Behind the Blue Wall

Blogger's note: The excerpts selected for this blog post are not intended to represent the articles, but rather meant to lead you TO the articles to read them for yourself.

THE CRIME THAT CHANGED TACOMA: 
10 YEARS AFTER: Looking back at former Tacoma police chief David BrameNews Tribune, Front Page, A1Sean Robinson
April 21, 2013 [Excerpts] ...What do you do when this particular boss falls apart?... But the scandal wasn’t about money or fraud or standard notions of public corruption... The boss was the one going crazy, but the boss also happened to be ruthless, and subordinates knew it. They couldn’t go over his head... Two weeks before the shootings, Crystal complained of intimidation and death threats by her husband... [Tacoma City Manager Ray] Corpuz declined to act...  Corpuz told him to focus on work. Days before the shooting, as word of Brame’s divorce and allegations of domestic abuse became public, Corpuz said the chief’s divorce was a civil matter, and declined to take action... Corpuz told The News Tribune he would not investigate the chief... As the news [of the shooting] spread across the city, police spokesman Jim Mattheis drove Corpuz to the crime scene... Mattheis recalled Corpuz asking a question: “Why would he do this?” [Full article  here] 
Photo Caption: Lane Judson, father of Crystal Judson who was murdered in a Gig Harbor store parking lot by former Tacoma Police Chief David Brame in April of 2003, helped create the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center which opened in 2006 to help victims of domestic violence and their children. (Dean J. Koepfler/Staff photographer)

FATHER OF CRYSTAL JUDSON TURNS TRAGEDY INTO FIGHT FOR DV VICTIMS: You’re not supposed to outlive your child...
News Tribune, A13
Sean Robinson
April 21, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Her husband fatally shot her, then himself. He was Tacoma’s police chief, David Brame – a powerful man who used his position and influence to protect himself from accusations of domestic violence. [Lane] Judson whispered a promise to his daughter that day in the hospital. He would do whatever he could to make sure the horror never happened again. He started a new career, and remade himself into a crusader. To anyone who will listen, he speaks about police officer-involved domestic violence and the need for law enforcement agencies to adopt policies to prevent it. He speaks to groups large and small, to people high and low. He’s written to governors, attorneys general, presidential candidates and members of Congress. He’s visited Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Idaho and New York, among other places. He’s spoken to law-enforcement agencies in Great Britain. He answers distraught emails from across the country. .. The department’s rewritten domestic-violence policy replaced a brief note in the police manual with a specific set of guidelines... Better than that, Judson said, was the state law, passed in 2004, that required every law-enforcement agency to develop a similar policy... “It’s something that never goes away, and you think about it,” he said. “Each day is just another day that you go through. We have good days and bad days just like everybody else does. Our goal, I think, was how to make something positive come out of a tragedy.” [Full article here]

PROMISES MADE, SOME PROMISES KEPT...
News Tribune, A14
Stacey Mulick
April 21, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Tacoma city leaders, police officials and community members proposed changes and made promises to ensure that nothing similar happened again in Tacoma... The city also made several promises to the family of Crystal Judson to settle a $75 million lawsuit in 2005... Several of the changes came within the first few months. Others were put in place within a year or two but still others lingered, unfilled. Over the years, The News Tribune has assembled the promises made and updated the public on which ones were kept and which were not. Below is the latest status report... DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REFORMS FULFILLED -- Open a city-county family justice center, also called a one-stop center... New federal law tying federal funding to domestic violence programs and procedures... Coordinate the Tacoma and Pierce County court systems... A public education campaign about domestic violence... Better services for domestic violence victims in Pierce County suburbs... NOT FULFILLED - A coordinated, city-county system to track domestic violence perpetrators after they get out of jail... PARTIALLY FULFILLED -- An independent reporting system for victims of domestic violence involving city employees... More domestic violence victim advocates in Tacoma... Install a plaque reading: “The Family Justice Center is dedicated to the memory of Crystal Judson and other victims of domestic violence. Crystal Judson was fatally shot on April 26, 2003, by her estranged husband, the Chief of Police of Tacoma”... Dedicate a page to Crystal Judson on the justice center’s website... CITY OF TACOMA REFORMS FULFILLED -- Investigate members of the police department and other city agencies suspected of violating administrative policies... ... Hire a city manager... The city will return all personal photographs, videotapes and other personal items from the Brame case to Crystal Judson’s family... Investigate all credible tips regarding public corruption in Tacoma and Pierce County... TACOMA POLICE REFORMS FULFILLED -- The city will continue to make reasonable efforts to implement the recommendations in a sweeping 2001 performance audit of the police department... The department will continue to make reasonable efforts at accreditation by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs... Annual performance evaluations for rank-and-file officers and commanders... Early-warning system to spot problem officers and intervene with counseling or training... The city will make reasonable efforts to “determine, establish and implement policies” on psychological screening of police recruits and fitness-for-duty evaluations of officers... Civilian oversight of the department... NOT FULFILLED -- Hire an outsider to run the police department...  [Full article here]

Photo caption: Crystal Judson Family Justice Center director Susan Adams visits with Lane Judson, father of Crystal Judson, who was killed in 2003 by Tacoma Police Chief David Brame. The center helps victims of domestic violence and their children. Nearly 12,000 clients, including more than 2,300 last year, have visited the center since it opened in 2005.  (Dean J. Koepfler/Staff photographer)

Photo caption: A child’s artwork offers thanks to staff members at Crystal Judson Family Justice Center. Director Susan Adams, at right, waves to a child whose mother sought protection from a domestic-violence abuser. The center tries to be a “one-stop shop” for those seeking help.  (Dean J. Koepfler/Staff photographer)

NO SHORTAGE OF CLIENTS FOR FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER...
News Tribune, A13
Adam Lynn
April 21, 2013
[Excerpts] ...Some people who work to provide services to domestic-violence survivors in the South Sound region say the center has filled an important niche since it opened in the wake of Judson’s death at the hands of her husband, Tacoma Police Chief David Brame. “It gives more choice,” said Miriam Barnett, chief executive officer of the YWCA Pierce County. Others say that detectives and deputy prosecutors working at the center discourages many people from using it, including women who’ve been battered by cops or others who have reasons to be leery of law enforcement. “Crystal Judson herself would not have sought help there,” said Mary Pontarolo, executive director of SafePlace Olympia, which provides services and shelter to domestic-violence victims. Susan Adams, the center’s director, brushed off that criticism. “We heard that from the beginning,” she said during a recent interview. “We are one door. The great thing is there are other ways to get service in our community”... The center opened in December 2005, 20 months after Judson was fatally shot by her estranged husband. Tacoma officials agreed to name the center after her as part of the settlement of a wrongful death suit brought by her family, which also received a $12 million payout... “The Brame situation” opened a lot of people’s eyes to the scourge of domestic violence and the need to provide services to survivors, said Karin White, deputy director of the YWCA Pierce County... She and Barnett said the ongoing conversation about domestic violence in Pierce County helped them convince donors of the need to expand the YWCA’s own 50-bed shelter in 2008. The organization bought and renovated a new building... Pontarolo of SafePlace Olympia fears the center and others like it popping up around the country discourage many people from seeking help... [Crystal] Judson’s father, Lane Judson, said he and his wife, Patty, support the center and its mission. “I guess you can’t please everyone,” he said. “If the Crystal Judson center saves just one person, they’ve done their job.”... [Full article here]

Photo caption: Past and present chiefs of the Tacoma Police Department are represented in “chiefs row” in a hallway of Tacoma police headquarters. The face of disgraced Chief David Brame is not there, replaced by the image of a badge. (Peter Haley, photographer)

LONG-TIME TACOMA POLICE CHIEF PUSHES REFORMS AT BATTERED DEPARTMENTNews Tribune, Page A14Stacey Mulick, Sean Robinson, Alexis Krell and Adam LynnPublished: April 21, 2013 [Excerpts] At Tacoma police headquarters on South Pine Street, faces stare from a line of portraits along a wall... One picture has no face; only a police badge, filling the frame. A label gives the name of the mysterious figure: David A. Brame... The past decade has brought several reforms to the Police Department and a movement to make it a more professional, accountable agency. “It was an impetus for change,” said [current Tacoma Police Chief Don] Ramsdell... Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor is Ramsdell’s peer. He runs an agency of similar size and complexity... A decade later, the sheriff has grown to admire the chief, and meets with him regularly... [County Councilman Rick] Talbert said, communication between the Police Department and the City Council and public has improved in the past decade... Mayor Marilyn Strickland praises the chief for his efforts. “I think that Chief Ramsdell is absolutely dedicated to being very progressive and forward thinking,” Strickland said... She highlighted the department’s accreditation as an example of its progress. “It’s a very, very exhaustive process where they basically have to turn their organization inside and out and really see what they’re doing well and what they can work on,” Strickland said. “I think it’s commendable that they said it was something that they wanted to pursue”...  [Full article here]
ACCOUNTABILITY A BIG PART OF OUR WATCHDOG ROLE...
News Tribune
Karen Peterson; Executive Editor
Published: April 21, 2013 at 12:05 a.m. PDT — Updated: April 21, 2013 at 1:57 p.m. PDT
[Excerpts] ...Today’s front page begins a package of stories that bring back painful memories of another difficult time in our own community’s history - the David Brame shootings of a decade ago. In fact, some people may wish we had let the anniversary pass without notice... The last time we published it, in 2007, a number of items remained undone. After 10 years, we are taking another look... But the most prominent justification for writing again about the tragedy that befell a family and a community 10 years ago comes from between the lines of Sean Robinson’s story on Page One. A number of people around David Brame knew he was melting down and knew his wife was afraid for her life. No one stepped in to remove him from his position of power or to take away his gun... As Pierce County Councilman Rick Talbert, chairman of the Family Justice Center board of directors, says in our story today: We need to remember Crystal Judson...  [Full article here]



"TEN YEARS AGO, the city's top law enforcement officer became the city's worst criminal when he fatally shot his wife and then himself. Afterward, community leaders realized David Brame wasn't the only problem. Policies and attitudes had to change."
[police officer, involved domestic violence, oidv, intimate partner violence, ipv, abuse, law enforcement, public safety, fatality, fatalities, murder-suicide, policy, professional, family, washington state, politics, union, April 26, 2003, Crystal Judson Brame, children, Attorney General, Christine Gregoire, culturally corrupt, City Manager Ray Corpuz, abuse of power, psychological evaluations, rumors, sexual assault, lawsuit, The Coronation, marriage, divorce, counseling, police chaplain, subordinates, threesome, Jeanette Blackwell, mental health, Assistant Chief, Catherine Woodard, tpd, tacoma police, anonymous officers, death threats, inaction, civil matter, and declined to take action, birthday gift, ominous, Human Resources, badge, gun, civil proceedings, Las Vegas, Lt. Bob Sheehan, Allen Myron, Gig Harbor, domestic-violence policy, grandchildren]

20 year veteran Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ronn Rauber was arrested after an argument with his roommate ex-wife was alleged to have turned violent. Rauber was booked into the Flagler County jail charged with misdemeanor battery with bail set at $2,500, and was suspended without pay. His ex-wife called 911 and said Rauber had  assaulted her, yelled (stuff?), and was breaking things in the house - in front of their children. The ex-wife refused to sign charges against him, and opted to not have the redness of the skin on her chest photographed. She said afterwards she didn't know how that redness got there or why her shirt was "in disarray". However (YAY) Rauber was still arrested and charged with battery-domestic violence based on the audio recording from the 911 call.

I'm still thinking - what he [allegedly] yelled matters.
Threats would be a separate charge.

The news articles say he was arrested on battery but his online mugshot reads "Battery Domestic Violence."
[deputy police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety murder children flordia state politics]

Newport News Virginia Master Police officer Christopher Miner was previously charged with abduction and rape charges involving 2 women [he had dated], lost his job, was acquitted, got his job BACK - with back pay, changed his last name to his mother's maiden name, Roush, and now has been arrested for accusations of masturbating naked on his front porch - according to passing motorists.. The cop who responded saw naked off-duty Newport News Police Officer Chris (Miner) Roush shut his front door.





FROM PREVIOUSLY ON THE BLOG

February 26, 2010
[VA] Ex-Officer Miner, now acquitted both of raping one date and attempting to defile another date, wants his job back
In one case [Newport News Police Officer Christopher "Chris"] Miner had been accused of raping a woman and forcing her to commit sodomy. In another, he was accused of abducting a woman with the intent to defile... Officer Christopher E. Miner "grabbed her around the throat with his left hand and forced her back onto the bed," according to a criminal complaint filed in Newport News General District Court... Miner had had previous sexual relationships with both women... A  jury acquitted him on abduction and sex charges... Miner, was looking at 20 years to life on abduction and sex charges.
[Thank you for saying that I'm courageous...although it doesn't feel that way. Ive been through hell and he got his job back...did I mention with back pay?? I am technically victim #1... Im a single mom...how safe do you think I feel??]

HIS NEW INCIDENT AND ARREST

NEWPORT NEWS OFFICER CHARGED WITH INDECENT EXPOSURE PREVIOUSLY ACQUITTED IN TWO SEPARATE SEX CRIME CASES
wtkr.com
by Doris Taylor
April 8, 2013
[Excerpts] A Newport News police officer has been charged with indecent exposure and obscene sexual display after a witness told police he was standing on his front porch naked and masturbating over the weekend. Court files say other neighbors also called police... When officers arrived on the scene, an officer saw the naked man shut the front door. The naked officer has been identified as 41-year-old Christopher E. Roush... NewsChannel 3 has also learned that Christopher Roush was formerly Christopher Miner.  He legally changed his name in December of 2012. Christopher Miner had been on paid administrative leave from January 2009 until December 2009 when the department fired him. He returned to the Newport News Police Department in March 2010. The police chief reinstated Miner after he was acquitted in two separate sex crime cases.That happened in January and February of 2010. Two separate witnesses say Miner tied them up and sexually assaulted them, but juries in both cases delivered not-guilty verdicts. NewsChannel 3 has also discovered that in Newport News Circuit Court there’s no record of either trial. They’ve all vanished. This is known to happen when individuals get their past criminal history expunged... [Full article here]

NEWPORT NEWS OFFICER CHARGED WITH INDECENT EXPOSURE
The Virginian-Pilot
By Cindy Clayton
April 8, 2013
[Excerpts] A police officer was charged Sunday with indecent exposure, according to a police spokesman. About 9:15 a.m. Sunday, officers were sent to the 700 block of Harpersville Road on a report of a man exposing himself, police wrote in a news release. When they arrived, they talked to witnesses who told them a nude man had been standing on the porch. When one of the officers approached the home, a nude man shut the front door... Police notified the department’s Special Victims Unit and obtained arrest warrants. They charged Christopher E. Roush, 41, of the same address, with two counts of indecent exposure and one count of obscene sexual display, the release says. Roush, a master police officer, was released on his signature and is scheduled to appear in General District Court on April 24... This is not the first time the officer has faced charges in Newport News. A police spokesman confirmed that Roush changed his name in the last year from Christopher E. Miner. In January 2009, Miner was charged with abduction... A month later he was charged with rape, abduction with the intent to defile and forcible sodomy... [Full article here]



WITNESSES SAY OFFICER WAS NAKED ON PORCH: Officer changed his name in December
WAVY
08 Apr 2013
[Excerpts] A Newport News police officer is accused of indecent exposure after officers say he was seen standing on his front porch naked. Lou Thurston with the Newport News Police Department said officers were dispatched... Officers obtained warrants for the man, identified as Christopher E. Roush , 41. Roush is a Master Police Officer with the Newport News Police Department and has been employed there for nine years... Roush has been charged with two counts of indecent exposure and one count of obscene sexual display. Thurston said Roush is on unpaid administrative leave and an administrative investigation is being conducted by the Professional Standards Office. WAVY.com has learned o n Dec. 13, 2013 Roush changed his name from Christopher Miner... His mother's maiden name is Roush. Christopher Miner was arrested then later acquitted on charges of rape and sodomy. [Full article here]
[police officer, involved domestic violence, oidv, intimate partner violence, ipv, abuse, law enforcement, public safety, date rape, sex, sexual, assault, perversion, mental health, predator, teflon, history, hx, repeat, virgia state politics]

The Officer-Involved Domestic Violence (OIDV) Fatalities photo presentation that was here has been deleted by ROCKYOU.com, where it had been streamed from. Rockyou was sold. Until the new presentation is rebuilt and updated, a screencaptured copy is here on LaneJudson.com - the site it was originally compiled for.



Email me updates
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The blog has gotten so big, with thousands of posts here, that the search box at the very top of the page sometimes does not find the posts. There is another search box under the heading that can handle it and always works.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence IPV abuse law enforcement public safety cloud writer snx94gvmpt PERPETRATED]

SUSPENDED COP’S WIFE TESTIFIES, "I'M IN FEAR EVERY DAY"
Cape Cod Times
March 11, 2013
[Excerpts] Fighting back tears during a hearing in Barnstable District Court, the estranged wife of Sandwich Police Officer Michael Hoadley said she is afraid of him. “I’m in fear every day”...  Barnstable District Judge W. James O’Neill extended a restraining order... The couple have been separated since October... At his arraignment, Hoadley was ordered to wear a GPS tracker, which remains in effect. Hoadley is on paid leave from the Sandwich department while an internal investigation is conducted... Although the woman told police that night that she had been choked and thrown to the ground by Hoadley in the past, she acknowledged during Monday’s hearing that she had never reported any abuse to police before... [Full article here]

LAST MONTH:



SANDWICH POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH TRYING TO KILL ESTRANGED WIFE
CBS, WBZ-TV
February 15, 2013 5:44 PM
[Excerpt] A veteran Sandwich police officer has been arrested and charged with assault and battery with intent to murder. His target, police say, was his estranged wife... [Full article here]


SANDWICH POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF RAMMING RELATIVE'S CAR
FOX25 / MyFoxBoston
Posted: Feb 15, 2013
[Excerpts] ...[Sandwich Police Officer Michael Hoadley] faces charges of assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (motor vehicle), domestic assault and battery, operating to endanger and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. The 27-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department allegedly caused his unidentified relative's car to go off the roadway and into the median... This isn't the first time Hoadley has faced department discipline. He served a three-month suspension for an off-duty incident in December 2010... [Full article here]

SANDWICH POLICE OFFICER FACES CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR DOMESTIC ASSAULT AND BATTERY
Cape News
Published: 02/22/13
[Excerpts] Patrolman Michael F. Hoadley, 46, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation... This is the third time since 2011 that the 27-year veteran of the Sandwich Police Department has faced disciplinary action.... During the interview process, the victim told police that there were other instances of abuse... Police Chief Peter N. Wack said as soon as he was made aware of the incident, he immediately contacted the state police to handle the investigation... According to court reports, he told the investigating officer that there had already been damage to both of the vehicles. He further stated that if there was new damage, the victim had set him up and hired someone to steal his Durango and crash it into the victim’s car and then return it to his residence, thereby making it appear he had crashed into it... Officer Hoadley was arraigned in district court last Friday but not before a psychologist evaluated him for competence. The psychological evaluation was made at the request of the prosecution due to the victim’s assertion that he had tried to take his own life two days before entering a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center last fall... Barnstable District Judge W. James O’Neill released Officer Hoadley but ordered him to wear a GPS tracker and to stay away from the alleged victim and the alleged victim’s children... [Michael Hoadley] was involved in a car crash at the Mobil Gas Station on Route 130 in December 2010, and that the incident was never entered into the police logs and no report of the accident was filed... he lied to another officer stating that his 21-year-old son had hit the pole... A second investigation was launched at the end of May 2011, after allegations were made that he had been sending harassing text messages to another officer... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety repeat hx lethal fatality fatalities massachusetts state politics]

Peoria AZ Police Officer Thomas Shockley was arrested on suspicion of pushing and choking his wife, then charged with domestic violence assault, aggravated assault, and a disorderly conduct charge.

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal choking arizona state politics]

INTRODUCED: 
LINE OF DUTY SUICIDE House bill 2688
Illinois 98th General Assembly

House bill 2688 Line of Duty Suicide was introduced into the Illinois State Assembly on February 21, 2013, by Representative Ann Williams ann@repannwilliams.com.

Senate Bill 1653 Line of Duty Suicide was introduced by Senator Michael E. Hastings (217-782-9595) on February 21, 2013. The senate bill is moving along as the bill had it's second reading on March 7, 2013. .


SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
820 ILCS 315/2 - from Ch. 48, par. 282
Amends the Line of Duty Compensation Act. [Sec. 2, (e), (4)]
Provides that with respect to a law enforcement officer an injury in the active performance of duty includes a self-inflicted injury when a mental health professional establishes that the injury was a result of the officer's active duty service. Effective immediately.

Actual Bill text: 
http://openstates.org/il/bills/98th/HB2688/documents/ILD00127135

March 2013 issue of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police [union] newsletter states that this legislation was introduced by Chicago Lodge #7: "...By now, all members should have received a letter from me, along with a listing of State Representatives and Senators... I urge each and every one of you to make an appointment with your Representative and/or Senator to make your voice heard. We are an organization with over 17,000 members. We can greatly influence which bills get passed if a majority of our membership makes their voice heard. Make sure your Representative and Senator understand that your vote is with your pension."

[Take notes. That is how things get done. Face to face and in numbers.]

House bill 2688 Line of Duty Suicide was introduced into the Illinois State Assembly on February 21, 2013, by Representative Ann Williams ann@repannwilliams.com.

Senate Bill 1653 Line of Duty Suicide was introduced by Senator Michael E. Hastings (217-782-9595) on February 21, 2013. The senate bill is moving along as the bill had it's second reading on March 7, 2013. .

• Representative Michael P. McAuliffe (217) 782-8182
• Representative Edward J. Acevdeo (217) 782-2855
• Representative Jim Sacia (217) 782-8186 JimSacia@aeroinc.net.
• Representative John M. Cabello (217) 782-0455 johncabello@aol.com.
• Senator Michael Nolan (217) 782-7746
• Senator Dan Kotowski (217) 782-3875
• Senator John G. Mulroe (217) 782-1035
• Senator Patricia Van Pelt (217) 782-6252
• Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (217) 782-0052

Donna Lynn Seitz BochicchioJuly 27, 1963 - June 15, 2005
...Donna Bochicchio penned a note on a small piece of paper: "I know he's going to kill me, I just don't know when"...

Donna Bochicchio's death and the maiming of her attorney Julie Porzio is not completely in vain if even one person learns one thing toward staying alive from it. There is no blame for what is  already done. No should-have, could-have. We do our best at the time with the resources and energy that we have, but we have to learn what it looks like and feels like when we are in danger and listen to that, trust that. It has many faces. No two situations are exactly the same but there are patterns if we pay attention - for victim, friends, and family. God helps us all in the present and the future. My prayer is that some how, some way, some good has or will come from this sadness and loss.

Donna's divorce attorney Julie Porzio
PREVIOUS POSTS:

• [CT] INJURED ATTORNEY OF SLAIN WIFE IN TROOPER BOCHICCHIO MURDER-SUICIDE SUES
• [CT] "RETIRED" COP WHO IS BROTHER OF WIFE-KILLER, EX-TROOPER BOCHICCHIO, NOW ACCUSED OF THREATENING HIS OWN WIFE'S LIFE 
• [CT] KIDS OF MURDER-SUICIDE STAY IN THEIR POLICE FAMILY, REGARDLESS OF RECENT THREATS AROUND THEM
• [CT] EX-COP BOCHICCHIO - FACING DV CHARGES - IS ARRESTED FOR LARCENY

A DEADLY AMBUSH: EX-TROOPER KILLS WIFE, HIMSELF; INJURED LAWYER IN STABLE CONDITION
Hartford Courant
June 16, 2005
[Excerpts] [Retired 21 year Connecticut State Police veteran] Michael Bochicchio Jr. pulled into the city parking lot behind the courthouse shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday. He parked his Dodge Caravan nose-out, so he could watch the lot entrance, and armed with a semiautomatic handgun, he waited... and about 30 minutes later, Bochicchio's wait was over. The former state trooper saw the black minivan carrying his wife, Donna, and her attorney, Julie Porzio, arrive.  As Porzio parked the van, Bochicchio walked across the pavement, opened the passenger's side door and opened fire... killing the mother of his two children and wounding the Waterbury lawyer... Waterbury lawyer William Brown had been gathering court files from his car... "I saw a man fall against a car. He lingered there for a while and eventually fell to the ground"...  Donna Bochicchio was a member of a prominent Torrington family that owns Seitz Corp., a manufacturing company. Donna Bochicchio still lived in the Harwinton home with their children... but her husband had moved out and was living on Torringford Street in Torrington.  After hiring and then firing several lawyers during the two-year divorce case because he didn't think they were aggressive enough, several sources said, Michael Bochicchio was representing himself... Bochicchio would ask witnesses questions that were not relevant to the proceedings or frequently go off on lengthy tangents. He acknowledged he had a gambling "addiction," and the more than $94,000 he lost... Michael Bochicchio comes from a family with a long law enforcement background. His father, Michael Bochicchio, was a decorated state police officer... His brother is a sergeant with the Waterbury Police Department, and his uncle was chief of detectives in Waterbury... A former state trooper bumped into Bochicchio about a week and a half ago, and Bochicchio told him he was going through a nasty divorce that was really taken a toll on him. "He was upset, all consumed by it," he said. "He looked disheveled out of sorts."... Bochicchio had complained to a neighbor in Hartford, Arthur Narvesen, that she was "bleeding him," taking a lot of his money...

HUNDREDS SAY FAREWELL TO TROOPER WHO KILLED HIMSELF IN ATTACK ON WIFE, LAWYER
Newsday
June 18, 2005
[Excerpts] As many as 600 mourners, including Mayor Michael J. Jarjura, said farewell Saturday to a retired state trooper who police say fatally shot himself after killing his estranged wife and seriously wounding her lawyer in an attack outside Middlesex Superior Court in Middletown last week. Friends, family and police officers lined up at a Waterbury funeral home to pay their respects to Michael Bochicchio Jr., who was represented in collages and enlarged photos, including a wedding picture of him and his wife, and photos of the couple's two children, a 12-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy who now live with their mother's parents Bochicchio, 47, fatally shot his estranged wife, Donna, 42, on Wednesday... Julie Porzio, Donna Bochicchio's lawyer, remains in Hartford Hospital... Bochicchio's state police shield was leaned against a black ceramic bible... John Paternostro, assistant director of the funeral service, said the large police turnout was not surprising because of Bochicchio's service in the state police. He retired after 21 years as a trooper. "The family has such a background of law enforcement, with the father and the uncles being policemen as well," he said...

WOMAN SLAIN OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE HAD A SENSE OF CERTAINTY ABOUT HER COMING DEMISE
The Hartford Courant
June 21, 2005
[Excerpts] Eight months ago, well into the second year of a contentious divorce, Donna Bochicchio penned a note on a small piece of paper: "I know he's going to kill me," her brother, Karl Seitz, said she wrote. "I just don't know when." To make it clear who she was talking about, Bochicchio wrote "Michael" in tiny letters above the word "he." Her growing fears were also evident in a telephone call she placed to the cemetery where her father was buried, asking if there was room enough for her to be buried in the same plot, Seitz said. In the days after Michael L. Bochicchio shot and killed his estranged wife last Wednesday in a parking lot near Superior Court in Middletown, some have wondered why the retired state trooper snapped... "We all knew she was fearful," said Greg Gaudet, her boss... "We never thought this would happen"... Seitz, Bochicchio's oldest brother, said he found the telltale note about her fears while going through his sister's personal effects after her death... "When she was here, she was trying to do the best she could and didn't want to lay it on us," he said. She did, however, confide in her niece, Heidi Barker, and a few close friends about her growing fear that her husband -- whom they described as controlling and possessive -- might try to kill her... When asked to respond to word of Donna Bochicchio fears, Bruce Bochicchio, Michael's brother, said he preferred to focus on the future. "Donna was a beautiful person, and she was my sister-in-law and I loved her," he said. "The challenge now is for all three victim families to work together for the benefit of [their two] children -- to do something they weren't able to do before"...

MOURNERS PAY RESPECTS 
Register Citizen
Karsten Strauss
06/21/2005
[Excerpts] In the aftermath of the murder of Donna Seitz Bochicchio, family and friends cope as best they can with the loss.
An estimated 500 people attended a wake for Bochicchio Monday evening... Donna Bochicchio had worked at the Seitz Corporation for almost 10 years in the 1980s... "How can anybody have any understanding of the situation? This is just a tragedy that I wouldn’t ever try to put sense to -- there just isn’t any... What happens in people’s lives that makes something like this come about? It’s above anything I know." Michael Bochicchio Jr. filed for divorce from Donna Bochicchio in 2003 and the two had been in legal battles involving money and custody of their two children...

HUNDREDS MOURN SLAIN TORRINGTON WOMAN
Republican-American
Michael Marie
June 22, 2005
[Excerpts] In the final months of her life, Donna Lynn Seitz Bochicchio carried in her purse a Bible passage clipped from one of the Rev. Michael Millum's sermons. The passage speaks of the suffering of Christ and his servants... "The Donna I came to know over the past two years was a person who felt trapped, at times tormented, who agonized over what the contentious divorce was doing to her children," he said. "And yet she was bearing up under that tremendous pressure with dignity and determination"...

A FEW EXCERPTS FROM DONNA'S JUNE 2005 GUEST BOOK:

...My daughter Ricki spent a fun filled Memorial Day weekend at the beach with the family and came home saying how nice Donna was to be with. Healing thoughts for you all...

...[K & M], We are So So Sorry. We have such wonderful memories. We will always love you both!!...

...Our hearts go out to Donna and her family. We were blessed to have met and become friends with Donna. She was one of the most caring and unselfish persons we have ever known and will ever know. Anytime I needed to talk to her she was always there. We miss you Donna and will never forget you. Our thoughts and prayers our with [K & M], two of the nicest kids I have ever me...

...[K & M], my heart goes out to the two of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. The two of you are such beautiful and special children. Know that you are surrounded by people who love you. I am so glad to have known both of you. God bless you both...

...I had the privilege of working with Donna. I will never forget her ready smile and laugh that rang out from one end of the office to the other. Her concern for others was obvious in the time she took to ask about your day; she really wanted to know how things were and could always say the right thing to make you feel better. I enjoyed her friendship and warmth and I know she will be sorely missed by all that took the time to get to know her. I pray that her children will always know how deeply she loved them and never forget their beautiful mother. God Bless you all in your sorrow and heal your hearts with time...

...Donna will be missed by so many of the people that she touched in her life. I have so many wonderful memories of her, as her co-worker at the State and her friend outside of work. I have been thinking about those memories alot these past few days. My heart goes out to [K & M], she adored her childern. I know that Donna's family will take good care of them and be there for them. God Bless all of you!...

...Donna will be sorely missed. She had a great laugh that echoed throughout our office bringing an instant smile to your face even though you didn't know what the fun was about. And she was always a bright smile on the most difficult days. As a mom, her devotion to her children was unwavering. Like a Mama bear, she worked hard to care for her 2 cubs and keep them safe and secure. Donna deserved to experience the joys and challenges her future had in store. She was the rock in her children's lives here on earth and I know she'll be their sunlight as they blossom in the years to come. God bless her family and all those who loved her. I will miss her...

...Our heartfelt sympathy to all of you. We can't even imagine what you are going thru. Our thoughts are with [K & M]. While this is such a tragedy, Bob and I have so many great memories of Donna at the beach. Her laugh, her smile and the way she cared for her children. You are so blessed to have had such a wonderful daughter and sister, as Bob and I were to have her as our summer beach friend. I once had a conversation with a friend about having kids and bringing them up in such a crazy world. My friend told me that it was about love. She said love heals. When you experience the level of love it puts you in touch with the place of true nourishment, for no matter how many people you have in your life, if you are missing the energy of love you will feel empty and alone. As difficult as this is, please try to hold in your hearts that death is a transition from this life to another, where there is no more pain and anguish. All the bitterness and disagreements will vanish and the only thing that lives forever is love. Bob and I will truly miss our friend Donna...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement fear hx repeat public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide connecticut state politics]

POLICE REPORT: STEVEN BROOKS ATTACKED WIFE, OFFICERS
By Molly Waldron
FEB. 11, 2013
[Excerpts] Assemblyman Steven Brooks was arrested just last month for allegedly threatening the life of another assembly member. Now, he's facing some troubling new charges. According to a police report Brooks' wife said the assemblyman became violent towards her at her home over the weekend. Officers said when they arrived, he tried punching one of them in the face... Brooks' wife told police he was grabbing her by the hair and shaking her back and forth, "yelling one minute then trying to kiss her the next" before pushing  her face against the kitchen counter... While officers attempted to restrain him, Brooks reportedly mounted on top of one of the officers and said, "I've got your gun" ... The police report says when additional officers arrived, they found Brooks in handcuffs screaming expletives. As police took Brooks away in handcuffs, he continued screaming threats... Separate from the criminal charges, there is a select committee of assembly members who will decide whether Brooks is fit to continue serving in the state legislature... [Full article here]



Handcuffed, shouting: 
"DO YOU KNOW WHO THE **** I AM??"
NEVADA ASSEMBLYMAN STEVEN BROOKS BANNED FROM LEGISLATURE
Associated Press
Ken Ritter
Feb 12, 2013
[Excerpts] Nevada lawmakers on Monday banned troubled Assemblyman Steven Brooks from the legislature and placed him on leave while an independent investigation into his recent bizarre behavior is conducted. Brooks won’t be allowed inside legislative buildings while the investigation is ongoing, Assembly Majority Leader William Horne said. He’s also prohibited from acting as a legislator from outside the legislature’s main building. “We are concerned about the safety of people in the legislative buildings, as well as his ability to serve,” Horne told reporters. “It’s more than a distraction here for us being able to conduct our business”... Earlier Monday, Brooks told The Associated Press that police attacked him during the arrest on Sunday. “I showed them my Assemblyman badge. They told me to get on the ground,” Steven Brooks said during a brief telephone interview. “They tried to kill me.” Brooks was arrested a little after 12:30 a.m. Sunday on misdemeanor domestic battery and obstructing an officer charges that could get him up to two years in jail.... In an arrest report made public Monday, police allege Brooks threw punches and at one point grabbed at an officer’s gun... Brooks and his wife, Ada, are estranged after 13 years of marriage. Brooks told the AP they spent Saturday evening together. Ada Brooks told police that Steven Brooks arrived unexpectedly at her house, said he wanted to retrieve his television and other belongings before heading to Carson City, then began yelling at her and physically restraining her by grabbing her hair on both sides of her head. Police said Ada Brooks had a cut lip that she said she may have gotten when Steven Brooks pushed her face against a kitchen counter.... Officers found Brooks in the driveway, allegedly refusing to remove his hands from his pockets and resisting efforts to arrest him... On Jan. 25, five days after posting bail in the threat case, Brooks was detained and hospitalized for five days for a mental evaluation. Las Vegas police reported summoning medical personnel after officers responded to a disturbance at Brooks’ grandmother’s house that officials say involved a sword. No injuries were reported. [Full article here]
[public official lawmaker involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal mental health nevada state politics]

[One of former LAPD Police Officer] Christopher Dorner's former girlfriends described the police officer-turned-fugitive as a "severely and emotionally disturbed person" in court documents filed after they broke up... The former LAPD officer said in the restraining order request that [she] annoyed and harassed him by phone and in a letter...In seeking the protective order, Dorner stated he was "in fear for my life" because she boasted of her ability to kill, and told him she has "nothing to lose"... The restraining order was ultimately denied... In April 2007, Dorner married a Los Angeles deputy sheriff. The certificate was issued in Clark County, Nevada. But after 19 days, they submitted a joint petition for dissolution. A year later, Dorner became involved with a fellow LAPD officer, according to a protective order application he filed in 2012... 


Dorner is suspected of killing a former LAPD captain's daughter - Monica Quan, her fiance - Keith Lawrence, a Riverside police officer - Michael Crain, and tonight a San Bernardino Sheriff's Deputy. He's also suspected of wounding three other law enforcement officers. Dorner posted a manifesto online vowing revenge for his firing from the Los Angeles Police Department.

The end was unfolding as I assembled this post.
I don't want to post his photo
EXCERPTS FROM NEWS ARTICLES:

DORNER’S EX-WIFE WAS REPORTEDLY ‘EMBARRASSED’ BY BRIEF MARRIAGE
CBSLA.com
February 7, 2013 8:31 PM
[Excerpts] The ex-wife of the former LAPD officer accused in the revenge killings of an Irvine couple and the slaying of a Riverside policeman was reportedly “embarrassed” by their brief marriage, according to the woman’s family members. CBS2/KCAL9’s Cristy Fajardo spoke with the brother of April Carter, who was married to fugitive Christopher Dorner for a few weeks nearly six years ago... He said his sister, who may be employed with a law enforcement department, was so embarrassed by it all, she never spoke of it. Carter’s neighbors in Long Beach said they had a vague recollection of seeing someone with Dorner’s description years ago... [Full article here]

CHRISTOPHER DORNER EX-WIFE DETAILS COME TO LIGHT
KABC
Thursday, February 07, 2013
[Excerpts] Details are coming to light about Christopher Dorner's ex-wife, who is reportedly an undercover narcotics officer living in Long Beach. Neighbors tell Eyewitness News Dorner was last seen at his ex-wife's home two months ago, and was a regular visitor until that point. They said Dorner took care of landscaping at the home...  [Full article here]

'KILLER' EX-COP WAS MARRIED FOR JUST ONE MONTH AND WAS CALLED 'TWISTED AND SUPER PARANOID' ON WEBSITE BY AN EX WHO WARNED OTHERS NOT TO DATE HIM
Daily Mail
By David Gardner
8 February 2013
[Excerpts] The 'killer' ex-cop wanted for three murders was married for less than a month and was blasted as 'twisted and super paranoid' by a former girlfriend on a website warning other women against dating him... The more complete portrait of Christopher Dorner has emerged as thousands of cops are still searching for him... "This guy is twisted. ... He is super paranoid, always thinking that everyone is out to get him... Anyway be careful because this guy is a police officer. ... He will probably think he can get away with anything"... Dorner, also a former Naval reservist, tried to use the messages as evidence for a restraining order against the unidentified woman... the judge refused his request. It was not the only relationship for Dorner that failed. He was married for less than one month in 2007... The divorce was around the time Dorner's career with the Los Angeles police department was also unraveling... [Full article here]

APRIL CARTER, CHRISTOPHER DORNER'S EX-WIFE, REPORTEDLY EMBARRASSED BY BRIEF MARRIAGE
The Huffington Post
02/08/2013
[Excerpts] Suspected murderer Christopher Jordan Dorner makes no mention of his marriage or ex-wife in his sprawling online manifesto, but information is emerging about April Carter, the woman he was married to for less than one month... The brief marriage was embarrassing for Carter, said the brother, and she never spoke of it. But one of Carter's neighbors tells a different story. Oscar Gonzalez, 24, told the Los Angeles Times that he frequently saw Dorner at Carter's home in Long Beach, Calif. up until the end of 2012... [Full article here]

CHRISTOPHER DORNER ALLEGED THAT THREAT BY GIRLFRIEND LEFT HIM "IN FEAR FOR MY LIFE"
nbclosangeles.com
By Patrick Healy
Friday, Feb 8, 2013
[Excerpts] As Christopher Dorner was becoming increasingly alienated from the LAPD, he was also involved in three personal relationships that ended with legal actions. He was married in 2007, but it was dissolved 19 days later. A year later, another relationship ended with a restraining order... As he was becoming increasingly alienated from the LAPD, then-officer Christopher Dorner was involved in three personal relationships that ended with legal actions... In 2006, a woman he had dated went to the website DontDateHimGirl.com and posted an entry on Dorner, describing him as "severely emotionally and mentally disturbed." A copy of the posting was including in court documents filed by Dorner in Orange County when he sought a restraining order against the woman. It was denied. In April 2007, Dorner married a Los Angeles deputy sheriff. The certificate was issued in Clark County, Nevada. But after 19 days, they submitted a joint petition for dissolution. A year later, Dorner became involved with a fellow LAPD officer, according to a protective order application he filed in 2012. Dorner alleged that after he broke off the relationship, he learned the woman attempted to access his credit union account online. The issue came up again in the online manifesto Dorner published on his Facebook page, airing his grievances against LAPD. "You allow an officer to attempt to hack into my credit union account and remain on the job," Dorner wrote in the 11,000-word document. In seeking the protective order, Dorner stated he was "in fear for my life" because she boasted of her ability to kill, and told him she has "nothing to lose." It was a phrase that Dorner later used to describe himself – "I have nothing to lose" – in the manifesto as he laid out his mission to apparently seek revenge over the department... [Full article here]

DORNER’S EX-GIRLFRIEND SAYS HE WAS ‘MENTALLY DISTURBED,’ ‘TWISTED’
losangeles.cbslocal.com
February 8, 2013
[Excerpts]...Documents obtained by The Associated Press on Friday show ex-officer Christopher Dorner unsuccessfully requested a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Williams, in 2006 after he claimed she posted his badge number on a website called Dontdatehimgirl.com and harassed him... The posting is signed “anonymous” and calls Dorner “twisted” and “super paranoid.”... [Full article here]

APRIL CARTER, CHRISTOPHER DORNER'S EX, SAYS HE WAS 'DISTURBED,' 'SELF-OBSESSED'
The Huffington Post
By GILLIAN FLACCUS 02/08/13
[Excerpts] ...Court documents show an ex-girlfriend of a former Los Angeles police officer suspected of three murders called him "severely emotionally and mentally disturbed" after the two split. Documents obtained by The Associated Press on Friday show ex-officer Christopher Dorner unsuccessfully requested a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Williams, in 2006 after he claimed she posted his badge number on a website called Dontdatehimgirl.com and harassed him. The posting is signed "anonymous" and calls Dorner "twisted" and "super paranoid"... [Full article here]

DORNER MANHUNT: EX-GIRLFRIEND CALLED HIM "EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED"
L.A. NOW
February 8, 2013
[Excerpts] Christopher Dorner's former girlfriend described the police officer-turned-fugitive as a "severely and emotionally disturbed person" in court documents filed after they broke up 2006. Ariana Williams' claims are part of the documents in a restraining order that Dorner was seeking. The former LAPD officer said in the restraining order request that Williams annoyed and harassed him by phone and in a letter. The restraining order was ultimately denied. Williams, who wrote that she met Dorner at a sporting goods store, posted information about Dorner on dontdatehimgirl.com, an online site sometimes referred to as a relationship "credit check" for women, court documents show. On the site, the former girlfriend posted Dorner's LAPD badge number and detailed her 6-week dating experience with him, according to court documents. "Anyway just be careful because this guy is a police officer and he will probably think that he can get away with anything," she wrote on the site. "If you value your sanity, stay away from this guy," she wrote... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder fear mental health california state politics]

Today Lower Merion Township Police Officer Sean Quinn is believed to have taken his own life in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, South Philadelphia Pennsylvania. It is being reported that he left the family home last night after an argument with a family member, had contacted family this morning, didn't report to work, and earlier today was found in his vehicle with what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"The Lower Merion Police Department wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to Officer Quinn's family and friends and asks that they be kept in your thoughts and prayers as we all try to come to terms with this tragic event."
~ Lower Merion Police Superintendant Michael McGrath.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities suicide state politics fdr park]

Collin County Sheriff's Deputy Richard "Dickie" Fields and his wife Rebecca "Becky" Royall Fields died in a fire at their home yesterday. The state fire marshal's office said that the cause of the fire was possibly lightning.


Deputy Fields:
..."I came from an abusive, alcoholic home... When the police came to deal with my father, they always allowed him to keep whatever respect he had left. They inspired me to want to go into law enforcement. Law officers have always been my heroes." [LINK]

The news articles focus on Richard but I know those who lost them feel the grief for and absence of both.

From the Collin County Deputies Association: 

• "Sad to report that one of our members has passed away. Collin County Deputy Sheriff Richard Fields and his wife lost their lives in their home last night."
• Services for Deputy Richard "Dickie" Fields will be held on Friday, February 15th at 2:00pm. They will be held at the First Baptist Church in Leonard, Texas. 100 E Thomas St, Leonard, TX 75452
• Those wishing to make donations to the family my do so via the  Collin County Deputies Association

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities accident accidental texas state politics]

...A responding police officer reported smelling the odor of alcohol on Lowe and that his wife was crying and upset... Lowe's wife called 911 to report that he had assaulted her... But she refused medical treatment, wouldn't give a statement and told an officer, "I don't want him to go to jail"... She also declined assistance from a victim-support team... Five witnesses, mostly relatives, refused to provide written statements after implicating Lowe... She also declined to be photographed after the incident...

POLICE LIEUTENANT ACCUSED OF VIOLATING NO-CONTACT ORDER REACHES DEAL WITH COURT
The Seattle Times
by Jennifer Sullivan
February 8, 2013
A Seattle police lieutenant charged with violating a domestic-violence court order reached an agreement this morning that could lead to the charge being dropped. Under the dispositional continuance, the case against Lt. Donnie Lowe will be pending for 12 months... [Full article here]

DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE CHARGE AGAINST SEATTLE COP MAY BE DROPPED
Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan
February 8, 2013
[Excerpts] ...If [Seattle Police Lt. Donnie] Lowe complies with certain conditions - no criminal law violations, carries no weapons except his service weapon and pays court costs - the charge will be dismissed in a year... Lowe was acquitted by a jury last year of misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly assaulting his wife. But while awaiting trial, Lowe was accused of violating the no-contact order... He previously was disciplined after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence... Lowe also received internal reprimands for inappropriate physical treatment of a handcuffed son... and over an improper effort to retrieve from a man nude photographs of a female acquaintance... [Full article here]

EXCERPTS FROM WEB COMMENTS:

...If his wife had just obeyed the officer's orders none of this would have happened...

..."A checkered history" but a Lieutenant nonetheless. So a few questions: Why is he a Lieutenant if he has a checkered history?... Why does he still have a gun and a badge? It seems as if he has been caught battering his wife, violating a restraining order and lying....

...Down in Pierce, even the Chief of Police was ignored until he murdered his wife. Ten years ago in April. Nothing has changed at all...

...A good friend of mine, an exemplary police officer about to be involved in a messy divorce, was accused of domestic violence (untrue) by a vengeful soon to be ex-spouse. This accusation caused the officer to be removed from street duty, stripped of his arrest powers and gun, and placed on desk duty until the charges were investigated and proven false. He was lucky – he knew officers in other departments who actually lost their jobs. A charge of domestic violence against a serving police officer can indeed be devastating...

...Juries are especially reluctant to convict cops. Sadly cops can get away with a life of crime - this article highlights a prime example...

...Fire him. This will not be the last time we hear about this guys conduct. He will be in trouble again...

...No penalty for lying about his wife? ...

...His behavior over time appears to be such that he shouldn't be in a 'police' position...

...How many breaks does this guy get? His history indicates he is a bad actor. His level of maturity and his temperment are not adequate or proper for him to be a Police Officer...

...This should be an amazing and shocking story of corruption in our police department. Unfortunately, for most living in Seattle, this is just another bad cop getting away with crimes the rest of us would spent time in jail for... Why aren't the good guys speaking out?...

...A police officer sworn to uphold the law intentionally disregards and violates a court order, and the prosecution allows him to skate without seeking a conviction. Shameful! I wonder what other laws this officer will violate when he finds it convenient to do so...

...I am a veteran member of the Seattle Police Department. There are a few members of the command staff who time and again violate laws, policies, and ethics codes, and do so with impunity because of the power inherent in their positions and their ability to make problems, “go away,” for one another. These transgressions in and of themselves are damaging enough to the Department and to community trust in the Department, but their actions and lack of accountability send a message to other members of the Department: It’s ok to violate the law. It’s ok to routinely play in the gray areas…in fact, depending on your position—if you’d like to keep it—we expect you to behave as we do. It is my opinion that the few bad apples in the command staff are the single biggest factor that created the SPD culture that allowed the incidents that led to your monitoring the SPD to occur. Today a Lieutenant, Donnie Lowe, apparently received a dispositional continuance for a domestic violence criminal law violation... I ask the DOJ Monitor and the public to closely watch the administrative investigation of Lt. Lowe’s actions and the outcome of the investigation. Pay attention to who comes to Lt. Lowe’s aid and the rationales used when,--not IF, but WHEN--Lt. Lowe is allowed to keep not only his job, but his rank... I fear that will not happen and instead the public and the members of the Department will once again be sent the wrong message. It is ok to violate the law. It is ok to ignore a judge’s order. It is ok to lie. In fact, you may be rewarded for it. SPD has a history of not just turning a blind eye to this sort of thing, but acknowledging and rationalizing it...

...Thank you so much SPD Emp!!! As I have been saying, we need to good guys to speak up. Even if it is just a commentary post on a public forum, maybe you can be a great beginning. In Spokane there are a couple posters who claim to be cops. They routinely shed light on the darkness of police information. I think they were instrumental in getting Karl the Klubber convicted in the beating of Otto Zehm. SPD needs a couple good guys to post and let the people know what is really going on behind the great blue wall of Seattle. Where are the feds when you need them?...

...If lying, ignoring judges orders and domestic violence are on this person's resume, he should NEVER be allowed to carry a gun again!!!...

...The only reason he gets away this this type of behavior is because hes black! Don't believe me... show me just one white officer with this douchebags record that is still a cop....

...What is even more disappointing is how the court system can condone this. Disgusting!...

...And he was put in charge of the 20/20 plan! Something is wrong here...

...This officer has been allowed to keep his service weapon? Didn't a local Chief of Police murder his wife with his service weapon, here, about ten years ago? Hopefully, none of us, especially the family of this officer will have to endure this again. If SPD feels the need to keep him on staff, fine. Let's just hope they also see the need of those who may need to be protected from him... [LINK]


EXCERPTS FROM LAST YEARS NEWS:

SEATTLE POLICE LIEUTENANT ARRESTED AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT
KOMO STAFF
Sunday, June 3, 2012
A Seattle Police lieutenant who had a leadership role in the Seattle Police Department's 20/20 reform plan has been arrested and booked into King County jail for investigation of domestic violence assault... Lt. Donnie Lowe also was stripped of his badge and gun... officers responded to a report of a domestic violence assault involving an off-duty Seattle Police lieutenant. Patrol officers conducted a preliminary investigation and placed Lt. Lowe under arrest. [LINK]

SEATTLE PD LIEUTENANT, REFORM PLAN LEADER, ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
by KING 5 News
June 4, 2012
Seattle police officers booked Lt. Donnie Lowe into the King County jail Saturday night... this is not his first brush with the law. According to a probable cause document, Lowe got into an argument with his wife over their son. Lowe allegedly pushed his wife against the wall and slapped her in the face... Lowe was then booked into the King County Jail... He is being represented by attorney John Henry Browne, who has taken on a number of local high profile caes. Chief John Diaz has asked that another law enforcement agency conduct the investigation into Lowe... Lowe served as a team leader in Leader section the department's 20/20 vision initiative... The Office of Professional Accountability will monitor the criminal investigation and begin its own administrative investigation... Lowe was arrested in November 2008 on suspicion of DUI on Interstate 5 in Seattle with a blood alcohol level of 0.113 percent. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, but the charge was dismissed after he completed alcohol-information school, probation, community service and other terms. He also received a written reprimand for what was described as "inappropriate physical contact" with his 13-year-old son in a jail cell in 2006. The boy had been arrested for allegedly obstructing officers and was handcuffed... Lowe also received an oral reprimand after entering someone's home in 2002 to try recovering nude photos of a female relative... [LINK]

SEATTLE POLICE ARREST 'VISIONARY' LIEUTENANT
KIROTV
Sunday, June 3, 2012
[Excerpts] ...[Seattle police] Deputy Chief Nick Metz and Captain Neil Low responded to the scene Saturday night to relieve Lowe of duty and took possession of his badge and gun.... Lowe is no stranger to the other side of the law. In November 2008, he was cited for drunken driving after swerving in lanes on southbound Interstate 5. According to the Washington State Patrol, his blood alcohol content was .113% Lowe initially pleaded not guilty to DUI and later guilty to reckless driving. In return, he received a deferred sentence of 2 years, paid a fine and had to attend alcohol information classes in addition to 10 hours of community service. He was able to keep his drivers license. In his 20 years of service, there are additional blemishes on his record. According to the Seattle Times, Lt. Lowe received written reprimand in 2006 after his then 13-year-old son alleged he was punched and pushed up against a holding cell wall... [LINK]

SEATTLE POLICE LIEUTENANT ARRESTED AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT
KOMO
Jun 3, 2012
[Excerpts] A Seattle police lieutenant who had a leadership role in the Seattle Police Department's 20/20 reform plan has been arrested and booked into King County jail for investigation of domestic violence assault, officials said.... officers responded to a report of a domestic violence assault... Seattle Capt. Neil Low then responded to the scene at the direction of Deputy Police Chief Nick Metz... Effective immediately, Lt. Lowe also has been removed from his role in the leadership section of SPD 20/20, the reform plan launched by the Seattle Police Department following a U.S. Justice Department investigation... In November 2008, he was charged with drunken driving after blowing a 0.113 on a breath-alcohol test after a traffic stop Nov.... The legal limit is 0.08. Despite the arrest, Lowe was allowed to travel in January 2009 with then-Chief Gil Kerlikowske and a contingent of officers to join other departments in beefing up security for the inauguration of President Obama. That angered some rank-and-file officers who thought Lowe benefited from preferential treatment. Lowe, who is among the highest-ranking African-American officers in the police department, also has garnered internal disciplinary records for incidents that include a controversial arrest and striking his own son while the teenager was in a police holding cell... In the latter case, Lowe, who was off duty, was found to have used his authority to gain access to the cell, yet he did not receive harsh discipline. [LINK]

POLICE OFFICIAL PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE
Seattle Times
By Steve Miletich
June 5, 2012
[Excerpts] A Seattle police lieutenant pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic-violence assault Monday, one day after his arrest... [Seattle Police Lieutenant Donnie] Lowe, 45, who had been serving as an acting captain before his arrest, was ordered held in lieu of $7,500 bail. King County Jail records showed he was no longer in custody later in the day. The City Attorney's Office filed the criminal charge Monday, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail... At a brief hearing at the jail, Seattle Municipal Court Judge Willie J. Gregory said Lowe is alleged to have pushed his wife against a wall and slapped her face during an argument over their son. A responding police officer reported smelling the odor of alcohol on Lowe and that his wife was crying and upset... Gregory ordered Lowe to stay away from his wife under a no-contact order. The alleged incident occurred late Saturday in the South Seattle home of the couple, who have been married for 10 years and have two children... Lowe's wife called 911 to report that he had assaulted her, according to a Police Department report released Monday. But she refused medical treatment, wouldn't give a statement and told an officer, "I don't want him to go to jail," the report said. She also declined assistance from a victim-support team... Five witnesses, mostly relatives, refused to provide written statements after implicating Lowe... Lowe's attorney, John Henry Browne, said Lowe's wife, who attended the court hearing, has related to authorities that she does not want her husband to be prosecuted and that she does not fear him or want a no-contact order, Browne said... Lowe appeared calm when an officer arrived, the report said. He directed the officer downstairs to his wife, according to the report. While arguing, she reported, Lowe pushed her against a wall with his left arm across her upper chest, and slapped her face with his open right hand, the report said. Her face, neck and upper chest had a "reddish coloration," but it was unclear if that was from an injury or her crying, the officer wrote. One witness, her brother, told police he pulled her away from Lowe because the argument was "getting heated," according to the report. Another of her brothers told police he assisted in breaking the two apart, while a third brother reported he helped separate the couple and that he was "holding Donnie back," the report said. Her sister told police that Lowe pushed his wife against a wall with his forearm under her chin and slapped her face... A fifth witness, whose relationship to the wife wasn't determined, said Lowe... [LINK]

On Facebook: KOMO News:
- WTG SPD. King County are you paying attention? Police your ranks...
- It sounds like this guy should have been fired a long time ago...
- I was married to a man in uniform. They think they are untouchable...
- we still can not condemn the men. Sorry if you had some sorrow .. but we still need to be merciful...
- Wow!! I can't even believe what I'm reading. Am I really watching a woman make an excuse for an abusive man? Officer or not, he drove drunk, he hit his child in police custody, and now is having domestic violence issues...
- I support law inforcement and the stress they take on but any GOOD officer knows their rescources and learns to manage with there day to day stresses with out bringing them home.... [LINK]

SEATTLE POLICE LIEUTENANT FOUND NOT GUILTY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Jury rejects city's case against Donnie Lowe, whose arrest led to his removal from the Seattle Police Department reform efforts.
Seattle Times
By Steve Miletich
September 26, 2012
[Excerpts] In a case that led to his removal from the Seattle Police Department's reform efforts, Lt. Donnie R. Lowe was found not guilty Wednesday of assaulting his wife... [Lowe's attorney John Henry Browne] asked where was Lowe's wife, who did not testify during the two-day trial. Browne then asked, "How can I cross examine a 911 tape?" — a reply to the prosecutor's main piece of evidence, a snippet of an emergency call placed by Lowe's wife on June 2, in which she said he had hurt her by grabbing her neck and slapping her... "The city has no case," he said... Lowe's wife, Nanette, who had previously indicated she did not want her husband prosecuted, declined to testify at the trial, leaving city prosecutors with little evidence... Lowe faces a second trial on a charge of knowingly violating a court order to stay away from his wife while awaiting trial in the domestic-violence case... The Police Department's Office of Professional Accountability will conduct internal investigations of the June and August incidents, but not until the remaining case is resolved... Lowe has a checkered history with the department. He previously was disciplined after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence [suspended 4 days]... Lowe also received internal reprimands for inappropriate physical treatment of a handcuffed son... and over an improper effort to retrieve from a man nude photographs of a female acquaintance... [LINK]
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