Cop shows how to handle a traffic stop in Blount County...by ramming cops at Wide Open Throttle! Blounty deputies show how to treat a cop under arrest...by kicking him repeatedly while handcuffed! Which is better than BCSO treats BC cops...by shooting them dead by ambush! Do you feel safer now?
FBI looks into suspect, former officer beaten during arrest
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The FBI is looking into claims that a Blount County Sheriff deputy beat a man during an arrest.
Click to the right to watch the video that supposedly shows BCSO's Sgt. Doug Moore punching and kicking former Sevierville police officer Timothy Coulter.
"The video speaks for itself," said Coutler's attorney Bryan Delius.
The video shows Coulter first slamming into a darkened deputy crusier. Deputies were attempting to arrest Coulter for domestic violence, outside a family Coulter Road home.
"[Coulter] regrets the events of that evening lead up to this and it certainly, it was wrong," said Delius. "But from the point in time that the accident happened, and the vehicles collided, he did everything that he should have appropriately to respond to that situation."
Immediately Coulter sticks his hands out the window, seeming to surrender. He's brought out, cuffed and that's when the violence begins.
"I think it clearly shows that Tim Coulter complied with the officer, the commands of the officer immediately," said Delius. "What we see is pretty discouraging."
Blount County Attorney Craig Garrett respond to our calls or knock at his door. Garrett says Blount County Sgt. Doug Moore was suspended for three days, but he's now back on duty.
Sgt. Moore was also involved in a 2008 fatal shooting of suspect Leroy Hickman.
Now the FBI has opened a federal investigation. Special Agent in Charge Richard Lambert says the Department of Justice will look at the amount of force used.
"Mr. Coulter with obviously cooperate. He will do whatever is asked of him from the federal authorities," said Delius.
Coulter plead guilty to reckless endangerment and vandalism, and was sentenced to judicial diversion after three years of probation.
What happens next, is up to the FBI.
"One would have to question if they would do this to an officer, from another jurisdiction, what would they do to someone who's not an officer?" said Delius. "That's obviously the concern expressed by those conducting the future investigation."
Delius says Coulter admits responsibility for his mistakes, and he accepts his punishment.
FBI opens probe of Blount deputy after video shows beating, Ex-Severville detective gets plea deal after arrest
MARYVILLE — A Blount County Sheriff's Office video released Tuesday shows one of its deputies repeatedly kicking and punching a former Sevierville police detective during an arrest this year, prompting the FBI to open an investigation.
The video, provided at the request of the News Sentinel, shows police in-cruiser footage from the March 25 arrest of former Sevierville Police Detective Timothy Coulter, 44. It was released by the Sheriff's Office after Coulter pleaded guilty Tuesday to criminal charges that stemmed from him ramming a sheriff's cruiser and nearly striking two sheriff's deputies.
Richard Lambert, special agent in charge of the FBI's Knoxville office, said Tuesday the agency reviewed the video and as a result opened a civil-rights investigation that could lead to federal charges.
"They (the U.S. Department of Justice) will determine whether the amount of force was more than what was reasonable," Lambert said.
Blount County Attorney Craig Garrett identified the deputy who struck Coulter as Sgt. Doug Moore. Garrett said he was suspended without pay for three days following the incident. Garrett said no further action was taken against Moore, who has been with the department more than a decade.
According to a statement from the Sheriff's Office released Tuesday, deputies were unable to control Coulter during the arrest.
"The deputy delivered strikes to Coulter that were acceptable based on the circumstances, however were not in accordance with BCSO training or policy and procedure," the Sheriff's Office statement reads. "The Blount County Sheriff's Office has taken appropriate action against the deputy, and the investigation was closed with no further actions."
On March 25, deputies learned Coulter had been involved in a domestic situation in Sevier County, was threatening suicide and was traveling to his family's farm in Blount County, according to arrest warrants.
Deputies found his white Ford F-350 pickup in the driveway of a residence off Davis Ford Road. They blocked the road and called him on his cellphone, warrants show. He told a deputy he had a gun with him and he intended to harm any officer who attempted to contact him.
The video, most of which was shot at night, came from a camera in Moore's cruiser.
It shows Coulter drive out of the driveway toward Moore's unoccupied cruiser and ram the front end of it. Although they are not visible at the time of impact, arrest warrants state Moore and Sheriff Jim Berrong were standing nearby and were forced to dive into a ditch to avoid being struck.
After the impact, more police cruisers pull behind Coulter's truck and Coulter sticks his hands and head out the driver's side window.
An officer removes him from the truck at gunpoint and places him on the ground.
The deputy who subdued him then shouts, "We got 'im, we got 'im."
Moore then approaches Coulter, still on the ground surrounded by at least three other officers, and kicks him at least 11 times, according to the video. He then punches Coulter about four times, the video shows.
At least two deputies were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released, Berrong said Tuesday. He would not comment further on the video.
Coulter's defense attorney Bryan Delius said his client was in handcuffs while kicked and punched and sustained cracked ribs, facial abrasions and a knot on his head. Coulter was not treated for injuries he sustained during the incident.
The video, requested June 15 by the News Sentinel, was made public following Coulter's court hearing in Blount County, during which he pleaded guilty to one count of vandalism and two counts of reckless endangerment.
Coulter was immediately sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
He must pay a $100 fine, court costs and $8,448.81 in restitution to the Sheriff's Office for damage he caused to Moore's patrol car. Those were the terms of a plea agreement reached between Delius and Assistant Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond. It was approved by Blount County Circuit Court Judge David Duggan, who also granted Coulter judicial diversion, a move that spares him jail and a conviction on his record if he complies with the terms of his probation.
The reckless endangerment charges to which Coulter pleaded guilty were reduced from more serious charges of aggravated assault.
Coulter had also been charged with DUI, possession of a handgun while intoxicated and violation of the implied consent law. Desmond said under the plea deal those charges would be dismissed.
Prior to the plea Coulter signed a civil release agreeing not to sue the county, Delius said.
Delius said the video disturbed him.
"Obviously, he did everything he could to comply," the lawyer said. "His arms and head are out of the vehicle's window before they even approach. We expect people who are paid law enforcement to act professional and with restraint. What is observed on the video is very concerning and disheartening."
Garrett called the incident a "very dangerous and very intense situation."
"Blount County's sheriff deputies hate to see a fellow officer make the type of mistakes Mr. Coulter made," Garrett said. "Everybody was kind of on edge. Officer Moore probably had some adrenaline pumping and may have reacted strongly to the incident, but he's been properly disciplined, and we consider the matter concluded."
Comments
Many people cannot fathom how this "judicial perversion" gets handed out to cops and public servants.....any one of us wold have jail time.
I hope folks don't wonder why so little respect exists for these double standard kangaroo courts and the soiled public servants who get coddled. BAAALONNNYYY!!!
"had also been charged with DUI, possession of a handgun while intoxicated and violation of the implied consent law" In Tennessee gun crime means hard time....unless you are a cop
"Prior to the plea Coulter signed a civil release agreeing not to sue the county, Delius said." So he can not sue them, they made sure beofre they agreed to the plea he took!
A few whacks to the ribs is pretty standard for a lot of places. The really disturbing part of this is that the Sheriff was on scene. Who flaunts the law/rules/procedures like that with the boss standing there? I hope it doesn't say something much more about the culture of the BCSO than just one exasperated deputy going overboard on one particular occasion.
Blount co cops are as corrupt as they come. They're also the reason I never go to blount county, and I was a maryville college grad.
The Blount County Sheriff`s Office Writes their own Laws as they go along.
What a joke!
Editorial: Video of beating proves value of openness in government
The in-cruiser police video that led to an FBI investigation of the beating of a suspect in Blount County demonstrates the value of cameras keeping an eye on law enforcement and underscores the public's need to have access to such records.
Blount County deputy Sgt. Doug Moore, who also is being sued for using excessive force and wrongful death in an unrelated matter [the ambush murder of a former cop in Maryville Police Department], is the subject of the FBI's civil-rights probe.
The video, obtained by the News Sentinel through an open records request, shows footage from the March 25 arrest of former Sevierville Police Detective Timothy Coulter. The Blount County Sheriff's Office released the video after Coulter pleaded guilty Tuesday to criminal charges stemming from his ramming a deputy's cruiser.
Blount County deputies learned Coulter had been involved in a domestic situation in Sevier County, was threatening suicide and on his way to his family farm in Blount County. Deputies found Coulter's pickup truck, blocked him in and called him on his cell phone, according to arrest warrants. He told a deputy he had a gun and warned that he would harm officers who tried to contact him.
The video shows Coulter's Ford F-350 ramming the front of Moore's unoccupied cruiser. Off-camera, Moore and Sheriff Jim Berrong leaped out of the way. Coulter surrendered, then was kicked at least 11 times and punched about four times by a deputy identified as Moore. Couter's defense attorney said his client sustained cracked ribs, cuts and a knot on his head.
Coulter pleaded guilt to reduced charges of reckless endangerment and was sentenced to three years probation. He must also pay restitution to Blount County for damage to Moore's cruiser.
Moore was suspended without pay for three days after the incident. The Sheriff's Office in a statement released last week that the blows Moore inflicted by Coulder were "acceptable," though "not in accordance with BCSO training or policy and procedure."
The Sheriff's Office can't have it both ways. Either Moore's actions were acceptable — meaning they were in line with policy — or they were not. When sheriff's officials speak out of both sides of their mouths, they appear more interested in protecting Moore than seeking justice.
There's enough smoke rising from the incident that Richard Lambert, special agent in charge of the FBI's Knoxville field office, initiated a civil-rights investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice, he said, "will determine whether the amount of force was more than what was reasonable."
A key piece of evidence in the FBI will be the in-cruiser video. Time and time again, videos have proven invaluable in determining what has happened at crime scenes — many times providing evidence that clears officers of wrongdoing. Videotapes, audiotapes of 911 calls, police incident reports and other records available to the public act as a check against police powers.
Some in the Tennessee Legislature have tried to blind the public by exempting incident reports and 911 calls from the Tennessee Public Records Act.
Such efforts are misguided. Secrecy causes citizens to lose confidence in the officials and agents entrusted with public institutions. When government operates in the sunshine, however, the public can have confidence its interests are being protected.
Openness doesn't make government weaker; openness makes government stronger.
Comments
ever notice that LEOs think that laws are for US to follow,certainly not THEM?? ever notice their black tinted windows??just try and have YOUR windows tinted black!! ever be going along at the speed limit and be passed by one of them going WAY faster?? ever notice that if you take their picture and they see you ,they will break your camera?? i could go on and on (and probably will)to protect and serve....yeah right!! they all act like they are jesus.but the fact is, sadly, they are mostly scum.
See also:
Blount sheriff on trial for murder of cop - A federal judge is ordering a Blount County Sheriff's Office sergeant to stand trial in a wrongful death lawsuit over a deadly arrest ruse, but the lawman will be seated alone at the defense table. U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan has rejected Sgt. Doug Moore's bid for immunity in the February 2008 shooting death of 61-year-old Leeroy Hickman Jr. outside Hickman's Grove Street home, saying there are too many unanswered questions that only a jury can answer. But in the same order, Varlan dismissed the case against Deputy Lesley Craig, who actually shot Hickman in the back, and Deputies Robert Berkley and Matthew Gilmore, who were part of the deadly ruse but did not fire any shots. It was Moore who set up the ruse to lure Hickman, himself a former lawman, out of his house to arrest him on a domestic violence warrant. Craig dressed in civilian clothes and pretended to be a friend of Hickman's daughter whose truck had broken down outside his house. But the plan quickly went awry, court records show. It was dark and rainy, and Craig's raised hood blocked her from the view of Moore and the other two deputies. Initially, the deputies could hear the conversation between Hickman and Craig because Craig had secretly phoned one of the deputies and left the phone open. But when her phone went dead, Moore, Berkley and Gilmore rushed out of the darkness toward Hickman. Craig ran to the back of her truck, but when she heard the deputies yell 'gun,' she opened fire on Hickman, who was facing his house with his back toward Craig. Hickman's widow alleges that Hickman was 'confused' and frightened when three strangers dressed in dark clothing suddenly rushed toward him and was trying to flee inside his house when he was shot in the back.
"I’ll burn your house down, set your dog on fire and there won’t be a member of your family left, do you understand me? I won’t hire it done, I will do it myself! Do you understand me?”The Police Officer as Psychopath
-Blount County sheriff James Berrong talking to his secretary in the Blount County Justice Center, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, Nuchols v. Berrong, No. 04-5645, July 11, 2005
No comments:
Post a Comment