In the Line of Duty

There have been some stark realities recently about what it means to be in law enforcement. 

NYPD Officer Dennis Guerra was killed while running into an apartment building to save lives after the call of a fire, which was set by a 16 year old arsonist.

Officer Guerra left behind four children and a wife after making the ultimate sacrifice. Head over to Huff Post for some incredible pictures of how the NYPD mourns one of their own.

The suspect, Marcell Dockery, is 16 years old, and in New York State that means he will automatically be tried in supreme court. He is currently charged with murder in the second degree.

In North Carolina, the father of an Assistant District Attorney was kidnapped and beaten over the course of four days until the FBI tracked his location and rescued him. Five people were implicated in the kidnapping, including an inmate convicted by the ADA. The inmate apparently smuggled a cell phone into his prison and was able to orchestrate the kidnapping using it.

The murder trial for one suspect accused of killing two prosecutors is in the beginning process of jury selection in Texas.

Even in my own office, there have been two times in the last month when prosecutors have been threatened over the phone. Also, a defendant on trial tried to strike the ADA trying him with his car.

The further I move along in my career as a prosecutor, the more serious the cases become. The more serious and far-reaching the investigation, the more dramatic the consequences for the accused and usually the more violent the targets. It's reality. Most days I don't think about it, but there are definitely times I look over my shoulder a few times when I'm leaving work late at night while I'm on trial with a murder case.

It's no secret that the police and prosecutors follow social media, listen to phone calls, and have other investigative means. My name is mentioned frequently by defendants I'm prosecuting. It's always disconcerting, but there have never been legitimate threats. Usually, it's just jokes to their friends.

It's a reality of choosing to fight for victims in court. Intimidation is one of the biggest problems I face in  persuading witnesses to testify. Unfortunately, it seems to be spreading to the public servants themselves. This isn't to say defense attorneys and judges are immune from the intimidation. There are many cases we investigate where defendants are stalking or harassing their attorneys, or a defendant obtains the cell phone number for a judge somehow and leaves horrible messages. Technology has made intimidation easy and anonymous.

This last month has served as a reminder of the dangers we all face in trying to do the right thing. The intimidation doesn't drive me away. It just strengthens my resolve to find justice. The suspects that have the means and choose to carry out their threats are the ones we need to focus on. Their level of intimidation is pervasive on the streets and will make life better for the citizens who have to put up with it every day.

Tweet

24 Hours as a Homicide Detective

It was a Monday morning.

Homicide detectives respond to all deaths that are not natural causes. This detective was a 19 year vet with the force with seven of those on homicide. He's gregarious and fun, never letting what he sees every day affect his humor.

The call came in as a DOA. The detective walked up the narrow stairs, careful to avoid the peeling wallpaper that seemed to reach off the wall and try to grab passersby. He walked into the upper apartment towards the man who was wailing next to his lifeless friend. The television blared, tuned to the Catholic channel. A television tray faced the television with a Bible spread open and dog-eared with most of the lines highlighted in neon yellow.

Two fentanyl patches were crumpled next to the dead man's head. The clear adhesives opened and the prescription painkiller had been stripped clean. The gooey remnants on the patches matched the substance around the dead man's mouth. It was another casualty to the fentanyl epidemic.

It was ruled an overdose after confirmation by the medical examiner. Twenty-four hours later the detective was called to a familiar location.  He walked up the narrow staircase, with less care for the wallpaper. The sounds of a televised preacher exhorting his flock to follow Christ sounded from inside the open door. The detective entered and found the distraught friend dead on arrival with now all too familiar fentanyl patches stripped bare on the ground next to the immobile body. The detective shook his head and walked out, unable to explain a man killed after watching his friend suffer the same fate, at the same place, and in the same way the day before.

Tweet

Twists of Fate

ANDREW, THEODORAKIS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Over 10 years ago, a police force rejected my application.  During law school, I turned down a different agency's offer to join their squad.  After seeing what the officers deal with on a daily basis - unending calls, no sleep, an abnormal schedule, the threat of violence in every encounter - I'm not sure how well I would have done.  I'm certain I was not mature enough to have that kind of responsibility in my early 20's.

Although, I would be halfway towards retiring...

But still, 12 NYPD officers survived gunshots (there were 9 total in the three years before that) in the course of their duty this year.  Here's hoping to a speedy recovery and that we all learn to keep our cool.  No one ever wins in a gunfight.

Tweet

One Cop's Take

Interesting comment from one of our law enforcement readers. it concerns the last post about cell phones in prison.

A stash of cell phones and cell phone chargers were discovered at an unnamed jail. The facility was flustered as to how they were getting in. Officers expressed a concern about the items out of fear that prisoners could easily smuggle other more dangerous items into the jail.

Turns out, it could be traced back to a work program. Certain inmates were allowed to work outside the jail. The inmates would call their pals on the outside once they found out their work location for the day. The location was supposed to be secret until the prisoners arrived for work, but as in all things in life, someone can always find out ahead of time.

The prisoner's friend would get the property to the prisoner who would then smuggle it in. Since they were supervised during their work shift and considered trustworthy the searches of these inmates upon return were cursory.

Once the program was cancelled, cell phones have not been seen since. Although I doubt that will last long.

Tweet