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Post by WaTcHeR on Mar 29, 2006 10:21:19 GMT -5
Officer Joshua Cromer 03/29/2006 - Several Lexington police officers face disciplinary action for comments and photos they posted on the popular Web site MySpace.com, in which the officers discussed their jobs, commented on arrests they had made and used derogatory language about gays and the mentally disabled. On one officer's site on MySpace.com, some Lexington officers openly discussed the recent arrest of country music star John Michael Montgomery, who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol when he was pulled over by Officer Joshua Cromer in February. Those comments appeared on Cromer's MySpace page, some of them congratulating Cromer for the arrest. His site also included an altered photograph -- posted there by another officer -- of Montgomery and a fan in which Cromer's face had been placed on the body of the fan. An attorney for Montgomery last night said he was "just appalled" at the web postings. On other pages, all located on MySpace.com, officers say they work for the "snobby people of Lexington" or the "Lexington Fayette Urban Communist Government." They call each other gay and make fun of the mentally disabled. Many of the pages feature Lexington police badges, police cars or photos of the officers in uniform. Police Chief Anthany Beatty said several officers were told last night that they will probably face internal administrative charges because of the MySpace postings. He would not say what the punishment might be, but said discipline can include anything from a written reprimand to suspension to termination. Beatty shook his head yesterday as he flipped through printouts of four officers' sites on MySpace. The sites were created by Cromer, an officer since 2002; Richard Cole Sisk, an officer since 1999; Gene Haynes, an officer since 2001; and Aaron Richard Noel, who has been on the force for two years. The four officers could not be reached for comment yesterday or did not return phone messages from the Herald-Leader. Beatty said the police department -- with the help of the Urban County Government law department -- immediately launched an internal investigation into the sites after officials were notified about two weeks ago of possible inappropriate content. Beatty would not say how many officers are being investigated -- but he said there are "possibly more" than the four -- nor would he say which officers will be disciplined because the investigation is ongoing. He said part of the police disciplinary code "indicates that you should not, as police officers, do anything or say anything or act in any way that would reflect negatively on the agency. "We assure the citizens that we are thoroughly investigating and will take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation, when all the facts are in," Beatty said. Although many of the officers' Web pages have been cleaned up or deactivated in recent days, there could be damaging effects. Officials are particularly concerned about the effect of Cromer's site on the case against Montgomery, who is scheduled to be back in court in April on charges including DUI, carrying a concealed deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance. The police department has notified judicial officials of the photo on Cromer's site, but no one could say yesterday what effect, if any, it might have on the case. Montgomery's attorneys, Brent Caldwell and Jon Woodall, said yesterday that they had heard rumors about Cromer's site and the Montgomery photo. The attorneys are sending a subpoena to the operators of Myspace.com to obtain the photo since it is no longer on Cromer's site. "We have had grave concerns from the first day of the arrest about the actions of this officer and the motivations in his arrest," Caldwell said. "We are frankly just appalled that a police officer would do something like that and just can't understand why he would do something like that." The attorneys spoke with Montgomery yesterday about the photo and Cromer's site. "Let's just say he wasn't very pleased about it," Woodall said. "There's so many good officers on the street, it is a shame that this officer is giving the department a black eye." In addition to the Montgomery photo, Cromer's site included more general postings about his police work. In his biographical profile he identified himself as a Lexington police officer and said, "I love to lock a mother f----- up ..." He also described an incident in which he wrote a ticket to a man who lives in his apartment complex because the man's car alarm woke him up. He then discovered the man had a warrant for unpaid tickets. "Sorry ... don't take it personal, pay your f------ tickets and you won't have warrants," Cromer wrote. Other officers' pages include crude images and comments. At the top of Sisk's page, for example, he posted a photo of a mentally disabled child running in a race. "What's better than winning the special olympics?" the photo read. "Not being retarded." Bruce Edwards, a spokesman for Mayor Teresa Isaac, said last night that the mayor is aware of the police investigation. "It is being handled internally, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken if necessary," he said. There are no Lexington police department policies specifying what sort of material officers may post on sites such as MySpace.com. Beatty said the department will look at creating such a policy in light of these recent cases. Still, officers know they must maintain a certain level of respect and professionalism, whether they're in public or on the Web, Beatty said. "Specifically, they hear me say, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, economic status -- regardless of all the things that affect us in our lives -- the expectation is that everyone is treated with respect in every encounter that we have with them," Beatty said. "We preach that." Asked yesterday whether he was disappointed, Beatty placed a hand to his lower lip and glanced down. "Yes," he said softly. www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/14210571.htm
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Post by anthony on Apr 16, 2006 10:18:29 GMT -5
;D ;Dasholeeeeeeeeeeeee.lololololoolololll
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Post by tom on Apr 16, 2006 10:19:51 GMT -5
;Dhave one on me dick head. ha ha ha ha how does it feel has been?
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Post by coky on Apr 16, 2006 11:04:24 GMT -5
speaking of the mentally challenged. hOw dUm dO YoU FEEl rEtArD? HaHa
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Post by WaTcHeR on Apr 18, 2006 9:35:12 GMT -5
Officer apologizes for postings on Web site 04/18/2006 - LEXINGTON, Ky. - A police officer who was administratively charged along with five other officers after police began looking into MySpace Web pages said he did not mean to harm or offend anyone with his postings and offered his apology. Officer Gene Haynes' MySpace page previously said he worked for the "Lexington Fayette Urban County Communist Gov. PD. He also posted a photo on another officer's site relating to the arrest of country music star John Michael Montgomery, who was charged in February with driving under the influence of alcohol. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone whom I may have offended with any comments, statements or photographs that I posted," Haynes wrote on his Web site Monday. "In no way were my actions meant to be harmful, malicious or offensive to anyone. My actions were not wantonly meant to upset or offend anyone and I deeply regret them. To those whom I may have ... offended or brought discredit to, please accept this, my apology to you." The six officers were administratively charged last month after the police department began looking into the officers' MySpace pages, in which they discussed their jobs, commented on arrests they had made and used derogatory language about gays and the mentally disabled. Haynes did not return phone calls. Haynes' MySpace page previously said he worked for the "Lexington Fayette Urban County Communist Gov. PD." He also posted a photo on officer Joshua Cromer's MySpace Web site, relating to Cromer's arrest of Montgomery. Officers discussed the case and congratulated officer Cromer on such a high-profile arrest. Haynes had posted an altered photograph of Montgomery and a fan, in which Cromer's face had been placed on the body of the fan. Last week, Assistant Fayette County Attorney Jack Miller asked that court hearings in the Montgomery case be delayed a month, in part to review the controversial postings on Cromer's site. Montgomery's attorneys, Jon Woodall and Brent Caldwell, said they think Cromer's page will have a tremendous effect. In a DUI case the testimony of the arresting officer is crucial, and Cromer's motives for arresting Montgomery are questionable, the attorneys have said. Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty said Haynes' apology was "a personal decision" Haynes made, and was not required by the department. "It's something I'm glad he did, but that's all the comment I have," Beatty said Monday. On March 29, officer Haynes and officer Cromer were relieved of their sworn duties with pay, meaning they can no longer make arrests until police officials determine whether they should be disciplined and how. They continue to work for the police department, but turned in their badges, police cars and weapons. The other four officers - Aaron Noel, Richard Sisk, Adam O'Quinn and Paul Stewart - continue to work as arresting officers as disciplinary proceedings continue. The six were administratively charged with a variety of violations including interfering with a criminal case, acting in a way that does not reflect favorably on the division and breaking guidelines officers are required to follow when making public statements about their jobs. The police department began investigating the Web sites March 20, when another police officer informed a supervisor about the sites.
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Post by WaTcHeR on Apr 19, 2006 10:13:51 GMT -5
Another Lexington officer apologizes
[/img][/center] Officer Joshua Cromer
04/19/2006 - A second police officer has apologized for comments and photos posted on the popular Web site MySpace.com that has jeopardized one court case and prompted an internal investigation into the Web pages of at least a half dozen officers. Officer Joshua Cromer and five other Lexington police officers were administratively charged in March after the police department began looking into the officers' MySpace pages, in which they discussed their jobs, commented on arrests they had made and used derogatory language about gays and mentally disabled people. "Over the past two weeks, it's been on my mind as to how to write this so that it includes everyone, and leaves nobody out," Cromer wrote on his Web site yesterday. "If ANYONE at all was offended by what they read or saw on my 'myspace.com,' please, from the bottom of my heart, accept my full, and deepest apology. Any postings written by others on my website were not intended by me, to be offensive or derogatory to anyone. My intent was not to do this, it is not my personal feelings toward anyone, and those who know me best, know this, and how I feel about you." Cromer could not be reached for additional comment yesterday. Cromer's Web site was particularly controversial because of content relating to his arrest of singer John Michael Montgomery. The country music star was charged with driving under the influence in February. On Cromer's site, officers discussed the case and congratulated him on the high-profile arrest. His site included an altered photograph -- posted by officer Gene Haynes -- of Montgomery and a fan, in which Cromer's face had been placed on the body of the fan. Haynes has also written an apology on his MySpace page in which he said he deeply regretted his actions and did not mean to upset or offend anyone. Lexington police Maj. Mike Bosse, commander of internal affairs, could not discuss the police department's continuing investigation yesterday, though he said he thought the officers' apologies were encouraging. "It's obviously encouraging when an individual recognizes that they have made a mistake and has the courage to make an apology for that mistake," Bosse said. "We recognize that it is harder to make a public apology than it is to apologize to just the people you work with." The officers were not required to apologize; Cromer and Haynes decided to on their own, Lexington police Chief Anthany Beatty said yesterday. "I'm glad they did it, the public certainly deserves it," Beatty said. It is unclear how Cromer's site will affect Montgomery's case. Last week, Assistant Fayette County Attorney Jack Miller asked that court hearings be delayed until May 11, in part to review postings on Cromer's site. Miller did not return phone calls yesterday. Montgomery's attorneys, Jon Woodall and Brent Caldwell, said they think Cromer's page will have a tremendous effect on the case. Woodall did not have much to say about Cromer's apology yesterday. "I don't have the first clue of what his intentions are," Woodall said. "What we are really more interested in around here is the outcome of the internal investigation." On March 29, Haynes and Cromer were relieved of sworn duties with pay, meaning they can no longer make arrests until officials determine whether and how they should be disciplined. They continue to work for the police department, but turned in their badges, police cars and weapons. The other four officers -- Aaron Noel, Richard Sisk, Adam O'Quinn and Paul Stewart -- continue to work as arresting officers as disciplinary proceedings continue. The six were administratively charged with violations including interfering with a criminal case, acting in a way that does not reflect favorably on the division and breaking guidelines officers are required to follow when making public statements. While the police department has received calls from citizens demanding harsh punishment for the officers, others said officials should be lenient. "There were mistakes made, but I don't think this should cost them their careers," said Monica Richardson, who lives in Cromer's apartment complex and has known him for more than a year. Since the officers were administratively charged, Richardson said, Cromer has lost about 20 pounds, hasn't left his apartment much and is in a "terrible state of mind." She said Cromer loves his job. "He is a really caring person ... and I thought others should know," she said. The police department began investigating the Web sites on March 20, when another police officer informed a supervisor about the sites, Beatty said. Many of the pages featured Lexington police badges or photos of the officers in uniform, along with crude comments and images, about gays, strippers and others. On Cromer's site, he said he worked for the "fine snobby people of Lexington" and included more general postings about his police work. In his biographical profile he said, "I love to lock a mother f----- up ..." The next step for the officers will be to go before a disciplinary review board, probably in May. If their conduct is deemed improper, the officers could face anything from a written reprimand to suspension to termination. Although some of the officers are members of the Fraternal Order of Police, Mike Sweeney, the president of FOP Bluegrass Lodge No. 4, said FOP attorneys will not represent them through the disciplinary process because "the incident was not within the scope of duty." Sweeney sent a letter apologizing to the Kentucky Special Olympics organization for comments on the Web pages about mentally disabled people. He said he did not know whether the officers have sought other legal representation. "It's unfortunate and hopefully they have learned a lesson from this and something like this will never happen again," he said.
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Post by KC on Apr 19, 2006 22:28:29 GMT -5
Why start apologizing now? Are these officers not men enough to stand behind their personal thoughts and beliefs they wrote for the public to see in the first place?
Let me guess their jobs are on the line and what they did just goes to show how unprofessional these officers were at taking their jobs serious!
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Post by Tigeress on Apr 20, 2006 19:53:09 GMT -5
What this officer has done yes is unforgivable able, but we should not judge all police officers.... Not all police officers are bad apples....Unfortunately the damage this officer has done just shows how ignorant his really is, but shames the other officers he works with as well as those around the world......
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Post by fc on Apr 20, 2006 20:06:02 GMT -5
What this officer has done yes is unforgivable "Several" Lexington police officers face disciplinary action for comments and photos they posted on the popular Web site MySpace.com
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Post by lcb54 on May 11, 2006 15:54:03 GMT -5
To a man thats suppose to uphold the law you give justice a very bad name, Sir you are not above the law
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Post by WaTcHeR on May 12, 2006 11:17:30 GMT -5
Witnesses say officer in singer's case was in bar, too ALLEGEDLY SHOOK HANDS WITH MONTGOMERY BEFORE ARREST
05/12/2006 - Two witnesses say that one of the officers who arrested country music star John Michael Montgomery on drunken driving charges in February was in the same bar as Montgomery not long before the arrest. Montgomery's lawyers, Jon Woodall and Brent Caldwell, say two men who were at the Austin City Saloon on Feb. 16 have given statements identifying Lexington Police officer Joshua Cromer as being in the bar in uniform before Montgomery left. The witnesses told the attorneys that Cromer -- who they say was in the bar for about 30 minutes -- introduced himself to Montgomery in the saloon. "He came up to him, shook hands with him and greeted him," Caldwell said. Montgomery was arrested at 2:35 a.m. on Feb. 16 on charges of driving under the influence, carrying concealed weapons without a permit and other charges. Montgomery pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment. Montgomery remembered shaking a uniformed officer's hand that night and exchanging pleasantries, Woodall said. First Assistant County Attorney Jack Miller said yesterday that the defense lawyers have told him about the witnesses. Miller said that was one reason he asked a judge yesterday to delay a hearing in Montgomery's case for another two weeks. In an interview, Miller said he has not ruled out dismissing the case against Montgomery. He said there are other aspects of the case the county attorney's office wants to investigate. "We want to make sure, no matter who's up there, that we're fair," Miller said. "We want justice to prevail." Montgomery's lawyers say the fact that Cromer was allegedly in the bar before the arrest raises questions about how and why Montgomery was arrested. They also question the credibility of Cromer, who is already under investigation for controversial postings about the Montgomery case that appeared on his MySpace.com Web site. "There's nothing wrong with a police officer being in a bar," Caldwell said. "We have serious questions about how, if he was off duty -- as the records we have indicated -- how he came to be the person to make the stop after he was in the bar that night." There's also the question of why Cromer didn't arrest Montgomery before he got into his vehicle, if the officer believed Montgomery was drunk, Caldwell said. At a press conference after Montgomery was arrested, police said they began following Montgomery after he ran a red light on Tates Creek Road. Montgomery was driving erratically, hitting the curb four times and crossing the center line, a police report said. Officers said Montgomery also stopped at a green light before he was eventually pulled over. Cromer did not immediately return calls asking for comment. Police Chief Anthany Beatty and Maj. Mike Bosse, who heads the internal affairs unit, were out of the office yesterday and not available for comment. Assistant Chief Kevin Sutton said he was not aware of the witnesses' statements placing Cromer in the bar before Montgomery's arrest. "This is not something that we were aware of, as of today," Sutton said. Sutton said he could not say whether Cromer was on or off duty at the time of Montgomery's arrest, adding that he was not familiar with the case. Cromer was administratively charged in March after he and five other officers placed inappropriate postings on the popular Web site MySpace.com. On Cromer's site, other officers talked about the arrest of the country singer and congratulated Cromer. The site also included an altered photograph of Montgomery and a fan in which Cromer's face was superimposed on the face of the fan. The photo was placed on the Web site by another officer, Gene Haynes. Haynes and Cromer were both relieved of their sworn duties with pay. The other four men charged continue to work as officers while the case is being investigated. Sutton said disciplinary proceedings against the officers are continuing. Cromer has since apologized for content on his Web site, saying he did not wish to offend anyone. Cromer's Web site has been taken off the Web. But at one point, Cromer mentioned on his MySpace profile that he had "my own stool" at several local watering holes, including Austin City. Caldwell said the identities of the two witnesses will not be disclosed unless the case goes to trial. The men were hesitant but willing to come forward with their stories, Woodall said. One of the men has a background in law enforcement. The two men know Montgomery in passing through Austin City Saloon and through Montgomery's Nicholasville restaurant. "They aren't friends with Montgomery -- they know who he is," Caldwell said. The two men said they followed Montgomery after he left the bar and saw the officers pull Montgomery over. They were able to identify Cromer as the officer in the bar and at the scene, Caldwell said.
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Post by KC on May 21, 2006 13:25:11 GMT -5
May 19, 2006 - LEXINGTON, Ky. - A pretrial conference in the drunken driving case against John Michael Montgomery was delayed Thursday because a prosecutor said he needed more time.
Jack Miller, assistant Fayette County attorney, and Montgomery's lawyers agreed to put off the conference until May 25. It had originally been set for last month, but Miller sought a delay, in part to review controversial postings on the arresting officer's Web site.
Miller said he might dismiss the drunken driving case.
"It's always a possibility, but that's something we have to look at from the standpoint of the entire evidence," he said.
Montgomery didn't appear in court.
According to a police report, the 41-year-old country singer disregarded a traffic light and smelled strongly of alcohol when he was arrested Feb. 16 after leaving the Austin City Saloon.
Montgomery is also charged with having two loaded handguns in his vehicle and carrying prescription drugs in an improper container. His attorneys have argued he has a permit for the guns and a prescription for the medicine, and Miller said he'll dismiss those charges if that proves to be true.
Officer Joshua Cromer's Web site included comments from other police officers congratulating him on the arrest as well as an altered picture of Montgomery and a fan, with Cromer's head superimposed over the fan's. Cromer was administratively charged and has apologized.
"It is a distraction, and certainly it's something that's out there," Miller said. "Whether or not that's going to have any effect, it's in the whole ball of wax. We just have to look at all of it put together."
Montgomery's attorney, Brent Caldwell, said the entire case should be dropped. Montgomery refused blood and breath tests, and there isn't enough supporting evidence of intoxication to get a conviction, Caldwell said.
Montgomery, a Kentucky native who has a home in Nicholasville, had several No. 1 hit singles on Warner Bros. Records in the 1990s including "I Love the Way You Love Me," "I Swear" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)."
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Post by KC on May 21, 2006 13:28:21 GMT -5
Montgomery's attorney, Brent Caldwell, said the entire case should be dropped. Montgomery refused blood and breath tests, and there isn't enough supporting evidence of intoxication to get a conviction, Caldwell said. If you notice John Michael Montgomery knows his "constitutional rights." ;D
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Post by Tony on May 26, 2006 10:01:42 GMT -5
What a tool this cop is...... Just magnifies the lack of integrity seen in the new generations coming up. Not to say they are all that way, BUT... You are seeing this more and more, its alarming. Idiots!
Where are the departments training standards, and WHY are they still getting PAID! Let's reward them with a paid holiday now? (HHMMM... I wonder why we have these problems today) FIRE THEIR ASSES! SEND A LOUD CLEAR MESSAGE!
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Post by Bertie on May 27, 2006 16:32:42 GMT -5
>FIRE THEIR ASSES! SEND A LOUD CLEAR MESSAGE!
Heck, pass the double sentence law and prosecute the scum. You just KNOW that cops who act like this have done far worse. Keep hearing this "one bad apple" and "isolated incident" bullsnot every time some cops get busted doing what they all do everyday. Total bs! More like "one good apple" here and there, MAYBE. The only thing "isolated" about the bad cops exposed in this country every damn day is that it's "isolated" to 90% of the cops in America.
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Post by WaTcHeR on Jun 2, 2006 13:47:36 GMT -5
Police officers get discipline hearing for MySpace.com postings
06.02.2006 - A board made up of city police and law officials met behind closed doors today to discuss the cases of six officers who have been administratively charged for content and postings they made on the popular Web site MySpace.com.
The six officers — Gene Haynes, Joshua Cromer, Aaron Noel, Richard Sisk, Adam O’Quinn and Paul Stewart — were present for the meeting along with their supervisors, said Maj. Mike Bosse, commander of internal affairs and chairman of the disciplinary board. The meeting lasted more than four hours.
Bosse said the board made discipline recommendations in each of the officers’ cases. Although he could not release the specifics of the recommendations, Bosse said punishment can include anything from a written reprimand to termination.
The board will forward its recommendations to Police Chief Anthany Beatty, who can accept or adjust them. Beatty will then present his discipline to each officer, probably within the next couple of weeks.
The officer can accept Beatty’s decision or reject it. Rejecting the decision would send the case to the Urban County Council for a hearing. If the council finds the officer’s conduct improper, members would decide on the punishment.
“The board carefully considered all the aspects of each individual case and made recommendations based on evidence and the officer’s response to the questions,” Bosse said. “I think the board was professionally conducted with the interest of the public as well as the rights of the officers in mind.”
The six officers could not be reached for comment or did not return phone calls today.
The police department began investigating the MySpace.com Web sites on March 20, when another police officer informed a supervisor about the sites. That officer was “very disturbed” by some of the content on the Web pages, Beatty said.
On the Web pages, officers discussed their jobs, commented on arrests they had made and used derogatory language about gays and the mentally disabled. Officers said they worked for the “snobby people of Lexington” or the “Lexington Fayette Urban Communist Gov. PD.” Many of the pages featured Lexington police badges or photos of officers in uniform.
Lexington Mayor Teresa Isaac could not be reached for comment today.
On March 29, Haynes and Cromer were relieved of sworn duties with pay, meaning they may not make arrests until the disciplinary process is completed. They continue to work for the police department but turned in their badges, police cars and weapons. The other four continue to work as arresting officers as disciplinary proceedings continue.
The six were administratively charged with violations including interfering with a criminal case, acting in a way that does not reflect favorably on the division, and breaking guidelines that officers are required to follow when making public statements.
Police officials did not elaborate on why Cromer and Haynes were relieved of their sworn duties, but Cromer’s Web site was particularly controversial because of content relating to Cromer’s arrest of country music star John Michael Montgomery.
Montgomery was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in February. On Cromer’s site, officers discussed the case and congratulated Cromer on such a high-profile arrest. His site also included an altered photograph — posted by Haynes — of Montgomery and a fan, in which Cromer’s face had been placed on the body of the fan.
Cromer’s page, along with many of the other officers’ pages, has since been deactivated.
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Post by WaTcHeR on Jun 23, 2006 14:41:06 GMT -5
06.23.2006 - The Urban County Council approved a recommendation tonight to suspend two Lexington police officers without pay for comments and photos they posted on the popular Web site MySpace.com. Officer Gene Haynes was internally charged with conduct unbecoming and interfering in the prosecution of a case. He received a suspension of 80 hours without pay for the first charge and an additional suspension of 240 hours without pay for the second charge. He also must undergo sensitivity training. Haynes was charged with interfering with a criminal case because of a photo of John Michael Montgomery that Haynes posted on another officer's Web page. Officer Joshua Cromer arrested the country music star in February for driving under the influence of alcohol. On Cromer's page, officers discussed the case and congratulated him on such a high profile arrest. Haynes posted an altered photograph of Montgomery and a fan, in which Cromer's face had been placed on the body of the fan. Haynes has since written an apology on his MySpace page. Officer Adam O'Quinn was internally charged with conduct unbecoming. He received an 80-hour suspension without pay and was ordered to undergo sensitivity training. Lexington police officers already receive sensitivity training, but Haynes and O'Quinn will undergo enhanced training, Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty said. After the officers serve their discipline they will return to full-duty status. "We are starting to bring closure to the MySpace.com issue," Beatty said. Four other officers -- Cromer, Aaron Noel, Richard Sisk and Paul Stewart -- have also been charged for postings they made on MySpace.com, but their cases have not been made public yet. A board made up of city police and law officials met behind closed doors June 1 to make discipline recommendations in each of the officers' cases. The board forwarded its recommendations to Beatty that week. In each case, Beatty can accept or adjust the board's recommendation. Beatty then presents his discipline to each officer, who can accept or reject it. If the officer accepts his punishment -- as Haynes and O'Quinn have done -- the recommendation is sent to the Urban County Council for approval. Rejecting the decision would send the case to the Urban County Council for a hearing. If the council finds the officer's conduct improper, members would decide on the punishment. The police department began investigating the Web sites on March 20, when another police officer informed a supervisor about the sites. That officer was "very disturbed" by some of the content on the Web pages, Beatty said. Because of First Amendment concerns, the police department sought direction from the Urban County Government law department as it investigated. On the Web pages, officers discussed their jobs, commented on arrests and used derogatory language about gays and the mentally disabled. Officers said they worked for the "snobby people of Lexington" or the "Lexington Fayette Urban Communist Government." Many of the pages featured Lexington police badges or photos of the officers in uniform. www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/14880900.htm
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Post by WaTcHeR on Jul 7, 2006 11:53:34 GMT -5
07.07.2006 - The Urban County Council approved a recommendation yesterday to suspend three more Lexington police officers without pay for comments and photos they posted on the popular Web site MySpace.com. Aaron Noel, Richard Sisk and Paul Stewart, who were administratively charged with conduct unbecoming of an officer, each received an 80-hour suspension without pay and are ordered to undergo sensitivity training. Lexington police officers already receive sensitivity training, but the officers will undergo enhanced training, Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty said. After the officers serve their disciplinary time, they will return to full-duty status. In June, the council approved the suspensions of officers Adam O'Quinn and Gene Haynes, leaving Joshua Cromer, the officer who arrested country singer John Michael Montgomery on a charge of drunken driving, the only officer charged whose fate with the department remains uncertain. O'Quinn, who was administratively charged with conduct unbecoming, also received an 80-hour suspension and was ordered to undergo sensitivity training. Haynes was internally charged with conduct unbecoming and interfering in the prosecution of a case. He received a suspension of 80 hours without pay for the first charge and an additional suspension of 240 hours without pay for the second charge. He also must undergo sensitivity training. Haynes was charged with interfering with a criminal case because of a photo of Montgomery that Haynes posted on Cromer's Web page. Cromer arrested the country music star in February for driving under the influence of alcohol. On Cromer's page, officers discussed the case and congratulated him on such a high-profile arrest. Haynes posted an altered photograph of Montgomery and a fan, in which Cromer's face had been placed on the body of the fan. Haynes and Cromer have since written apologies on their MySpace pages. For Cromer's discipline to be approved by the council, he must first accept the police department's discipline recommendation. The discipline can range from a written letter of reprimand to suspension to termination. If the officer accepts the punishment -- as Haynes, O'Quinn, Noel, Sisk and Stewart have done -- the recommendation is sent to the Urban County Council for approval. Rejecting the decision would send the case to the Urban County Council for a hearing. If the council finds the officer's conduct improper, council members would decide on the punishment. Beatty declined to say yesterday whether Cromer has accepted his discipline. The police department began investigating the Web sites on March 20, when another police officer informed a supervisor about the sites. That officer was "very disturbed" by some of the content on the Web pages, Beatty said. The Web pages included discussions of their jobs, comments on arrests and derogatory language about gays and the mentally disabled. Some pages said the officers worked for the "snobby people of Lexington" or the "Lexington Fayette Urban Communist Government." Many of the pages featured Lexington police badges or photos of the officers in uniform. Beatty said he has spoken with all six officers and all were apologetic about their actions. "In my discussions we certainly have talked about getting this behind us, moving on and making us an even better agency and enhancing our relationship with the community that we serve," Beatty said. "And all of the officers are committed to doing just that and are very remorseful for what happened." www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/14984123.htm
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Post by Jim on Jul 7, 2006 16:09:02 GMT -5
One of those officers in particular I used to be acquainted with, and I can tell you with all certainty that his apology is just to save his job...he doesn't care about people and has big beefs with minorities.
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Post by bluntforcetrauma on Jul 7, 2006 22:38:57 GMT -5
They are only sorry that they were caught. I'm curious what the remarks about gays were. Are there any links to the pages on MySpace.com that have since been deleted?
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