Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Police Domestic Violence in the News (Updated)

Up to a 40 percent of U.S. police officers admit there is domestic violence in their home. The rate is up to 15 times higher than among the public.

But only a tiny fraction of abusive cops ever face justice. The rare ones who are investigated typically get off with token punishment, and almost none see the inside of a prison, except in the worst cases.

Abused police wives and girlfriends usually feel they have nowhere to turn.

And the hidden abuse epidemic has wide-ranging impacts on all of us and is connected to a host of other problems -- mishandled 911 domestic calls at other people's homes, police sexual harassment of women cops and female drivers at traffic stops, and mistreatment of African Americans and First Nations people.

Here are some of those stories along with related news about domestic violence in general. All accused are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.

Also read this earlier post on police domestic violence incidents from Dec. 2014 to June 2015.


September 24 -
San Jose, California

Police officer Geoffrey Evatt Graves of the San Jose Police Department in California was fired after being charged with raping a woman while on duty, The San Jose Mercury News reports, citing authorities.


Graves is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman two years ago in a motel room after she asked to be taken there after a disturbance call at her home.

In a separate case, Graves also faces domestic violence charges in connection with his ex-girlfriend, a San Jose police dispatcher, the newspaper says.

September 23 -
Wichita, Kansas

Acting Police Chief Nelson Mosley of the Wichita Police Department in Kansas was appointed to his position even though city manager Bob Layton knew about a domestic violence allegation against Mosley, KWCH Eyewitness News reports.


Details of the case were hidden in a confidential file in which the suspect wasn't named, according to the station's investigation.

A victim in the case told police officers that her ex-boyfriend pushed, punched and threatened to kill her, according to a 2005 police report that the station obtained. The police report showed photos of the victim's injuries, the station said.

After KWCH aired its investigation, Mosley addressed the issue at a police briefing, saying, "Just like anything, my wife and I regret the argument.... I can't say anymore about that. But we've moved on to build our beautiful family and in the end I hope that people hopefully will respect out privacy."

Mosley said the police report was investigated but that the district attorney's office declined to lay charges. KWCH filed a request for records, but the DA's office said no documentation exists.

September 11 -
Queensland, Australia

A 41-year-old police senior constable in the Queensland Police Service in Australia was dismissed after disciplinary proceedings substantiated allegations of domestic violence, abusive and threatening phone calls, and accessing confidential information, the service said on its website.


The officer was not named.

September 8 -
Georgetown, Ohio

Kendall Kumpf, a police officer in Georgetown, Ohio, was arrested on a domestic violence misdemeanour charge allegedly involving his 18-year-old stepson, Cincinnati's Fox19 reports.


Another report said Kumpf and his stepson were both jailed after fighting.

September 6 -
New South Wales, Australia

A police officer in Australia's New South Wales northern region has been charged with seven domestic violence-related offences, Australia's ABC News site reports.


September 4 -
Burlington, Vermont

Police officer Ethan Thibault of Vermont's Burlington Police Department was arrested after a domestic violence complaint from his girlfriend, Burlington's WPTZ News reports.


Thibault was previously involved in the fatal shooting of a mentally disturbed man in 2013. He was cleared of wrongdoing in that incident.

September 4 -
Clovis, California

Officer Chris Hutchison of the Clovis Police Department in California will not face a criminal case after his arrest in August for alleged domestic violence, ABC News reports.


Hutchison was arrested last month after a women reported alleged abuse, but Clovis police said he had a clean record prior to the arrest, ABC said.

The district attorney's decision not to charge means Hutchison could be cleared to return to work.

August 31 -
Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery, Alabama, police officer Dan Barrett and his wife were both arrested and each charged with one count of domestic violence third-degree (harassment), Alabama's AL.com news site reports.


Barrett is the fourth Montgomery police officer arrested since late July. 

Two other officers were charged with domestic violence-related offences, while a fourth was charged with violating a child abuse and neglect reporting law.

August 26 -
Radcliff, Kentucky

Officer Terry Allen Moore of the Radcliff Police Department in Kentucky was arrested at his home and charged with assault in the 2nd degree (domestic violence) and unlawful imprisonment 1st degree, the local ABC affiliate WBKO reports.


Radcliff Police Chief Jerry Cross confirmed that the alleged victim is Moore's spouse.

August 17 -
South Africa

South African police came under fire in the country's parliament from women's groups saying police were failing to act against men abusing their partners, The Cape Times newspaper says.


The groups cited the case of police officer Joseph Masie, who stormed a Johannesburg police station in June and gunned down his girlfriend, a police major and two others before being killed by a tactical squad, as reported here in this earlier blog post.

Masie's girlfriend had called police numerous times about Masie, but police didn't take action, her family said.

Women's groups said hundreds of complaints had been filed against police for failing to follow the country's Domestic Violence Act.

Of 318 complaints against police from October 2013 to March 2014, 57 led to an officer being disciplined, a report found. All received only a verbal or written warning. None were dismissed.

An audit found that only one of 156 South African police stations was fully compliant with the act.

August 16 -
Dallas

Officer Raymond Petty of the Dallas Police Department has been arrested on a family violence charge, Dallas's WFAA Channel 8 News reports.


He was put on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

August 14 -
Olive Branch, Mississippi

Police Detective Jessica Riley of the Olive Branch Police Department has been arrested and charged with domestic violence, WMC Action News 5 in Memphis reports.


August 13 -
Fullerton, California

Prosecutors in Orange County, California, will not lay domestic violence charges against officer Manuel Ramos of the Fullerton Police Department, The Orange County Register reports.


Ramos was arrested in July after police responded to a report of alleged domestic violence at a home.

Prosecutors said it couldn't be proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ramos committed a crime.

Ramos had previously been one of three former Fullerton officers criminally charged in the videotaped beating death of a homeless, mentally ill man in a parking lot.

Two of the officers were found not guilty by a jury and charges were dropped against a third.

Ramos gained notoriety because the video showed him putting on Latex gloves and telling the man he was "getting ready to fuck you up."

August 12 -
Mount Prospect, Illinois

Sergeant Anthony Lietzow of the Mount Prospect Police Department in suburban Chicago has been charged with domestic battery, aggravated battery to a peace officer and resisting a peace officer after a dispute at his home, local newspaper The Daily Herald reports.


Lietzow had been named the department's officer of the year in 2005, 2007 and 2009 and received the Cook County Sheriff's Award of Merit in 2006.

August 12 -

Warrick County, Indiana

Sergeant Karen Vaughn-Kajmowicz of the Evansville Police Department was suspended without pay following her arrest on preliminary charges of strangulation and battery in the presence of a child under age 16, Indiana's 14News reports.

August 11 -
New Orleans

Officer James Cunningham, a 34-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department, was arrested and charged with domestic abuse battery and false imprisonment after an incident in which he allegedly grabbed a woman, threatened her and refused to let her leave, KLFY News reports in Lafayette, Louisiana.


Cunningham was suspended without pay.

He had been on administrative reassignment since a previous arrest in January on domestic abuse battery and home invasion charges, KLFY and The New Orleans Advocate report.

August 11 -
Denver

Denver Police Department patrol officer Lane Warren Gardner faces a misdemeanour domestic violence charge after an alleged incident involving his girlfriend, also a Denver officer, The Denver Post reports.


Gardner allegedly attacked his girlfriend then locked himself in a bathroom. 

His girlfriend told police Gardner had access to multiple weapons, but a responding SWAT team couldn't make direct contact with Gardner and left.

Other officers later approached the house with shields but again couldn't contact Gardner and left. Police then issued a warrant for the officer's arrest.

He turned himself in to police three days later. Both he and his girlfriend were put on administrative duty.

August 10 -
Plainville, Connecticut

Gary Raia, a retired park police officer, was arrested and charged in relation to alleged assaults and threats against his wife throughout their 34-year marriage, including allegedly pointing a gun at her head while intoxicated, The New Britain Herald reports.


Raia was charged with first-degree threatening, second-degree strangulation, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a firearm under the influence, first-degree reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

His wife told police he "pushed her into walls, punched her, tried breaking her arms, pulled guns on her and has also choked her" since "day one of their marriage," the story said.

She said she was afraid to call police because he would say, "We are brother officers, and we take care of each other."

Raia had been engaged to patrol the city's parks. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

August 6 -
Parlier, California

Sergeant Thomas Rodriguez of the Parlier Police Department in California was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after a dispute with a woman, The Fresno Bee newspaper reports.


Rodriguez had previously been placed on leave while he was investigated for allegedly hitting his teenage son in the face. He wasn't charged in the case.

Rogriguez was reinstated in July when a newly appointed interim police chief found that three of the department's four sergeants were on leave.

Sergeant Carter Pittman was also on leave while being investigated for allegations of possible child abuse but was also reinstated.

August 5 -
Aberdeen, Ohio

Former Police Chief Clark Gast of the Aberdeen Police Department in Ohio faces two charges of domestic violence after allegedly grabbing his wife by the throat, slamming her against a wall, lifting her in the air as she gasped for breath and saying, "I ought to kill you," Cincinnati's WCPO station reports.


Gast called police two days after the incident to report his wife had hanged herself at their home. The death was ruled a suicide.

One of the two charges is related to Gast's 10-year-old stepdaughter, who investigators said witnessed the attack.

The family dog started to bite Gast during the attack, and he responded by choking the dog, investigators said in an affidavit. 

The girl attempted to get the dog from Clark, but he then allegedly grabbed the girl by the hair and pulled her away, the affidavit says.

The girl also is alleged to have said she witnessed Clark repeatedly beat her mother.

An WCPO investigation discovered that Aberdeen police refused to call outside investigators after the wife's death.

Police also kept the death report from prosecutors for more than six months, the investigation found.

August 3 -
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

A male member of the Cape Breton Regional Police in Nova Scotia is under investigation in connection with two alleged incidents of domestic violence involving the officer's girlfriend, The Cape Breton Post reports.


Police responding to a disturbance at a local fire hall removed the officer only to later receive information that he had allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at the fire hall.

Police then learned about a second alleged assault involving the couple on the street.

August 3 -
Gardner, Massachusetts

Massachusetts state trooper Corey Benoit faces domestic violence charges after an argument with his girlfriend that left her with a broken collarbone, AP reports citing authorities.


Benoit faces charges of domestic assault and battery after he is alleged to have slammed his girlfriend into a wall and trashed the house in a rage following an argument over loud music, The Boston Globe reports.

A police report also said Benoit struggled with two police officers who intervened, "flailing and uncontrollably swinging his arms and legs." 

The struggle resulted in a "significant amount of property damage," the police report said.

July 29 -
Guam
Jason Keith Sablan Mendiola is the second
Guam police reservist charged this month
in connection with allegations of domestic abuse.

Jason Keith Sablan Mendiola is the second reservist in the Guam Police Department to be arrested this month in connection with allegations of domestic abuse.


Mendiola "is accused of terrorizing persons known to him," a police spokesperson was quoted saying by the Pacific News Center.

He was arrested on charges of reckless conduct, family violence, terrorizing, disorderly conduct and possession of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Earlier this month, police reservist Nicholas Gutierrez was charged in relation to an alleged assault on his girlfriend (see below).

July 24 -
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Two Halifax police officers face charges related to domestic violence, CBC reports.


A 13-year male Halifax Regional Police officer was charged with assault and forcible entry in connection with an incident in which the complainant is a female Halifax officer.

The second case involves a police officer who faces two charges of assault after incidents involving a woman he was dating.

July 15 -
Mustang, Oklahoma

Master Sergeant Gregory Douglas Driskill of the Oklahoma City police has been charged on suspicion of feloniously pointing a firearm and misdemeanour domestic abuse, The Tulsa World newspaper reports.


Driskill is alleged to have held a gun to the head of a women he was dating and saying he would kill her. He also allegedly pushed the woman, causing her to fall and injure her back.

July 15 -
Spokane, Washington

Officer John Yen of the Spokane Police Department has been arrested for first-degree burglary-domestic violence after a report that he was kicking the door of a residence, the SpokaneCity news site reports.


Yen, who was armed with his off-duty firearm, was reportedly asked by a woman who was his girlfriend at the time to leave, but instead he entered the residence, the story says.

July 14 -
Huntsville, Alabama

Sergeant Christopher Grubbs of the Huntsville Police Department in Alabama was arrested along with his wife after reports of a domestic dispute, the AL.com news site reports.


Both were charged with third-degree domestic violence (harassment), a misdemeanour.

July 13 -

Australia

A family violence survivor who was raped and hit repeatedly by her partner says she heard police laughing with her attacker after she called them for help, an Australian royal commission on family violence has heard.


The mother of four was the first victim to testify at the royal commission, which started work today in Melbourne, Australia's ABC News reports.


She said her husband was controlling and kept the phone in a locked room. He forced her and their four kids to sleep in a car parked outside his work when he was on the night shift.


A shelter told her she could only bring two of her kids to stay with her.


The commission is expected to release its findings next February.


UK report slammed police response


It follows the scathing report of a British commission last year that slammed UK police for "alarming and unacceptable weaknesses" in domestic violence investigations.


Most victims "had experienced very poor attitudes at some point from responding officers. Victims told us that they were frequently not taken seriously, that they felt judged and that some officers demonstrated a considerable lack of empathy and understanding."


The UK inquiry found police took photos of injuries in only 46 percent of cases, while interviews with neighbours were done less than a quarter of the time -- even though these are recommended practices for domestic abuse investigations in the UK.


July 13 -

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Patrick Gravelle, a police officer in Sunrise, Florida, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of battery after he allegedly threatened to kill his wife and stepson, Fort Lauderdale's WSVN-7 News reports.


Gravelle threatened to hunt down his wife and kill her, then himself if she ever left him, stepson Anthony Massaro was quoted saying.


"He thinks he has some sort of privilege that no one else has.... He thinks he can do anything," Massaro said.


A state attorney told a judge he was "very concerned for both of the victims' lives."


Gravelle was relieved of duty with pay pending the investigation.


July 10 -
Asbury Park, New Jersey

Local police were called 21 times before New Jersey police Sergeant Philip Seidle is alleged to have shot his ex-wife to death on June 16, the Asbury Park Press newspaper reports.
New Jersey police Sergeant Philip Seidle,
accused of  murdering his ex-wife, appears 
in court.

Authorities say Seidle shot his ex-wife several times in broad daylight after running her car off the road, a previous post reported on this blog.

Seidle was charged with murder.


The last police report was filed less than a month before the killing, the newspaper said, citing police reports it obtained.


The reports were heavily censored before being released.


July 8 -

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland police officer David Anderson pleaded guilty to domestic violence and attempted unlawful restraint in connection with attacks on his then-girlfriend, Cleveland.com reports.


Anderson had been suspended without pay after he was charged with three misdemeanour counts of domestic violence and felony stalking last December, as reported on a previous post on this blog.


Anderson was sentenced to 210 days in jail and two years of probation.


July 6 -

Staten Island, New York

Former New York Police Department Sergeant Manuel DaSilva was charged with four domestic violence-related misdemeanours after allegedly throwing a knife at his ex-girlfriend and threatening to shoot her, police say.


DaSilva, who avoided jail time despite seven prior arrests over a five-month stretch, allegedly told his ex, "If you tell the cops I'll put a bullet in the back of your head and get away with it because I was a cop," according to a criminal complaint against him.


July 5 -

Australia

Three-quarters of Australians believe family violence is at least as big a threat as terrorism, prompting some to call on local governments to reassess funding priorities and devote more to services such as shelters, The Guardian reports.


About 48 percent said family violence was more of a threat than terrorism, while 26 percent said it was about the same level of threat -- a total of 74 percent.


Just 18 percent believed it was less of a threat.


The Guardian reported that almost 90 percent of shelters in New South Wales were full, resulting in women being turned away.


July 4 -

Demopolis, Alabama

Police Sergeant Derrick Carter in Demopolis, Alabama has been fired and charged with domestic assault, a Fox 6 WRBC in Birmingham reports. Few additional details have been reported.


July 1 -

Guam

Nicholas Gutierrez, a police reservist in Guam, was arrested for allegedly punching a woman in the face in a family-violence incident, the Pacific News Center reports.


Police officials faced questions because Gutierrez had a previous arrest in 2005 on charges of family violence and assault and another arrest in 2008 on charges of stalking, terrorizing, public drunkenness and harassment.


June 30 -

Hartford, Connecticut

Officer Israel Zea, a 17-year veteran of the Hartford Police Department, faced charges after police say he broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment and punched her three times, The Hartford Courant reports.


Zea was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal trespass.


June 29 -
Elgin, South Carolina

Police officer Douglas James Barton of Elgin, South Carolina, was charged with domestic violence in the second degree after what police say was an intoxicated attack on his girlfriend, The State newspaper reports.
Elgin, South Carolina, police officer Douglas 
James Barton was charged with domestic 
violence in the second degree after what police 
said was an intoxicated attack on his girlfriend.

Deputies were sent to a home after a 911 hang-up call in which a woman could be heard screaming in the background, police said.

Barton is reported to have assaulted his girlfriend, thrown her to the ground, smashed a phone with a hammer when she called 911, placed a pillow over her face to stop her from screaming, grabbed her around the throat and struck her in the face.


Also read:

Police Domestic Violence in the News (Dec. 2014 to June 2015)

Police Domestic Violence in the News (Dec. 2014-June 2015)

Rarely does a week go by without a news story about a police officer arrested for domestic violence. Reports come in with disconcerting frequency from across the U.S., Canada and other countries.

Up to 40 percent of police officers admit to violence in their homes -- far more than in the wider population. But only a tiny fraction of the cases actually ever comes to public attention, and few abusive cops ever face justice. Most who are investigated get off with token punishment and rarely see the inside of a prison.


Here are some of those stories. All accused are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.


For police domestic violence stories since June 2015, see this post.



June 29 --
New York

The New York Police Department went easy on two officers involved in domestic violence who should have been fired, a police oversight panel says.


"Termination is the appropriate penalty" if there is "clear and convincing evidence of prior physical domestic history," the Commission to Combat Police Corruption said after a review of police domestic violence cases in 2013.


The panel's report was quietly released in 2014 but only came to light recently.



June 19 --

Fresno, California

Two women' and their families are suing the Fresno Police Department in California saying police didn't do enough to protect them from domestic violence, ABC30 Action News in Fresno reports.


Fresno police say Cindy Rice Raygoza was killed in 2014 by her ex-boyfriend Michael Reams, while the same year Pamela Motley was left a quadriplegic when her husband shot her before committing suicide, the story.


Pamela Motley called Fresno police at least eight times and didn't get enough police protection, attorney Kevin Little says.


June 17 --
Asbury Park, New Jersey

A New Jersey police Sergeant, Philip Seidle, ran his ex-wife Tamara Seidle off the road, then shot and killed her with his service handgun in front of their seven-year-old daughter and responding police officers, say prosecutors in a New York Daily News report.
New Jersey police Sergeant Philip Seidle.

The couple had just divorced and were fighting over custody of their nine kids. 

In a divorce complaint, Tamara Seidle described a "tortured" 23-year marriage to the Neptune Township police officer. She said he slammed her into walls, threatened to leave her and the kids without any money and, when she was pregnant, kicked her in the stomach and pointed a gun at her head.


On her birthday, he punched her in the eye because she questioned him about the pornography bills he had accumulated on their credit card, Tamara Seidle claimed.


Police knew


She said police knew about the abuse and had intervened at the family's home.


She said she learned a month after finishing treatment for breast cancer that her husband had been having an affair -- the second of their marriage.


Prosecutors are investigating why responding officers didn't fire on Philip Seidle to keep him from allegedly shooting his ex-wife.



June 3--

Johannesburg, South Africa

Police Constable Ronnie Masie stormed a Johannesburg police station and shot and killed his girlfriend Sowela Anna Nkuna, her uncle, a neighbour and a police major who was opening a case of domestic violence against Masie, South Africa's IOL News website reports.
The bloody scene at a Johannesburg
police station where Constable Ronnie
Masie killed his girlfriend and three
others.

Masie was later killed by his colleagues from a tactical response team.

He had remained a cop even after Nkuna filed numerous complaints of domestic abuse, her family members said, noting that police didn't update her on investigations or address her complaints with her.


Police flout Domestic Violence Act


A month before the killing, Masie held his girlfriend hostage at gunpoint, fired several shots into the air and threatened to kill responding officers, according to IOL News.


The officers left, taking Masie's gun, a neighbour said. But Masie was later able to obtain another gun by lying to his police colleagues, IOL News reported.


Several groups later accused the South African Police Service of ignoring domestic violence legislation and not doing enough to protect abused women. 


Only one of 156 police stations was found to be fully compliant with the country's Domestic Violence Act in an audit.



May 21--

Dundee, Michigan

Police Chief Todd Opperman of Dundee, a village of 4,000 in southern Michigan, has been arrested for domestic violence, Detroit's ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV reports.


The incident involved "a smashed car or truck mirror," the report said, quoting an unnamed village manager who said Opperman didn't have a history of "bad behaviour."


During an argument with Opperman, his wife allegedly locked herself in a vehicle in the driveway and Opperman is said to have damaged the vehicle, the Monroe News website said.



May 13 --

Loveland, Colorado

Loveland Police Department officer Robert Croner has been charged with third-degree assault and child abuse resulting in bodily injury, both Class 1 misdemeanours, the Coloradoan news site reports.


In a somewhat unusual move, arrest affidavits detailing the allegations have been sealed.


Croner was placed on paid administrative leave.


A protectio
n order bars him from communicating with the alleged victim or witnesses.

UPDATE (Oct. 23, 2015): The d
omestic violence charges were dropped on August, but Croner was rearrested on investigation of felony tampering with physical evidence and misdemeanour child abuse resulting in injury, ABC-affiliate Denver Channel 7 News reports. Croner hasn't been formally charged in the new case.


May 12 --

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Staff Sergeant Darcy Shukin, a 23-year veteran of the Saskatoon Police Service, has been charged with assault in connection with a domestic incident, Saskatoon's StarPhoenix reports.


Shukin was arrested at a home after "a report of domestic violence," Saskatoon police said in a news release.



May 4 --

New Orleans, Louisiana

Several ex-wives of New Orleans Police Department officers say the justice system favours their spouse during custody disputes and in dealing with complaints, New Orleans' WWL-TV reports in an investigative piece.


Several of the women were themselves charged with crimes based on "flimsy, even non-existent" evidence -- while their complaints against their officer ex-husbands were dismissed, the women told WWL-TV.



April 27 --

Ballina, Australia

A police officer in New South Wales, Australia, has been charged in a domestic incident, The Northern Star newspaper of Lismore reports


The senior constable, who is attached to a specialist command in the state's Northern Region, was charged with two counts of stalking/intimidate with intent to cause fear and resist or hinder police in the execution of their duty.


He is to appear at the local court in Ballina, New South Wales, in June.



April 23 --

Coral Springs, Florida

Coral Springs police officer Stephen Degerdon faces a charge of domestic battery after he allegedly grabbed his wife by the arm and "violently pulled her out of" their car, then drove off with his one-year-old son, Miami's WPLG Local 10 News reports citing authorities.


Degerdon's wife had just filed for divorce, South Florida's Sun-Sentinel newspaper said. The officer also allegedly punched a hole in the kitchen wall and punctured his wife's car tires with a crowbar.


Degerdon was previously convicted in 2011 of two counts of battery after he was accused of choking a suspect in a car burglary.



April 22 --

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore police Lieutenant Brian Rice, who led the initial chase of Freddie Gray, an African American man who died after being arrested and suffering a broken neck, had previously been twice accused of domestic violence, The Guardian reports.


Rice faced actions in civil courts over alleged domestic violence in 2008 and 2013, the newspaper said citing public filings. In both cases, courts denied requests for protective orders. A judge said in one case there was "no statutory basis" for it.


In 2013, Rice was also ordered not to abuse, contact or go to the home or workplace of a second person for a week. A judge also revoked that order saying there was "no statutory basis" for it.


Rice was one of six officers suspended over Gray's death. He died Sunday, a week after his arrest. 


Gray's neck was left "80% severed" with three broken vertebrae and his voice box almost crushed, the newspaper said citing his family's lawyer.


Baltimore has seen several large protests over the death.


Police lieutenant subject of protection order


On April 23, The Guardian carried a second article on Lieutenant Rice, reporting that the officer was previously accused of threatening to kill a man as part of an alleged "pattern of intimidation and violence" that led to a temporary restraining order.


The man applied to a court for an emergency protection order, alleging that Rice had threatened to kill him late one night in an alcohol-fueled confrontation.


The protection order was granted, but then lifted a week later after a judge ruled there was no basis for it in Maryland law to continue.


In a separate filing, Rice had firearms confiscated. He possessed a police-issued Glock handgun, long guns and a cross-bow.


April 21 --
Colorado Springs, Colorado

A decorated Colorado Springs police detective was arrested last week and faces a possible felony charge after a domestic violence complaint was filed against him, The Colorado Springs Gazette reports citing authorities.

Sergeant Bradley Pratt of the Colorado
Springs Police Department.

Sergeant Bradley Pratt, a detective in the violent crimes unit, which investigates homicides and other major crimes, was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing.

Pratt allegedly entered his former girlfriend's house without her knowledge after she had told him to never contact her again, according to a protection order request.


"I asked him to leave several times," Sandra Evans said in the request. "He [Pratt] is always armed and I fear for my life."



April 17 --

Auckland, New Zealand

A police constable in Auckland, New Zealand, Lomitusi Lomi, was suspended from duties after being charged with injuring his partner in a domestic violence incident, The New Zealand Herald reports.


The newspaper also reports on two other incidents involving police officers. 


In one, a South Auckland officer was charged last October with five counts of assault against a teenager, including allegations that he "whacked the victim on the back on numerous occasions," beat her with his police-issue belt in the stomach and hit her on the back and legs with a piece of wood.


The officer was put on restricted duties.


Another officer, Hamish McCormack, faces a charge of careless driving after a "fleeing driver incident in which two police cars were damaged."



March 30 --

Gorham, Maine

A town-commissioned report on the police department in Gorham, Maine, found issues related to domestic violence, The Portland Press Herald newspaper reports.


"One external agency... expressed concerns regarding domestic violence issues within the department and the process of investigating these claims," the report by a human-relations firm said.


The report also cited complaints from police members that "internal investigations lack transparency."


Town manager David Cole wouldn't give details on the domestic violence issues, saying "it was a personal matter."


The town council commissioned the report after council members disagreed on whether to conduct an outside search for a new police chief or permanently promote the acting chief.


"Most police department staff interviewed believe the town should look to the outside for their next chief," the report said.



March 25 --

Mobile, Alabama

Officer Gregory Evans of the Mobile Police Department in Alabama turned himself in to the local jail after the District Attorney's Office issued a warrant for third-degree domestic violence, the AL.com news website reports.


Evans was booked around 4:35 p.m. on March 25 and released about 15 minutes later, the site says.



March 19 --

Lauderhill, Florida

A Lauderhill, Florida, police sergeant, Michael David Bigwood, was jailed for violating a restraining order by banging on his ex-wife's front door late at night, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.


Bigwood's former wife had obtained a restraining order against Bigwood.


A judge at a court hearing said the restraining order was granted because Bigwood was alleged to have pulled a firearm on his ex-wife and threatened to harm her and their children, the article says.


Bigwood also allegedly became violent when intoxicated.


An arrest report said Bigwood was drunk and had called and sent messages to his ex-wife, also a police officer, earlier that night, CBS Miami reports.



March 15 --

Durham, North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina, police Corporal James Cartwright was on paid administrative leave after charges stemming from a domestic violence incident, The Herald-Sun newspaper of Durham reports.


Cartwright is accused of assaulting his wife and interfering with emergency communications.


His wife Amanda Cartwright filed for a domestic violence protective order the day after her husband's arrest, saying he previously hit her in front of their two young sons, the newspaper says.


A judge wrote in the protective order that the case "is part of a pattern of physically violent behavior" and that the officer "is verbally abusive on a regular basis," the article says.



March 14 --

Denver, Colorado

Denver police Detective Daniel Diaz Deleon pleaded guilty in a domestic dispute after firing six gunshots inside his home, ABC's Channel 7 News reports.


Police had responded to Deleon's home around midnight after one of his children called 911 and said her father was attacking her mother, an arrest affidavit said.


A responding officer reported hearing gunshots inside the home, but Deleon told a police dispatcher "the noise was him popping bubble wrap."


Deleon subsequently refused the responding officer's commands to show his hands and walk to the officer, saying instead, "F--- you, come and get me!"


Wife, children hid in bathroom


Officers eventually found Deleon's frightened wife and children hiding in a bathroom, ABC says.


Deleon was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to reckless endangerment and reckless use of a gun -- both misdemeanours.


Deleon also pleaded guilty to phone harassment and received a deferred judgment for that charge. Other charges such as false imprisonment, child abuse and obstructing a peace officer were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.



March 11 --

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A Philadelphia police lieutenant who was fired after an alleged domestic violence incident was found dead in his home this week, Philly.com reports.


George Holcombe, a 23-year veteran police officer, was arrested last November after allegedly threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend in front of one of their sons and two police officers.


Holcombe was also charged with assaulting one of the responding officers and endangering the welfare of his child.


The incident was captured on a cellphone, and Holcombe was fired, the story says.



February 25 --

Denver, Colorado

Todd Parro, a 33-year veteran Denver city police officer, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and charged with misdemeanour third-degree assault, The Denver Post reports.



February 24 --

Lawrence, Kansas

City police in Lawrence, Kansas, arrested officer William Jacob Burke on suspicion of domestic battery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, kidnapping and criminal threat, The Lawrence Journal-World reports.



December 18, 2014 --

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Police officer Stephen Rozniakowski of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, resigned from his job, then strapped on a bulletproof vest, kicked down his ex-wife's door, ran up the stairs and started firing when he saw her and her daughter in the hallway, according to authorities quoted by the Philly.com news site.


Ex-wife Valerie Morrow was killed, while her daughter, 15, was shot and wounded, authorities said.


Morrow had just obtained a protection-from-abuse order.


Rozniakowski has been charged with first-degree murder and related offences.


Previous harassment arrest


Rozniakowski had been arrested in a separate harassment and stalking case involving a woman who claimed he texted and called her -- sometimes more than 100 times in a day, the article says.


Another story says Rozniakowski allegedly contacted the woman "thousands" of times, while the local NBC affiliate reports on its site that the officer was charged with 25 counts of stalking and 50 counts of harassment in that case.


Yet, he remained a cop despite that arrest and despite being previously found guilty of harassment in 2009 and 2010. 


Bryan Hills, the police chief of the Colwyn Borough Police Department, where Rozniakowski was employed, had said the latest harassment case was overblown, Philly.com reports.


"Looking at the circumstances, a lot of this is b-------," Hills was quoted telling the Delaware County Daily Times last year.



December 17 --

Austin, Texas

City police officer Andrew Pietrowski in Austin, Texas, took early retirement after controversy stemming from his remarks disparaging family violence, Austin's KUT radio station reports.


Pietrowski was commenting to a KUT reporter about NFL running back Ray Rice, who was filmed knocking out his then-fiancé in a hotel elevator, the station said on its website.


"Now, stop and think about this," Pietrowski said in the taped remarks. "I don't care who you are. You think about the women's movement today. [Women say] 'Oh, we want to go [into] combat,' and then, 'We want equal pay, and we want this.'


"You want to go fight in combat and sit in a foxhole? You go right ahead, but a man can't hit you in public here? Bulls--t! You act like a whore, you get treated like one!"


The incident followed the suspension in November of two other Austin cops for making jokes about rape.


"Go ahead and call the cops. They can't un-rape you," one of the officers said.



December 17 --

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland police officer David Anderson was suspended without pay after he was charged with three misdemeanour counts of domestic violence and felony stalking, the Cleveland.com news site reports.


Anderson allegedly shoved his live-in girlfriend to the ground during an argument outside their home, according to court records cited by the site. The woman hit her head on the pavement and was knocked unconscious, the site says.


Anderson again allegedly shoved the woman to the ground the next day and in another incident kicked down her bedroom door and pushed her down four steps, again causing a head injury, the story says.



December 15 --

Little Silver, New Jersey

Police officer Joseph Glynn Jr. in Little Silver, New Jersey, was placed on "modified duty" after being charged with simple assault in an alleged domestic violence incident, the NJ.com news website quoted authorities saying.



December 11 --

Montreal, Canada

A sergeant-detective with the Montreal Police Service faces multiple charges stemming from a domestic dispute as well as for allegedly uttering threats against Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Pierre Moreau, CBC reports.


Police said a woman made a complaint against the officer, alleging assault, harassment and death threats, CBC said. He is also accused of uttering threats against two minors and assaulting one of the minors.


The officer also faces two additional charges of uttering threats, one of which involves a threat alleged by the woman to have been made against Moreau.



December 5 --

White Plains, New York

A police officer in White Plains, New York, was suspended after he was accused of beating his live-in girlfriend, also a police officer, in their home, The Journal News of the Lower Hudson Valley reports.


Also read:

Police Domestic Violence in the News (Updated)