Police confirm identify of SWAT officer who shot Alexander

9-20-2012 Ohio:

The Lorain County SWAT team member who shot and killed Billy Alexander early Sept. 15 has been identified as Wayne Ramsey, a LaGrange police officer, according to Lorain police Lt. Mark Carpentiere. Lorain police are investigating the incident triggered by a 911 call.

Ramsey was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting, said LaGrange Mayor Kim Strauss. Such leave is common for officers who have been involved in a shooting, according to Dennis Cavanaugh, Chief Deputy of the Lorain County Sheriff Department.

“This is Ramsey’s first time being involved in a shooting,” Cavanaugh said. “He will take as long as he sees fit to recover.”

Police are not releasing any other details. “The investigation is still ongoing,” Carpentiere said.

Alexander, 41, of Lorain was shot at least twice — in the chest and torso — with a .223-caliber rifle, said Dr. Stephen Evans, the Lorain County coroner.

Alexander was a registered sex offender, according to the Lorain County Sheriff’s website. He pleaded guilty to the rape of a 4-year-old girl in 1991 and served 15 years in Lorain Correctional Institution in Grafton. He was released in 2008. He was also convicted of escape in 1992.

Early Saturday morning, the Lorain County SWAT team went to a house at 704 DeWitt St. in Sheffield Township. They were responding to a 911 call from a woman who was crying hysterically that Alexander had molested a 5-year-old child and was threatening to kill himself and them.

She said he was “throwing a gun around,” according to the 911 recording. Later she shouted, “He just shot off the gun!”

A child can be heard saying, “Daddy, please don’t shoot us!” and the woman can be heard comforting the child by saying, “It’s OK baby.”

When officers arrived at about 1:45 a.m., Alexander fired one shot at them and then went into the house with the woman and two children. Police ordered the woman and children to leave while they pursued Alexander into the back yard. Alexander was pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m. Evans said. ..Source.. by Morning Journal Staff

Citrus County Deputy, Gregory Entrekin, shoots sex offender in his home

Something isn't right here, see last story?

9-27-2012 Florida:

An investigation is under way after an off-duty Citrus County deputy allegedly shot a sex offender who broke into his home.

Investigators say 28-year-old Derrick Vaccianna broke into the home of Deputy Gregory Entrekin, 24, at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, when he was confronted by Entrekin and his girlfriend.

Vaccianna was shot during the confrontation and taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Vaccianna was a registered sex offender on probation at the time of his death.

Since Entrekin was off-duty at the time, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called in, and both the FDLE and the Citrus County Sheriff's Office are investigating.

As is customary in cases such as these, Deputy Entrekin has been placed on paid administrative leave pending further notice. ..Source.. by Melissa Ramsey

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Off-duty Citrus County deputy shoots, kills intruder

9-27-2012:

An off-duty Citrus County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed a 28-year-old man who broke into his girlfriend's home late Tuesday, officials said.

Citrus County Sheriff's officials did not immediately identify the deputy other than to say he was familiar with the intruder, Derrick Vaccianna, 28, who broke into the house on Eden Drive about 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

Vaccianna, who lived in the town of Hernando, was a registered sex offender and on probation at the time of his death.

According to the Sheriff's office, the deputy was inside the residence with his girlfriend when Vaccianna broke in.

Soon after, the deputy and Vaccianna became embroiled in an argument, which quickly escalated to a physical fight, officials said.

Then the deputy got his gun.

He shot the intruder once in the chest, according to Sheriff's Office reports.

Vaccianna was taken to Citrus Memorial Health System, where he was pronounced dead.

It was not immediately clear whether the victim was armed at the time of the shooting.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and State Attorney's Office are investigating the incident. No further information was available early Thursday morning. ..Source.. by Marissa Lang, Times Staff Writer

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Off-Duty Sheriff's Deputy Shoots Man in Alleged Break-in

10-2-2012 Florida:

We love stories of self-defense because they prove just how important guns are, but every once in a while you get a story that's a real puzzler.

Florida Citrus County Sheriff's Deputy Gregory Entrekin, who was actually deputized last month, was spending some off-duty time with his girlfriend, Amanda Vance, when 28-year-old Derrick Vaccianna broke into Vance’s home. Now, before we get too far with this, we should point out that this wasn’t just some random robbery. Neighbors claim that Vaccianna and Vance had been in a relationship as recently as two weeks ago, and Entrekin personally knew Vaccianna. We're using the term "break in" because people involved in the case are calling it a break in, but it's not entirely clear if that's an accurate description.

First off, Vaccianna had a key to Vance's home, and it appears that Vance had invited Vaccianna into her home in order to talk. Chuck Hobbs, the attorney for Vaccianna’s family, stated, “I have strong confirmation that [Vance] had been trying to reach out to Derrick all that day, saying she wanted him to come over to the house because she was trying to reconcile their relationship.”

So, did Vaccianna "break in" or did he simply walk in? We suppose that depends on who's telling the story.

To complicate matters, Vaccianna is a registered sex offender who was convicted of lewd and lascivious conduct involving a 12-year-old girl. But these are all complicated details -- let's get to the facts.

According to reports, Vaccianna entered Vance’s home at about 10:45 p.m last Tuesday. Vaccianna and Entrekin became embroiled in an argument, which escalated into physical violence. The deputy got his gun and shot at Vaccianna, striking him once in the chest. Vaccianna was taken to the hospital but was later pronounced dead. Entrekin has since been placed on paid administrative leave.

We’ve come across some fuzzy, morally ambiguous self-defense shootings before, but this one might take cake. With so many complicated factors at play, how can we determine whether Entrekin was justified in pulling the trigger?

Did Vaccianna have a right to be in the home or was it a real break-in? Did the physical confrontation warrant violence? Were jealousy and relationship issues factors in this shooting?

We’d hate to be in Entrekin’s shoes right now. By the looks of things, Vaccianna’s family might be able to make a persuasive argument that Vaccianna had just as much right to be in Vance’s home as Entrekin did, and at that point it all boils down to the question of whether or not the physical confrontation warranted pulling the trigger.

We’re not saying that physical threat isn’t a sufficient reason to use a gun to defend yourself -- we’re just saying that in this case it really isn’t clear that it was the best course of action. After all, what if Vaccianna had shot Entrekin instead of the other way around? Would he also be able to claim self-defense?

This case might hinge on Vance, whose testimony could condemn or support Entrekin.

What do our readers think? When you invite somebody into your home, how (if at all) does that change your rights self-defense? Or even better yet – if you are invited to somebody else’s home and you get into a fight with another guest, who gets to claim self-defense -- whoever is left standing? ..Source.. by dabneybailey

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Citrus County Deputy involved in fatal shooting made news before

9-28-2012:

Inverness, FL - A Citrus County sheriff's deputy who authorities said fatally shot a man inside his girlfriend's house, has made headlines before.

10 News did a story on Gregory Entrekin back in 2008, when he saw his newborn daughter for the first time over a computer screen. The then-Marine reservist was serving in Iraq at the time. According to court documents, Entrekin and his wife divorced in 2010.

Officials with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said Entrekin, now 24 years old, was with his current girlfriend when he shot a man inside her house along Eden Drive Wednesday.

Authorities said 28-year-old Derrick Vaccianna broke into the home and confronted the off-duty deputy and his girlfriend, Amanda Vance. According to detectives, a fight broke out and Deputy Entrekin shot Vaccianna once in the chest. He later died at an area hospital.

Vaccianna was a sex offender on probation. In 2005, when he was 19, Vaccianna was convicted of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct involving a 12-year-old girl.

Neighbors, however, said Vaccianna and Vance were a couple, and saw them together as recently as last week. They add, from what they could tell, Vaccianna did live at the house at some point.

"I've never had any issues with him. Upstanding guy. Always waving 'hi'. We have our little conversations here and there. But that was very shocking," said a neighbor, who didn't want to be identified.

Deputy Greg Entrekin is new to the Sheriff's Office. He joined the agency in August after serving overseas with the Marines. He has now been placed on paid administrative leave. ..Source.. by Althea Paul

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Deputy cleared in off-duty shooting

1-17-2013:

Report paints picture of love triangle gone wrong

An off-duty deputy involved in the shooting of a Hernando man early last fall has been cleared of any wrongdoing, according to a report from the State Attorney’s Office.

Trainee deputy Greg Entrekin shot and killed Derrick Vaccianna, 28, the night of Sept. 26 after a struggle in the bedroom of an Inverness woman.

According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, Entrekin and his girlfriend at the time, Amanda Vance, were confronted by Vaccianna after he entered the residence on Eden Drive in Inverness through a bedroom window. Entrekin shot Vaccianna when he reportedly charged at him. Vaccianna died at the scene. The case was handed to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct an independent investigation.

“This was a tragic event in which there were no winners,” said Sheriff Jeff Dawsy. “We knew right away it was best to have an independent review of the case and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted a very comprehensive and detailed investigation. We are very confident in their findings.”

That investigation and just-released report points to a love-triangle rife with alleged threats and declarations of love.

Vaccianna’s family was stunned by news of the state attorney’s decision.

“That’s just wrong. Wow, I can’t believe this. How is it that they couldn’t find anything wrong with what he (Entrekin) did?” Derrick Vaccianna’s sister Verron Vaccianna said.

Ms. Vaccianna said the family is now pondering possible legal options.

Entrekin, who had been with the sheriff’s office barely a month before the incident, was initially placed on administrative leave, and then returned to the sheriff’s office in an administrative capacity. Recently, Entrekin was permitted to begin his field training officer program, which is required before he goes on the road as a patrol deputy, according to CCSO.

“I’m sure Deputy Entrekin is anxious to officially begin his career as a law enforcement officer,” Dawsy said. “We are looking forward to the contributions he will make here as a member of this team.”

According to the report released by the State Attorney’s Office, before the fateful September day, Vance was dating Entrekin, but was carrying on a relationship with Vaccianna.

The report state Entrekin knew Vance and Vaccianna had previously been romantically involved, but did not know the entire story.

Vance reportedly altered the entry for Vaccianna in her phone to read “Janice” and would delete text messages to and from Vaccianna from her phone immediately so Entrekin would not see them.

Vaccianna, conversely, also knew Vance was seeing Entrekin and on Sept. 24 called Entrekin and, according to Entrekin, threatened him if he continued to see Vance.

The report stated the phone call was followed by a series of text messages to Entrekin from Vaccianna that said, among other things, that Entrekin would “catch a bullet” if he continued to see Vance. “If I catch you you’re a dead man,” one text reported said.

FDLE was reportedly able to piece together a sequence through text records and by tracking Vaccianna’s movement on the night of the shooting. Vaccianna was on sex-offender probation and had a GPS ankle bracelet on.

Vaccianna reportedly exchanged a series of texts with Vance the day of the shooting, with Vance saying she loved Vaccianna, but she later said it was a ruse to pacify him because he was mad that she was with Entrekin.

The report stated Vaccianna eventually entered Vance’s residence through a bedroom window and confronted the couple, who were in bed.
Vaccianna reportedly grabbed Vance and started screaming at Vance and Entrekin, who had the gun by the bed and grabbed it. Vaccianna called 911 to report that Entrekin was holding a gun to his head.

Vaccianna reportedly “lunged” at Entrekin after more shouting, and Entrekin pulled the trigger. ..Source.. by

Tyler County deputy fatally shoots man

9-25-2012 Texas:

One man is dead after deputies say he lead them on a high-speed chase and pointed a gun at police and sheriff's deputies.

The incident happened around 10:30 p.m.

A news release issued by the Sheriff's Office says a deputy was sent to a home on U.S. 69 just north of Warren after dispatchers received a call from a person reporting a sexual assault.

While interviewing the victim, the suspect in the sexual assault, identified by deputies as Dennis Ray Murray Jr., of Woodville, drove into the driveway. The victim told the deputy Murray would be armed.

The deputy told Murray to show his hands. The deputy said Murray then sped out of the driveway and a high-speed chase began. The chase went into Woodville. More deputies, a Woodville Police Officer and a Department of Public Safety Trooper joined in on the chase.

Muyrray's vehicle was slowed down with road spikes, but he continued to drive to his home in the 500 block of Lyndale in Woodville.

Deputies ordered Murray out of his vehicle. Deputies say this is when he pointed a long-barreled weapon at them.

Two deputies fired at Murray.

Officers approached Murray who had fallen back in his vehicle. A Woodville Police Officer tried to pull the rifle from Murray, but Murry then "became conscious" and grabbed the officer. Deputies say he also fired a shot at the officer.

Murray then grabbed for a second rifle and a struggle began.

A third Tyler County Sheriff's Office Deputy fired two shots at Murray disabling him.

Murray was taken to the Tyler County Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m.

All three deputies who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave with pay.

The incident is under investigation by the Texas Rangers. ..Source.. by KIII TV.com

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Woodville man dies after shootout with deputies

WOODVILLE, TX (KTRE) -

A man accused of sexually assaulting someone died after becoming involved in a shooting with several law enforcement officers Tuesday night. No officers were hurt.

The shooting started following a high-speed chase from the Warren area and ended in the residence of the suspect, Dennis Ray Murray Jr., 40, of Woodville, according to a press release from the Tyler County Sheriff's Office.

Murray stopped at his residence on the 500 block of Lyndale Street after deputies used road spikes to flatten his tires. Once Murray stopped at his residence, deputies ordered him out of his vehicle.

Instead, Murray pointed a long-barreled gun at them, prompting two deputies to shoot at him. It appears at least one of the bullets hit Murray, knocking him unconscious. A Woodville Police officer assisting in the case then approached Murray to disarm him and Murray then woke up and fired a shot at the officer and missed him.

The officer then removed the gun from Murray and Murray grabbed a second rifle out of the vehicle. The officer struggled with Murray and a third deputy then fired two shots at Murray.

Officers on the scene and an EMS crew worked to revive Murray but were not successful. He was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m. at a Woodville hospital.

The case began at 10:10 p.m. when a deputy was dispatched to a caller at a residence on US 69, just north of Warren, who said she was sexually assaulted. The deputy arrived at 10:25 p.m. and while interviewing the victim, Murray drove into the driveway. The victim said Murray was the one who assaulted her and told the deputy he had two rifles and had threatened to kill her.

The deputy ordered Murray to show his hands, but instead Murray sped out of the driveway, which began the pursuit into Woodville.

Deputies, Woodville PD and state troopers assisted in the chase.

Per standard procedure, the three deputies who fired their guns have been placed on paid leave until an investigation is complete.

Sheriff David Hennigan said he has asked the Texas Rangers to handle the investigation.

Murray had numerous previous convictions on his record. In addition to numerous possession charges, he convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in August 1994 and sentenced to an eight-year prison term with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Murray was tried and sentenced in Angelina County's 159th District Court. ..Source.. by KTRE.com

Sheriffs office releases name of homicide victim

9-24-2012 New York:

KILL BUCK — The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office late Sunday morning released the name of the deceased in a Friday night shooting at a Route 417 residence in the Hamlet of Kill Buck.

Henry Francis Ackley, 58, of 6263 Route 417, was killed around midnight Friday at the hands of a still-unidentified gunman. Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb told the Times Herald his department was following up on leads around the Olean area on Sunday.

It was unclear if a motive or any other circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting had been determined.

“We’ll be looking into persons of interest in (Olean) here Sunday — around the city I should say,” Sheriff Whitcomb said outside the New York State Troopers Barracks in Olean around 11 a.m. Sunday. “But we are releasing the identity of the victim.”

The sheriff formally announced the wrongful death was indeed a homicide involving a firearm. He was unable to provide further details, however, as they could potentially compromise the investigation.

“We’re just confirming there was a homicide at that address sometime before midnight on Friday night,” Sheriff Whitcomb said. “We’re aggressively pursuing leads.

“Any of the other details of what exactly we’re working on, we’re keeping those close to the collar right now. Just for the continuity of the investigation, we’re being careful about what we release.”

When asked if he could say how close law-enforcement agencies were to making an arrest, Sheriff Whitcomb wouldn’t venture a guess.

“I hope we’re close,” he said. “I’m optimistic.”

Mr. Ackley’s neighbor told a Times Herald editor Saturday afternoon the deceased was a helpful neighbor who often kept to himself.

“He would do anything for you,” said the neighbor, who spoke on a condition of anonymity. “If I needed help with anything, he’d help.”

Authorities said the homicide is not believed to be connected to Mr. Ackley’s 1986 conviction for a sex offense.

According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Mr. Ackley was convicted of first-degree sodomy, a class B felony, in 1986. He was released from Orleans Correctional Facility in 1991 on parole. He is not listed on the state Sex Offender Registry, which is reserved for Level 2 and 3 offenders — those considered a higher risk to the community.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office at (716) 938-9191. ..Source.. by Kelsey Boudin Olean Times Herald

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Homicide victim was a registered sex offender

The man shot and killed late Friday in this Cattaraugus County hamlet has been identified as 58-year-old Henry F. Ackley, sheriff's officials reported.

The shooting death occurred shortly before midnight at a home on Route 417.

Sheriff's officials have released no other information on the killing but The Buffalo News confirmed through state prison records that Ackley served about six years at the Orleans Correctional Facility for a 1985 first-degree sodomy conviction in Cattaraugus County.

Because of that conviction, Ackley was a state-registered sex offender who had to alert police agencies about his home address and if he planned to move. Whether his killing was related to his criminal history was a topic the Sheriff's Office would not discuss.

Ackley's last obligations to the state prison system over his conviction expired in December 1994, records show. ..Source..

Coroner: Man who died after Taser incident had health issues

3-23-2011 Nevada:

A 44-year-old man who died after Las Vegas police shocked him with a Taser "several" times in December had cocaine and alcohol in his system, the Clark County coroner's office said Wednesday.

Las Vegan Anthony Jones died from cocaine and ethanol intoxication, the coroner's office said. But other factors contributed to his death, including "police restraining procedures" and an enlarged heart from obesity and mild hypertension, the coroner found.

Assistant Coroner John Fudenberg said that although science has not determined whether Taser guns kill, the use of the less-lethal weapon could have been a factor in Jones' death.

"It's safe to say that it could have possibly contributed to his death," Fudenberg said.

The coroner ruled Jones' death a homicide, meaning only that Jones died as the result of actions of others.

ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP

Jones died in the early morning hours of Dec. 11. His confrontation with police began with a routine traffic stop less than a mile from his home and ended with a struggle with officers who used a Taser to subdue him.

The incident began when Jones' 1993 Lexus was stopped at about 1 a.m. in the 1000 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard, near Martin Luther King Boulevard. Police have not said what prompted the stop.

Police said Jones ran north across Lake Mead and jumped a wall into the backyard of an abandoned house in the 1000 block of Hart Avenue, about two-tenths of a mile from his car. When police caught up to him, he aggressively resisted them, and officers used a Taser "several times," according to police. The department has not said how many times Jones was shocked.

Jones was pronounced dead at Valley Hospital Medical Center.

The officers involved were Mark Hatten, who has been with the agency since January 2007, and Timothy English, who was hired in June 2008.

Hatten and English were placed on routine paid administrative leave after their encounter with Jones, but police spokesman Jacinto Rivera said they are back at work in positions in which they do not have "citizen contact." Their return to regular duty depends on the outcome of a coroner's inquest that has yet to be scheduled, he said.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Jones spent most of his adult life in prison, starting with a sexual assault conviction in 1982 when he was 16. He had several other offenses since then, prison records indicate.

On Aug. 25, Henderson resident Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 21, died after he was shot with a Taser by the Nevada Highway Patrol.

According to the Nevada Department of Public Safety, troopers were alerted to an accident on U.S. Highway 95 involving an individual fighting others there.

When officers arrived, they had an altercation with Hernandez-Lopez, whom they described as an "irate individual." During the altercation the man was shot with a Taser, and troopers later noticed he was not breathing. The coroner's office listed his death as "cardiopulmonary arrest during varied restraining procedures" and a homicide. The inquest is pending.

A Taser delivers 50,000 volts of electricity, which incapacitates the body.

A 2008 study by Amnesty International concluded that Las Vegas led U.S. cities in deaths involving law enforcement use of Tasers. The study found that between June 2001 and August 2008, seven people died after Tasers were used on them.

Six of the deaths involved Las Vegas officers, who began using Tasers in 2004. ..Source.. by Antonio Planas

Police: We had to shoot

12-7-2010 Nebraska:

Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes said Tuesday that a police officer and U.S. marshal had no choice but to shoot a man in the parking lot of a busy southwest Omaha strip mall.

The lawmen who fired at Joe M. Weible narrowly avoided being run over by Weible's vehicle, Hayes said.

“We don't get to pick the location where these (shootings) happen,” Hayes said. “When you're thrust into a situation where you have to use deadly force, it happens where it happens.”

Hayes said officers “try to minimize what the backdrop is when those shots are fired” and try to control where they point their weapons.

Hayes said Weible, 35, did not have a gun but did have knives in his possession. He said Weible accelerated and drove his pickup truck at a high rate of speed toward Officer Jeff Gassaway and the marshal.

Hayes said the threat was from the charging vehicle.

“It's a deadly weapon,” Hayes said of the pickup, a 1998 Chevy S-10. “It will kill you if you don't get out of the way or try to stop it.”

Four to five shots were fired. One struck Weible. Police have not said if the other bullets struck the pickup.

The shooting happened about 2 p.m. Monday at the strip mall near 120th Street and West Center Road. Weible died later at Creighton University Medical Center.

Hayes said it was not clear who fired the fatal shot.

Gassaway, 44, is a 13-year police veteran. In 2008, he shot an escapee from a state prison after he swerved his vehicle at Gassaway.

Gassaway was honored by the U.S. Attorney's Office for investigating street gangs and shared the 2004 CrimeStoppers Officer of the Year Award with another officer.

The U.S. Marshals Service refused to identify the marshal involved in the shooting.

Both Gassaway and the marshal are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Metro Area Fugitive Task Force is led by U.S. marshals. It has 12 full-time members — six marshals, six Omaha police officers, one Douglas County sheriff's deputy and one Council Bluffs police officer. There are also nine part-time members.

The task force operates in both Iowa and Nebraska and works to take fugitives off the streets.
U.S. marshals also are responsible for protecting federal courts, transporting prisoners and other duties.

Hayes said the task force had been working with the woman who alleged she was assaulted by Weible. She called 911 on Nov. 29.

An arrest warrant was issued, charging Weible with first-degree sexual assault and attempted strangulation of his former girlfriend.

Weible called the ex-girlfriend, 26, on Monday and asked her to meet him at the shopping center.

That place was a familiar meeting spot for the couple, Hayes said.

The woman notified police of the phone call.

Task force members arrived before the meeting time. Weible already was there, sitting in his truck. Law officers, some of them in vehicles, surrounded him and ordered him out of the pickup.

Gassaway and a marshal approached on foot.

Weible started the truck, tried to back up but was blocked in by police vehicles.

He accelerated in the direction of Gassaway and the marshal, who were about 6 feet away, Hayes said.

Both fired their weapons as they got out of the way of the truck.

After he was shot, Weible's vehicle continued forward and crashed into two parked cars near the entrance to a Baker's Supermarket, Hayes said.

He was then Tasered, Hayes said.

The Police Department's policy on use of deadly force apparently covers situations such as the Weible shooting:

“Shot(s) will not be fired at or from a moving vehicle except as the ultimate measure of self-defense, or defense of another. Firing of weapons at a moving vehicle will only be done in extreme, close-range circumstances when all other means of stopping the vehicle containing a dangerous felon have been attempted and have failed.”

The Weible shooting was the fifth officer-involved shooting in Omaha this year that resulted in a death. Omaha hadn't had a police-involved fatal shooting since 2007.

The total number of police-involved shootings for 2010 is nine when accounting for people who were injured but not killed.

Hayes said the task force had tried to find Weible before Monday's shooting.

“We had to get him off the street before he tried to hurt this woman again,” he said.

Last week, members of the task force searched Weible's father's home in Cozad, Neb.

“They looked under the beds and everything, even the building out back,” Jack Weible, 81, said. “I asked them what the deal was but they wouldn't say. They didn't believe he wasn't here.”

Weible's father said his son had an off-and-on relationship with the woman he was accused of assaulting.

The couple met at Nebraska By-Products in Lexington, Neb., where Joe Weible drove a truck. They lived together in an apartment there.

The couple split up for several years, Jack Weible said, but had gotten back together in the last few months.

“I thought he was happy,” Jack Weible said. “They went to get her stuff about three or four months ago, and I thought they were getting along good.”

The ex-girlfriend declined to comment on Tuesday.

Joe Weible moved to Omaha about six months ago and worked for a lumber company, his father said. He graduated from Cozad High School and had previously lived in Kearney. ..Source.. by Jason Kuiper and Juan Perez Jr.

Smith County man serving life for sexual assault found dead in cell

9-5-2012 Texas:

SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV)- An East Texan was killed in prison while serving a sentence for sexual assault.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, on August 7, Elasko Thomas was found bleeding from the neck at his cell door at the Robertson Unit near Abilene.

He was taken to the medical unit, and then transferred to a hospital, but died en route.

Thomas was serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a woman in Smith County back in 2010. ..Source.. by KLTV Web Staff

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Three of 10 homicides in Texas prisons this year were in Abilene units, officials say

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has reported 10 prison homicides this year, with three of those deaths being reported in Abilene's two units, according to a recent Associated Press article.

The article published Monday says this year's numbers are indicating a swell of violent rate of death in prisons. The 10 deaths this year are up from three homicides in 2011, five in 2010 and one in 2009, the AP reported.

The latest slaying in Texas prisons occurred in the Robertson Unit last month — the first such death listed as a homicide within the unit in the past seven years, said Jason Clark, TDCJ spokesman.

"It's definitely jumped out at us," Bruce Toney, the agency's inspector general, told the AP about the increase. "It definitely has not been an average year."

On Aug. 7, during checks at the Robertson Unit, inmate Elasko Thomas was found standing at the door of his cell, holding his neck and bleeding profusely. He was transported to Hendrick Medical Center, where he died about an hour later.

Clark said Thomas had an altercation with his cellmate Michael Deloach.

Deloach has refused to cooperate with the investigation, Clark said.

There have been two homicides this year at the Middleton Unit, Clark said, both the result of June assaults.

The Middleton Unit is a transfer facility — inmates are sent from this prison to other prisons in the state for the duration of their confinement. The Robertson Unit is a maximum-security facility.

On June 3, a fight with another Middleton inmate resulted in the death of a 47-year-old Dallas man. Mark Anthony Rauls was injured after Cody Lane Vernon allegedly struck Rauls' head on a concrete floor. Rauls died two days later after being taken off life support at Hendrick.

Twenty days later, on June 26, Middleton Unit inmate Billy Dickerson fought in a dorm dayroom with an inmate identified as Maurice Miller.

Clark said Dickerson was observed lying on the floor while he was bleeding from the back of his head. Dickerson was escorted to the unit's infirmary and then was transported by ambulance to Hendrick. He was later released from Hendrick and transferred to the Montford Unit's Regional Medical Center in Lubbock, according to agency records.

Five days after Dickerson was assaulted, officers found him unresponsive while they were performing security checks, Clark said. Additional staff responded, Clark said, but even after life-saving procedures were initiated, Dickerson was pronounced dead.

No weapons were reported to have been used during the June 26 assault.

Clark said each homicide is being investigated by the Office of Inspector General.

According to The Associated Press, the 10 homicides don't appear to be connected and have been scattered throughout the 111-prison state system. The reason for the surge — the highest number in 15 years, is uncertain, Toney said.

He described the majority of the deaths as the result of "hands and feet kicking" and not a question of inmates armed with contraband weapons. More than half of the fatal attacks were committed in cells and involved altercations between cellmates, making it difficult to prevent, he said.

"It's a situation where they have some kind of disagreement and it results in a death," Toney told the AP. "Inside a prison cell, everything is metal so that leaves the potential for injuries if someone gets knocked down."

According to the AP, in the 1980s, a much smaller Texas corrections department dealt with a wave of violence.

In 1985, 27 inmates were killed and hundreds of others hurt in attacks at a time when Texas prisons housed only about one-fourth of the more than 150,000 convicts now incarcerated, the AP reported. ..Source.. by Denise Blaz

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ELASKO THOMAS, 38, Tyler, died Aug. 7. Brooks-Sterling & Garrett Funeral Directors, Tyler. ..Source..

Arnoult charged in Trumann deaths

Posted in Related Deaths

9-14-2012 Arkansas:

John Anthony Arnoult, 28, of 1610 Arrowhead Pond Road, Jonesboro, was arrested Sept. 9 after investigation by the Trumann Police Department and Arkansas State Police into the deaths of Constance "Connie" Cole, 56, and John Poff, 57, both of Trumann.

Cole and Poff's bodies were found on Sept. 2 in Poff's home in the trailer park on Viva Drive by a maintenance worker who performed a welfare check after neighbors reported hearing gunshots at 6:15 a.m. that morning and seeing a red truck drive away.

According to Arkansas State Police, Cole and Poff suffered from blunt force trauma wounds and gunshot wounds from a 40 caliber handgun. Police were led to Arnoult after interviewing witnesses and Arnoult's family members, who told police they owned a red Nisson pickup truck and a 40 caliber handgun that was missing.

Poff is listed in the National Sex Offender Registry as a level 2 sex offender.

The matter is still under investigation, though police are not pursuing other suspects at this time.

Arnoult is being charged with two counts of capital murder. He is being held without bond. Court date is Oct. 29. ..Source.. by Poinsett County Democrat Tribune

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Decade-Old Sex Case Possible Motive for Murders

9-11-2012:

TRUMANN, AR (abc24.com) - Could the possible motive in the deaths of a terminally ill man and his caretaker be a sex crime dating back more than a decade?

On Sunday, Arkansas State Police arrested John Arnoult, 28, of Jonesboro and charged him in the September 2nd murders of John Poff and Connie Cole.

Poff and Cole were found murdered in Poff's mobile home in Trumann.

"My sister and I both knew whoever done this couldn't have known my mother," said Laci Cole, Connie Cole's daughter. "Nobody would have ever wanted to hurt her."

According to online records, Poff was a Level 2 sex-offender, convicted of sexual abuse more than a decade ago. Prosecutor Scott Ellington says Poff's victim was one of Arnoult's relatives.

"She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Cole says of her mom.

Cole says her mother was helping Poff.

"He had a terminal illness, 2 months to live," Cole said. "That was my mom, she didn't care what you had done in the past; if you needed help, she was going to help you."

Arnoult remains in jail. He is due back in court in late-October. ..Source.. by Eli Ross

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Formal charges filed in deaths of Constance Cole, John Poff in NE Ark

10-26-2012:

Prosecutors have filed formal murder charges against an Arkansas man accused of killing two people who were found dead in a mobile home in Trumann.

In court documents filed in Poinsett County Friday, prosecutors charged 28-year-old John Anthony Arnoult with two counts of capital murder and one count of aggravated residential burglary in the deaths of 56-year-old Constance Cole and 57-year-old John Poff.

Authorities arrested Arnoult several days after a maintenance worker found Cole and Poff dead in Poff's mobile home in September.

Prosecutor Scott Ellington says Arnoult has a court appearance scheduled for Monday in Harrisburg.

Arnoult's attorneys didn't respond to phone messages left Friday. ..Source.. by TodaysTHV.com

Tempe suspect killed by deputy was wanted sex offender

Witness testimony is NOT relevant to the police, only what police say? Why bother investigating crimes if police assumptions are the only thing that counts; thankfully courts see this differently.

9-14-2012 Arizona:

A man shot to death Thursday in Tempe by a Maricopa County sheriff's deputy was a convicted sex offender who had a warrant out for his arrest, according to court records.

Joel Edward Smith III, 19, had violated his probation on a reduced charge of failure to register as a sex offender. Superior Court Judge Warren Granville signed a warrant for Smith's arrest on Aug. 7.

Smith was shot and killed Thursday morning by a deputy who was helping Tempe police search for burglary suspects.

The shooting took place on a canal bank that separates Tempe from Guadalupe, a town patrolled by the Sheriff's Office.

Although two Guadalupe residents who witnessed the shooting said Smith appeared to be unarmed and attempting to surrender, a sheriff's official said that the shooting was justified and that Smith threatened the deputy with a knife.

"The facts are that not only did the deputy sheriff have to encounter this individual, but so did two other Tempe officers who witnessed this from a very close distance," said Dave Trombi, a sheriff's deputy chief.

"People's assumptions on what he could have or would have done are irrelevant given that he did pull a knife, he did threaten the Tempe officers and the deputy sheriff, and the deputy sheriff did feel threatened," Trombi said.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Office.

Although the incident started in Tempe, city police deferred because the Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction throughout the county.

The court records show that Smith was indicted in June 2009 on a charge of sexual conduct with a minor, among the most serious of sex crimes, and the victim was a girl younger than 15. The molestation took place in April 2008, when Smith was 15. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and was placed on lifetime probation, which he violated at least once before, court records show.

He last reported to a probation officer May 4 and failed to report three times, the report said. ..Source.. by Jim Walsh, and JJ Hensley

Milton biker found dead

9-14-2012 Alabama:

A 54-year-old Milton man was found dead in Robertsdale, Ala., and two men have been charged with murder in connection with the death.

The victim, Samuel Henry Dixson was found dead around noon on Wednesday off County Road 68 near the Styx River according to a press release by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.

Two men, Adam Lowery "Sandman" Mayton, 30, of Newbern, Ala., and Fred "Shooter" Weiss of Northport, Ala. were arrested Wednesday and charged with the murder of Dixson. They both are currently being held at Tuscaloosa County Jail awaiting extradition back to Baldwin County, Ala.

According to Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Scott Haines, Dixson was reported missing in Baldwin County earlier this week.

Haines said Dixson, a former sex offender, lived in Milton and told relatives he was going to Alabama earlier this week. He was reported missing by his wife on Monday.

According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office release, on Monday morning around 2 a.m., the Rosinton Volunteer fire Department responded to a trailer fire on Northcutt Lane. The fire was extinguished but the trailer was destroyed.

The sheriff’s office found that the trailer was actually the clubhouse for an Alabama chapter of the Devil’s Disciples motorcycle gang, which Dixson was a member of.

After Dixon’s wife filed the missing persons report, his truck was found in Escambia County, Fla. Shortly after, his body was found near the Styx River.

According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, two men walked into the Robertsdale Police Department Tuesday and stated that they were there to turn themselves into authorities on a homicide.

Before making any further statements they asked for legal council before questioning, which the Baldwin County Court provided them with. After speaking with council, both men stated they would not provide statements.

One of the men was transported to Thomas Hospital for injuries related to blunt force trauma. Both subjects were allowed to leave after refusing to file a statement.

The release did not indicate who the two men were that attempted to turn themselves in.

Late Wednesday evening, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office issued murder warrants for Mayton and Weiss.

It is believed at this time the motive is related to an internal squabble within the gang and that Weiss and Mayton intentionally and maliciously murdered Dixson, the BCSO release stated.

According to the Florida Sex Offender website, Dixson had a known address on Pine Blossom Road in Milton. He also registered that he was going to Robertsdale, Ala., back on Sept. 5 according to the website

Dixson was charged in 2004 with lewd and lascivious behavior on a child under 16 years of age in Orange, Fla.

A public information officer for the Robertsdale Police Department was not available for comment as of press time.

The trailer fire is still under investigation by the Alabama State Fire Marshals. ..Source.. by Mathew Pellegrino

Hallandale Beach identifies all involved in police shooting

9-7-2012 Florida:

HALLANDALE BEACH — Hallandale Beach police Friday identified three officers and the shoplifting suspect who was shot dead the previous night.

Hallandale Beach Police Capt. Sonia Quinones said Eduardo Prieto, 32, of Hialeah, was shot by the "highly trained" officers who have all served on the department's SWAT team.

They are: Supervising officers Sgt. Timothy Church, 40, who has served with the agency since 1996, and Sgt. Brian Hubbert, 42, who joined the agency a year later; and Officer Raymond Buckley, 43, with the department since 2000.

They were placed on administrative leave, with pay, until the investigation is completed, Quinones said.

According to Quinones, the incident began when officers received a call at 5:59 p.m. Thursday from a police dispatcher about an armed robbery in progress at a Walmart store at 2551 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd.

"We get a call that the suspect was armed with a knife, then it was updated by the dispatcher that he was armed with a knife and a gun," Quinones said Friday.

After being confronted by a Walmart security guard who suspected the theft of DVDs and clothing, Prieto showed a knife before fleeing the business in a silver Lexus SUV, Quinones said.

"Our officers locate the vehicle and follow it to where it came into 124 S. Federal Highway, at Acquo 124 Restaurant," Quinones said. "At that point is where our officers perceived a threat and were forced to fire on the suspect."

Prieto had driven about three miles west and south from the store to the restaurant before he was fatally wounded.

Comedian Pat Cooper, 83, said he was enjoying a plate of veal parmigiana at Acquo 124 when he witnessed the police shooting through the restaurant window.

"I was scared as hell," Cooper said. "I wanted to cry to see something like that happening. When you hear firing from a gun, it terrifies you. It's no joke. I'm still nervous about it."

"Five cops were telling this guy to get out of the car, repeatedly," said Cooper. "He put his hands out and he had something in his hand. And there were four shots."

Cooper called the incident "a sad thing to see."

"They killed him," he said. "But you can't blame the cops."

He called the officers "heroes."

"They put their lives on the line and walked right up to that car," Cooper said. "These police officers have families. They can't be playing games. These cops should be kissed and hugged."

Afterward, he said the shooting affected the officers as well as the civilians who witnessed it.

"The cops all felt bad," said Cooper, who still performs comedy and has ties to Fort Lauderdale and New York.

An autopsy was performed by the Broward Medical Examiner's office Friday morning, Quinones said, and fingerprints were taken to help detectives identify him. Prieto's identity was made public at 6 p.m. Friday, after his family was notified.

Court records show Prieto was a registered sex offender with convictions for fondling children, lewd and lascivious assault, drug possession and failing to notify police when he changed addresses as required of all registered sex offenders. His arrest record dates back to 1998.

The police captain said detectives were "still trying to get statements from all three officers" about exactly what happened during the shooting.

"Our officers notified radio dispatch of shots fired," she said, but investigators did not know if the suspect possessed a firearm because his vehicle was sealed and taken away for processing by Broward Sheriff's crime scene investigators.

"Our detectives have not been able to comb the vehicle to see if a gun was inside," Quinones said.

The incident tied up southbound traffic on Federal Highway for several hours between East Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Southeast 3rd Street. ..Source.. by Linda Trischitta and Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel

Sheriff: Suspect killed after false sex assault report

9-7-2012 South Carolina:

A man who was killed in an altercation with deputies was the subject of a false police report that led to the confrontation, according to a release from the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.

A woman, later identified as 21-year-old Sabrina Michelle Smith, reported on Aug. 13 that she had been sexually assaulted by Anthony Lee Lamboy. When deputies arrived at the Red Roof Inn on Laurens Road, Smith gave them a description of Lamboy, and three deputies confronted him in the parking lot.

Deputies said a background check found that Lamboy had outstanding warrants from Greenwood County for resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and two charges of malicious injury to property.

The release said after deputies told Lamboy he was being placed under arrest, he began to struggle with them.

Sheriff Steve Loftis said, "One deputy had the Taser out. The suspect was so violently resisting that he knocked the Taser out of the deputy's hand. About that time, the suspect grabbed the deputy's gun that was still in his holster."

The release said that Master Deputy Brandon Lackey and Lamboy fell to the ground during the struggle, and Lamboy was able to pull the trigger of Lackey's weapon that was still in its holster, the release said. The round hit Lackey in the upper thigh and exited through the back of his leg.

The other two deputies then fired at Lamboy, killing him. The release said one deputy fired five shots and the other fired one.

One of the deputies had a tourniquet in his pocket and was able to help stop Lackey's blood loss.

Loftis said, "According to the surgeon, (the tourniquet) saved the deputy's life because there was an extreme loss of blood."

The release said that investigators determined that Lamboy had not sexually assaulted Smith. She was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with filing a false police report. She has since been released on a $5,000 bond. ..Source.. by WISTV.com

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SC woman charged with false report in shooting

A Greenville County woman has been charged with filing a false report about a sexual assault in an incident involving two sheriff’s deputies who shot and killed a man at a motel last month.

Sheriff Steve Loftis says two deputies shot and killed 26-year-old Anthony Lee Lamboy of Greenville during a scuffle over a deputy’s gun on Aug. 13. Lamboy died at the scene.

Twenty-one-year-old Sabrina Michelle Smith of Taylors has been charged with filing a false report.

Deputies responding to the complaint scuffled with Lamboy, who was able to fire an officer’s gun in the holster, wounding him in the leg. Two other officers then shot Lamboy, killing him.

Loftis says the officers followed proper procedure and have been returned to regular duty. ..Source.. by Post and Courier

Suspect in child-sex case killed by deputies in Treasure Island motel

9-2-2012 Florida:

On Monday night, an 11-year-old girl from Safety Harbor told her mother she felt dizzy. Her stomach hurt. She had a headache.

The mother and her live-in boyfriend, Gregory J. Johns, took the girl to the hospital. The pair waited in a lobby as a doctor examined her. After a few minutes, the doctor came back with news: The girl was pregnant.

Her mother was distraught, and so was Johns. He asked for the car keys. He needed a smoke.

Johns never came back.

Allegations of rape soon followed, and investigators began their pursuit. For five days, Johns — a criminal for more than half of his 42 years — returned to the life he knew. He robbed strangers, authorities say, and bought booze with the money he stole. He swore that he'd rather die than go back to prison.

Just after 5 Saturday morning, Johns got what he wanted. Cornered in a second-floor room at a cheap motel on Treasure Island, he rushed Pinellas sheriff's deputies with a knife, investigators say.

Ten bullets later, he was dead.

• • •

Johns was first arrested at 17. He first went to prison at 18.

Between then and Saturday, he was arrested at least 12 times. For selling cocaine. For carrying a concealed firearm. For robbery and burglary, and battering a law enforcement officer.

He served six stints in prison.

He was last released by the Florida Department of Corrections in July 2009, which, authorities say, was around the time he met and moved in with the woman in Safety Harbor.

Johns, records show, had never before been accused of a sex crime. But after that hospital visit Monday night, authorities say, the 11-year-old told her mother what had happened:

She was home alone with Johns one day in June. He came into the girl's room and asked her to join him in the master bedroom. She refused, so Johns, at 5-foot-9 and 280 pounds, pinned her to the bed and raped her. In the days that followed, deputies say, he assaulted her twice more.

On Tuesday of last week, with a warrant out for his arrest, police said Johns broke into the St. Petersburg home of a 78-year-old woman. He robbed her and left her bound and gagged for 12 hours.

The next day, reports say, he approached a couple in Vinoy Park, drew a knife and demanded money.

He called his girlfriend that night. He said he was sorry for ruining her daughter's life but insisted he would never return to prison.

The police, he told her, would have to kill him.

On Wednesday, investigators found a note at Vinoy Park that had fallen out of Johns' pocket.

It was an apology to the girl.

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Brian Britton and Misty Roberson met Johns outside their motel room Friday evening.

Johns, they say, was staying upstairs with a blond woman they believed was his girlfriend.

The young couple, on vacation from Ruskin, also met two of Johns' other friends, who introduced themselves as "Brett" and "Leslie."

Johns invited Britton, 24, and Roberson, 26, up to his second-floor room for a shot of Grey Goose vodka. The room, they said, was trashed. Clothes, empty cups and McDonald's bags were strewn across the floor. Johns told them he planned to stay for a week.

Next to the pool downstairs, the group played cards, mostly rummy, for hours. Johns, wearing a white T-shirt and black swim trunks, blared rap music from Plies and Lil Wayne on one of his two phones. He chugged bottles of Bud Light Platinum. He mixed his vodka with orange Fanta.

"He seemed nice," Britton said. "He was in a real good mood."

The conversation, they said, was random. He told them he had a pacemaker and pulled up his shirt to show a scar across his chest. Johns said he would have played college basketball if not for arrests he declined to explain. He pulled out a stack of $20 bills and bet his friend Brett that he could beat him in a game.

Around midnight, when Brett and Leslie got into an argument, Britton said Johns turned to him: "I've got no respect for that guy. He's a woman beater."

Roberson went to bed around 2 a.m. Saturday. Britton stayed up for a swim.

Leslie, he said, told him to be careful. Johns had noticed the cash in his girlfriend's pocket.

Britton soon went to his room and locked the door behind him.

Earlier, investigators were told that Johns was in a hotel on Madeira Beach or Treasure Island. More than a dozen deputies had searched through the night before they found him in his room.

Johns refused to answer the door, authorities said, then locked himself in the bathroom. When deputies broke in, they say, he came out with a knife. Deputies Claudio Dimundo and Eric Turner fired at him.

"I heard the cop kick the door in and then yelling," Britton said. "Then — pop, pop, pop."

Shot multiple times, Johns died on the floor of Room 224 at a motel named the Trails End. ..Source.. by John Woodrow Cox