Police Scandal

A topic that sometimes is the source of interesting discussions on DU is the misbehavior of some police officers. The Binghamton, NY newspaper (Press & Sun-Bulletin) has a front-page article today about the problems that one officer in Johnson City has caused for police and minority residents.

Last December 30, a Johnson City officer reported that he had been stabbed after making a routine traffic stop. He said the person who stabbed him twice in the stomach was a "young black man with matted dreadlocks and a diamond ear stud." As a result, an investigation started, and involved every police agency in Broome County, as well as the NYS Police and FBI. Hundreds of cars were stopped and people.

In time, investigators came to doubt the officer's story. He has since been charged with one count of 1st degree offering of a false report for filing (a felony) and 3rd degree falsely reporting an incident (a misdemeanor). The officer, who pleaded not guilty, is currently still on the force, but on a disability leave.

The police department is not allowed to take any further actions to end his employment, because of civil service laws. That will change if he is convicted.

County police departments are out of literally thousands of dollars and hundreds of manpower hours. The episode has caused an increase of tensions between the police and minorities in the area.

On the positive side, the article noted that some of the area's older civil rights veterans have been working to improve relations. Also, it notes that the police agencies did the right thing, and in no way tried to cover up the criminal actions of the one officer.

I think this shows how one "bad apple" can cause huge problems for the community at large, including the vast majority of police officers. I've seen it before, and sadly, suspect that I'll see this type of thing again.


http://pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071005/NEWS01/710050397/1001

is What was he trying to hide ?

Seems silly to make up a story like that without the motive of covering up something else.

Cheers
Drifter

(a) He stabbed himself.

(b) Someone else stabbed him.

Either way, he made up a "cover story" that he believed would hide the truth. I think your question is the most interesting one at this point.

Think "Miami River Cops". I lived in Miami at the time and knew about them before the story broke..

That might be the type of situation that the cop could have correctly identified the person who stabbed him, though lied about the circumstances.

I'd think that perhaps he had something flare up in his personal life, or that he may have harmed himself.

and had to blame it on 'someone'. :tinfoilhat: Or, he got stabbed by someone anywhere and asked for it, but had to find a scapegoat. I could go on, but I won't.:)

Got stabbed my somebody he knows, wife for instance, and is trying to protect her?

is a closet racist, and was trying to initiate some sort of racial profiling to harass blacks. In my scenario he would have had to stab himself.

In my small town, the sheriff told all of his officers to "stop any car that contains any combination of a black person and a white person, to see what they were up to". I heard this from one of his officers, in my local beauty salon (yall know how the gossip tree works in the salon).

Nothing would surprise me.

My old stomping grounds!

One of Johnson Cities finest I see...

I grew up in Endwell.

Boys Club had some mighty good amateur boxers in the 1970s.

It seems to me that since wonder boy took office there has been a lot more aggression from those whose mission was once to protect and serve. I'm not intending to use a broad brush here but just recently we heard of a handcuffed woman dying, a 16 year old having her head slammed for not cleaning up cake properly. eleven year olds in handcuffs and people being tasered in greater and greater numbers.

I am not surprised that an organization like Blackwater has grown to the size of an army and acts aggressively with impunity.

The question is, can it and they be pulled back?

Hi Jim :hi:

:kick:

been told by attorneys that you cant imply or say that a police is a liar.

3/14/07 An officer was shot, but holes in the story
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/03/13/ddn031407copshooting.html

3/15/07 Gun that officer used to shoot self was stolen
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/03/14/ddn031507copshootinside.html

9/7/07 At the time of the incident, Fink was being treated for depression, panic disorder and anxiety disorder, according to attorney
http://www.daytondailynews.com/search/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/06/ddn090707fink.html

You might need to register to read these articles, but it is free

:kick: