Orlando Blues
lema_oda — Orlando Pig Nearly Beats Homeless Man to Death
According to a local TV station, this pig has been investigated 6 or 7 times during his career. Also, according to the TV station, Michael is 6 feet-3 inches tall while Goff is 5 feet-4 inches tall.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-copbeating19a05nov19,0,5675516.story?page=2&coll=orl-home-headlines
Cop charged with battery
FDLE says his use of force on a suspect was criminal.
Anthony Colarossi and Willoughby Mariano Sentinel Staff Writers November 19, 2005
An Orlando Police Department officer faces felony battery charges after investigators said he beat a homeless man so badly while on duty that the man suffered permanent brain damage and now struggles to communicate, officials said Friday.
Officer Edward J. Michael, 30, turned himself in to the Orange County Jail on one count each of second-degree aggravated battery intentionally causing great bodily harm and third-degree felony battery intentionally striking a person against his will.
An investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined that on Sept. 17, Michael fired his Taser stun gun at Jeffrey J. Goff, 44, until it ran out of power. He then hit Goff with a baton. Michael then proceeded to punch Goff in the face repeatedly, crushing the bones in his face.
Michael was arresting Goff on a trespassing warrant at the time.
Michael would not comment as he left the jail late Friday after posting $3,500 bail. An incident report written by an Orange County deputy sheriff who witnessed the attack said Goff grew more resistant as the blows continued.
The punches to Goff's head were criminal, said Robert "Wayne" Ivey, a special-agent supervisor for the FDLE. Goff did not actively resist Michael and the other officers who were trying to handcuff him.
"He was simply avoiding being handcuffed by keeping his hands placed in front of him," Ivey said.
Orlando police routinely ask the FDLE to review cases that end in serious injury or death.
Sgt. Barbara Jones, a police spokeswoman, said the charges disappointed officials, but she warned observers to withhold judgment on Michael.
"We need to remind everybody he has been charged, and now he has to go through the criminal process," Jones said.
Michael, a 4 1/2-year veteran of the department, was suspended with pay, Jones said. An internal investigation will determine if his use of force violated police policy.
This was the second arrest of an Orlando police officer this year.
In April, prosecutors charged veteran Officer Peter Linnenkamp with misdemeanor battery for firing his Taser twice at Antonio Wheeler, 18, while Wheeler was handcuffed and strapped to a bed at Florida Hospital Orlando.
Wheeler could not or would not provide a urine sample after he was arrested on drug charges. Linnenkamp's case was supposed to go to trial this week but was delayed.
Jones called these incidents "isolated" and said they are not evidence of larger problems at the department.
"Each individual officer is held accountable for his or her action," Jones said.
The most recent incident began when Rosemont Baptist Church Pastor Fidel Diaz called Orange County deputies, according to a report filed by Deputy Dal Newland, the first officer to arrive.
Goff had set up camp on church property, complete with a makeshift clothesline. He argued with Diaz, who tried to give him food.
Goff was sitting outside on a chair reading a book when Newland arrived, the report states.
Diaz and Newland told Goff to leave. He didn't. He also refused to let go of a Bible in his left hand, according to sheriff's reports.
Orlando police officers Michael and Randall Pennington came to Newland's aid, but Goff ignored their commands to stop resisting arrest.
Michael fired his Taser at Goff and the homeless man collapsed, according to the report. Goff continued to struggle, so Michael took out his baton and hit Goff several times on his back.
Despite the repeated blows, Goff became more powerful, Newland reported.
"Goff continued to increase his resistance level and seemed to be gaining strength," the incident report reads.
So Michael punched Goff in the head until his facial bones were crushed. Goff bled from his nose and mouth. FDLE's Ivey estimates that Michael punched Goff five to seven times.
"Those blows to the head region did significant damage, caused serious bodily harm," Ivey said.
At Orlando Regional Medical Center, doctors found Goff had seven facial fractures. He could no longer breathe, so doctors put him on a ventilator. He was released Thursday into the care of family after nearly two months in the hospital.
Ivey declined to release further details about Goff's medical condition, other than it was "very serious."
"Prior to the altercation occurring, he was able to communicate," Ivey said. "And the last time that we attempted to talk to him, he was unable to speak to us and to work at the same level he had in the past."
Henry Pierson Curtis and Jim Leusner of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Anthony Colarossi can be reached at acolarossi@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6218. Willoughby Mariano can be reached at 407-420-5171 or wmariano@orlandosentinel.com.
According to a local TV station, this pig has been investigated 6 or 7 times during his career. Also, according to the TV station, Michael is 6 feet-3 inches tall while Goff is 5 feet-4 inches tall.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-copbeating19a05nov19,0,5675516.story?page=2&coll=orl-home-headlines
Cop charged with battery
FDLE says his use of force on a suspect was criminal.
Anthony Colarossi and Willoughby Mariano Sentinel Staff Writers November 19, 2005
An Orlando Police Department officer faces felony battery charges after investigators said he beat a homeless man so badly while on duty that the man suffered permanent brain damage and now struggles to communicate, officials said Friday.
Officer Edward J. Michael, 30, turned himself in to the Orange County Jail on one count each of second-degree aggravated battery intentionally causing great bodily harm and third-degree felony battery intentionally striking a person against his will.
An investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined that on Sept. 17, Michael fired his Taser stun gun at Jeffrey J. Goff, 44, until it ran out of power. He then hit Goff with a baton. Michael then proceeded to punch Goff in the face repeatedly, crushing the bones in his face.
Michael was arresting Goff on a trespassing warrant at the time.
Michael would not comment as he left the jail late Friday after posting $3,500 bail. An incident report written by an Orange County deputy sheriff who witnessed the attack said Goff grew more resistant as the blows continued.
The punches to Goff's head were criminal, said Robert "Wayne" Ivey, a special-agent supervisor for the FDLE. Goff did not actively resist Michael and the other officers who were trying to handcuff him.
"He was simply avoiding being handcuffed by keeping his hands placed in front of him," Ivey said.
Orlando police routinely ask the FDLE to review cases that end in serious injury or death.
Sgt. Barbara Jones, a police spokeswoman, said the charges disappointed officials, but she warned observers to withhold judgment on Michael.
"We need to remind everybody he has been charged, and now he has to go through the criminal process," Jones said.
Michael, a 4 1/2-year veteran of the department, was suspended with pay, Jones said. An internal investigation will determine if his use of force violated police policy.
This was the second arrest of an Orlando police officer this year.
In April, prosecutors charged veteran Officer Peter Linnenkamp with misdemeanor battery for firing his Taser twice at Antonio Wheeler, 18, while Wheeler was handcuffed and strapped to a bed at Florida Hospital Orlando.
Wheeler could not or would not provide a urine sample after he was arrested on drug charges. Linnenkamp's case was supposed to go to trial this week but was delayed.
Jones called these incidents "isolated" and said they are not evidence of larger problems at the department.
"Each individual officer is held accountable for his or her action," Jones said.
The most recent incident began when Rosemont Baptist Church Pastor Fidel Diaz called Orange County deputies, according to a report filed by Deputy Dal Newland, the first officer to arrive.
Goff had set up camp on church property, complete with a makeshift clothesline. He argued with Diaz, who tried to give him food.
Goff was sitting outside on a chair reading a book when Newland arrived, the report states.
Diaz and Newland told Goff to leave. He didn't. He also refused to let go of a Bible in his left hand, according to sheriff's reports.
Orlando police officers Michael and Randall Pennington came to Newland's aid, but Goff ignored their commands to stop resisting arrest.
Michael fired his Taser at Goff and the homeless man collapsed, according to the report. Goff continued to struggle, so Michael took out his baton and hit Goff several times on his back.
Despite the repeated blows, Goff became more powerful, Newland reported.
"Goff continued to increase his resistance level and seemed to be gaining strength," the incident report reads.
So Michael punched Goff in the head until his facial bones were crushed. Goff bled from his nose and mouth. FDLE's Ivey estimates that Michael punched Goff five to seven times.
"Those blows to the head region did significant damage, caused serious bodily harm," Ivey said.
At Orlando Regional Medical Center, doctors found Goff had seven facial fractures. He could no longer breathe, so doctors put him on a ventilator. He was released Thursday into the care of family after nearly two months in the hospital.
Ivey declined to release further details about Goff's medical condition, other than it was "very serious."
"Prior to the altercation occurring, he was able to communicate," Ivey said. "And the last time that we attempted to talk to him, he was unable to speak to us and to work at the same level he had in the past."
Henry Pierson Curtis and Jim Leusner of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Anthony Colarossi can be reached at acolarossi@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6218. Willoughby Mariano can be reached at 407-420-5171 or wmariano@orlandosentinel.com.
posted by professor rat at 11:53 PM
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