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The Mounting Failures of the Waukesha, WI Police Department
Waukesha Police Department is slowly being unraveled to reveal an organization which has much less to do with “The Law” and more to do with the stranglehold it’s members have placed on many in our community. On 6/4/15, Milwaukee TMJ4 I-Team ran a piece about some of the the likely criminal actions of our PD. I’ll discuss a few more questionable acts in this post.
Destroy All Evidence of Misconduct
Since the brutal beating of Mark Schroeder by rookie Waukesha cop (and son of Sheriff’s deputy) Ryan LaFavor I’ve been on a mission to bring accountability to WPD. Last year our city paid a $300,000 Federal settlement to Mark after 2 judges found the PD intentionally deleted video which captured the beating. The police Chief promised in 2011 that all dash-cam problems were resolved. The issue at hand is that taxpayers are paying $10,000 plus per squad for dash cam systems which have a 90+ percent failure rate or so I’m told.
I’ve spoken at length with Aldermen Aaron Perry, Chris Hernandez and Terry Thieme as well as before the entire City Council at length. But now, due to the information I’ve uncovered, our city is in disaster mode. The PD claims that for the past 6 plus years they’ve “accidentally deleted” likely thousands of dash-cam and body mic recordings as little as 1 week after they were captured. So in addition to violating public record retention laws, the PD has systematically denied due process to hoards of defendants left only with their word against the cops’.
Several weeks after I discovered that these videos were being purged I contacted Waukesha City Attorney to determine if he was notified of these violations. He wasn’t. There are an untold (yet) number of municipal cases which will have to be re-examined. I also FOIA’d the DA’s office about their notification. I haven’t heard back yet but I’m assuming our new DA Susan Opper is busy trying to contain the inferno caused by WPD which will likely occupy a substantial part of her work days for years to come. But the taxpayers will just pick up the tab.
Annual CopBlocker Abduction
Last summer I wrote this piece about my friend TJ who was, for all intents and purposes, abducted due to his activities as a copwatcher. 1 year later, almost to the day, something similar happened to another man. Gary L., a man in his 50’s with no criminal record, was arrested by 2 Waukesha Police Detectives on 6/11/14 less than a week after taking this video. He was not told why he was being arrested but was taken to the PD and placed in a holding cell for the maximum 2 days allowed without charges. Detectives David Feyen and Michael Carpenter, at one point, asked Gary if he had any dogs as they were going to execute a search warrant (and perhaps potential pets) on his property.
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While Gary languished nearly 48 hours in a filthy PD holding cell usually reserved for drunks to sleep it off over a few hours, Detectives Carpenter and Feyen ransacked Gary’s house. Gary was given an opportunity to see the search warrant which had a scribbled signature but no printed judge’s name. They seized computers and camera equipment used by Gary to film cop stops throughout the county. Days after Gary’s release Waukesha County Detective and “Joint Terrorism Task Force” FBI member Mike Hehct and 2 other JTTF members to terrorize Gary at his house. They probed him on if he was a “threat to national security.”
After repeated public record requests, a demeaning discussion with Captain Ron Oremus, and no word on the malicious charges Gary had hanging over his head he contacted me through a CopBlock submission. I began investigating and was denied records from the PD as they stated the DA was reviewing the case. I FOIA’d the DA’s office and they claimed to have no record of the referral for charges. Several days later the DA informed me the case had been referred but that it had been denied for prosecution because Gary hadn’t committed any crime.
That didn’t stop Detective Mike Carpenter from filing a municipal ordinance violation ticket against Gary for an unknown incident he’s now accused of. The ticket states Gary committed some “disorderly conduct” infraction “129 feet south of Sunset Ave in Waukesha on 2/14/14.” I think the PD just wants some/any sort of conviction to “vindicate” the terrorism they’ve inflicted on this man. Fortunately Waukesha Municipal Court has convicted every single trial defendant in 2013 and 2014. The police know that their practices won’t receive judicial scrutiny but simply a rubber stamp affirming everything they do by Judge Joseph Cook.
Summary
The facts described in this article lay a foundation, against multiple individuals, for a (or many) Felony conviction for misconduct in office under WI Statute 946. The Chief blames the previous police Chief, who retired in 2009, for the dash-cam purging issues. I’ll assume Detectives Carpenter and Feyen will try to blame someone for their allegedly retaliatory conduct. PD Spokesman Captain “Obvious” Ron Oremus will continue to blame my “agenda” for his employee’s misdeeds and the taxpayers will continue to shoulder the financial responsibilities for them all.
Chief Jack, Detective Feyen, and Dective Carpenter have not responded to my requests for comment on these allegations.
Waukesha Police Department Facebook Page
The Mounting Failures of the Waukesha, WI Police Department is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights
Source: http://www.copblock.org/128976/failures-waukesha-police/
