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Monday 23 June 2008

Jerry Mattison died about five hours after the shooting after he suffered a gunshot wound to his chest.

Police said someone pulled up to the apartments and opened fire on the group of teens standing outside. They said 23 shell casings were recovered from the scene of the shooting.said three teens were injured and another killed after a shooting at an apartment complex early Sunday morning.Police said they do not have a motive for the shooting yet.“At this particular complex, we have very few problems,” said Lt. Mike Walters of Anderson police. “It’s not a high crime area. This appears to be an isolated incident.” Police said 16-year-old Jerry Mattison died about five hours after the shooting after he suffered a gunshot wound to his chest.

Saturday 21 June 2008

Two men have been arrested after five guns were seized in Hindley

Two men have been arrested after five guns were seized in Hindley.
Officers from the Xcalibre Organised Crime Unit stopped a car at the junction of Market Street and Atherton Road at 7.40pm last night as part of an ongoing operation. The two men, aged 41 and 27, who were in the car were arrested on suspicion of firearms offences. They remain in police custody for questioning.
Detective Superintendent Darren Shenton said: "These arrests are proof that our commitment to aim for gun-free streets continues to be effective at all levels - from strategic initiatives to actually taking action against people who buy and sell guns. "Several dangerous weapons were seized last night, weapons that will thankfully now not reach their intended destinations."

"Grand Concourse Crew" was busted dealing drugs and selling guns

"Grand Concourse Crew" was busted dealing drugs and selling guns by essentially taking over a string of apartment buildings on the busy Bronx commercial strip.
Eyewitness News has learned at least 18 members of the "crew" were charged following raids on 1215, 1236 and 1269 Grand Concourse that started early yesterday morning.
The raids, a joint FBI and NYPD operation, reportedly netted drugs and guns that were carried out by agents in boxes.
The suspects were hit with a multitude of federal gun and drug trafficking charges, including conspiracy to distribute.
Commissioner Ray Kelly, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Donald Ackerman will hold an 11 a.m. news conference at Police Headquarters to discuss the arrests.
Officials say the busts broke up a dangerous ring that peddled crack cocaine and weapons illegally run up the Interstate 95 corridor from South Carolina to the Bronx.
Agents bought guns and semi-automatic weapons from some of the suspects, who bragged one of the weapons was used "to shoot a cop."
Large amounts of crack cocaine were also allegedly purchased inside 1269 Grand Concourse, a six-story apartment building virtually taken over by dealers.
Members of the so-called "Grand Concourse Crew" acted as look-outs in front of the building, to warn others when police were in the area, according to police.
The criminal activity virtually took over the apartment building, where dealers frequently sold drugs in the open lobby area in front of residents, including children.

Nicholas Prochnau returned to the bar a short time later with two handguns and pointed them at patrons and employees.

Nicholas Prochnau, 25, of Colorado Springs, had attempted to leave the bar with a glass of alcohol in his hand.After bar employees took the alcohol away from him, Prochnau returned to the bar a short time later with two handguns and pointed them at patrons and employees.According to authorities, earlier that evening Prochnau had attempted to enter Poag Mahone’s with a glass of alcohol in hand and that, too, was taken away. Apparently, said sheriff Fred Jobe, when Prochnau tried to leave Poag Mahone’s with alcohol and it was taken away, he became angry.After bar employees called the sheriff’s office, deputies took Prochnau into custody at gunpoint, said Jobe. Prochnau was in danger of being shot by deputies, said Jobe, because he did not immediately respond to the deputies’ command to drop his weapon and lie on the ground. Jobe further noted only one gun was recovered at the scene, however, eyewitness accounts indicate Prochnau possessed two guns. Also, said Jobe, the gun that was recovered, a nine millimeter automatic, had the clip missing and there was no bullet in the chamber.
Prochnau was booked into the Custer County jail on charges of felony menacing with a weapon and prohibited use of a weapon.Prochnau later posted a $25,000 cash bond and was released. He will appear in Custer County District court at a later date.
Also arrested in connection with the incident was Rachel Patler, 21, of Westcliffe. Patler was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer. She also later posted a $10,000 bond and was released.
Also with Prochnau was Candace Self, 27, of Colorado Springs, who was booked into the Custer County jail off two outstanding warrants out of El Paso County for contempt of court and failure to appear, as well as an outstanding warrant out of Pueblo County for assault.Self later posted an $18,000 bond for the out-of-county charges and was released.Locally, Self was charged with disorderly conduct.

17-year-old boy was arrested by the Spanish Town Police Wednesday night and an illegal firearm taken from him following a robbery

17-year-old boy was arrested by the Spanish Town Police Wednesday night and an illegal firearm taken from him following a robbery on the outskirts of the old capital in St. Catherine.It is reported that at about 7:15pm, the teenager and two other men went to a bar along Brunswick Avenue and robbed it.
A quick response by the police led to the arrest of the youth after he was spotted running into a house nearby.The police entered the house and saw him.
He was searched and a shotgun with two 12 gauge cartridges found in his possession.
The security forces recovered a rifle and several rounds of ammunition on Thursday during a joint police military operation in August Town, St. Andrew.police said they seized an M16 rifle, two magazines and three rounds in a crocus bag on Barrett Drive in Bedward Gardens.Officer in charge of the St. Andrew Central Police Division Superintendent George Quallo told RJR News that August Town has been relatively quiet over the past few weeks since the institution of joint patrols in the area.

Ryan Satz charged with impersonating an officer, carrying a concealed firearm, and using a firearm while committing a felony

Police intend to charge 21-year-old Ryan Satz with impersonating an officer, carrying a concealed firearm, and using a firearm while committing a felony.
suspicious driver tipped deputies off to a man who's accused of posing as a cop, carrying a pistol and knives, and pulling other drivers over. A white Chevy Tahoe sat locked inside a St. Augustine impound yard Thursday afternoon. It's the vehicle deputies say Ryan Satz used the night before to run some drivers off the road and pull other drivers over on Interstate 95 and State Road 207 in St. Johns County. A woman called the sheriff's office after she got suspicious. She said she was watching Satz make one of his bogus traffic stops, and she didn't buy the blue light on the dashboard. She said she recognized Satz, and knew he was no police officer. "We were able to catch up to that suspect vehicle, conducted a traffic stop on it, and then a whole host of events unfolded from that point," said Sgt. Chuck Mulligan with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. Mulligan says when deputies caught up with Satz, he was wearing an outfit that looked like a sheriff's light duty uniform. On top of that, according to a police report, he had with him a .40 caliber handgun, several knives, a pepper spray can, an extendable nightstick, night vision goggles, and a flashlight that can blink blue or red. "He is not unknown to us -- we are familiar with this subject," Mulligan said. Satz was once a police explorer, which is a sort of junior intern, with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, Mulligan said. Since then he's had at least four arrests. And after real deputies locked Satz in a patrol car Wednesday, Mulligan says his cool cop persona dissolved into outbursts and threats. "He begins to do certain things in the car that lead us to believe he's gonna try to harm himself and makes statements to that effect," Mulligan said. "And then [he] states that it was a good thing that law enforcement didn't catch up to him at his house after he got home, because there would have been a lot of dead cops, via his AR-15 rifle."

Nathanial Ortiz attempted murder charges

In a raid Wednesday, officers arrested 12 members of the alleged trafficking ring and charged 18 with crimes stemming from the operation, police said. The group's alleged ringleader, Nathanial Ortiz, was already in police custody on unrelated attempted murder charges when the arrests were made.The gang operated out of a building at 1269 Grand Concourse, where police say members intimidated residents into tolerating their drug-and-gun market. The group set up a lookout system to avoid detection by the police, rushing into apartments to hide if officers were spotted nearby.Police officials say the takedown came after a yearlong investigation, in which confidential sources purchased nearly 1,000 small bags of crack cocaine and dozens of illegal firearms as the police and FBI built a case against the alleged traffickers.

Anthony Summers is charged with battery and pointing a loaded firearm during an argument

Anthony Summers, 31, surrendered at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point early Wednesday and posted bond the same day, records show.He is charged with battery and pointing a loaded firearm during an argument with a father who confronted Summers' girlfriend, Tangela L. Willis, at the park in Glen Ryan subdivision in March.Willis, 28, was charged with assisting a criminal and carrying a handgun without a permit in the same park incident.
Wyatt Puryear, 37, was shot in the hip during the confrontation, the probable cause affidavit states. Puryear went to the park because his sons said a woman arrived with a handgun after an argument between them and other children, court records state.Gary police have arrested Summers previously.Eight years ago, officers found him with a loaded gun while responding to reports of a man pointing a weapon at a woman. The victim, Willis, told police Summers battered her and threatened to kill her, police reports state.Summers was also arrested when he was 18 years old after he allegedly threatened to shoot a security guard at Martin Luther King Academy. Records do not state whether police recovered a gun when he was apprehended.

Jared Matthew Smith is charged with four counts of second-degree assault, four counts of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property

Jared Matthew Smith of Laurel,Del. in connection with an incident that took place on August 9, 2007 near Eldorado. Police say he is accused of assaulting four people who were riding in a pick-up truck by firing a flare gun at them with the flare entering the truck.He is charged with four counts of second-degree assault, four counts of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property by throwing or firing a missile at a vehicle. He was locked up in jail on $10,000 bond.

Damond Harrington was charged with attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault and resisting arrest.

Damond Harrington, 31, was charged with attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault and resisting arrest. His mother, Minnie Harrington, 60, was charged with resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and obstructing justice.Akron Police said they were called to the home Thursday afternoon for a domestic violence complaint. When officers arrived, Minnie Harrington said her son wasn't home but when officers discovered he was and attempted to arrest him, she jumped on top of police to stop them.Officers struggled with Damond who grabbed the officer's gun and aimed it while threatening to kill the officer.Other police arrived and tackled Damond Harrington.

Brian Kendrick arrested on preliminary charges of attempted murder, robbery


Brian Kendrick, 29, was arrested on preliminary charges of attempted murder, robbery and two counts of feticide for the deaths of the twins. Police also arrested Aaron Stewart, 28, on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery for allegedly helping Kendrick.Katherin Shuffield, 30, was five months pregnant when she was shot in the abdomen April 22 after a gunman jumped over her station during a robbery at a branch of Huntington Bank. She lost the fetuses two days later.Police said they wasted valuable time in the days that followed chasing down leads given to them by Shed James Jr. Police later discovered James' account of the crime was inaccurate and released three men arrested in connection with the robbery. James was sent to jail for 180 days after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of false informing.Police Chief Michael Spears said an affidavit expected to be filed Monday, when formal charges were likely, will reveal more details."I think it will allow you to have that same sense of confidence that I have," Spears said of the document.Authorities said they did not know whether Kendrick or Stewart had attorneys. Both were in jail pending the formal charges.Detectives got new tips in the case last week. Detective Rob Challis said he did not know why the gunman shot Shuffield.
Police left messages to try contacting the Shuffield family at home in Franklin to let them know of the arrests but said they may be out of town. A message from The Associated Press on an answering machine at a number for Katherin and Jason Shuffield in Franklin, south of Indianapolis, was not immediately returned Friday.
Deputy Police Chief William Benjamin said more than 400 officers worked the case.
"We did not leave a tip unturned," he said.Indiana law allows prosecutors to charge people with murder in cases in which a fetus dies, but only if the mother is at least seven months pregnant.
Kendrick would face a possible prison sentence of 20 to 50 years if convicted of attempted murder. The charges of killing of a fetus each carry possible sentences of two years to eight years.
Authorities said they are not yet sure whether Kendrick or Stewart will face federal charges, which are possible in bank robberies.
No other people are being actively sought in the case, though a search continues for the gun used in the shooting, police said.

Ugur "Mike" Yildiz was arrested and is charged with violating the Arms Export Control Act.

Ugur "Mike" Yildiz was arrested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near his home in Park Ridge, Ill., on Thursday and is charged with violating the Arms Export Control Act.On Friday the OPP, Toronto police and other agencies held a press conference in Toronto to announce 38 arrests and 443 charges in Project Blackhawk, a two-year operation that involved the tracing of guns found and seized in Canada back to Yildiz. On Friday, the OPP, Toronto police and other agencies held a press conference in Toronto to announce 38 arrests and 443 charges in Project Blackhawk, a two-year operation that involved the tracing of guns found and seized in Canada back to Ugur "Mike" Yildiz.Two of the charges are against Windsor resident Daniel Wasiluk, 31."This case certainly demonstrates that Windsor is definitely a conduit for illegal guns coming in from the United States," said Windsor police Insp. Dave Rossell.In the ensuing two years, 25 guns that Yildiz is alleged to have imported illegally into Canada were seized by Canadian police agencies, mostly in the Greater Toronto Area. Two guns were used in attempted murder cases.According to a criminal complaint released by the U.S. Attorney's office for Northern Illinois in Chicago, Yildiz owned and operated Chicagoland Bells, a gun shop in suburban Chicago, beginning in 2002.Officers with the ATF conducted an inspection of the store in 2003 and found 500 violations of the Gun Control Act, and his licence to operate was revoked, but Yildiz, a Turkish national, still had more than 200 guns.Yildiz transferred ownership of the guns from the defunct shop to his own name and at some point made contact with "Individual A", a Canadian resident who had offered to assist him in exporting guns to Turkey.After guns registered to Yildiz began showing up in Canada, American and Canadian authorities went to Yildiz's home to question him about the guns.He told ATF and Canadian police that after his shop was closed he arranged to store the guns at another gun shop but it was burglarized.
He also told police he was arranging a shipment of 30 refrigeration units from Canada to Turkey with the help of "Individual A.""Yildiz further admitted to the agents that he loaded approximately 220 guns into the back of his green Chrysler Caravan and drove straight from his shop into Windsor," writes ICE special agent Luke Lambert in the criminal complaint."Yildiz admitted at the border crossing that he did not declare the firearms he was carrying in his car, and that he had declared that the purpose of this crossing was 'to visit.' When asked why he lied to Canadian Customs about the purpose of his crossing, Yildiz told the law enforcement agents that he did not have to have to tell Canadian Customs anything."Yildiz told officers he met "Individual A" at the McDonalds on Huron Church Road and College Avenue and he then followed him to an unidentified storage facility where the roughly 220 guns were loaded into a unit.The unit was locked and Yildiz told police that both he and "Individual A" had keys.
He told officers that he was offered $20,000 for the guns by "Individual A" but Yildiz demanded $30,000, which was refused.
Yildiz said he was unable to contact "Individual A" after that point.
Subsequent investigation showed that Yildiz came into Canada by the Ambassador Bridge three times for short stays in April and June 2006.
Yildiz is in custody in Chicago pending a detention hearing on Monday.
If convicted, Yildiz faces up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Marlin B. Colbert, Walter Pinckney,Victoria Williams arrestedon charges that included armed robbery and aggravated battery.

Yushi Shimada answered his apartment door about 1:30 a.m. last Saturday to find a man asking to use his phone because his car had broken down.When the man stepped into his apartment, a masked gunman followed. As they rifled through Shimada's wallet, he grabbed their gun and a fight ensued, Hillsborough sheriff's officials said. Shimada fired the gun; it jammed. The men beat the 23-year-old Shimada with a frying pan and ran, leaving him bleeding and their gun on the floor.
The crime was among a string of violent home invasions this month that struck New Tampa, a suburb where people leave their car doors unlocked and then are shocked to find items missing the next day.In most of the cases, visitors came to doors saying they were fleeing an abusive boyfriend, or had a broken-down car and needed a phone. They would return moments later with armed men who pistol-whipped victims while they ransacked the home, Tampa police Capt. John Newman said at a news conference Friday.
One victim feigned unconsciousness in a pool of his own blood, Newman said."These bad guys preyed on the benevolence and good nature of their victims," Newman said.
Authorities have arrested Marlin B. Colbert, 19; Walter Pinckney, 18; and Victoria Williams, 24, all of Tampa, on charges that included armed robbery and aggravated battery.They are searching for a fourth suspect, a female nicknamed "Peaches" who is described as in her mid-20s, 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds.
According to police, the crimes began about 10:30 p.m. June 8 at the Grand Pavilion Apartments when a woman leaving the complex's mailboxes was struck in the back of the head. After she fell to the ground, the robber took her purse and ran.
Four days later, a man at the Oxford Apartments allowed two women to use his cell phone shortly after midnight. They returned with two others and pistol-whipped the tenant and stole items from his apartment.
"It's unusual to have violent crimes in New Tampa," said Tampa police Sgt. Mary O'Connor. "(The resident) was trying to be a kind, compassionate guy, then bam! Here they come. It was very random and very odd."Later that night, at an apartment on Enclave Village Drive, the suspects struck a tenant in the face with a revolver and stole electronics.On June 13, a resident living at apartments on Dulcinea Boulevard was victimized. The same day, Tampa police placed a reverse 911 call to more than 2,500 phone lines south of Interstate 75 off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard stressing basic safety tips, Newman said.The assailants struck two more times before they were arrested — one was in the process of burglarizing a home, police said.
The break in the case came, police said, because Pinckney had met one of the robbery victims several months before at an Ybor City club. On the night he robbed her, he left a note on a car he thought was hers asking her to call "Walt," police said. The victim mentioned the note when police came to investigate the robbery, and they began surveillance on Pinckney.Police could not explain why Pinckney would leave a note for a woman he was about to rob.Detectives arrested Pinckney on Monday as he and two others were apparently in the process of burglarizing a home on Riverhills Drive. He was accompanied by Troy Eubanks, 20, and Michael Pierre, 21, both of Tampa. The men were charged with armed burglary and grand theft. Police said Pinckney led them to the other suspects. Adrian Jewell, a close family friend of Shimada's, said Shimada came from Japan about a year ago. A chef at a Japanese restaurant, he speaks limited English and was just trying to help when they came to his door. Jewell had to stay with Shimada until the arrests were made. Shimada, who needed stitches in his head, handed Jewell a golf club before bed and won't answer the door anymore."He's terrified of the door," Jewell said. "He wants to move."

Sunday 15 June 2008

Scarecrow Bandits most violent, organized and daring bands of bank robbers in recent North Texas history


"Open the safe! Open the safe!" shouted a bandit, leaping over the counter.
"I don't know the combination!" the teller pleaded.
Then came the sound of clicking, and cries of pain. The bandit was shocking the man with a stun gun, burning holes through his white shirt and searing his skin.
"Yo, man! We gotta go, man!" another bandit shouted. The men grabbed stacks of bills from behind the counter, then climbed into an SUV and disappeared.
That December robbery is one of 21 attributed to the Scarecrow Bandits, among the most violent, organized and daring bands of bank robbers in recent North Texas history.
Named for their style of dress during early robberies – flannel shirts and floppy, wide-brimmed hats – they became greedier and more intimidating as their 11-month spree progressed. They staged "takeover" heists, vaulting over countertops with rifles, assaulting those who stood in their path. By spring, federal agents were closing in, and on June 2, as the bandits converged on a bank in Garland, investigators confronted them. After several high-speed pursuits, authorities arrested six men and one woman, proclaiming they had brought the heists to an end.
Since then, officials have been tight-lipped about the case. But records, court testimony and interviews with those who know the suspects have begun to shed light on how they came together, what finally brought them down and which alleged co-conspirator remains at large. It began with two men, authorities say. They walked into a Dallas bank last July 2 wearing what would become their signature floppy hats. A teller backed away as she noticed them. Push the button, she told a co-worker. We're being robbed. A bank manager met the men at the counter: "Can I help you?" "Put your money in this bag or I'll shoot you, [expletive]," one of them replied. He held a silver handgun, a red and blue bandanna covering his face.
The manager dropped cash into the bag. "Ten, nine, eight ...," one of the robbers began, apparently watching the clock. Their time was up, and they walked out with $3,080. They were good at what they did, authorities admit. As the pair's successes mounted, they brought in others. Those who would eventually be arrested were a group bonded by longtime friendships and family ties.
By late November, the Scarecrow Bandits had robbed banks in Dallas, Garland, Mesquite and Richardson, and officials were offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to their capture. That bounty would grow to $90,000, a record for the area. The bandits spent only a couple of minutes in each bank. They ditched whatever die packs and tracking devices tellers tried to include with the cash. A stolen getaway car would be found somewhere near the bank. And they would be gone.
"These two individuals have gotten progressively more violent. We want the Scarecrow Bandits in jail before the holidays," announced Robert E. Casey, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Dallas office. He would not get his wish. The Capital One robbery just before Christmas was one of four by the bandits in December. Each time, they got away clean. Yet during this time, as Dallas police pursued a seemingly unrelated trail of drugs and murder, they arrested one of the FBI's eventual bank robbery suspects. Dallas police say Travis Nicholas Stenline, 28, was running a drug house late last year. Early on Dec. 9, police had his two-story brick home in Seagoville under surveillance because they suspected that a woman who lived with him was involved in the drug-related killings of two men the night before in Lake Highlands. As officers watched, a man came to the home and picked up a cache of drugs, police say. After his arrest that morning on drug-trafficking charges, he told investigators he worked for Mr. Stenline, referring to him as the "boss."
Mr. Stenline was also arrested that day on drug-trafficking charges, a case that is pending. He was released from jail Jan. 14 on $215,000 bail. After the bandits' 18th robbery, on Feb. 1 in DeSoto, they dropped out of sight for nearly two months. But they returned with a vengeance on March 28, committing two robberies in a matter of hours. About 1 p.m., around the time of the first robbery, authorities say, 42-year-old Tony R. Hewitt was typing text messages into his cellphone to a woman he had dated, 41-year-old Yolanda McDow. "Hey I need some help on a job. U game? ASAP."
"What is it?" she replied. She got directions from him to a Century Bank in Dallas, according to court testimony. Ms. McDow acted as a lookout, authorities say. She was to call Mr. Hewitt if she saw police. During the robbery, the bandits used a stun gun again, demanding the manager give them access to the vault. Later that day, they robbed a State Bank of Texas in Garland. Soon after the March robberies, yet another of the FBI's eventual suspects became ensnared in a murder investigation.
Police say Charlie Runnels, a relative and childhood friend of Mr. Hewitt, was running a Red Bird drug house. On April 13, he was accused of fatally shooting a lifelong friend there during an ongoing dispute over money. Mr. Runnels, 42, posted $100,000 bail, a low amount for a convicted felon charged with murder, and was released April 19. Five days later, authorities say, the Scarecrow Bandits committed their 21st and final known robbery, at a Bank of America in Irving. Again, they used a stun gun to shock an employee and hauled away $85,000.
Early the following morning, April 25, Dallas police would have yet another encounter with an eventual Scarecrow Bandit suspect. At 2:35 a.m., two rookie officers stopped 29-year-old Jarvis Dupree Ross in Far East Dallas for driving with no front license plate. He had a stolen 9 mm pistol under the driver's seat and a bulletproof vest in the back, police say. He was arrested without incident on charges of unlawfully possessing them. He was released from jail within a day.
By this time, the FBI had been told by a woman that she felt body armor when a bandit grabbed her during a robbery, but one law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation said it was not the bulletproof vest's discovery that provided them with a break. Instead, according to the official and others close to the case, it was a suspect's cellphone that created one of the first important leads. Noting which cell towers the phone used and when, the FBI realized it had been in the vicinity of many of the robberies. By mid-May, undercover agents were staking out a Lake Highlands apartment rented by Mr. Stenline, federal court records say. Corey Deyon Duffey, a relative of Mr. Stenline, seemed to be living there.
Mr. Ross later told the FBI it was Mr. Duffey who would call him shortly before a planned robbery. Another of the eventual arrestees, 30-year-old Darobie Kentay Stenline, would tell the FBI that Mr. Duffey, 27, hired him as a lookout in five robberies. On the morning of May 15, the FBI watched several of the suspects as they appeared to case a bank in Fort Worth. The next morning, they watched as Mr. Duffey met Mr. Hewitt, Darobie Stenline and others at an Oak Cliff apartment complex near 4100 Druid Hills Drive. The men were loading what looked like rifles wrapped in black towels into a vehicle, as if staging for a robbery. But the holdup in Fort Worth never happened, and neither did another that investigators believed was later planned in Richardson. On May 22, the FBI received authorization for an emergency wiretap of Mr. Hewitt's cellphone. Agents began listening to the calls, which included talk of the robberies. A week later, the FBI also tapped Mr. Duffey's cellphone. The agents kept watching and listening. The suspects talked about getting a stolen SUV's windows tinted. And they began discussing a bank in Garland near Shiloh Road and Bush Turnpike. The next morning, June 2, FBI agents got in place. And they let the Dallas police's SWAT team know it might be time to stop a robbery. The investigators watched Mr. Hewitt leave an apartment complex in his sporty gold 2001 Mercedes-Benz. About the same time, Ms. McDow left the same complex in her black Lexus. They and others converged on a Regions Bank in Garland.
Dallas police tactical officers swarmed the area, and the suspects scattered.
Ms. McDow and the other lookout suspect, Darobie Stenline, were arrested nearby in a Kroger parking lot. Ms. McDow had a loaded 9 mm handgun with her, authorities say.
Mr. Ross fled with Mr. Duffey in a white Cadillac, and Mr. Hewitt fled in his Mercedes. Mr. Runnels and another man, 31-year-old Antonyo Reece, fled in a different car. Authorities found themselves in three separate high-speed chases.
Authorities say Mr. Ross broke into a sleeping woman's apartment in Lake Highlands before being captured. Police say Mr. Runnels and Mr. Reece tried to escape by ramming a squad car in central Oak Cliff. Mr. Hewitt fled north at speeds exceeding 100 mph and tried to disappear inside a Plano discount store.
Remarkably, all seven suspects finally surrendered without any shots being fired.
The FBI spent the coming hours sifting through the contents of the suspects' cars, including rifles, ammunition, body armor, stockings, gloves, handcuffs and a stun gun. Each of those arrested was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment lists only one bank: the Regions in Garland. The FBI held a news conference the afternoon of the arrests to announce that the Scarecrow Bandits had finally been stopped. Agent Casey was asked whether more arrests were on the way. "The investigation is ongoing," he responded, "and if we develop evidence that would support that, certainly we would do it." Travis Stenline was not among those arrested. But federal court records that have emerged since then call him a co-conspirator in several bank robberies. Mr. Stenline could not be reached, and federal officials declined to comment.

Phillip McCall was arrested on a federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Clayson Pearce arrested possession of a machine gun

Phillip McCall, 35, was arrested on a federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Clayson Pearce, 27, was arrested on a federal charge of possession of a machine gun, said Lt. Skip Arms, Colorado Springs police spokesman.
Jennifer McNeil, 32, and Ralph McNeil, 39, were arrested for allegedly selling hashish. Benjamin Vanornum, 24, was arrested on drug charges, Arms said. Ryan Middleton, 27, was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court, he said.
More than 100 Colorado Springs officers, sheriff's deputies from Tel ler and El Paso counties and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives confiscated drugs, money and equipment to make machine guns during raids across Colorado Springs. Last November, ATF agents, local detectives and El Paso County sheriff's investigators began investigating whether employees at Shrap Metal Tattoo, 2928 Parker St., were selling drugs and firearms out of the shop, Arms said.
Undercover detectives bought firearms, including AK-47-type machine guns, and high-grade marijuana from several suspects. On Thursday, undercover agents arrested Pearce after he allegedly sold three machine guns and two military-style ballistic vests in the Citadel Mall parking lot, Arms said. ATF's Special Response Team served a search warrant at two homes in Florissant where they confiscated two firearms and a parts kit to manufacture an AK-47-type machine gun. Agents arrested McCall and confiscated drug paraphernalia, a firearm and money at the tattoo parlor.
They arrested the McNeils at 825 Valkenburg Drive, where they found 42 grams of marijuana, 62 grams of hashish and 17 grams of mushrooms, Arms said.

Wallace Harris shot himself in the abdomen Wednesday night while playing with a gun.


Tallahassee man shot himself in the abdomen Wednesday night while playing with a gun. As soon as Wallace Harris recovers, Tallahassee police say they will seek a warrant for his arrest on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"He was playing with a .22-caliber revolver, spinning it like the cowboys do, when it went off," said Officer David McCranie, spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department.Harris, 53, was rushed to the hospital for his injury, McCranie said. The gunshot wound required surgery but wasn't life-threatening.It happened about 6:45 p.m. in the 200 block of Tropicare Street.Police later discovered that Harris is a convicted felon and that he has an extensive criminal history in Leon County dating back to 1989. Several charges were for weapons offenses.

"Thank goodness no one else is injured," McCranie said. "It could have been a very serious situation."

Thursday 12 June 2008

Dennis Farina has officially been charged with a weapons-related misdemeanor.

Dennis Farina has been charged with three misdemeanours following his arrest at Los Angeles International Airport in early May . The Saving Private Ryan star, 64, was apprehended at L.A.X. Airport on 11 May after a loaded gun was found in his briefcase as he attempted to board a plane. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon following the discovery of the .22 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Authorities later discovered the gun was also unregistered. It was announced on Wednesday that Farina will escape felony charges and he has now been officially charged with three misdemeanours. If convicted on all three counts he could face two and a half years in prison and a $3,000 (£1,500) fine, according to Tmz.com.
Three weeks after being arrested, actor Dennis Farina has officially been charged with a weapons-related misdemeanor. Farina’s arrest stemmed from an incident at the Los Angeles Airport where he was caught illegally carrying a gun in his luggage. Farina, who played a detective on Law & Order, apologized after the incident and admitted he forgot the weapon was in his luggage.
The misdemeanor charge can carry a maximum sentence of two and a half years in jail and $3,000 in fines. So far Farina has not been charged with any felonies and the case has been referred to Los Angeles city prosecutors.

Lauren Watts is facing several charges including carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest, and endangering children.


20-year-old Lauren Watts of Springdale was stopped last night on South Wayne Street in Lockland just before 5:30.When the officer, described as "Sgt. Vaughn" in police paperwork, approached the car, he saw the gun. Specifically, the barrel pointing in his direction as it stuck out of the suspect's purse.After calling more officers to the scene, Watts was then told by Vaughn to get out of the 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis she was driving. After exiting the vehicle, she then allegedly refused to do what they said.They claim Watts resisted arrest by fighting with them until Mace had to be used on her. The gun proved to be a loaded 22 revolver.Watts is facing several charges including carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest, and endangering children. It is not yet clear whether the endangering charge indicates that a child was inside the car at the time.
We could learn more on that charge and about the entire alleged incident during a scheduled court appearance this morning.

Sten submachine gun, Bren light machine gun and a Bock bolt-action rifle — were stolen during a break-in at the historic Toronto castle


Patrick Maier-Trevizan of Toronto and Piotr Baczynski of Mississauga are each charged with breaking and entering. Baczynski is also charged with possession of stolen property.19-year-old Mississauga man is one of two people facing charges after three antique guns were stolen from Casa Loma over the weekend.The non-functioning firearms — a Sten submachine gun, Bren light machine gun and a Bock bolt-action rifle — were stolen during a break-in at the historic Toronto castle early Saturday.The weapons, which have since been recovered by police, went missing from a Queen's Own Rifles exhibit on the third floor of Casa Loma at about 2 a.m. Police say two men climbed to the second level of the castle, smashed a window and climbed into the building. Once inside, the duo smashed a glass display case of decommissioned firearms and military artifacts. Police say the men removed firearms and other property from the building and concealed the items among bushes, then fled the area. One of the men later returned to the scene and took the stolen property.
Toronto Police Det. Colin Greenaway said the thieves apparently buried the guns in Mississauga after realizing that it had been "an error in judgement" to take them.
Police located the weapons Monday and arrested two men.
Piotr Baczynski, of Mississauga, and Patrick Maier-Trevizan, 19, of Toronto, are each charged with break-and-enter to commit an indictable offence. Baczynski is also charged with possession of property obtained by crime.Three days after Casa Loma was robbed of artifacts from the Second World War, Toronto police say they have arrested two suspects. Det. Colin Greenaway from 13 Division told reporters Tuesday that police had recovered three weapons that were stolen from the popular tourist destination.Casa Loma was robbed sometime between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Saturday morning after at least two suspects used a construction scaffolding outside the castle to access a second-storey window. The window was smashed and the suspects were able to access artifacts from the Queen's Own Rifle exhibit. A helmet as well as three weapons -- a Bock bolt-action rifle, a Sten submachine gun and a Bren light machine gun -- were stolen from the exhibit. "The weapons had been professionally decomissioned and therefore could not operate as firearms," Greenaway said.Greenaway said the stolen artifacts were hidden in some bushes before the suspects fled the scene. He said a suspect later returned to the scene and recovered the stolen property.The suspects may have been drinking before heading to Casa Loma, said the detective.Police told CTV.ca on Sunday that they followed a one-kilometre trail of blood from the castle, down the scaffolding, north along Spadina Road until St. Clair Avenue West. A significant amount of blood was found meaning a suspect, or suspects, probably suffered a serious injury, said Det. Const. Bryan Campbell. It is not believed the suspects were involved in an altercation.
Campbell said detectives were investigating whether the exhibit was targeted by the thieves.Two 19-year-old men are facing charges.

Rare Nambu machine gun used by Japanese soldiers during World War II siezed.

A woman reportedly driving five miles an hour over the speed limit in Williston led police to a World War II-era Japanese machine gun.
Agents from the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confirmed Monday that the gun seized June 5 was a rare Nambu machine gun used by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
According to Police Chief Dan Davis, the case began when Cpl. Kevin Sheppard pulled over a red 1995 Mercury for driving about 30 mph in the 25 mph zone in the 100 block of Northeast 11th Avenue. Sheppard said he grew suspicious of the driver and passenger after seeing a crack pipe protruding from driver Traci Bower's clothing.
A subsequent search of the car turned up an assortment of prescription drugs and the machine gun.
"When he [Sheppard] opened the trunk, he saw the butt end of the gun," Davis said, "but when he started pulling it out, he realized it was very heavy - much heavier than a shotgun or a rifle and much longer. He kept pulling and the gun kept coming out. It was much longer than the guns we usually see."
The women reportedly told police the Nambu belonged to Bower's grandfather. Davis said his agency is trying to confirm ownership of the gun. Davis also said investigators suspect the women were planning to trade the Nambu for crack.
Bowers, 45, of Dunnellon, and her passenger, Abby Ross, 45, of Beverly Hills, were charged with illegal possession of prescription drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia

Edward Nassr allegedly seized the weapon and 32 rounds of ammunition from a bag he was carrying

Edward Nassr, 30, was refused bail on Wednesday when he appeared in Sydney's Central Local Court on weapons charges.
Police arrested Nassr about 1am (AEST) on Monday after noticing him loitering in a Surry Hills laneway near the nightclub.They allegedly seized the weapon and 32 rounds of ammunition from a bag he was carrying.
Surry Hills Local Area Commander Superintendent Donna Adney said the gun appeared to be home-made because it did not have any manufacturer's markings."Certainly ... this would fit into a far more dangerous category of firearms," Supt Adney told reporters.
"I would describe the machine pistol as something that has similar dimensions to a pistol that can be fired with one hand and it has an automatic capacity.
"It means if you hold your finger on the trigger the bullets keep firing."Supt Adney would not divulge any further details of the arrest.Nassr is charged with being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, possessing a firearm and other firearm-related offences.He did not apply for bail on Wednesday, and it was formally refused by Magistrate Allen Moore.He was remanded in custody to appear in the same court on July 23.Nassr was arrested by officers from Operation Rolling Thunder, a three-day blitz targeting alcohol-related crime and illegal drugs over the Queen's Birthday long weekend.Seventy people were arrested in the operation, and 48 have been charged with possession or supply of illegal drugs.

Denisa Manga,Julio Manga arrested international smuggling ring that was allegedly transporting handguns and semi-automatic weapons

A cross-border smuggling ring that was shipping firearms into Canada from Detroit has been broken, authorities said yesterday, resulting in seven arrests and the seizure of more than 30 weapons, including several fully automatic machine pistols.
All were handguns and most were believed to be destined for the Toronto area, said Inspector Steve Clegg of the Ontario Provincial Police's weapons enforcement unit, which led the Canadian end of the eight-month investigation.Smuggled in by couriers through Windsor, the guns were worth between $1,500 and $2,500 on the street, Insp. Clegg said.
"The demand for concealable firearms is out there. I can't specifically say who these guns were going to, but we're quite confident we've eliminated a smuggling ring. It was a network based in Detroit."Two Windsor siblings arrested last week are charged with multiple gun-related offences, as are five Detroit residents.
Canadian police seized 27 guns, ammunition magazines and 235 rounds of ammunition, while another 10 firearms believed to have been en route to Canada were intercepted in Detroit.Working with the Canada Border Services Agency, the Toronto Police Service, Windsor police and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the weapons unit was still trying to trace the origin of all the guns, some of which came from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Wisconsin, Alabama, Oregon and Virginia.
international smuggling ring that was allegedly transporting handguns and semi-automatic weapons from the United States into Canada has been broken up, police said Tuesday.The scheme funnelled the weapons by courier from Detroit to Windsor, Ont. Police seized 27 firearms as well as ammunition at the border, and another 10 guns were intercepted in Detroit. Windsor police said it's the largest gun seizure in the city's history.Police have said the guns were destined for the Toronto area."We consider these tools of the trade of organized crime," said Ontario Provincial Police Insp. Steve Clegg. "These are violent weapons."Denisa Manga, 21, and Julio Manga, 18, both of Windsor, face trafficking charges."There were other people involved as well who are on the American side," said Windsor police Supt. Dave Pickford.Five other people have been charged in Detroit.

Jose Manuel Garibay Felix one of the leaders of a Mexican kidnapping and drug trafficking organization

In September 2002, a search warrant was executed at the Los Garibay Ranch, at which time, the following armaments were found: a 7.62 x 39 mm Maadi Company rifle, manufactured in Egypt; a 60 caliber rocket launder, of the type used for anti-aircraft or anti-armor purposes; a Heckler and Koch G3 semi-automatic rifle, model 91, a .308 caliber, no magazine; an Uzi Auto, model A, .9 mm machine gun with retractable gunstock and no barrel or magazine; a Cobray, model 11, 9 mm submachine gun, with magazine; a Colt AR-15 rifle, model SP1, a .223 caliber, with adapter for grenade launcher; a Remington model 700 .270 rifle; a .12 caliber Remington shotgun with modified gunstock and barrel; a Remington automatic shotgun with modified gunstock and barrel; three 30-06 caliber Remington rifles; a 7.62 x 39 caliber rifle, manufactured in China, with bayonet and retractable gunstock; a .300 caliber Savage carbine, model 99; a 7.62 x 39 caliber Norinko AK-47 rifle; a single-shot Winchester 37-A .20 caliber shotgun; and five Cobray .37 mm grenade launchers. In a report dated October 24, 2002, a ballistics expert of the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office concluded that these weapons were for the exclusive use of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.Keith Slotter, Special Agent in Charge, of the FBI in San Diego announces the arrest of Jose Manuel Garibay Felix, age 24, one of the leaders of a Mexican kidnapping and drug trafficking organization. Felix was arrested at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 6, 2008, at the Department of Motor Vehicles Office in Riverside, California. Felix was arrested by FBI Agents based in San Diego and Riverside with the assistance of Investigators from the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Division. Felix was arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant based on a provisional arrest request from Mexico.
According to the complaint filed in this matter, Felix is alleged to be one of the leaders of a criminal organization known as "Los Garibay," a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery, and theft. The "Los Garibay" organization operated mainly in the Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Michoacan.At least since the year 2000, Felix is alleged to have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity, including trafficking in marijuana, crystal methamphetamine, armed robbery, and kidnapping. According to the complaint in January 2001, Felix and four others kidnapped a man using high powered weapons. In September 2002, Felix directed the kidnapping and murder of a police officer from the Public Prosecutor's Office in retaliation for the officer's work against the Garibay organization.On Friday, June 6, 2008, Felix was arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Central District of California, Los Angeles, California. As a result of this hearing, Felix was ordered detained. Felix is currently housed at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles, California.The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, California, is coordinating the extradition of Felix with the Mexican government.

Police officers were called to a school yesterday after pupils spotted a man carrying a rifle.

police officers were called to a school yesterday after pupils spotted a man carrying a rifle.As pupils got off their school buses they saw a man holding the gun in an area of parkland between Gowerton Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, in Swansea.Armed response officers went to the scene and the South Wales Police helicopter joined the search for the gunman. A firearm was recovered near the scene.
Two men – aged 37 and 38 – and a 38-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of firearms offences. All three were last night in custody at Swansea Central Police station.Superintendent Julian Williams who led the operation said: “This was a very frightening experience for those pupils concerned. The prompt action of the police and the swiftness of the arrests helped to defuse the situation. I would like to reassure members of the public that incidents involving firearms in Swansea are very few and far between.”Peter Johns, chairman of Gowerton Community Council and a governor of the comprehensive school said, “We have had some problems with anti-social behaviour by youngsters in Gowerton in the past but nothing as far as I am aware involving firearms.”

Police officers were called to a school yesterday after pupils spotted a man carrying a rifle.

police officers were called to a school yesterday after pupils spotted a man carrying a rifle.As pupils got off their school buses they saw a man holding the gun in an area of parkland between Gowerton Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, in Swansea.Armed response officers went to the scene and the South Wales Police helicopter joined the search for the gunman. A firearm was recovered near the scene.
Two men – aged 37 and 38 – and a 38-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of firearms offences. All three were last night in custody at Swansea Central Police station.Superintendent Julian Williams who led the operation said: “This was a very frightening experience for those pupils concerned. The prompt action of the police and the swiftness of the arrests helped to defuse the situation. I would like to reassure members of the public that incidents involving firearms in Swansea are very few and far between.”Peter Johns, chairman of Gowerton Community Council and a governor of the comprehensive school said, “We have had some problems with anti-social behaviour by youngsters in Gowerton in the past but nothing as far as I am aware involving firearms.”

Drive-by gang shooting on Wednesday left one teenager wounded and police searching for whoever pulled the trigger.

Bullets flew in a south Everett neighborhood and hit a 17-year-old boy in an arm and a leg. Detectives expected him to recover from the injuries. drive-by gang shooting on Wednesday left one teenager wounded and police searching for whoever pulled the trigger.The early-morning shooting happened two blocks from a 2006 gang shooting that ended the life of 19-year-old Dennis Riojas. Sheriff's deputies focused attention on the area two years ago after noticing a surge in gang activity. Deputies saw a rise in graffiti and gangs recruiting new members at the schools. A deputy was assigned to work out of Mariner High School because of gang problems in the neighborhood
The project, Operation Clean Sweep, helped build partnerships with neighbors, school officials and businesses and went a long way to address safety issues, sheriff's officials said."But you can't prevent every crime in that area, or anywhere else for that matter," sheriff's spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.
Investigators believe the victim in Wednesday's shooting has ties to a gang, as do the suspects, she said.The teen told detectives he was walking to meet a girl when a car full of people pulled up near him. A passenger yelled something about a gang, and shots rang out, Hover said.The teen was treated at a local hospital and released. No one else was wounded.The shooting happened about 3 a.m. in the 700 block of 128th Street SW. The road was closed for a short time while investigators collected evidence. Nationwide, police are seeing more gangs in the suburbs and communities similar to Snohomish County. There is less pressure from police, and gangs are finding fertile markets to sell drugs, steal cars or commit other crimes. The gangs also find many receptive young people in the suburbs who want to emulate the thug lifestyle seen in pop culture.Lawmakers last year called for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to form a task force to address gangs in schools. Educators, police and prosecutors have been meeting for more than a year to gather information about trends and problems with gangs in schools
Police from around Snohomish County conducted a gang survey last year and found gang members in every part of the county. Detectives identified 250 gang members and 200 associates from about 20 different gangs. The gangs tend to be more homegrown than in the past, authorities said. In the 1980s and 1990s, the last time police saw a surge in gang activity, much of the trouble was linked to Seattle and Tacoma gang members committing crimes in Snohomish County.Last week, Everett police and a federal gang task force arrested more than a dozen people after a lengthy investigation aimed at rounding up gang members, drug dealers and their customers.
A group of deputies and police officer from around the county are expected to work together this summer to crack down on criminal gang activity.
"We are going to be aggressive about addressing gang activity in our county," Hover said. "We want them to know we're watching them and if they're going to be involved in criminal activity, they're not welcome here."

Tuesday 10 June 2008

Mark Antonio Johnson ran an illegal bounty hunter operation

Mark Antonio Johnson, 41, ran an illegal bounty hunter operation and went to extremes to look like he was a federal agent, including using a bogus uniform and bogus badge. Police said Johnson did use a real gun.
“He’s a scam artist,” said DeKalb police spokesperson Mekka Parrish. “He was posing as a federal agent and he was basically just going around scamming people.”
Police said Johnson operated the ultimate illegal bounty hunter business called FRET — or Fugitive Retrieval Enforcement Team. And he looked the part, authorities said.He had a uniform, a gun, a photo ID with an agent number, business cards listing himself as a unit commander and a badge with the FRET name on it.
The first problem with Johnson, police said, is that the business isn’t licensed. Police said the second problem is that Johnson is a convicted felon so he’s not allowed to have a weapon. Authorities said Johnson posed as a federal agent and may have made arrests.
“At this point, it is possible that he did arrest two people as a bounty hunter,” said Parrish.
Police said they became aware of Johnson after he obtained two real government license plates for his SUV. His vehicle had official-looking decals and a fake DOT number on the back. Officials said Johnson successfully posed as an officer at the tag office and convinced them.
“Even went so far as to put, ‘Call 911 in case of an emergency.’ So it certainly at one glance, you would think this would be a legitimate federal agent,” said Parrish.
Johnson faces a list of charges including felonies for impersonating an officer and conspiring to defraud the state.
“There are some other people he would scam to get their ID and make up fake documents,” said Parrish.
Johnson could also face charges for writing bad checks to his employees who may not have known the business was illegal.
His first court appearance will be Saturday. He is being held at the DeKalb County Jail.

Nathan Hingson Bail bond agent opened fire while trying to pull a woman from her pickup Friday

bail bond agent who opened fire while trying to pull a woman from her pickup Friday has a history of being disciplined by state regulators, and wasn't dressed to clearly identify himself as somebody who could make an arrest.Lake Stevens police said Saturday they are investigating Nathan Hingson, co-owner of Bail Bond by Nate of Lynnwood. He fired as many as eight rounds during a melee outside a Lake Stevens convenience store.No one apparently was injured during the mid-afternoon gunfire outside Norm's Market on Lundeen Parkway, Lake Stevens Police Chief Randy Celori said.Hingson on Friday said he was trying to detain a Lake Stevens woman, 25, whom he knew was wanted on multiple misdemeanor warrants.Hingson created a substantial risk when he opened fire, Celori said Saturday. There were children and several adults around the market and someone could have been badly injured.
According to the state Department of Licensing's Web site, Hingson's bail bonds license was suspended for eight years as of February 2007, with half the period suspended. The state alleged Hingson failed to keep adequate records, committed "material fraud" and failed to maintain a trust account.Hingson said Saturday he has a valid bail bond recovery license that authorizes him to make arrests and collect bounties. He said his other license was suspended because he and his wife were victims of a Las Vegas-based business that set them up. He agreed to a settlement that required forfeiture of his bail bond agent's license.Christine Anthony, a spokeswoman with the state ­Department of Licensing, said there are two types of bail bond licenses: one that authorizes people to run the business, another to act as a bounty hunter.The state will investigate Hingson's actions of Friday, standard procedure after firearms are used, Anthony said.On Friday, Hingson said he wasn't in Lake Stevens hunting the woman, but he happened to spot her. He said there was not time to call police.Celori said he's not convinced."For him working in Lynnwood and just happening upon the individual, I don't believe that's accurate," Celori said.Hingson was dressed in a white athletic outfit Friday, not in a uniform or clothing identifying him as a bail bond agent when he tried to make the arrest, the chief said.Celori said he's not surprised that the woman resisted arrest by someone dressed in civilian clothes and not carrying a police badge."People don't like to give up their freedom," he said.Taking a person into custody is one of the most high-risk police procedures, he said.Had police been contacted prior to the arrest attempt, Celori said the gunfire may have been avoided."If the individual would have coordinated with us, this situation wouldn't have happened," he said.While police do want to interview the woman about Friday's shooting, they aren't actively pursuing her."Her warrants don't necessitate the need for us to continue to look for her, but police want to talk to her," Celori said.Hingson said he didn't have time to call police before moving in to make the arrest. He said he's only required to wear a special uniform when making forced entry into a home, searching for a bail fugitive.On Friday, the gunfire erupted about 3 p.m. Hingson told police he noticed the woman's pickup truck and approached her to take her into custody.The woman tried to drive away. Hingson said he punched out the driver's window and tried to grab the keys. The bail bond agent said he began shooting when the woman allegedly dragged him a short distance in the parking lot with her truck, and then tried to run him over.The woman was able to drive off, ditch her pickup and escape. Police do not believe she was hurt. She remains at large.Hingson said he suffered cuts and bruises.According to the Bail Bond by Nate Web site, the business was started in April 2007 by Hingson's wife and a friend. On Friday, Hingson said he is a co-owner.Bail bond agents operate under strict licensing rules in Washington. They are required to take special firearms training and are permitted to use firearms under Washington law.Last month, bail bond agents fatally shot a man in Lakewood in Pierce County. They said the suspect tried to run them over. That incident remains under investigation.Celori said Lake Stevens police will investigate the status of Hingson's bail bond license.

Frank E. Novak charged with felony armed robbery after he allegedly walked into the convenience store with a BB gun and demanded cash.

Armed robbery of the Ricker’s convenience store at 105 W. McGalliard Road around 4:54 a.m. ended in the arrest of one suspect in the bushes nearby and two more in the area.Frank E. Novak, 19, 4700 N. Nebo Road, was preliminarily charged with felony armed robbery after he allegedly walked into the convenience store with a BB gun and demanded cash.Two accomplices, April N. Highley, 18, and Todd C. Cook, 19, both of 2604 N. Milton St., also were charged with armed robbery. All three remained in jail Monday with no bond.Police got a call before 5 a.m. Sunday that a white male wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and black bandana walked into the store, displayed a handgun and took all the money and safe.A suspect later identified as Cook was found hiding in the bushes, and Novak and Highley were found nearby.Police detective Melissa Pease reported that all three talked about robbing a convenience store and hid the money and gun at Cook’s house.Novak told police that he had been hurting for money when the three decided to commit robbery. Police recovered a backpack with money along with the sweatshirt and gun.

Charles Bonner and Anthony Hill are accused of shooting 20-year-old Robert Robinson in the head

Charles Bonner, 23, and Anthony Hill, 22, each face a charge of murder and being a persistent felony offender. They are accused of shooting 20-year-old Robert Robinson in the head on Aug. 30. He died the next day. Both Bonner and Hill have been in jail since September when they were arrested for a street robbery, which is still pending in court, said Lt. Barry Wilkerson, head of the Louisville Metro Police homicide unit. During that arrest, a gun of the same caliber as the one used in the Robinson shooting was found in the car the men were in, Wilkerson said. Police also received some tips that indicated that Bonner and Hill might have been involved in the Robinson shooting, prompting police to have ballistics testing done on the weapon, Wilkerson said. Test results, which came back recently, showed that the same gun was used to shoot Robinson, Wilkerson said. Bonner is believed to have been the shooter in the incident, Wilkerson said

David Kucia took a loaded Glock up to communion at a South Side church Sunday morning, apparently for protection, was arrested

David Kucia took a loaded Glock up to communion at a South Side church Sunday morning, apparently for protection, was arrested by a high-ranking police official who happened to be attending the same Catholic mass.
David Kucia, 57, was charged with a weapons violation after his arrest by Deputy Chief James Keating and Sgt. Joseph Kipka at Nativity of Our Lord, the Bridgeport parish where the Daley family was reared.Keating was kneeling in his pew, having just taken communion himself at the 11 a.m. mass, when two eagle-eyed ushers knelt beside him and quietly told him someone in the back of church had a gun. The man had just moved the weapon from his back pocket to his waistband — it was mostly hidden under his shirt — and was in line for communion. And, they added, nobody at the tight-knit parish recognized him as one of the regular cops who attend.
“I said, ‘No problem.’ Just act normal,” Keating said. ” . . . Don’t make eye contact.”Keating, who suspected Kucia was not a threat by the way he was acting, watched him take communion. Keating then genuflected and followed Kucia out of the church where he made small talk on the front steps about the unusually hot weather. Then Keating told Kucia he knew he had a gun.Kucia allegedly first said he was a cop but then quickly changed his story, saying he’d been robbed and threatened and needed to protect himself. So he was carrying.“I said you can’t do it in church,” Keating said. “You can’t do it anywhere in the city of Chicago.”Kipka had joined Keating by then and the two made the arrest, also finding a shotgun in Kucia’s truck.

Jesse William Patterson who had barricaded himself inside a manufactured home on Tuscany Drive

Central Oregon'S SWAT team fired smoke bombs through the windows of a southwest Bend home Sunday morning where a dangerous and wanted man was holed up.
For six hours, police were in an intense standoff with Jesse William Patterson, 40, who had barricaded himself inside a manufactured home on Tuscany Drive, off of Brookswood Boulevard. Police and neighbors say it all started after a nasty fight with his wife that sent her to the emergency room of St. Charles Medical Center-Bend.Armored vans filled the streets and officers with serious guns patrolled the sidewalks as the SWAT team made its presence well known in the Fox Hills neighborhood."They (police) grouped up, and I watched them go in, and a few minutes later I heard a few more shots - it must have been smoke bombs," said neighbor Robert Ray.Smoke bombs were sent flying through the front windows of the home in the 61000 block of Tuscany Drive, where Patterson was holed up inside his mother's house.
Neighbors called the police after they say Patterson beat his wife with a gun in the front yard, threatening to kill her."We got information he was armed with a handgun and we tried numerous attempts from about 5 a.m. this morning until just recently at 10 a.m. to try and get him to come out," said Bend Police Lt. Cory Darling. "He would not comply with us. He would not come out."But Patterson,was finally smoked out five hours later, with no bullets fired.The domestic violence allegedly started around 3 a.m. Next-door neighbor Luanna Harrison said she heard it all. "I heard someone scream," Harrison told NewsChannel 21. "So I ran to my window and it's right there, and so you can see into his house, and he was hitting her and stuff. Then she ran around the porch and was banging on our door, so I let her in."Bloodied, with broken bones in her face and barely able to open her eyes, neighbors say Patterson's wife warned police about the gun before she was rushed to the hospital.The Fox Hills manager tells NewsChannel 21, Patterson had been kicked out of the neighborhood for past domestic violence and this time had sneaked back into his mother's house.Jail records show he's a wanted man. With four warrants out for him, Patterson's been in and out of jail five times.Neighbors are now just hoping it's over."I was just like, 'What's going on?'" Robert Ray said. "I thought I lived in a safe neighborhood and this happened right in my backyard basically."
Jesse Patterson is charged with attempted murder, assault and being a felon in possession of two guns, and is being held without bail on numerous arrest and probation violation warrants. His wife was treated for her facial injuries at St. Charles Medical Center-Bend.

Chicago weekend driveby shooting

Chicago Police say they're still investigating a weekend driveby shooting that left five men injured.Police say the men were at an outdoor party on the city's South Side late Friday when a gunman opened fire from a vehicle. None of the men's injuries were considered life-threatenting, and all were in good condition.No one is in custody

Monday 2 June 2008

Bullet-riddled body of Jermaine Williams found in Queens this week was that of a one-time bodyguard for Busta Rhymes


A bullet-riddled body found in Queens this week was that of a one-time bodyguard for - the rap star's second enforcer to be murdered in two years, police and sources said Friday.Police found the remains of Jermaine Williams, 35, wrapped in a blanket in a bloody truck parked on 79th St. in Ozone Park on Wednesday. He had been shot multiple times. "We have all suffered a great loss and Jermaine Williams will be deeply missed," Rhymes said Friday through his lawyer, Scott Leemon.
Williams' family said the Bronx father of two had been visiting his grandmother, but didn't know what happened after that. No arrests have been made. Another Rhymes bodyguard, Israel Ramirez, 29, was gunned down in 2006 during a celebrity-studded video shoot in Brooklyn - just feet from the rapper. The case remains unsolved.

Each gun was worth Rp 8 million. Transactions were made by phone, and we agreed to meet at a set location. I got Rp 500,000 for each gun sold

Police caught one suspect and confiscated one short barrel FN type firearm in Tambun, Bekasi."We presumed the gun belonged to the Indonesian Army," Tambun subprecinct police chief Adj. Comr. Shinto Silitonga said, as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com. "The syndicate erased the gun's serial number and repainted it black," he said. The suspect, Juwanda Tambun, is a resident of Jatimulya, Bekasi. Juwanda was a courier who delivered guns, Shinto said. Juwanda was waiting for buyers next to Sinar Jaya bus depot, Tambun, when police approached him on Friday afternoon. Police shot the suspect in his left leg as he tried to escape on his motorcycle. Asides from the FN-type gun, police also confiscated one magazine, six bullets, one cellphone and the motorcycle. Juwanda admitted that his boss, JK, told him to deliver the guns. "Each gun was worth Rp 8 million. Transactions were made by phone, and we agreed to meet at a set location. I got Rp 500,000 for each gun sold," Juwanda said.

Police officers have shot each other, hit patrol cars and blasted a range of household items in a twoyear catalogue of blunders.

One gun cop even shot himself by accident. officers have shot each other, hit patrol cars and blasted a range of household items in a twoyear catalogue of blunders.
Police opened fire 46 times in error between January 2006 and March 2008. In the same period marksmen used their guns in real threats 18 times. The worrying statistics call into question the competence and training of the 14,200 officers authorised to carry firearms in England, Wales and Ulster. Gun Control Network chair Gill Marshall-Andrews said: "Even highly-trained police are prone to accidents and mistakes which can have dreadful consequences. "It's lucky no officer has been killed by a colleague yet." Since 2006 two officers have been accidentally shot and one civilian police worker was hit - during a gun awareness training session. Five patrol cars and two private vehicles have been damaged by wayward bullets - none fired in the line of duty. More than a third of Britain's negligent gun blasts happened in Northern Ireland, where all officers carry weapons. In London there were nine discharges made in error and three in Bedfordshire, according to figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act. Police have also used guns to shoot dead rogue animals. Guidelines for armed officers are issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers. West Mercia's Deputy Chief Constable Ian Arundale insisted firearms training in Britain is "among the best in the world". He added: "Whilst any accidental discharge is a cause for concern, training and debriefing and a review of procedures take place to ensure such unfortunate incidents are kept to an absolute minimum. "Every incident of accidental discharge is fully investigated. Where negligence does occur, individuals are dealt with accordingly." Five members of the public have been shot dead by cops since January 2006, including barrister Mark Saunders last month A clumsy marksman shot a hole in the seat and floor pan of a police car in Cheshunt, Herts. Four other police vehicles have also been hit
Police control room worker Keith Tilbury shot in the stomach during training session at the Thames Valley Police headquarters in Kidlington, Oxon, in May last year
Cop blasted in the chest with a shotgun at the police firing range at Gatwick Airport in August last year. Body armour saved the PC from serious injury
West Mercia police officer shot himself in the leg and foot when his gun got caught in his clothing in January 2006 18 bullets used in the "humane destruction" of two bullocks by Cambridgeshire Police. Four officers repeatedly blasted the animals in the village of March in November 2006 A caravan, a mattress, one kitchen oven, a hot water tank and a cabinet have also been "accidentally" hit by police officers - along with two privately-owned cars, floor tiles, walls and a skirting board

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