Off-duty NYPD vet John Baboolal busted in DUI, suspended without pay
The New York Daily News by John Lauinger - June 27, 2010
A drunken off-duty city cop was busted on the Throgs Neck Bridge Saturday and charged with driving under the influence, authorities said. Police Officer John Baboolal, 41, an 18-year NYPD veteran, was traveling south over the span when he was pulled over by a Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority cop just after 1 a.m., police said. The NYPD suspended Baboolal without pay after his arrest. Baboolal was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court Saturday on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a spokeswoman for the Queens district attorney's office said. Baboolal was released without bail and is due back in court next month.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Jury Watches Cop Bashing Handcuffed War Vet
Jury watches video of Housing Officer David London bashing handcuffed Iraq war veteran
The New York Daily News by Oren Yaniv - June 19, 2010
Nobody disputes that the disturbing surveillance video screened for a Manhattan criminal jury Friday shows a housing cop bashing an Iraq war veteran with his baton. The question is whether Housing Officer David London, 45, was committing an act of police brutality or using necessary force to subdue an aggressive suspect. Prosecutors called London's beating of 28-year-old Walter Harvin in July 2008 an assault that the cop tried to cover up. But the defense insisted London's response was appropriate. In the video, captured on security cameras at the upper West Side housing project where Harvin's mother lived, Harvin is seen shoving and scuffling with London, who then beat the ex-soldier even after he was cuffed. The video is the main evidence in the case because Harvin, who returned from Iraq two weeks before the incident and suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome, has vanished. "He keeps hitting Mr. Harvin," assistant DA David Drucker said of the moment when the victim cowers on the floor as London keeps clubbing him. "If it was a boxing match, you'd step in and stop the fight." London then tried "to cover up his misconduct," Drucker claimed, by falsely signing a criminal complaint charging Harvin with two counts of assault. Defense lawyer Stephen Worth said Harvin was resisting and that if the tape had audio, jurors would have heard him threaten to kill the cop. "This is a use of necessary force," Worth said. "Officer London strikes him until he gets compliance." oyaniv@nydailynews.com
The New York Daily News by Oren Yaniv - June 19, 2010
Nobody disputes that the disturbing surveillance video screened for a Manhattan criminal jury Friday shows a housing cop bashing an Iraq war veteran with his baton. The question is whether Housing Officer David London, 45, was committing an act of police brutality or using necessary force to subdue an aggressive suspect. Prosecutors called London's beating of 28-year-old Walter Harvin in July 2008 an assault that the cop tried to cover up. But the defense insisted London's response was appropriate. In the video, captured on security cameras at the upper West Side housing project where Harvin's mother lived, Harvin is seen shoving and scuffling with London, who then beat the ex-soldier even after he was cuffed. The video is the main evidence in the case because Harvin, who returned from Iraq two weeks before the incident and suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome, has vanished. "He keeps hitting Mr. Harvin," assistant DA David Drucker said of the moment when the victim cowers on the floor as London keeps clubbing him. "If it was a boxing match, you'd step in and stop the fight." London then tried "to cover up his misconduct," Drucker claimed, by falsely signing a criminal complaint charging Harvin with two counts of assault. Defense lawyer Stephen Worth said Harvin was resisting and that if the tape had audio, jurors would have heard him threaten to kill the cop. "This is a use of necessary force," Worth said. "Officer London strikes him until he gets compliance." oyaniv@nydailynews.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Corrections Officer Arrested After Shooting Spree, 2 Dead
LI corrections officer arrested after shooting spree that left two dead
The New York Daily News - June 16, 2010
Police pulled over Kim Wolfe, 43, a Nassau County Corrections Officer, at 5:45 p.m. after cops say she fled the scene of one of the shootings. Inside the car was a 23-year-old female hostage, who may be the suspect's niece, cops said. 45-year-old Stacie Williams, a nurse's aide, was found shot to death outside Nassau University Medical Center, where she worked the night shift in the maternity ward. Several miles away, a 56-year-old man, a possible relative of Wolfe's, was also found fatally shot. A third man, believed to be the suspect's grandfather, was also injured in the shooting, but survived, AP reported. Police said a gun was found on the suspect after she surrendered peacefully.
The New York Daily News - June 16, 2010
Police pulled over Kim Wolfe, 43, a Nassau County Corrections Officer, at 5:45 p.m. after cops say she fled the scene of one of the shootings. Inside the car was a 23-year-old female hostage, who may be the suspect's niece, cops said. 45-year-old Stacie Williams, a nurse's aide, was found shot to death outside Nassau University Medical Center, where she worked the night shift in the maternity ward. Several miles away, a 56-year-old man, a possible relative of Wolfe's, was also found fatally shot. A third man, believed to be the suspect's grandfather, was also injured in the shooting, but survived, AP reported. Police said a gun was found on the suspect after she surrendered peacefully.
Friday, June 4, 2010
NYPD Cop Was Drunk in Deadly Crash
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly: NYPD officer in deadly crash was wasted
The New York Daily News by WIL CRUZ, KERRY BURKE AND BILL HUTCHINSON - June 3, 2010
Cop driving car that killed him, 2nd police officer was double the legal limit for alcohol: commish Officer Hoyoung Kim is drunk when he crashes his car in the Bronx last month, killing himself and an NYPD buddy and injuring four women they met at a party.
Cop driving car that killed him, 2nd police officer was double the legal limit for alcohol: commish Officer Hoyoung Kim is drunk when he crashes his car in the Bronx last month, killing himself and an NYPD buddy and injuring four women they met at a party.
An off-duty cop was drunk when he crashed his car in the Bronx last month, killing himself and an NYPD buddy and injuring four women they met at a party, police said yesterday. Officer Hoyoung Kim had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16, twice the state's 0.08 legal limit, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters. Kim's colleague at the 32nd Precinct in Harlem, Officer Edwin Paulino, a passenger in the doomed car, was also sloshed with a blood-alcohol level of 0.21, a police source said. Asked if he was stunned by the toxicology reports, Kelly said, "I have no comment." The mother of two sisters critically hurt in the May 16 crash on the Bronx River Parkway lashed out at the deceased cops for taking her daughters on the deadly ride. "I don't understand why the police officer would drive a car knowing he had been drinking," Sabina Ramirez, 47, of the Bronx, said at Jacobi Medical Center, where her daughters, Jazmin, 23, and Iris, 27, remain in critical condition. "I don't know if one of my daughters will ever walk again," said Ramirez, referring to Iris, who suffered a broken pelvis, two fractured legs and a spinal cord injury. Crash victims Shirley Torres, 26, and Melina Ramirez, 27, no relation to the sisters, also remain hospitalized at Jacobi Medical Center. The women, according to their lawyer, accepted a ride home from Kim, 32, after he assured them he was fit to drive, and he and Paulino boasted, "Don't worry, we're cops." Lawyer Ken Litman conceded the women knew the officers had been drinking at the raucous surprise birthday party for a fellow cop in Pelham Bay, but said they wouldn't have gotten into the car if they knew the driver was so intoxicated. The women climbed into the backseat of Kim's 2009 Nissan Altima and Paulino, 25, got in the front passenger seat when they left the party just after 6 a.m. In the days following the accident, colleagues of the officers and even a sergeant at the 32nd Precinct insisted Kim would never drive drunk. Kim's twin brother, Juyoung Kim, appeared solemn when asked about the latest twist in the tragedy. "I do feel bad for the families," he said. "I can't imagine what they're going through, but we're also grieving." With Tanyanika Samuels and Robert Sgobbo kburke@nydailynews.com
Thursday, June 3, 2010
'Disgusting' grope cop guilty
'Disgusting' grope cop guilty
The New York Post by LAURA ITALIANO - June 3, 2010
A disgraced former NYPD community-affairs cop was convicted yesterday of groping two young women he'd offered to "help" with after-school program paperwork for their kids. The attacks -- in upper Manhattan in 2004 and 2008 -- left at least one juror utterly grossed out. "I think he's a scumbag," said the female juror, asking not to be named. "He's disgusting." Jurors heard graphic testimony from both victims, along with a transcript of a DA-recorded phone call in which Wilfredo Rosario oozed to one of the women, "Afterwards, when you have given me your mind, you will give me that body. You understand me?" Rosario, 41, was convicted in January of soliciting oral sex from a woman to whom he was issuing a summons in Riverside Park. He has yet to be tried for his most serious charge -- allegedly raping a fourth woman in 2003. He'll be held pending his sentencing July 1, at which time he faces a maximum of seven years in prison.
The New York Post by LAURA ITALIANO - June 3, 2010
A disgraced former NYPD community-affairs cop was convicted yesterday of groping two young women he'd offered to "help" with after-school program paperwork for their kids. The attacks -- in upper Manhattan in 2004 and 2008 -- left at least one juror utterly grossed out. "I think he's a scumbag," said the female juror, asking not to be named. "He's disgusting." Jurors heard graphic testimony from both victims, along with a transcript of a DA-recorded phone call in which Wilfredo Rosario oozed to one of the women, "Afterwards, when you have given me your mind, you will give me that body. You understand me?" Rosario, 41, was convicted in January of soliciting oral sex from a woman to whom he was issuing a summons in Riverside Park. He has yet to be tried for his most serious charge -- allegedly raping a fourth woman in 2003. He'll be held pending his sentencing July 1, at which time he faces a maximum of seven years in prison.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Policing with Honor
Policing with Honor with Randy Sutton
One cop's search for justice goes online
Randy Sutton, PoliceOne Contributor and author of three books about "policing with honor," takes on corruption with a new website and a steadfast determination
Greed and lust for power are not new human traits, they have been plaguing societies since the earliest civilizations were conceived. They are the components that fuels mans’ weakness and lead to the dark manifestations of corruption and abuse of power. Even those whose values are healthy and who have consistently displayed positive morality can be swayed by their temptations and it is a constant internal battle which must be waged if we are to overcome our thirst for the pleasures and the rewards they promote.
Corruption is a cancer that can erode and destroy organizations, governments, and even entire civilizations. It affects each one of us in myriad ways. We only need to examine the scandalous actions of corporate executives of Enron and Merrill Lynch to see how hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans had their financial security ripped away. Headlines abound of politicians at every level of local, state, and federal government enriching themselves monetarily or furthering their greed for power by selling their influence to the highest bidder while discarding their promises to the public they serve. Perhaps most embarrassing to me personally are the constant headlines in newspapers and television reports of police officers and law enforcement leaders who have given into the temptations of money, sex or power while they failed to live up to their oath “To Serve and Protect.” I’m Randy Sutton and I have fought for justice for more than three decades as a street cop, investigator and police leader for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and in the Princeton, New Jersey Police Department. During my years behind a badge I’ve given life and taken it. I have witnessed courage and cowardice, cruelty and incredible compassion and, as the years have passed, felt both disillusionment in my fellow man and pride in the many acts of benevolence and courage I have witnessed. I am a very fortunate man. I have survived several officer-involved shootings, had the opportunity to touch thousands of lives with my books and articles, spoken to thousands of law enforcement officers around the country on the subject of “policing with honor,” and worked alongside of other officers whose courage and integrity will inspire me forever. But I feel that I have not yet done enough.
Recently, I have been contacted by several police officers who discovered corruption and misconduct at the very top levels of their organization, and knowing their duty they took these suspicions and knowledge to various government and law enforcement leaders believing they would be protected. They were wrong. Not only were these allegations not competently investigated, but the very police leaders involved in the misconduct were given the names of the officers who came forward. What happened to these officers was predictable and unacceptable - their careers were destroyed and their personal lives damaged forever. When I stood before these men and listened to their horrors, I made a promise to them and myself that I would report and expose those responsible and work as an advocate for others whose lives and careers are threatened by greed, power and corruption. I decided to create a forum where honest men and women could expose those in positions of power who have abandoned their public trust to further their own interests. Where honesty, integrity, and the values of courage would be celebrated. I’ve created a website, SearchforJustice.us, to provide citizens, government employees and police officers the forum to report corruption and criminal misconduct — be it governmental or corporate. We will utilize sound investigative techniques to uncover and impartially investigate the allegations and, if verified, to expose the corruption or misconduct journalistically and publicly. We will also provide evidence to law enforcement entities who have legal authority and jurisdiction. The first investigation that “Search for Justice” will be centered around the police force in New Carrollton, Maryland, where the careers of several law enforcement officials were destroyed as they sought to expose the police administration’s corruption and misconduct. The website will also be devoted to justice and those who have the courage to pursue it. Together, we can Search for Justice with a unity of purpose that brings honest people together to stand up for the values that made the United States of America the symbol of strength and compassion that has for centuries drawn people to its shores in search of freedom, of opportunity and of justice.
About the author
Randy Sutton is a 33-year police veteran, having served 19 years with the Princeton (New Jersey) PD and 23 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and currently holding the rank of Lieutenant. His assignments have included patrol, Narcotics Bureau, Federal Task Force, Community Oriented Policing, Field Training, Supervisor of Advanced Training and he has earned Department awards for Valor, Meritorious Service, Exemplary Service, and multiple Life Saving Awards. Randy Sutton is the author of three books: “TRUE BLUE Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them,” “A Cop’s Life,” and “TRUE BLUE To Protect and To Serve” He travels extensively, speaking to law enforcement agencies and groups on the subject of ethics and integrity in a presentation entitled “Policing with Honor,” which also is the foundation of his column on PoliceOne.
One cop's search for justice goes online
Randy Sutton, PoliceOne Contributor and author of three books about "policing with honor," takes on corruption with a new website and a steadfast determination
Greed and lust for power are not new human traits, they have been plaguing societies since the earliest civilizations were conceived. They are the components that fuels mans’ weakness and lead to the dark manifestations of corruption and abuse of power. Even those whose values are healthy and who have consistently displayed positive morality can be swayed by their temptations and it is a constant internal battle which must be waged if we are to overcome our thirst for the pleasures and the rewards they promote.
Corruption is a cancer that can erode and destroy organizations, governments, and even entire civilizations. It affects each one of us in myriad ways. We only need to examine the scandalous actions of corporate executives of Enron and Merrill Lynch to see how hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans had their financial security ripped away. Headlines abound of politicians at every level of local, state, and federal government enriching themselves monetarily or furthering their greed for power by selling their influence to the highest bidder while discarding their promises to the public they serve. Perhaps most embarrassing to me personally are the constant headlines in newspapers and television reports of police officers and law enforcement leaders who have given into the temptations of money, sex or power while they failed to live up to their oath “To Serve and Protect.” I’m Randy Sutton and I have fought for justice for more than three decades as a street cop, investigator and police leader for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and in the Princeton, New Jersey Police Department. During my years behind a badge I’ve given life and taken it. I have witnessed courage and cowardice, cruelty and incredible compassion and, as the years have passed, felt both disillusionment in my fellow man and pride in the many acts of benevolence and courage I have witnessed. I am a very fortunate man. I have survived several officer-involved shootings, had the opportunity to touch thousands of lives with my books and articles, spoken to thousands of law enforcement officers around the country on the subject of “policing with honor,” and worked alongside of other officers whose courage and integrity will inspire me forever. But I feel that I have not yet done enough.
Recently, I have been contacted by several police officers who discovered corruption and misconduct at the very top levels of their organization, and knowing their duty they took these suspicions and knowledge to various government and law enforcement leaders believing they would be protected. They were wrong. Not only were these allegations not competently investigated, but the very police leaders involved in the misconduct were given the names of the officers who came forward. What happened to these officers was predictable and unacceptable - their careers were destroyed and their personal lives damaged forever. When I stood before these men and listened to their horrors, I made a promise to them and myself that I would report and expose those responsible and work as an advocate for others whose lives and careers are threatened by greed, power and corruption. I decided to create a forum where honest men and women could expose those in positions of power who have abandoned their public trust to further their own interests. Where honesty, integrity, and the values of courage would be celebrated. I’ve created a website, SearchforJustice.us, to provide citizens, government employees and police officers the forum to report corruption and criminal misconduct — be it governmental or corporate. We will utilize sound investigative techniques to uncover and impartially investigate the allegations and, if verified, to expose the corruption or misconduct journalistically and publicly. We will also provide evidence to law enforcement entities who have legal authority and jurisdiction. The first investigation that “Search for Justice” will be centered around the police force in New Carrollton, Maryland, where the careers of several law enforcement officials were destroyed as they sought to expose the police administration’s corruption and misconduct. The website will also be devoted to justice and those who have the courage to pursue it. Together, we can Search for Justice with a unity of purpose that brings honest people together to stand up for the values that made the United States of America the symbol of strength and compassion that has for centuries drawn people to its shores in search of freedom, of opportunity and of justice.
About the author
Randy Sutton is a 33-year police veteran, having served 19 years with the Princeton (New Jersey) PD and 23 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and currently holding the rank of Lieutenant. His assignments have included patrol, Narcotics Bureau, Federal Task Force, Community Oriented Policing, Field Training, Supervisor of Advanced Training and he has earned Department awards for Valor, Meritorious Service, Exemplary Service, and multiple Life Saving Awards. Randy Sutton is the author of three books: “TRUE BLUE Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them,” “A Cop’s Life,” and “TRUE BLUE To Protect and To Serve” He travels extensively, speaking to law enforcement agencies and groups on the subject of ethics and integrity in a presentation entitled “Policing with Honor,” which also is the foundation of his column on PoliceOne.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
East St. Louis Police Officer Sentenced on Civil Rights Conviction
Department of Justice Press Release
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2010 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of Illinois
Contact: (618) 628-3700
East St. Louis Police Officer Sentenced on Civil Rights Conviction
A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 1, 2010, ANTONIO C. MCWHERTER, age 47, of Shiloh, Illinois, was sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for deprivation of civil rights. MCWHERTER pled guilty to the offense on May 27, 2010. MCWHERTER received three years’ probation with four months of home detention, fined $5,000, ordered to pay a $25 special assessment, and was ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,489. The violation occurred on January 30, 2006, in East St. Louis, Illinois, when the defendant, while acting under color of law as a police officer for the East St. Louis Police Department, struck an individual, D.C., in the mouth without legal justification. The assault occurred in the booking area of the East St. Louis Police Department. As part of MCWHERTER’s plea agreement, MCWHERTER agreed to immediately resign from the East St. Louis Police Department. MCWHERTER also agreed not to seek or accept any law enforcement employment, as well as any position or assignment in the military which would require him to supervise, care for, direct, or manage detainees or prisoners. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was handled by Department of Justice – Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Patricia Sumner and Jeff Blumberg and Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2010 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of Illinois
Contact: (618) 628-3700
East St. Louis Police Officer Sentenced on Civil Rights Conviction
A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 1, 2010, ANTONIO C. MCWHERTER, age 47, of Shiloh, Illinois, was sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for deprivation of civil rights. MCWHERTER pled guilty to the offense on May 27, 2010. MCWHERTER received three years’ probation with four months of home detention, fined $5,000, ordered to pay a $25 special assessment, and was ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,489. The violation occurred on January 30, 2006, in East St. Louis, Illinois, when the defendant, while acting under color of law as a police officer for the East St. Louis Police Department, struck an individual, D.C., in the mouth without legal justification. The assault occurred in the booking area of the East St. Louis Police Department. As part of MCWHERTER’s plea agreement, MCWHERTER agreed to immediately resign from the East St. Louis Police Department. MCWHERTER also agreed not to seek or accept any law enforcement employment, as well as any position or assignment in the military which would require him to supervise, care for, direct, or manage detainees or prisoners. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was handled by Department of Justice – Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Patricia Sumner and Jeff Blumberg and Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
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