HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 FROM ALL OF US AT COP GOSSIP!

KJ the cop's friend and New Year baby plus all our family here at CopGossip wish you a very Happy 2010! To see KJ's love for the cops, click here...

MEET COP GOSSIP'S 2009 COP OF THE YEAR. CONSTABLE SCOTT MILLS OF TORONTO POLICE.

Scott Mills establishes police trust in young Torontonians changing their perception of law enforcement and community relationships.

By Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo (Cop Gossip Editor)

Coming to Canada two years ago after living about 29 years in the USA, I expected a level of calm when it came to teen violence and overall crime statistics involving teenagers. Instead, month after month, young men and a few innocent young women got caught in the crossfire of gun crimes and stabbings. Having a good rapport with young men and women is an addiction of mine as I volunteered my time with teens for almost a decade in the States.

Many of these crimes in Toronto were going cold and Facebook memorial pages were popping up day after day online. How could we get our young folks to help the police solve these crimes? One officer constantly makes a difference in these phenomena. Any officer could be designated to this job but Police Constable Scott Mills is the one that has changed many young teens’ perception of “being friends” or as they say “being down” with the cops. Scott is the Toronto Crime Stoppers Youth Officer also in charge of legal graffiti art and school presentations among other things.

Scott is not a preacher but a simple citizen who encourages our youth to make a difference in keeping Toronto the best and safest place to be. He is well known in area schools mostly for his presentations, education about Crime Stoppers and also runs the graffiti art program and the BMX bike programs. Mills uses the web to develop a solid relationship with teens talking to them daily online, informing them about the latest crimes and urging them to use the Crime Stoppers utility via phone, text or web. He also encourages them to enter t-shirt design contests for the yearly Crime Stoppers t-shirt and also gives them opportunities to win prizes in the BMX bike project. Scott also works a lot with kids who are incarcerated in taking part in the design and art projects thus motivating them to stay positive. Scott also travels around the city showing citizens and kids the Crime Stoppers posters of crime victims murdered in our city and how we can all do our part by using the anonymous tip lines. Constable Scott Mills’s job is more than a job.

Above is Scott and his kids and mine KJ. He is a family man but he is still a policeman but mostly seen in the Toronto city community as a friend to youngsters. What makes him unique is the ability to relate to young folks so well with many of them being friends with him on Facebook and other internet portals. Your teen too can be a friend with Scott by searching “Scott Mills” on Facebook and he’s the one with the black “School crime stoppers” logo on his page. They can also join the Toronto Crime Stoppers fan page on Facebook to get crime updates, the YouTube channel to view videos of crime announcements, re-enactments and even actual crimes in progress caught on tape plus also the twitter page.

Scott is not teaching our kids how to “snitch” as the term goes, he’s making their lives a better one and their city of Toronto a better place to live by being aware of their surroundings and being positive role models themselves as they become adults. He always commends all those teens he mentors for their good work with his signature phrase “Thanks for all you do. We need more people like you.”

MONTREAL POLICE ON HIGH ALERT AS MOBSTERS ELDEST SON IS ABOUT TO BE LAID TO REST TOMORROW SAT JAN 2ND 2010!

Nick Rizzuto Jr. was shot dead in broad daylight on Monday. (Benoit Pelosse/Le Journal de Montréal/Canadian Press)

Funeral services for the eldest son of Montreal's reputed Mafia boss will be held Saturday at a historic church in the city's Little Italy district.

Photograph by: Marcos Townsend, The Gazette

Nick Rizzuto Jr., 42, was gunned down on a busy street in Montreal's western Notre-Dame-de-Grace district on Monday. The low-profile businessman is the oldest child of Vito Rizzuto, the presumed head of Montreal's powerful Mafia underworld.

It's not clear whether Vito Rizzuto will be able to attend his son's funeral because he is in a Colorado prison serving a 10-year sentence on racketeering convictions related to three Brooklyn murders in 1981.

Prison officials at the U.S. prison said Rizzuto can ask to attend the funeral but would have to pay for security detail and travel expenses. Such requests are confidential and the prison would not say if Rizzuto has made the request.

The funeral is at 11 a.m. ET at the Church of the Madonna della Difesa, built in 1919 by Italian immigrants to Montreal.

Montreal police say officers will be on hand. "You have to understand, there will probably be many people there and there could be parking and traffic problems," said police spokesman Daniel Lacoursière.

Mafia watchers say they expect the funeral will draw major players from Montreal and New York City's underworld, and authorities are likely preparing heavy surveillance.

Visitation is scheduled for Thursday and Friday at a funeral home in St. Leonard, in Montreal's northeast. Rizzuto's mother, Giovanna Cammalleri, and his aunt, Maria Rizzuto Renda, own the funeral home.

Police are not revealing many details about their investigation into Rizzuto's death.

The alleged weapon was found at the scene, and several eyewitnesses saw a man in a hooded jacket flee on foot, but so far, investigators say they have no suspects.

Mafia experts say the bold killing could be a settling of accounts, or retaliation from Montreal's rival street gangs.

Source

His mom and aunt OWN the funeral home? Like someone said, is truth stranger than fiction? OMG! Seems like funerals are commom over there! Some black guy did this hit watched by several horrified onlookers!! OMG, the war between the Haitian street gangs and Italian-Canadian mafia in Montreal is getting outta control over there. Cops tell me retaliation is on the way! Stop being negative officers de Montreal! Mmmm...Still our thoughts and prayers are with the mom who has to bury her own.

Read about the legacy of Grandpa Nick here. That will be dad Vito's father's legacy

Who was Nick Rizutto Jr?

Police are watching the funeral closely

Woman dies in shooting involving Trois-Rivières police!

A woman has died after a shooting involving police Friday in Trois-Rivières, Que, police say.

Police spokeswoman Martine Isabelle said local authorities responded to an emergency call around 1:20 a.m. ET.

She said they found a woman with a weapon who was agitated and threatening other people in the apartment.

Isabelle said the woman rushed one of the police officers and they opened fire.

Police haven't identified the woman, who was pronounced dead in hospital.

Quebec provincial police have taken over the investigation.

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OPP CHIEF FANTINO ACCUSED OF INFLUENCING CALEDONIAN OFFICIALS. MAY FACE CHARGE OF THREATENING OFFICIALS?

An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled the province's top police officer must face allegations he illegally influenced municipal officials.

The allegations against provincial police Commissioner Julian Fantino were brought by Gary McHale, who has led a number of rallies decrying what he calls two-tier justice in the policing of an aboriginal land occupation in Caledonia.

McHale alleges that Fantino influenced municipal officials in the town when the commissioner sent an e-mail telling the mayor and councillors not to attend McHale's rallies.

Influencing or attempting to influence a municipal official in municipal activities is an offence under the Criminal Code and carries up to a five-year prison term if convicted.

A justice of the peace who heard McHale's complaint refused to issue a summons or warrant against the commissioner.

However, a Superior Court justice who reviewed the case ordered the justice of the peace to issue such an order, saying in a decision released yesterday that it is his duty to do so.

Lawyer Andrew Bell, who represented the Attorney General of Ontario in the case, says yesterday's ruling is not a finding of guilt but rather means there's a charge before the court that will have to be dealt with.

Bell say it's more likely a summons will be issued for Fantino rather than an arrest warrant.

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TORONTO POLICE WANTS YOU TO LOOK AT THIS VIDEO AS COMMUNITY ACTIVIST'S KILLER'S LOOKOUT IS CAUGHT ON TAPE.

Investigators are closing in on the two men responsible for the execution-style slaying of Kenneth Mark, a man gunned down as he listened to music while walking to work in the city's west end Tuesday night.

The 29-year-old Walmart manager, whose only crime appears to be wanting to rid his community of guns, had just picked up some food from a pizza shop in the area of Dundas St. W. and Runnymede Rd. and was crossing Gilmour Ave. at 10 p.m. when he was ambushed from behind and shot once in the back of the head.

No arrests had been made as of yesterday.

However, Toronto Police have now released surveillance video of the killer's accomplice, a man who investigators claim kept watch from around the corner while the brutal murder occurred.

And Det. Hank Idzinga is convinced someone will be able to identify the man in the footage.

"I absolutely think someone will be able to recognize him," the homicide detective said confidently. "These are good images."

The video, captured by a camera at a business on Dundas St. W., shows the lookout pacing back and forth along the sidewalk moments before the slaying.

Source

DO YOU KNOW HIM? Info? Contact Detective Justin vanderheyden at justin.vanderheyden@torontopolice.on.ca - Anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers http://222tips.com or Text TOR and your tip to CRIMES (274637)

North Carolina Officer Charged With On-Duty Sex Crimes.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department: Marcus Jackson

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting two female motorists while in uniform and operating his patrol car.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Marcus Jackson, 25, was charged with sexual battery, second-degree sex offense, extortion, kidnapping, indecent exposure and two counts of felonious restraint. He was being held in lieu of bond totaling $360,000 ahead of a court hearing Thursday, according to jail records. The records did not indicate whether he had an attorney, and a jail spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking information.

Jackson was immediately fired after his arrest Wednesday night, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe said.

"To have one of our own involved in such a despicable act is not only a violation of the public trust, but a complete dishonor to this officer and every officer that wears this badge," Monroe said. "We work very hard to gain and maintain the public's trust, and this knocks us backward."

The case began after a relative reported Monday that a 17-year-old girl said she was ordered into Jackson's car on Dec. 18, driven to another location, and assaulted. The girl said the officer had been wearing his uniform and driving his marked patrol car.

On Tuesday, a 21-year-old woman told detectives she'd been assaulted under similar circumstances the previous night, Monroe said.

Both of the reported incidents happened between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. in east Charlotte, where Jackson was on duty.

"It is profoundly disappointing when one of our police officers engages in such heinous conduct," Mayor Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "It obscures the fact that the vast majority of our officers are dedicated, hardworking people."

Monroe added that "it would be naive" to think others had not been assaulted by Jackson, according to a report Thursday in the Charlotte Observer.

The police chief reportedly released Jackson's photo at a news conference in the hopes that other potential victims will come forward.

Source

TRAGEDY: 3 YEAR OLD KID KILLS COUSIN WITH COP DAD'S GUN!!!

RAYVILLE, La. — The Richland Parish sheriff says an off-duty policeman's 3-year-old son apparently shot and killed a 3-year-old cousin with his father's gun.

Sheriff Charles McDonald says the children — a boy and girl — were playing together Thursday when the Rayville police officer went to get something out of his car.

He says the gun was in the driver's side door. The sheriff says the boy picked up the gun and accidentally shot the girl.

McDonald says she died instantly.

He did not release the officer's or the children's names.

Source

Disclaimer: the photo above are not the actual people in the story. This is a stock picture. Keep the guns away from the kids officers!

Ohio Officer Allegedly Abused Children With Taser-Like Weapon!

A part-time police officer has reportedly been charged for allegedly abusing his girlfriend's young children with a Taser-like weapon.

Kevin McCann, 47, of Lawrence Township, Ohio, has been charged with two counts of felonious assault and two counts of felony child endangering. McCann allegedly used a Taser-like weapon this on Christina Robinson's 3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, the Canton Repository reports.

Authorities do not believe McCann shocked the children and they do not believe the weapon he allegedly used in this incident was given to him as part of his official duties, according to the newspaper.

Robinson, 22, also of Lawrence Township, is charged with four counts of felony child endangering.

Both suspects were arraigned Wednesday and denied all charges. They remain in the Stark County Jail with bond set at $500,000.

The two children in question and a younger sibling have been placed with a relative with supervision provided by the Stark County Department of Job and Family Services, the newspaper reports.

Source

POLICE CHASES MAN WHO STOLE SODA MACHINE!!

Check this out!!

People are stealing anything they can get their hands on these days!! A daring thief in McMinn County steals a soda machine... wrapping it with a log chain and driving off with the machine dragging behind vehicle.

But someone spotted the man and called 9-1-1 when they saw the bizarre scene heading down the highway. Sheriff Steve Frisbie says he's never seen a crime quite like it.

When deputies spotted the culprit, sparks flew and sirens blared down Highway 39 early Wednesday morning. Sheriff Frisbie said the suspect, Nicholas Nunley, 29, was apparently looking for some quick cash by pulling the pop machine from a Dollar General store in Riceville.

Nunley led officers on a high speed chase for miles, which the soda machine swinging wildly on the pavement behind his vehicle. Finally the chain wore down and the machine came free... but Nunley sped ahead for several more miles with deputies still in pursuit.

He finally sees that his attempt escape is futile and pulls over. Deputies say he still resisted.

"He didn't want to get out of vehicle," said Sheriff Frisbie. "They had to remove him and he put up some resistance and they had to use the taser."

Nunley was charged with vandalism, evading arrest, resisting arrest and theft over $1,000.

WHAT POLICE SAW WHEN THEY MET WITH TIGER WOODS.

RANDOM SHOOTING TRAGEDY AS OTTAWA POLICE OFFICER KILLED OUTSIDE HOSPITAL BY A FORMER MOUNTIE!

An Ottawa police officer was ambushed and stabbed to death outside a hospital in the cold, dark hours of Tuesday morning.

Paramedics and two members of the public managed to trap a suspect, now in custody. But they weren't able to save the officer's life.

The apparently random attack on the unidentified male officer took place around 4:30 a.m. ET as he was sitting in his cruiser outside the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital writing up notes on an unrelated case.

A flashlight, gun, notebook, a single glove, a knife with a 12-centimetre blade and a second knife lay drenched in blood at the scene, as investigators gathered evidence. A silver Honda Civic within the taped-off area remained running throughout.

"It appears our officer was in his vehicle doing notes on a call that was unrelated when the altercation or the incident happened," a pale and shaken Ottawa police chief Vern White told The Canadian Press.

"We really don't know much more than that. There was no call of service in relation to this. The officer apparently was ... surprise attacked. ... He was at the hospital on duty, (there) doesn't appear to be a connection between the individual and the officer."

Paramedics on the scene immediately tried to save the officer, but were unable. He died around 5:30 a.m. ET, White said.

The two paramedics and people at the hospital managed to apprehend the suspect. The Major Crime Unit is investigating and police said the suspect will not be identified until charges are laid.

Hours later, cruisers were still swarming the area around the emergency room where the stabbing occurred. Officers sought shelter in their cars from the frigid temperatures, which hovered around -20 C. They had cordoned off a parking bay with yellow police tape.

There was no immediate word on the officer's age and rank. White said he wanted to give other police staffers time to notify their families of their own safety before announcing any details of the dead officer.

The last time an Ottawa police officer was slain in the line of duty was in October 1983 when Const. David Utman, 38, was shot at a shopping centre during an altercation.

"It tough. This city, particularly in relation to police officers, has been very, very safe. We haven't lost an officer since the early 80s. Not that it would be easier. But it certainly is not something we're used to dealing with or managing," White said in his office after commiserating with a colleague on the telephone.

"My condolences go out to the family and friends of this officer. And the family of the Ottawa police service, because very quickly you become a family member in this organization, as I found out after a couple of years."

Source

EDMONTON POLICE DOG WOUNDED!

A city police dog is recovering at a vet clinic after a theft suspect stabbed her twice in the head last night. Around 8:10 p.m. police tried to pull over a vehicle on the north side that had allegedly been stolen earlier in the day. The driver lost control and crashed into a light standard. The male passenger was arrested, but the driver fled the scene on foot.

Police dog Cora and Const. Darren Smith chased after him. But when Cora caught the suspect's arm, he reportedly stabbed her twice.

Charges are pending against both men.

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