K-9 Axel of RI State Police dies

K-9 Axel of RI State Police dies 

The Rhode Island State Police are mourning the loss of K-9 Axel, a former partner to Detective Lt. Matthew Moynihan.

K-9 Axel, who was 14 years old, began his service with the state police in 2002 and retired in 2010. He was trained in patrol apprehension and narcotics detection, and was assigned to both the Patrol and Detective Bureaus.

In addition to his service to the Rhode Island State Police, K-9 Axel was frequently called upon by municipal police departments to track suspects and/or detect narcotics. After three years, he suffered an injury, which required the surgical removal of a portion of his hip bone to alleviate discomfort. He quickly returned to service, and was assigned to the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force within the Detective Bureau of the state police.

During his time there, K-9 Axel had many noteworthy felony apprehensions and was instrumental in the detection of hundreds of pounds of illicit narcotics and United States currency derived from the illegal proceeds of narcotic trafficking. He contributed to numerous narcotic seizures shipped through the United States Postal Service as well as other global courier services.

In 2009, K-9 Axel detected the odor of narcotics coming from within the inside of a tractor trailer from Laredo, Texas. As a result, 1,500 pounds of marijuana was located and seized. The estimated street value at the time of the seizure was approximately $2 million. This remains the largest single seizure of marijuana seized in the history of the state police.

K-9 Axel also frequently visited elementary schools within the state of Rhode Island and entertained children with his detection abilities. Upon his retirement, K-9 Axel lived with his assigned handler, Moynihan, along with Moynihan's family.

Minnesota - Blue alert could help track down police attackers

Blue alert could help track down police attackers | Capitol Chatter



Legislation is moving ahead to establish a Minnesota alert system that would be activated when a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously wounded.



Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, said a so-called blue alert program would help find suspects quicker because information about police attackers could be sent statewide immediately.



The Senate State and Local Government Committee Wednesday approved Ingebrigtsen’s blue alert bill unanimously, sending it on to other committees that need to consider it. A similar bill is progressing through the House.



Janell Rasmussen of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said a blue alert would be handled much like amber alerts, which notify the public about missing children.



“We can notify the entire state of Minnesota when it comes through that system in a matter of 60 seconds or less,” Rasmussen said.



Notices would go to law enforcement authorities, the media and businesses that subscribe to the service.



Ingebrigtsen, who worked in law enforcement for 34 years, said quickly finding suspects would help law enforcement families reach a level of peace. He told the committee that a partner of his died on duty six months after Ingebrigtsen took part in his wedding, so he said that he understands the issue.



Twenty-One states have blue alert laws.



Legislative discussion on the bill follows last year’s shooting of Twin Cities suburban police officer Scott Patrick.



Rep. Dan Schoen, a Cottage Grove policeman, said at an earlier House hearing that people who attack police officers usually know they are headed to jail, so they are dangerous to leave on the streets.

'It's hard to believe it's been ten years,' says deputy shot in

'It's hard to believe it's been ten years,' says deputy shot in - KLTV.com 



SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) -

The chilling shooting rampage that killed a mother and a man trying to save her life is fresh in people's minds, ten years later. 

We were there as David Hernandez Arroyo, Sr. opened fire on the Smith County Courthouse on February 24, 2005. He was after his estranged wife and son who were at the courthouse for a child support hearing. Arroyo's son survived, but Maribel Estrada and Mark Wilson, a civilian trying to stop Arroyo, died at the scene. 

"It's hard to believe it's been ten years," says Detective Sherman Dollison with the Smith County Sheriff's Office.

"I found him right about here and started firing at him," says Dollison.

"Bullets were flying right past and they still engaged him in gunfire," says Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham.

"I remember everyone in the courtroom just panicking," says Brett Harrison, a defense attorney who was in the courthouse that day.

David Arroyo Sr. had just killed his estranged wife on the steps leading to the courthouse. He was armed with an AK47 and a bullet proof vest.

"He shot me. I remember getting hit. At that time, I knew I had been hit, but I didn't know where I had been hit," says Dollison.

Arroyo Sr. shot him several more times.

"I just kind of laid down, because at that time I had accepted this was it," Dollison says.

Mark Wilson, a man with a concealed handgun license, picked up his gun and was also trying to help.

"If Mark hadn't had been there, he would have had more time to come into the courthouse," says Dollison.

"That's a man right there that didn't have to do what he did. He's not law enforcement, he doesn't have to get into the fight," says Bingham. "As soon as he shot Mark, he got in his truck and drove off. So, the assault on the back of the courthouse ended after Mark engaged him."

Wilson died a hero. His memorial and the bullet holes all over the courthouse stand as reminders.

"It was a tragic day. People lost their lives, and it needs to be remembered," says Dollison.

"It's not just a reminder of what that killer did, it's also a reminder that law enforcement and Mark Wilson were willing to go out there and confront the evil head on," Bingham says.

Flowers now sit above where one of the fatal shots was taken. They are a soft reminder on this 10-year anniversary.

Detective Sherman Dollison was one of four people injured in the shooting. David Arroyo, Sr. fled the scene, heading out of downtown, going north on Hwy 271, where officers were finally able to shoot and kill him. 

Unanswered questions in Habersham County murders

Unanswered questions in Habersham County murders | FOX 5



HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. -It was a tragedy which struck a Habersham County church known as the Torch particularly hard. The gunman and all his victims in one way or another were connected to this house of worship.

Cody Kelley and Pastor Mike Franklin prayed for answers where there are no easy ones.

Pastor Franklin says he spoke to Anthony Giacuinta the day of the murders.

"The day he shot Kathy and Steve he spoke to me and said pastor I'm not okay,"said Pastor Franklin.

According to the GBI former Habersham County deputy Anthony Giaquinta shot and killed his ex-wife Cathy and her friend Steve Singleton at Cathy's Clarkesville home. They say Giaquinta died from cross fire when he wounded Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrill and a deputy.

Pastor Franklin says He'd been counseling Giacuinta for the last year and a half after the couple divorced.

He says on the day of the murders he had a long conversation with Giacuenta who seemed emotionally stable.

"I don't know what caused him to snap but he snapped and stepped off the deep end so to speak emotionally and my, what a tragedy followed," said Pastor Franklin.

The tragedy involved the Giacuenta teenage daughters losing their father and mother. A sheriff and deputy are recovering from wounds and the loss of Steve Singleton, well known in the Demorest area for helping teens through the nonprofit the Easton Foundation. It was formed after his son 17 year old Easton was killed in a car crash three years ago.

"They give scholarships to students to help students go to college, when students are in tragic car accidents they send care packages to help them," said Cody Kelley, a friend of Singleton.

The nonprofit also sponsors the Battle of the Hero's, an annual Fundraising football game involving local law enforcement and fire fighters. Steve Singletons vision of helping teens will continue.

"I think we will definitely work harder to try to help the community and try to help teens", said Kelley.

Now pastor Franklin trying to help the shattered families of the gunman and victims.

"There's no way to go back if there was a rock that we could have turned we tried to turn it,” said Pastor Franklin.

While there may be no easy answers, Habersham County will try to find some peace with a prayer rally at the Habersham County courthouse on Saturday March 7th from 5 to 7 at night. 

Country Star Carrie Underwood Donates Guitar for K-9 Medical Bills

A guitar donation from Carrie Underwood could help save an Oklahoma deputy's canine partner. The Muskogee Phoenix reports Underwood donated an autographed guitar to help pay the medical bills of a McIntosh County Sheriff's Department K-9 officer. 

Underwood is a native of the Oklahoma city of Checotah. Deputy Kevin Branscum has partnered with the German shepherd named Gino since 2012. He has spent around $4,000 since December for medical care after the privately owned service animal was infected with heartworms. 

Gino has medical treatments scheduled through May. Officials plan to auction the guitar but haven't set a venue or date. Branscum says he was surprised by Underwood's donation and is incredibly grateful. 

If you like to help K-9 Gino, Please click the link to the right and DONATE what you can. Every dollar Counts. Proceeds will be sent to the McIntosh Sheriff's Dept. Your Donation is Tax Deductible through this Link. (Blue Alert Foundation) EIN # 45-5607994 

In Her Own Words: Trooper Struck on the Interstate

Search continues in 'several areas' for Robeson County deputy's

Search continues in 'several areas' for Robeson County deputy's



FAIRMONT, NC -Multiple areas are being searched for clues to help find a missing teen in Robeson County, said Sheriff Kenneth Sealey told News13.

Investigators were still out Monday night helping to track down leads in the case of missing 18-year-old Sara Nicole Graham, Sealey said.

Graham, the daughter of a Robeson County Deputy, disappeared last Wednesday morning after she left her family's Fairmont home to drive to her Walmart job in Pembroke, officials say.

Sealey said Monday that there were "several areas" being searched, the searches were still active and would resume on Tuesday morning.

An investigator working on finding Graham told News13 Monday night that a large search is planned Wednesday by law enforcement and search and rescue crews.

After Graham did not show up for work by 7 am last Wednesday,  Sealey said that around 12:15 pm a caller reported a suspicious vehicle in a field with its doors locked. 

A license check showed the van was registered to Graham's father, Hubert Graham. Detectives then learned that Sara Graham never showed up for work.
    
Sara Graham's van was found empty, parked in a wheat field on the edge of a forest along East McDonald Road between Chicken Road and Centerville Church Road, Sealey said.

A large search was conducted that afternoon with dozens of Robeson County deputies, a NC Highway Patrol helicopter and Bladen County Deputies, according to Sealey. 

However, there was no sign of Graham and her family has still not had contact with her. Sara's father Hubert, is a 16 year veteran of the sheriff's department.

  Sheriff Kenneth Sealey asks that anyone with information about Sara Graham's disappearance to call  910-671-3170, which is the Robeson County Sheriff's Office.

New Details On Suspect In SW OKC Officer-Involved Shooting

New Details On Suspect In SW OKC Officer-Involved Shooting 



OKLAHOMA CITY -

As a metro police officer recovers after being shot by a suspect, new questions were asked about why the man accused of pulling the trigger wasn't already behind bars.

Before Friday night's shooting, court records revealed Herbert Hill, 25, was convicted in 2012 of shooting with intent to kill. He was sentenced 17 years in prison but only served one year. He was given 30 years' probation.

"Looking at the cold hard record of what his past was and what he had done this time, this guy didn't deserve a suspended sentence," said local attorney and former Oklahoma City police officer Irven Box.

"He shouldn't have been out for another 10 or 12 years, but he came back before a judge and said he had been good in doing a year in prison, and the judge modified that sentence down and gave him a suspended sentence."

While on probation, police officers showed up to a home on S.W. 62nd Street to arrest Hill, who was wanted for a felony. Police said he failed to register as a violent offender. 

Officers found him inside a car parked in the driveway of the home with a woman, who neighbors said is the relative of the homeowner.

2/7/2015 Related Story: Suspect Identified In SW OKC Officer-Involved Shooting

"She brought that guy over there, and I guess they didn't know that guy, it was just some guy that she picked up, she was hanging out with, just the wrong crowd," said neighbor Justin Shepherd.

Police said the woman was able to get out of the car just in time when Hill reached for a gun and started shooting at four officers and one Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office deputy.

Sgt. John Townsend, a 10-year-veteran, was shot in the leg and grazed in the back.

"His vest kept it from penetrating into his body, so it did what it supposed to do, we're very fortunate there," said Capt. Paco Balderama of Oklahoma City Police Department.

Police said the other officers fired back at Hill, who was shot and killed. 

2/6/2015 Related Story: OCPD: Officer Shot In The Leg, Suspect Shot And Killed In SW OKC

The deadly shooting was only footsteps from Shepherd's door, who was watching his children and babysitting some friend's kids at the time of the shooting. But it was the children of the women, who were inside the car with Hill that he was worried about.

“She had kids that were in the house too, and she was telling us that the kids were in there screaming and they were terrified in there for their mother and everything, so that can't be good for them,” Shepherd said.

The woman was not hurt or arrested. Police said she was not involved in the crime.

Sgt. John Townsend was treated and released from OU Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery.

All the officers involved were placed on routine administrative leave as the case is under investigation.

Some of the information in this news story may have been provided by law enforcement with the request News 9 inform the public of, and/or assist in locating a person in connection with, a police investigation. News 9 can make no independent verification of the accuracy of the information, photographs and/or video provided to it by police or other law enforcement agencies.

Fallen DPS officer's family begs lawmakers to ban texting

Fallen DPS officer's family begs lawmakers to ban texting

A state Senate committee Wednesday approved a watered-down ban on texting while driving after hearing emotional pleas from the family of a DPS officer killed by a distracted driver.

The Senate Government Committee voted unanimously to approve a bill that would ban sending text messages while driving, but not ban reading the messages.

"Even though I would vote for a bill that banned texting and reading texts, I know that would never pass this Legislature," said the committee chairman, Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills).

Seven family members of DPS Officer Tim Huffman attended the hearing during a break in the murder trial for the trucker whose 18-wheeler plowed into Huffman's cruiser in May 2013 along Interstate 8 near Yuma. Huffman was 47.

Investigative documents and video later showed that the driver, Jorge Espinoza, 33, was looking at pictures of women "with little clothing" on Facebook.

The testimony from Huffman's family was heart breaking.

"Please, please keep your people safe," Tammy Huffman, the officer's sister-in-law, told the legislators through tears.

Tim Huffman's twin brother, Warren Huffman, alluded to the horrific video showing the last seconds before the trucker hurtled into the parked DPS cruiser at 65 miles per hour.

"Eight seconds of looking away from the road and paying attention to something else caused all that damage, all that harm and all that pain for the family," he said.

Democratic State Sen. Steve Farley of Tucson said this was the ninth distracted-driving bill he had introduced in the last eight years. None have passed. Farley said that could help the trucker charged with killing Tim Huffman

"The key point the defense attorney used to try to get him off was saying that we don't have a state law (banning distracted driving)," Farley said.

After the hearing, the seven Huffman family members headed back to Yuma. They came to Arizona from all over the country to sit through the trucker's month-long murder trial. The jury could reach a verdict any day.

Meantime, the distracted-driving bill faces high hurdles. Farley said Senate President Andy Biggs had been a staunch opponent in the past. A Biggs spokesman did not return a call seeking comment.

Follow Brahm Resnik on Twitter at @brahmresnik.

2015 Winter Raffle Supporting Blue Alert Foundation

The Winter Raffle 2015 is Raising Money for Families of Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the line of duty;

Prizes

1st Place Prize: 4 (FOUR) ADULT WALT DISNEY WORLD 5-DAY PARK HOPPER TICKETS/PASSES- ORLANDO, FL

Value $1,550.00

2nd Place Prize: Sony HDR-AS100VR POV Action Video Camera with Live View Remote (White)

Value $458.00

3rd Place Prize: Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-16GW Detachable 2 in 1 Touchscreen Laptop (64GB)

Value $350.00

Drawing will be on March 15, 2015 at 3pm ET
Winners will be posted at 6pm ET same day
www.BlueAlert.us/WinnersList

Get Tickets at

www.BlueAlert.us/Raffle

Prizes will be Mailed via U.S.P.S. Priority Mail