Saturday, October 27, 2012

Louise Slaughter Didn't Care.

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter
By Davy V.

With Elections coming up, I just wanted people to know why I DO NOT support Congresswoman Louise Slaughter.

And  why I WILL NOT be voting for her.

In the 1990's, while the Rochester, NY Police was harassing and intimidating my dad Mario Vara daily, as a result of his work as a community activist against police misconduct and corruption, I personally wrote Congresswoman Louise Slaughter several Certified letters begging her to please do something.

I pleaded with her to please intervene and please do something, since Rochester, NY City officials refused to do anything about the RPD abusing my family.

LOUISE SLAUGHTER NEVER REPLIED.

She didn't care.

As many of you who follow my work as an activist and writer exposing police misconduct and corruption, know, my Dad Mario Vara committed suicide, after more than a year of the Rochester, NY Police department harassing and intimidating him.

LOUISE SLAUGHTER NEVER REPLIED.

She didn't care.

What the RPD did to my Dad is perhaps the worst thing that someone can do to a person.

Worse than any beating.

They broke him down psychologically.

They are very good at that.

All law enforcement is.

This went on for at least a year.

It got worse.

Finally it got to the point where my Dad stopped going to rallies and events.

My Dad who had always been an outgoing man so full of energy and passion would barely socialize at all.

I will never forget that loud bang.

He killed himself in his bedroom.


LOUISE SLAUGHTER NEVER REPLIED.

She didn't care.

As my dad's body was being brought out in a bag, RPD investigator Lou Alletto, along with several RPD officers stood outside the house on Child Street and laughed as they smoked cigarettes.

I will never forget that. It was the beginning of who I am now, and of what I decided to do... Never stop exposing the Rochester, NY Police department.

In the end the Rochester, NY Police department won.

They hated my Dad and they succeeded at what they set out to do which was making his life so miserable that he gave up.

If you think about it, the RPD bullied my dad, until he took his life.

I always think when I hear about these kids who take their lives because they have so much pain as a result of being bullied, just how bad is that pain is, where one wants out.

And now I see just how bad it was for my Dad in the end.

And I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT LOUISE SLAUGHTER, LIKE A TYPICAL POLITICIAN NEVER REPLIED.

LOUISE SLAUGHTER DIDN'T CARE.





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If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

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Saturday, October 20, 2012

Caught on Video: Nebraska Police officer Shoots and Kills Family Dog Then Washes Away Evidence!


By Davy V.

I found this story on Copblock.org, one of the sites I write for, and I was disgusted to see yet another innocent family pet, executed by a trigger-happy police officer.

The incident took place in the Village of Lyman, Nebraska, a small town with a population of about 340.

Bos, an 18-month old Rottweiler, got out of his kennel on Saturday September 22, 2012 while his family were away.

Bos's owner gets a phone call from his brother-in-law, who tellse him that after having heard several gunshots, he went to check on the house, where he found Bos dead.

Bos's owner races home to find his beloved dog laying in the grass next to his kennel.

He then reviewed his home surveillance cameras which captured the entire incident on video.

According to Bos's owner, his dog was seen wandering around his yard, but never attempted to bite anyone.

WARNING!.. The video is extremely graphic and disturbing.

The video shows officer Huffman coming up to Bos, who is seen attempting to move away from the officer when he is shot from the rear.

Bos is then seen spinning in circles while Hufman shoots him a total of 4 more times at point blank range.

Huffman is then seen dragging Bos's body away, then he gets a hose and washes away the blood, as in to clean the crime scene.

According to Bos's owner, officer Huffman has a long history of misconduct, including being named in a lawsuit where he was accused of shooting an unarmed man who attempted to run.

I am trying to get more information on this incident, including the exact twon/city where this occured as well as the police department and full name of officer Huffman.

I will be updating this post as I get more information.

Contact the Village of Lyman, Nebraska at (308) 787-1444

Click play to watch the video. WARNING!.. The video is extremely graphic and disturbing.




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If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

I'm Honored to be Joining Photography Is Not A Crime, not Just a Great Site, but a Movement!

By Davy V.

It's official!

Carlos Miller, the founder of Photography Is Not A Crime, 'PINAC', has asked me to join his great site, and bring my experience as an activist, writer/blogger exposing police misconduct and demanding police accountability, to PINAC.

Photography Is Not A Crime covers incidents where law enforcement officers believe they are above the law, by violating citizens' First Amendment Rights, including our rights to photograph and videotape them.

Since launching PINAC in 2007, Carlos Miller and his blog have been mentioned in ABC News, NBC Washington, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Chicago Sun Times, The Miami Herald, USA Today, NPR's Talk of the Nation, and the list goes on.

In 2010, PINAC won the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Best of Blog Award for "Best Overall Blog," beating out almost 200 other local blogs.

Last January, Carlos Miller was named one of Miami's Best Bloggers by the Miami New Times.

Many of you will remember Emily Good, the Rochester, NY woman who was arrested by Rochester, NY Police officer Mario Masic, for videotaping him and other RPD officers conducting a racially profiled traffic stop of an African-American motorist.

Carlos Miller was the first to take Emily Good's story international, then all other news media outlets followed suit.

Carlos Miller is not only a professional writer, he is also a very good friend.

I am honored and very excited to have been asked to be a part of PINAC!

I ask all my followers and supporters of my work, including all the readers of my blog "Davy V." to be excited along with me, and check out Photography Is Not A Crime, 'PINAC', not only a great site, but a movement!

I will still continue my blog here, that will not change.

I'm honored to have been asked to be a part of PINAC, a great site, which I have always been a fan of.

Carlos Miller is currently getting ready to unveil the all-new PINAC site!

Stay Tuned!

Again the all-new PINAC will be unveiled soon... here's the link:
http://www.photographyisnotacrime.com/


Here is a 2011 interview in Miami, Florida for PINAC.


Monday, October 15, 2012

Rochester, NY Police officers Make Fun of Mentally-ill Person then Post Video on Internet with Title "Name that Crackhead!"

By Davy V.

At first, it looks like any other amateur-shot cell phone video.

An African-American man is seen in a martial arts uniform, going through different stances and motions.

But it's not in a dojo class, it's on a Rochester, NY city street.

Titled "Name that Crackhead", the 30 second video, shot by Rochester, NY Police officer Antonio Gonzalez, is the latest in a pattern of the Rochester Police department being caught, on-duty, goofing off, on tax-payer time.

In the background, an RPD officer shines his flashlight on the man, as other officers can be heard laughing, and singing the song "Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting."

After shooting the video, RPD officer Antonio Gonzalez posted it on the internet.

While to some, this may seem harmless, it's actually disturbing, for several reasons...

First, lets address the obvious here.

The African-American man, or, as RPD officer Gonzalez refers to him in the clip's title as "Crackead", dressed in martial arts uniform on a City street, late at night, is obviously a person who is a drug addict, and possibly some menal health issues as well.

For some reason, the RPD officers came in contact with this individual.

Why?

We don't know.

What we do know is that instead of assisting this man, whether it's making sure he's mentally stable, possibly getting him some sort of mental health evaluation, or perhaps some drug counseling/intervention assistance, these Rochester Police officers are actually ridiculing, and exploting this man's condition, for their entertainment purposes.

And perhaps even more disturbing is how several Rochester, NY Police officers posted the following comments in reference to the video.

First, Rochester, NY Police officer Antonio Gonzalez, again the officer who shot the video names it "Name that Crackhead!"

Then, Rochester, NY Police officer Josue Traverzo writes "Hint, can find him at 580 Jeff.", referring to where this man can be located.

And then, yet another RPD officer, Luis F. Hernandez, writes "LMAO!!!"

Then, RPD officer Traverzo writes "Ask him to breakdance next time. Does a mean up rock."

And lastly, an individual named Johnny Mitrovits writes "HAHA I haven't seen Chucky in forever!! need to do a ride-along soon!"

Not only is this unprofessional, as it's unbecoming of what police should be, but it's unethical.

Below, is the Rochester, NY Police department's Code of Ethics:

AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect  the Constitutional rights of all persons to liberty, equality and justice.

I WILL keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided in me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I WILL never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without
fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.

I RECOGNIZE the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession… law enforcement.

Well, let's see...

Can you figure out how many of these 'ethics' these officers violated by videotaping a drug addicted, mentally-ill person, ridiculing him, then posting the video on the internet?

Note: Rochester, NY Police officer Antonio Gonzalez is one of 7 RPD officers who executed Izzy Andino, a mentally-ill young man in Rochester this past June.

I have placed a call to Rochester, NY Police Public Information officer Sgt. Justin Collins asking for comment and will update as soon as I hear back from him.

Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/davyvara

Click play to see video




If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

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Rochester, NY Police department K-9 Unit Sgt. Greg Kelly Hangs The Phone Up On Me, after I ask him for the Name of RPD officer Caught on Video Kicking her K-9 Partner

Rochester, NY Police officer
kicking her K-9 partner.
By Davy V.

As most of you know by now, I broke the news of the Rochester, NY Police officer who was caught on video kicking her K-9 partner on Saturday October 6, 2012 on Veterans Place in Rochester, NY.

In the video, the officer, who Rochester Police Spokesman Sgt. Justin Collins still hasn't released her name to me, can be seen walking with her K-9 partner on her left side, when all of a sudden, the officer kicks the dog on it's right rib cage area.

Afterwards, the dog seems to be scared, as it puts its head down, and its tail between its legs.

After contacting Rochester, NY Police department Public Information officer Sgt. Justin Collins,
I was told that the RPD would not be releasing the officer's name, and that they were treating the incident as a "personell matter."

"At this time, the RPD is not releasing the officer's name as it's a personnel matter, if there is something that doesn't follow in the standards of the RPD, then there will be some action taken. This either fits in our standard, or it doesn't," said RPD Public Information officer Sgt. Justin Collins.

On Friday, October 12th, I filed a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request with the City of Rochester asking for the officer's name.

The request is pending.

A retired law enforcement officer, who is a follower and supporter of my work, contacted me to tell me that the City of Rochester and the RPD may use a very well known "stall tactic", which is deny my FOIL request, since the matter is under investigation.

This morning I called the Rochester, NY Police department's Special Operations Division, located at 261 Child St. on Rochester's west side.

This is where the RPD's Tactical and K-9 Units are located.

I was informed by the receptionist that Sgt. Greg Kelly was the K-9 unit's supervisor, and she transferred me to him.

Rochester, NY Police Sgt. Greg Kelly answers the phone, and this was the conversation:


Sgt. Kelly:       Good morning Sgt. Kelly.

Me:                 Good morning Sgt., this is Davy Vara, and I'm calling you in regards to one of your
                       officers who was caught on video kicking her K-9 partner, Can you give me her
                       name sir?

Sgt. Kelly:        No I will not.

Me:                  Can I ask you sir, why not?

Sgt. Kelly:        No you may not.

Sgt. Kelly:        Have a good day Mr. Vara


RPD Sgt. Greg Kelly then hangs up the phone on me.

I will be updating this post.

Contact the Rochester, NY Police department's K-9 Unit at (585) 428-6714

or Rochester, NY Police Chief at (585) 428-7033

Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/davyvara

Click play to see video

                                    

If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

All donations are secure and are through PayPal.

If you don't have a PayPal account, after you enter the amount you wish to donate, look for "Don't have a Paypal account?" on bottom left side and click "continue."

Thank you.



K-9's Oath

I will lay down my life for you,
and expect nothing but love in return.
I protect my officer with my life,
and would gladly take a bullet in his place.
I am sent in to find lost children,
and fugitives on the run.
I find drugs and weapons and even bombs.
I am the first sent in,
and sometimes the last to leave.
I am the nose and ears of my officer.
I will protect and serve you.
I would die for you.
I only ask for compassion and a kind word.



Sunday, October 14, 2012

Rochester, NY Police officer Thomas Rodriguez has a Long History of Abusing Innocent Citizens, and being Named in Lawsuits

Rochester, NY Police officer Thomas Rodriguez
leaving Federal Court after being named in one
of many Civil Rights violations lawsuits.
By Davy V.

Why does the City of Rochester, NY and the Rochester Police department continue to employ rogue, abusive officers?

Throughout the years, City of Rochester officials, namely former Mayors William Johnson, Robert Duffy, and current Mayor Thomas Richards, have been well aware of certain rogue, problem officers on the RPD, yet have refused to get rid of them.

Take, for example, Rochester Police officer Thomas Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is one of those officers with a long history of abusing and violating citizen's civil rights.

In 1997, RPD officer Thomas Rodriguez attacked a man who was handcuffed to a hospital gurney.

Rodriguez placed his hands around the man's neck and was strangling him, when luckily, a nurse who was treating the man, returned to the room, and saw Rodriguez, who immediately released the man and jumped back.

Later, when the man brought a civil action against the City of Rochester and officer Thomas Rodriguez, despite having been subpoeaned, the nurse refused to testify.

The man's attorney believed Rodriguez had intimidated her in an attempt to have her not show up in court to testify.

In another incident, on August 31, 2002, 30-year old Lawrence Rogers, a mentally-ill, African-American father, was running around in his briefs in the parking lot of Wegmans food supermarket on Rochester's west side.

Less than 10 minutes later, Rochester, NY Police officer Thomas Rodriguez was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene.

Thomas Rodriguez proceeded to beat Rogers, then placed his knee, and all of his weight on the back of Rogers' neck.

Less than one hour after being beaten by Rodriguez, Lawrence Rogers was pronounced dead at Rochester General hospital.

On the streets, Rodriguez is known as a police officer with a very short, explosive temper.

Rochester, NY residents Christopher Kawolsky and Anne Marie Sanders know this firsthand.

Last week, a settlement was announced in yet another lawsuit against the City if Rochester, NY, naming RPD officer Thomas Rodriguez.

In May of 2007, Kawolsky called 911 after a man was allowing his pit bull to run freely in the parking lot of the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, where Kawolsky and Sanders work, as the theatre was emptying.

According to a lawsuit filed in Federal court, the dog's owner threatened Kawolsky, then tied his dog to a nearby street sign.

Rochester, NY Police officers Thomas Rodriguez and James C. Hall responded, but refused to arrest the dog's owner for threatening Kowalsky.

It soon became apparent that the officers had an animosity towards Christopher Kawolsky, as a result of Kawolsky having previously complained to RPD Westside Commander Huff, regarding the officers' lack of addressing problem issues in the downtown Rochester neighborhood.

When Christopher Kowalsky insisted that something be done in regards to the dog owner having threatened him, RPD officer James C. Hall told him "You're the one I should be arresting."

According to the lawsuit, Hall then aggresively grabbed Kowalsky from behind and handcuffed him.

When Anne Marie Sanders asked Hall why he was arresting Kowalsky, Hall pushed Sanders, who weighed only approx. 100 lbs., into officer Thomas Rodriguez.

Rodriguez then grabbed Sanders and body slammed her to the ground, hancuffed her and placed her in the back of an RPD cruiser, where she was left unattended for 45 minutes.

Rochester police officers Thomas Rodriguez and James C. Hall then charged Christopher Kowalsky with two misdemeanors; harassing the dog owner and failure to disperse with intent to cause a public disturbance.

Both charges were later dismissed in court.

Anne Marie Sanders was charged with harassing the officers and obstructing governmental administration, she was later given an Adjournment in comtemplation of dismissal (ACD).

As I have written about countless times before, what started as a citizen calling Rochester police for assistance, quickly turned into RPD officers Thomas Rodriguez and James C. Hall assaulting, arresting and violating their civil rights.

And so, the City of Rochester settles yet another lawsuit of misconduct and Civil rights violations on behalf of its officers, and it's back to business as usual when it comes to problem officers such as Thomas Rodriguez, who despite City officials being fully aware of his history, they refuse to do anything about it.

Note:

Less than two years after the incident involving Kowalsky and Sanders, Rochester, NY Police officer James C. Hall was arrested and charged with several felonies in connection with his theft of more than $240,000 in sales tax.

Despite Rochester's news media never reporting that a Rochrester, NY Police officer was arrested for tax evasion, someone sent me the following link:

http://www.tax.ny.gov/press/rel/2011/hall011111.htm


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If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

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Thank you.




Friday, October 12, 2012

FOIL Request Filed After Rochester, NY Police department Refuses to Release Name of officer Caught on Video Kicking her K-9 Partner

Rochester, NY Police officer Kicking her K-9 Partner.
By Davy V.

This afternoon, I filed a FOIL (Freedom Of Information Law) request with the City of Rochester, NY, requesting the name of the Rochester, NY Police officer caught on video kicking her K-9 partner on Saturday, October 6, 2012 on Veterans Place in Rochester.

In the video, the officer, can be seen walking with her K-9 partner on her left side, when all of a sudden, she kicks the dog's rib cage.

The kick startles the dog, who appears to be scared, as it puts its head down, and its tail between its legs.

The Rochester, NY Police department is refusing to release the name of the RPD officer who was caught on video kicking her K-9 partner over the weekend.

"At this time, the RPD is not releasing the officer's name as it's a personnel matter, if there is something that doesn't follow in the standards of the RPD, then there will be some action taken. This either fits in our standard, or it doesn't," said RPD Public Information officer Sgt. Justin Collins.

I will updating this post.

Contact the Rochester, NY Police department's K-9 Unit at (585) 428-6714
or Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard at (585) 428-7033

Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/davyvara


Click link for video of Rochester, NY Police officer kicking her K-9 partner!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZbETFby1eI

Or Click Play to see video


If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

All donations are secure and are through PayPal.

If you don't have a PayPal account, after you enter the amount you wish to donate, look for "Don't have a Paypal account?" on bottom left side and click "continue."

Thank you.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Rochester, NY Police department Refuses to Release Name of officer who Kicked her K-9 Partner

Rochester, NY Police officer kicking her K-9 Partner
By Davy V.

The Rochester, NY Police department is refusing to release the name of the RPD officer who was caught on video kicking her K-9 partner over the weekend.

"At this time, the RPD is not releasing the officer's name as it's a personnel matter, if there is something that doesn't follow in the standards of the RPD, then there will be some action taken. This either fits in our standard, or it doesn't," said RPD Public Information officer Sgt. Justin Collins.

The video, which is why it was disturbing to see a Rochester, NY Police officer kicking her K-9 partner in the rib cage.

The incident, which was captured on video, occurred at the scene of a homicide investigation scene on Veterans Place on Rochester's Southwest side.

In the video, the officer, who Rochester Police Spokesman Sgt. Justin Collins still hasn't released her name to me, can be seen walking with her K-9 partner on her left side, when all of a sudden, the officer kicks the dog on it's right rib cage area.

Afterwards, the dog seems to be scared, as it puts its head down, and its tail between its legs.

Is this the way Rochester, NY Police K-9 officers treat their partners?

In most states throughout the U.S., police K-9's are considered police officers, and sometimes even given a badge.

In fact, when it comes to most laws, assaulting a police dog is equal, or very simliar to assaulting a human police officer.

Some police departments even allow their officers to shoot an individual who is intentionally hurting a police dog, with an apparent attempt to kill it.

K-9's Oath

I will lay down my life for you,
and expect nothing but love in return.
I protect my officer with my life,
and would gladly take a bullet in his place.
I am sent in to find lost children,
and fugitives on the run.
I find drugs and weapons and even bombs.
I am the first sent in,
and sometimes the last to leave.
I am the nose and ears of my officer.
I will protect and serve you.
I would die for you.
I only ask for compassion and a kind word.

Contact the Rochester, NY Police department's K-9 Unit at (585) 428-6714
or Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard at (585) 428-7033


Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/davyvara


Click link to see Rochester, NY Police officer kicking her K-9 Partner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZbETFby1eI

Or Click Play to see video


If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

All donations are secure and are through PayPal.

If you don't have a PayPal account, after you enter the amount you wish to donate, look for "Don't have a Paypal account?" on bottom left side and click "continue."

Thank you.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Rochester, NY Police officer Caught on Camera Kicking her K-9 Partner

By Davy V.  

They say a dog is a man's best friend.

Or a woman's for that matter.

Have you ever noticed that your dog, unlike many people, loves you unconditionally?

In fact, many times your dog is more happy to see you when you come home than your own family is.

Your dog is not materialistic. Your dog doesn't judge you, or talk behind your back.

Your dog doesn't betray you, and doesn't care if you are well off, or dirt poor.

Your dog loves you for you.

And that love is unconditional.

With that love comes loyalty.

A level of loyalty often unmatched by any other human being.

Your dog will protect you and your family, and always stay by your side.

And, when that dog happens to be a police K-9, they will put their life on the line for their partner.

Literally.

Which is why it was disturbing to see a Rochester, NY Police officer kick her K-9 partner with a full-blown blow to the rib cage.

The incident, which was captured on video, occurred at the scene of a homicide investigation scene on Veterans Place on Rochester's Southwest side.

In the video, the officer, who Rochester Police Spokesman Sgt. Justin Collins still hasn't released her name to me, can be seen walking with her K-9 partner on her left side, when all of a sudden, the officer kicks the dog on it's right rib cage area, before violently yanking the dog's leash at least twice.

Afterwards, the dog seems to be scared, as it puts its head down, and its tail between its legs.

Is this the way Rochester, NY Police K-9 officers treat their partners?

In most states throughout the U.S., police K-9's are considered police officers, and sometimes even given a badge.

In fact, when it comes to most laws, assaulting a police dog is equal, or very simliar to assaulting a human police officer.

Some police departments even allow their officers to shoot an individual who is intentionally hurting a police dog, with an apparent attempt to kill it.

I have contacted the Rochester, NY Police department for comment, and will be updating this article as soon as I hear back from them, as well as receive the officer's name, and of course, as soon as I have the video uploaded.

Also, after speaking with Rochester, NY Police Public Information officer Sgt. Justin Collins, I was told that the RPD will not release the name of the officer who was caught on video kicking her K-9 partner.

"It's a personnel matter, if there is something that doesn't follow in the standards of the RPD, then there will be some action taken. This either fits in our standard, or it doesn't," said Collins.

UPDATE:

After more than a month since filing a FOIL request with the City of Rochester for the officer's name, getting a run-around, and ultimately having my request denied, the City of Rochester, NY conceded to my relentless efforts, and released the name.

She is Rochester, NY Police officer Nina Nowack, a 16-year member of the RPD who works out of the Rochester Police department's Special Operations Division located at 261 Child Street.

Contact the Rochester, NY Police department's K-9 Unit at (585) 428-6714
or Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard at (585) 428-7033


Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/davyvara


Click link for video of Rochester, NY Police officer kicking her K-9 partner!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZbETFby1eI

Or Click Play to see video


If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

All donations are secure and are through PayPal.

If you don't have a PayPal account, after you enter the amount you wish to donate, look for "Don't have a Paypal account?" on bottom left side and click "continue."

Thank you.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Yep... A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.

By Davy V.
On-duty Rochester, NY Police officers on rooftop,
goofing off on tax payer time.

And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will keep this short...

On a recent night, in Rochester, NY, RPD officer Eliud Rodriguez, who is also a professional photographer, decided there were better things to do than patrol the streets.

So he called 8 of his fellow RPD brothers and told to him to meet him on a building rooftop in downtown Rochester to take pictures.

On tax payers time.

In 2010, Rochester, NY Police officer Eliud Rodriguez's base salary was $69,100.12.

Rodriguez made an additional $39, 614.00 in overtime, and $2, 510.00 in compensatory pay.

In total, Rodriguez made $111,224.16

Must be nice to snap photos of your fellow officers 'Kung Fu Fighting', on duty, on a building roof-top, while the taxpayers pay you in overtime alone, more than many people make in a year.

I called City of Rochester Mayor Thomas Richards to see what he has to say about this.


Update: I spoke with Rochester, NY Police Spokesperson Sgt. Justin Collins, who informed me that all of the officers in the photo were on lunch break.

Sgt. Collins also added that the photo is from 2009.


Note: Rochester, NY Police officer Eliud Rodriguez is one of 7 RPD officers who executed
Israel "Izzy" Andino, a mentally-ill young man this past June.

Here is the link to that story:  http://davyv.blogspot.com/2012/06/7-rochester-new-york-police-officers.html


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Remembering Hayden Blackman, Family Man Shot and Killed by Trigger-Happy, Rochester, NY Police officer Randy Book

Rochester, NY Police Officer Randy Book
in U.S. Marine uniform
By Davy V.
October 9, 2012 9:25 AM ET

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of Hayden Blackman's death.

On October 13, 2011, Rochester, NY Police officer Randy Book, a 25 year old, white trigger- happy cop shot and killed the 43 year old family man from Barbados, in front of his wife and stepchildren.

Rochester Police were called to the family's home on Columbia Avenue, on Rochester's west side for a domestic disturbance

Blackman's 16 year old stepson had punched his stepfather in the face. Once there, they observed that Blackman was holding a knife in his hand.

Officer Book ordered Blackman to drop the knife, but before Blackman was even able to comply with the order, Book opened fire, shooting him a
total of five times and hitting him three.

Officer Book never gave Blackman a chance to drop the knife.

Book knew exactly what he wanted to do. He never considered any other action, but to shoot. And not just to shoot, but shoot to kill. He never even gave any thought to shooting Blackman in the arm, or the leg in order to disable him. No, Book shot at what police refer to as "center mass". It is that part of the body just below the neck and above the waist. Police know that by shooting at this area of the body, the shots will be fatal, and by shooting Hayden Blackman five times and hitting him three times, R.P.D. cop Randy Book's intentions were clear: Shoot to kill.

Following Rochester, NY Police tradition, after RPD officer Randy Book's killing of Hayden Blackman, he was recognized with several rewards, including a Distinguised Service Award and Officer of the Month.

Throughout the United States, police are trained to shoot to kill. In fact, in 2010, the N.Y.P.D. was furious at the New York State Legislators' proposal of the "minimum force" bill which surfaced in the State Assembly, seeking to amend the State's penal codes' "justification" clause that allows a police officer the right to kill. The bill, drafted in the wake of the N.Y.P.D.'s exceution of Sean Bell, an unarmed African-American newlywed who was killed when plainclothes N.Y.P.D. officers fired more than 50 rounds at him and his friends as he exited a nightclub, would have forced officers to use their weapons "with intent to stop, rather than kill" a suspect. They would be mandated to "shoot a suspect in the arm or the leg". Under the present code, police are trained to shoot at the center of the target (center mass) and continue to fire their weapon until the "threat" has been stopped.

The Rochester, NY Police Department has a long history of hiring trigger happy cops.

In 2001 21 year old Vandy Davis, an unarmed Jamaican father of three young children was killed by Rochester Police officer David Gebhardt as he sat on a couch at a Joseph Avenue apartment. Gebhardt claimed he tripped on an extension cord causing him to discharge his shotgun, striking Davis in the chest.

Any firearms expert will tell you that you should never have your finger on the trigger of a firearm unless you intend to shoot. Had Gebhardt not had his finger on the trigger, Vandy Davis would be alive today.

And in 2002 Craig Heard, a 14 year old unarmed African-American Honor Roll student was shot twice in the head and executed by Rochester Police officers Serge Savitcheff and Hector Padgham.

When asked why Book didn't use a taser on Blackman, Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard said "Not all of our officers carry a taser".

So, in a city where former Mayor William Johnson's failed fast ferry cost taxpayers millions of dollars that we are still paying on, and where there are red light cameras as well as Rochester Police surveillance cameras throughout the city, which to date have generated millions in revenue for the city,  there isn't enough money to equip all Rochester Police officers with tasers?

Of course, there is no guarantee that RPD officer Randy Book would have used a taser if he had one, I mean shooting a man a total of five times is a strong indicator of Book's intentions from the time he got to the home.

He couldn't wait to kill.

Perhaps, Hayden Blackman's widow, Roxanne Williams Blackman put it best when she said "My husband is from Barbados so he has dreads so naturally police always think any Black American with dreads, West Indian, they're not just straight and narrow, so he probably felt intimidated by that... But he (officer Book) didn't have to go to that extreme. Five shots, three of them hit him. It wasn't necessary."

So, the next time you think of calling police for assistance, think twice.

Especially if you are African-American or Latino.

It could be your loved one who is murdered right in front of you by a trigger-happy cop like Randy Book.

Something tells me had that been a white man holding that knife, Hayden Blackman would be alive right now, recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg.


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Monday, October 8, 2012

A&E's Hit TV Show "The First 48"... Exploiting Black on Black Murders for Ratings and Profit

By Davy V.
October 8, 2012 8:59 PM ET

News of A&E's hit TV show "First 48" filming in my hometown of Rochester, NY spread like wildfire on local television and radio.

In fact, while switching through stations in my car the other day, a local radio dj boasted: "The reality show The First 48 is in Rochester filming murders, that is so cool!"

I was disgusted.

Murders are not "cool."

Nothing about a person losing their life in a violent manner, is "cool."

Nothing about the pain the deceased person's family is left with, is "cool."

I must admit, I used to be a fan of the "The First 48."

I'd rarely miss an episode.

Now, I'm having mixed feelings about the show which follows police officers and homicide detectives on homicide cases from the time 911 receives a call, through the first 48 hours of the investigation.

Maybe it's because they're in my city.

Maybe it's because now I'm seeing the spin, sensationalism and exploitation.

I guess I just never realized how the show truly doesn't care about the victims or their families.

I never looked at like this, but the show's producers are literally waiting for people to be killed.

And I find it disturbing, that right now, in my my hometown, the show's producers are eagerly awaiting another murder.

It can be said they are in the 'murder for ratings' business.

Furthermore it can be said, that in a way the TV show is exploiting innocent families' tragedies and pain.

And I have a problem with that.

And, as I found out, I'm not alone.

As it turns out, the hit show is not without controversy.

In 2008, the Memphis, Tennessee Police department suspended filming with the "The First 48" for reasons which they refused to comment on.

Even the producers of the show weren't informed why they were asked to stop filming.

The show's executive producer, Laura Fleury said "All the feedback about the show has been really positive."

However, Memphis City Councilwoman Wanda Halbert didn't pull any punches, "The show has been on for years. They could have at least put money in a victim's fund," Halbert said.

Despite the show, which thrives on murders of inner city minorities, mostly African-Americans, and Latinos, being the highest rated non-fiction justice series on American television, and pulling in millions of dollars in advertisement revenue, they contribute nothing to the victims families which they feature on each and every single episode.

Which is why I say, they don't care about the victims or the families.

Only ratings and revenues.

And when the next homicide call will come in.

In fact, as I'm sitting here writing this, the show's production team, which includes producer Jon Ingalls, have already covered four Rochester, NY homicides.

Ingalls is no stranger to Rochester.

In 2008 he was part of a team which filmed in Rochester for "Crime 360", another show covering homicides in cities throughout the U.S.

Of course, Ingalls and Rochester, NY Police homicide investigator Gary Galetta, who along with other RPD investigators, will be featured on the episodes, would disagree with me.

“Seeing the work that these investigators do. Seeing the hours they put in. Seeing how dedicated they are to their jobs is important to bring to people,” said Ingalls.

Galetta, who has also had more than his 15 seconds of fame, when he appeared on the Crime 360 Rochester episodes, added “A lot of people particularly the families of victims don't get to see the effort, the day to day grind that goes into a murder investigation.”

As far as I'm concerned Ignalls and Galetta are biased.

One is the show's producer, the other is one of the "stars."

I don't expect either of them to say anything different.

I'm sorry, but to see people get excited about a show that covers violent deaths, and especially to hear a radio host sounding like some giddy high school girl with a Justin Bieber crush, basically say that murders are "cool", then to see it's all about the ratings, is disgusting.

Another controversial point in the show came on May 16, 2010, when a 7 year old Detroit, Michigan girl named Aiyana Jones was shot and killed during a SWAT raid that was filmed by The First 48 cameras.

Detroit SWAT raided a duplex while searching for a homicide suspect.

On October 5, 2011, Michigan prosecutors charged the Detroit police officer who killed young Aiyana, with involuntary manslaughter.

Allison Jones, an A&E Television Network camera operator who was filming that night, was charged with perjury and obstructing justice after lying under oath.

The First 48 has been criticized for putting witnesses in danger by revealing their faces and their voices to a national television audience and for not being sensitive to possibilities of retaliation against those witnesses.

Some have also called the show racist saying the show intentionally focuses on covering cities such as Detroit, Memphis, Louisville, Birmingham, Kansas City, Dallas, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and other surrounding cities in the southernmost region of the United States.

Areas with a high population of African-Americans.

A&E's The First 48 travels to cities throughout the U.S., and profits off mostly black on black crime, exploiting deaths and innocent families at their most vulnerable point.

The show makes millions selling advertisement spots, then without even contributing to any sort of victims fund, or anti-violence programs in the very same communities they exploited, they leave town, and do it all over again in another city.

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Sunday, October 7, 2012

After Rochester, NY Police officer Stalks Woman and Smashes her Cell Phone, She Moves out of State Fearing for Her Life

By Davy V.
.

A woman who was interviewed by Rochester, NY television news media after 7 Rochester, NY Police officers shot and killed a mentally-ill young man this past summer, feared for her life so much, that she moved.

Not only leaving Rochester, but New York State.

But the woman, who has asked me not to use her real name, instead to call her "Beba", didn't just leave because of the interviews.

She left as a result of what happened immediately after she appeared on the news.

On June 21, 2012, Twenty year old Israel Andino, known as "Izzy" was executed by 7 RPD officers on Locust St., off Dewey Avenue on Rochester's northwest side.

Andino, who had mental health issues was walking down the street with a rifle.

According to Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard, Andino turned and fired at officers who then, simultaneosly opened fire on Andino, hitting him at least 11 times, and riddling at least four houses, with bullets, where young children were just waking up.

Sheppard claimed that officers had no other alternative but to shoot and kill Andino, on his 20th birthday.

Neighbors said Andino never fired the rifle, and that the Rochester, NY Police department lied.

One neighbor pleaded with police to please allow him to talk to Andino, but police simply ignored him.

Others said that the RPD officers had several opportuinties to subdue Andino, but instead waited for the right time to kill him.

"You gave him no escape. You know you're going to die if seven policemen shoot you in the chest,” said Joel Fuentas, Andino's stepfather.

Another outspoken person was "Beba", where she made the 5, 6, 10 and 11 o'clock news denouncing the Rochester, NY Police department's execution-style killing of a mentally-ill young man.

She was also at the "Rally for Izzy" that I held on Locust St., where she recorded the rally on her cell phone.

Well, she would soon learn that the Rochester, NY Police department doesn't forget a face.

"After the interviews I noticed I was being followed by police and I had decided to leave Rochester out of fear, every time I looked over, there seemed to be a Rochester Police car, it was like they were following me," she said.

She was right.

They were following her.

Approximately two weeks after she appeared on the news, already having decided to move out of Rochester, she was sitting on her Lake Ave. apartment building steps when a Rochester Police cruiser drove by slowly.

Then, the car stopped, and a Rochester, NY Police officer gets out, and walks over to her and asks her "Where do I know you from?"

The woman, uncomfortable and thinking the officer was perhaps trying to flirt with her, replied "I'm not from around here."

Then the RPD officer asks her "Are you trying to be a smart ass?"

"No," she replied, "I'm just not from around here."

The officer then snatched her cell phone from her hands and smashed it on the sidewalk.

"I asked him why he did that, but he laughed and got in his car and just drove away," she said.

She added, "There is no justice."

When I asked her why she left Rochester, she replied "I feared for my life, and after that I couldn't live in Rochester peacefully."


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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Jose Lugo Not Guilty of Assaulting Rochester, NY Police officer. Juror: "The Police officers Were Overzealous."

Jose Lugo after being beaten
by Rochester, NY Police officers
Kevin Flanagan, Joel Hasper and Richard Doran
By Davy V.

A Monroe County, NY jury has found a Rochester, NY man not guilty of assaulting a Rochester Police officer.

On April 2, 2012, 25 year old Jose Lugo was talking with friends near his home on Flower Street on Rochester, NY's east side, when Rochester, NY Police officers, Kevin Flanagan, Joel Hasper and Richard Doran raced up the wrong way of a residential one-way street, pulled up, grabbed him, and brought him over to an RPD cruiser.

When Lugo questioned why he was being stopped, the officers immediately threw him to the ground, where they punched, kicked, and tasered him at least three times, including two "drive stuns" which is when a taser is applied directly to the skin.

When neighbors on Flower St., including Lugo's aunt, Annette Velazquez, a Rochester City School district employee, who was visting her elderly parents, pleaded with officers to stop beating Lugo, RPD officers turned on them.

RPD officer Benjamin Mitchell shoved Annette Velazquez several times as he yelled to her, "Get in the house!"

When Annette Velazquez told Mitchell that she was going to call Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard, whom she knew personally from having worked with him when Sheppard was the director of security for the Rochester City School district, officer Mitchell confiscated her phone, pepper-sprayed her and placed her under arrest.

Velazquez wasn't the only one pepper-sprayed or arrested.

In fact, a pregnant woman and an elderly woman were also pepper-sprayed.

Officers also took the pregnant woman's phone and arrested her as well.

In an attempt to cover up their unlawful actions, including not only beating Lugo, but pepper pepper-spraying and arresting innocent people, RPD officers charged Lugo with assaulting officer Richard Doran.

Well, the jury of six men and six women did not buy the RPD officers' story, and announced their not guilty verdict Wednesday morning.

After the verdict, I had a chance to speak with juror # 3, a middle aged saleswoman, who asked that I not use use her name, and who had some very interesting things to share with me regarding what the jurors thought of the trial.

"The police officers were overzealous, it's like each officer was like a billboard, saying just because we are police officers we can do what we want," said the juror.

Particularly troubling for the jurors, said juror # 3, was how Rochester Police officers shoved Annette Velazquez, pepper-sprayed and arrested not only her, but other witnesses, including a pregnant woman.

"They feel they have the advantage and since they are equipped, they think, the law is going to side with me." said juror # 3.

According to the juror, something which they also found disturbing was Monroe County district attorney Michael Harrigan's cross examination of defense witness Ana Davila, an elderly woman who witnessed RPD officers Kevin Flanagan, Joel Hasper and Richard Doran stop Lugo and beat him, as she stood in the front of her house.

Harrigan drilled Davila on the stand, asking her why did she like to go outside and did she normally go in her front yard, as if there was something wrong with that.

During the week and a half trial, Lugo's attorney, Monroe County Public Defender Sonya Zoghlin, assisted by law graduate Stephanie Poray, put on a strong case for the defense, including pointing out inconsistencies in the officer's testimonies, and most importantly, the fact that the entire case was based on the unlawful actions of RPD officers Flanagan, Hasper and Doran.

On April 2, 2012, Jose Lugo did nothing wrong.

He was walking down the street, as any citizen has a right to do.

The officers said they stopped him because they said Lugo may have been trespassing by standing near a boarded-up, abandoned house.

Under New York State law, trespassing is a violation, not a crime.

Furthermore, as in this case, police must first know who owns a property to be sure if in fact an individual is trespassing.

In a successful attempt to show the jury that the entire case was based on an unlawful stop and forcible seizure of Jose Lugo's person, Zoghlin got each officer to admit, on the stand, that they did not know who the owner of the boarded-up property was, proving that the officers could therefore, not have known if Lugo, or anyone else for that matter, was trespassing.

Therefore, the officers' actions of stopping Lugo and grabbing him, were unlawful.

Lugo was charged with assaulting RPD officer Richard Doran by punching him in the face.

Something the jury did not believe.

In fact, it was the other way around, with Lugo being the victim of police brutality.

Throughout Jose Lugo's trial, it became clear that certain Rochester police officers, such as Kevin Flanagan, Joel Hasper and Richard Doran, look at the residents of the communities they patrol as the 'enemies', and the neighborhoods they work in, as a 'war zone.'

Whether indoctrinated in their academy training, or adopted once they hit the streets, more and more Rochester, NY Police officers are behaving like 'soldiers' instead of law enforcement officers.

On the stand, each officer's face lit up when describing their "fighting" and "combat training" they each took at the police academy, along with the many "holds" and "moves" such as "three point landings" and "knee strikes" they use on people.

At one point, all three officers admitted to doing several "knee strikes" on an already handcuffed, already on the ground, Jose Lugo.

When asked by the defense what a "knee strike" was, officer Flanagan said "It's when you drive your knee into a person's torso, hard, just like kicking a soccer ball."

At another point, Lugo's attorney, Ms. Sonya Zoghlin asked officer Hasper "Officer, you punched Jose Lugo in his face correct?"

Hasper replied, "I performed a distractionary jab."

To which Zoghlin again asked, "You punched Jose Lugo in his face correct?"

And again Hasper replied, "I performed a distractionary jab."

RPD officer Joel Hasper refused to admit that what he calls a "distractionary jab", is a punch to the face of an innocent young man.

As you can see in the photo above, Jose Lugo suffered badly swollen-shut left eye, as well as multiple bruises and contusions, including prong marks from the taser.

Perhaps one of the most disturbing issues here is the Rochester, NY Police department's well known pattern of creating and escalating unnecessary situations.

In fact, not just in Rochester, NY, but throughout the country, the whole 'to serve and protect' slogan is being questioned by citizens who call police for assistance.

People have realized that many times, calling the police for assistance, is actually calling in another problem.

The result is an affirmation, especially in Latino and African-American communities, that the police are not there to serve and protect them, but to do disservice them and abuse them.

Perhaps Monroe County Public Defender Sonya Zoghlin said it best, "A citizen has the right to walk down his or her block without being accosted by the police."

I asked Ms. Zoghlin if she had any advice for someone, who as Jose Lugo was, may be approached, and grabbed by a police officer.

"Don't resist. Remember the officer's name. File a complaint," said Zoghlin.

Then, Ms. Zoghlin, added something I feel is so true.

"Public Defenders are awesome. We get a bad rap in the community. People should know that we are experienced, dedicated and skilled at our job," she said.

I couldn't agree more.


Links to my earlier stories on this case:

Rochester man beaten by RPD officers Kevin Flanagan, Joel Hasper and Richard Doran
http://davyv.blogspot.com/2012/09/rochester-ny-police-officers-assault.html

Exposing Rochester, NY Police officers Kevin Flanagan, Joel Hasper and Richard Doran
http://davyv.blogspot.com/2012/09/rochester-ny-police-officers-kevin.html


Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/davyvara

If you believe in my work, exposing police misconduct and corruption, and covering issues mainstream media chooses to ignore,  please support my work by clicking on the "Donate" button at the top right of my blog and entering your donation. 

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