Sandy Claims Life Of Off-Duty NYPD Cop Who Rescued His Family

Sandy Claims Life Of Off-Duty NYPD Cop Who Rescued His Family « CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Among the 22 people killed in New York City as a result of superstorm Sandy was an off-duty police officer, who died rescuing his family from flood waters.

Officer Artur Kasprzak, 28, died Monday night in the basement of his home on Doty Avenue on Staten Island.

Around 7 p.m., with flood waters surging in his home, Kasprzak was able to get six members of his family, including two men, ages 69 and 31, along with three women, ages 31, 56 and 68 and a 15-month-old boy  into his attic so they could safely escape rapidly rising water.

Kasprzak then told one of the women he rescued that he was going to check the basement, but would be right back, the NYPD said in a release.

However, some time later — around 7:23 p.m., one of the women called 911 to report the officer missing.

After the house was deemed safe to enter, a search ensued around 7 a.m. Tuesday. Kasprzak’s body was found unconscious and unresponsive in the basement. EMS on scene pronounced him dead.NYPD personnel from the Emergency Service and SCUBA units immediately responded to the residence using Zodiac boats and Jet Skis, but couldn’t get to the home because of electrified power lines in the water.

The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.

Officer Kasprzak was assigned to the 1st Precinct in Manhattan and had six years on the job. Previously, he served the city for one year as an NYPD Cadet, and was assigned to the 122 Pct. Detective Squad.

Sandy killed 18 people in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. The dead included two who drowned in a home and one who was in bed when a tree fell on an apartment. A 23-year-old woman died after stepping into a puddle near a live electrical wire.

“This was a devastating storm, maybe the worst that we have ever experienced,” Bloomberg said.

Officer talks about getting shot 12 times at Sikh Temple

Officer talks about getting shot 12 times at Sikh Temple 

The police officer who survived 12 gunshots fired by a man on a fatal rampage at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee says he focused on his training as he lay wounded in the parking lot and his assailant kept shooting: "In a high-risk incident, I will survive."

Oak Creek Lt. Brian Murphy was the first officer to respond to the shooting at the temple on Aug. 5, a quiet Sunday morning. He pulled into the parking lot and saw two men lying on the ground. He got out of his squad, walked over to check on them.  Murphy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he knew at least one was dead.

Then a man dressed in black pants and a white shirt came running toward him.

"As soon as I looked over, it was obvious to see that this more than likely had to be the guy (shooter), just by his dress," Murphy said in his first extensive interview. "And the fact he had a holster on his hip, kind of the giveaway. At that point, I drew down on him and told him, 'police.' I identified myself and told him to stop."

The two were just 30 yards apart when they both began firing. Murphy was armed with his .45-caliber service revolver.

"That's when he hit me in the face," Murphy said. The officer took cover behind a car. Then he was hit again and again and said he thought to himself, "I'm not going out like this. I'm not going out in a parking lot."

Three gunshots struck his protective vest. Eleven more hit his arms, hands, legs and the back of his head. As Murphy wedged himself under a car, the gunman stopped to reload. Neither man spoke.

"He didn't look enraged," Murphy says. "He didn't look anything other than very comfortable in what he was doing."

Murphy said he could hear other officers arriving at the scene and heard the first rifle shot fired by veteran officer Sam Lenda, a marksman. The gunman, Wade Michael Page, was hit, scrambled away and fatally shot himself.

Page had killed six Sikh worshipers and wounded three others.

After three months and three operations, Murphy continues his recovery. He faces additional surgeries but wants to get back to work.

"People always ask me: 'Do you flash back? Do you have nightmares?"' Murphy said. "My answer is no. I have none of that. I'm lucky and I touch wood. I'm very fortunate that way. But what I do look back at is what I could have done different. I have always been a big proponent, no reason to go over 70 miles an hour. You put others at risk. But if I could have gone 100, could I have stopped him from shooting just one other person?"

Murphy said he apologized to the Sikh temple members for not getting there sooner. He said members of the Sikh community visited him in the hospital and have been supportive. 

Deputy killed another injured in motorcycle crash

Deputy killed another injured in motorcycle crash

KATY, Texas - One Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office investigator was killed and another injured in an off-duty accident early Sunday morning in Katy. The case was investigated by the Katy Police Department.

Investigator Shelley Nicodemus died from injuries sustained in the accident and Investigator Moses Perez suffered head and back injuries.

The pair was headed westbound on the Interstate-10 feeder road near Pin Oak Road. Nicodemus was the passenger on the 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and was found about 30 feet from the motorcycle. Perez was found closer to the bike.

The incident occurred at about 12:10 a.m. At the scene of the accident, the feeder road splits with two lanes continuing along the freeway and two lanes turning into Pin Oak Road. The initial report indicated the bike hit the left curb and sent the bike skidding to the right side of the feeder road.

Nicodemus, 45, has been with the Sheriff's Office for about 20 years. She was a member of the Special Crimes Unit in the Criminal Investigation Division. Perez is a detective in the Burglary and Theft Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division. He has been with the Sheriff's Office almost 20 years.


Nicodemus was pronounced dead at the scene by Fort Bend County Death Investigator Chad Dzierzanowski. Perez was transported to Memorial-Hermann - The Medical Center where he underwent surgery Sunday morning. He is listed in stable condition.

Officer Randy Bartow remembered as a man of humor, compassion | Lancaster Eagle Gazette

Officer Randy Bartow remembered as a man of humor, compassion | Lancaster Eagle Gazette 

LOGAN — From a 9 a.m. briefing in Lancaster to an 11 a.m. service at the Logan Church of the Nazarene to the burial at Greenlawn Cemetery in Nelsonville, the friends and family of deceased Lancaster Police Officer Randy Bartow dedicated miles and hours to honoring his memory Saturday.

Many used the drive to reflect on their lost friend.

“I kind of chuckled when we were driving up here,” Bartow’s former partner, Kevin Everhart, said.

“Leave it to Randy to find a cemetery back in this location. That’s just the way Randy was, he was a prankster. (During the drive) I was just kind of reminiscing on some of the good times that we had.”

Everhart, now retired, spoke at the service, focusing on many of the pranks that he and Bartow shared in their time in the narcotics unit. Everhart told those gathered that the always well-mannered Bartow was the only man he knew who ended undercover drug deals by saying, “Thank you sir, have a nice day.”

Bartow, 56, was shot and killed early Tuesday morning while off-duty. Police say Kevin Adams, 40, shot Bartow and his ex-wife, Stephanie Adams, 38, before turning the gun on himself in a domestic dispute at Stephanie Adams’ home.

Everhart gave the last of three eulogies to Bartow, following Lancaster Police Chief Dave Bailey and Communication Technician Jan Sheppard.

Sheppard, too, spoke of the practical jokes and playful fibs from “the brother I never had.”

“There have been so many memories that flooded my head,” she said. “Randy was an ordained minister and he was blind in one eye — those were some of the things he told us in the radio room, and there were some of us who believed him.”

Sheppard laughed at her own naiveté and tendency to fall victim to Bartow’s jokes as the nearly 400 people at the church laughed with her.

Everhart was glad that those mourning were able to find humor during the service, he said, and thought that his friend would have appreciated it.

“He was laughing at us; trust me,” he said. “That’s the way Randy was. He tried to find humor in everything.”

Although Bailey also spoke of the humorous nature of Bartow, he focused on the numerous awards the officer had received. Because of Randy’s private nature, Bailey referred to them as the man’s “hidden side.”

Bartow was twice named Officer of the Year in Lancaster, received the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce’s Brett Markwood Award and served in the United States Marines Reserve and Ohio National Guard prior to joining the police force. Had he been there to do so, Bartow would have deflected the praise for his accomplishments onto others, Bailey said.

Bartow worked as an officer in Logan and Nelsonville prior to joining the Lancaster department and remained a Logan resident.

Bailey said that Bartow was beloved by the entire department and thanked the Fairfield County Sheriff’s office both at the morning briefing and during his eulogy for handling Lancaster’s law enforcement during the service. He thanked various other area law enforcement agencies for their support as well.

The work of those departments allowed a caravan of police cruisers to travel in unison from the station to the church in Logan. Though they had the most officers present, Lancaster was not the only law enforcement agency represented at the funeral. Officers from Lithopolis, Baltimore, Columbus, Logan, Pickerington and Hocking County were in attendance, among others.

Logan Chief of Police Aaron Miller, who worked one year with Bartow, was not surprised that so many people in the law enforcement community felt compelled to pay their respects.

“Randy was equally as highly thought of with the Logan Police Department,” he said. “Just a wonderful community spirit, I can’t say enough about him. He touched everyone. With all of the different details and duties and tasks that he performed, he had contact with these other organizations. I think all of them were equally impressed with all his efforts.”

Most of those officers stood at attention through spitting rain as Bartow’s casket was transported to the hearse and again at the grave site while the remaining members of the force served as pallbearers. The police officers stood six rows deep at Greenlawn Cemetery below an American flag lowered to half mast with a somber black bow affixed to its corner.

Officer John Hill, an 18-year veteran of the Lancaster Police Department, was among the law enforcement in their dress uniforms and at attention while five bagpipers and three drummers commemorated Bartow with “Amazing Grace”.

He said that with Bartow, the cliché was genuine.

“Randy was unlike most people,” Hill said. “He was very sincere; he would do anything for anybody regardless of what it would cost him. You can say this about a lot of people and it’s not always meant, that he would give you the shirt of his back, but with Randy he most definitely would do that.”

Bartow was also known for giving people the shirt out of his pocket. In his time as a police officer he developed a habit of forming dollar bills into origami shirts and giving them to individuals he encountered whose day needed a lift.

Everhart saw Bartow distribute many of those shirts throughout their time together as partners, though was never able to master the intricate folding himself, he said. All three eulogies contained anecdotes about the mementos.

Because of the type of person Bartow was, Everhart said he suspects most of those dollar-bill shirts are still folded away somewhere.

“He leaves such a lasting impression because of the type of person he was,” Everhart said. “Randy and I were so close. I consider him as much my brother as my biological brothers are and so does my family.”

The Lancaster Police Department did some folding of their own to conclude the funeral. The flag that rested on Bartow’s casket throughout the service was carefully folded according to protocol and Bailey presented it to the deceased officer’s family in order to honor the man who wore badge No. 91.

Given his humble nature and ability to find joy in all aspects of life, Everhart said that the hour-long service in Logan and final ceremony in Nelsonville was probably more than enough in Bartow’s mind.

“He was such an individual that didn’t want the glory so he was sitting there saying, ‘Enough is enough, go on home,’” Everhart said. “He’s not the type that would want to dwell on sorrow, he just wasn’t like that. It’s like, ‘Get yourself up, brush yourself off and get on with life.’ That’s exactly what he is saying right now, ‘It’s done, come on. You’ve got life to live, live it.’”

That living started with the drive home.

bjwilliams@lancastereaglegazette.com

Lancaster police officer among 3 dead in shooting

Lancaster police officer among 3 dead in shooting 

LANCASTER — A decorated Lancaster police officer who was off duty has been identified as the third person killed in a double murder-suicide early this morning, Lancaster police confirmed.

Officer Randy Bartow, 56, of Logan, a 19-year member of the police department, was killed, as well as Stephanie J. Adams, 38, and Kevin J. Adams, 40, both of Lancaster. All three were shot and killed at 196 Cleveland Ave. overnight, police said. Police Chief Dave Bailey said Kevin Adams is the suspected shooter.

Kelly Bosch, a neighbor and friend of the family, said the Adams’ were recently divorced, and that Kevin had arrived at Stephanie’s house late in the evening. Bartow was also at the house, and an argument ensued. Neighbors heard yelling, a scream and then a series of “pops,” Bosch said.

Bosch said that with a local bar only down the street, she initially didn’t put the shots and the sound of sirens together. She said she was surprised to see an ambulance and officers pull up to the house.

Call logs from the police department indicate that Stephanie Adams was one of the people who called 911. According to the log, there were screams and she kept yelling at “Kevin” to stop pointing a gun.

She gave the street, but not the house number, so officers were dispatched to the area.

Many neighbors said Adams had only been living in the neighborhood for a short period of time.

Court records showed that Stephanie Adams filed for dissolution in March, and it was granted in May.

They had been married since 1991, records show.

Lancaster Police responded after a report of shots fired and found a man and a woman dead inside the house, and another man wounded, all of gunfire, a press release issued this morning said. The second man was taken to Fairfield Medical Center and subsequently died of his injuries.

Bartow joined the Lancaster Police Department in 1993 after working with the Logan Police Department since 1978. He initially served as a detective, and transferred to the patrol division in 1999. He was named officer of the year by his fellow officers in 1999 and 2002 and won the Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce’s Markwood Award in 2003.

Stephanie Adams worked at Darfus Realty and at Rooster’s in Lancaster. Co-workers gathered this morning after learning of the devastating news. Brian Darfus, the sales manger at Darfus Realty, said Stephanie always brought a smile to her co-workers’ faces.

“She was always smiling,” said Darfus. “She ways always happy, even when her life was in turmoil.”


Darfus said Stephanie was a doting grandmother, and will be greatly missed by fellow employees and friends.

“She was much more than someone who worked with us,” he said.

The call came in at 1:20 a.m., and the second man died at about 2:24 a.m. Police are still on the scene and have part of the road blocked off for the investigation.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

Official: New York LI police officer among 2 dead

News | Official: New York LI police officer among 2 dead

UPDATE, Officer Identified
 
NEW YORK 
A Nassau County police officer was shot dead Tuesday -- the second time in less than a week an officer on the force was killed in the line of duty.

The officer killed Tuesday is Arthur Lopez of the Emergency Services Unit, sources said. Lopez and another person were fatally shot Tuesday on the Cross Island Parkway on the Queens/Nassau border, the sources said. It was unclear whether the slain civilian was a suspect in the eight-year veteran officer's death.

Lopez's slaying comes one day after the funeral of the other fallen officer, a Nassau highway patrolman who was struck and killed by an SUV on the Long Island Expressway on Thursday.

A suspect in Lopez's shooting was on the loose in Queens. Law enforcement sources said the suspect is being sought on the Nassau/Queens border in "a wide search area."

In addition to Nassau police and NYPD, federal law enforcement officers from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. marshals flocked to the scene to assist in the search.

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said there is a possibility that the suspect involved in the police officer's shooting shot an individual in the vicinity of Hempstead Turnpike and the Cross Island.

"We found a body there with one bullet wound to the head," Kelly said.

Kelly said the shooting involving the fallen officer happened "at a location at 241st and Jamaica Avenue, which is in Nassau County." He said "we are in the process of gathering" information about the shooting, which happened after Nassau Police officers saw an accident take place and followed a vehicle that left the scene.

An FBI spokesman confirmed the bureau is assisting Nassau police and the NYPD in the investigation -- and a search for any potential suspects -- but stressed the incident is not terrorism related
.
Because of how close the crime was to the Queens/Nassau border, the offices of the district attorneys from both counties -- Richard Brown of Queens and Kathleen Rice of Nassau -- are discussing who will handle any prosecutions, said Kevin Ryan, a Brown spokesman.

Nassau County police officials have yet to provide an account of the incident, which occurred near the southbound entrance ramp to the parkway, near a Mobil gas station on Jamaica Avenue.

Brandon Ramos, 21, said he was at his father's kitchen and bath remodeling business across the street from the gas station when the shooting occurred.

"As I was walking upstairs, I heard a huge boom," Ramos said. "I ran outside and I saw a cop lying on the floor, on his back, and the other officer was administering CPR . . . He was shot in the chest. He was motionless. The other cop looked really distraught."

The Cross Island was closed in both directions because of police activity, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.

The department's website, informny.com, reported the closing near Jamaica Avenue at 11:33 a.m. in a traffic alert.

On Monday, law enforcement officers by the thousands came to Long Island for the funeral of the highway patrolman, Officer Joseph Olivieri, 43, a 13-year veteran who was struck and killed Thursday by a passing sport utility vehicle at the scene of an accident on the LIE.

Another Nassau County police officer was critically injured earlier this month when he was struck by a car in Lawrence while cracking down on speeders. The officer's condition has been upgraded from critical to serious, Shelley Lotenberg, spokeswoman for the Nassau University Medical Center, said Tuesday.

The officer, 57, was airlifted to the hospital with a fractured skull, pelvis and leg and internal bleeding after the Oct. 2 accident. Police declined to name the officer, but said he is a 29-year veteran with several awards, including two for saving lives.

Lopez is the fourth Nassau police officer to be killed in the line of duty in the previous 20 months.

Officer Geoffrey J. Breitkopf was fatally shot March 12, 2011, after being mistaken for an armed suspect by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officer in Massapequa Park. Breitkopf, 40, of Selden, was a member of the force's Bureau of Special Operations and was shot after a knife-wielding man had been killed at the scene by Nassau police.

A month earlier, police Officer Michael Califano was killed on the LIE when a flatbed truck struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop.

Tuesday Marks One Year Since Richmond County Deputy Killed In The Line Of Duty

Tuesday Marks One Year Since Richmond County Deputy Killed In The Line Of Duty  

Augusta, GA -- This week, marks the one year anniversary of the murder of Richmond County Deputy J.D. Paugh.

Paugh was gunned down while checking on a suspicious vehicle near the Bobby Jones Expressway and Gordon Highway interchange.

That interchange is now named after Paugh in honor of his memory, and a foundation has also been set up in his name.

The foundation helps provide new equipment for local law enforcement agencies and offer support for offices and their families.

The Augusta Museum of History has Deputy Paugh's service motorcycle on display in an exhibit for fallen Augusta officers.

FDLE expands Blue Alert program meant to find suspects in assaults on officers

FDLE expands Blue Alert program meant to find suspects in assaults on Officers www.palmbeachpost.com

By Alexandra Seltzer

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer 

When an off duty Miami Dade Police officer was shot in a robbery in September, law enforcement officers called on the public to help track down the three suspects.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Blue Alert.

The alert mimics that of the Amber Alert, which is used to help locate missing children, and Silver Alert, which is used to locate missing people who have dementia or Alzheimers.

It notifies nearby residents when a police officer is injured, shot or missing and provides suspect information to help the public aid in the search.

The program went into effect last year. This month however FDLE set up a website for the program and added email alerts.

“We hope it will never be used again. But it does provide law enforcement with another tool when they are looking for someone that meets the criteria of this case,” said FDLE spokesman Keith Kameg. “It’s just one tool but it’s a very good tool because when a scene is breaking, timeliness is everything.”

In the September incident, police arrested the three men the day after the shooting. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.

“We take any assault on anybody very seriously but when you’re talking about the protectors of society, that kind of knocks it up a level,” said FDLE Special Agent Supervisor David Gross.

After an officer is injured, shot or missing, local law enforcement works with FDLE to release suspect information to the media. The information is also issued by way of emergency broadcast system on television or the radio.

And as with the Silver Alert, which is in its fourth year, the Department of Transportation posts information on highway signs so drivers can watch for suspects.

“We wanted to make sure that it had the same formatting and the same visual blast would still captivate the audience enough to read it, and if they could render assistance and say ‘hey that car is right in front of me,’ ” Gross said. “We wanted continuity with the other alert systems.”

To sign up for the Florida Blue Alert: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/News/Sign-up-for-Florida's-Blue-Alerts-Email.aspx

To sign up for the National Blue Alert: http://www.BlueAlert.us/alert_sign_up

Off-duty Prince George’s officer killed in car crash - The Washington Post

Off-duty Prince George’s officer killed in car crash - The Washington Post

An off-duty Prince George’s County police officer was killed in a crash in his marked cruiser Thursday afternoon, the second time this year that a county officer has been fatally injured in a traffic accident.

Officer Kevin Bowden, 28, had completed his work shift and was headed north on Branch Avenue about 3 p.m.

When his cruiser collided with a sport-utility vehicle near the intersection of Surratts Road, County Police Chief Mark Magaw said Thursday night. He said the impact of the crash forced Bowden’s cruiser into a utility pole.

Bowden was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Magaw said.

“He’s a fine officer,” Magaw said.

The woman driving the SUV also was injured, Magaw said, and was taken to a different hospital. Her injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, he said.

Magaw said some witnesses suggested that the officer had been cut off, although investigators have not reached any conclusions on what caused the accident.

Magaw said the officer, who had finished his shift at 1 p.m., had worked for the department for six years and was assigned to the Oxon Hill station. He was the father of a 10-year-old boy and a girl who is about 4, Magaw said.

Officers are permitted to take their cruisers home after their shifts.

At Southern Maryland Hospital Center on Thursday night, a woman’s cries could be heard from an area where officers and others had gathered. Dozens of officers and others formed a line and gave a salute as Bowden’s body was taken from the hospital to an ambulance.

“This is a tragedy,” said Vince Canales, president of the county police union. “It’s unfortunate. It’s very sad.”

County Public Safety Director Barry Stanton called Thursday “a sad day in Prince George’s County and the Police Department.”

Officers who knew Bowden remembered him as a steady, funny officer who loved his children and the Dallas Cowboys. Maj. George Nader, who once was Bowden’s shift commander in Oxon Hill, said Bowden was “one of the officers that loved the job.”

“Laid-back, happy kind of guy. Had a smile that would light up a room,” Nader said. “Everybody’s somber, somber right now. It’s like a one-two punch here.”

In August, Officer Adrian Morris, 23, who had been on the force for a little more than two years, was killed on Interstate 95 when he lost control of his police cruiser and crashed into a ravine while he and his partner were chasing suspects in an attempted car break-in.

In Bowden’s case, investigators are trying to determine whether the SUV had pulled into the officer’s path as the driver tried to get around a bus.

“Our county government, every community and every citizen of Prince George’s County grieves again this evening,” County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) said in a prepared release, asking the public “to keep Officer Bowden’s family and our law enforcement community in your thoughts and prayers.”

Joseph Olivieri, Nassau County Police Officer, Killed Responding To Long Island Expressway Accident

Joseph Olivieri, Nassau County Police Officer, Killed Responding To Long Island Expressway Accident

A Nassau County police officer was killed while responding to a multi-car collision on the Long Island Expressway in North Hills early Thursday morning.

The New York Post reports Joseph Olivieri was on foot when he was fatally struck by a vehicle attempting to drive around the accident site.

The initial crash may have involved a drunk driver.
Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice said in a statement, "I'm deeply saddened by our community's loss and my heart breaks for the officer's family, friends and colleagues.

What I can promise is that we will get to the bottom of exactly what happened this morning, and that we will continue to work tirelessly every day to protect those who risk their lives for the safety of our communities."

Several people were injured including the driver who hit Olivieri.

CBS reports 25 officers have been hit in the past ten years between Exits 35 and 41 on the expressway.
Olivieri is survived by his two children, 21-year-old Amanda and 18-year-old Daniel. Flags will fly half staff for the next 30 days.

No charges have been filed at this time but an investigation is ongoing.