Police

Santa Fe Police K9 Faces Separate Investigation after Biting Officer

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SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico State Police has revealed that the officer who was shot earlier this month by the Santa Fe Police Department also suffered a bite from his own department’s K9. This K9, named Ayke, has also been involved in a lawsuit against the department for a previous incident in 2022. Ayke joined the Santa Fe Police Department in 2020 and is currently under investigation by the internal affairs department. Deputy Chief Ben Valdez stated that the department is looking into why the dog acted the way it did in this … Read more

Black Man’s Family Awarded $1.5 Million in Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Detroit Police

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Detroit, Michigan – A federal jury in Detroit has awarded $1.5 million to the family of a Black man who was killed by the city’s police. The jury found that two officers, Tyler Nagy and Raul Martinez, had used excessive force in their response to a report of an armed and intoxicated person in October of 2018. The officers approached Lamont Johnson, shining a flashlight in his eyes and shouting at him to put his hands up. Less than three seconds later, both officers opened fire on Johnson, who was found to have a handgun … Read more

Local Police Face Legal Challenge over Wiretapping Lawsuit

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PITTSBURGH, PA – Pittsburgh police are facing a lawsuit over allegations of illegal wiretapping. The lawsuit was filed by Matthew Lackner, a former Pittsburgh police detective, who claims that he was wrongfully wiretapped during a federal drug investigation. Lackner alleges that the wiretapping violated state and federal laws, as well as his right to privacy. The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress and violation of constitutional rights. According to Lackner’s attorney, the wiretapping occurred between February 2018 and July 2020 while Lackner was working undercover on the drug investigation. The lawsuit claims that the wiretapping … Read more

Former Los Angeles Police K-9 Handler Awarded $11.5 Million in Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination and Retaliation

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Los Angeles, California – A former Los Angeles police K-9 handler has been awarded $11.5 million in a recent jury verdict. Mark Sauvao, a 30-year veteran of the LAPD, claimed that he faced retaliation and discrimination due to his Samoan ancestry. Sauvao alleged that he was unfairly punished after reporting his colleagues for name-calling and endured false rumors being spread about him. During the trial, Sauvao stated that officers within the department referred to him using derogatory terms such as “cannibal” and “barefoot coconut tree-climber”. Additionally, one supervisor allegedly referred to him as Tongan, which … Read more