Stupid people of the week

Police impersonator arrested, accused of conducting illegal traffic stops in SGV

A person accused of impersonating a police officer and conducting illegal traffic stops in the City of Industry has been arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies.

The arrest was announced Wednesday by the LASD Industry Station.

The unidentified person allegedly made multiple unlawful stops in the East Valinda area near Nogales High School, officials said.

Photos shared by the Sheriff’s Department showed the suspect wearing a complete law enforcement officer’s uniform and standing next to a motorcycle outfitted to look almost exactly like an official police bike.

Additional photos showed the suspect loaded into the back of a Sheriff’s Department vehicle, as well as an array of official-looking items that were apparently part of the entire costume.

The items included a bulletproof vest, emergency radio, badge and holster with a stun gun. Officials did not say if any of the items were legitimate or just replicas.

The suspect’s face is obscured in the images, and police have not yet identified them. The exact time and location of the arrest was also not specified.

An investigation has since been launched by the Sheriff’s Department into the alleged unlawful stops and anyone who may have been pulled over by the impersonator is urged to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact LASD Detective Walker at 626-934-3313.

Officials have not provided any information about the motive behind these illegal stops.

Source; KTLA

SAPD suspends sergeant who told motorist during traffic stop: ‘I don’t give wife-beaters a break, sir’

A veteran San Antonio police sergeant served a 15-day suspension last month after his own body-worn camera captured footage of him calling a motorist a “wife-beater” during a traffic stop, SAPD discipline records show.

Sgt. Ramiro Juarez-Ramos was also suspended for allowing the man to record sensitive law enforcement records on the man’s cellphone, the suspension records show.

The incident happened May 30 during an evening traffic stop in the 18700 block of Stone Oak Parkway.

The driver, whose name is redacted in Juarez-Ramos’ suspension records, contested the validity of a citation he was given.

“I don’t give wife-beaters a break, sir,” said Juarez-Ramos, who again referred to the man as a “wife-beater” after he asked what the sergeant had called him, records show.

Juarez-Ramos returned to his patrol vehicle and pulled up a mugshot of the man on his vehicle laptop and then displayed protected law enforcement material, including conditions of bond from a previous arrest of the man, records show.

The sergeant recited information from the man’s conditions of bond, and his actions allowed the man to record the sensitive information off of the laptop screen on his cellphone, according to the records.

Juarez-Ramos was initially handed a proposed 31-day suspension for violating SAPD rules covering conduct and behavior and responsibility to serve the public.

The suspension was shortened to 15 days in August after Juarez-Ramos met with Chief William McManus.

Juarez-Ramos had a previous violation for conduct and behavior, his discipline records state.

A 27-year veteran of SAPD, Juarez-Ramos served his suspension between Sept. 12 and Sept. 26, records show.

Source; KSAT

An Oklahoma judge could be removed from office for sending more than 500 texts during a murder trial

A new Oklahoma judge could lose her job for sending more than 500 texts to her bailiff during a murder trial, including messages mocking the prosecutor, praising the defense attorney and calling a key witness a liar.

The chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recommended the removal of Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom in a court filing Tuesday following an investigation by the state’s Council on Judicial Complaints.

Soderstrom has been under scrutiny since July after she was caught on camera scrolling through social media and texting during the trial of a man accused in the fatal beating of a 2-year-old.

Soderstrom, who was sworn in on Jan. 9 after being elected in November, was suspended with pay pending the outcome of a hearing by the Court on the Judiciary, which will determine whether to remove her from the bench.

“The pattern of conduct demonstrates Respondent’s (Soderstrom’s) gross neglect of duty, gross partiality and oppression,” Chief Justice John Kane IV wrote. “The conduct further demonstrates Respondent’s (Soderstrom’s) lack of temperament to serve as a judge.”

A phone call to a number listed for Soderstrom rang unanswered before disconnecting Wednesday.

The judge’s texts included saying the prosecutor was “sweating through his coat” during questioning of potential jurors and asking “why does he have baby hands?” according to Kane’s petition. The texts described the defense attorney as “awesome” and asked “can I clap for her?” during the defense attorney’s opening arguments.

Soderstrom also texted a laughing emoji icon to the bailiff, who had “made a crass and demeaning reference to the prosecuting attorneys’ genitals,” Kane wrote.

Khristian Tyler Martzall — the man who was on trial while the judge was on her phone — was eventually convicted of second-degree manslaughter in the 2018 death of Braxton Danker, the son of Martzall’s girlfriend, and sentenced to time served.

Martzall’s girlfriend and the mother of the child, Judith Danker, pleaded guilty to enabling child abuse, was sentenced to 25 years and was a key prosecution witness who was called a liar by Soderstrom during testimony.

“State just couldn’t accept that a mom could kill their kid so they went after the next person available,” Soderstrom texted, according to the filing from Kane.

Soderstrom’s texts also included comments questioning whether a juror was wearing a wig, if a witness has teeth and calling a police officer who testified, “pretty,” adding, “I could look at him all day.”

When questioned by the Council on Judicial Complaints, Soderstrom said her texting “probably could have waited” rather than realizing the comments should never have been made. She said she thought, “oh, that’s funny. Move on.”

Security video published by The Oklahoman newspaper showed Soderstrom texting or messaging for minutes at a time during jury selection, opening statements and testimony during the trial in Chandler, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City.

Kane’s petition also said Soderstrom had previously criticized other attorneys and prosecutors, and berated a member of the courthouse staff.

Soderstrom should be removed for reasons that include gross neglect of duty, gross partiality in office and oppression in office, Kane wrote.

The judge’s four-year term ends in January 2027.

Source; Yahoo!

Woman was struck by hit-and-run driver, then run over by police officer minutes later

A woman who was struck by a speeding driver was run over again just minutes later when police showed up to investigate the crash.

Surveillance video obtained by WBRZ shows the initial impact, which happened on North Foster Drive late Saturday night. Debris can be seen flying through the air as the car continues down the highway without stopping.

Roughly 10 minutes later, onlookers watched in horror as a police officer drove by at high speed, running over the victim who was still lying in the roadway.

The woman, identified by police as 38-year-old Quiana Brown, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have said it’s unclear whether she was already dead at the time of the second impact.

As of Monday, the Baton Rouge Police Department says the crash remains under investigation, including the officer’s actions.

The department released additional photos of the suspect vehicle, showing a grey-colored, four-door sedan. Police suspect the car has damage to the front grill, hood, and rear driver’s side door.

Anyone with information on the hit and run should call investigators at (225) 389-2000.

Source; WBRZ

Category: Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals