Police News

Oklahoma City – 87-year-old grandmother sues police for using a TASER on her while she was in bed hooked to oxygen. The elderly woman’s grandson had called the police because he feared his grandmother was trying to end her life. So, when officers approached the woman she pulled a knife from under her pillow and refused to cooperate. Responding to her actions, one of the officers blasted granny with his stun gun.

Chicago – Former police lieutenant Jon Burge has been convicted of lying about the torture of 100’s of suspects by officers under his command. Several victims of the brutal torture came forward to tell of their experiences that occurred from the 1970’s through the 1990’s. They accused officers of suffocating, shocking (with electrical current) and beating people until they said what the officers wanted to hear. The statute of limitations had run out on most of the crimes committed by the officers involved in the torture.

New York – Jan Fedarcyk has become the first female assistant director of one of the FBI’s three largest operational field offices. The New York field division is the largest (Los Angles and Washington D.C. are the other two) in the country, with 2,000 agents and other employees.

Washington D.C. – The FBI has arrested 10 deep cover Russian spies who are accused of attempting to penetrate government policy-making circles and then relaying information to Russia.

Cedar Rapids – The city had trouble with drivers running red lights. To improve safety at intersections the city installed traffic cameras. Well, the cameras worked just fine. It seems they captured images of 26 patrol cars speeding and running red lights. Disciplinary actions have been taken.


Alexandria – A former priest and anger-management counselor has been sentenced to a year in prison for pulling a handgun on two U.S. Marshals. The man said he brandished the weapon because he thought one of the officers had made an obscene hand gesture toward him. In addition to the prison sentence the anger management counselor has been ordered to attend anger management classes.


/by

LABRADOR: Man-Made Dog

You won’t see this dog curled up by the fire, or wagging its tail. But it will find a bone, lots of them. LABRADOR (Light-weight Analyzer for Buried Remains And Decomposition Odor Recognition) is a hand-held device developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) senior researcher and forensic expert Arpad A. Vass. The unit is capable of “sniffing” decomposing bodies buried in graves as deep as 3.5 feet below the surface, which is actually about a foot deeper than the average clandestine burial site.

LABRADOR can not only pick up the scent emitted from a dead body, it can analyze that odor and tell the operator how much of it is present, something its four-legged counterparts cannot do. This added information can aid the searcher in pinpointing the precise location of the remains.

Vass says his device can also be adapted for  in other aspects of law enforcement, such as locating methamphetamine labs, explosives, and accelerants used in arson cases.

LABRADOR also has potential for military applications.

Arpad A. Vass

Vass’ device is a steal at less then $1,500. Unfortunately, there’s only one available. But, as soon as the legalities are ironed out I’m sure there’ll be a LABRADOR in every forensic team’s kennel.

Since LABRADOR is man-made (from common items right off the shelf) it’s basically maintenance free. No feeding, no watering, no bathing, no walks, and no mess to clean up. Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but can that bucket of bolts do this…

Now, which one would you rather have riding shotgun?

/by

Forensic Facts

Forensic Facts

Forensics – the use of scientific testing to investigate crimes.

Digital Cameras – Digital cameras leave a “fingerprint” buried within in the pixels.

Each digital picture is overlaid with a unique pattern (fingerprint), or noise. These patterns can be traced back to the camera that took the photo.

Forensic dentistry – Sure, we all know forensic dentistry is used to identify John Doe victims, right?

But did you know that dental forensics is also used in dental malpractice and dental personal injury suits?

Wet surface fingerprinting – Since oil (from human skin) and water don’t mix, it’s possible to lift usable fingerprints from a wet surface, such as a vehicle that’s been sitting out during a rain shower.

However, water spots can form after the surface dries, which can affect the quality of the prints.

Virtual autopsy – Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scanners have been used to examine both soft tissue and bone. Since radiation is not an issue for the dead, the machines can be utilized at the highest, most intrusive settings.

Pathologists use the scanners to study muscular-skeletal system, cranium, facial bones, spine, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, airway, pelvic organs, upper GI tract, foreignobjects, and even the victim’s personal effects without ever opening the body bag.

Digitally enhancing photographs – Iodine fuming and Adobe Photoshop are a great team!

Gizmos and Gadgets image

The top image is of a print that was developed using iodine fuming. The lower image is the same print enhanced with Photoshop.

Hairspray – When making impression casts in sandy or loose soil, spray the area first with hairspray to hold it in place.

/by

Weekend Road Trip: A Perfect Setting For Murder

perfect setting for murder

Have you ever passed through a town and thought it would be the perfect place for your protagonist to set up shop? Well, during a recent visit to coastal Georgia my imagination began working overtime, churning out crime scenes faster than literary agents can send boilerplate rejection letters.

I took a walk, poking around back streets and along the marshes and waterfront.

My mind conjured up images of dead bodies bobbing and rolling softly in the knee deep murky water, like pieces of driftwood riding the tide.

Massive oaks draped with tendrils of Spanish Moss stood guard at the entrance to an imaginary police station.

A ship’s crew smuggled weapons and drugs inside a hold filled with freshly-caught shrimp, a pitiful attempt to confuse drug-sniffing canines.

Perhaps the undercover cop working onboard the shrimp boat was killed by smugglers. What better way to dispose of a body than to dump it among the reeds where hungry alligators lay patiently waiting for their next meal?

A father and son enjoy a summer day, fishing and crabbing. The sandy-haired freckle-faced boy snags “the big one,” and reels in his catch, only to discover he’s hooked a dead cop.

Or, a serial killer takes a new victim, one of the town’s elderly, each day at sundown.

My mind continued to wander as I made my way through town. But the place seemed far too quiet and lazy to be the setting for a thriller. I figured there’d be no way danger could ever find its way into such peaceful surroundings. And then I stumbled across this…

…and I knew for sure that I’d found the setting for the next book. Now all I need to do is finish the revisions on the current one and get it back to my agent. And I really need to hurry. There’s a killer on the loose in my mind, and he wants out, bad.


/by

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the families of each of these brave officers.

Sergeant Doug Weddleton, 52

Massachusetts State Police

June 18, 2010 – Sgt. Doug Weddleton was working a traffic detail at a construction site when a car illegally passed his parked patrol car. He stopped the vehicle and while handling the suspected drunk driver, a second intoxicated driver plowed into the first stopped vehicle, pushing it into Sgt. Weddleton.

He was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Sgt. Weddleton leaves behind his wife and four sons.

Deputy Sheriff Caroline Green, 51

Richmond Virginia Sheriff’s Office

June 19, 2010 – While leaving her assignment of guarding a prisoner at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center on June 11, 2010, Deputy Caroline Green crashed her unmarked police car into the side of one of the center’s buildings. She succumbed to her injuries one week later after undergoing several operations.

Deputy Sheriff Dean Ridings, 52

Spotsylvania County Virginia Sheriff’s Office

June 19, 2010 – Deputy Sheriff Dean Ridings was killed in a boating accident while on marine patrol. A large wake overturned the police boat throwing Deputy Ridings overboard. He was knocked unconscious after hitting his head on the boat during the accident. Deputy Ridings was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. He leaves behind his wife, two sons, and three grandchildren. Both of Deputy Ridings’ sons also serve as deputies with the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.

Officer Craig Shaw, 37

Lancaster Texas Police Department

June 20, 2010 – Officer Craig Shaw was shot and killed on Father’s Day while responding to a shots-fired call at an apartment complex. A man had been murdered at the housing unit and when officers approached the shooting suspect he turned and fired, killing Officer Shaw. The suspect, the son of newly appointed Dallas Police Chief David Brown, was killed by officers during the shootout.

Officer Shaw is survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Philip Ortiz, 48

California Highway Patrol

June 22, 2010 – Officer Phillip Ortiz died as a result of injuries he received in a traffic accident on June 9, 2010. Officer Ortiz had stopped a vehicle and was issuing a traffic summons when a car attempted to pass on the shoulder at a high rate of speed. The passing vehicle struck the officer and the stopped vehicle. Officer Ortiz was pinned in the wreckage and had to be extricated by emergency crews.

Officer Ortiz is survived by his wife, parents, and sisters.

LANow images

Deputy Sheriff Melissa Powers, 36

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

June 22, 2010 – Deputy Sheriff Melissa Powers, a mother of two, died in a single car traffic accident while searching for another deputy who was not responding to his radio. Deputy Powers was driving on a rain-slick highway with lights and siren activated when she lost control of her patrol car and crashed into a tractor trailer. Rescue workers extricated her from the car and transported her to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Deputy Powers leaves behind a son and daughter, her parents, and her husband who is a police detective.

Deputy Sheriff Richard Daniels, 27

Twiggs County Georgia Sheriff’s Office

June 22, 2010 – Deputy Sheriff Richard Daniels was killed at approximately 1:30 a.m. when a large oak tree fell across the roadway, ripping off the top of his patrol car.

Deputy Daniels leaves behind his wife and his infant daughter.

Macon Telegraph images

/by

Why I Write This Blog

I started The Graveyard Shift a few years ago in response to requests from numerous authors, most of whom are mystery and crime writers. Actually, many of those requests came from members of MWA and SinC. The first day I posted an article the site received a whopping 68 visits. I won’t say how many hits and emails we receive today, but it’s in the thousands, from all over the world. The blog is translated into several languages, and it’s used as a research tool for numerous school projects. The latter is why I do not allow bad language or other material that’s not suitable for children. And, believe me, it’s tough to maintain that standard when you’re writing about cops and criminals. But we try.

The Graveyard Shift has come a long way since our first day online. We’ve undergone major changes in the appearance, and we’ve had to increase the bandwidth a few times to keep up with the amount of traffic received. On Christmas Day, a couple of years ago, the site shut down because it couldn’t keep up with the incoming hits. Thankfully, our web host was able to take care of the problem even though it was a major holiday.

We’ve been both proud and fortunate to have featured many top-of-the-line guests on the site, including bestselling authors, TV and film writers, actors, law enforcement and forensic experts, literary agents, publishers, and professionals from other fields of interest to writers, readers, and TV viewers. We’ve advertised books and other products for our guests, and even a few connections between authors, agents, and publishers have been made as result of The Graveyard Shift. The idea for the Writers’ Police Academy (something else we do for the benefit of writers) was conceived as a result of The Graveyard Shift and reader response. Proceeds from that event are for the benefit of the criminal justice foundation at the police academy where the event is held.

This site is basically a free service for writers and anyone else who happens to drop by. We don’t make a dime from it. Never have. In fact, it costs us quite a bit of money to produce, and that’s not to mention the huge amount of time that’s put into bringing current information and material to our readers.

Somebody out there must like The Graveyard Shift because the amount of traffic we receive is astounding. Knowing that we’ve been able to help, in some small way, has been wonderful. But…and there’s always a but, huh? So here goes:

Normally, when a topic that I believe would be of benefit to the writing community (I base this on the questions I receive, chatter I hear from writers, and things I’ve read in books), I’ll post a quick mention of that topic and a link to the site on a few writer group loops. Apparently that practice, and this blog, have offended a handful of people on a couple of the loops. Those folks have expressed concern that my brief ads regarding the topic of the day are a form of self-promotion and that I should not be allowed to continue posting those short messages. Honestly, self-promotion was never my intention. Since the first post of this blog my intention has merely been to help writers with their work. I do not post the link to this site as a method of BSP. Besides, I have nothing of my own to promote. No new books.  Nothing. And, the site is free to anyone who wants to take advantage of it.

So, I’m torn between trying to help and continuing with business as usual, or changing our entire game plan.  We certainly don’t want to offend any more people than we already have. I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas, since you’re the reason we do this. Do you want to know when we’ve posted a particularly important topic?

You know,

when I post those one-line ads it’s normally because I’ve read something wrong about police procedure or forensics in somebody’s book. Was it yours?


/by

When Is Blood Not Blood?

Hemascein is a product that’s used by investigators for revealing latent bloodstains. Before Hemascein investigators sprayed luminol-type chemicals and then had to hurry with the examination and photography before the glow faded away, sometimes as quickly as 30 seconds. Not so with Hemascien. It’s a very stable product that “holds the glow” for up to 13 minutes and doesn’t require special cameras to record the image.

Normally, with luminol-type products, investigators had to complete their examinations and evidence collections prior to using the blood-revealing products because they degraded DNA. Hemascein doesn’t destroy DNA, which is an advantage because officers can learn where the incident occurred early in the investigation, allowing them to focus their attentions in the proper areas.

Heme Stix are used as a presumptive test for the detection of blood at crime scenes. Here’s a video that accurately demonstrates the use of various methods of testing for blood.

Hexagon OBTI is a test used to determine if a bloodstain is human blood. The strip turns blue if the sample is indeed human blood.

Synthetic blood is used for training with Heme Stix, Luminol, Hemascein, and other products. There’s even a product available for training called Fresh Scab that simulates wounds and, yes, fresh scabs.

Bluestar Magnum is a super-duper form of luminol that’s used to detect minute specks of blood, such as those found embedded in the threads of a suspect’s clothing, even after the clothing has been washed.

/by

Weekend Road Trip: Savannah – Off The Beaten Path

Savannah-Off the beaten path

 

It’s 105 degrees in the shade and the tourists stampede the waterfront walkways searching for relief from the heat. The humidity is thick, like a syrupy mist suspended in midair. To escape the panting crowd I took to the back streets, alleys, and side roads. Here’s a part of Savannah that’s behind the curtain.

Two pelicans lounging in the cool, murky waters outside the city.

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting.

/by

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the families of each of these brave officers.

Deputy Sheriff Eddie Wotipka, 51

Harris County Texas Sheriff’s Department

June 10, 2010 – Deputy Eddie Wotipka drowned while attempting to rescue his English Bulldog that had fallen into a canal. Deputy Wotipka’s wife tried to save her husband but was unsuccessful. Bystanders had to use ropes attached to a pickup truck to pull her to safety. One witness said that during his struggle to survive the deputy never let go of his dog.

The bodies of Deputy Wotipka and his dog were later recovered by a dive team.

Deputy Wotipka is survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Thomas P. Coleman, 33

California Highway Patrol

June 11, 2010 – Officer Thomas Coleman was pursuing a traffic violator when his motorcycle crashed into a tractor trailer. He died at the scene.

Officer Coleman leaves behind his wife, two-year-old son, and an eleven-month-old daughter.

Detective Michael Perry, 43

White Plains New York Police Department

June 12, 2010 – Detective Michael Perry suffered a fatal heart attack after chasing, subduing, and arresting a larceny suspect.

Detective Perry is survived by his wife and two sons (pictured above looking on as their father’s casket passes by).

Images – RedlandsDailyFacts and LoHud. Thanks to ODMP.

/by

When Is A Punch To The Face Justified?

Officers have many go-to tools at their disposal for use when arresting unruly suspects, such as pepperspray, batons, firearms, and hand-to-hand techniques. And they’re trained to use those weapons when faced with situations that threaten their safety and the safety of others. Officers are also trained to do what it takes to make a lawful arrest.

This incident in Seattle has raised the eyebrows of many across the nation. An officer was stationed at a particular section of roadway because a local school requested police presence to reduce student jaywalking. As a result, an officer attempted to arrest a 19-year-old woman for a jaywalking offense. She resisted the arrest, and during the struggle a 17-year-old female walked up, began arguing, and then pushed the officer. His response to the girl’s physical contact/assault was a closed-fist punch to the girl’s face.

Both females were arrested.

The question is whether the officer used an appropriate level of force to gain control of the situation. Well, I’ll agree that the video is disturbing, but until you’re in a situation like this officer was in you’ll never understand his response. He was faced with arresting two unruly suspects, one of which had assaulted him. It was obvious that they were not complying with his commands and were trying to flee. He had no idea what their next move would be. He also had to worry with the growing crowd that had begun to close in on him.

The officer was making a legal arrest. So when the first woman began resisting he had the right to use whatever force necessary to effect the arrest, which he was doing. He was using appropriate arrest techniques—joint control and pain compliance. However, when the second female entered the scene and put her hands on the officer, attempting to free her friend, the level of danger escalated, which also called for a higher level of use used by the officer. At this point he would have been justified in using a baton or Taser. In fact, the situation was very close to becoming one where lethal force would have justified. All it takes to cross that line is for the officer to feel that his life was in danger.

Personally, and as a former instructor/instructor trainer of defensive tactics and officer survival, I believe the officer was justified to deliver the strike (based on the video). And I think the suspect is lucky she’s not dealing with the after-effects of baton strikes and searing hot pepperspray. I also think the officer is lucky. The crowd seemed to be a second away from attacking him.

What do you think? Was the officer’s action justified? Should police officers be allowed to punch someone while trying to gain control of the situation? Is it okay to strike combative men, but not women (which has been part of the reaction)?

I do have a question, though. Why wasn’t the first woman, the jaywalker, issued a summons instead of being arrested? That would have prevented the entire situation. However, we’ve only seen the physical part of this scenario. The officer may have attempted to issue a citation and she refused to sign.

On another note, the video may be an illegal video since it includes audio. But that’s an issue for another day.

/by