Grenade, gun, and drugs donated to NM Goodwill
<p>Associated Press</p><p>ALBUQUERQUE, NM &mdash; Just in case it wasn't clear: Weapons and drugs don't make good charitable donations.</p><p>Albuquerque police briefly evacuated a Goodwill store Thursday after someone left a pistol, ammunition, a grenade and some marijuana in a collection box.</p><p>Police spokeswoman Nadine Hamby says the police bomb squad took the grenade away for demolition after determining tit was a World War II-style inert _ or inactive _ grenade.</p><p>The police report did not list what type of guns were in the box or the quantity of marijuana.</p> <br>

Man wins big at Calif. casino before fatal robbery
<p>Associated Press</p><p>SANTA ANA, Calif. &mdash; Police say a man who hit it big at a Southern California casino was robbed and killed after apparently being followed from the gambling hall.</p><p>Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna (Bur-TAHN'-yah) says the 55-year-old man won several thousand dollars at the Hawaiian Gardens Casino early Friday and was heading home with a woman when a car cut him off in Santa Ana.</p><p>Bertagna says the drivers got into a fight after the suspect demanded the winnings and the victim went down. As the suspect drove off, he ran over the man.</p><p>Bertagna doesn't know how much money was taken. An autopsy was scheduled Friday to determine cause of death.</p><p>Bertagna says the man's name was not released because his family had not been notified.</p><p>The woman was uninjured.</p> <br>

Wyo. cops find human ashes, not drugs, in traffic stop
<p>Associated Press</p><p>FARSON, Wyo. &mdash; The powdery substance that Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers found in a zip-close bag during a recent traffic stop didn't turn out to be drugs after all. Sgt. Stephen Townsend of the patrol said then when troopers pulled over two men in a car Wednesday, they found small amounts of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and thought the bag might hold illegal drugs. Troopers contacted the car's owner &mdash; the girlfriend of one of the men &mdash; and asked her.</p><p>The woman told troopers the baggie held her grandmother's cremated ashes. She said they had been very close and she always keeps the ashes in her car.</p><p>Townsend said troopers put the ashes back. </p> <br>

Ariz. governor says she was wrong about border-related beheadings
<p>Associated Press</p><p>PHOENIX &mdash; Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she was wrong when she claimed that headless bodies were turning up in the Arizona desert as part of border-related violence.</p><p>The Republican incumbent's June comments about border-related violence were raised during a debate by her Democratic opponent who said the comments were false and damaging to Arizona's image.</p><p>Brewer didn't respond to Democrat Terry Goddard's challenge during the debate or afterward when reporters asked about the claim.</p><p>But she since is acknowledging in media interviews that she was wrong.</p><p>She says she was referring to beheadings and other cartel-related violence in Mexico that could spill over into the United States and that she is sorry if people were misled.</p> <br>

Video: Ohio deputies shoot man after chase
<p>Associated Press</p><p>BENTON RIDGE, Ohio &mdash; Video shows sheriff's deputies in Ohio shooting a man who led them on a three-county chase but doesn't make clear whether he ignored warnings to show his hands or whether he indicated he had a gun.</p><p>The chase ended in northwest Ohio's Hancock County, where authorities say Scott Sprague of Lima lost control and crashed into a tree.</p><p>The video from a camera in a Putnam County sheriff cruiser was released Tuesday and is dated Aug. 24. It shows deputies going up to the driver's window after the crash and then quickly backing away. Moments later, the driver jumps out of the window and is shot.</p><p>Police say Sprague indicated he had a gun, but his attorney says he told deputies &quot;I don't have a gun.&quot;</p><p>Sprague is recovering from his injuries.</p> <br>

P1 Photo of the Week: Grumman
(PoliceOne Image) <p> </p> <p>Officer Ronald Secord of the Lacrosse (Wis.) Police Department, an SRO at a local high school, writes, "I know this is not a picture but a student did this drawing for me. The student, Amy Springer, did this drawing for me of my K9, Grumman. The drawing was done in pencil."</p> <p>Calling all police photographers! PoliceOne needs pictures of you in action or training. Submit a photo &mdash; it could be selected as our Photo of the Week! Be sure to include your name, department information and address (including city, state and ZIP code) where we can reach you - Photo of the Week winners now have a chance to win a PoliceOne.com T-shirt!</p> <br>

4 NY security guards shot by suspected pervert
<p>By Reuven Blau, Larry Celona and Reuven Fenton The New York Post</p><p>NEW YORK &mdash; Four members of a Jewish volunteer patrol were shot during a tussle with a suspected pervert in Brooklyn last night, police said.</p><p>&quot;I tackled him and as we were falling to the ground, he started shooting all over the place,&quot; said Motty Perl, a member of the unarmed Shomrim security patrol who was shot in the left hand and shoulder.</p><p>&quot;I thought it was a BB gun. I didn't think the gun was real.&quot;</p><p>Perl, 28, and three other Shomrim members were taken to Lutheran Hospital and were expected to survive, cops said.</p><p>Suspected shooter David Flores, 33, accidentally shot himself in the left arm when he let loose his barrage and was in police custody, NYPD sources said.</p><p>&quot;It was like a scene out of the movies. He kept on shooting. He was on the floor,&quot; said Jacob Daskel, a Shomrim member who was not hurt.</p><p>&quot;We were grabbing his hand, holding it down,&quot;</p><p>The suspect had previously been arrested nine times - including once for lewdness and twice for robbery, said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, who came to the hospital to thank Shomrim members for &quot;the service they provide.&quot;</p><p>He said new charges could include attempted murder as well as public lewdness.</p><p>The violence erupted at about 7:45 p.m. near 46th Street and Tenth Avenue in Borough Park when members of the patrol were alerted to the presence of the suspected perv driving in the area, sources said.</p><p>Flores is being investigated for allegedly masturbating in front of children at 59th Street and 13th Avenue last week, and on Tenth Avenue earlier yesterday.</p><p>The streets last night were flooded with as many as 200 children participating in a celebration for a new Torah.</p><p>&quot;The hot line got a call that we had a sexual predator that had been spotted before driving in the area in a silver Hyundai,&quot; said Shomrim coordinator Shaya Stein, 39.</p><p>Shomrim members confronted Flores when he got stuck in traffic - and he jumped from his car with a gun, sources said.</p><p>&quot;I got there and they were already struggling. I just tried to kick away the gun,&quot; said Abraham David Kastow, one of the founders of the patrol.</p><p>Kastow, 44, was struck in the shoulder and burned his palm grabbing the barrel of the gun while wrestling it from Flores.</p><p>The married dad has the most collars of any member in the 100-person unit, which works with the NYPD.</p><p>In addition to Perl and Kastow, also shot were Yoel Klein and Motty Broner.</p><p>Klein bore the brunt of the gunfire, getting hit in the abdomen, back and torso.</p><p>Broner was struck in the neck, with the bullet passing through from left to right.</p><p>While Klein lay badly wounded, the other three kept charging Flores, said Shomrim coordinator Sam Follman, who also assisted in the takedown.</p><p>&quot;It was scary. I had never been involved in a gun incident before,&quot; he said.</p><p>Klein was in serious but stable condition.</p><p>&quot;They're just incredibly, incredibly lucky. It's mind-boggling when you think of it,&quot; Assemblyman Dov Hikind said at the hospital.</p><p>Copyright 2010 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.</p> <br>

Chicago gangs vs. Chicago cops
<p>By Mark Guarino The Christian Science Monitor</p><p>CHICAGO &mdash; The number of police officers shot in Chicago is escalating, most recently two wounded early Wednesday, and gang leaders here say they are being unfairly blamed for the escalating violence that has rocked the city this year.</p><p>In an unusual move, gang representatives held a press conference Thursday on the city's far West Side to tell their side of the story - in the face of law-enforcement threats to come after them via a federal statute that targets organized crime. Their point: They can't put a stop all street violence, and Chicago police themselves have a lot to answer for in their own behavior.</p><p>Street violence &quot;is not always organized. It's spontaneous,&quot; community activist Wallace Bradley, a former member of the notorious Gangster Disciple gang, told the Sun-Times Thursday.</p><p>The press conference follows on the heels of an explosive weekend report from the Chicago Sun-Times about an Aug. 17 secret meeting between local gang leaders and federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies - including Police Superintendent Jody Weis. At the meeting, authorities reportedly said that if one more gang member shoots another, they would prosecute the gangs' members and leaders - not just the assailants - under the federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. Gang members were also told to expect more parole visits and traffic stops in their neighborhoods, according to the newspaper's report.</p><p>The revelation about the meeting has touched off a ferocious debate over how best to address the rising violence and the gang problem in Chicago. Mayor Richard M. Daley has defended the summit. But many local alderman criticize the approach. It's an &quot;admission&quot; that Chicago police &quot;can't control the streets,&quot; said Alderman Bob Fioretti. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) said a more sound approach is better enforcement of assault weapon bans.</p><p>So far this summer, three police officers have been killed, and two were wounded early Wednesday while executing a search warrant for weapons. Chicago's homicide rate is among the highest in the nation.</p><p>Buttressing the gang representatives' views, some who study gangs say that Chicago's have become much more decentralized than they used to be - and that the former tightly controlled hierarchies have devolved into loosely affiliated splinter groups battling over local turf.</p><p>The organizational breakdown means younger gang members feel they &quot;don't have to answer to nobody,&quot; says Tio Hardiman, director of CeaseFire Illinois, which works to prevent neighborhood violence. &quot;They form cliques on the blocks and feel they're untouchable, basically because no one can govern them.&quot; Random killings that result from spraying bullets into a crowd are not typical of gang operations, he says.</p><p>&quot;No gang leader would sanction the killing of a kid. They would not do that. Those are people operating on their own,&quot; Mr. Hardiman says.</p><p>For their part, gang leaders on Thursday said they were coerced into meeting with law enforcement officials last month, and they complained that authorities' efforts to blame them for the rising violence - and threats to dog their members - verge on violating their constitutional rights.</p><p>Police Superintendent Weis &quot;is not interested in solving [violence] from a community perspective,&quot; Mark Carter, a former gang member who helped organize the conference, told the Sun-Times on Wednesday. He criticizes the police department and Mayor Daley for using techniques that gang members feel are harsh and unjust.</p><p>Tension between the black community and Chicago police is not new, but it is particularly high since the conviction in late June of former Chicago Police Comdr. John Burge. Mr. Burge was convicted of lying to authorities, but his federal trial documented decades of police torture under his watch.</p><p>The police will continue to have a perception problem here until Weis speaks out about the systemic abuse revealed in the Burge trial and roots out others who support it, says John Hagedorn, who researches gangs at the University of Illinois at Chicago.</p><p>&quot;You don't torture people for decades and get away with it and have the consent of silence within the police and not expect it to have an effect,&quot; says Mr. Hagedorn. &quot;This accountability thing should cut two ways.&quot;</p><p>Burge's first trial in 1989 on police brutality charges resulted in a hung jury, and he was not retried before the statute of limitations expired. He was subsequently charged in 2008 with perjury and obstruction of justice related to the brutality case. That federal trial, prosecuted by the office led by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, described hundreds of cases of abuse in the 1970s and '80s that cost the city $19.8 million in settlement claims. It resulted in the state pardoning four men serving time on death row.</p><p>Burge's perjury conviction continues to resonate in the city's poorest neighborhoods, where attitudes about it among people are &quot;raw,&quot; says University of Illinois's Hagedorn.</p><p>&quot;It's there at a conscious and a subconscious level within the community. You've got one guy convicted of perjury and that's just one guy. What about all the other people who were there who knew it? This is not being talked about by anybody,&quot; he says.</p><p>Copyright 2010 Christian Science Publishing Society</p> <br>

Mont. teen accidentally texts sheriff to buy pot
<p>Associated Press</p><p>HELENA, Mont. &mdash; General rule of thumb: when looking to buy marijuana, don't text the sheriff. Authorities said a Helena teen sent out a text message last week in search of pot, but instead of contacting the drug dealer, he hit a wrong number and inadvertently sent the message to Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.</p><p>The text read, &quot;Hey Dawg, do you have a $20 I can buy right now?&quot;</p><p>Dutton told the Helena Independent Record he initially thought it was a joke, but he quickly realized it was a real request for drugs. He responded to the text, and a detective pretending to be the dealer organized a meeting with the boy last Wednesday.</p><p>The detective spotted two teenage boys and a man at the arranged meeting spot and called the number three times to make sure he had the right person. Dutton said when the detective showed the teens his badge, their faces turned white and their knees began to wobble. One of the boys even fainted.</p><p>The man in the group turned out to be the father of one of the teens, and no citations were issued after the parents of both boys got involved.</p><p>&quot;Trying to buy drugs is a crime, but it's probably worse that they had to face their parents,&quot; Dutton said.</p> <br>

Ill. woman wants cops to return naked iPhone photos
<p>By Joe Hosey Chicago Daily Herald</p><p>ROMEOVILLE, Ill. &mdash; When Bridget Polaski stored naked pictures of herself on her cell phone, she never dreamed they would fall into the hands of cops.</p><p>Now, the former Romeoville stripper and club manager said she wants them back. She even fears they will slap them on the Internet.</p><p>&quot;I'm just really upset about my pictures being all over the Internet, if that's where they end up landing,&quot; said Polaski, 45, of the seven or so nude cell phone photos that are now in police custody.</p><p>Read more on the Chicago-Sun Times.</p> <br>

Ford Police Interceptor Utility Model Revealed Live (Part 2)
Introducing the next generation Police Interceptor Utility model from Ford. Built to protect and serve those who protect and serve. <br> <br> Visit <a href="http://www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal.com" target="_blank">www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal.com</a> for more information.

Ford Police Interceptor Utility Model Revealed Live (Part 1)
Introducing the next generation Police Interceptor Utility model from Ford. Built to protect and serve those who protect and serve. <br> <br> Visit <a href="http://www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal.com" target="_blank">www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal.com</a> for more information.

4-year-old girl calls 911 for help with her math homework
"What's 16 minus 8?" the young girl asks the dispatcher, who patiently answers her questions and makes sure there is no emergency.

Close-quarters Training with BOB
Although it’s been used for years for various training, the Body Opponent Bag — the BOB — is still an excellent tool for CQC/CQB training. PoliceOne Contributor Gary T. Klugiewicz works with Deputy Beth Miers and Officer Cheryl Hill of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office to demonstrate some of the training that can be done with the BOB.

360 Degree Situational Awareness
Sometimes there is a false sense of security for officers in a group, but too many times we have seen multiple officers attacked (and in some cases killed) when no one in the group is maintaining situational awareness. Below, Street Survival Seminar Instructor Betsy Brantner Smith discusses this with Lou Ann Hamblin of LouKa Tactical.

Mental Awareness and the +1 Rule
The rule of "plus one" holds that if you find one weapon, you need to be looking for the second one. But from the very outset, you have to begin by expecting to even find that first weapon in the first place. As Street Survival Seminar Instructor Dave Smith explains below, this is the when-then thinking we know to be so important for an officer's mental preparation.

Smart cop predicts the future
This officer is telling a woman he pulled over about the dangers of roadside traffic stops. Seconds after he moves her to the side of the road, a large truck plows into her vehicle.

Mo. police officer arrests firefighter
This footage shows a cop arresting a fire captain in a dispute over where a fire truck was parked during a 2003 car crash rescue. The captain was ultimately awarded $17,500 in damages over the arrest.

Drunk man assaults officer during questioning
“I’ll spit on you,” a drunken man in Texas says to a cop after being booked on a DUI. “I’ll whoop you.” This questioning session in Texas doesn't get physical until the suspect throws a punch.

Stolen tank leads cops on chase through San Diego
A man with a history of mental problems has stolen a tank from a military installation. Now the disturbed fugitive is on the loose with a 60-ton machine.

RFID Smart Lock gun holster
The gun on this holster is locked into place at all times so that a suspect cannot remove it. A sensor is attached to the officer’s wrist that unlocks the device when the officer places his/her hand on the weapon.

Police Camaro chases a BMW M3
A stolen vehicle rockets down a freeway in Kansas at more than 150 miles per hour. The daredevil behind the wheel is only 15 years old. Miles ahead, units lay down spike strips…

Disabled Obama protester has altercation with Alaska State Trooper
A protester is approached by cops while holding an “Impeach Obama” sign at the Alaska State Fair. Security guards ask him to leave, but he defends his right to speech. A State Trooper then enters the frame and a physical altercation ensues.

Jim Glennon Interview - Arresting Communication
<p>Law Enforcement expert Jim Glennon discusses his new book <a href="http://www.policeonebooks.com/arcoesskforl.html" target="_blank">Arresting Communication </a>with PoliceOne host Dave Smith. </p> <p>Buy your copy today at <a href="http://www.policeonebooks.com/arcoesskforl.html" target="_blank">PoliceOneBooks.com</a> and use discount code &quot;P1AC&quot; for 20% off! </p>

The New Ford Police Interceptor (Reveal Part 3)
<p><br> Introducing the next generation Police Interceptor from Ford. Built to protect and serve those who protect and serve.</p> <p>Visit <a href="http://www.policeone.com/ad/?id=2601153&sid=2015909&from=2601153" target="_blank">www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal</a>.com for more information!</p>

Concealment Boxer Briefs
In this video a man is seen demonstrating the “benefits” of a design of mens' undershorts that enables concealment of weapons and contraband. These briefs are very similar to those designed to accommodate a protective athletic cup, but the purveyor in this case is specifically selling the notion of concealment. In the video a dialog window even pops up stating, “You should never carry anything dangerous in your pocket boxer briefs! This is for demonstration purposes only. Actually you could fit a GUN in this pocket.”

The New Ford Police Interceptor (Reveal Part 2)
<p><br> Introducing the next generation Police Interceptor from Ford. Built to protect and serve those who protect and serve.</p> <p>Visit <a href="http://www.policeone.com/ad/?id=2601153&sid=2015909&from=2601153" target="_blank">www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal</a>.com for more information!</p>

The New Ford Police Interceptor (Reveal Part 1)
<p><br> Introducing the next generation Police Interceptor from Ford. Built to protect and serve those who protect and serve.</p> <p>Visit <a href="http://www.policeone.com/ad/?id=2601153&sid=2015909&from=2601153" target="_blank">www.fordpoliceinterceptorreveal</a>.com for more information!</p>

Spider
A short film about how dumb jokes can lead to serious, unintended consequences.

Motorcycle Police Chase
A man on a motorcycle runs from unsuccessfully runs from cops. “Dude, you’ve got a P.O.S.,” the cop says during the chase. “My Crown Vic is keeping up with you.”

Myrtle Beach witness offers Anna Nicole Smith twist
A witness from Myrtle Beach in the Anna Nicole Smith drug conspiracy trial recanted suggestions Friday that he saw defendant Howard K. Stern force drugs on the celebrity model.<p/>Ford Shelley also testified that he never saw Smith abuse drugs, and that he believed her boyfriend-lawyer Stern shouldn't be on trial.<p/>Shelley, whose family became entangled with Smith, was a combative prosecution witness.

Grand jury has a full week of indictments
An Horry County grand jury indicted several area residents on charges such as armed robbery, kidnapping, purse snatching and assault, according to court records released this week.<p/>Following is a list of the people indicted and their charges:<p/><span class="z_sym_square_bullet"> </span>Curtis Anthony Cheesboro, 48, of Aynor and Daniel Isiah Mitchell, 25, of Myrtle Beach, carjacking. Myrtle Beach police charged the men after a man said they took his 2006 Ford F-150 on May 26.

Waccamaw High teen suffered brain injury in wreck
A Waccamaw High School teen is slowly recovering after being hit while walking in Georgetown County last weekend, his mother said Thursday from a Charleston hospital.<p/>Jasonn Russell, 16, is in critical but stable condition at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said his mother, Olivia Russell. The teen, who plans to study medicine and moved to the area with his family from New York in June 2006, suffered a brain injury and has been closely monitored since the incident that occurred Saturday, she said.<p/>"He is coming around slowly, but surely," Olivia Russell said. "He's showing signs of improvement. We're just really, really rooting for that fever to go away."

Ohio fugitive indicted on carjacking charges in Horry County
A 30-year-old Ohio man wanted in his home state in connection with a series of drugstore holdups has been indicted in Horry County on charges from a July carjacking, according to court records.<p/>Robert Michael Barnes of Boardman, Ohio, was indicted on charges of failure to stop for a blue light and possession of a stolen vehicle after the July 26 incidents, according to the indictments released this week.<p/>Barnes remains jailed at J. Reuben Long Detention Center on $83,500 bond, according to jail records. He faces charges in Boardman on two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of auto theft, according to Boardman police officials.

Indictment filed after trooper struck during the Atlantic Beach Bikefest
A North Charleston man was indicted on a charge he assaulted a S.C. Highway Patrol trooper during the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, according to a grand jury indictments.<p/>Brandon Lamar Simmons, 22, of North Charleston, was indicted on a charge of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in connection with the May 29 incident during Atlantic Beach Bikefest in which a motorist tried to drive off from a traffic stop with a trooper holding onto a car.<p/>After freeing himself, the trooper fired shots at the fleeing car, which had been stopped on U.S. 17 near Barefoot Landing.

Ex-HomeGold CFO released
The former chief financial officer of Lexington-based HomeGold Financial Inc. was released from prison this week after serving time for conspiring to mislead regulators and investors about the financial health of the company and its investment subsidiary, Carolina Investors Inc.<p/>Karen Miller, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, was sentenced last year to 30 months in prison. A Department of Corrections spokesman said Miller, 57, was released after serving 15 months based on credit for working in prison as a chaplain assistant and a custodian helper.<p/>Neither Miller nor her attorney could be reached for comment.

Police | Kentucky murder suspect arrested at hotel in Myrtle Beach
<span class="l_region">Police</span><p/><span class="header">MYRTLE BEACH</span><p/><span class="subhead">Police arrest Kentucky murder suspect</span>

14 arrested after slaying in Myrtle Beach area
More than a dozen people now face charges in connection with the Aug. 21 fatal shooting in Socastee.<p/>But police still do not have a clear motive, said Sgt. Robert Kegler of the Horry County Police Department.<p/>Kegler said the 14th and final suspect wanted in connection with the homicide was arrested around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

North Charleston maps crimes for residents
North Charleston residents can now track what crimes are occurring in their city and where with a few clicks of a computer mouse.<p/>Police have teamed with Colorado-based Bair Software to offer online mapping of the city's crimes, allowing residents to keep abreast of offenses in their neighborhoods on a daily basis, Police Chief Jon Zumalt said.<p/>Zumalt said the goal is to increase awareness and vigilance in the community. Residents can also sign up on the website to receive e-mail alerts about crimes happening in their areas.

Bailey: Disqualify North Myrtle Beach's lawyers
William Bailey, the former public safety director who is suing this city over his dismissal in April, wants a judge to disqualify the city's lawyers because of alleged conflicts of interest.<p/>Kenneth Moss, a Little River lawyer who is representing Bailey, filed documents in federal court on Sunday requesting the disqualification.<p/>Moss said the city's law firm - Columbia-based Gignilliat, Savitz & Bettis LLP - cannot represent both the city and the top city officials named in Bailey's lawsuit, including former city manager John Smithson, spokeswoman Nicole Aiello and Steve Thomas, the assistant city manager.

Forensic artist aids in Myrtle Beach area cold case
The pale face stares straight ahead, peering at something just beyond the horizon perhaps. His lips curve ever so slightly downward, almost betraying a hint of sadness.<p/>The sculpted head could be an exhibit in a gallery, but this is no image crafted from an artist's imagination. The sculpture is a face from the grave, an art form with a CSI twist.<p/>The head was created by Special Agent Deborah Goff, a forensic artist with the State Law Enforcement Division, one of a handful of specialists nationwide with the art and science background to create a likeness from remains left behind by a killer.

Artist fuses talent, advocacy to aid victims
Spending hours each day for a week analyzing, measuring and sculpting facial features on a skull might sound like a gruesome pursuit, but Debbie Goff views it as a fusion of science and art with a crime-solving mission.<p/>"I always had an interest," said Goff, one of two forensic artists in the State Law Enforcement Division. "I wanted to help catch bad guys. ... I've had friends who were victims, and I've seen what it did to them and their families. I wanted to be an advocate for victims."<p/>An Atlanta native, Goff has had a lifelong interest in and a talent for art. She got her bachelor of fine arts degree from Georgia State University after majoring in illustration and worked as a freelance illustrator for magazines and advertising agencies for years.

Police | Crew checks hundreds of smoldering tires
<span class="l_region">Police</span><p/><span class="header">GEORGETOWN COUNTY</span><p/><span class="subhead">Crew checks hundreds of smoldering tires</span>

Suspect held in hit-and-run in North Myrtle Beach
Police have charged an 18-year-old from Shallotte, N.C., in a hit-and-run crash that killed a woman earlier this month.<p/>Derek Anthony Stanley II is charged with hit-and-run with death involved, according to Nicole Aiello, public information officer for North Myrtle Beach. He was arrested and charged Thursday, Aiello said. She did not say where he was arrested.<p/>Stanley is charged in connection with a collision Aug. 17 that resulted in the death of Corrisa Irvin of New Hampshire. The crash happened along U.S. 17 in North Myrtle Beach.

9-hour standoff ends after chase in Murrells Inlet
A standoff with police in Murrells Inlet lasted more than nine hours before it ended with a brief escape attempt and the arrest of one man.<p/>The standoff between the suspect, Sean Roy Johnson, and Georgetown County sheriff's deputies began just before 2 p.m. Wednesday and Johnson was arrested just before midnight, according to Neil Johnson of the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office.<p/>Sean Johnson, 50, is charged with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and was being held Thursday at the Georgetown County jail, Neil Johnson said. His bail was set at $50,000.

Area drug dealer who faked his death guilty in federal court
Prescription pill dealer Julius "Butch" Nesbitt was convicted at the federal courthouse Thursday, ending a case in which he faked his own death to avoid prison time for peddling hundreds of pills to his neighbors -- mostly oxycodone or, in street slang, "hillbilly heroin."<p/>After deliberating nearly five hours, Nesbitt was convicted on five of the six counts he faced, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and triggering a false distress call that prompted a two-day search of Winyah Bay in Georgetown County during Thanksgiving 2007.<p/>While searchers combed the bay's many islands -- guns drawn in case of alligators or wild boar -- Nesbitt was long gone, setting up a new life in Indiana.

Police: Imbibing pair on balcony rail fall in Myrtle Beach
<span class="l_region">Police</span><p/><span class="header">MYRTLE BEACH</span><p/><span class="subhead">Police: Imbibing pair on balcony rail fall</span>

Man arrested after 9-hour standoff in Murrells Inlet
Police blocked off a street in a Murrells Inlet neighborhood for more than nine hours Wednesday after a man refused to leave his home when officers responded to a domestic violence related call.<p/>A standoff between the suspect, Sean Roy Johnson, and police began just before 2 p.m. Wednesday and was arrested just before midnight, according to Lt. Neil Johnson of the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office.<p/>Sean Johnson, 50, was arrested and is being held at the Georgetown County Jail, Neil Johnson said. Warrants are pending and no bond hearing has been scheduled, he said.

Bail set for Shallotte teen charged in North Myrtle Beach hit-and-run
Bail has been set for an 18-year-old Shallotte, N.C., man who was arrested and charged this afternoon with the hit-and-run death of Corrisa Irvin of New Hampshire along U.S.17 in North Myrtle Beach on Aug.17, said North Myrtle Beach spokeswoman Nicole Aiello.<p/>North Myrtle Beach Judge Blake Martin set bail at $15,000 for Derek Anthony Stanley II on a charge of hit and run with death involved,Aiello said. Stanley could face one year to 25 years in prison and a fine between $10,000 and $25,000, according to a news release from Aiello.<p/>Irvin, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene on U.S. 17 between Ocean Creek Drive and 48th Street S near the Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

DEA outlines drug sale system in Georgetown
Prosecutors accused Julius "Butch" Nesbitt of running a "Grand Central Station" of illegal pill sales in rural Georgetown County where up to 20 people a day stopped in to buy oxycodone.<p/>And when Nesbitt faked his own death at sea during Thanksgiving 2007 in an apparent plot to avoid prison time, they further allege it was a selfish act that endangered Coast Guardsmen, costing taxpayers well over $170,000 to launch an air, land and sea search of Winyah Bay.<p/>"This was all about 'Butch' Nesbitt," Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Phillips said Wednesday inside the federal court in Charleston.

DUIs yield to crackdown in Horry, Georgetown counties
DUI-related crashes dropped slightly so far this year in Horry and Georgetown counties as state public safety officials continue to target the crime they say is a leading cause of traffic deaths in the state.<p/>New television commercials and increased patrols and enforcement are among the efforts to cut the number of people driving under the influence and without seat belts through the Labor Day holiday weekend, which also marks the end of the S.C. Department of Public Safety's 100 Deadly Days of Summer safety campaign.<p/>"DUI is a careless disregard for human life. DUI is a crime," said Mark Keel, state public safety director. "And we can all be crime fighters; not just men and women in uniform. Concerned citizens who call *HP [on a cell phone] to report a drunk driver are fighting crime, just as a sober person who says to an intoxicated friend, 'I'll take the keys tonight.'"

Myrtle Beach police investigate man's stomach stabbing
Myrtle Beach police are investigating after a man was stabbed in his stomach outside his 21st Avenue South home.<p/>Police were called to an apartment complex in the 300 block of 21st Avenue South about 11:30 p.m. Monday where the victim, whose shirt was covered in blood, flagged down officers.<p/>The man told police that he was stabbed by a stranger in front of the building after he walked home from work.

Suspect sought for fatal Myrtle Beach area shooting
A man was shot and killed this morning in Socastee and police are searching for a suspect. <p/>But no information is being released about the person sought or any potential motive for the shooting.<p/>Horry County Coroner Robert Edge Jr. said 28-year-old Sylvester Smart Jr., of Myrtle Beach, was killed early this morning at Strand Mobile Home Park off of Dick Pond Road, near the intersection of S.C. 544. and S.C. 707.

Former Myrtle Beach police chief dies at 71
Former Myrtle Beach Police Chief Sam Killman has died after a long fight with cancer. He was 71.<p/>Killman, who most recently resided in Wilmington, worked in law enforcement for 35 years, most of them in Charlotte, where he rose through the department's ranks from patrol officer to its top leader. He spent three decades working for the Charlotte police force, starting as a patrol officer in 1961.<p/>He was named Charlotte's chief in 1985, and held the post for five years. City officials lauded him as fair, and someone who earned the community's respect.

Crime | Horry County, Little River, Conway
<span xmlns:cci="urn:schemas-ccieurope.com" class="bold"> <span class="z_sym_square_bullet"> </span>Larceny from auto </span>| Horry County police officers responded to Garden City in reference to four unopened bottles of Johnny Walker Red liquor being stolen from a Mercedes belonging to a woman, 61. Officers learned that police on the previous shift had recovered the woman's liquor bottles, all unopened, and were holding them in evidence. The first officers had responded earlier to reports of auto break-ins in the area after a neighbor, who was driving, saw an older man walking from car to car and turned his bright lights on him. The man ran and officers found the liquor while looking for him, but did not find him. They told the victim's relative how she could reclaim her liquor.<p/><span xmlns:cci="urn:schemas-ccieurope.com" class="bold"> <span class="z_sym_square_bullet"> </span>Criminal domestic violence </span>| Officers responding to a woman's domestic violence call in Little River had an extended response time because the woman, 25, reported an incorrect address. Police finally found her in the parking lot of the place where she has been living with her boyfriend, 31. According to the incident report, the woman said she has an anxiety disorder and just wanted to take her Xanax and go to sleep, but her boyfriend does not like it when she takes her medicine because it makes her crazy. They argued, but she was "zoned out," and did not remember much, except that he punched her in the face. She said he had not been drinking. Smelling alcohol on her, an officer asked if she had been drinking and she said she "had a sip." Officers saw a small contusion on her forehead, but could not tell if it was fresh. She said she went to a hospital but they were too busy and she did not want to wait. When she went back to the residence, her belongings were outside, so she went to a neighbor's house to call police. The boyfriend was gone, and officers could not find a driver's license, criminal record or any other information on the name she gave them.<p/><span xmlns:cci="urn:schemas-ccieurope.com" class="bold"> <span class="z_sym_square_bullet"> </span>Simple assault/disorderly conduct/threatening a public official </span>| A Conway woman, 39, told Horry County police officers that her husband came home intoxicated after being served an eviction notice, screamed and yelled at her and hit her in the head with his fists. Officers found the man walking down the road, and escorted him, cursing and yelling, back to the residence as they tried to calm him. He would not talk with them about what had happened, but continued to yell and curse. According to the incident report, he stared angrily at one of them, "gritting his teeth tight-lipped and appearing to try to bulge his eyes out."

Police | Horry County woman in lightning-struck building hurt
<span class="l_region">Police</span><p/><span class="header">LORIS</span><p/><span class="subhead">Woman in lightning-struck building hurt</span>

Police | Myrtle Beach BB-gun shooter released from jail
<span class="l_region">Police</span><p/><span class="header">MYRTLE BEACH</span><p/><span class="subhead">BB-gun shooter released from jail</span>

Van sought in North Myrtle Beach fatality
Police have released a description of the vehicle they say was likely involved Tuesday in a hit-and-run that killed a woman in North Myrtle Beach.<p/>North Myrtle Beach police and state troopers agree that a 1995-2005 Chevrolet Astro van or a 1995-2005 GMC Safari van was likely the vehicle involved in the fatality.<p/>The S.C. Highway Patrol Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team, which is seeking help from the public, also outlined the type of damage the vehicle involved could have.

Horry County Drug Court guides clients to new life
Melissa Bessent was one of five participants to mark the fifth anniversary of Horry County's Drug Court by becoming the program's most recent graduates on Wednesday.<p/>The 28-year-old credits the program with helping her change her life from 10 years of drug dependency to being a cosmetology graduate with a full-time job. She also has mended several family relationships, including those with her three children.<p/>"It makes you or breaks you," Bessent said before she graduated from the intensive court-supervised treatment alternative to prison for nonviolent, drug-addicted offenders.

North Myrtle Beach's Bailey cleared on coverup allegations
North Myrtle Beach's former Public Safety director, William Bailey, has been cleared of allegations that he covered up a 2008 domestic violence case to help one of Mayor Marilyn Hatley's top political supporters.<p/>Bailey contacted local media Tuesday to say the city of North Myrtle Beach was sitting on a report from the State Law Enforcement Division that clears him of the accusations.<p/>But city spokeswoman Nicole Aiello said the only document the city has received is a letter from the 5th District Solicitor's Office in Columbia.