Retired Jersey City hero police officer Marcelo Ona dies at 34

Officer Marcelo A. Ona

A highly decorated Jersey City police officer whose heroism made The Jersey Journal's front page in 2002 has died. Marcelo A. Ona was 34.

“Every single person in the store ran except for the cop -- he stood there and did his job," Sal Perez, owner of Nu Flavor Barber Shop on West Side Avenue, said at the time of the March 2002 incident in which two armed, masked robbers stormed his shop.

"Those men were vicious, and they had no problem shooting at people,” Perez told The Jersey Journal. “Marcelo stuck his neck out, put his life on the line for us and without him, someone definitely would have gotten killed." 

Ona wounded both would-be robbers in an exchange of gunfire after the pair held a gun to the head of one of the employees at the barber shop.

For his bravery, Ona, who was off-duty at the time, received the Police Department’s Combat Cross, Medal of Honor, Lt. Stanley Przygoski Memorial Award for Bravery and the Excellent Police Service Award. 

Ona entered the police academy at the age of 19, but an illness forced him to retire in 2007, said his sister, Melissa Ona.

“He really loved Jersey City and in his heart, he always wanted to help people, to be that person to help and make sure everything is going to be OK,” Ona said. “He really was just an amazing person. He was very brave, very strong, very smart. He had all the qualities we strive to achieve.”

A lifelong Jersey City resident, Marcelo Ona graduated from Our Lady of Czestochowa Grammar School in Jersey City and Marist High School in Bayonne. After retiring, Marcelo Ona obtained a degree in psychology from New Jersey City University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, his sister said.

Ona’s family thanked the nurses at the Jersey City Medical Center for doing all they could for Marcelo Ona.

“Marcelo was a person you were just automatically drawn to -- he was like a magnet,” said Melissa Ona. “He loved his family so much and in his last few weeks on earth, we were there.”

Ona was buried yesterday at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City.

Man who killed deputy loses Supreme Court appeal

Capt. Chad Reed

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting the appeal of a man who killed a Dixie County deputy in a shootout after murdering his sister and another woman.

John Kalisz was appealing the death sentences he received for the murder of his sister,Kathryn Donovan, and her office manager,Deborah Tillotson. The Supreme Court rejected the 59-year-old man's appeal Thursday.

Kalisz killed the women and wounded two others in January 2010. He later killed Dixie County sheriff's Capt. Chad Reed during the shootout. He was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to Reed's death.

John Kalisa, shown here during his sentencing, telling Holly Reed, he was sorry for killing her husband, Capt. Chad Reed 

NYPD Officer Joseph Capo killed in Southern crash

An off-duty NYPD officer from West Islip -- on his way home from work early Thursday -- was fatally injured when his car struck another vehicle and then overturned several times on the Southern State Parkway in South Farmingdale, State Police said.

Joseph Capo, 27, was pronounced dead at Nassau University Medical Center after the crash at 12:56 a.m. on the eastbound parkway, east of Exit 31, said State Police spokesman Frank Bandiero.

Capo lost control of his 2004 Volkswagen "for unknown reasons" and it hit a 2001 Cadillac before flipping several times, Bandiero said.

The driver of the Cadillac, Laurine Noble, 54, of Deer Park, had minor injuries, he said.

Bandiero said Capo was returning home from his shift at the Ninth Precinct in the East Village in Manhattan. He did not have any other details.

Capo joined the department in July 2011, according to an NYPD spokesman.

State Police closed the eastbound parkway for more than six hours to investigate the crash. The parkway reopened at 7:27 a.m., according to the state Department of Transportation website, informny.com.

Bandiero said the crash remains under investigation.

Anyone who might have witnessed the accident is asked to call State Police at 631-756-3300.

With Anthony M. DeStefano

Sheriff in Rebecca Sedwick suicide warns parents of cyberbullying

On national television this morning, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd recalled how he felt when he first saw Rebecca Ann Sedwick's body after she jumped to her death last month.

"It broke my heart," Judd told Robin Roberts on 'Good Morning America'.

Since then, Judd has vowed to warn parents about the dangers of cyberbulling and prosecute anyone – children or adults – who commits such crimes.

Rebecca Ann Sedwick

"People deserve to live a healthy, normal life," Judd said. "We will prosecute anyone we can prove has bullied or stalked someone."

Judd annoucned two arrests Tuesday in connection with the 12-year-old girl's suicide on Sept. 10. She jumped to her death from a silo at an abandoned concrete factory about a mile from her home.

Judd told Roberts that the girl's parents did everything they could to help, including separating her from her bullies, switching schools and putting her in counseling.

They did not do what Judd tells parents they should do in extreme situations – take your kids offline.

He wants parents to have tough talks with their children about social media and instant-messaging sites and take their access to them away if they are bullying other children.

None of the efforts from Rebecca or her parents stopped her tormentors from posting cruel messages on social media sites, investigators said.

"Yes ik [I know] I bullied Rebecca nd she killed her self but IDGAF [I don't give a (expletive)]."

That message — posted Saturday on Facebook by Rebecca's 14-year-old persecutor — ended with a heart symbol. And resulted in an arrest.

Polk County deputies charged the author of the post and another 12-year-old girl with aggravated stalking.

Sheriff Grady Judd

Detectives were going to wait until their investigation was complete before making any arrests but Judd told Matt Lauer on the 'Today Show' that the Saturday post prompted the early arrests.

"That post was the tipping point," Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said during a Tuesday news conference. "She forced this arrest."

Judd said he was angry over the post but also worried that the 14-year-old would bully others online.

"She doesn't get this at all," Judd said. "She can be taunting and bullying another child and we're not going to accept that."

The 14-year-old instigated the bullying after she started dating Rebecca's ex-boyfriend, Judd said.

The 12-year-old girl was once Rebecca's friend — but the 14-year-old girl turned her against Rebecca.

The 14-year-old is in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice until her next hearing and the 12-year-old is on house arrest.

After their arrests, Judd said, the girls admitted the abuse.

The Orlando Sentinel is not naming them because of their ages.

jesullivan@tribune.com or @jerriannOS

Police: Man killed after pointing gun at Sioux Falls officers

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Police say a 22-year-old man has been shot and killed after pointing a rifle at officers outside a Sioux Falls home.

The Argus Leader reports the shooting happened Monday night. Sioux Falls Police Chief Doug Barthel says officers were called to the home after a man there reportedly threatened to kill himself with a gun.

Barthel says at least one gunshot had been fired from the home before officers arrived and another shot was heard once they got to the scene. He says officers tried to negotiate with the man, who eventually came outside and pointed a rifle at officers.

Barthel says a SWAT officer shot the man at least twice, fatally wounding him. Police haven't released the man's name.

The officer is on paid leave pending an investigation.

Florida Deputy's Family Fights Justice Department Over Death Benefits

Deputy Mariano "Rocky" Lemus

The family of a Florida deputy who died in 2005 from complications associated with hepatitis C contracted while on duty is fighting the Justice Department for death benefits.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office says that Deputy Mariano "Rocky" Lemus had been exposed to the disease several times at work during his career, but records show that it's unclear exactly when he contracted it, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

The DOJ says that the uncertainty is what led it to deny the family his benefit under the Public Safety Officer's Benefit Act -- which typically awards $250,000 to the families of first responders killed in the line of duty.

The sheriff's office and Lemus' family believe he likely contracted hepatitis C when a suspect bit him during a domestic-violence call years before his 2004 diagnosis.

The family wants to sue the DOJ, but is unable to do so until the agency issues a final denial.

"He left this world thinking his family was going to be taken care of — his kids, his grandkids," his wife, Robyn, told the newspaper. "This is an ongoing nightmare that we can't wake up from."

The legal fight began in 2007 when the sheriff's office received a letter from the DOJ saying it would not recognize the death of Lemus as eligible for benefits.

Despite support from the law enforcement community and medical professionals, DOJ administrators have denied Lemus benefits, but have withheld a ruling in the final appeal, which was filed in 2009.

The most recent response from the DOJ was a March 2012 letter from Administrative Support Specialist Liane Fowler, which stated: "The Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance has begun a final review of the record in the Lemus case and will render her determination as expeditiously as possible.
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Off-duty CMPD officer shot during home invasion

Officer Jon Dunham

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating after an off duty officer was shot Sunday.

The shooting happened on Montcrest Drive around 6:16 a.m., authorities say when they arrived the off duty officer, Jon Dunham, claimed he was involved in an altercation with someone he didn’t know.

It was later determined that a suspect forced their way inside Dunham's apartment, and started taking items. Dunham's son was also home at the time of the break-in, officials said.

During the confrontation, Dunham was shot -- and the suspect took off on foot. It was not immediately clear how many shots were fired.

The officer was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. He's in stable condition and will remain at CMC for overnight observation, officials said.

Hours after the shooting, there was no description of the suspect and nothing released about where officer Dunham was hit by the gunfire.

Detectives are still searching for the suspect in the case, authorities said.

A press release sent to NBC Charlotte noted Dunham has been on the force since August 8, 2009.

This March, he was honored as "Officer of the Month".

Thus far no one is in custody. Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers 704-334-1600.

NC: Man wanted for shooting deputy killed

Det. Michael Spencer

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- The search for a man wanted for allegedly shooting a New Hanover County Sheriff's deputy came to a fatal end Sunday.

"Brandon Smith is dead," District Attorney Ben David said during an early evening news conference near the scene where the 30-year-old suspect was shot and killed.

David said Smith was killed after a car chase and foot chase that ended with shots fired. Investigators said Smith shot Det. Michael Spencer in the leg Thursday as Spencer and a Wilmington Police detective, both members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, approached Smith and another man in Creekwood. The other man was taken into custody after the shooting, questioned and later released. Smith had been on the run since.

Witnesses say the shooting that killed Smith happened around 4:30 p.m. near Fulbright Road and Carl Seitter Drive in Castle Hayne.

"He was eventually chased into this neighborhood in a car," David said. "That chase continued on foot in a heavily wooded area behind us, and that chase ended after multiple gunshots were fired in that wooded area."

Smith's family gathered nearby to mourn the loss.

Witnesses say they heard the screeching of tires and saw a light colored Crown Victoria speeding into the neighborhood followed by several police. That's when they say they heard several gunshots.

Sheriff Ed McMahon says he will release more information as it becomes available.

"We will release more information including the officers that were involved. I can tell you that no officers were injured," McMahon said. "Det. Spencer is recovering well at the hospital, and if you'll excuse us, we have a lot of work to do."

The State Bureau of Investigations has been called in to investigate, but the DA says this is standard procedure anytime an officer is involved in a shooting.

Charleston County deputies shoot and kill suspect

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (AP) -- Authorities say a man deputies wanted to question about a disturbance with his sister on James Island has been shot and killed after cutting a deputy with a knife.  

Investigators said 51-year-old Derryl Drayton first swung at deputies after he refused to stop and be questioned around 10:30 p.m. Saturday.  

Charleston County Sheriff's spokesman Maj. Jim Brady says the deputies chased the man, and shot him with a Taser twice to try to get him to stop. Authorities say the man then swung a knife at one of the officers, hitting him in the knee.  

Brady says other deputies then fired their guns at the man, who was killed.  

The name of the suspect and the deputies have not been released. The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting. 

Officer killed in crash loved to fly, family says | ksl.com

Sgt. Jay Lessley

MAPLETON — Although it might sound cliché, Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Jay Lessley died doing what he loved.

While off-duty, Lessley, 40, was piloting a small plane that crashed west of the Spanish Fork Airport on Sept. 6. He died on impact and it was later determined that the aircraft mechanics had failed.

At his funeral Saturday, Heather Lessley scoffed at the irony of the situation, as she recalled pushing her husband to follow his dream of learning to fly several years ago.

"He always had the itch to fly," she told a chapel full of well-wishers, many of whom donned uniforms similar to her husband's. "He should have been born with wings and a tail because his head was always in the clouds."

The deceased sergeant was remembered for his vibrant personality and oozing patriotism, as well as for his love of family, flying and law enforcement.

"He wanted to be a good cop," Heather Lessley said. "He was a good cop and he loved every second of it."

Utah County Sheriff's Lt. Dave Bennett lauded Lessley as "one of the highest producing officers," as he turned over many arrests and citations each month, meticulously relaying each circumstance with much detail in his written reports.

Bennett, also a pilot, shared many hours with Lessley in the office's Cessna 180. He said his colleague and friend wore "wings" above the nametag on his uniform that were seemingly larger than his badge, reflecting Lessley's deep love for aviation.

"We would score each other's landings," Bennett said. "It was always fun to fly with Jay."

That same small plane, as well as the Diamond DA20 in which Lessley learned to fly, graced the Springville Evergreen Cemetery Saturday afternoon, during the accomplished officer's burial ceremony.

Fellow officers, as well as dozens from throughout Utah County and elsewhere in the state, also offered a guided procession to the cemetery, a gun salute and played Taps, which is common at services for military and law enforcement personnel.

After moving from Montana to Arizona as a child, Lessley joined the LDS Church and always took pride in sharing his birthday with the faith's restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood. At the time of his death, he was serving as a Primary chorister in the Mapleton 13th Ward.

Lessley began his career in law enforcement at BYU, where he worked as a police officer, writing many tickets for unregistered bicycles, skateboarding on campus and people walking in restricted areas. But colleagues said he often stretched his duties beyond campus, exhibiting his desire to make an impact.

"He always treated prisoners with respect … even getting thanked for transporting them to the jail," Heather Lessley said, adding that her husband only wanted to help correct wrongdoings in the communities he served.

He always had the itch to fly. He should have been born with wings and a tail because his head was always in the clouds.

–Heather Lessley

Aside from his career, she said her husband loved their daughter, Samara Rose, and was "smitten with her at first sight."

At the time of his death, Lessley was teaching the 14-year-old to fly and to build rockets. The two also shared a love of music.

Each year on Samara's birthday, the family would take a flight around the valley. Lessley said her husband's "temperament, dry wit and quirky personality" live on in their daughter.

"Talk to her, you'll see him," she said, adding that he'll be terribly missed by them both.