FBI investigates Winnsboro Police Department

[tomtexan]

A criminal investigation has been launched against the Winnsboro Police Department. As a result, the Wood County District Attorney has suspended prosecution of all cases from that department.

Representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office will not confirm whether a federal lawsuit filed by a Camp County man set off that investigation.

A civil lawsuit was filed by Jason Brummell who said officers planted drugs in his vehicle during a 2008 traffic stop. Mr. Brummell filed the lawsuit in 2009 against the city of Winnsboro, the Winnsboro police chief and three officers. Dustin Swann, also of Pittsburg, filed a similar suit.

http://www.news-journal.com/pittsburg/n ... bf731.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does this kind of thing really happen? Anyone know of any such instances in the past with any other agencies? Has anyone ever worried that it could happen to you? Thoughts and opinions?

[ScooterSissy]

So the Police Chief is tired of the investigation, and "wants it to be over". Maybe if it hangs over his department's head for .... say four years ... he'll understand what his officers put two people through.

[jimlongley]

A criminal investigation has been launched against the Winnsboro Police Department. As a result, the Wood County District Attorney has suspended prosecution of all cases from that department.

Representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office will not confirm whether a federal lawsuit filed by a Camp County man set off that investigation.

A civil lawsuit was filed by Jason Brummell who said officers planted drugs in his vehicle during a 2008 traffic stop. Mr. Brummell filed the lawsuit in 2009 against the city of Winnsboro, the Winnsboro police chief and three officers. Dustin Swann, also of Pittsburg, filed a similar suit.

http://www.news-journal.com/pittsburg/n ... bf731.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does this kind of thing really happen? Anyone know of any such instances in the past with any other agencies? Has anyone ever worried that it could happen to you? Thoughts and opinions?

A bunch of years ago I worked a summer job as a Park Patrolman for the NY State Park Police. There was a permanent cadre of three or four officers, with the summer season filled in by "temp" cops; a couple were part time, working normally for a different agency, but trying to get seniority in the state system to increase their chances at a state job,. a couple were school teachers on summer hiatus, and two of us were telephone company employees on strike against the company. All kinds of fun tales about that summer, but one of the memories that popped up as a result of this thread was when one of the "cowboy" patrolmen showed me his "throwdown" bag of pot. He intended to use it in case he ever ran into a situation where he "needed" it.

The baggie disappeared from his locker right before we had a "surprise" locker inspection, and I would love to know how he found out in advance, the district sergeant was a high school classmate and friend of mine, and he didn't tell me about it. (read between the lines) We had just been notified a couple of days before that, that there was the potential for such surprise inspections.

Don't know that I ever knew of any situations where something like that actually happened, but I do know I would not have liked being one of his students.

[Jumping Frog]

Just one in a long line of reasons while I will never consent to any searches under any circumstances. I may get searched without consent, but I'll deal with the 4th Amendment issues after the fact with the baseline being a non-consensual search.

[WildBill]

Does this kind of thing really happen? Anyone know of any such instances in the past with any other agencies? Has anyone ever worried that it could happen to you? Thoughts and opinions?

I have no personal knowledge of this happening, but I believe that it does happen. I don't believe that this crime is limited to particular agencies. There are dishonest people everywhere so no department is immune. Of course if the leadership tolerates or encourages this behavior, that is a major issue. Now that I am older, I don't have as much concern, but I in my younger days I have worried about it happening to me.

If true, this case is particulary agregious as it suggests a conspiracy to frame the suspect and cover it up. There are enough real criminals to arrest without resorting to planting evidence. It is very difficult to prove these crimes. I am not sure what evidence there is in these two cases, but I will be following them.

A related type of crime was discovered a few years ago where they found the police forensic chemist faking results on the analysis of evidence. Hundreds of convictions including 23 people sent to death row are in question because of her actions.

http://ccadp.org/joycegilchrist.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://jonathanturley.org/2009/03/08/th ... ched-raid/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ddurkof]

This says a great deal: “The Wood County Criminal District Attorney’s Office has suspended prosecution of cases involving the Winnsboro Police Department.”

When the District Attorney stops prosecuting cases from an entire department, it speaks volumes about credibility.

[WildBill]

This says a great deal: “The Wood County Criminal District Attorney’s Office has suspended prosecution of cases involving the Winnsboro Police Department.”

When the District Attorney stops prosecuting cases from an entire department, it speaks volumes about credibility.

That is very unusual. I haven't heard of this happening.

[speedsix]

...talk about a "no confidence" vote!!!

[The Annoyed Man]

I can't speak for Texas, but I know this for a fact happened occasionally in California, back in the 1970s. Happened to a friend of mine.

[Hector]

If true, this case is particulary agregious as it suggests a conspiracy to frame the suspect and cover it up. There are enough real criminals to arrest without resorting to planting evidence. It is very difficult to prove these crimes.

Because it's so difficult, and the abuse of power and trust so malicious, the penalty should be adjusted accordingly if it is proven. White collar federal prison seems too lenient for that kind of evil, but Gitmo or a military prison might be OK.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulia,_Texas

The above entry contains some information about the terrible abuse of citizens subjected
to false arrest in the town of Tulia, Texas. Tulia is in Swisher County, Texas, in the Panhandle.
Black citizens were being singled out with false testimony by a bad LEO.

This LEO had been kicked out of a previous department for stealing from businesses at night if he
found their premises unsecure. But he was hired in Tulia and began agressively arresting many innocent people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlXOYHxL4j4

The above link is Mr. Shawn Fussell doing his song "Tulia, Texas" at Stubb's in Austin.
(Corner of Red River @ 8th Street).
It's a 4:20 video and details the bad juju that Tulia went through due to police corruption.
The lyrics are a little hard to catch, but it's about the false arrest debacle there.

SIA

[Jim Beaux]

Regretfully, small town police corruption in Texas is not that unusual.

Consider San Jacinto County Sheriff Humpy Parker. In the 60's - 80's his gang trolled Hwy 59, targeting long hairs & cars sporting K 101 (rock) radio bumper stickers. The dept regularly used torture including waterboarding on innocent citizens. There has also been unsolved disappearances of travelers last know to have been traveling through this area.

http://www.rockdalereporter.com/news/20 ... g_001.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Most recently Tenaha has been busted for basically highway robbery, in which anyone with large sums of money were extorted after being pulled over for such as going 36 in a 35 mph zone. Several victims were given the option of signing agreements that in lieu of prosecution & turning their children over to CPS, that they would forfeit all their money uncontested....often legitimate money such as proceeds of real estate or vehicle transactions. No court involvement, a real tidy affair.

http://stopcorruptdss.wordpress.com/200 ... it-claims/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[powerboatr]

I live in wood county, which has a sheriff and local police for winnsboro, and in quitman we have the sheriff (county) and local police
wood county is HUGE and not near enough deputies for the amount of calls for service. Quitman is also the county seat and has the jail.
winnsboro and quitman are small and have a very small force, the state troopers cover our state highways, 37, 154, 11, 69, 80 etc.
the problem is the towns simply dont pay squat. soooooo we get bad apples every now and then.
I would say overall, our county deputies, city police, game wardens and state troopers here do a remarkably good job, all things considered
we do have the portable meth labs and other country crap, domestic violence, loose cattle, etc
these guys and gals work two jobs just to make ends meets, or lots of overtime. except the troopers and wildlife guys ( they pretty much work 18 on and 6 off )
boss hogg comes to mind if you visit our jail or talk to our deputies.....some are extremely over cautious
we get lots of visitors from all over to lake fork, lots of dui, fights on the docks,

so I would imagine its very possible for somebody to do something that may or may not have been over the line
here just like most places if you get pulled over..........think first before you speak.
and most of our deputies are driving f150 crew cabs in lieu of the older crown vics or gm suburbans

[Bullwhip]

Its been happening all my life. Dash cams and youtube make it easy to prove now. This guy looked back at the dash cam while he pulled ou ta baggie and then "found" it in the suspects pocket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lmYJDYwKw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TN, not TX.

[XinTX]

Its been happening all my life. Dash cams and youtube make it easy to prove now. This guy looked back at the dash cam while he pulled ou ta baggie and then "found" it in the suspects pocket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lmYJDYwKw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TN, not TX.

Yep. Happened a lot in a little town in GA near where I grew up. Things like this are why a lot of the public has a distrust of LEOs. My dad worked for a municipality in the area and heard some of the local inside scoop on that town. But this was more of a 'one man show' as that town only had one cop. Eventually the state LEOs took notice given his extreme rate of 'finding' pot in routine traffic stops.