Not quite a FTP

[Forever_frost]

Dekalb County Police: it's within policy for our officers to kick pregnant women in the stomach

By Rob Beschizza at 9:31 am Thursday, May 10

When Dekalb County, Ga., police officer Jerad Wheeler tased her brother, Raven Dozie started crying and demanding to know why. Wheeler kicked the heavily-pregnant woman in the stomach. While he is now under criminal investigation, his superiors on the force squelched an internal affairs complaint and explicitly approve of his conduct.

"What kind of a human being kicks a pregnant woman? I mean, forget whether or not it is a police officer that is supposedly protecting people," Dozier's attorney Mark Bullman said. Dozier filed a complaint with the DeKalb police department's internal affairs unit, but it was never investigated. Instead, four supervisors and an internal affairs detective signed off that Wheeler's use of force met policy. ... Fleischer filed an open records request and found two more use-of-force complaints against Wheeler within the last nine months. In all three cases, the victims were not the focus of the original police incident.

Wheeler was accused of twisting a 53 year-old woman's arm in 2011. This January, he shot a family's chained dog after showing up at the wrong home on a call.

http://boingboing.net/2012/05/10/dekalb-county-police-its-wi.html

[Downs]

This is why we get pissed off. This guy has a history yet is still on the force because he hides behind the thin blue line that his "brothers" put up for him. He shouldn't have even been a police officer at that point but people cover for him cause he's part of that line.

Fuck that you want us to start respecting the profession more start fucking crucifying the mother fuckers that give ya'll a bad name instead of covering their tracks and letting them perpetuate their shitbagginess.

[Ruffdaddy]

I really hope none of the resident officers feel they can cover for this guy...

[Whiteboy]

That dude needs a beat down.

[Forever_frost]

However, let's wait for the "We dont' know both sides of the story" comment.

Edit: went from shooting dogs to beating up pregnant women.....what's next?

[LANTIRN]

However, let's wait for the "We dont' know both sides of the story" comment.

Edit: went from shooting dogs to beating up pregnant women.....what's next?

Probably shooting and raping children if I had to guess.

[svauto-erotic855]

I guess that "To protect and Serve" doesn't amount to a hill of beans in Dekalb County.

This fella needs to be retired by his department before a concerned citizen retires him personally.

[Forever_frost]

I guess that "To protect and Serve" doesn't amount to a hill of beans in Dekalb County.

This fella needs to be retired by his department before a concerned citizen retires him personally.

Retired? Or charged and put in jail?

I'm pretty sure I read that his supervisors tried to suppress the reports

[LANTIRN]

Retired? Or charged and put in jail?

I'm pretty sure I read that his supervisors tried to suppress the reports

He means retired. We all know the chances of a cop getting fired are pretty slim.

[kingjason]

Since you guys think they cover everything up. Check this one out and look how many charges are filed. Dekalb must be an interesting place. I was looking for a better source then boing boing.

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/3-dekalb-cops-indicted-1435205.html

[LANTIRN]

Since you guys think they cover everything up. Check this one out and look how many charges are filed. Dekalb must be an interesting place. I was looking for a better source then boing boing.

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/3-dek...d-1435205.html

Great post and even though I don't know if the officers are guilty or innocent, it is good charges were actually filed so the event will be properly investigated (I hope). There needs to be more of this happening in this country where law enforcement is held accountable.

[kingjason]

Great post and even though I don't know if the officers are guilty or innocent, it is good charges were actually filed so the event will be properly investigated (I hope). There needs to be more of this happening in this country where law enforcement is held accountable.

I am game with that. There are some dumb ass cops out there. I can not deny that.

This one is has a little less bias to it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/jerad-wheeler-kicking-pregnant-woman-raven-dozier-georgia_n_1507771.html

[Forever_frost]

Since you guys think they cover everything up. Check this one out and look how many charges are filed. Dekalb must be an interesting place. I was looking for a better source then boing boing.

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/3-dek...d-1435205.html

Not everything. Even once is too much. And when the cops block inquiries and bury investigations? There is something seriously wrong. I notice you brought up another case but didn't say anything about this one. I'm also looking for alternate sources.

[Forever_frost]

And...found it.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/dekalb-officer-investigated-after-allegedly-kickin/nNzDS/

ECATUR, Ga. —

Channel 2 Action News has learned a DeKalb County police officer is under criminal investigation for allegedly kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach, then charging her with obstruction of a police officer.

Records show the department never investigated the incident and five supervising officers signed off on the officer's actions.

"I was upset because I couldn't believe an officer would kick me, with my child in my stomach," Raven Dozier told investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer.

Dozier was nearly nine months pregnant and helping to calm down her brother who was arguing with police. They used a Taser on him, and she cried out.

That's when Officer Jerad Wheeler used what he described in his report as "a front push-kick to the abdomen, as he was taught to do at the academy."

"What kind of a human being kicks a pregnant woman? I mean, forget whether or not it is a police officer that is supposedly protecting people," Dozier's attorney Mark Bullman said.

Dozier filed a complaint with the DeKalb police department's internal affairs unit, but it was never investigated. Instead, four supervisors and an internal affairs detective signed off that Wheeler's use of force met policy.

"He was not, he had no reason to do that, and for a higher authority to say that he is OK, his boss is wrong too," Dozier said.

Fleischer filed an open records request and found two more use-of-force complaints against Wheeler within the last nine months. In all three cases, the victims were not the focus of the original police incident.

In September 2011, a 53-year-old woman said Wheeler twisted her arm behind her back and pushed her face down in the patrol car. The woman's daughter had just been in a car accident and she had gone to the scene to help with her young grandchildren.

In January 2012, a family complained after Wheeler shot their dog while he was on a chain inside their garage. Wheeler had responded to the wrong address.



In both cases, the department justified Wheeler's actions and exonerated him.

"It's showing that there is an ongoing pattern and practice of attempting to clear officers of clearly illegal, unconstitutional, and improper conduct," Bullman said.

Wheeler charged Dozier with obstruction of an officer.

In his report, he said she was coming toward him in an aggressive manner that it was very dark, she was wearing a large shirt, and he couldn't tell she was pregnant.

But workers at the DeKalb County Jail recognized it immediately, and refused accept Dozier. She had an emergency C-section two weeks later, and now baby Levi is doing well.

"I believe that something should be done. Men go to jail every day for hitting women and it's not OK just because he is a police officer," said Dozier.

"My hope is that with this and other cases, things will change at the DeKalb Police Department, that it is no longer possible for officers to commit felonies against citizens that have committed no crime whatsoever," Bullman said.

A DeKalb police representative did not want to comment on how the department handled this case.

[kingjason]

I am nottttttttttttt defending him as I was not there. However I can see if he was fighting with her brother and she charged up behind him a swift kick.

To many variables in this one to call. Domestics are bad news and people lose their fucking minds during them. I try to never ever go hands on unless I have back up on a domestic. As soon as you go hands on with the guy that just beat her fucking ass to a pulp, she ends up on your back with a steak knife.