Records provided by the Keller police department show Shimanek was disciplined once in 2016 and reprimanded in 2018. Former Keller Police Sgt. From there, the man grabbed the weapon from his waistband and an officer fired their weapon in response, striking him. Butler did not return a phone call requesting comment for this article. Union reps say the establishment of an unarmed response protocol will help with the Police Departments chronic understaffing and allow police to focus on the actual job of responding to emergencies. It was the second and final town hall meeting meant to. Hey, he knows! she said, clapping. Non-criminal mental health calls;3. The charges against Marco Puente were later dropped and he was released from jail. Shimanek faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 if convicted of official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor. The indictment alleges that he intentionally subjected the man to an arrest and mistreatment that he knew to be unlawful. Over the course of roughly 15 seconds, she tried to deter Hernandez with a series of seven voice commands, first, Let me see your hands! then, Stay right there! Then, three times: Drop the knife!. Kevin Lawrence, executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, which represents more than 30,000 police officers in Texas, said a lawyer with the association was monitoring the lawsuit against Officers Shimanek and Tomer. Body camera footage later showed Officer Shimanek wiping himself with a towel taken from the back of his patrol car after refusing one to Mr. Puente. An investigation found Puente did nothing wrong after Shimanek claimed he was blocking the road. Police later released bodycam footage from the officers that backed up his claims. Mr. Puente repeatedly asked for a towel, but Officer Shimanek replied that Mr. Puente would receive medical attention after being taken to jail. Keller Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, Fax Number, and Hours for Keller Police Department, a Police Department, at Rufe Snow Drive, Keller TX. As of 2023; the Department has 2 part-time workers and 82 full-time officers. Attorney Larry Hanna said his client, McBride, behaved admirably in a complex and fast-evolving scene that led to the confrontation with Hernandez. Driveway tow;12. 18410 101st Avenue NE Bothell, WA 98011 . The officer had arrived to question the family for drinking in public, on their front porch. Once the charges were reviewed, the two were released and Shimanek was demoted. (Actually a razor cutter like the one that Hernandez carried for his carpet installation work, his family said.) McBride commanded, Drop it! a final time, a split second before firing two shots. Hernandez kept moving slowly toward her, throwing both arms out from his sides. Dillon Puente, who was placed in a patrol car separate from the one his father was in, was also arrested and taken to jail on charges of making an improper wide right turn. Hernandez keeled forward to the asphalt, but quickly pushed himself up and forward. Anyone can read what you share. Obayashi, the use-of-force advisor to a statewide association of police training officers, called Hernandezs actions advancing toward the officer and then springing upward, even after being shot violently aggressive. He said McBride had no choice but to end the threat when Hernandez lurched forward, even after being shot twice. Marco Puente sued the officers in federal court in December, and later reached a $200,000 settlement with the city. The video showed Shimanek telling the other officer, Antik Tomer, to arrest and pepper spray Puente for recording the encounter. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. On Friday, a Tarrant County Grand Jury indicted the former Keller police officer involved in the arrest of Marco and Dillon Puente in August. One follower deemed McBride the #HottestCopEver.. As part of our commitment to transparency and communication around the Aug. 15 police incident, we offer this latest update: Officer Blake Shimanek has resigned from the Keller Police Department. Since the shooting, McBride has taken down Instagram posts that had attracted nearly 47,000 followers. | Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Maegan Hall, who joined the La Vergne Police Department as an officer in February 2021, was fired in January after a sexual misconduct . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. March 1, 2023 Updated 5:36 PM PT. The union has agreed to stop providing a sworn police response to the complaints included in the list, and says it will work with the city and the Police Department to develop protocols if an armed response becomes necessary after the first unarmed response has already been deployed. . | In this screen grab from police body-cam video, Marco Puente grimaces after he was pepper-sprayed by a Keller officer. (Kira Lovell/Community Impact Newspaper). Theyre supposed to preserve and protect, and they caused havoc and mayhem.. Craig Lally, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said police officers are often sent to respond to too many calls that may be better suited for unarmed service providers. Her father, Jamie, is one of nine directors of the LAPDs powerful labor union and was involved in six shootings during his first 11 years on the job. Keller Officer Blake Shimanek Resigns After Controversial Arrest Of Father Filming Son's Arrest February 1, 2021 / 5:25 PM / CBS Texas KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Blake Shimanek, one of two. Critics, including Los Angeles County district attorney candidate George Gascon, say the elder McBrides influence will make it hard for the Hernandez family to get a fair hearing. Some even called for them to face charges. For her, the April 22 incident has been very hard and one she hopes she will never have to repeat. Life-Threatening Emergencies Only: 9-1-1. Tomer was not disciplined over the incident. As Hispanic men in Keller, which is about 30 miles northwest of Dallas and whose population is 87 percent white, Marco Puente said that for him and his son, theres a sense that every time you see a cop, its: Is this cop going to pull us over? Shimanek told another officer to arrest him for blocking the roadway. They didnt have to shoot! one man says in Spanish to the videographer, who retorts: No, they did. Mr. Puente was recording video with his cellphone when he caught the attention of an officer, and according to a lawsuit filed this month in federal court, he was pepper-sprayed and handcuffed. "Officer Redditt is a full-time employee with the St. Gabriel Police Department and is in good . McBrides supporters defend her as an officer trying to protect herself and the public from a dangerous man. About. The wild pursuit began in Corona where the carjacking occurred around 3 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Now Hernandezs death has become a cause celebre, protested by Black Lives Matter and questioned by a candidate for district attorney. 7 reviews of Keller Police Department "My family has a history of police service for over 60 years. Earn up to 5x points when you use your eBay Mastercard. It wasnt immediately clear when armed officers would stop responding to these calls, or which unarmed responders would be responding to the calls moving forward. Marco's son, Dillon Puente was pulled over for a traffic violation. Marco Puente later said that he didnt receive help until more than 15 minutes later, after he had been taken to jail. He was part of Times teams that won three Pulitzer Prizes. (A medical examiner later noted cut marks on Hernandezs forearms.). Apply for the Job in Police Officer at Keller, TX. Hernandez died in an LAPD shooting on April 22. Keller Police officers Ankit Tomer and Blake Shimanek (credit: Keller PD). Welfare Check WELCK; Non-Criminal; Courtesy request from Drs/Hospitals;9. Israel Espinoza, 75, said he briefly talked to Hernandez just after his smashed car came to a stop. Keller Police Chief Brad . A former Keller police officer has been indicted on a charge of official oppression over an arrest last summer during which he ordered another officer to pepper-spray a man who was recording his sons traffic stop. All rights reserved, Man Shot by Fort Worth Officer After Reaching for Gun in Waistband: Police, Barbara Corcoran Says Meeting Mark Cuban Was Her Most Embarrassing Moment' on Shark Tank' Here's Why, 3 Children Killed, 2 Wounded in Ellis County Home; 1 in Custody: Sheriff, The Cheapest and Most Expensive U.S. Sgt. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. She might, for example, have stepped behind a bystanders car to buy time, they say. This is one of those cases where I would say you may want to take a step back and not take the pleading at face value, Mr. Lawrence said about the lawsuit. 1.". Usually they race against a stopwatch. Nearly a month after officers rejected a one-year contract offer, officials with the Police Protective League told the Los Angeles Times the LAPD's starting salary has fallen behind pay for officers in at least 13 other Southern California law enforcement agencies. Former sergeant Blake Shimanek is accused of using. An officer involved in the episode, which happened in Keller, Texas, was demoted for misconduct, officials said. The. The department received backlash for the incident, and Keller Police Chief Brad Fortune said it "caused great disappointment and regret." On Friday, a Tarrant County Grand Jury indicted the former Keller police officer involved in the arrest of Marco and Dillon Puente in August. LAPD may no longer send armed officers to these police calls. A coroners autopsy would later show that Hernandez had methamphetamine in his system. McBrides decision-making will be broken down and analyzed, shot by shot. Im not even doing anything, Marco Puente says. Watch Critical Incident Videos. By Kira Lovell 5:03 PM Jan 25, 2021 CST Footage from Officer Shimaneks body camera shows, according to a complaint filed with the city. Officer Shimanek then told Officer Tomer, when he arrived, to arrest Mr. Puente. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. If people keep on brushing it under a rug, its going to keep happening., Man Sues Police After Being Pepper-Sprayed While Filming Sons Arrest, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/27/us/marco-puente-texas-police-arrest.html. She loves to shoot all these things as fast as she can, said Casillas, the lawyer for Hernandezs family. Robert H. Keller. Did they have to shoot him while he was down? Espinoza asked. The City of Keller tweeted: "As part of our commitment to transparency and communication around the Aug. 15 police incident, we offer this latest update: Officer Blake Shimanek has resigned from the Keller Police Department. She cavorted and strutted, sometimes within view of Hollywood glitterati, who used the same firing range to hone the gunplay they would use for movies and TV. Tomer was not punished after an internal investigation was completed. The videos show Keller Police Department Sgt. He loves former chief Daryl Gates. A Tarrant County grand jury handed up the indictment against Blake Travis Shimanek, 32, on Friday. Officer Tomer was not disciplined. Just 23 years old and near the start of her life in law enforcement, Toni McBride brimmed with youthful exuberance. The settlement does not require the city to take any further actions against the officers. Puente's attorneys said he was not resisting arrest, yet the second officer, Officer Ankit Tomer, sprayed his eyes with pepper spray twice. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He previously worked at the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena Star-News. KELLER, Texas Editor's note: The above video is from Jan. 5, 2021. The police chief will be sharing with the city council policy changes that are a result of this incident at a date,which has not yet been announced. Email - send an email request to policerecords@cityofkeller.com When filing a open records request, please remember to provide as much information as possible to assist the records technicians in locating the correct record. First published on February 1, 2021 / 5:25 PM. "Police officers that cost their cities money, it's a reminder that you've got to behave better.". Body-cam video of the Aug. 15 arrest went viral, leading to calls that Shimanek be fired and face criminal charges. California - RTD - Rapid Transit Police Department OFFICER Patch / Los Angeles. Puente gets out of the vehicle and complies with the officers commands as Shimanek asks why he was acting suspicious.. Mr. Puente said in an interview that he had accepted the chiefs apology as a nice gesture but that he believed more needed to be done to hold the police accountable. The award-winning Keller Police and Fire departments serve a community of ~45,400. Keller Police are working on a discipline matrix to address officer misconduct, according to Chief Brad Fortune, who gave his first year-in-review presentation at the March 2 Keller City Council . James Rainey has covered multiple presidential elections, the media and the environment, mostly at the Los Angeles Times, which he first joined in 1984. The Keller officer who pepper-sprayed and arrested a North Texas man who was filming his son's arrest was indicted Friday by a Tarrant County Grand Jury. Loitering/Trespassing With No Indication Of Danger;18. Witnesses said he rejected any assistance and appeared to be cutting himself in the cab of his truck. Airports to Fly Out ofJFK, LAX Didn't Make Either List. The group does not represent the Keller Police Department or have a lawyer involved in the litigation. As Dillon Puente explains whats happening, Shimanek tells Marco Puente to park his vehicle or hell be arrested for blocking the road. Shimanek could not immediately be reached for comment and did not have an attorney listed in court records. Thats what we are to the police, dead meat.. A former Tennessee police officer fired after her alleged role in a sexual misconduct scandal has sued the city she once served, alleging that her bosses and supervisors targeted her for sexual exploitation. What is this about?. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. For more information, you may call the Police Records Department at 817-743-4510. When star Keanu Reeves shouted out to her LAPD division in one video, the young cop laughed with delight. In the middle of a scruffy street south of downtown on April 22, she faced off with a man holding a razor box cutter. In 2016, an internal investigation found he searched a woman's home. Are they going to target us? She called out to her partner, Do we have less-lethal? Police squad cars are outfitted with bean bag shotguns or foam projectile launchers. The recorded arrest was bad enough that a sergeant was demoted for his actions and an excessive force lawsuit filed against the officers, the department and the city. Marcos attorneys, Scott Palmer and James Roberts, say the settlement sends a message. View All Contact Information. KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A former Keller officer has been indicted after an incident in August 2020 involving the pepper spraying and arrest of a father who was filming his son's traffic. Shootin Newton!. The lawsuit says two members of the Keller Police Department Blake Shimanek, who at the time was a sergeant, and Officer Ankit Tomer violated Mr. Puentes civil rights. In one of the postings still visible on web archives, McBride says: I can honestly say that I absolutely love my job and cant see myself doing anything else.. I think he knows the right thing to do.". Though Hernandezs family quickly protested that McBride used excessive force, the incident gained wider attention only a month later, after the killing of George Floyd provoked a national furor over police behavior. Those reviews could take a year. They have called for the state attorney generals office to step into the investigation. AP Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, center, and Mayor Tim Keller, right on June 26, 2021. Their brief encounter on the streets of Los Angeles would resonate months later, especially for McBride and for Hernandezs family. Marco Puente also said that one of the officers yanked off his sunglasses during the arrest, tearing his nostril and leaving a scar. The Keller Police Department started an internal investigation that included recommendations from the Police Chiefs Citizen Advisory Council, the mayor of Keller, Armin Mizani, said in a statement released on Wednesday. That uneasy vigilance came into play on Aug. 15, he said. The Keller Police Department is a community-driven, State recognized and Nationally Accredited organization committed to excellence and partnering with the community to make Keller a better place to live, visit and conduct business. Officer Robert Keller was shot and killed while investigating a burglary in progress at a local store at 6509 Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park at 11 pm. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, he said, this officer was facing an immediate threat to her life.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. They even cuffed him after he was dead. Officer Shimanek was demoted to officer from his previous rank of sergeant with the opportunity to reapply to the position after one year. California - RTD - Rapid Transit Police Department OFFICER Patch / Los Angeles. . As officers continued to walk with the suspect, one officer deployed their taser. "He apologized soon after it happened and apologized in town hall meetings. Non-Fatal Vehicle Accidents 1181/1182/1183/1179; Non-DUI/Non-Criminal; Property damage only (including City property), Verbal disputes involving non-injury traffic collisions, refusing to share ID at traffic collisions;10. The list in its entirety can be found below: 1. A still image from a body camera video shows an officer in Keller, Texas, using pepper spray on Marco Puente. Fireworks;26. Seattle reporters point out that just 12 months before he killed Iosia, Keller was one of seven officers who fired at another man, Kyle Gray, a convicted felon who had allegedly shot at. The shooting felt unnecessary to some of the people living in motor homes and trailers along San Pedro Street. The parties involved in a federal lawsuit filed by Marco Puente against two Keller police officers, Blake Shimanek and Ankit Tomer, reached a settlement agreement Jan. 22. Email Questions & Comments: contact.lapdonline@gmail.com. "Chief Fortune seems like a decent guy, like going to do the right thing," Marco said. A spokesperson for the department said that at about 7:17 a.m. on Mar. Media staging area will be at that same location.PIO is onscene. Updated Shimanek was previously demoted two ranks and was taken off patrol prior to his resignation. A second officer, Ankit Tomer, arrives, and Shimanek tells him to watch Marco Puente. Jamie McBride is an unrepentant backer of old-school policing. Chad Allen, a police spokesman, said Officer Tomer had acted accordingly under orders from Officer Shimanek, who was his supervisor at the time. View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A former Keller officer has been indicted after an incident in August 2020 involving the pepper spraying and arrest of a father who was filming his son's traffic stop.