of anyone, it was always when they were alone.  She added he was trained in judo and would use it on her... She said at one point she went to a shelter for help, but testified she was turned away because her husband was a police officer in the area... In a taped interview with police Wednesday, Sandra Plunkett admitted to police she was the person who shot her husband, Paul, a retired Jefferson City police officer. When an officer asked her during the interview why she shot him, she stated “he begged me to”... During the interview when she admitted shooting her husband, Plunkett said she shot him about 9:30 a.m., went to the gas station, and then to a friends house to do heroin... [Sandra] Plunkett had told authorities she saw a gunman in camouflage clothing walking around the neighborhood... Sandra tried to pawn a rifle a week before her husband’s murder, but they couldn’t find it after the shooting. The state claims Sandra Plunkett killed her husband with a .22 caliber rifle while he was laying in a hospital bed in the couple's living room... [Full article here]

SANDRA PLUNKETT SENTENCING IN MURDER CASE OF HUSBAND, FORMER JEFFERSON CITY POLICE OFFICER
Fulton Sun
Sunday, January 12, 2014
[Excerpts] A jury of seven women and five men found [Sandra] Plunkett guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action Friday in the death of her husband Paul Plunkett, a former Jefferson City police officer. The jury deliberated the case for three hours. Paul Plunkett died Jan. 1, 2011 from a gunshot wound to the head. Three days later, Sandra Plunkett confessed to investigators she committed the murder. The prosecution, led by Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Wilson, stated Sandra Plunkett murdered her husband in order to claim a $100,000 life insurance policy to pay for her heroin addiction. Justin Carver, public defender, represented Sandra Plunkett who pleaded not guilty, claiming the murder was an act of self defense against an abusive husband... The first story she told investigators on the day of her husband’s death that she saw a man wearing camo and holding a gun on her street... Jan. 4, 2011 she told investigators Paul Plunkett wanted to die in order to end suffering from an inflammatory colon disease... A key witness for the prosecution was Randy Deppe, who is currently serving time in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Deppe claimed Sandra Plunkett asked him to be her hit man or find someone who would murder her husband... Carver’s closing argument was largely based on the idea that police officers are loyal to one another. This loyalty, Carver said, was reason for Sandra Plunkett not to report abuse from her ex-cop husband... “Who do you call if it’s the police that’s the problem?” Carver asked the jury... [Full article here]


HOLTS SUMMIT POLICE CHIEF KYLE MCINTYRE NEWS RELEASE ON SANDRA PLUNKETT CONVICTION
January 10, 2014

This is probably one of the hardest press releases I have ever written and I am sure the members of the media will agree it is the most personal they have seen from me. The reason it is personal is because Paul Plunkett was a member of a small community and a fellow police officer. Despite what the defense said about Paul during the trial, those that knew Paul knew he was a good man.

With the jury’s decision to return a guilty verdict, Paul’s family and his law enforcement brothers and sisters can now begin to put this case behind them. Many of the officers working on this investigation knew Paul personally; however they remained true to their oath and acted professionally when dealing with Sandra despite knowing she was the person responsible for Paul’s death.

As a department, we would like to thank the Jefferson City Police Department and the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control. Because of the immense cooperation between the three agencies we were able to quickly make an arrest in this case and we were ultimately able to deliver a strong case to Callaway County Prosecutor Chris Wilson, who also deserves credit for today’s guilty

Finally we would like to thank the men and women from Buchanan County who gave up their time to serve on this jury. As with any murder trial, these men and women heard testimony and saw evidence that will forever impact their lives and for this we are grateful to them.

For additional information, please contact Sergeant Marc Haycook at 573-353-3462 or via email at marc.haycook@holtssummitpd.com.

STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY OF PAUL PLUNKETT

On behalf of Paul's son, josh, his brothers, sisters and the entire Plunkett family, we are grateful for the justice achieved in today's verdict. It has obviously been a long, difficult and stressful three years for everyone involved. While we are certainly hurt by the lack of remorse and falsehoods presented by the defendant, We sincerely appreciate the patience and wisdom demonstrated by the Judge and jury in this trial. Itis also our hope the Jefferson City community will choose to remember the reputation Paul achieved prior to his murder; a person committed to public service, a person who believed in the criminal justice system, a person who treated people fairly regardless of their status and one with an outstanding personality that so many recognized and expressed to the family during his extended sickness and death.

While We sincerely hope that no one is overlooked, We would like to thank the Holts Summit Police Department, Jefferson City Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Callaway County Sheriffs Office, Cole County Sheriffs Office, Medical Examiner's Office, various medical personnel and private citizens who spent countless hours and effort to present the facts and bring this case to a successful end. In addition to these individuals, we would like to give special recognition to Prosecutor Chris Wilson and his staff at the Callaway County Prosecutor's Office. From the beginning moments, these individuals have been incredible victim’s advocates for Paul's family and recently sacrificed a majority of their holiday season to ensure this case would be ready for trial. As witnessed by those who attended, Mr. Wilson and his staff did an outstanding job of separating fact from fiction and presented a compelling case for the jury to consider. For this effort, Mr. Wilson and his staff will always have our deepest respect and appreciation. in closing, Paul's family and friends will never be able to fill the void created by his death, but we feel confident that he's extremely honored by the public support that has been extended to our family.

Understanding this has been a difficult time for both families, We would ask that you honor our privacy and keep all parties in your thoughts and prayers in the days to come.

There will be no further comment on this matter.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder missouri state politics female perp]

FORMER NYPD COP SUES EX-GIRLFRIEND FOR $14M AFTER BEING FIRED AND FALSELY LABELED A DRUNK 
NY Daily News
By Barbara Ross  AND Ginger Adams Otis
Thursday, January 30, 2014
[Excerpts] A Long Island man fired by the NYPD shortly before his probationary period ended has filed a $14 million lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend and her family, claiming they falsely labeled him a drunk and cost him his job. Ex-NYPD officer Kevin McMahon, 26, of Seaford, said he's the victim of a love affair gone wrong with a vengeful girlfriend whose father is himself a former cop. Retired NYPD officer Robert Troy, of Huntington Station, "aided and abetted" his daughter, who made false allegations to the Internal Affairs about McMahon after the two broke up, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court... [Full article here]