Charges on More Than 125 Criminal Cases To Be Dropped Due To Crooked Gun Trace Task Force

I hate to say "I told you so", but I did tell you so.  According to the Baltimore Sun, Prosecutors reported that the number of criminal cases that have been or are planning on being dropped because they were reliant on the testimony of the indicted Baltimore PD "Elite" Gun Trace Task Force has reached 125.  I'm betting it will rise faster than a hot IPO once everything is said and done. 

How can we believe the testimony of officers who have admitted to robbing people, planting evidence, falsifying police reports and other offenses?  Who are the real criminals here?  The domino's are just going to keep falling.  This isn't going away for a long time. I'm betting every inmate who was arrested by any of these officers has contacted their attorneys already and should get new trials at the very least. I can't imagine the number of lawsuits and settlements that will follow due to people not getting a fair trial or being arrested under trumped up charges.

There are dozens of cases under review according to the Baltimore Sun.  Nearly three dozen cases involving the indicted officers have been reviewed and the outcomes stand, because the case was not dependent on the testimony of the indicted officer.  Prosecutors say dozens of cases involving the officers and drug or gun charges are being reviewed.  This is going to take a lot of manpower and the cost to the city of Baltimore will be (and should be) staggering.  Let this be a lesson for any other unit that thinks they are above the law.  You can get caught and your shield will not protect you from the consequences of your actions.

I read something else that was very troubling on the Baltimore Sun site.  There have also been three separate investigations into police arrests in which their body camera footage picked up some questionable images in which officers can be seen planting evidence, according to defense attorneys.  If true, another disturbing find. Naturally the officers have denied planting evidence.  It would be prudent to get an outside source clean up and review the video evidence so we can be reasonably certain nothing has been altered.  These types of stories can make the citizens paranoid - and for good reason. 

On Monday, Prosecutors announced they have dropped or will drop more than 200 criminal cases linked to officers involved in the recorded incidents.  Another STAGGERING number of cases, more potential for lawsuits and settlements.  If people's civil rights are being stomped on by the police than the city better get out their checkbook and start righting their wrongs.  

To say that the Baltimore PD is experiencing problems would be a gross understatement.  First the indicted gun trace task force and now the questionable body camera footage allegedly showing the planting of evidence and bad arrests.  Wow.  Find one more major snafu and you'd have yourself a trifecta.

Some of the really hideous incidents I've read about involving the arrogant gun task force members include:

• Three of the officers stopped a man on the street , searched his car without a warrant, took him home and stole $1500.00 from him.  The victim was a supervisor at a nursing home.  Det Rayam wrote a false report and failed to report the theft of the victim's money.
• Five of the officers stopped a man leaving his storage facility and stole $2,000 from a sock containing $4800.  They lied about having a search warrant. 
• Four of the officers arrested a man and they confiscated (and kept) drugs and approximately $6,000 of the $21,500 in cash they located in the car.  Hey, at least they turned in MOST of the dirty drug money. However, after that they went to the mans home and stole $200,000 from him as well as an expensive wrist watch from a safe deposit box.

I really don't need to hear any more, do you?  These guys were outright crooks.  How they remained on active duty for as long as some of them were is a mystery.  It makes you wonder at what point did they turn to the dark side?  I It's mind blowing.  If this is what we know to be true, I can only imagine what still hasn't been exposed.  I want to know who killed Detective Sean Suiter.  That's what keeps me coming back to this story.  I'll continue to come back to it until we need the team from "Cold Justice" to come take a look! Wouldn't that be something to see.........

More Details on Aztec High School Shooting

Slowly more information is coming forth about the shooting at Aztec High School that left 3 people dead in New Mexico.  Two of the deceased were students and the third was the shooter. According to KOB.com the shootings were planned by a former student identified as 21 year old William Atchison from Aztec.  

Suspected shooter, William Atchison (KOB.com)

Atchison apparently gained access to the school by "disguising himself" as a high school student.  At 21 years old that probably wasn't too difficult to do. According to law enforcement officials who executed a search warrant at Atchison's residence, a piece of paper was found that pointed to planning of this event.  It reportedly said "work, pack up, prep, walk, die".  The paper was found in a wastebasket.  There was more evidence discovered on a thumb drive for Atchison's computer that pointed to a planned attack.  According to the Aztec Police Chief, Atchison purchased the handgun used in the attack legally in November and he had several magazines with him.  

The first victim he went after was Francisco Fernandez - he was killed in the boy's restroom.  There has been no motive for the murder of Fernandez offered and police believe he was a random target.  Atchison then reportedly walked up and down the school hallways "firing at random".  It's surprising that he was not able to gain access to a classroom full of students and shoot at them.  The death toll could have been a lot higher.  Thankfully the police were reportedly there within a minute of the distress call.

KOB.com is reporting that the police shot out windows to gain access to the locked down school just moments before Atchison killed himself.  Law enforcement officials are praising the actions of the school officials who quickly made that announcement and locked down the school so quickly.  I went to high school in a small town, and I can't imagine this happening.  Everyone knows everyone in these small communities which makes it that much more devastating.

Casey Jordan-Marquez & Francisco "Paco" Fernandez (GoFundMe)

These two beautiful lives have been lost - for what?  Was it random?  What did Atchison have against Aztec High students?  Police officials believe Francisco was in the wrong place at the wrong time - the restroom.  He wouldn't have stood a chance trapped in a bathroom with a gunman.  How cowardly can a killer be?  I feel the motive for all of this will be revealed when law enforcement completes their investigation and the findings on Atchison's hard drive may be telling.  Did he even know the victims?  One thing is for sure, there were many people who did know and love these two innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them.  Why why why does this keep happening?  It's such a disturbing trend.

I worry constantly about my sister Kathy and her husband Robert, both of whom are long time high school teachers.  They have next to nothing in the way of security at their school.  Every time I hear one of these stories I pray it's not THEIR school.  

What can we as US Citizens do to combat this growing trend of gun violence?  It's not just at schools, churches are not even sacred.  It's truly frightening what's happening out there.  Why is our society becoming so violent?  You always hope that love overcomes hate and peace prevails over war.  That doesn't seem to be the case but we can't give up on our society.  Something needs to be fixed and we are the ones who need to brainstorm and contact our local and state legislators and demand change.  It can happen if we stand together.  The world is going in the wrong direction and we need to correct this before the next generation is so used to "active shooter" drills that it doesn't phase them.

This is no video game, and these aren't some avatars gettinCMarg gunned down.  This is real life and these are real people with real families, friends, hopes and dreams.  I for one am pissed!  This needs to stop.  President Trump, what are you going to do to get the ball rolling??

It's Happened Again - Shooting at New Mexico High School Kills Two + Shooter

I can't believe this is happening again.  Shootings at high schools are becoming all too common.  I can't imagine being afraid of somebody bringing a gun to school when I was in high school (decades ago).

This time the shooting happened at a high school in a small town called Aztec in New Mexico.  Two students were killed, Casey Marquez and Francisco Fernandez.  The shooter has not yet been identified but he apparently too was killed.  It's unclear whether he died by suicide or if the police shot him.  Students described hiding in classrooms and being terrified.  Not much is yet known about the students that were killed but Casey Marquez was apparently a cheerleader.

Aztec High School, New Mexico (AP News)

According to AP News a vigil was held for the slain classmates.  Police have said more information will be released.  Senior Bryn Divine says she first heard noises that sounded like somebody hitting the lockers with a baseball bat.  An announcement was made over the intercom that this was not a drill.  That announcement may have saved many lives as teachers began locking the classroom doors.  This sounds like it could have been much worse.  The police reportedly responded to the call for help within a minute, gaining entrance to the school through a window and door since the school was already locked down.

Aztec High, AP News

Press Conference - AP News

Vigil for Aztec High - AP News

It sounds like Aztec High was well prepared for an "active shooter" situation, which is sad.  It's sad the children have to even think about what could happen while they are at school to learn.  Aztec is a small town of approximately 6,500 people so this is hitting them hard.  SOMETHING MUST BE DONE WITH GUN CONTROL.  How many of these stories will we have to endure before the government gets involved and enacts more federal laws and tightens the screws to the NRA? The NRA seemingly will do anything to protect peoples rights to own a gun.  It is a right, but it's supposed to be for self protection and hunting - not hunting humans.

I realize it's people that are doing the killing.  The guns don't aim and shoot.  But it seems that guns are too readily available and they are getting into the hands of people who shouldn't be anywhere near a weapon.  It seems Columbine started this whole school shooting scenario and not to downplay only two people being killed here, but if the school administration and police hadn't acted so quickly it could have been as bad.  This happened right as school was beginning - first period.  Some students are afraid to go back to school and want teachers to be allowed to carry guns.  Not a bad idea, but I suppose you could get a rogue teacher as well.  What is the answer to this epidemic?

No motive has been given for the shooting - all that is known is that both of the students killed were reportedly student athletes. The police haven't even said if the shooter was a current or former student at Aztec High.  When more details are released, I will post them.

My thoughts and prayers are with all involved in this tragedy.  What is happening to our country?C