Meet Convicted 35-Count Rabbit Abuser
Top 5 Police Blunders: Thomas Cummings Sexes Up Teens, Gets 30 Days
Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 9:00 am
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In January, we told you about Loverde, a cop who never quite got over breast milk. While working as a security guard at the Firestone Live in downtown Orlando, Florida, he spotted pregnant 21-year old Rachelle Cortez and told her the club had a "no trespass" order against her for underage drinking. (A complete fiction.)
He escorted her out of the back of the club, had her sit (nicely hidden) between two cars while he took down her drivers license info and cell phone number. He left for a moment and returned with a bottle of water, which he gave her, and a latex glove, which he put on. He proceeded to reach down her shirt into her bra and squeezed her breast until it began to lactate. He then asked if he could suck on it. (What are the odds he has mother issues?) Naturally she said, no. He let her go, and then left the club before his shift was over.
Loverde who'd been with the Orlando police for three years and before that was a Brooklyn, NY cop, was immediately put on unpaid leave and resigned in May. Though originally charged with felony false imprisonment, battery and disorderly conduct, he plead not contest to only the latter, and his punishment was limited to giving up his Florida law enforcement certification. (Meaning he could still conceivably become a cop elsewhere in the country.)
Hopefully Loverde will henceforth content himself with formula.
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Perhaps we could put training wheels on all rookie cops, just so you'd know to watch out for them. Patrick Pogan had been with the New York Police Department for only 11 days when he was told he would be working the July 2008 Critical Mass bike rally in Central Park, a style of event that's been held around the globe since 1992.
Apparently part of the defense plan was to prove Pogan was something of an idiot, arguing he understood that to mean they were going to Catholic Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Maybe he thought they were going to kick some pedophile ass; sadly, no such luck.)
During the rally, Pogan assaulted bicyclist Christopher Long, threw him off his bicycle onto the pavement, then with his partner's help roughly handcuffed Long. Pogan claimed that Long had been weaving in and out of traffic, causing vehicles to swerve and stop, and then knocked him down. He said he was protecting the public from a reckless cyclist. Thankfully his lying ultimately protected New Yorkers from him.
It seems someone captured Pogan lunging after and body-slamming Long into a street emptied of automobiles, despite Long's attempts to steer clear of the officer. The video was uploaded to You Tube and has been viewed over 3 million times. Ooops! Long won a $65,000 settlement from the city.
Pogan was placed on administrative duty, then suspended, and ultimately resigned rather than be fired. He faced two felony charges for filing a false report, and several assault charges for which he could have received as much as four years. Instead, Pogan -- a third-generation cop who lives at home with his father, a retired detective who worked on the Joint Terrorism Task Force -- got nothing. Not even community service, which had been the defense's recommendation.
His dad, Patrick Pogan, Sr. said, "He did what he had to that night." Great to know brutalizing unassuming cyclists is part of the NYPD mandate. To protect and serve only applies to their own self-interest.
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Matt Irby was, at the age of 20, one of the youngest people hired by Charles County Corrections in Maryland to be a jail guard. (They used to need to be 21.) In a strangely foreboding article run in the Washington Post almost 8 years ago, Irby notes his young age and says, "It all comes down to respect," concluding, "There are 26-year-olds who are not mature enough to do this job."
Son, there are apparently 28-year olds that aren't mature enough to do the job, namely you!
In April of last year, Irby thwacked 47-year old inmate Joseph Campbell in the face for not complying with his instructions and allegedly kicking him in the knee. Irby and two other guards then slammed Campbell onto the floor and cuffed him. His attack broke open a cut above Campbell's eye, and was fully captured on video.
Indeed correctional records showed Irby had developed a predilection to hit inmates in the head resulting in a "early warning memorandum" from the jail commander. Of 682 force incidents between 2005 and Sept. 2009, 28 involved head strikes, and 11 of those belonged to Irby. No other officer had more than two. He'd already been investigated in four claims of excessive force, but none were ever sustained.
An internal investigation found that in the case of Campbell, Irby used inappropriate force, and several punishments were recommended including demotion. A Charles County Sheriff's Office appeal board upheld the assessment, but Major Joseph "Buddy" Gibson struck down the sanctions.
Meanwhile, Irby has filed second-degree assault charges against Campbell for the knee kick, citing "pain and minor swelling." Campbell's trial was originally scheduled for June but was postponed until the end of October with no reason given. The NAACP is calling it a political move to postpone the case until after the primary election.
What lesson do you think Irby takes away from these repeated indulgences? Oh, by the way, the headline for that Washington Post profile that included the young Matt Irby: Lowering the Bar For Prison Guards. Yeah, no doubt.
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Rodella brothers Eugene and Gabriel went into the Dragon's Lair Hookah Lounge in Alburquerque, New Mexico looking for revenge according to prosecutors. Their nephew, T.J. Rodella, had been roughed up there the night before by the security guard of the adjoining Defiant Artist Tattoo Shop because they thought he'd stolen tattoo equipment.
The brothers found the security guard, Christopher Whitsell, in the hookah lounge. They went into the parking lot where Gabriel started choking Whitsell, before he ran into the tattoo shop. They followed him in there, and started busting the place up and beating up not just Whitsell, but shop owner Marlo Gray, whose injuries sent him to the hospital.
By lucky coincidence, Detective Bryan Martinez was in the chair getting a tattoo. He told them, "You can't be doing that shit, bro," and called a dispatcher who he told, "They just came in here and broke a bunch of shit and beat up a couple of guys."
Did we mention that Eugene Rodella was a police officer? Or that he is the brother of former judge Tommy Rodella, and the father of T.J.? Or that Tommy is married to state legislator Debbie Rodella? That's one helluva a lot of juice for one family -- but it gets better. Tommy recently beat out six challengers for the Democratic nomination to be Rio Arriba County's next Sheriff. (There is no Republican challenger.)
Tommy Rodella (see photo) was twice removed from the bench after being appointed by Governor Bill Richardson in 2005. The first time because he drove to Tierra Amarilla, NM and demanded the release of an acquaintance charged with DWI, leading to Richardson asking him to step down. Voters returned him to the bench in 2006. But the state Supreme Court removed him again, for the incident, and a subsequent attempt to intimidate a witness in the case.
Even before that, as a state police officer he'd been disciplined for marijuana use, improper use of a weapon and physical abuse, and "sustained allegations" that he had used his position for personal gain, as well as falsifying sick reports and other records.
So it should not come as any surprise that four days before the trial was set to begin, statements of six witnesses, a photo lineup interview, and a memo written by Detective Martinez mysteriously vanished from the case file. (This after five judges had already recused themselves.) The defense argued that the Rodella brothers couldn't get a fair trial without the written statements -- their accusers memories weren't fresh, and they could've changed their story. The judge agreed, throwing out the case.
But what about the officer who witnessed almost the entire thing? Well, apparently Martinez's statements were used in the internal affairs investigation that resulted in Eugene Rodella being fired, which then can't be used in their legal prosecution. Of course, according to Rodella he just went into the store to buy a hookah for his wife and was attacked.
Eugene Rodella's New Mexico law enforcement certification was revoked last year for five years because of the internal affairs investigation. But how much to you want to bet he's reinstated by his brother Tommy by the time that's up -- if not sooner?
Ah, all's well that ends well in the American criminal justice system, where all that really matters is who you know.
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Back in January 2008, Cummings was a 24-year veteran of the force rapidly climbing the advancement ladder. He ran the detective bureau and had been up for one of the two new deputy chief positions.
Then allegations came out that Cummings had sex with two 15-year old boys he met on manhunt.net (Chris Hansen take note), and attempted to lure another one to his condo, between 2003 and 2005. Two other men came forward to say they had sex with Cummings when they were 19. (He allegedly told them, "What happens in the condo, stays in the condo.") The 48-year old Cummings faced 12 sexual assault and risk of injury charges that could've meant up to 165 years in jail.
Then the prosecution case began to fall apart. One boy retracted his statement and said he was actually 16 (the age of consent in Connecticut) when he began having sex with Cummings. The other boy who had sex with Cummings decided not to testify because of mental anguish and concern with how his testimony would affect his family. Suddenly all they had was one kid who didn't even hook up with Cummings.
In the end Cummings plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges -- reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer and coercion -- and received 30 days in jail, where he'll be in protective custody because of his law enforcement past.
Cummings will not only receive his full pension, but two years ago filed for workman's compensation for the post-traumatic stress he's suffered over the years. Typically, police officers aren't allowed to file a claim of PTSD unless it arose from an injury. While the state challenged the claim, it's final resolution is unclear.
It's refreshing to know our tax money pays for justice that's not only blind, but deaf & dumb. Just pray each night you don't get sucked into the legal vortex, because if you're not law enforcement, it's not likely to go as well for you...
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