Richmond | I'm Surrounded By Idiots

Two city of Richmond police officers injured at shooting range in Caroline County.

Two Richmond police officers were injured by shrapnel during target practice at the department’s firing range today in Caroline County, but neither injury was believed to be life-threatening, authorities said.

Police early this afternoon confirmed that the incident had occurred, but officials said they were still gathering information and had no other immediate details.

The Richmond Police Department maintains two shooting ranges: an indoor facility at its police academy and an outdoor range in Caroline.

Stupid question: Where exactly is their shooting range in Caroline County located? I’m going to guest Fort A.P. Hill.

Um…yeah, sure, you just found those pictures by accident.

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Richmond police are investigating photographs posted on a California-based Web site that show uniformed patrolmen cavorting with young women outside nightclubs.

The officers were unaware that they were posing for photos that were to be posted on the Web site, acting Sgt. Marian L. Harris said in a news release about the investigation. The officers are from Richmond and at least two other mid-Atlantic jurisdictions.

The photographs were taken during the winter months outside various nightclubs, the news release said.

WWBT, whose staff discovered the photos online and alerted Richmond police, said the man who took the photos said they were shot on Halloween.

The women in the photos had asked to be photographed with the officers, the police news release said.

“Our officers are expected to use good judgment whenever being asked to be photographed,” said Maj. Margaret Horn of the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

The office will determine whether there is any improper conduct on the part of the officers.

The pictures were posted Tuesday on a Web site that features contributed photos, many of them of young women in revealing or suggestive poses, from various cities and universities in the U.S. and abroad.

And in other news, Japanese worker demoted after 780,000 porn hits at work.

Apparently, at WWBT, that’s called “news research”.

Those damn city folk don’t know nothin’ ’bout no bears.

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Just before 1 p.m. yesterday, Richmond authorities received a call of a black-bear sighting on Helen Lane, off Commerce Road in South Richmond. A number of police officers were called to the area to search for the bear.

[…]

Officers cruising the area did not find any bears — but did come across two large black dogs. A police airplane flying above the area also failed to find any bears.

Worst news reporting — ever.

NBC 12 in Richmond: Campus traffic stop turns dangerous:

Richmond police still searching for the man who took a VCU Police officer on a wild ride.

There is a warrant out for the arrest of this man, 18-year-old Zorin Ammad Holton.

Police say a female officer was trying to issue Holton a routine traffic ticket when he grabbed her by the arm and took off.

The officer was dragged alongside the car for four city blocks.

The officer, whose identity is not being released, survived the experience with only a few minor injuries.

That has not stopped officials from issuing a felony warrant for attempted capital murder for the man they believe is responsible.

[…]

That in itself is not a major offense, but VCU Police say a minor traffic stop turned into a major problem when Zorin Ammad Holton grabbed hold of a female officer who pulled him over and took off.

Holton allegedly sped away with the officer hanging out the window down these four blocks of Cary Street, when the driver slowed down enough and she was able to break free.

Hey dumbass at NBC 12, how about I drive for four blocks with you hanging out to the window, and then see if you think that an attempted murder charge is appropriate? And for those unfamiliar with the definition of “capital murder” (he’s charged with attempted capital murder in this case). Code of Virginia, § 18.2-31:

The following offenses shall constitute capital murder, punishable as a Class 1 felony:

[…]

6. The willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of a law-enforcement officer as defined in § 9.1-101 or any law-enforcement officer of another state or the United States having the power to arrest for a felony under the laws of such state or the United States, when such killing is for the purpose of interfering with the performance of his official duties;

Sounds appropriate to me.

Of course, it’s no big secret that certain people at NBC 12 don’t seem to like local law enforcement; especially after they criticize the Sheriff for increasing security at the high school when there was a rumor that there would be a shootout in the parking lot (link #1, #2).

[…]

VCU Police are asking you to be on the lookout for Zorin Ammadd Holton.

If you spot him, call them at 828-1196.

Sigh No more Richmond Braves…

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Atlanta Braves confirm move of Richmond team:

This year will the Richmond Braves’ last.

The Atlanta Braves will move their triple-A Richmond team to Gwinnett County, Ga., for the start of the 2009 baseball season, executive vice president Mike Plant said today.

Plant said a “lack of clarity” over how to finance a new Richmond stadium and delays in reaching any definitive plan were key factors in the decision to leave.

He said the opportunity to move to Gwinnett came suddenly, in October, and that discussions over the past few moths quickly nailed down questions of financing and a site.

Nice to see the mental health system has improved in Virginia…

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Slaying suspect was off his meds:

The man police say stabbed a 70-year-old woman to death in Richmond on Saturday morning suffered from a schizophrenic condition and had not been taking his court-ordered medication, according to a law-enforcement source.

The source also said suspect Johnny F. Hughes, 52, was charged with attempted murder in the mid-1990s but was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Court records indicate that Hughes was convicted in June of carrying a concealed weapon. He was sentenced to seven months in jail, with six months suspended.

The court ordered Hughes to take anti-psychotic medicine, the source said, and he was to be monitored by the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority. Attempts to reach the authority yesterday were unsuccessful.

Less than five months after his conviction, Hughes encountered Susanne L. Thompson on Saturday shortly before 9 a.m. as she walked her dog on West Broad Street near the Department of Motor Vehicles’ main offices. Moments later, she was dead, stabbed multiple times with a large pocketknife.

I’m guessing the phrase “equal protection” doesn’t mean anything to you… Part 13, I’m getting sick of writing about this…

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: ‘Rational basis’ for driver law at issue:

Was the General Assembly rational when it exempted residents of other states from Virginia’s new and controversial driver-fees statute?

Obvious jokes aside, both the lawyers and the judge homed in on that issue yesterday in the Richmond Circuit Court appeal case that challenges the constitutionality of the driver law.

Judge Walter Stout heard brief arguments from Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring, who defended the law, and from lawyer N. Barton Chucker, who is representing a traffic-court defendant.

(Anyone know if Walter Stout is related to a Neil Stout of Stout, Billy, & Seli?)

The “civil remedial fees” statute is meant to generate revenue from dangerous drivers — people convicted in court of certain traffic violations ranging from drunken driving to manslaughter.

At least they’re honest, I wonder what the average speed of the legislators is on I-95. I sure hope it isn’t about 80 MPH…

Chucker argued that the law is unconstitutional on due-process grounds because it applies only to Virginia residents and exempts others who drive in the state.

But the law could pass constitutional muster if the assembly had a “rational basis” for deciding the fees would be imposed only on Virginia residents. Proponents of the law as written say the fees would be too difficult and costly to collect from people in other states.

Yesterday, Stout wondered: “Isn’t the cost of collecting from out-of-state drivers a rational basis for making the distinction [between Virginia residents and others]?”

If you’re an out-of-state driver and you fail to pay your fine (not fee) when found guilty, your license will be suspended by your state; how much does that cost?

He decided he will make his ruling later.

Herring said he shares some of Chucker’s concerns about the law. “As an officer of the court and commonwealth’s attorney, I think the statute as it stands is constitutional,” Herring said. “It could be improved.”

[…]

Chucker represents Joseph C. Fields, on whom the law would impose a $1,050 driver fee for his reckless-driving conviction in Richmond General District Court.

Judge Thomas O. Jones of Richmond General District Court convicted Fields on July 7 and fined him $100 plus court costs. Chucker appealed the automatic driver fee, which was to be paid in three equal annual installments.

At a hearing Aug. 3, Jones sided with Chucker when he ruled that the law is unconstitutional.

“For me, it’s an absolute no-brainer,” Jones said from the bench.

Apparently, not for everyone else.

Herring, noting that every commonwealth’s attorney is obligated to defend state laws in court, appealed the case.

It’s pretty ironic that he had to note that.

Lookie what I found…

From Virginia Lawyers Weekly (November 6, 2006) [emphasis mine throughout]:

Accountings for the estate of Florence C. Williams by executor Harvey Latney Jr. were past due, so Richmond Commissioner of Accounts Richard C. Manson Jr. began writing letters and calling Latney.

After more than a year of such efforts, including threats to report him to the Virginia State Bar, Manson finally had Latney summoned to Richmond Circuit Court on Oct. 16.

He didn’t appear, an astonishing development to Manson.

Latney is the commonwealth’s attorney in Caroline County, a part-time job because of the county’s small population. He also has an office in Richmond, from which he conducts a general practice that includes real estate closings and administration of estates, so Manson was familiar with him and his usual diligence.

Judge Richard D. Taylor Jr. was presiding that day in the absence of Judge Margaret P. Spencer, who typically handles matters brought by Manson.

Manson told Taylor that he knew Latney to be reliable and asked the judge to continue the case to Oct. 19, so that he could find out what was behind his absence.

By apparent coincidence, Latney’s secretary of 27 years was seriously injured in an automobile wreck in Caroline County that same day.

Manson reached Latney the next day and asked why he had not reacted to the summons. Latney responded that his secretary had told him that she had spoken with Manson and Judge Spencer and that he did not need to appear.

Manson asked Latney why he had not reacted to the 25 or more telephone messages and five letters that Manson had sent in the previous three months. What phone calls? What letters? Latney responded.

Manson said he became very suspicious at this point, especially because the secretary had mentioned Judge Spencer as the judge who was handling the case, when Taylor was acting in her stead.

He advised Latney to check the bank account for the estate.

Latney found that about $185,000 appeared to be missing. He resigned as executor and has been replaced by Greer P. Jackson Jr. An audit of his office accounts is underway.

At a brief court proceeding last week, Manson told Judge Spencer that the money has been taken out of the estate, “apparently by Mr. Latney’s secretary… “There’s no question that the money is out of the estate and needs to be put back,” Manson said.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew P. Geary said his office was advised of the circumstances about a week before the hearing. He attended the hearing and said the matter has been turned over to Richmond police for investigation.

Spencer continued the matter until Dec. 11 to give Jackson an opportunity to review the estate and the auditors of Latney’s accounts time to complete their work.

One family member said they understood that Latney was responsible for returning the money to the estate, but he said they wanted to know how the process of administering the estate and reviewing that administration had broken down. Ms. Williams died in May 2002.

Spencer said she expected answers to that question at the hearing.

Update on Farooq Anwar.

About a week old, but away, from the Richmond Times-Dispatch: No motive in store slaying [emphasis mine]:

Farooq Anwar’s killer apparently had another motive besides robbery.

Police say the person who fatally shot the Chesterfield County store owner left behind the store’s daily receipts, along with Anwar’s watch and wallet.

Investigators initially believed that Anwar was killed during a holdup at his convenience store at 6249 Jefferson Davis Highway.

“From what we can determine so far, it doesn’t appear to have been a robbery,” said Chesterfield Deputy Police Chief Andy Scruggs.

“Right now, we’re not sure what the motive was for it,” added Scruggs. “We don’t have a clear indication of exactly what happened.”

Among other possibilities, the motive for the July 19 killing could have been vengeance — considering Anwar’s earlier encounters with armed robbers that ended in gunfire. But investigators aren’t ruling anything out.

“It could have been a homeless person coming in there and trying to rip off a case of beer, and they got into a struggle over the gun,” Scruggs said, offering one of many possible scenarios.

Investigators haven’t focused on a single suspect, but they are interested in locating a man convicted of trying to rob Anwar’s store nearly 16 years ago.

Anwar wounded that man and fatally shot his brother after the brother shot at Anwar during the Oct. 9, 1991, attempted holdup. Anwar was shot during an exchange of gunfire, but a bulletproof vest saved his life.

The wounded man was convicted in 1992 and sent to prison, but he was released on parole in 2001 after serving about nine years of a 15-year sentence. A third accomplice remains behind bars.

From WTVR 6 in Richmond:

Chesterfield police are investigating the case. They’re asking anyone with information about the murder to call them at [(804)] 748-1251, or Crime Solvers at [(804)] 748-0660.

Richmond Times-Dispatch needs a new editor plus an update on "Store owner knew the risks".

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Frawley drank cold medicine:

Ousted University of Mary Washington President William J. Frawley told police he had consumed six bottles of cough medicine before he was arrested for driving under the influence, according to a police report.

[…]

Police also noted the presence of one bottle of cough medicine. The police report did not indicate whether the cough medicine was prescription or over-the-counter.

Once again, a newspaper writes a statement from someone as a statement of fact. They also fail to say what police report “noted the presence of one bottle of cough medicine”. The criminal complaint does not mention it . It states the officer smelled the “strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his [Frawley’s] person and he was unsteady on his feet.”

And as previously noted, even if he was in fact under the influence of cough syrup he would still be guilty of driving under the influence, from Code of Virginia § 18.2-266 [emphasis mine]:

It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate any motor vehicle, engine or train […] while such person is under the influence of any narcotic drug or any other self-administered intoxicant or drug of whatsoever nature, or any combination of such drugs, to a degree which impairs his ability to drive or operate any motor vehicle, engine or train safely.

UPDATE: July 24, 2007, 0200 (2:00 AM): The Richmond Times-Dispatch claims that the cough medicine bottle was noted in a separate police report (not the criminal complaint).

Again, from the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Chesterfield shop owner is buried [emphasis mine]:

Chesterfield County shop owner Farooq Anwar was buried yesterday, less than 48 hours after he was fatally shot during an apparent robbery at his store.

[…]

Anwar, a native of Pakistan, was killed about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday during an apparent robbery of the Fast & Friendly Convenience Store at 6249 Jefferson Davis Highway, which he had owned or operated since 1990.

He died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the state medical examiner’s office. He was initially identified by authorities as Anwar Farooq, but yesterday, the medical examiner’s office and police confirmed his name as Farooq Anwar.

[…]

Anwar, 52, left behind a wife, Lubna, and two children. Their son and daughter attend the University of Virginia.

Chesterfield police are pursuing the case, but the investigation has yielded few substantial leads, officials said. Investigators have declined to say whether anything was taken from the store, or whether surveillance cameras inside recorded any useful images.

You have some nerve even writing about this man, Mr. Mark Bowes. As I noted about your article, “Store owner knew the risks” this man was trying to provide for his family and help put his children through school and you attempt to blame him for his own death.

From the more respectful people at WTVR 6 in Richmond:

Chesterfield police are investigating the case. They’re asking anyone with information about the murder to call them at [(804)] 748-1251, or Crime Solvers at [(804)] 748-0660.