Warren Police Sergeant Fired

[+EdwardGlen]

At one time WPD the LEO' could turn the cameras off if they wanted to but that was changed a while back and now the recorders are automatic and recordings are sealed and cannot be opened except by a select few.

 

 

http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/02/21/news/doc4d62c7fd4c692307352019.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

A Warren police commander has been fired because his written report about a traffic stop and a drug-related arrest did not match separate videos of the incident, a police administrator said Monday.

 

One of those video images was shot by an employee in the city’s Communications Department working on a program in which Warren officers are shown on the job.

 

Sgt. Tim Maniere, who worked most recently in the patrol division, was fired last Friday following an Internal Affairs Division investigation, Deputy Commissioner Louis Galasso told The Macomb Daily.

 

Maniere, 45, was employed with the department for 15 years.

 

Maniere, accompanied by a TV Warren cameraman who rode along with him, pulled over a vehicle in late July. An occupant of that vehicle was arrested on a felony narcotics charge, Galasso said.

 

At an evidentiary hearing in late January requested by the suspect’s attorney, the video from the “On Patrol Warren” programs and the images from the on-board camera inside the scout car driven by Maniere, were inconsistent with Maniere’s written report, police said. A Warren district judge then dismissed the case.

 

The veteran officer then was suspended with pay, pending the internal review.

 

“We conducted the due-process hearing…and the determination was made to terminate his employment,” Galasso said.

 

“It’s pretty gut wrenching. No question about it,” the department’s No. 2 administrator said. “He’s always been a conscientious, aggressive officer; someone that has really never demonstrated any disciplinary problems at all, especially since being a supervisor. He’s one of the guys that if you ask him to do something, he would do it without questions, without hesitation.”

 

The firing was decided by the city’s labor relations department and Police Commissioner Jere Green. Green is on vacation and was not immediately available for comment Monday.

 

Citing a separate, criminal investigation, Galasso did not divulge details of the departmental infraction allegedly committed by Maniere. However, the deputy commissioner pointed out: “I want to eliminate, 100 percent, the suggestion that there was planting of any drug.”

 

The criminal probe, separate from the internal review, is assigned to the Warren police detective bureau. The criminal investigation is expected to be completed by the end of the week. The findings will be forwarded to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

 

It’s not unusual for a municipal police department to investigate one of its own officers or other city employees. The determination of whether to conduct a criminal probe in-house or to refer it to an outside law enforcement agency such as Michigan State Police, is reached on a “case-by-case” basis, Galasso said.

 

In the Maniere incident, Green made that decision.

 

“We have nothing but the utmost confidence in our investigators in their voracity and their disclosure to the prosecutor’s office. We didn’t feel it was necessary to go to an outside agency,” Galasso said.

 

“The facts speak for themselves.”

 

The Warren Police Command Officers Association has not decided yet whether to challenge Maniere’ dismissal.

 

“It sounds like the department is still doing some investigation,” said WCOA president Jeff Knoblauch. “When those are complete, we’ll review the facts. We’ll turn over all the information to the (union’s) attorney.”

[Wild Bill]

Forgive me for reading between the lines.

 

“It’s pretty gut wrenching. No question about it,” the department’s No. 2 administrator said. “He’s always been a conscientious, aggressive officer . . .

Emphasis on 'aggressive'.

 

He’s one of the guys that if you ask him to do something, he would do it without questions, without hesitation.”

Even if it wasn't quite 'legal'.

 

I think they should offer to let him go if he gives them the names of three of his cop buddies who break the law. That's the deal they offer us.

[thanks2]

It is great to hear that an officer was actually held accountable for a crime. The sad part is he will get a job at a different force.

[Retta]

“I want to eliminate, 100 percent, the suggestion that there was planting of any drug.”

 

Was he pocketing some? A few years ago a friend was arrested with 3 ounces of marijuana by the MSP, when we attended the hearing according to the arresting officer there was less than one and a half, where did the rest go? Up in smoke?

[Guest 1TokeOverLine]

“I want to eliminate, 100 percent, the suggestion that there was planting of any drug.”

 

Was he pocketing some? A few years ago a friend was arrested with 3 ounces of marijuana by the MSP, when we attended the hearing according to the arresting officer there was less than one and a half, where did the rest go? Up in smoke?

 

No doubt in my mind, cops stole my chocolate thai that was ready to be harvested, and charges were dismissed because the evidence mysteriously disappeared. They were drooling and ooohing over it when they bagged it and commented on what a beauty it was, they had to cut it to get her into a bag. Wonder which one got her? (Miraculously 3.5# vaporized into 11 oz.) LOL

 

1T

[Kingpinn]

Myself i cant find the humor in planting drugs on people to secure a search warrent. It happened to me in 2002 planted MMJ in my garbage . Then came and held guns to my teenage girls heads while they tore my house apart to find my 1 oz of weed ( 3 Hours it took um ) but the warrent said guns money cocaine you name it i had it .Cost me 1800 dollars no jail time no probation no jumping though hoops like pee tests or such. Just took my CHEEZE

[nthlghts]

My other half has trouble in warren pending, this is not surprising to me at all. And Kingpin, I had a similar situation as a divorce gift, I can truly relate to your feelings on the matter.