williep
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- Apr 14, 2015
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Lawsuit: Lafayette cops threatened to kill civilian
Mikel Livingston | jconline.com
April 16, 2015
Editor's note: Court documents at the end of this story contain uncensored explicit language.
(Photo: Journal & Courier)
New details have emerged in a civil suit filed after Lafayette police officers threatened a civilian.
.......
The 26-page filing gives new detail about the fallout stemming from a Jan. 22, 2012, incident at Buffalo Wild Wings in West Lafayette. Three officers have admitted to harassing and making death threats against Vander Plaats after he spoke with Barthelemy's fiancee at the restaurant.
Including quotes from the officers' interviews with internal affairs investigators following the incident, the document describes the night's events in the officers' own words. In court documents, Williams and Barthelemy have admitted to threatening Vander Plaats.
According to the new court filing, LPD Officer Ron Dombkowski said Barthelemy approached him after learning Vander Plaats had been texting Barthelemy's fiancee that night.
......
Barthelemy has admitted to getting Vander Plaats' phone number from his fiancee, after which Barthelemy called and cursed at Vander Plaats after he had left the restaurant.
Barthelemy told police, "I was telling him to come back here. Come back here, you know, and keep your s--- up. You know, we'll see what happens. Stuff like that."
Williams later left a message for Vander Plaats, stating, "I'm going to f------ kill you. And it's not going to be awesome. I mean, it's going to be like little body parts in a fireplace kind of death and that's really going to suck."
After listening to the recording, Williams confirmed to investigators that he left the message.
......
As previously reported, Vander Plaats was attacked by three assailants in a downtown alley 10 days later. His attorneys claim the officers were responsible for the attack.
......
Williams was disciplined five times prior to the Vander Plaats incident. In 2008, he fired a shot into the air while drinking with fellow off-duty officers. He was caught in February 2009 on-duty in the wrong patrol district without permission. He was clocked in his personal vehicle off-duty traveling 112 mph on Interstate 65 in May 2009. Then he failed to respond to a call for service in September 2009, court documents state.
Former LPD police Chief Don Roush recommended Williams be terminated in 2009, but the police merit commission — a body of civilians that oversees all hiring and firings for LPD — elected to instead suspend him for 30 days.
Full story:
Lawsuit Lafayette cops threatened to kill civilian
These two sound like charmers. They sound sound fairly aggressive ... I wonder if the investigation checked for steroid use? I wonder how these two interact with the public? Does this police department screen do drug screens and psych evals on new hires?
On balance, I think Chief Roush had the right idea.
Mikel Livingston | jconline.com
April 16, 2015
Editor's note: Court documents at the end of this story contain uncensored explicit language.
(Photo: Journal & Courier)
New details have emerged in a civil suit filed after Lafayette police officers threatened a civilian.
.......
The 26-page filing gives new detail about the fallout stemming from a Jan. 22, 2012, incident at Buffalo Wild Wings in West Lafayette. Three officers have admitted to harassing and making death threats against Vander Plaats after he spoke with Barthelemy's fiancee at the restaurant.
Including quotes from the officers' interviews with internal affairs investigators following the incident, the document describes the night's events in the officers' own words. In court documents, Williams and Barthelemy have admitted to threatening Vander Plaats.
According to the new court filing, LPD Officer Ron Dombkowski said Barthelemy approached him after learning Vander Plaats had been texting Barthelemy's fiancee that night.
......
Barthelemy has admitted to getting Vander Plaats' phone number from his fiancee, after which Barthelemy called and cursed at Vander Plaats after he had left the restaurant.
Barthelemy told police, "I was telling him to come back here. Come back here, you know, and keep your s--- up. You know, we'll see what happens. Stuff like that."
Williams later left a message for Vander Plaats, stating, "I'm going to f------ kill you. And it's not going to be awesome. I mean, it's going to be like little body parts in a fireplace kind of death and that's really going to suck."
After listening to the recording, Williams confirmed to investigators that he left the message.
......
As previously reported, Vander Plaats was attacked by three assailants in a downtown alley 10 days later. His attorneys claim the officers were responsible for the attack.
......
Williams was disciplined five times prior to the Vander Plaats incident. In 2008, he fired a shot into the air while drinking with fellow off-duty officers. He was caught in February 2009 on-duty in the wrong patrol district without permission. He was clocked in his personal vehicle off-duty traveling 112 mph on Interstate 65 in May 2009. Then he failed to respond to a call for service in September 2009, court documents state.
Former LPD police Chief Don Roush recommended Williams be terminated in 2009, but the police merit commission — a body of civilians that oversees all hiring and firings for LPD — elected to instead suspend him for 30 days.
Full story:
Lawsuit Lafayette cops threatened to kill civilian
These two sound like charmers. They sound sound fairly aggressive ... I wonder if the investigation checked for steroid use? I wonder how these two interact with the public? Does this police department screen do drug screens and psych evals on new hires?
On balance, I think Chief Roush had the right idea.
