01312007 - Officer Ken DeKleine - Abuse Allegation - Holland PD

Officer Kenneth DeKleine [Holland PD]: Allgations that Officer DeKleine had abused his ex-wife Lori so severly that she feared for her life.


Allegations were never criminally investigated by the Holland PD, where Lori's PPO was filed. After Lori's murder the Holland Police Chief stated that he had never reviewed Lori's PPO.

In January 2008, Officer DeKleine murdered Lori. He was convicted in July 2008 and sentenced to life in prison.

On January 31, 2007, Lori DeKleine obtained a personal protective order against her ex-husband [Officer Kenneth DeKleine]. A copy of Lori's PPO was filed with her ex husband's police department / the Holland PD.

In her PPO, Lori wrote, "I have become increasingly terrified and afraid for my life..."

At Officer Ken DeKleine's trial [for murdering Lori], Holland Reserve Officer Brian Ehler stated that Ken had told him [prior to Lori's murder] that the children would be better off without Lori.

Officer Brian Ehler also testified about a discussion he had with Officer DeKleine, prior to Lori's murder...."I do recall Ken saying something about strangling someone could be, probably, a practice that would be difficult to investigate..."

One day before Officer Kenneth DeKleine murdered Lori, Reserve Officer Brian Ehler had a conversation with Ken. Officer Ehler informed Officer DeKleine that he had heard from others that Lori expressed a fear for her life. Officer Dekleine did not respond to the question. Nor did he deny Officer Ehler's claim...

However, Chief John Kruithoff [Holland PD], never investigated Lori's claims that Officer DeKleine had abused her/ violated criminal laws...and that he was possibly a threat to her. After Lori was murdered by Officer DeKleine [January 10, 2008] Chief Kruithoff admitted that he didn't even know what was contained in Lori's personal protective order [that had been filed with his police department in January 2007].

COP'S WIFE LORI DEKLEINE TERRIFIED [CHANNEL 8]

OFFICER DEKLEINE CHARGED FOR KILLING WIFE LORI [CHANNEL 8 NEWS]

Officer Ken DeKleine [Holland PD]: MURDER OF LORI DEKLEINE [January 10, 2008]

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-ken-dekleine-holland-police.html









Slain wife feared officer, friend says
Sunday, January 13, 2008
By John Tunison and John Agar
The Grand Rapids Press
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-40/1200208554281170.xml&coll=6

HOLLAND -- To neighbors and fellow officers, Holland police Officer Ken DeKleine was almost perfect -- polite, sociable, a devoted Christian and good at his job.

But to his estranged wife, he had become a threatening presence, a friend and neighbor of Lori DeKleine said.

"I know she was scared of him and didn't want him in the house," said Victoria Paauwe, devastated after learning late Thursday that Lori DeKleine, 43, was found dead in her basement.

She was so concerned she had a personal protection order against her husband, a 13-year respected police veteran now facing a murder charge in a slaying that has stunned the community.

The order was supposed to keep him away, although Paauwe remembered one instance when he came too close to the Calvin Avenue home and police were called to the scene.

"This is just mind-blowing," Paauwe said. "I think there had been some pushing and shoving, but I never thought it would come to this."

Ken DeKleine, 44, was the father of two teens with his wife. He was to be arraigned Monday on an open murder charge in Holland District Court.

The news shocked former colleagues, who knew DeKleine as an easygoing cop who could defuse tough situations.

"If somebody would have ever said, 'Is Ken DeKleine even capable of something like that?' I'd have bet him a million dollars, no way," retired Sgt. Mark Bos said. "It's tragic. It's a shame.

Now, we've got two teen-agers and no parents."

With 33 years in police work, Bos figured little could surprise him.

"I was just drained, unbelievable. This was just a tremendous shock." he said.

Lori DeKleine's body was discovered about 6:50 p.m. Thursday by her teenage son, Christopher, who called 911. Police investigated whether her death might be a suicide, but an autopsy and inconsistencies at the scene pointed at homicide.

Ken DeKleine was arrested late Friday. The cause of death was not released, and Ottawa County Medical Examiner David Start, who performed the autopsy, referred questions to police.

Relatives of the DeKleines were at the couple's home Saturday afternoon to collect clothes and other items for the children, Breanne and Christopher, both Holland Christian High School students. The DeKleines' home is across from Holland Heights Christian Reformed Church, where Lori worked as publications editor and the couple still attended even while separated.

Family members declined comment.

A Holland Heights CRC elder said the congregation was in shock.

Brad Ward said both Lori and Ken were involved in youth and Sunday school programs.

"They were well-respected, a great family. There's a lot of grief right now," he said, asking the community to pray for the family.

Lori was a member of Focus Plus, a support group for attention-deficit disorder, served on the Holland Christian Schools Tuition Assistance Board and had been a teacher at Borculo Christian School.

Ken DeKleine moved out of the family's home sometime after December 2006, neighbor Victoria Paauwe said. She said she believed the personal protection order was issued the next summer.

"I don't think he wanted the divorce," said Paauwe, who also described Ken as a "nice guy" and the first person to greet her when she moved in 18 months ago.

Services for Lori DeKleine are 1 p.m. Monday at Holland Heights CRC, 836 E. Eighth St. Visitation is 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. today at the church.

Memorial contributions can be made to the DeKleine children's education fund.



Police: DeKleine confessed to strangling wife; personal protection order reveals new details
WZZM News, Channel 13
Created: 1/14/2008 2:19:36 PM
Updated: 1/14/2008 6:59:54 PM
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=86211

Holland - Police documents released today say Holland Police officer Ken DeKleine confessed to strangling his wife to death.DeKleine was formally charged on open murder charges this afternoon in Ottawa County District Court.

Investigators found the body of his wife, Lori, in the couple's Holland home on Thursday.

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Department says Holland Police turned the case over to them. After sheriff's investigators reviewed the evidence and received information from Lori DeKleine's autopsy, they arrested her husband.

In an arrest warrant released today, police say they questioned DeKleine three times and that he confessed during the third interrogation.

The warrant says DeKleine strangled his wife, using a strap around her neck. Investigators say DeKleine placed her body in the home's basement in an attempt to make her death appear to be a suicide.

In the warrant, investigators say they recovered blood from the scene and presume it belongs to DeKleine. They say he claimed he was bitten on his lip by his wife.DeKleine was arrested Friday afternoon after the Ottawa County Sheriff was called to assist Holland Police Thursday night after her body was found. A Personal Protection Order has been in place since January 31, 2007 against DeKleine and there have been violations of that PPO.

Our partner the Grand Haven Tribune has obtained a copy of the personal protection order. It was filed on January 31st, 2007 and quotes Lori DeKleine. She says, "I have become increasingly terrified and afraid for my life," referring to Holland Police Officer, Ken DeKleine.

In the protection order, Lori DeKleine claims she was coerced into sexual acts on several occasions during their marriage and molested while on sleep medications.

She also says, “Ken has been a sexual and emotional bully throughout our marriage, beginning on our honeymoon,” DeKleine went on to say, “His behavior continues to stifle my well-being and safety.”

We will continue to follow this story on WZZM 13 News at 11pm and you can also read more in tomorrow's Grand Haven Tribune.



Victim was terrified of her husband, records show
Grand Haven Tribune
Chris Epplett
Tue, Jan 15, 2008

Lori DeKleine was aware of the danger signs around her. "I have become increasingly terrified and afraid for my life," she wrote in a personal protection order filed in Ottawa County Circuit Court on Jan. 31, 2007, against her husband, Holland police officer Ken DeKleine...

In the protection order, Lori DeKleine cites three specific incidents in mid-December 2006 and early January 2007. She claimed she was coerced into sexual acts on several occasions during their marriage and molested while on sleep medications. "Ken has been a sexual and emotional bully throughout our marriage, beginning on our honeymoon... His behavior continues to stifle my well-being and safety"...

The final straw that apparently led to the filing of the protection order was an episode during the last weekend of January 2007, while the couple was still living together. "I believe Ken broke into the locked room I have been sleeping in to stay safe," she said. "I believe he broke in through the window in the room, leaving glass all over the bed and blood stains throughout the room and house"...

Lori DeKleine wrote that she found several recording devices in her backpack, on their home phone and under some clothing in their bedroom. "The next week Ken told me I was 'under investigation,'... I was afraid that he might harm himself or return and harm me," she wrote.

The initial incident that Lori DeKleine specified in the protection order was an unexpected visit in December 2006. She claimed Ken, his brother Keith, and a friend named Mike Dozeman came to the house, and Ken began reciting Lori's previous friendships and journal entries to discredit her in front of their two children...

Terms of the divorce, mostly concerning child custody, kept the case open through the end of the year. The original terms called for joint custody of the children, but Lori did not want to oblige, which sent the case to the county Friend of the Court for a ruling. By this point, court records show, the DeKleine children wanted nothing to do with their father...




Officer: DeKleine said kids better off without mother
Second day of testimony continues
By Staff reports
The Holland Sentinel
Posted Jul 09, 2008 @ 12:36 PM
Last update Jul 09, 2008 @ 01:07 PM
http://www.wickedlocal.com/mi-holland/news/x1346880255/Officer-DeKleine-said-kids-better-off-without-mother

Holland, MI —A Holland Police Department reserve officer testified Wednesday, July 9, that he had a conversation with Ken DeKleine in which DeKleine said his two children would be better off without their mother.

DeKleine, 45, a former Holland police officer, is on trial this week in Ottawa County Circuit Court in Grand Haven for allegedly murdering his wife, Lori, 43, in January.

Lori was found dead in the basement of her home at 229 Calvin Ave. on Jan. 10, with a nylon strap tied around her neck.

The cause of her death was determined to be strangulation.

On Wednesday, Reserve Officer Brian Ehler testified that, in a conversation, Ken said Lori was suffering from a mental disorder and that Ken felt the children would be better off without Lori.

Also Wednesday, a coroner testified that there were signs of struggle on Lori’s body that were not consistent with suicide.

Ken is a 13-year veteran of the Holland Police Department.

He and Lori had been in the midst of a divorce at the time of her death, and Ken had moved out of their Calvin Avenue home and filed for divorce in June 2007.

Lori had filed a restraining order against him in January 2007, alleging that she feared for her safety around Ken.

Ken faces life in prison if found guilty of the two charges of first-degree murder and felony murder.



DeKleine trial: 'I know what I was doing'
WOOD-TV
updated July 10, 2008 03:02
By Joe LaFurgey
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25607751/

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) - About a half-dozen Holland police officers who worked alongside Ken DeKleine testified Wednesday at his murder trial.

And a friend of DeKleine's testified DeKleine basically admitted killing his wife during a jail cell chat in May.

One of the officers who took the stand was veteran detective Roger VanLiere. He said DeKleine came to work late on January 10, the day Lori was killed. "There was a look about his face that appeared to be different than what I had seen before from Ken," VanLiere said.

Brian Ehler, a Holland Police Department reserve officer became friends with DeKleine when the now ex-cop was Ehler's training officer at the department.

Ehler said he met with DeKleine in his jail cell just before Mothers Day.

In that meeting, Ehlers said he told DeKleine he wished something could have been done to prevent Lori DeKleine's death.

"Ken's response back to me was, Brian, you can't beat yourself up about this. I know what I was doing," Ehlers said on the stand in Day 2 of the trial.

Ehler also testified about a discussion he had with Ken DeKleine before the murder of his wife.

It centered on a training session Ehler attended, hosted by a local medical examiner, on how to identify strangulation cases.

"During this conversation, I do recall Ken saying something about strangling someone could be, probably, a practice that would be difficult to investigate."

Ehler and DeKleine discussed the DeKleine's marital woes the day before the murder.

Ehler had heard from mutual friends that Lori expressed a fear for her life. Prosecutor Ronald Franz asked what response Ehler got on that question.

"Honestly, I don't remember getting any response," Ehler said. "I think we went on to a different subject, but there was no direct response."

"He didn't deny it?"

"No," Ehler said.

In earlier testimony Wednesday, it didn't take long for the medical examiner to determine Lori DeKleine did not commit suicide.

Dr. David Start testified he would have challenged the notion Lori killed herself.

DeKleine reportedly told detectives he killed his estranged wife but tried to make it look like a suicide.

Start, the Kent County medical examiner, said marks caused by a strap placed around her neck showed signs of a struggle that were inconsistent with suicide.

He said internal neck injuries, such as she had, are also not usually found in a suicide.

Thursday, DeKleine's videotaped confession is expected to be played in court.

24 Hour News 8 will continue to follow this trial.


Officer Ken DeKleine - Murdered ex-wife Lori - Holland PD [Jan 10, 2008]

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-ken-dekleine-holland-police.html

Officer Ken DeKleine - PPO violations & Abuse allegations
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-dekleine-ppo-violations.html


Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation :January 10, 2008
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_10.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: January 08, 2008
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: September 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/09/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: August 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/08/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: May 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/05/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, Breaking and entering complaint: January 27, 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine: Allegations he abused Lori
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_3364.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine: Allegations he used recording devices to stalk Lori
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_2294.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine: Allegations he raped Lori
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_31.html

01272007 - Officer Ken DeKleine - Breaking & Entering - Holland PD

Officer Kenneth Dekleine [Holland PD]  broke into his estranged wife's [Lori] bedroom. Lori called the police but they claimed they could not do anything to protect  her, because it was a civil matter.

In January 2008, Officer DeKleine murdered Lori. He was convicted in July 2008 and sentenced to life in prison.

On January 07, 2007, Officer Dekleine filed for divorce from his wife, Lori. Officer Dekleine remained living in the marital home....

....For her own protection from Kenneth, Lori moved into another bedroom [which she kept locked]. On the weekend of January 27th, Lori returned home to find that Kenneth had broken into her bedroom through the window. The police claimed that it was a civil matter and did nothing....

Officer Kenneth Dekleine's murder of Lori [January 10, 2008]:

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-ken-dekleine-holland-police.html






Victim was 'terrified' of husband, records show

Holland Sentinel
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/011508/local_20080115002.shtml

Lori DeKleine was aware of the danger signs around her, according to court records.

"I have become increasingly terrified and afraid for my life," she wrote in a personal protection order filed in Ottawa County Circuit Court on Jan. 31, 2007, against her husband, Holland police Officer Ken DeKleine.

Less than one year later, Lori DeKleine, 43, was found strangled Thursday night in the basement of her Holland home.

"Ken has been a sexual and emotional bully throughout our marriage, beginning on our honeymoon," she wrote.

Lori DeKleine indicated she wanted to prohibit her husband from purchasing or possessing a firearm, but noted: "I do not object to his use of a firearm while he is on duty at Holland Police Department."

The final straw that apparently led to the protection order filing was an episode during the weekend of Jan. 27, 2007, while the couple was still living together.

"I believe Ken broke into the locked room I have been sleeping in to stay safe," she said. "I believe he broke in through the window in the room, leaving glass all over the bed and blood stains throughout the room and house."

Lori DeKleine wrote that she found several recording devices in her backpack, on their home phone and under some clothing in their bedroom.

She also wrote in the order that shortly after Ken returned from Iraq in February 2006 where he had been part of a group training Iraqi police, he became even more angry and controlling.

"I was afraid that he might harm himself or return and harm me," she wrote.

Ottawa County records indicate Ken DeKleine filed for divorce on Jan. 8, 2007. Meanwhile, a notice of the protection order was sent to Holland Police Department the day it was filed, court records show.

Terms of the divorce, mostly concerning child custody, kept the case open through the end of the year. The original terms called for joint custody of the children, but Lori did not want to oblige, which sent the case to Friend of the Court for a ruling, according to court records.






Slain wife warned friends of her fears

The Grand Rapids Press
Posted by By John Agar and John Tunison
January 15, 2008 10:19AM
HOLLAND -- The end for Lori DeKleine came just as she feared.
Days before her estranged police-officer husband, Ken DeKleine, allegedly slipped into her Holland Heights home and strangled her, she told friends: "You know, if I come up dead, if something happens to me, make sure Ken's investigated."

Her attorney, Holly Verde, recalled the haunting words Monday. She thinks Holland police should have done more to protect her client after Lori DeKleine chronicled allegations of abuse and a break-in at the home the couple once shared on Calvin Avenue.

In a statement she wrote nearly a year ago, Lori DeKleine said: "I have become increasingly terrified and afraid for my life."

Verde said she shuddered when she heard her client apparently killed herself Thursday. She called prosecutors. Ken DeKleine was arrested the next day and was arraigned Monday on a charge of open murder.

As the couple's marriage crumbled, police twice investigated allegations he violated a restraining order, but prosecutors did not find evidence to charge him. Police investigated the break-in, but it was viewed as a civil dispute because the officer, at the time, was not barred from the home.

"If there would have been alarm signs, we would have done something," Chief John Kruithoff said. "I didn't see there was a significant event that went on in his life that would have triggered this. Ken was a very talkative person, everyone's friend. He didn't suppress the fact he was having marital troubles. But, obviously, he suppressed something enough where he committed this."......


Officer Ken DeKleine - Murdered ex-wife Lori - Holland PD [Jan 10, 2008]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-ken-dekleine-holland-police.html

Officer Ken DeKleine - PPO violations & Abuse allegations
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-dekleine-ppo-violations.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation :January 10, 2008
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_10.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: January 08, 2008
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: September 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/09/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: August 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/08/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, PPO violation: May 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/05/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine, Breaking and entering complaint: January 27, 2007
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine: Allegations he abused Lori
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_3364.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine: Allegations he used recording devices to stalk Lori
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_2294.html

Officer Kenneth Dekleine: Allegations he raped Lori
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/01/officer-kenneth-dekleine-holland-pd_31.html

01192007 - Officer Tabitha McCree - Murder or Suicide? Detroit PD

January 19, 2007: Officer Tabitha McCree, Detroit Police Department.

MURDER OR SUICIDE?

• Officers Tabitha McCree and Jaimy McCree had a history of domestic problems.
• 01162007 - Jaimy and Tabitha separated, with Jaimy moving out of the marital home.
• 01192007 (11:00 AM) - Tabitha went to see her husband while he was on duty at the Detroit PD. An argument broke out and Tabitha was shot in the stomach.
• 01192007 (11:00 AM) - Responding Detroit police officers took Tabitha to the hospital in their squad car instead of waiting for an ambulance.
• 01192007 (11:00 AM) - Tabitha told responding officers that her husband Jaimy had shot her.
• 01192007 (1:44 PM) - ClickOnDetroit news article: ""Breaking News: Detroit Officer Shot In Stomach By Husband...Police are questioning someone..."
• 01192007 - Tabitha died during surgery. Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings stated to the press: "It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound". Bully-Cummings did not say what evidence suggested that McCree shot herself.
• 01192007 - News article after Tabitha's death: "Jaimy McCree initially was a suspect in his wife's death, but investigators have since backed off that theory, officials said. Police had detained a person for questioning in the shooting, but officials this afternoon declined to identify the person..."
• Message left on MIOIDV by Tabitha's father: "Its was murder...who was Tabitha shooting at that day, what about witnesses that was at work at the restaurant, and a car that was full of bullet hole's all over it...There was and older witness who saw everything why wasn't her evidence ever enter into court records...I strongly believe Tabitha Lyllett Coleman was a victims of murder..."

The first report of Officer Tabitha McCree's death, stated that she had been shot by her husband. Later reports stated that Officer Tabitha McCree had shot herself/committed suicide. Murder...or suicide?



Breaking News: Detroit Officer Shot In Stomach By Husband
ClickonDetroit.com
January 19, 2007 - 1:44p.m.

Female Detroit police officer shot in stomach
WOOD-TV, MI / Detroit Free Press, MI
January 19, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070119/NEWS01/70119017/1003/NEWS

Detroit- An off duty femal police officer was shot in the stomach Friday morning, police said.

The officer was taken by police to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where she was undergoing surgery, police said. There was no immediate word on her condition.

Police spokesman James Tate said the officer was shot shortly before 11 a.m. outside a vehicle.

He said officers were "questioning someone," but would not elaborate.

"We're trying to feather out and determine exactly what happened," he said. "Several officers are investigating, It's a fresh scene."

Detroit cop dies of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound

A Detroit police officer died this afternoon, apparently the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said Tabitha McCree, a five-year veteran of the force, shot herself, according to the investigation so far. McCree was shot in the stomach.

Officers responded to reports of an officer shot about 11 this morning in the area of Vernor and St. Anne behind the old Michigan Central Depot in Detroit. Soon after, sources began saying that McCree, who had been taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, told police that her husband, who is also on the force, may have shot her.

Bully-Cummings did not say what evidence suggested that McCree shot herself but said that the investigation is still preliminary.

The husband’s name has not been released.












Detroit officer dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound
The Detroit News
January 19, 2007
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070119/UPDATE/701190441

DETROIT -- A female police officer died today after she shot herself following an argument with her husband, investigators said.

Tabitha McCree, 37, argued with her 44-year-old husband Jaimy at the Southwest District at 11 a.m., police officials said. McCree, who was off duty, then took her car and went to a secluded area near West Vernor Highway and St. Anne Street where she got out of the car and shot herself in the stomach, police said.

"It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," said Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings.

McCree died some time later at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

She worked in the department's Central Events Section and used to work in the Southwest District, police said. Her husband was assigned to traffic enforcement in the city and also used to work in the Southwest District. Her husband was on duty at the time of the argument, police said.

Jaimy McCree three days ago left the couple's Manor Street home, investigators said. The couple was having ongoing domestic problems, investigators said.

Investigators were unsure what led to the argument and why Tabitha McCree went to see her husband while he was working.

Jaimy McCree initially was a suspect in his wife's death, but investigators have since backed off that theory, officials said. Police had detained a person for questioning in the shooting, but officials this afternoon declined to identify the person.

Eugene Alexander Sr., who lives on Manor Street on the city's northwest side, said the couple was quiet, next door neighbors.

"I never saw him very much, he worked a lot and was never home," Alexander said. "I would see her often when I worked outside or raked leaves. She seemed to be a very nice and pleasant person."













Cop shoots self after argument - 
Off-duty Detroit officer fights with her husband, also on force, before killing herself
Detroit News, The (MI)
January 20, 2007
newsbank.com
DETROIT -- An off-duty police officer died Friday after she shot herself following an argument with her husband, who is also a Detroit police officer.

According to investigators Tabitha McCree, 37, a five-year department veteran, argued with her 44-year-old husband Jaimy at the Southwest District station around 11 a.m. McCree left the station at 4700 W. Fort in her car and drove to a secluded area near West Vernor Highway and St. Ann where she got out of the car and shot herself in the stomach, police said.

"It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said after the officer died at Detroit Receiving Hospital. Investigators said she used a personal weapon.

McCree was assigned to the department's Central Events Section and once worked in the Southwest District where her husband was also once assigned. He is assigned to traffic enforcement and was on duty Friday morning, police said.

The couple had a history of domestic problems and Jaimy McCree left their Manor Street home three days ago, investigators said. Investigators said they did not know what led to the argument and why Tabitha McCree went to see her husband while he was working.

Susana Garza, 46, and her father own the Tamalaria Nuevo Leon restaurant at West Vernor Highway and Johnson.

She said her father spotted someone laying in the street about 10 yards away from the restaurant. Garza said she went outside and found two others attending to McCree.

"It's not something that you want to see every day," Garza said.

Garza said police took McCree in an SUV to the hospital before an ambulance arrived.

Eugene Alexander Sr., who lives next door to the McCree home on Manor Street on the city's northwest side, said the officers were quiet neighbors.

"I never saw him very much, he worked a lot and was never home," Alexander said. "I would see her often when I worked outside or raked leaves. She seemed to be a very nice and pleasant person."

Off-duty Detroit cop fights with her husband, who also serves on force, before killing herself
Detroit News
January 20, 2007
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/METRO/701200405/1003

DETROIT -- An off-duty police officer died Friday after she shot herself following an argument with her husband, who is also a Detroit police officer.

According to investigators Tabitha McCree, 37, a five-year department veteran, argued with her 44-year-old husband Jaimy the Southwest District station around 11 a.m. McCree left the station at 4700 W. Fort in her car and drove to a secluded area near West Vernor Highway and St. Ann where she got out of the car and shot herself in the stomach, police said.

"It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said after the officer died at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

Investigators said she used a personal weapon.

McCree was assigned to the department's Central Events Section and once worked in the Southwest District where her husband was also once assigned. He is assigned to traffic enforcement and was on duty Friday morning, police said.

The couple had a history of domestic problems and Jaimy McCree left their Manor Street home three days ago, investigators said. Investigators said they did not know what led to the argument and why Tabitha McCree went to see her husband while he was working.

01112007 - Deputy David Chandler - Sentenced - Berrien County SD

Also See:

Deputy David Chandler charged with domestic violence [Dec 07, 2006]

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/12/deputy-david-chandler-berrien-county-sd.html

In brief
Chandler quits Baroda-Lake police

Posted: Friday, January 19, 2007 12:00 am
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/localnews/in-brief/article_1f822a46-210b-59e0-83da-f5acefa0446d.html

BARODA — David Chandler has resigned from his part-time patrolman position with the Baroda-Lake Township Police Department, according to Gary Ruhl, chief of police. Chandler had been demoted from captain to lieutenant in the Berrien County Sheriff's Department as the result of an internal investigation of a domestic violence incident. Chandler will no longer head the detective bureau but will continue to work as a detective.

Chandler earlier this month was sentenced in Berrien County Trial Court to serve nine months on probation and pay a fine and costs of $625. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to domestic violence, a misdemeanor.The charge stemmed from a Dec. 7 fight between Chandler and his 18-year-old daughter, Jacqueline Chandler, at the family's home in Pipestone Township.













Board must decide what to do with 2 part-time officers

Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 12:00 am
By WILLIAM F. AST III, H-P Staff Writer
The Herald-Palladium
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/localnews/board-must-decide-what-to-do-with-part-time-officers/article_1c275938-d369-52d3-b84a-44cba27afc68.html

BARODA — The Baroda-Lake Township Police Board will have to decide the job status of Berrien County Sheriff's Department Lt. Dave Chandler and Bridgman Police Department officer Dean Jones, both of whom are part-time patrolmen with the township department.

Baroda Township Supervisor Jim Brow said police Chief Gary Ruhl on Monday gave the Township Board an update about the two officers. Ruhl said he will make a recommendation soon, and Brow said the police board will likely have a special meeting to decide on it.

Chandler has been demoted from captain to lieutenant in the Sheriff's Department as the result of an internal investigation of a domestic violence incident. Chandler last week was sentenced in Berrien County Trial Court to serve nine months on probation and pay a fine and costs of $625. He had pleaded guilty to domestic violence, a misdemeanor.

The charge stemmed from a Dec. 7 fight between Chandler and his 18-year-old daughter, Jacqueline Chandler, at the family's home in Pipestone Township.

Ruhl has issued a ticket to Jones, charging him with disregarding a stop sign.

A patrol car Jones was driving collided with a minivan at the corner of Hinchman Road and Cleveland Avenue in Baroda Township early Jan. 1. He was on his way to help at Baroda-Lake Township police officer.

Jones also faced internal discipline from Bridgman Police Chief Ted Post. Post said the disciplinary action has been administered and Jones remains on the police force, but the chief would not say what the punishment was.

Brow is a member of the Baroda-Lake Township Police board. He said other members are: Chairman Terry Eichler and Tom Carson, both Lake Township Board trustees; Baroda Township Treasurer Susan Newcomer; and Baroda Village Council President Bob Getz.

The board normally meets the second Tuesday every two months and already met in January, Brow said.

The Baroda-Lake Township Police Department has three full-time officers and 13 part-time officers.

Also Monday, Brow told the board the Baroda Fire Department will soon get its new pickup truck, and a new Jeep is on the way as well. Both vehicles will be used to fight grass fires and for other purposes, he said.

Once the two vehicles are on hand, Baroda will have equipment "as good as anyone has," Brow said. He recently retired from the Fire Department after some 22 years of service.The department's old pickup truck will be sold to the Drummond Island Fire Department, which needs a grass rig, Brow said.

In other matters, the board discussed extending the days that the recycling bin is available near the Fire Department.Brow said the bin is now available the second and last Saturdays of each month. The township is going to get a quote from Michiana Recycling of Niles on how much it would cost to have the bin available all the time, he said.











In brief
Chandler demoted over home incident

Posted: Saturday, January 13, 2007 12:00 am
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/localnews/in-brief/article_a8226e32-4155-553b-967d-2d22517ccaab.html

ST. JOSEPH — David Chandler has been demoted from captain to lieutenant in the Berrien County Sheriffs Department as the result of an internal investigation of a domestic violence incident, Sheriff Paul Bailey said Friday.

Chandler will no longer head the detective bureau but will continue to work as a detective, Bailey said.

Bailey said he met with Chandler Friday and informed him of the decision. Chandler was taken off administrative leave status and will return to work in two weeks after he uses some vacation time.

On Thursday, Chandler was sentenced in Berrien County Trial Court to serve nine months on probation and pay a fine and costs of $625. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to domestic violence, a misdemeanor.

The charge stemmed from a Dec. 7 fight between Chandler and his 18-year-old daughter, Jacqueline Chandler, at the family's home in Pipestone Township.












Officer draws fine, probation

Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007 12:00 am
By WILLIAM F. AST III, H-P Staff Writer
DENNIS COGSWELLH-P Region Editor
H-P Staff Writer Julie Swidwa contributed to this report.
The Herald-Palladium
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/localnews/officer-draws-fine-probation/article_d78b74a6-d4db-5483-af0a-e4751f8100f8.html

ST. JOSEPH — Capt. David Chandler of the Berrien County Sheriff's Department was sentenced Thursday to nine months' probation and a fine and costs of $625 for misdemeanor domestic violence.

Chandler pleaded guilty to the charge Wednesday.

Berrien County Trial Court Judge Al Butzbaugh ordered Chandler to continue to attend counseling and to have no personal contact with the victim, his 18-year-old daughter, Jacqueline Chandler. Butzbaugh said they can have phone and e-mail contact in the meantime.

Jacqueline Chandler in court Thursday asked that she be allowed to have personal contact with her father. Butzbaugh declined to permit that but said he will review his order after Chandler attends more counseling sessions.The case stemmed from a fight between Chandler and his daughter at their home in Pipestone Township on Dec. 7. Jacqueline Chandler told state police that she, her mother, Victoria, one of Jacqueline's friends and the friend's 3-year-old daughter were watching television when her father came home. She told her father she had gotten a puppy, which had soiled the floor.

When the 3-year-old started playing with the puppy in a cage, David Chandler became annoyed and asked his daughter to do something about it, according to a state police report in the court files.

Jacqueline Chandler said she replied that it wasn't her child, telling her father, "Why do you have to be such a jerk?"

She told a police investigator that her father struck her in the face with the palm of his hand.

He then said to her, "If you are so big and bad, let's fight" and pinned her to the floor, striking her in the face several times, she told police.

Jacqueline Chandler said she suffered a fat lip and her face was discolored and bruised. Her friend told police the young woman's mouth and nose were bleeding.

Jacqueline Chandler told police she has been physically abused by her father before, according to the report. The report did not contain a statement from David Chandler.

Chandler's lawyer, Andrew Burch, told Butzbaugh that Chandler is "going to be a success in the counseling sessions." He called his client "an honorable man who has served our community well for 30 years."

State police from Fifth District headquarters in Paw Paw investigated the accusation against Chandler. Because Berrien County prosecutors know Chandler, the information was forwarded to the Allegan County prosecutor's office to avoid possible conflicts of interest. That office authorized the assault charge.Chandler was placed on paid administrative leave on Dec. 8 while the investigation took place, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said Thursday.The department is conducting its own internal investigation of the incident, and that investigation will be complete on Monday, Bailey said. The department at that time will make a decision on Chandler's status, he said.Victoria Chandler last year lost a bid for re-election as a Berrien County commissioner.












Sheriff's captain pleads guilty to domestic violence
Posted: Thursday, January 11, 2007 12:00 am
By WILLIAM F. AST III, H-P Staff Writer
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/localnews/sheriff-s-captainpleads-guilty-todomestic-violence/article_4a81d0bd-f3a1-55fb-8121-ee9bc6b506f3.html

ST. JOSEPH — Berrien County Sheriff's Department Capt. David Chandler pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in Berrien Trial Court to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence.

Police and court officials have been being tight-lipped about the details of the case. However, numerous sources familiar with the case have confirmed it involved an altercation between Chandler and a daughter.

Chandler was scheduled to be sentenced today by Berrien Trial Court Judge Alfred Butzbaugh. The charge carries a penalty of up to 93 days in jail.State police at the Niles post investigated the incident and gave the information to Berrien County Prosecutor Art Cotter. It was then forwarded to the Allegan County Prosecutor's Office, as Chandler is a police officer in Berrien County.

"I really don't feel comfortable" releasing any details, said Allegan Chief Assistant Prosecutor Margaret Bakker, who reviewed the case and authorized the charge. "The case involves family and I want to respect their privacy at this point."

Chandler had been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said in an earlier story.

Chandler is the husband of Victoria Chandler, who last year lost a bid for re-election as a Berrien County commissioner.

01102007 - Deputy Mayor Rick Csapo - Sentenced - Traverse City

 Also See:

Deputy Mayor Rick Csapo charged with domestic violence

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/06/deputy-mayor-ricky-csapo-traverse-city.html

VIOLATION OF NO- CONTACT ORDER

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/07/deputy-mayor-rick-csapo-traverse-city.html

 

 Deputy Mayor / Commissioner Ricky Csapo [left], with his defense attorney.

Csapo fined for domestic violence
He has already sought counseling since June dispute
Traverse City Record Eagle, MI
By VICTOR SKINNER 01/11/2007
http://www.record-eagle.com/2007/jan/11csapo.htm




Former Traverse City deputy mayor Rick Csapo, left, accompanied by his attorney Clarence Gomery, is overcome with emotion while addressing 86th District Court Judge Thomas Phillips at his sentencing at the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice in Traverse City. Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe



TRAVERSE CITY — Former Traverse City commissioner Rick Csapo must pay $750 in fines and court costs and attend counseling sessions but received no additional jail time for assaulting his wife on a downtown street after a night of drinking.

District Court Judge Thomas J. Phillips sentenced Csapo Wednesday to three days in jail with credit for three days already served following the June 23 altercation along West Front Street.

Philips also ordered Csapo to stay out of bars. "The important thing is you learn from this so it doesn't happen again,” Phillips said.

Jurors found Csapo guilty of domestic violence Dec. 4 after only 35 minutes of deliberation. Witnesses testified they saw him argue loudly with his wife before he pushed her head against a window.

Csapo's attorney, Clarence Gomery, pointed out that Csapo has voluntarily sought treatment and counseling since the incident.

Csapo has already suffered publicly for months and "has done everything possible to apologize,” Gomery said.

"He has lost his job. He has lost his political position. I think that he has gone far and above,” Gomery said.

But Assistant State Attorney General Erin House countered that Csapo has never admitted to assaulting his wife and deserved more jail time.

"He talks about making an error in judgement. He never once admits in his public apology that he assaulted his wife,” House said.

"His behavior is appalling.”

An emotional and tearful Csapo talked about his alcohol problems and his struggle to overcome them, but did not apologize for the assault.

"I have not touched a drop of alcohol since June ... nor do I want to,” he said. "I accept my responsibility for that night. I was found guilty by a jury and I accept that.”







Breaking News
Csapo resigns from TC commission
12/11/2006
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/dec/11resign.htm
TRAVERSE CITY — City commissioner Rick Csapo resigned from the commission Monday morning following his conviction on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

Csapo submitted a letter to city Clerk Debbra Curtis tendering his immediate resignation from the commission and other related posts including vice-chairman of the Grand Traverse County Board of Public Works, and chairman of the county's Solid Waste Planning Committee.

"Elected to this office by the citizens of Traverse City has been both an honor and a privilege,” Csapo said in his letter. "I am saddened to resign, but the events of last six months compels me (to) submit this letter.”

He also delivered a written statement apologizing for the incident and for his statements to city police and witnesses during the June 23 incident. Csapo was convicted by a District Court jury last week on a charge of domestic violence stemming from an altercation with his wife on a downtown street. He's scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 10.

A special city commission meeting scheduled for Monday night to discuss a possible request from other commissioners for Csapo's resignation was canceled following Csapo's resignation letter. A commission study session will go on as scheduled.

The commission will discuss filling Csapo's vacancy at its regular meeting Dec. 18 at the Governmental Center.







Officials want an apology
Traverse City Record Eagle, MI
By Vanessa McCray
December 07, 2006
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/dec/07csapo.htm

TRAVERSE CITY — City Commissioner Rick Csapo should apologize for profane comments he allegedly made about city police during a fracas that resulted in Csapo's domestic violence conviction, several of his fellow board members said.

A jury found Csapo guilty Monday for assaulting his wife during an argument on a downtown street. Police said Csapo appeared intoxicated during the incident.

A city police report recounted how a loudly profane Csapo railed during the June 23 incident against police and a group of young people who witnessed the commissioner push his wife's head into a plate glass window on West Front Street.

Csapo, a retired Grand Traverse County sheriff's deputy, was first elected to the commission in 2001. He did not return repeated calls for comment. Csapo maintained his innocence throughout the trial and said he didn't assault his wife, but tried to calm her.

Mayor Linda Smyka and city commissioners Scott Hardy and Ralph Soffredine said Csapo should apologize for his comments.

Smyka called the remarks "very inappropriate” and said there appears to be a "huge discrepancy” between what Csapo "recalls happening and what people report.”

"I was hopeful myself that there would be an apology forthcoming, and that hasn't happened,” she said.

Smyka said Csapo's comments were "inappropriate for anyone ... let alone a city commissioner.”

"There's no excuse for that, in my opinion,” she said.

"I think he owes those officers an apology,” said Soffredine, the former city police chief.

Soffredine termed the statements "unfortunate” and the situation "difficult.” He said he's never heard Csapo make derogatory comments about city police in the past.

"I would agree that if any of us, sober or not, makes statements that are derogatory towards any of city staff, we ought to apologize for those,” said Hardy. "I do think an apology is in order, but, again, that is something else we can't mandate. That is up to Rick.”

Csapo deserves time to sort out how he will respond to the verdict, but should react soon, Hardy said. The commission could have an "ethical responsibility” to release its "public position” on the matter, depending on how Csapo responds, Hardy said.

A city elected official is not removed from office because of a misdemeanor conviction, said city attorney W. Peter Doren.

"There's nothing in the charter ... that talks about what happens when someone is convicted of a misdemeanor,” he said.

Commissioners would be removed from office if convicted of a felony. Thus far, city commissioners have not called for Csapo to resign.

"I am really struggling with it personally because it's been a very difficult thing to go through,” Smyka said. "I haven't really reached any kind of decision in my own mind.”

Soffredine said resignation is a decision for Csapo to make.

Csapo served as mayor pro tem at the time of the incident, but commissioners in November appointed Hardy to that second-in-command post. Csapo is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 10. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.






Rick Csapo, left, and defense attorney Clarence Gomery listen to assistant state attorney general Erin House at Csapo's trial in 86th District Court. Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe





Csapo guilty of domestic assault
Traverse City Record Eagle, MI
By VICTOR SKINNER
12/05/2006
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/dec/05csapo.htm
TRAVERSE CITY — Jurors needed only 35 minutes of deliberation after a daylong trial to find Traverse City Commissioner Ricky Edward Csapo guilty of domestic violence for assaulting his wife during an alcohol-fueled encounter on a downtown street.

Prosecution witnesses on Monday said they saw Csapo, 52, and his wife, Cynthia Csapo, argue loudly on West Front Street the evening of June 23 before he pushed her head against a window and she yelled for help.

"She said, 'call 911.' She was afraid,” said witness Kimberly Ayres, 20. "You can't grab someone's face with the palm of your hand and blatantly shove it into a window.”

Csapo declined to comment after the verdict. Csapo was also absent for Monday night's city commission meeting and could not be reached by phone for comment.

Csapo's lawyer, Clarence Gomery, said Csapo and his wife continued to deny the assault.

"It was their belief that this incident did not happen. They have always maintained there wasn't any assault,” Gomery said. "The jury entered a verdict and we will have to accept that. This matter has dragged on way too long and they are glad that the matter is finally closed and they can go on with their life.”

Csapo is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 10. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Gomery argued throughout the trial that Csapo tried to calm his wife after she had a panic attack brought on by a combination of alcohol, medications and stress.

But Traverse City Police officers at the scene said Csapo was highly intoxicated, uncooperative and yelled profanities, police reports show.

"He appeared to be very irrational,” Traverse City officer Mike Peters testified. "In my opinion, Mr. Csapo was more intoxicated that Mrs. Csapo.”

Csapo testified that he didn't yell at his wife, but instead tried to calm her. He said he grabbed her cheeks with both hands to look her in the eye and never pushed her into the window of a vacant building.

"I could have been stone sober and I would have done the same thing,” Csapo said.

Erin House, a special assistant state attorney general, asked Csapo why several witnesses said they saw the window behind his wife shake.

"I have no idea what hit it,” he said. "My personal belief was it was probably my bag on my shoulder.”

Both Csapos testified that Cynthia never left her husband's side during the duration of the incident, but witnesses and police told another story.

"She started running away and said (call) 911,” said witness James Mang.

Csapo initially was to face another misdemeanor charge for disturbing the peace, but District Court Judge Thomas Phillips dismissed the charge at Gomery's request.

Csapo was first elected to the city commission in 2001.

01082007 - Deputy Brian Vanmeter - Sentenced - Charlevoix County SD

Also See:

Deputy Brian Vanmeter charged with felony assault [Oct 05, 2006]

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/10/deputy-brian-van-meter-charlevoix.html

Deputy resigns as part of plea deal
Traverse City Record Eagle, MI
January 14, 2007
http://www.record-eagle.com/2007/jan/14week.htm

TRAVERSE CITY — A Charlevoix County Sheriff's deputy involved in an alleged off-duty road rage incident has resigned his position and will pay $200 in fines and costs after he admitted responsibility to a civil infraction.

District Court Judge Michael Haley accepted Brian VanMeter's plea to careless driving Monday in an early morning hearing in Traverse City. Careless driving is not a criminal offense.

The plea agreement required VanMeter, 42, to resign as deputy for Charlevoix County and admit he drove carelessly. But a resignation agreement with the sheriff's department allows him to receive back pay from his suspension in October until his resignation Monday and a letter of reference from the sheriff's department, said Mary Beth Kur, his attorney. The reference letter "will not disparage Brian VanMeter,” according to the agreement.

VanMeter initially was charged with felonious assault and reckless driving in October after he witnessed a man leaving his wife's residence and allegedly "threatened and intimidated” the man with his Chevrolet Malibu on M-66 near U.S. 31 in Charlevoix County's Marion Township, state and county authorities said at the time. The two vehicles never made contact, and no injuries resulted.

The altercation was allegedly part of an ongoing feud between VanMeter and his wife, which involved several other incidents between the couple, Kur said.

Plea deal lightens ex-deputy's conviction
Petoskey News-Review, MI
By Steve Zucker News-Review staff writer
Tuesday, January 9, 2007 4:12 PM EST
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2007/01/09/news/local_regional/news2.txt

CHARLEVOIX — The special prosecutor appointed to handle an assault case involving a now ex-Charlevoix County Sheriff’s deputy and the former deputy’s attorney say a host of factors played into a last-minute plea-agreement that prevented the case from going to trial Monday.

Brian VanMeter, 42, of Charlevoix had been slated to face a one-day jury trial in 90th District Court Monday on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and assault and battery. But on Friday VanMeter pleaded responsible to a civil infraction of careless driving in exchange for which the other charges were dropped. He was sentenced to pay $200 in fines and costs.

VanMeter was employed as a deputy with the Charlevoix County Sheriff’s office at the time of the Oct. 5 incident that led to the charges. Although VanMeter was not on duty at the time of the incident, county sheriff George T. Lasater placed VanMeter on unpaid suspension a short time after.

Both attorneys in the case said the deal also included an agreement on VanMeter’s part to resign from his position effective at 5 p.m. Monday and an agreement that he would not sue the sheriff’s office or the county over the ending of his employment. For his part, Lasater agreed to pay VanMeter for the time while he was on suspension and to provide him with a letter confirming his time of employment with the sheriff’s office and the fact that he resigned, the attorney’s said.

The case was prosecuted by Antrim County prosecuting attorney Charles Koop, who was appointed to handle the case by the state attorney general’s office at the request of Charlevoix County prosecuting attorney John Jarema.

Koop said a call from the victim saying he didn’t want to proceed with the case was one factor that played into the plea deal. Another factor, Koop said, was that the agreement “provided certainty that (VanMeter) will not be reinstated (to his deputy position).”

Koop explained that the move to allow for VanMeter to receive his back pay was done to prevent the county from the hassle and expense of arbitration.

“In my experience, if the sheriff had fired him, you’d be looking at three months of arbitration. With the attorney’s fees, it would far exceed the cost of just paying him,” Koop said.

VanMeter’s attorney, Mary Beth Kur, said her client took the plea deal, because he felt it was in his and his children’s best interest, given the risks involved in going to trial.

“From the beginning (VanMeter) has maintained his innocence in all criminal charges,” Kur said. “His acceptance of the plea illustrates that. If anything, this incident amounts to a simple traffic matter.”

“When he balanced all the risks of going to trial against a traffic ticket and a $200 fine and not having to put his kids through the publicity surrounding the trial, the choice was pretty clear,” Kur added.

The charges stem from an incident that took place in and south of Charlevoix early Oct. 5 between VanMeter and his estranged wife’s boyfriend, Brad Sanderson. According to police reports and earlier testimony, VanMeter allegedly confronted Sanderson shortly after he had left the VanMeter home.

Sanderson said VanMeter threatened him and then followed Sanderson as he drove back toward Charlevoix. Sanderson said VanMeter drove aggressively, following very closely at times and eventually forcing him to stop near the intersection of U.S. 31 and M-66. Sanderson said VanMeter got out of his car and, after attempting unsuccessfully to make Sanderson get out of his car — ostensibly intending to fight with him — VanMeter fled the scene.

VanMeter was originally charged with a felony count of assault with a dangerous weapon (the car). But a judge threw that charge out following a preliminary examination in November. The judge found that there was not enough evidence showing that VanMeter had the “specific intent” to use his vehicle to put the alleged victim in fear of immediate harm to warrant sending the matter on the circuit court.



Deputy pleads guilty to careless driving
Petoskey News-Review, MI
By Steve Zucker News-Review staff writer
Monday, January 8, 2007 11:47 AM EST
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2007/01/08/news/local_regional/news3.txt

TRAVERSE CITY — The trial of a former Charlevoix County Sheriff’s deputy who was accused of chasing down and then assaulting his estranged wife’s boyfriend was called off at the last minute Friday when the defendant agreed to accept a plea agreement in the case.

Brian VanMeter, 42, of Charlevoix had been slated to face a one-day jury trial in 90th District Court today, Monday, on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and assault and battery.

Instead, court officials said, VanMeter pleaded responsible to one count of careless driving, a civil infraction. None of the attorneys involved in the case could be reached before press time today.

Charlevoix County Sheriff George T. Lasater said part of the plea agreement included that VanMeter resign from the sheriff’s office, effective today. VanMeter, who was not on duty at the time of the incident, had been on unpaid suspension since shortly after the incident occurred.

The charges stem from an incident that took place early Oct. 5 between VanMeter and his wife’s boyfriend, Brad Sanderson. VanMeter and his wife are in the midst of what his attorney Mary Beth Kur described in court as highly contentious divorce.

At the preliminary examination, Sanderson testified that he and VanMeter first crossed paths near the driveway of VanMeter’s home shortly after Sanderson had left the home. Sanderson said VanMeter threatened him and ordered him to leave the property.

Sanderson testified that as he drove away from the home toward Charlevoix, VanMeter gave chase in his car. He said VanMeter drove aggressively behind him revving his engine and racing up to within a few feet of his rear bumper before backing off.

Finally, Sanderson testified, VanMeter forced him to stop near the intersection of M-66 and U.S. 31 where he said VanMeter got out of his car, came over to Sanderson’s car and opened his car door saying “get out of the car.” Sanderson said the his vehicle’s seatbelt caused the door to shut and he quickly locked the door. He said when VanMeter could not re-open the locked door, he pounded on his driver’s door window and then returned to his car and fled the scene at a high speed.

Sanderson said he believed that VanMeter wanted to fight with him.

VanMeter originally faced a felony charge of assault with a dangerous weapon (the car). But in November a judge threw out the charge finding that there was not enough evidence to show that VanMeter had used the car to put the victim in fear of immediate harm.

Cop's assault charge dropped
Traverse City Record Eagle, MI
Nov. 07, 2006
By CRAIG McCOOL
Record-Eagle staff writer
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/nov/07charlevoix.htm

CHARLEVOIX — A judge dropped a felony assault charge against a sheriff's deputy who allegedly threatened another man with his car.

A judge ruled there wasn't enough evidence against Charlevoix County sheriff's deputy Brian VanMeter to sustain the felony charge, though VanMeter still faces three misdemeanor counts for an alleged road-rage incident last month.

VanMeter, 42, was initially charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony, and reckless driving, a misdemeanor, following an incident in early October.

He allegedly spotted a man leaving his estranged wife's home and initiated a late night car chase on M-66 that ultimately lead to a confrontation. Grand Traverse District Judge Michael Haley dismissed the felony assault charge at a Nov. 3 preliminary examination.

VanMeter now faces two misdemeanor assault and battery charges and a reckless driving count.

Felonious assault must be committed using a dangerous weapon. There is no weapon component to the misdemeanor assault charges.

"The theory was that there was an assault and the dangerous weapon used was the motor vehicle," said VanMeter's attorney, Mary Beth Kur. "The judge said there was no probable cause to believe there was an assault with the car."

Antrim County Prosecutor Charles Koop was assigned to be the special prosecutor in VanMeter's case and said the two assault charges are both for threatening behavior: allegedly trying to force open the victim's car door after both vehicles were stopped, and then pounding on the victim's windshield.

VanMeter, a deputy with Charlevoix County for the past four years, was off duty at the time of the incident. He has been suspended without pay since his arrest.

The dismissal of the felony charge will not have an immediate impact on his employment status, Charlevoix County Sheriff George Lasater said.

"He's suspended ... until these cases have been disposed of, then I'll make a decision," the sheriff said.

Kur said a plea agreement in the case is unlikely.

"There was some discussion about a plea ... but I think it's going to trial on the misdemeanor charges," Kur said. "I asked for a trial as soon as possible."