Month: June 2015

DOJ Reaches Agreement to Reform Cleveland Police Brutality

Originally published on May 28, 2015, at NationofChange.org

The Justice Department and the city of Cleveland announced on Tuesday that they have entered into a court enforceable agreement to reduce systemic police abuse and repeated violations of the Fourth Amendment. Although the Cleveland Police Department (CPD) has not admitted any wrongdoing, the Department of Justice found that a significant amount of CPD officers utilize deadly and excessive force. With a lack of proper training and transparency, CPD officers now face a myriad of reforms and independent auditors in order to reinstate the broken trust between the police and their community.

At the request of Mayor Frank Jackson on March 14, 2013, the Justice Department began investigating allegations of excessive force and violations of the Fourth Amendment being committed by the CPD. The investigation included a comprehensive assessment of officers’ use of force, and CPD’s policies, procedures, training, systems of accountability, and community engagement. On December 4, 2014, the Justice Department announced that a significant amount of CPD officers used excessive force and constituted an ongoing risk to the public and their fellow officers.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that every American benefits from a police force that protects and serves all members of the community,” stated Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “The agreement we have reached with the city of Cleveland is the result of the hard work and dedication of the entire Cleveland community, and looks to address serious concerns, rebuild trust, and maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. I am pleased to have the full cooperation of law enforcement and city officials in this effort. And I look forward to working with the entire community to build a stronger, safer Cleveland for residents and officers alike.”

According to the agreement, the CPD expects its officers to treat all members of the Cleveland community with courtesy, professionalism, and respect, and not to use harassing, intimidating, or derogatory language. CPD officers will no longer employ neck holds, assault handcuffed suspects, strike individuals in the head with their Taser or service weapon, use force against people verbally confronting them, pepper-spray compliant persons, or engage in retaliatory force. Officers will also use de-escalation techniques and allow suspects the opportunity to submit to arrest before using force against them.

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DC Gyrocopter Pilot Remains Defiant After Indicted on Federal Charges

Originally published on May 23, 2015, at NationofChange.org

The Florida postal worker who landed his gyrocopter on Capitol Hill last month pled not guilty on Thursday to two felony counts and four misdemeanors. Although the defiant pilot intended to spread public awareness regarding campaign finance reform and dark money influencing politics, lawmakers in Washington have focused instead on the security lapses that allowed him to fly over restricted airspace. Refusing to be ignored, 61-year-old Doug Hughes now faces a maximum sentence of nine and a half years in prison for his nonviolent protest against rampant political greed.

On April 15, Doug Hughes flew from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and landed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Instead of carrying weapons, his gyrocopter was equipped with 535 letters that he intended to deliver to the members of Congress. In his letters and subsequent opinion pieces, Hughes has called for a constitutional amendment to nullify Citizens United v. FEC and reforms to systemic political corruption.

“The reason I did it,” Hughes explained during an NPR interview, “although I brought 535 letters to Congress, the reason was to get a message to the American people — not that there’s a problem with Congress but that there are solutions to the problem. Ninety-one percent of Americans know that Congress isn’t working for them. That they’re responding to special interests and lobbyists.”

“Many people don’t know that almost half the Congress, when they retire goes to work as lobbyists, oftentimes making 14 times what they made while they were in Congress as special advisers, and lobbyists, and none of them is worth $2 million a year. They’re getting paid off for voting the way the lobbyist firm that they got hired to wanted them to vote while they were in office. Anybody who looks at this can see that it’s bribery made legal by a delayed payment.”

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Rogue Cop Indicted for Excessive Force and Cover-Ups

Originally published on May 21, 2015, at NationofChange.org

A decorated Minneapolis police officer with a history of brutality complaints was charged on Wednesday with viciously assaulting at least four people while off-duty. After falsifying police reports, Officer Michael Griffin allegedly committed perjury multiple times to cover up his crimes. The city has already paid over $410,000 to settle two lawsuits filed by Officer Griffin’s victims.

The first incident began outside the Aqua Nightclub and Lounge in downtown Minneapolis after closing time on May 29, 2010. An argument between a married couple outside the bar led to a confrontation between Griffin and Ibrahim Regai. Griffin, who was off-duty and friends with the husband, flashed his badge and threatened to arrest Regai, who was friends with the wife.

Instead of fighting Griffin, Regai retreated to the nearby Envy Nightclub where he worked part-time. Regai approached the employee’s entrance and rang the doorbell, but Griffin followed Regai and sucker-punched him in the face before anyone could open the door. According to the indictment, Griffin repeatedly struck him in the face until Regai was unconscious.

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Fox News Anchor Bill O’Reilly Reportedly Abused His Wife in Front of His Daughter

Originally published on May 21, 2015, at NationofChange.org

During a recent custody battle between Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly and his ex-wife, a forensic examiner reportedly testified that their young daughter witnessed O’Reilly physically abusing his wife. Although O’Reilly denies the allegations, the judge granted his ex-wife full custody of their children last month. While O’Reilly has denounced domestic abuse on his show “The O’Reilly Factor,” he has neglected to inform his audience of the accusations against him.

On November 2, 1996, Bill O’Reilly married Maureen McPhilmy and together they had two children, Madeline and Spencer. The couple separated in 2010 and finalized their divorce a year later. They initially agreed to share custody of their children, but McPhilmy returned to court in February 2012 seeking full custody of her children after O’Reilly allegedly violated conditions of the agreement.

According to a recent article in Gawker, a court-appointed forensic examiner testified at a closed hearing about an incident that O’Reilly’s daughter, Madeline, claimed to have witnessed. Roughly a year before her parent’s separation, Madeline reportedly saw her father grab her mother by the throat and drag her down a staircase while tightly gripping her neck. Madeline was nine years old at the time and believes her father did not know she was watching.

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