Courant.com
WINDSOR LOCKS
Charges Against Four Dropped In Hotel Swingers' Party
By HILDA MUÑOZ
The Hartford Courant
July 9, 2009
ENFIELD —
Criminal charges were dismissed Wednesday against four people arrested after undercover police busted a swingers' party at a Windsor Locks hotel bar last year, attorneys for the defendants said.
Sharok Jacobi, owner of the Beverly Hills Suites, and Brian True, the liquor permittee at the hotel's bar, were charged in December with accessory to obscenity and public indecency.
"Today's dismissal was a victory for all those charged, but more so for the Constitution and the First Amendment," said True's attorney, Aaron J. Romano.
A married couple, David and Tania Shadowfax, were arrested on the same counts. They were accused of leading a sexy photo contest at the swingers party, according to court records.
"There was insufficient evidence that my clients violated the law and the cases were dismissed," said Gregory P. Cohan, attorney for the Shadowfaxes.
Acting on a tip, two Windsor Locks detectives and two agents with the State Liquor Control Commission registered online with fake names for a swingers' night on Nov. 8, according to an arrest warrant.
Partially clothed men and women had oral sex, intercourse, masturbated and had simulated sex while a photographer took pictures, the affidavit says.
The event was organized by Hot Couples Parties LLC. The company manager, Nicholas Maulucci, and his wife, Lissette Maulucci, also were arrested. Information on the status of their cases was not available.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant
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Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mexico
By Mayra Cuevas-Nazario
CNN
(CNN) -- A multiagency search is under way for the killers of two U.S. citizens in northern Mexico, according to Chihuahua state officials.
A girl stands at the coffin of Mormon church leader Benjamin LeBaron in Chihuahua State.
Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law, Luis Widmar, in his mid-30s, were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed into their home in Galeana on Tuesday morning.
The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems to be connected to local drug lords, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office.
Sandoval said a note was found on LeBaron's body, but he could not confirm the contents.
Local media reported that the note indicated the slayings were in retribution for the capture of 25 drug suspects in a nearby town.
LeBaron's younger brother, Eric, was kidnapped in May and returned unharmed after a week. The incident prompted LeBaron to become a nationally recognized anti-crime activist who moved the local community to take a stand.
"There are no leaders here, or we are all leaders," LeBaron's brother, Julian LeBaron, told CNN television affiliate KINT in El Paso, Texas. "If they kill my brother another three will take his place, and if they kill us, another hundred will take their place. We are not giving up. No way."
The LeBaron brothers belonged to the "Community of LeBaron" in the Municipality of Galeana, a township founded by ex-communicated Mormons.
CNN
(CNN) -- A multiagency search is under way for the killers of two U.S. citizens in northern Mexico, according to Chihuahua state officials.
A girl stands at the coffin of Mormon church leader Benjamin LeBaron in Chihuahua State.
Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law, Luis Widmar, in his mid-30s, were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed into their home in Galeana on Tuesday morning.
The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems to be connected to local drug lords, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office.
Sandoval said a note was found on LeBaron's body, but he could not confirm the contents.
Local media reported that the note indicated the slayings were in retribution for the capture of 25 drug suspects in a nearby town.
LeBaron's younger brother, Eric, was kidnapped in May and returned unharmed after a week. The incident prompted LeBaron to become a nationally recognized anti-crime activist who moved the local community to take a stand.
"There are no leaders here, or we are all leaders," LeBaron's brother, Julian LeBaron, told CNN television affiliate KINT in El Paso, Texas. "If they kill my brother another three will take his place, and if they kill us, another hundred will take their place. We are not giving up. No way."
The LeBaron brothers belonged to the "Community of LeBaron" in the Municipality of Galeana, a township founded by ex-communicated Mormons.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
trial
The Associated Press
Updated: 07/08/2009 06:46:15 AM EDT
LITCHFIELD -- The murder trial of a Watertown man accused of killing the president of a Torrington motorcycle club is set to start today.
Prosecutors plan to begin presenting evidence in Litchfield Superior Court today in the trial of 54-year-old Kevin Campbell.
Campbell is charged with murder in the shooting death of 51-year-old Roland LaGasse of Torrington, who was president of the Forbidden Motor Cycle Club.
Campbell, who was also a member of the biker club, has said he acted in self-defense and the gun accidentally went off. ۩
Updated: 07/08/2009 06:46:15 AM EDT
LITCHFIELD -- The murder trial of a Watertown man accused of killing the president of a Torrington motorcycle club is set to start today.
Prosecutors plan to begin presenting evidence in Litchfield Superior Court today in the trial of 54-year-old Kevin Campbell.
Campbell is charged with murder in the shooting death of 51-year-old Roland LaGasse of Torrington, who was president of the Forbidden Motor Cycle Club.
Campbell, who was also a member of the biker club, has said he acted in self-defense and the gun accidentally went off. ۩
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Bias?
Sotomayor criticized on
New Haven 20
Updated: Tuesday, 07 Jul 2009, 12:36 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 07 Jul 2009, 12:36 PM EDT
Washington (AP) - The Senate's top Republican is lashing out at Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor for ruling against white firefighters who alleged reverse discrimination.
Sen. Mitch McConnell says Sotomayor's decision as a federal appeals court judge suggests she allows her own agenda to cloud her judgment and favors certain groups.
Firefighters in New Haven, Conn., challenged the city's decision to scrap a promotion test because too few minorities qualified. Sotomayor was part of an appeals court panel that dismissed the firefighters' challenge. The Supreme Court reversed that decision last week.
McConnell says Sotomayor may have let her service with a civil rights group that represented Hispanics in job discrimination cases affect her decision.
New Haven 20
Updated: Tuesday, 07 Jul 2009, 12:36 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 07 Jul 2009, 12:36 PM EDT
Washington (AP) - The Senate's top Republican is lashing out at Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor for ruling against white firefighters who alleged reverse discrimination.
Sen. Mitch McConnell says Sotomayor's decision as a federal appeals court judge suggests she allows her own agenda to cloud her judgment and favors certain groups.
Firefighters in New Haven, Conn., challenged the city's decision to scrap a promotion test because too few minorities qualified. Sotomayor was part of an appeals court panel that dismissed the firefighters' challenge. The Supreme Court reversed that decision last week.
McConnell says Sotomayor may have let her service with a civil rights group that represented Hispanics in job discrimination cases affect her decision.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sad
Waiting for answers about Orange crash
By Frank Juliano
STAFF WRITER
Updated: 07/05/2009 01:17:38 PM EDT
ORANGE -- After two weeks of mourning, friends of two teens killed in a collision with a Milford police cruiser here planned a party to celebrate their lives.
More than 75 people were expected at the SBC Restaurant in Hamden last weekend for the tribute to Ashlie Krakowski and Dave Servin, both 19.
Optional donations by guests were suggested for Habitat for Humanity and for the Servin and Krakowski families, organizers said.
"Though times have been difficult recently and there has been a lot of mourning, why not join together and celebrate the lives of Dave Servin and Ashlie Krakowski?'' organizer Elizabeth Tsatkin wrote on a Facebook page set up to promote the event.
"There is no denying that they have changed many lives and maybe we could all come together to show just how much happiness they have brought to us all,'' she wrote.
Tsatkin did not return a reporter's phone calls last week to comment on the gathering.
Meanwhile, many friends and family of the couple are still waiting for answers and grieving privately as State Police investigate the double-fatal crash, which occurred at 2:15 a.m. June 13 at the intersection of Route 1 and Dogwood Road.
The Milford police officer, Jason Anderson, was treated for non-life-threatening internal injuries at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He remained off-duty injured as of Thursday. His patrol car was totaled.
Susan Servin, the mother of Dave, had indicated last week that she would
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discuss with her husband and with Krakowski's father and grandmother whether the families wished to be interviewed for this story. They ultimately declined.
Krakowski's personal Facebook page was taken down Wednesday night; messages of sympathy had been added nearly every day since she and Servin were killed.
The Internet posting included videos of the couple together as well as albums of photos of Krakowski growing up and playing hockey. One friend had written a song about the pair, and posted a recording of it.
Family and friends said earlier that Krakowski and Servin had known each other for many years, but had begun dating only in January. They had reportedly left Servin's home, just off of Dogwood Road to buy cigarettes early that morning and were returning when the crash occurred.
The green canopy that had protected a memorial at the crash site from rain has been taken down, but three crosses remain. The one to the right is made from hockey sticks; Krakowski was on the Amity High girls varsity team before graduating in 2007.
There were several large sprays of fresh flowers and at least two large potted plants: a red geranium and a yellow mum. There were also dozens of candles spread on the ground, from small votive lights to big Yankee Candle Co. jars. Several were tall religious candles in glass holders.
A large posterboard on a wire easel had a North Branford High t shirt on it and was signed by several people. Another hand-lettered sign on a utility pole by the road said "Ashlie and Dave RIP.'' The wooden cross at the left had Dave's photo on it and blue plastic rosary beads. Ashlie's had pink rosary beads, her photo and a black and gold Amity cap.
The two teens are buried together in Orange Center Cemetery. Each has a small metal plaque with name, birthday and date of death. Dirt covers both plots, which are in the new section of the cemetery, at the rear right.
Four large baskets of flowers rest on the graves, along with memorial signs. A young woman visiting the graves Tuesday declined to speak to a reporter.
Krakowski, who planned to be an emergency medical technician and then a nurse, listed on her Facebook page under interests: "Slow Down Connecticut Teen Drivers.'' Under it she had written "Frances and Sal RIP.'' Amity High seniors Francesk Zefi, 18, and Sal Semmonella, 17, were killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in March 2008.
Amity students raised more than $30,000 to help Zefi's family bring his body back to Albania for burial.
By Frank Juliano
STAFF WRITER
Updated: 07/05/2009 01:17:38 PM EDT
ORANGE -- After two weeks of mourning, friends of two teens killed in a collision with a Milford police cruiser here planned a party to celebrate their lives.
More than 75 people were expected at the SBC Restaurant in Hamden last weekend for the tribute to Ashlie Krakowski and Dave Servin, both 19.
Optional donations by guests were suggested for Habitat for Humanity and for the Servin and Krakowski families, organizers said.
"Though times have been difficult recently and there has been a lot of mourning, why not join together and celebrate the lives of Dave Servin and Ashlie Krakowski?'' organizer Elizabeth Tsatkin wrote on a Facebook page set up to promote the event.
"There is no denying that they have changed many lives and maybe we could all come together to show just how much happiness they have brought to us all,'' she wrote.
Tsatkin did not return a reporter's phone calls last week to comment on the gathering.
Meanwhile, many friends and family of the couple are still waiting for answers and grieving privately as State Police investigate the double-fatal crash, which occurred at 2:15 a.m. June 13 at the intersection of Route 1 and Dogwood Road.
The Milford police officer, Jason Anderson, was treated for non-life-threatening internal injuries at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He remained off-duty injured as of Thursday. His patrol car was totaled.
Susan Servin, the mother of Dave, had indicated last week that she would
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
discuss with her husband and with Krakowski's father and grandmother whether the families wished to be interviewed for this story. They ultimately declined.
Krakowski's personal Facebook page was taken down Wednesday night; messages of sympathy had been added nearly every day since she and Servin were killed.
The Internet posting included videos of the couple together as well as albums of photos of Krakowski growing up and playing hockey. One friend had written a song about the pair, and posted a recording of it.
Family and friends said earlier that Krakowski and Servin had known each other for many years, but had begun dating only in January. They had reportedly left Servin's home, just off of Dogwood Road to buy cigarettes early that morning and were returning when the crash occurred.
The green canopy that had protected a memorial at the crash site from rain has been taken down, but three crosses remain. The one to the right is made from hockey sticks; Krakowski was on the Amity High girls varsity team before graduating in 2007.
There were several large sprays of fresh flowers and at least two large potted plants: a red geranium and a yellow mum. There were also dozens of candles spread on the ground, from small votive lights to big Yankee Candle Co. jars. Several were tall religious candles in glass holders.
A large posterboard on a wire easel had a North Branford High t shirt on it and was signed by several people. Another hand-lettered sign on a utility pole by the road said "Ashlie and Dave RIP.'' The wooden cross at the left had Dave's photo on it and blue plastic rosary beads. Ashlie's had pink rosary beads, her photo and a black and gold Amity cap.
The two teens are buried together in Orange Center Cemetery. Each has a small metal plaque with name, birthday and date of death. Dirt covers both plots, which are in the new section of the cemetery, at the rear right.
Four large baskets of flowers rest on the graves, along with memorial signs. A young woman visiting the graves Tuesday declined to speak to a reporter.
Krakowski, who planned to be an emergency medical technician and then a nurse, listed on her Facebook page under interests: "Slow Down Connecticut Teen Drivers.'' Under it she had written "Frances and Sal RIP.'' Amity High seniors Francesk Zefi, 18, and Sal Semmonella, 17, were killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in March 2008.
Amity students raised more than $30,000 to help Zefi's family bring his body back to Albania for burial.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Will you go away
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former D.C. mayor, now Washington councilman, Marion Barry has been arrested again.
Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested July 4 and charged with stalking, police said.
On July 4, the U.S. Park Police arrested Barry and charged him with misdemeanor stalking.
About 8:45 p.m. in Anacostia Park, a Washington woman flagged down a Park Police officer on patrol and pointed to Barry, who was in another car. The woman said Barry was stalking her, Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser said.
Barry was taken into custody, processed and released, but he must make a court appearance for the charge. A court date has not been set.
Barry's other run-ins with the law have included a federal sting operation in 1990, when he was mayor. Surveillance cameras caught him smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room.
Despite his fall from grace, he was re-elected in 1994 to a four-year term as mayor. In his latest political comeback in 2004, Barry won a seat on the D.C. Council, on which he continues to serve.
Barry was arrested in 2002 when traces of marijuana and cocaine were found in his car after he was stopped in the Buzzard Point area of Southwest D.C. No charges were filed, and Barry claimed that the drugs were planted.
And in 2006, Park Police officers stopped him for driving too slowly, prompting him to accuse authorities of targeting him. Barry had been on probation since 2005 for not filing or paying income taxes for several years.
Last year he again failed to file a tax return, and his probation was extended to May 2011, according to the Washington City Paper.
Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested July 4 and charged with stalking, police said.
On July 4, the U.S. Park Police arrested Barry and charged him with misdemeanor stalking.
About 8:45 p.m. in Anacostia Park, a Washington woman flagged down a Park Police officer on patrol and pointed to Barry, who was in another car. The woman said Barry was stalking her, Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser said.
Barry was taken into custody, processed and released, but he must make a court appearance for the charge. A court date has not been set.
Barry's other run-ins with the law have included a federal sting operation in 1990, when he was mayor. Surveillance cameras caught him smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room.
Despite his fall from grace, he was re-elected in 1994 to a four-year term as mayor. In his latest political comeback in 2004, Barry won a seat on the D.C. Council, on which he continues to serve.
Barry was arrested in 2002 when traces of marijuana and cocaine were found in his car after he was stopped in the Buzzard Point area of Southwest D.C. No charges were filed, and Barry claimed that the drugs were planted.
And in 2006, Park Police officers stopped him for driving too slowly, prompting him to accuse authorities of targeting him. Barry had been on probation since 2005 for not filing or paying income taxes for several years.
Last year he again failed to file a tax return, and his probation was extended to May 2011, according to the Washington City Paper.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Car Jacking
By Daniel Tepfer
Staff writer
Updated: 07/02/2009 08:20:26 PM EDT
BRIDGEPORT -- In July 2007, Janae Brown and her family were in the national spotlight after their Hollister Avenue home was rebuilt by the ABC-TV reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
Now Brown is back in the spotlight again, this time because of her arrest early Thursday for her role in an alleged carjacking about a block from the Makeover home.
The 16-year-old Brown was charged with first-degree robbery by carjacking and third-degree larceny. She is being held in lieu of $20,000 bond.
The incident took place shortly before 3:30 a.m. Thursday, police said, when a 38-year-old city man stopped in his car, a Nissan Altima, at Stratford Avenue and Read Street. He was approached by a woman, later identified as Brown, and two men whose identities remain unknown. One of the men pointed a gun at the driver and ordered him to get out of the car, police said. The men and Brown got into the car and drove off, police said.
The car stopped a short distance away, however, and Brown and the men got out. The car's owner, who could see what happened, then began chasing Brown.
Brown waved down a passing car, telling the driver that she had been the victim of a carjacking, and adding that the assailant was pursuing her, police said. Out of concern for his new passenger, police said, the driver of the second car drove to police headquarters where, after questioning, Brown was arrested.
Staff writer
Updated: 07/02/2009 08:20:26 PM EDT
BRIDGEPORT -- In July 2007, Janae Brown and her family were in the national spotlight after their Hollister Avenue home was rebuilt by the ABC-TV reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
Now Brown is back in the spotlight again, this time because of her arrest early Thursday for her role in an alleged carjacking about a block from the Makeover home.
The 16-year-old Brown was charged with first-degree robbery by carjacking and third-degree larceny. She is being held in lieu of $20,000 bond.
The incident took place shortly before 3:30 a.m. Thursday, police said, when a 38-year-old city man stopped in his car, a Nissan Altima, at Stratford Avenue and Read Street. He was approached by a woman, later identified as Brown, and two men whose identities remain unknown. One of the men pointed a gun at the driver and ordered him to get out of the car, police said. The men and Brown got into the car and drove off, police said.
The car stopped a short distance away, however, and Brown and the men got out. The car's owner, who could see what happened, then began chasing Brown.
Brown waved down a passing car, telling the driver that she had been the victim of a carjacking, and adding that the assailant was pursuing her, police said. Out of concern for his new passenger, police said, the driver of the second car drove to police headquarters where, after questioning, Brown was arrested.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
New Haven
The New Haven municipal government is a mess, the Mayor laid off multiple people a few months ago but today gave a city attorney a 12% raise for 'parity', are you kidding me, everyone and their brother has law degree, find someone else!
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City must pay $288K to TOR fire volunteers
By Jeff Morganteen
Staff Writer
Updated: 06/26/2009 08:26:06 AM EDT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Day:
Memorandum of Decision
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STAMFORD -- A superior court judge Wednesday ordered the city to pay $287,762 to the volunteer Turn of River Fire Department before June 30, two years after the fire department first took the city to court to fight a consolidation plan with a city-run career department.
Citing impropriety by city officials and their handling of the budget, Judge Kevin Tierney issued a bench decision in favor of the volunteer-run department that resolved a main issue in one of two lawsuits Turn of River has against the city over budget cuts, claims of diverted property tax revenue and alleged contract violations. The city previously withheld $288,000 from Turn of River's budget when it voted down an agreement with the city in 2008.
The ruling orders the city to pay nearly $290,000 within six days and comes during a challenging budget cycle that saw threats of police officer layoffs and concessions from city unions. Throughout the past year, the city also asked municipal departments to give back small percentages of their budgets to cover a projected budget shortfall caused by a decline in revenue.
City Attorney Tom Cassone did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the court order. Mayor Dannel Malloy said he could not comment on the court order until he reviewed it with Cassone.
A 25-page decision, expected to be issued soon, will articulate the reason behind the court order, Tierney wrote in this week's judgment. The lawsuit was filed in state Superior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Court in Stamford, and it asked for money budgeted to the fire department to be restored, additional funds to maintain the company and to prevent the diversion of property taxes.
The trial ended earlier this month, concluding nearly two years worth of legal maneuvers by the city and fire department. The legal contest began in summer 2007, when the city announced a consolidation plan between its city-run department, Stamford Fire & Rescue, and three of Stamford's five volunteer-run fire departments.
Turn of River opposed the plan, voting down a tentative agreement over it. In response, the city cut its operating budget by 88 percent -- from nearly $330,000 to $40,000 -- for this fiscal year, which ends next week. Because of its drastically reduced budget, Turn of River racked up a $180,000 deficit, sold a fire engine and closed its second fire station.
"As the saying goes, 'You can't fight city hall,'" Turn of River attorney Mark Kovack said. "It's difficult to do, but we believed we were in the right. In the court order, it appears the court agreed."
Kovack expects the city to appeal the decision.
This week's decision does not resolve the allegation that the city violated its agreement with the department by withholding funding. Turn of River asked the judge to order the city to honor the agreement, or to pay it more than $1.5 million to employ 16 paid firefighters and a fire marshal, the Turn of River attorney said. The department lost its paid firefighters during the conflict over the consolidation plan. Resolution is pending on that portion of the lawsuit.
The department employed paid drivers before summer 2008, but when its volunteer membership voted down an agreement over the consolidation plan, they were assimilated into the city department, which covers downtown Stamford.
Turn of River Fire Chief Frank Jacobellis said the ruling means his department won't go bankrupt, but refrained from saying it was a victory for his volunteer firefighters.
"It's good, but there's a lot more to go," Jacobellis said, adding that he now has to determine which debts to pay first. "There's really no win when you're talking about a court case like this. We trying the best we can for the city, but we're just looking for the proper support from the powers that be."
The Belltown Fire Department, the other volunteer department to oppose the consolidation plan, has pending lawsuits against the city citing similar arguments. The consolidation plan announced in 2007 sought to improve fire coverage in the city while reducing overtime costs.
The court order restores Turn of River's full budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year. It was allocated $40,000 for this upcoming fiscal year, an amount not included in the lawsuit. What happens to the department's budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year remains to be seen.
-- Staff Writer Jeff Morganteen can be reached at jeff.morganteen@scni.com or 964-2215.
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City must pay $288K to TOR fire volunteers
By Jeff Morganteen
Staff Writer
Updated: 06/26/2009 08:26:06 AM EDT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judgment Day:
Memorandum of Decision
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STAMFORD -- A superior court judge Wednesday ordered the city to pay $287,762 to the volunteer Turn of River Fire Department before June 30, two years after the fire department first took the city to court to fight a consolidation plan with a city-run career department.
Citing impropriety by city officials and their handling of the budget, Judge Kevin Tierney issued a bench decision in favor of the volunteer-run department that resolved a main issue in one of two lawsuits Turn of River has against the city over budget cuts, claims of diverted property tax revenue and alleged contract violations. The city previously withheld $288,000 from Turn of River's budget when it voted down an agreement with the city in 2008.
The ruling orders the city to pay nearly $290,000 within six days and comes during a challenging budget cycle that saw threats of police officer layoffs and concessions from city unions. Throughout the past year, the city also asked municipal departments to give back small percentages of their budgets to cover a projected budget shortfall caused by a decline in revenue.
City Attorney Tom Cassone did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the court order. Mayor Dannel Malloy said he could not comment on the court order until he reviewed it with Cassone.
A 25-page decision, expected to be issued soon, will articulate the reason behind the court order, Tierney wrote in this week's judgment. The lawsuit was filed in state Superior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Court in Stamford, and it asked for money budgeted to the fire department to be restored, additional funds to maintain the company and to prevent the diversion of property taxes.
The trial ended earlier this month, concluding nearly two years worth of legal maneuvers by the city and fire department. The legal contest began in summer 2007, when the city announced a consolidation plan between its city-run department, Stamford Fire & Rescue, and three of Stamford's five volunteer-run fire departments.
Turn of River opposed the plan, voting down a tentative agreement over it. In response, the city cut its operating budget by 88 percent -- from nearly $330,000 to $40,000 -- for this fiscal year, which ends next week. Because of its drastically reduced budget, Turn of River racked up a $180,000 deficit, sold a fire engine and closed its second fire station.
"As the saying goes, 'You can't fight city hall,'" Turn of River attorney Mark Kovack said. "It's difficult to do, but we believed we were in the right. In the court order, it appears the court agreed."
Kovack expects the city to appeal the decision.
This week's decision does not resolve the allegation that the city violated its agreement with the department by withholding funding. Turn of River asked the judge to order the city to honor the agreement, or to pay it more than $1.5 million to employ 16 paid firefighters and a fire marshal, the Turn of River attorney said. The department lost its paid firefighters during the conflict over the consolidation plan. Resolution is pending on that portion of the lawsuit.
The department employed paid drivers before summer 2008, but when its volunteer membership voted down an agreement over the consolidation plan, they were assimilated into the city department, which covers downtown Stamford.
Turn of River Fire Chief Frank Jacobellis said the ruling means his department won't go bankrupt, but refrained from saying it was a victory for his volunteer firefighters.
"It's good, but there's a lot more to go," Jacobellis said, adding that he now has to determine which debts to pay first. "There's really no win when you're talking about a court case like this. We trying the best we can for the city, but we're just looking for the proper support from the powers that be."
The Belltown Fire Department, the other volunteer department to oppose the consolidation plan, has pending lawsuits against the city citing similar arguments. The consolidation plan announced in 2007 sought to improve fire coverage in the city while reducing overtime costs.
The court order restores Turn of River's full budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year. It was allocated $40,000 for this upcoming fiscal year, an amount not included in the lawsuit. What happens to the department's budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year remains to be seen.
-- Staff Writer Jeff Morganteen can be reached at jeff.morganteen@scni.com or 964-2215.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
LAPD
Updated: 07/01/2009 09:03:00 AM EDT
Tell me folks that this article is not written biased against the cops. JB
LOS ANGELES—Police officials in Los Angeles say none of the officers who pummeled demonstrators with batons and fired rubber bullets during a pro-immigration rally will lose their jobs.
Police Chief William Bratton had asked for the firing of four officers. But he said Tuesday that the stiffest penalty imposed by a department disciplinary board was a 20-day suspension for one officer.
The chief does not have the authority to remove an officer.
Attorney Luis Carillo, who represents 40 demonstrators who sued the city over the May Day melee in 2007, calls the decision a "slap on the wrist."
The melee in MacArthur Park has cost the city $13 million in legal settlements. Forty-two people were injured, including nine journalists.
Tell me folks that this article is not written biased against the cops. JB
LOS ANGELES—Police officials in Los Angeles say none of the officers who pummeled demonstrators with batons and fired rubber bullets during a pro-immigration rally will lose their jobs.
Police Chief William Bratton had asked for the firing of four officers. But he said Tuesday that the stiffest penalty imposed by a department disciplinary board was a 20-day suspension for one officer.
The chief does not have the authority to remove an officer.
Attorney Luis Carillo, who represents 40 demonstrators who sued the city over the May Day melee in 2007, calls the decision a "slap on the wrist."
The melee in MacArthur Park has cost the city $13 million in legal settlements. Forty-two people were injured, including nine journalists.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Scum
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Duke University official is accused of offering his 5-year-old adopted son for sex on the Internet, according to the FBI and court documents in the case.
Frank M. Lombard is the associate director of Duke University's Center for Health Policy.
Frank M. Lombard, 42, was arrested last week at his home in Durham, North Carolina. During an Internet chat, Lombard allegedly offered the child to the person he was chatting with, who was a task force officer from Washington's Metropolitan Police, the FBI said in a statement.
The chat was initiated after a confidential source facing child pornography charges told authorities they had witnessed a man, allegedly Lombard, performing sex acts on a child over the Internet.
During the chat, according to the complaint filed against Lombard, he told the officer that he had performed multiple sex acts on the boy and that the officer could do the same if he came to Durham.
According to a transcript of the chat, reprinted in the complaint, Lombard allegedly told the officer that he had to hide the abuse from his partner and that he drugged the child with allergy medication.
Lombard was arrested June 24, and two children at the home, including the 5-year-old, were removed from the home by the North Carolina Department of Social Services, the FBI said.
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Lombard is the associate director of Duke University's Center for Health Policy, but was placed on unpaid administrative leave, effective immediately, last week, university spokesman Keith Lawrence said.
The center is described on its Web site as a joint venture among the university's law, business and arts-and-sciences schools and "an instigator and facilitator of a broad range of research related to public health and the policies that address it."
Lombard faces federal child sex abuse charges, which carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years upon conviction, authorities said. He made an initial appearance in federal court in North Carolina but was transferred to Washington to face the charges there, court documents show.
Attempts to contact the Durham attorney who appeared in court with Lombard were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Federal agents seized Lombard's computer, thumb drives, Web cams and other items when executing a search warrant upon Lombard's arrest, according to court documents.
Frank M. Lombard is the associate director of Duke University's Center for Health Policy.
Frank M. Lombard, 42, was arrested last week at his home in Durham, North Carolina. During an Internet chat, Lombard allegedly offered the child to the person he was chatting with, who was a task force officer from Washington's Metropolitan Police, the FBI said in a statement.
The chat was initiated after a confidential source facing child pornography charges told authorities they had witnessed a man, allegedly Lombard, performing sex acts on a child over the Internet.
During the chat, according to the complaint filed against Lombard, he told the officer that he had performed multiple sex acts on the boy and that the officer could do the same if he came to Durham.
According to a transcript of the chat, reprinted in the complaint, Lombard allegedly told the officer that he had to hide the abuse from his partner and that he drugged the child with allergy medication.
Lombard was arrested June 24, and two children at the home, including the 5-year-old, were removed from the home by the North Carolina Department of Social Services, the FBI said.
Don't Miss
Tennessee man charged in 'virtual pornography' case
Lombard is the associate director of Duke University's Center for Health Policy, but was placed on unpaid administrative leave, effective immediately, last week, university spokesman Keith Lawrence said.
The center is described on its Web site as a joint venture among the university's law, business and arts-and-sciences schools and "an instigator and facilitator of a broad range of research related to public health and the policies that address it."
Lombard faces federal child sex abuse charges, which carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years upon conviction, authorities said. He made an initial appearance in federal court in North Carolina but was transferred to Washington to face the charges there, court documents show.
Attempts to contact the Durham attorney who appeared in court with Lombard were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Federal agents seized Lombard's computer, thumb drives, Web cams and other items when executing a search warrant upon Lombard's arrest, according to court documents.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Justice in New Haven.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.
New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.
The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.
"Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court. He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the white firefighters "understandably attract this court's sympathy. But they had no vested right to promotion. Nor have other persons received promotions in preference to them."
Justices Stephen Breyer, David Souter and John Paul Stevens signed onto Ginsburg's dissent, which she read aloud in court Monday.
Kennedy's opinion made only passing reference to the work of Sotomayor and the other two
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judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who upheld a lower court ruling in favor of New Haven.
But the appellate judges have been criticized for producing a cursory opinion that failed to deal with "indisputably complex and far from well-settled" questions, in the words of another appeals court judge, Sotomayor mentor Jose Cabranes.
"This perfunctory disposition rests uneasily with the weighty issues presented by this appeal," Cabranes said, in a dissent from the full 2nd Circuit's decision not to hear the case.
Monday's decision has its origins in New Haven's need to fill vacancies for lieutenants and captains in its fire department. It hired an outside firm to design a test, which was given to 77 candidates for lieutenant and 41 candidates for captain.
Fifty six firefighters passed the exams, including 41 whites, 22 blacks and 18 Hispanics. But of those, only 17 whites and two Hispanics could expect promotion.
The city eventually decided not to use the exam to determine promotions. It said it acted because it might have been vulnerable to claims that the exam had a "disparate impact" on minorities in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The white firefighters said the decision violated the same law's prohibition on intentional discrimination.
Kennedy said an employer needs a "strong basis in evidence" to believe it will be held liable in a disparate impact lawsuit. New Haven had no such evidence, he said.
The city declined to validate the test after it was given, a step that could have identified flaws or determined that there were no serious problems with it. In addition, city officials could not say what was wrong with the test, other than the racially skewed results.
New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.
The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.
"Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court. He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the white firefighters "understandably attract this court's sympathy. But they had no vested right to promotion. Nor have other persons received promotions in preference to them."
Justices Stephen Breyer, David Souter and John Paul Stevens signed onto Ginsburg's dissent, which she read aloud in court Monday.
Kennedy's opinion made only passing reference to the work of Sotomayor and the other two
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who upheld a lower court ruling in favor of New Haven.
But the appellate judges have been criticized for producing a cursory opinion that failed to deal with "indisputably complex and far from well-settled" questions, in the words of another appeals court judge, Sotomayor mentor Jose Cabranes.
"This perfunctory disposition rests uneasily with the weighty issues presented by this appeal," Cabranes said, in a dissent from the full 2nd Circuit's decision not to hear the case.
Monday's decision has its origins in New Haven's need to fill vacancies for lieutenants and captains in its fire department. It hired an outside firm to design a test, which was given to 77 candidates for lieutenant and 41 candidates for captain.
Fifty six firefighters passed the exams, including 41 whites, 22 blacks and 18 Hispanics. But of those, only 17 whites and two Hispanics could expect promotion.
The city eventually decided not to use the exam to determine promotions. It said it acted because it might have been vulnerable to claims that the exam had a "disparate impact" on minorities in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The white firefighters said the decision violated the same law's prohibition on intentional discrimination.
Kennedy said an employer needs a "strong basis in evidence" to believe it will be held liable in a disparate impact lawsuit. New Haven had no such evidence, he said.
The city declined to validate the test after it was given, a step that could have identified flaws or determined that there were no serious problems with it. In addition, city officials could not say what was wrong with the test, other than the racially skewed results.
Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday called the death of Neda Agha-Soltan "suspicious" and urged the country's authorities to identify those responsible for it, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday.
Neda Agha-Soltan has come to symbolize Iranian resistance to official election results.
more photos » The 26-year-old's death has come to symbolize Iranian resistance to the government's official election results since it was captured on amateur video. Within hours of its being posted online June 20, she had become the iconic victim of the Iranian government crackdown.
But Iran has been pushing back against eyewitness reports that she was shot by pro-government Basij militiamen perched on a rooftop near a demonstration.
Ahmadinejad told the head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, to probe the incident and make the results of his investigations public, Fars reported Monday, nine days after Agha-Soltan was killed. See gallery of Neda and the affect of her life »
"The massive propaganda of the foreign media, as well as other evidence, proves the interference of the enemies of the Iranian nation who want to take political advantage and darken the pure face of the Islamic republic," he said in a letter to Shahroudi, according to the news agency.
The letter comes a day after Iran's government-backed Press TV said Agha-Soltan did not die the way the opposition claims.
Two people told Press TV there were no security forces in the area when she was killed. iReport.com: Iranians share view from the streets
And the network said the type of bullet that killed her is not used by Iranian security forces.
A man who told the network that he had helped take her to a hospital said, "There were no security forces or any member of the Basij" paramilitary present when she was killed.
Press TV did not name the man, who spoke Farsi and was subtitled in English on the broadcast.
CNN has not identified him and cannot confirm his account.
"I didn't see who shot who," he said. "The whole scene looked suspicious to me."
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A second man, whom Press TV identified as Agha-Soltan's music teacher, told the station there were "no security forces in this street" when he was with her during the shooting.
Press TV did not name the man, who had a gray mustache and ponytail. He also spoke Farsi and was subtitled in English as he walked and pointed at what Press TV said was the scene of the shooting in central Tehran.
Agha-Soltan was with a family friend who is a music teacher when she was killed. He appears to be the man who spoke to Press TV.
"There was no sign of a protest," he said. "We crossed the street to the other side to get a cab. ... When we reached this spot, a gunshot was heard. There was no shooting here. ... There were no security forces in this street. There were around 20, 30 people in this street. One shot was heard, and that bullet hit Neda."
"The bullet was apparently fired from a small-caliber pistol that's not used by Iranian security forces," the Press TV anchor said.
Iran has strict gun-control laws that bar private citizens from carrying firearms.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he had seen the video of Agha-Soltan's death and called it "heartbreaking."
"And I think anyone who sees it knows there's something fundamentally unjust about it," he said.
The shaky video of her death -- probably made on a cell phone -- shows her walking with a man near an anti-government demonstration.
After being stuck in traffic for more than an hour inside a subcompact car with a poorly working air conditioner, Agha-Soltan and the friend decided to get out of the car for some fresh air, a friend of Agha-Soltan's told CNN after her death.
The two were near where protesters were chanting in opposition to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Agha-Soltan, wearing a baseball cap over a black scarf, a black shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, did not appear to be chanting and seemed to be observing the demonstration.
Suddenly, Agha-Soltan was on the ground -- felled by a gunshot wound to the chest. Several men knelt by her side and put pressure on her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"She has been shot! Someone, come and take her!" shouted one man.
By then, Agha-Soltan's eyes had rolled to her right; her body was limp.
Blood streamed from her mouth, then from her nose. For a second, her face was hidden from view as the camera went behind one of the men. When Agha-Soltan's face came back into view, it was covered with blood.
Iran's ambassador to Mexico -- one of few Iranian officials who has spoken to CNN since the disputed June 12 presidential election -- suggested that U.S. intelligence services could be responsible for her death.
"This death of Neda is very suspicious," Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri said. "My question is, how is it that this Miss Neda is shot from behind, got shot in front of several cameras, and is shot in an area where no significant demonstration was behind held?
"Well, if the CIA wants to kill some people and attribute that to the government elements, then choosing women is an appropriate choice, because the death of a woman draws more sympathy," Ghadiri said.
CIA spokesman George Little responded, "Any suggestion that the CIA was responsible for the death of this young woman is wrong, absurd and offensive."
Neda Agha-Soltan has come to symbolize Iranian resistance to official election results.
more photos » The 26-year-old's death has come to symbolize Iranian resistance to the government's official election results since it was captured on amateur video. Within hours of its being posted online June 20, she had become the iconic victim of the Iranian government crackdown.
But Iran has been pushing back against eyewitness reports that she was shot by pro-government Basij militiamen perched on a rooftop near a demonstration.
Ahmadinejad told the head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, to probe the incident and make the results of his investigations public, Fars reported Monday, nine days after Agha-Soltan was killed. See gallery of Neda and the affect of her life »
"The massive propaganda of the foreign media, as well as other evidence, proves the interference of the enemies of the Iranian nation who want to take political advantage and darken the pure face of the Islamic republic," he said in a letter to Shahroudi, according to the news agency.
The letter comes a day after Iran's government-backed Press TV said Agha-Soltan did not die the way the opposition claims.
Two people told Press TV there were no security forces in the area when she was killed. iReport.com: Iranians share view from the streets
And the network said the type of bullet that killed her is not used by Iranian security forces.
A man who told the network that he had helped take her to a hospital said, "There were no security forces or any member of the Basij" paramilitary present when she was killed.
Press TV did not name the man, who spoke Farsi and was subtitled in English on the broadcast.
CNN has not identified him and cannot confirm his account.
"I didn't see who shot who," he said. "The whole scene looked suspicious to me."
Don't Miss
Iran deadline nears without complaint filed
Iran releases five British embassy staff
Iran's Press TV disputes story of Neda's death
Iran election fallout: Complete coverage
Iranian women stand up in defiance
Shah's son calls crisis a 'moment of truth'
Clerics join protests
A second man, whom Press TV identified as Agha-Soltan's music teacher, told the station there were "no security forces in this street" when he was with her during the shooting.
Press TV did not name the man, who had a gray mustache and ponytail. He also spoke Farsi and was subtitled in English as he walked and pointed at what Press TV said was the scene of the shooting in central Tehran.
Agha-Soltan was with a family friend who is a music teacher when she was killed. He appears to be the man who spoke to Press TV.
"There was no sign of a protest," he said. "We crossed the street to the other side to get a cab. ... When we reached this spot, a gunshot was heard. There was no shooting here. ... There were no security forces in this street. There were around 20, 30 people in this street. One shot was heard, and that bullet hit Neda."
"The bullet was apparently fired from a small-caliber pistol that's not used by Iranian security forces," the Press TV anchor said.
Iran has strict gun-control laws that bar private citizens from carrying firearms.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he had seen the video of Agha-Soltan's death and called it "heartbreaking."
"And I think anyone who sees it knows there's something fundamentally unjust about it," he said.
The shaky video of her death -- probably made on a cell phone -- shows her walking with a man near an anti-government demonstration.
After being stuck in traffic for more than an hour inside a subcompact car with a poorly working air conditioner, Agha-Soltan and the friend decided to get out of the car for some fresh air, a friend of Agha-Soltan's told CNN after her death.
The two were near where protesters were chanting in opposition to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Agha-Soltan, wearing a baseball cap over a black scarf, a black shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, did not appear to be chanting and seemed to be observing the demonstration.
Suddenly, Agha-Soltan was on the ground -- felled by a gunshot wound to the chest. Several men knelt by her side and put pressure on her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"She has been shot! Someone, come and take her!" shouted one man.
By then, Agha-Soltan's eyes had rolled to her right; her body was limp.
Blood streamed from her mouth, then from her nose. For a second, her face was hidden from view as the camera went behind one of the men. When Agha-Soltan's face came back into view, it was covered with blood.
Iran's ambassador to Mexico -- one of few Iranian officials who has spoken to CNN since the disputed June 12 presidential election -- suggested that U.S. intelligence services could be responsible for her death.
"This death of Neda is very suspicious," Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri said. "My question is, how is it that this Miss Neda is shot from behind, got shot in front of several cameras, and is shot in an area where no significant demonstration was behind held?
"Well, if the CIA wants to kill some people and attribute that to the government elements, then choosing women is an appropriate choice, because the death of a woman draws more sympathy," Ghadiri said.
CIA spokesman George Little responded, "Any suggestion that the CIA was responsible for the death of this young woman is wrong, absurd and offensive."
The FBI National Academy is a professional course of study for U.S. and international law enforcement leaders that serves to improve the administration of justice in police departments and agencies at home and abroad and to raise law enforcement standards, knowledge, and cooperation worldwide.
Its mission is "to support, promote, and enhance the personal and professional development of law enforcement leaders by preparing them for complex, dynamic, and contemporary challenges through innovative techniques, facilitating excellence in education and research, and forging partnerships throughout the world."
Who attends.
Leaders and managers of state and local police, sheriffs' departments, military police organizations, and federal law enforcement agencies. Participation is by invitation only, though a nomination process. Participants are drawn from every state in the union, from U.S. territories, and from over 150 international partner nations. See below for more details on graduates over the years.
The course of study.
For 10 classroom-hour weeks, four times a year, classes of some 250 officers take undergraduate and/or graduate college courses at our Quantico, Virginia, campus in the following areas: law, behavioral science, forensic science, understanding terrorism/terrorist mindsets, leadership development, communication, and health/fitness. Officers participate in a wide range of leadership and specialized training, and they share ideas, techniques, and experiences with each other, creating lifelong partnerships that span state and national lines.
The “Yellow Brick Road.”
Anyone who’s attended the National Academy knows all about the “Yellow Brick Road,” the final (but optional) test of the fitness challenge. It consists of a 6.1-mile grueling run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the Marines. Along the way, the participants must climb over walls, run through creeks, jump through simulated windows, scale rock faces with ropes, crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, maneuver across a cargo net, and more. When (and if) the students complete this difficult test, they receive an actual yellow brick to memorialize their achievement. The course came to be known as the “Yellow Brick Road” years ago, after the Marines placed yellow bricks at various spots to show runners the way through the wooded trail. The overall fitness challenge began at the National Academy in 1981 and has evolved over the years; we started awarding yellow bricks in 1988.
How long the National Academy been in operation.
An early National Academy class
Since July 29, 1935, with 23 students in attendance. It was created in response to a 1930 study by the Wickersham Commission that recommended the standardization and professionalization of the law enforcement departments across the U.S. through centralized training. With strong support from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and with the authority of Congress and the Department of Justice, the "FBI Police Training School" was born. Courses at that time included scientific aids in crime detection, preparation of reports, criminal investigation techniques, and administration and organization. With the advent of World War II, courses were added in espionage and sabotage.
Life after the National Academy.
Following graduation, each officer has the opportunity to join the FBI National Academy Associates, a dynamic organization of more than 15,000 law enforcement professionals who actively work to continue developing higher levels of competency, cooperation, and integrity across the law enforcement community.
Its mission is "to support, promote, and enhance the personal and professional development of law enforcement leaders by preparing them for complex, dynamic, and contemporary challenges through innovative techniques, facilitating excellence in education and research, and forging partnerships throughout the world."
Who attends.
Leaders and managers of state and local police, sheriffs' departments, military police organizations, and federal law enforcement agencies. Participation is by invitation only, though a nomination process. Participants are drawn from every state in the union, from U.S. territories, and from over 150 international partner nations. See below for more details on graduates over the years.
The course of study.
For 10 classroom-hour weeks, four times a year, classes of some 250 officers take undergraduate and/or graduate college courses at our Quantico, Virginia, campus in the following areas: law, behavioral science, forensic science, understanding terrorism/terrorist mindsets, leadership development, communication, and health/fitness. Officers participate in a wide range of leadership and specialized training, and they share ideas, techniques, and experiences with each other, creating lifelong partnerships that span state and national lines.
The “Yellow Brick Road.”
Anyone who’s attended the National Academy knows all about the “Yellow Brick Road,” the final (but optional) test of the fitness challenge. It consists of a 6.1-mile grueling run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the Marines. Along the way, the participants must climb over walls, run through creeks, jump through simulated windows, scale rock faces with ropes, crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, maneuver across a cargo net, and more. When (and if) the students complete this difficult test, they receive an actual yellow brick to memorialize their achievement. The course came to be known as the “Yellow Brick Road” years ago, after the Marines placed yellow bricks at various spots to show runners the way through the wooded trail. The overall fitness challenge began at the National Academy in 1981 and has evolved over the years; we started awarding yellow bricks in 1988.
How long the National Academy been in operation.
An early National Academy class
Since July 29, 1935, with 23 students in attendance. It was created in response to a 1930 study by the Wickersham Commission that recommended the standardization and professionalization of the law enforcement departments across the U.S. through centralized training. With strong support from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and with the authority of Congress and the Department of Justice, the "FBI Police Training School" was born. Courses at that time included scientific aids in crime detection, preparation of reports, criminal investigation techniques, and administration and organization. With the advent of World War II, courses were added in espionage and sabotage.
Life after the National Academy.
Following graduation, each officer has the opportunity to join the FBI National Academy Associates, a dynamic organization of more than 15,000 law enforcement professionals who actively work to continue developing higher levels of competency, cooperation, and integrity across the law enforcement community.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Three people were killed and at least seven wounded Saturday in a drive-by shooting at a motorcycle club fundraiser in California, authorities said.
The shooting occurred around 6:45 p.m. (9:45 p.m. ET) at a pizza restaurant in Pico Rivera, located about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, according to authorities.
"We don't know what type of vehicle was involved or how many," said Sgt. Ed Hummel of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The event was being held by a group known as the Old School Riders. It is unclear whether the incident was random, Hummel added.
The three people died at the scene. Their names are not being released pending notification of kin.
Pico Rivera is a city about 15 miles east of Los Angeles
The shooting occurred around 6:45 p.m. (9:45 p.m. ET) at a pizza restaurant in Pico Rivera, located about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, according to authorities.
"We don't know what type of vehicle was involved or how many," said Sgt. Ed Hummel of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The event was being held by a group known as the Old School Riders. It is unclear whether the incident was random, Hummel added.
The three people died at the scene. Their names are not being released pending notification of kin.
Pico Rivera is a city about 15 miles east of Los Angeles
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