Judge orders city to give up full video in case of Iowa mom killed by cop

Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register

A federal judge has ordered Iowa to release video and other records in the 2015 police shooting death of Burlington mother Autumn Steele, a ruling that could open more law enforcement video to public inspection.

Burlington Police officer Jesse Hill accidentally shot Steele after he responded to a report of a domestic dispute during which he said an aggressive dog attacked him.

Hill slipped on ice when the weapon fired and shot Steele, who was standing next to her toddler.

Authorities released abbreviated footage of the shooting from Hill's body camera.

But for more than three years, and despite the request of Steele's family, the city of Burlington and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has blocked public release of other records in the case, including the entire police video of the incident.

Hill was never disciplined in the shooting, partly because of his report that he was being attacked by the family dog. That account has been challenged by the family, who say records and video do not support Hill's claim.

The case is seen by some open-records experts as a litmus test concerning police powers, specifically about whether Iowa law enforcement may suppress from the public unflattering footage captured by police dashboard or body cameras.

A federal judge has ordered Iowa to release video and other records in the 2015 police shooting death of Burlington mother Autumn Steele, a ruling that could open more law enforcement video to public inspection.

Burlington Police officer Jesse Hill accidentally shot Steele after he responded to a report of a domestic dispute during which he said an aggressive dog attacked him.

Hill slipped on ice when the weapon fired and shot Steele, who was standing next to her toddler.

Authorities released abbreviated footage of the shooting from Hill's body camera.

But for more than three years, and despite the request of Steele's family, the city of Burlington and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has blocked public release of other records in the case, including the entire police video of the incident.

Hill was never disciplined in the shooting, partly because of his report that he was being attacked by the family dog. That account has been challenged by the family, who say records and video do not support Hill's claim.

The case is seen by some open-records experts as a litmus test concerning police powers, specifically about whether Iowa law enforcement may suppress from the public unflattering footage captured by police dashboard or body cameras.

Autumn Steele's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court, which they settled this year for $2 million.

On Tuesday, Judge James Gritzner of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, ordered that many of the contested records in the case be released.

Gritzner said the balance of interest between the common-law right of access and the benefits of maintaining confidentiality tip in favor of unsealing the records.

A long-running case before the Iowa Public Information Board also continues seeking access to the records.

Gritzner’s ruling arose from litigation filed by the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonprofit group based in Des Moines that estimates it spent more than $10,000 pursuing the case.

The Iowa Public Information Board has fielded multiple complaints in the past four years from citizens who accused law enforcement of illegally withholding footage. The Des Moines Register filed a lawsuit and ultimately obtained the footage in one case where a man died after being tased by Worth County deputies; and — in the past two months —  Ankeny Police have refused to release video of an officer accused of triggering a crash.

“From a public accountability standpoint, this is a significant decision,” Freedom of Information Council Executive Director Randy Evans said of Tuesday's ruling in the Burlington case. “I think this will finally allow the public to know what really went on.”

Gritzner gave Burlington officials two weeks to redact information such as Social Security numbers and to make the records available to the public.

State officials previously released 12 seconds of the video, which the family has said does not provide the public context into the shooting.

City officials did not respond Tuesday for comment.

The family will openly discuss the facts and how "Burlington sought to cover up the wrongful conduct" of Hill when the records are released, Dave O'Brien, a Cedar Rapids attorney who represents the family in the wrongful death lawsuit, said Tuesday.

"The Steele family is gratified by the court’s order releasing these records that support their long-held belief that Defendant Jesse Hill literally got away with murder in shooting and killing Autumn Steele," O'Brien said.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2018/08/14/burlington-police-shooting-death-autumn-steele-records-released-iowa/988629002/

FBI: Sheriff was bribed to shelter drug dealer for 15 years

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Federal authorities say a Mississippi sheriff gave protection for years to a drug dealer who robbed other dealers and kicked back stolen money and drug profits to the lawman.

The illegal partnership began about 15 years ago when Tallahatchie County Sheriff William Brewer — who resigned Tuesday — began helping a then-teenage drug dealer, federal officials allege in a sworn statement .

They said the unnamed dealer robbed other dealers of drugs and money, giving stolen money and proceeds from drug sales to the sheriff of the rural Mississippi Delta county, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee.

The scheme began to collapse June 12, when the FBI says it persuaded the dealer to become a confidential informant. The FBI arrested the 58-year-old Brewer on Friday, charging him with conspiracy to sell drugs and extortion.

Defense lawyer Kevin Horan declined to comment Tuesday on Brewer's guilt or innocence. "That's what they claim; that's all I can say," Horan told The Associated Press when asked about the allegations.

After spending the weekend in jail, Brewer resigned as sheriff ahead of a Tuesday court appearance.

Tallahatchie County supervisors will appoint a replacement to serve until the 2019 general election. 

Horan said Brewer resigned because it would have been "too messy" for him to remain as sheriff of the 16,000-person county and because it smoothed the way for prosecutors to agree to his release after a weekend in jail.

"Under the circumstances, he thought it was in the best interests of the county and his best interest," Horan said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy Percy released Brewer on $25,000 bail, ordering him to remain at home except for work, school, religious services, medical visits or court business. Horan said Brewer will await a federal grand jury's decision on whether to indict him. If convicted on the current charges, Brewer faces up to 40 years in prison.

The arrest could end what the FBI says is Brewer's long criminal career. The sworn statement says the informant estimates he robbed drug dealers at least 50 times over the years, taking and later selling methamphetamine and various forms of cocaine. The informant told the FBI that Brewer continued to shelter his illegal activities when he found a few years ago that the informant had gone into a more traditional form of drug dealing, selling meth bought from illegal suppliers. The FBI says that during this stage of the relationship, the informant was paying Brewer $500 to $600 every two weeks from his drug-dealing profits.

"One more than one occasion, Brewer warned (the informant) to proceed with caution while conducting illegal activity due to the presence of local, state and/or federal law enforcement," FBI Special Agent Justin Niedzwecki swore in the affidavit.

Once the informant was working for the FBI, he planned one last deal with agents listening in. The FBI alleges the informant told Brewer of a fictional plan to rob someone of 9 to 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, discussing the plan with Brewer in person and in recorded telephone calls in late June. At the FBI's direction, after falsely claiming he had completed the robbery, the informant paid Brewer $10,000 in cash bribes. The FBI says the informant made three trips to Brewer's house in Oakland between June 21 and July 26, each time leaving FBI-photographed $10, $20 and $100 bills in a bucket in Brewer's barn at the sheriff's direction.

Niedzwecki alleged that during the informant's final conversation, he told the sheriff he "had sold all the bricks of methamphetamine" he had stolen and "had nothing left." The FBI agent says Brewer responded by encouraging the informant "to continue selling methamphetamine" and warning him "to be careful" with who he was dealing with.

The FBI arrested Brewer 15 days later.

An earlier version of this story has been corrected to show the informant paid $10,000 in FBI-tracked bribes, not $7,500.

https://myfox8.com/2018/08/14/family-demands-answers-after-reidsville-police-officer-shoots-kills-dog/

Family Wants Answers After Dog Shot, Killed By Reidsville Police Officer

Author: Megan Allman

Published: 08/15/18 

REIDSVILLE, N.C. -- A Triad family says they want answers after a Reidsville Police Officer shot and killed their dog.

Reidsville Police Department says the dog died after being shot by Officer Glen Wade at the department's impound lot on August 7. 

The Paschal family, who owns a fence company, says they were doing fence work at the impound lot and their Australian cattle dog Auger came with them. They say Auger had already been on the job site for the first two phases, and officers played with him several times.

During the last phase of the job, the family said Officer Glen Wade showed up on site. The family said Auger barked several times, and then the officer shot at the dog several times, hitting him twice. The family tried to rush Auger to a nearby vet, but it was too late.

"He took my best friend Auger for no reason. Complete cold blood, and the only thing he could say was I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. And he kept on saying that and saying that," said Auger's owner Kevin Paschal. 

It's unclear what prompted the officer to fire his gun.

The Reidsville Police Department offered condolences to the family and says it is investigating the incident. An outside agency is helping with the investigation because it involves an officer. 

Keep reading to see statements from the Reidsville Police Department and attorneys of the Paschal family.

Reidsville Police Department released the following statement on Tuesday about the incident: 

We continue to offer our condolences to the Paschal family on the loss of their family pet.

On the rare occasion when one of our officers discharges a weapon, we take it very seriously. We are investigating the incident which occurred on August 7th, involving Officer Glen Wade, as we would any use of force, according to our existing policies and procedures. 

As in previous incidents involving Officers, we have utilized US Investigative Security Services from Huntersville, North Carolina to assist us in our investigation. This investigation will include witness interviews, review of available videos, and a review of departmental policies. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be made public. 

Attorneys for the Paschal family released this statement:

The Paschal family is distraught over the sudden and senseless shooting of their beloved Australian Cattle Dog, Auger, by Reidsville police officer, Glenn Wade. Auger was a gentle dog, loved by all that knew him. He was a dear friend to those in the Greensboro Fire Department family, as well as the Reidsville Police Department and countless others in the Reidsville community. The family is grateful that no one else was physically harmed during the reckless shooting by Officer Wade. Officer Wade fired multiple times in the direction of police and civilian by-standers, including the Paschal’s 15 year old son, Kory. The shooting was traumatic to all those present, especially the Paschal family, who watched as their beloved Auger was gunned down.

The Paschal family is demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into this incident and would demand that the Reidsville Police Department immediately release all video and body cam recordings of the shooting. 

https://www.wfmynews2.com/amp/article?section=news&subsection=local&headline=family-wants-answers-after-dog-shot-killed-by-reidsville-police-officer&contentId=83-584093896

High Level Seattle Cop Sentenced to 23 Years for Repeatedly Raping His Own Children

A Seattle cop has finally been held accountable after brutally raping and torturing his own daughters for years.

By

Matt Agorist

-

August 15, 2018

Seattle, WA — In case after horrifying case, those in positions of power are exposed for their crimes, showing how these positions often attract society’s worse. One recent example of this is a police sergeant in Seattle being found guilty this year for the repeated rape and molestation of his own daughters.

Daniel Amador, 46, has now finally been sentenced and he will spend the next 23 years behind bars for his crimes. In June, he was detained after a jury found him guilty of first-degree child molestation, second-degree child rape, third-degree child rape and first-degree incest.

According to the court documents, this vile top cop routinely raped his older daughter, known in court papers as A.B., about five times a week and also molested his younger daughter, C.A.

During sentencing Amador claimed to have protected and cared for his daughters and he deserved a light sentence.

“But you failed to take care of me because the biggest threat to my safety turned out to be you,” said his daughter in reply.

The abuse took place for more than a decade and the little girls were unable to tell anyone as their father was a cop. Both of the victims, now ages 24 and 19, described their horrifying childhood in which A.B. was Amador’s favorite one to rape while C.A. was regularly belittled.

According to Seattle Pi, A.B. testified to undergoing regular “pinnings,” which involved Amador holding her down in his bed and talking with her extensively while either touching private body parts or raping her.

“I wasn’t allowed to have secrets from him,” A.B. testified June 5.

According to A.B. the rapes began when she was just 9 years old and persisted even after she had gone away to college.

According to C.A., she testified that the “pinnings” were more of a punishment for her. This vile individual would lie on top of her and grope her while they were sometimes partially or fully naked.

On multiple occasions, Amador would force C.A. to leave the room, then he would move the dresser in front of the door to his bedroom while A.B. was locked inside. He would abuse A.B. in his bedroom—for hours.

Showing the power police have to sweep things under the rug, in 2013, a cousin of the girls called CPS to report C.A. because she began cutting herself around the age of 12 as a result of the “pinnings” and years of abuse.

However, Amador was able to escape any accountability and told his family that if anyone found out about him raping them, they could lose everything they had if he was fired from being a cop.

A.B. hadn’t told anyone about being raped as Amador had instilled so much fear in his own children that they were terrified of what might happen if anyone found out. During this time, Amador was being promoted within the department and used this to threaten his children even more.

“If I helped keep CPS away, it would help keep us together,” A.B. said of that time, and keep them away they did. As Amador was an upstanding member of the Seattle Police Department, the claims against him were likely written off as they “must have been fabricated by some anti-police nut job.”

Once she finally left the house and the control of her sadistic and horrifyingly abusive father, A.B. realized that remaining silent was not something she should continue to do. During that time, Amador had divorced the girls’ mother and remarried. Knowing that Amador’s new wife was pregnant with a baby girl, A.B. realized she had to say something to save her half-sister from a lifetime of abuse.

In March of 2016, A.B. and C.A. came forward with their accusations. In a wise decision, they went to a neighboring police department to do so. As TFTP has reported on numerous occasions, often times, police departments will protect their own, even if they are abusive animals like Amador.

In April of 2016, the Lake Forest Park Police Department arrested him. Likely due to his massive salary as a sergeant, Amador posted the $750,000 bail and quietly resigned from the police department after 21 years with them—likely keeping his taxpayer funded pention in the process.

During this time, Amador was allowed supervised visitation with his new daughter but was not allowed to visit the ones he’d abused for years.

On Friday, justice was finally served and this monster was sentenced to 280 months in a cage where he belongs.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/seattle-cop-sentenced-23-years-daughters/

87-year-old woman Tased by police while cutting dandelions, family says

wsbtv.com · by Richard Elliot · August 14, 2018 

CHATSWORTH, Ga. - A Chatsworth woman says she was stunned with a Taser by police while she was out cutting dandelions outside a Boys and Girls Club.

Investigators said they got a 911 call from the club about the woman, but the caller said the woman wasn't a threat.

Chatsworth police officers found 87-year old Martha al-Bishara on the property when they arrived.

Police said they ordered Bishara to drop the knife and then shocked her with a Taser.

Family members shared photos of Bishara inside her hospital room with Channel 2’s Richard Elliot.

When Elliot stopped by her home Tuesday, her family said she was doing well.

“She’s recovering, you know. Still a little sore from what she’s gone through,” nephew Solomon Douhne said.

Friday afternoon, Bishara walked across the street from her house to cut some dandelions for her salad from property owned by the Boys and Girls Club.

When they saw a woman with a knife, they called 911.

“She’s so old, she can’t get around too well,” the caller told the 911 dispatcher. “Looks like she’s walking around looking for something, like, vegetation to cut down or something.”

“She just brought the knife onto the property in her hand. She didn’t try to attack anybody or anything,” Douhne said.

When police arrived, they ordered Bishara, who doesn’t speak English, to drop the knife. When they say she didn’t and moved toward them, they shocked her with the Taser.

“She really didn’t know what was going on or why they were there. She had no clue what to expect,” Douhne said.

Douhne told Elliot that he is a former Dalton police officer. He admits Chatsworth police didn’t appear to do anything procedurally wrong, but he wishes they had used more common sense to disarm his 87-year-old aunt.

“Less-lethal force is the practice that we normally (follow), but in this case, you know, if you could tell the communication wasn’t working, she was not posing a threat, give it time, let it play out,” Douhne said.

She’s currently charged with trespassing and obstruction.

In an interview with the Dalton Daily Citizen-News, the Chatsworth police chief defended their actions:

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/87-year-old-woman-tasered-by-police-while-cutting-dandelions-family-says/812963216