CCJA Quickfire Recap: First Week of August

Aug. 10, 2014
Officer.com and the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy present the top stories from this week.

It can be hard to keep up with all of the news that occurs on a daily basis.

Because of this, Officer.com and the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy present the "Quickfire Weekly Recap."

Here are some of the stories you may have missed that ran on our site this week:

Weekend (Aug. 1-3)

A man was shot and killed after he fired at St. Paul, Minn. police officers who pulled him over on suspicion of carjacking Sunday afternoon.

Police spotted the vehicle and attempted a high-risk stop when the suspect opened fire on police, who returned fire.

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy accidentally shot and killed a man during a hostage situation early Saturday.

The deputy mistook Frank Mendoza for the suspect a during an 8-hour standoff that ended with SWAT officers storming his home to rescue his wife and kill the suspect.

The man accused of murdering a Mendota Heights, Minn. police officer reportedly told an officer from a hospital bed, "Just to let you know, I hate cops and I'm guilty."

Brian George Fitch Sr. was charged with murder, attempted murder and a host of gun and assault charges in the death of Officer Scott Patrick.

Ventura, Calif. police shot and wounded a reckless driver who hit an officer with his vehicle Sunday afternoon as he fled from a traffic stop.

One of the officers was speaking to the driver, when the suspect accelerated backwards, hitting a vehicle behind him before accelerating forward and striking the officer with his vehicle as he fled.

Monday (Aug. 4)

The mistaken killing of a man by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy during a hostage standoff has sparked a new debate on the oversight of the agency.

The debate centers on how much authority the department's independent inspector general should have in investigating deputy conduct.

A scathing DOJ report concluded that New York City's juvenile jails are extremely violent and unsafe.

The 2 1/2-year investigation found that the violence stems from a deeply ingrained culture of violence in which corrections officers routinely violate constitutional rights of teenage inmates and subject them to "rampant use of unnecessary and excessive force."

Pittsburgh police officers are taking to the streets to combat an uptick in homicides this year.

Thirteen officers will walk patrols beginning next week in the eastern neighborhoods of the city that make up the Zone 5 police district, which has seen 17 of the city's 44 homicides.

A Bernalillo County, N.M. Sheriff's deputy fatally shot a suspect while trapped in his cruiser.

Officials say that the man rammed the officer's vehicle and then approached the officer, who was trapped inside.

Tuesday (Aug. 5)

Two Cincinnati police officers fought for their lives after a man exited a vehicle and attacked them during a traffic stop.

A Taser was used on the suspect, but had no effect on the man. After the suspect pulled out a firearm, six shots were fired by the officers, two of which hit the man who was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A man accused of the 2011 homicide of a U.S. Marshal pled guilty in federal court.

Lamont Deshawn Byrd pled to the charge of first-degree murder of an officer of the United States in the June 2, 2011 slaying of Special Deputy Warren Basco "Sneak" Lewis III.

A suspect fatally shot himself while in custody inside a Baltimore Police station.

Officials say that the man was able to conceal a "high-caliber" handgun, which he shot himself with while inside the Southwestern District police station.

A fugitive assaulted a Delaware State Police K-9 as troopers tried to arrest the man.

Officials say that troopers responded to a home in Bowers Beach to assist probation officers find Robert N. Berry when the man allegedly hit K-9 Ripper after being located in the attic. The K-9 recovered and bit Berry's leg until troopers could take him into custody.

Wednesday (Aug. 6)

Thousands filled the sanctuary and the grounds outside a West St. Paul, Minn. church and to honor a fallen Mendota Heights police officer.

Officer Scott Patrick's funeral was followed by an 8-mile procession to his final resting place at Acacia Park Cemetery.

A Delaware State Police trooper was saved by his bulletproof vest after being shot by a suspect.

Troopers were looking for 21-year-old Nathaniel Greenlee when they attempted to execute a search warrant at his last known address when his father, John Greenlee, allegedly opened fire.

A Phoenix police officer is currently caring for five newborn kittens found abandoned in a dumpster late last month.

Officer Heather Krimm attempted to place the kittens with a local Emergency Animal Clinic, but the clinic could not take them. She will care for them until a foster family can be found and they can be put up for adoption.

High ranking police officials in Columbus, Ohio now are now subject to random drug tests.

The city's public safety officials hope the move will increase accountability and trust within the department.

Thursday (Aug. 7)

Two children taken from a Philadelphia-area home after a woman was slain were found safe in New York City, and a man in a vehicle that was sought by police was found dead.

Drexel Hill police say that the man killed 28-year-old Christina Belajonas before taking her two young sons.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck is under fire over the department's acquisition of a horse belonging to his daughter.

The LAPD spent $6,000 on a 10-year-old quarter horse named George earlier this year for its equestrian unit. Police commissioners said they approved the deal without knowing the horse was owned by Brandi Pearson, Beck's daughter and an officer with the department.

The chief of the Evesham, Pa. Police Department says that, so far, body cameras have become a "game changer" for his department.

Police Chief Christopher Chew reported that his officers have recorded 3,705 incidents while on patrol in the two weeks since they began wearing the cameras.

Friday (Aug. 8)

A seventh person has been charged in a 2010 border shootout that left a U.S. Border Patrol agent dead.

Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez faces federal charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery and attempted robbery in connection with the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

A toddler slipping through slats in the gate on the perimeter of the White House caught the eyes of Secret Service agents Thursday night.

Officials jokingly said that the child was given a "timeout" before he was returned to his parents.

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