Looking for justice against abusive Police

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) -- A pair of Chattanooga police officers, under investigation for excessive use of force during the arrest of a man for disorderly conduct and drug possession, have been terminated from the department.
The incident began on June 14 when officers were dispatched to a disorder call at the Salvation Army Federal Halfway House on McCallie Avenue. 
Adam Tatum, 36, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, aggravated assault on police, and possession of marijuana. 
A few weeks after the incident, Police Chief Bobby Dodd was notified of possible excessive use of force allegations against officers Sean Emmer and Adam Cooley who were involved in the arrest of Tatum. 
After reviewing the case file and video footage of the incident, Chief Dodd initiated an Internal Affairs investigation regarding these allegations.  He also contacted the local Federal Bureau of Investigations Office to review the case for possible civil rights violations and/or criminal charges on the officers. 
Due to the nature of this incident, both officers were removed from their patrol duties and placed on special assignment conducting non-law enforcement activities at that time.
As a result of the internal affairs investigation and disciplinary hearing, which was held Wednesday, both officers have been terminated from the Chattanooga Police Department. 
Police spokesman Nathan Hartwig said the specific details of the case, including audio and video files, cannot be released to the media due the ongoing investigation by the FBI. 
The internal affairs report also will not be released at this time due to new information about another officer possibly involved, that was just brought to light during the disciplinary hearing and which will be investigated by the Internal Affairs Unit.
Hartwig did say that more information will be released when the process has been completed. 





 


CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) -
There are new developments in the high profile case involving two Chattanooga Police officers fired for using excessive force. A judge says they should get their jobs back.

Officers Sean Emmer and Adam Cooley were fired in November of last year, after video surfaced of the officers using excessive force against halfway house inmate, Adam Tatum. Channel 3 obtained a copy of the video from June 2012. In it, officers Emmer and Cooley are seen beating Tatum, who suffered two broken legs in the scuffle. He was also punched in the head and maced. The officers say Tatum was high on cocaine, and was resisting arrest.

Emmer and Cooley's case went before a grand jury, but they were never indicted. Federal investigators also investigated the case, but never issued charges.However, Police Chief Bobby Dodd fired the officers for their actions.

The administrative law judge who heard the case issued a 30-page opinion on why former officers Sean Emmer and Adam Cooley should be rehired.  The officers' attorneys welcomed the news but Adam Tatum's attorney and Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke have strong opinions on the decision.

Sean Emmer and Adam Cooley testified in a hearing earlier this summer defending their actions against Adam Tatum. After fighting for their jobs, the judge in the case issued an opinion, stating the two former officers should rejoin the Chattanooga Police Department.

"I'm upset. The chief is upset," says Mayor Andy Berke.

Mayor Berke says he strongly disagrees with the judge's opinion. In the order, Judge Kim Summers says Emmer and Cooley's actions were warranted, writing, "Since both the taser and OC spray had been completely ineffective, the baton strikes were the only viable means of force still available to the officers."

"I am extremely disappointed by this ruling. Over the last several months I've talked to the police chief several times. He's expressed his condemnation of the misconduct in this case," says Berke.

"These officers followed their training. And they should be reinstated," says Bryan Hoss, Sean Emmer's attorney.

Bryan Hoss and Stevie Phillips represent Emmer. Jonathan Guthrie represents Cooley. All three attorneys say the officers were doing their jobs.

"They were doing nothing but protecting city of Chattanooga citizens when they came across someone on parole, who's high on crack, and armed with a knife, who's terrorizing people down at the Salvation Army," says Hoss.

"Apparently we were looking at different videos," says Robin Flores.

Flores is Adam Tatum's attorney. He is representing Tatum in a $50 million civil suit against the city and the police department.

"This doesn't really have any effect other than maybe in the public eye, that somehow, these guys were justified in it. But the public has seen the same video we have," says Flores.

"We don't tolerate misconduct in our police department," says Mayor Berke.

"The mayor has said he wants officers back out on the streets, we've got two right now who are ready to go," says Hoss.

The judge also says Emmer and Cooley should get back pay, benefits and their seniority back. The city has until October 9th to file an appeal to the order, which is an option it is considering.

There in now a petition to Keep this two form being reinstated please have a look at this and sign  the petition I have linked below

http://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-chattanooga-and-chattanooga-police-department-appeal-judge-kim-summer-s-order

Dark Ghost,

Thanks for sharing this. When you first told me about it, I wasn't too sure I was gonna sign it since it seemed like a grey situation with no side being right, but I still felt it was only fair to at least look at it and consider it. So I took a look at it, and still wasn't too sure, but then you told me to watch the video. After I saw what they'd done, I immediately decided to sign it.

I also followed through with your request to re-tweet it on the Heroes Network twitter page.

Thanks Tothian these two guys through there actions have disgraced the Police Department.

Dear Dark Ghost:

These cruel law enforcement grownups needed to be punished.
If the law enforcement grownups did this to persons with disabilities, I would be madder than a shampooed polecat on a hot summer night, on a very bad karma hair day and go after them for violating the American Disability Civil Rights Laws and for refusing to do the disability sensitivity training that is NOW required by Federal Law.

But, if they did that, I WOULD NOT send them to jail, because jail would be too good for them.

I want them to suffer for the way Sarah Elizabeth Crider suffered.
I want them to be "Scared Straight" about their disabaphobia, which is NOW a Federal Hate Crime.

If they are found guiity, send them both to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, DC, to be SCARED STRAIGHT by John Hinkley, Junior himself and the patients at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

It would be very interesting if it happened with the patients taking over the mental hospital and that they would make their demands known, especially the fact that holding them longer than they should be, is in violating of the Olmstead Pardon, which is also very wrong too.

And one of their demands would be that they should be given their day in US District Court, in which they would be found "Not Guility" of being "Born With A Disability".

And that they should be "pardoned" as per "The Olmstead Pardon Of The Disabled".

Everyone, yes, you too, Dark Ghost, if you would want me to educate all of you real life superheroes or RLSH on disability sensitivity, I am only a Danger Smartphone and e-mail away.

DANGER WOMAN

cryptic.

You all want to know a way to get justice against these kinds of twisted individuals?

Buy a hat cam. Record those sorry excuses of humanity. Advise them that they are being recorded and just do it. The thought alone should make them think twice about going too far.


DarkShadow Rising...

tell them they're being recorded softly and change the subject soon after you tell them.

Dear Dark Ghost, Lost Dragon, Tothian and all the real life superheroes:

I know that some of you are a bit wondering why I was so cryptic.

Here in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, The Atlanta Police has disabaphobia.

They DO NOT have disability sensitivity training, a disability community outreach person,
An Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator and a sign language coordinator.

I also know that you all are asking me: "Danger Woman, who is this Sarah Elizabeth Crider?"

Sarah Elizabeth Crider was a disabled prisoner of conscience (DPOC), who was locked up for being "born with a disability".
She had autism and schizophrenia and was murdered by Forced Prescription Drug Abuse (FPDA), undel the orders of the evil Madam BJ Walker and Gwendolyn Skinner, who at the time were in charge of the Georgia Department Of Human Resources (GA DHR), now known as the Georgia Department of Human Services (GA DHS).

Don't these grownups know that they got in BIG trouble for murdering her?!?

The ones who did not help Sarah were fired, but Madam BJ Walker and Gwendolyn Skinner got off scot free and retired because of this tragedy.

AG Eric Holder apologized to the family and friends of Sarah Elizabeth Crider, on behalf of the US Government, for what happened.

Personally, they should have arrested these grownups, because they were the ones who ordered her murder by FPDA. And they should suffer for what they did to Sarah Elizabeth Crider, who became a martyr in the cause of justice for the disabled at the age of 14.

If the cruel grownups were found guilty, jail would be too good for them.
As I said, they need to be sent to St. Elizabeth's to be "scared straight" by John Hinkley, Junior himself.

I want them to suffer for the way my disabled brethren suffered in the DPOC place.

And keeping the DPOCs locked up longer than they should is in violation of the ADA and The Olmstead Pardon of The Disabled.

Trembling timechecks!

My Danger Sense is warning me that we may have to deal with a serious reality.

At this writing, we only have 88 minutes until shutdown.

DANGER WOMAN

DangerWoman,

Oh wow. Thanks for sharing that information with us.