Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4010 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: AUGUST 2016 NATIONWIDE What’s up in law enforcement across the U.S.A. THETOPTEN Erik Estrada, of the hit ’80s TV series “CHiPs” and the non-hit “Armed and Famous,” is now a St. Anthony (Idaho) police reserve officer. Mayor Neils Thueson made it official recently when he “appointed Estrada into office” as one law enforcement website explained. So sleep easy, St. Anthony residents. Poncherello’s here to clean up the mean streets in the town of 3,500. Like most celebrity volunteers, Estrada says he will be tasked with keeping kids safe from online predators. It’s highly unlikely that anyone under 40 knows who Estrada was and is. That said, the people in St. Anthony are enjoying all the commotion. A group of six Re- publicans in the Tennessee legis- lature have intro- duced some new bills that will offer greater legal pro- tections to law enforcement officers. The Republicans intro- duced three bills which would change the law to make the assault or harm of an officer a more serious crime. The legislative ses- sion will consider the bills in January 2017. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Todd Gardenhire and House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, would make it a Class E felony to assault an officer, instead of a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a jail sentence up to 11 months and 29 days and/or a fine up to $2,500. An assault of an officer would instead carry a fine up to $5,000, while an ag- gravated assault would have a fine up to $15,000. Sponsors Sen. Mark Green and Rep. Mark White cre- ated a bill that would make it a hate crime to kill or try to kill a person who is a law enforcement officer or a person believed to be one. The “hate crime” would be a Class A felony. The Kentucky measure mirrors similar legislation passed in Louisiana recently. More protections for our police officers We’re all cops In Michigan, the state Supreme Court has ruled that there is no difference between a reserve officer and a certified peace officer – at least when it comes to the state’s “resisting and obstructing” police statute. The decision was the result of the case of Ryan Scott Feeley who was arrested and charged with resisting and obstructing police for failing to comply with a Brighton reserve police officer’s commands. “The Supreme Court got it right,” Liv- ingston County Prosecutor William Vailliencourt said. “This decision protects all police officers, not just in Livingston County, but all across the state in doing the very dangerous job they do to protect us every day. I’m very happy with the opinion.” It’s unclear if their newfound status will have an impact on collective bargaining or salaries. Railroaded The United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has ruled that Georgia prosecutors unconstitution- ally and deliberately expelled blacks from a jury in a capital case, leaving an all-white panel to determine the destiny of a black defendant accused of killing a white woman. The evidence of racial discrimina- tion was composed of incriminating prosecutor’s documents and other records. Those documents included a jury list with each black prospective juror highlighted in green with “B” printed next to it. Restrictions In another SCOTUS ruling, the justices ruled that reckless domestic assaults constitute a “mis- demeanor crime of domestic violence” that trigger restrictions on gun ownership. Justice Elena Kagan pointed out during arguments that if someone en- gages in certain behaviors, like throwing a plate at a wall near a spouse, or slamming a door in the face of girlfriend or boyfriend, that person is subject to the federal ban on firearms possession. Women’s rights groups, domestic violence groups, and gun control supporters considered the ruling a major victory. Others say any restrictions on gun owner- ship are unconstitutional. Eyes only In a major win for police associations in North Carolina, recordings from law enforcement body and dashboard cameras will not be considered public records in the state under a law signed re- cently by Gov. Pat McCrory. Needless to say, police policy critics and transparency advocates say this is a step backwards. But if you’re a cop worried about getting jammed up as the result of video evidence, the ruling is a relief. The law clarifies that body and dashboard camera recordings cannot be kept confidential as part of an officer’s personnel file — a practice that has kept some images from being scrutinized indefinitely. North Carolina joins several other states in seeking to keep the footage from police bodycams secret and out of the eyes of the public. Many officials are pursuing policies where bodycam footage would be released selectively by police officials. 1. Couple who treated ill son with maple syrup — not medicine — blame ambulance workers for boy’s death 2. Feds say everyone in Flint can drink filtered tap water 3. “Make America White Again” – Tenn. Congressional Candidate Unwavering After Controversial Billboards Taken Down 4. Trump: Christie ‘high on the list for something’ in his cabinet 5. Alabama councilwoman complains Holocaust memorial is racist because ‘it is for dead people’ 6. San Francisco set to vote on soda tax in November ballot measure 7. Millionaire CEO Arrested for Stealing $800 Camera 8. Father attempts to revive baby in fridge after forgetting her in hot car 9. Box cutter-wielding ‘Batman’ arrested after dancing with a KKK doll at LA City Council meeting 10. ‘Small government’Wisconsin Republican looks to punish business owners who ban guns Wacky headlines of the month