Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 10/27/17

Officer Marcus Anthony McNeil, 29

New Orleans Louisiana Police Department

October 13, 2017 – Officer Marcus McNeil was shot and killed during a struggle with a suspect. He attempted to use his TASER to gain control of the offender but the man pulled a gun and began firing, striking and killing Officer McNeil.

Officer McNeil is survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Craig E. Lehner, 34

Buffalo New York Police Department

October 13, 2017 – As part of the agency’s Underwater Recovery Team, Officer Craig Lehner drowned during a training exercise in swift water currents. His safety cable broke and he failed to surface. His body was recovered on October 17 after an extensive search effort by several agencies.

Officer Lehner is survived by his mother and sister.

Officer Justin A. Leo, 31

GirardOhio Police Department

October 21, 2017 – Officer Justin Leo was shot and killed after responding to a domestic disturbance. As he approached the suspect, the man pulled a gun and began firing.

Officer Leo is survived by his parents, aunt, and other family members.

Sergeant Michael Shannon Robinson, 48

Christiana Care Health System, Delaware Department of Public Safety

October 12, 2017 – Sergeant Michael Robinson suffered a fatal heart attack after responding to deal with an unruly and combative patient.

Sergeant Robinson is survived by his wife, three children, parents, and two brothers.

Trooper Daniel K. Rebman, 31

South Carolina Highway Patrol

October 24, 2017 – Trooper Daniel Rebman was killed in a vehicle crash when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle.

Trooper Rebman is survived by his wife, three children, parents, and sister.

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Erika Mailman: Before There was Crime Scene Tape … and Lizzie Borden

In 1892, the small mill town of Fall River, Massachusetts, was shaken to its core by the hatchet murders of a prominent citizen, Andrew Borden, and his wife Abby. His daughter (Abby’s stepdaughter) Lizzie Borden was accused of the murders and stood trial a year later. She was acquitted, but the intervening century and a quarter have seen many people convinced of her guilt.

If she was guilty, one of the things that helped her mightily was the way the crime scene was treated. No yellow tape protected the integrity of the scene. A photographer confronted with the body of Mrs. Borden, half hidden by the bed she crawled under to escape the hatchet, simply pulled her out and rearranged her to get a full-body image. No images were taken of the exact position in which she lay.

Curious neighbors felt free to walk through the home and view the corpses. Lizzie, her sister, her uncle, and a friend spent the next few nights in the home where they could have easily tampered with evidence or hidden a weapon better. (The bodies rested in the dining room at least one night until taken away). Officers were posted outside, but no one kept a firm eye on Lizzie. Several days after the murders, she burned one of her dresses in the kitchen stove. Whether covered in blood or not, the dress was part of an active crime scene.

In the trial transcripts, we find proof of what a circus the crime scene was. Witness Thomas Barlow testified that he and a friend went to the Borden house as soon as they’d heard about the murders. They tried to get inside, but weren’t allowed in. So instead, they went to the backyard barn. Lizzie claimed the barn loft as part of her alibi, so this again was an active part of the scene that was not protected as it should have been.

Here’s Barlow:

“Went into the barn and right up to the hayloft. Looked out the west window, then looked in under the hay, and then came downstairs and went out (he and his friend were looking for the murderer!)…Went to the south side of the house; tried to look in window. There were several people looking in the windows.”

Barlow said he stayed at the house, milling around the yard, until dinnertime. He went home to eat and returned to the Borden house, where he stood in the street until midnight.

He and his friend were only boys, which perhaps explains why they couldn’t gain admittance to the house, unlike hundreds of others who gamely tromped through the house. The Borden home is very close to the street, so undoubtedly Lizzie and other family members were well aware of the hooting townspeople clustered on the street watching and waiting for anything worth seeing.

There are so many ways in which the police department didn’t effectively secure the crime scene. An officer admitted that the attic was not searched. Other than maid Bridget Sullivan’s bedroom and another chamber, the attic was basically a wide open space filled with boxes and trunks—the perfect place to hide a weapon. Nor was the kitchen searched, nor the cupboard from which Lizzie plucked the dress she burned. It seems the “female” or “servant” areas were not considered worthy of examination.

A spool of yellow tape could’ve gone a long way for this case.

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, Erika has several Murderer’s Maid events taking place this weekend. In particular, you might enjoy the launch at the (haunted) Pardee Home Museum, 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, 672 11th Street. A rare chance to tour the home after sundown, plus a slideshow of the Borden house (where Erika spent the night last year) and wine, refreshments and book signing. Ticketed event: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3101152?date=1790973

Erika Mailman

Erika Mailman is the author of The Murderer’s Maid: A Lizzie Borden Novel, as well as several other historical novels. Visit www.erikamailman.com.

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Informants: Working the System

Informants: Gotta love-em

It was an extremely difficult and odd case, busting a woman whose brother had snitched on her to protect his own skin. Yep, threw his own flesh and blood under the bus the second the cuffs touched his wrists.

It started when I’d decided to do a little cold-calling, like an old-time door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. Picking the names of a few suspected drug dealers, I paid each of them a visit at their homes. The idea was to knock on the door, tell them my name and that I was a police detective (most already knew), and then ask if I, and my partners, could search their home, looking for drugs and illegal weapons.

You would not believe the number of idiots who say, “Yes, Officer. You may search my home because I’m a fine upstanding citizen and there are absolutely no drugs here. Honest.”

Anyway, I knocked on this guy’s door (let’s call him … ummm … Dumb Jimmy) and offered him my little speech about the drug problem in his neighborhood and that I’d like to search his house, with his permission, of course. I even told him that I suspected him of selling illegal narcotics.

Guess what? Yep … His narrow lips split into a wide grin. Then he said, “Come on in!”

He was unbelievably enthusiastic with the invitation, sounding like a TV game show announcer. “Come on in, Detective Lofland. You have the chance to win two ounces of the finest cocaine money can buy. And … an exciting trip to court! Yes, you and your fellow detectives could win an all expense paid trip to circuit court, where you’ll enjoy the company of some of the best thieves, murderers, and whores in the business! All this and more, IF the search is good.”

So Dumb Jimmy opens the door and waves us inside. The place was extremely neat and very clean. Sparsely furnished. He’d gone for IKEA chic, all blonde wood and solid colors of burlap-type upholstery. A few Ansel Adams prints dotted the walls. The room was open to the kitchen and a small but adequate dining area. The table there was dark walnut, topped with quite a bit of camera equipment. Nothing cheap, either.

Dumb Jimmy’s girlfriend sat on the couch with her feet planted on a glass-topped coffee table, watching TV. Never batted an eyelash in our direction. I understood. The People’s Court had that effect on most viewers—a must see.

I guess she’d forgotten, or didn’t care about the big bag of pot and the large bong sitting not two feet from her blue Converse tennis shoes. I turned to Dumb Jimmy and I kid you not, his first words were, “That’s hers.”

I spun him around to slip the jewelry on his wrists and that’s when he really started spilling his guts. Anything to get out of the mess he’d suddenly found himself in. I found myself wanting to make a deal with his girlfriend. I’d let her go if she’d find me some duct tape for her boyfriend’s mouth. He simply wouldn’t shut up.

“My sister’s got some heroin,” he said. “Acid, too. And probably some pot, mushrooms, and meth.”

“Is that all?” I said. What a dirtbag, rolling over his own sister. I’d meant it as a rhetorical question, but DJ (Dumb Jimmy) hadn’t taken it that way.

“Well, she’s usually got a bunch of Oxy or Percocet …” He scrunched his nose tightly until it looked like a tiny accordion, a gesture that caused his eyes to squint. His nose looked like a tiny accordion and I thought he was going to sneeze, but after a couple seconds passed I realized he was thinking, hard. He was actually trying to come up with even more things his sister had done wrong.

Suddenly, his eyes opened, wide. “Hey, what about Botox? That’s illegal, right? I mean, she shouldn’t be giving those shots to people, should she? Does it at home. Shoots ’em up right there in the living room. She steals the stuff from the doctor she works for. That’s where she gets the pills, too. Got a few of his script pads, too. Keeps them in her room with—“

I stopped him, pulling the Miranda card from my badge case. “I need to read something to you,” I said. “And you need to listen carefully. Then, if you still want to talk to me about your sister, you can.”

DJ nodded his head vigorously. “I want to help. And you’ll help me, right?”

His girlfriend shook her head from side to side, slowly. “What a dumbass,” she said.

I heard one of my partners agree with her. “Not him,” she said. “Me, for staying with that wimp.”

I spent the next several hours listening to DJ ramble on about his sister’s illegal activities, deciding that he was probably being pretty darn truthful. If so, we had a much bigger fish to fry. The prosecutor agreed and a deal was made. If all went as planned, we’d raid the sister’s house, arrest her, and DJ would testify against her in court in exchange for having all his charges dismissed.

Of course, the second the sister opened her front door and saw the search warrant in my hand, she immediately said, “My brother’s holding a lot of cocaine …”

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When Words Fail: More Cop Terminology

Ambient Light – Light that occurs naturally (sunlight, moonlight, etc.).

Angle of Impact – The angle at which a blood drop strikes a surface.

Associative evidence – Evidence that links a person or an item to the scene of a crime.

Ballistics – Study of the motion of projectiles, such as the motion/travel of bullets from the time they leave a firearm until they strike a target.

Binary Explosive – Two chemicals/material/compounds which are not explosive until they are mixed.

Bubble Ring – An outline within a bloodstain caused by air in the blood.

Cartridge – An unfired round of ammunition.

Chain of custody – ensuring evidence is safe and trackable at all times.

Double Base – Smokeless powder containing both nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose.

DOT number − Department of Transportation serial number assigned to every tire sold in the U.S. The ID also provides information regarding the manufacturer, date of manufacture, and tire size.

Furrow – A valley or depression between fingerprint friction ridges.

Homogenization – preparing tissue for analysis by grinding it in water.

Ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) – Handheld chemical detection device used to identify blast material at a bombing site.

Latent − A fingerprint that’s not visible to the naked eye.

Lift − Recovering fingerprints from a crime scene.

Locard’s Exchange Principle – the theory that every person who enters or exits an area deposits and/or removes physical material from the scene.

Loupe – magnifier used for examining fingerprint details.

Magazine – A container for cartridges. Magazines feature a spring to feed individual cartridges into the chamber of a firearm.

Medico-legal death investigation (MDLI) – A medical investigation conducted by trained forensic medical practitioners for the purpose of determining the cause and manner of death.

Plastic Bonded Explosives (PBX) – A high explosive in a pliable plastic form, such s C4.

Post-mortem redistribution – Toxicological phenomenon where drug concentration increases after death.

Report – A loud sound produced by an explosion, such as a gunshot.

Rifling – Grooves carved/imprinted in the interior of a gun barrel. Grooves/rifling cause bullets to spin, an action needed for accuracy and to aid in the flight of the round.

Toxicity – the biological effect of a substance.

Trace evidence – Small quantities of physical evidence.

  • Three classifications of fibers: 1) Natural (animal or plant fibers). 2) Synthetic (manmade materials such as polyester). 3) Manufactured (made from natural materials that are reorganized to create fibers, such as rayon).

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The Death Penalty: Do We Kill Innocent People?

The death penalty has long been a subject of controversy. Some of those against it argue that it’s not our place to take the life of another human, no matter how heinous the crime. Others say the process amounts to cruelty akin to torture. And, there’s the claim that innocent men and women could be executed, especially when taking into account the number of people released from death row—160—after evidence proved their innocence.

Not long ago, condemned inmate Clayton Lockett was strapped to a gurney and subsequently administered the drugs that were supposed to kill him, in a humane manner—the first drug should sort of put the inmate to sleep while the others that follow end his/her life. Well, what followed the introduction of medications was evidence of all that could go wrong during an execution. Lockett gasped, wheezed, writhed, breathed heavily, and lifted his head. Remember, the process is supposed to be humane, right?

In 1994, I witnessed the execution of Timothy W. Spencer, the serial killer nicknamed The Southside Strangler. Spencer was put to death via the electric chair. I was told ahead of time by prison officials that the process was a totally nonviolent and extremely humane way “to go.” Well, it wasn’t. Not even close.

After Spencer was strapped to the chair by the “death squad,” who also attached the electrical leads, one to his head and the other to a leg, he was hit by two jolts of electricity. The first caused Spencer’s body to swell and lurch forward against the restraints. Had he not been tightly fastened to the oak chair, I’m almost certain the strong electrical shock would have propelled his body forward and then down to the concrete floor where he’d have flopped about like a fish out of water.

The second surge of electrical current was the one that left an impression in my mind, even after all these years. In fact, it left a permanent etch in my senses—taste, smell, sight, and sound. Again, his body swelled, but this time smoke began to rise from Spencer’s head and leg. A sound similar to bacon frying could be heard over the hum of the electricity. Fluids rushed from behind the leather mask covering his face. The unmistakable pungent odor of burning flesh filled the room.

After a wait of five minutes, the prison doctor placed his stethoscope against Spencer’s chest, and then said, “Warden, this man has expired.” By the way, the wait time was to allow the body time to cool off enough so the doctor wouldn’t burn himself.

Maybe it’s just me, but that process—death by electric chair—was far more troubling than to see someone moan, writhe, and breathe heavy. Still, suffering is suffering, no matter the form.

The Death Penalty: Do We Kill Innocent People?

Going back to the number of people released from death row after their innocence had been proven … is it possible that prison officials have killed innocent people? Sure it is, and the post conviction proceedings to prove one’s innocence is a massive uphill battle. But Ray Krone and his attorneys did just that … after Ray served 10 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit.

Actually, according to Witness To Innocence, the average amount of time an exonerated death row survivor spends behind bars is approximately 10 years. What about the prisoners who were executed during those 10 years? How many of them were killed while the real killers live among us?

Okay, I strayed a bit, but I can’t help but think about Ray and his story each time an inmate is executed.

The so-called botched execution of Clayton Lockett brought the death penalty back into the spotlight. President Obama asked his attorney general to look into the matter of Lockett’s execution, and others. He called Lockett’s execution “troubling,” and he expressed concern that death penalty sentences may be racially biased and that those sentences may be unevenly applied. Let’s have a look at the stats.

 

According to the Death Penalty Information Center:

Since 1976, 1463 death row prisoners have been executed.

– 55.8% of prisoners executed were white

– 34.4% African American

– 8.2% Hispanic

– 1.6% other

 

Race of Victims in Death Penalty Cases

– 76% were White

– 15% African American

– 7% Hispanic

– 2% other

 

Currently, there are 2843 inmates on death row.

 

Death row inmates by race:

White – 42%

Black – 42%

Hispanic – 13%

Other – 3%

Total number of death row prisoners exonerated = 160

So why does the U.S. execute murderers? Does the threat of execution prevent people from committing murder? Does it stop serial killers from doing what they do? Or, do we execute merely as a form of Lex Talionis, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Well, according to a survey of Midwest presidents of the country’s top academic criminological societies, 88% of the experts polled rejected the idea that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. (Radelet & Lacock, 2009)

You tell me, is it time to stop executing killers? Or, are we not killing them fast enough?

Do you care that a certain amount of suffering sometimes takes place during lethal injections and electrocutions? Is it worth the risk of killing an innocent person, like Ray Krone, to give the population some sort of satisfaction and/or closure?

Could you “pull the switch”, knowing there’s a possibility that the person in “the chair” is innocent?

Jerry Givens, a former executioner for the Commonwealth of Virginia—the man who executed the death row inmate I saw put to death—best put this subject into perspective when he said, “If I execute an innocent person, I’m no better than the people on death row.”

Givens, after executing 62 people, now strongly opposes the death penalty.

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Fingerprints Know and See Everything … and They’re Gonna Tell!

What if police could learn the habits, lifestyles, and even which type of shampoos, deodorants, drugs and the foods consumed by criminals? Would that sort of information be useful in a criminal investigation?

Well, duh … Certainly it could be helpful to know this sort of information. After all, suppose a murder occurs  on your beat. At the scene you discover the following:

  • The killer eats garlic.
  • The killer touched a condom.
  • The killer uses SPURT shampoo
  • The killer uses Funkaway deodorant.

Since you’ve patrolled this beat for 36 years you know a crook who regularly dines at Gambillo’s Garlic House and Diva Drag Queen Review (home of the tastiest garlic ice cream on the planet). Oh, and it is widely known on the streets that Gary Gambillio, the proprietor, is a cocaine dealer who also runs a brothel in the rear of the restaurant.

So how did your stellar detecting skills help you learn of the killer’s use of SPURT, a flowery new shampoo? What about Funkaway, the deodorant that fights underarm nastiness for up to 87 hours? The garlic. Cocaine? A condom? How did you know?

Easy … you found a single fingerprint and on that print you found traces of garlic, condom lubricant, the shampoo, cocaine use (not merely handling, but actual consumption of the drug), the deodorant and, well, a lot more.

Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Profiling

Yes, scientists have discovered a method of examining fingerprints that helps map a criminal’s lifestyle. The technology—Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Profiling (MALDI-MSI and MALDI-MSP)— was developed by Sheffield Hallam University researchers.

Using the technology, officials are able to track a criminal’s activities and even quite a bit of his lifestyle prior to committing the crime. And the information is all there for the taking, sitting along fingerprint ridges.

So, when you go to Mr. Bad Guy’s home to chat about the murder that occurred last night, the one in the apartment next door to the home of Mr. Bad Guy, you notice a grocery receipt on the coffee table. Item number one – Funkaway deodorant. Item two – A jumbo size bottle of SPURT. Next to the receipt is a matchbook from Gambillo’s Garlic House and Diva Drag Queen Review. Not a foot away is package of new condoms and small bag of cocaine.

Therefore, being an extremely savvy detective, you allow the loop inside your mind to play. SPURT, Funkaway, garlic, cocaine, condom, murder next door … DING, DING, DING, we have a killer!

Dancing print

 

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Are Rifles Really the Weapon of Choice Among Murderers?

In 2016, the number of murders in the U.S. rose by 8.6% over the 2015 tally. Overall, violent crime increased over 4%.

Since there’s a lot of talk about assault rifles being a favored weapon of choice among killers, let’s take a moment to examine the number of people murdered with rifles of any kind (Remember, most rifles described as assault rifles are merely everyday rifles wearing fancy do-dads—no extra firepower, etc.).

Each of the above rifles is a Mini-14. They are the same rifle with the same firepower.

In 2016, 17,250 people were murdered. Of the 17,250, 374 victims were shot and killed with a rifle of some type. In comparison, 1,604 people were killed with knives or other edged weapons. Hands, feet, and fists were the instruments used to beat to death 656 people. That’s right, victims were beaten to death far more often than were shot and killed with rifles.

Illinois, for example, saw a total of 941 murders in 2016. Of the 941, only 14 were killed with some type of rifle.

61 were killed with an edged weapon. 62 with “other” weapons. 19 by hands, feet, etc. 780 by handgun or other type of firearm. 762 of the total killings in Illinois occurred in Chicago, by the way.

 

Murders by Rifle (a few random states)

Alabama – 0 by rifle (3 total murders)

California – 37 by rifle (1930 total murders)

District of Columbia – 0 by rifle (136 total murders)

Georgia – 20 by rifle (646 total murders)

Nevada – 2 by rifle (209 total murders)

New York – 2 by rifle (628 total murders).

Texas – 51 by rifle (1459 total murders)

Wyoming – 0 by rifle (19 total murders).

Also in 2016, 57,180 police officers were assaulted. 118 of those officers were killed.

 

Over 32% of the attacks against officers occurred while responding to disturbance calls, with 13.2% of those assaults taking place between the hours of midnight and 2 a.m.

 

62 of the 118 officers were killed with firearms.

19 officers were within five-feet of their attackers when they were killed.

45 of the individuals who killed officers had prior criminal records.

*Source – FBI UCR reports

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Priorities: Fire, Red Rubber Balls, and Family

Priority: a thing regarded as having more importance than that of another.

As the Atlas fire, the inferno here in Northern California that destroyed over 50,000 acres, crept closer and closer to our neighborhood, Denene and I were forced to decide what to take with us should we need to evacuate. Clearly, a few of our priorities differed … greatly.

Denene remained fixated on family photos, antique silverware, important papers, clothing, and the like. Me, I went straight for the meat … books. Realizing, of course, I couldn’t take all the reading material lining our shelves, I selected three. Two are antiques that mean quite a bit to me. The third was a signed book with a personal inscription. I have several signed books and they’re each extremely valuable, but this one has special significance.

Next, I carefully wrapped and packed three rocks. Two of the stones came from Mt. St. Helens. The third is a rock featuring a hand-painted image of Barney Fife. My daughter painted it for me.

I selected a small airplane made from tongue depressors and a narrow piece of wood. Tyler, my grandson, made it for me when he was super young. An antique carpenter’s level, Jew’s harp, and an old and quite rusty Ballantine beer opener also found their way into my “go bag.” They belonged to my grandfather. A paperweight my father gave me when I first became a detective, drawing supplies, a hat gifted to me by a friend, an item signed by the Oak Ridge Boys, and my name/desk plates (police) from my old office. Each of those things went straight into my case.

Of course, when the time came to leave our home I also grabbed photos, computers, chargers, cash, and checkbooks. And yes, our entire family of Alexas and Echo tagged along, as did Dead Red Fred who, by the way, was in a huge hurry to leave. All his life he’s had a fear of being melted down and made into a little red rubber ball.

But, we’re back home now, all safe and sound. I greatly appreciate all the well-wishes and prayers. I also deeply appreciate the outstanding efforts of the firefighters, police, sheriff’s deputies, air support, CHP, National Guard, and others who worked around the clock to save as much property and as many lives as possible.

Priorities

I also thank you for the thoughts and prayers for our daughter who underwent emergency surgery last week. She’s recovering from that procedure but the situation is ongoing, and serious. We appreciate your continued prayers. The same for Denene’s mother. Her situation is ongoing and serious. My brother is scheduled for surgery in a few weeks.

My priorities remain with my family.

“Things,” signed books and rocks and airplanes and yes, even Dead Red Fred, can all be replaced.

#Priorities #SorryDeadRedFred

Priority: a “thing” regarded as having more importance than that of another.

I suppose the level of importance depends upon where and with whom in your mind the “thing” lives.

 

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A Crime Writer’s Mini Dictionary: E – F

Has your protagonist ever been at a loss for the right words? Do her fans believe what she’s saying? Well, to help prevent those embarrassing moments, here are a few terms that might help when she’s out and about in Fictionville.

E.

EC – Emergency Contact

EDP – Emotionally Disturbed Person

Eight Ball – 1/8th ounce of cocaine/meth/crack (3.5 grams).

Eighth Amendment – Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bails and fines.

Embezzlement – Fraudulent appropriation of property or funds to one’s own use. It is a larceny.

En Banc – A matter that’s considered by the full court, such as all judges of an appellate court rather than only one or two.

Entrapment – Defense which excuses a defendant from criminal activity because that illegal activity was a result of government persuasion/trickery.

Erroist – Someone who repeatedly makes mistakes. A true dumbass.

ERT – Evidence Eradication Team (Fire and EMS personnel when they arrive on and trample the scene of, well, anything).

Exclusionary Rule – Prohibits the introduction of evidence acquired by improper or illegal police action (improper search and seizure, etc.).

Hamilton One 033

Extradition – The surrender by one state to another of an accused or convicted person. A state governor has the right to demand the return of a person/suspect as long as probable cause of a crime exists.

Eye Socket Stabilization – Nickname for the self defense tactic where the victim uses their fingers to gouge the eyes of an attacker. Very effective.

 

F.

Fact-finder – Judge or jury charged with determining the facts of a court proceeding.

FADAR – Sitting on the side of the road giving the appearance of running radar, but with absolutely no intention of stopping a car. It’s a great tactic for reducing the speed of travelers. It’s also a great time to read a few pages from a favorite novel.

False Arrest – Unlawful restraint of one’s personal liberty.

Hamilton One 019

FD – Fire Department

Felony – A high/serious crime typically punishable by imprisonment (in prison, not jail), or death.

Felony Blue – When the chemical in a field test kit for cocaine turns blue. A positive result.

Fighting Words – Words that incite violence and breach of the peace, and that cause injury.

Fire Bomb – Any container of flammable material such as gasoline and/or kerosene or other chemical compound, and having a wick composed of any material which is capable of igniting the contained flammable material.

Flight – Leaving or concealment/hiding to avoid arrest.

Forcible Entry – Entering the property of another without that person’s permission. In some areas a mere trespass is considered forcible entry.

Fourth Amendment – Prohibits unreasonable search and seizure.

Fratricide – The killing of one’s brother.

FTD – Fixing To Die (used, particularly in the south, when describing a severely injured victim of a vehicle crash).“Rescue is on the way to the ER with the driver, but he’s FTD.”

Fresh Pursuit (Hot Pursuit) – An immediate, ongoing chase of a fleeing criminal suspect who is attempting to avoid capture. During a fresh pursuit officers may cross jurisdictional boundaries and they’re permitted to make an arrest of the fleeing subject without a warrant.

FTA – Failure To Appear (miss a court date).

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 10/13/17

Officer Floyd East, Jr., 48

Texas Tech University Police Department

October 9, 2017 – Officer Floyd East was shot and killed while questioning a narcotics suspect. During the questioning the suspect pulled a .45 caliber pistol and shot Officer East in the back of the head, stole his body cam, and then fled. He was captured a short while later.

Officer East is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Corrections Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden, 50

North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, Pasquotank Correctional Institute

October 12, 2017 – Corrections Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden was killed during an escape attempt by prisoners.

Officer Justin Smith, 35

North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, Pasquotank Correctional Institute

October 12, 2017 – Officer Justin Smith was killed during an escape attempt by prisoners.

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