What's going on in Brownwood ? Bad Attitudes? Voting Officials Behaviour ? Cell Phone Rules ? Reporting ? Iraq Vets & PTSD Issues?

Sunday May 14, 2006 - News

Disgruntled voter arrested after disturbance at annex

By Steve Nash — Brownwood Bulletin

A disgruntled voter was arrested Saturday morning following a disturbance and a fight between the man and two police officers at the coliseum annex, police and witnesses said.
The man’s identity was unavailable from police later Saturday.
“My understanding is, someone came in and had a cell phone and was asked not to turn it on, and he put up a fight,” Police Chief Virgil Cowin said.
Elections administrator Suzy Young said people aren’t allowed to talk on cell phones in a polling place and an election judge “did his duty and asked the man to put it up.”
Young estimated that 40 to 50 voters were present as the man became agitated, and was also angry at other issues involving voting, Young said. She said she asked the man to leave and he cursed at her, and cursed at police officers when they tried to escort him away.
The man was outside when he swung at Cpl. Mitch Slaymaker, Young said. She said another officer Bryan Keith, ended up on the ground with the man on top of him.
“I was terrified he was going to get one of their weapons,” she said.
She said as Keith and Slaymaker fought with the man, her husband, Larry, asked “Ya’ll want some help? They said ‘yeah, jump in,’” Young said. “My husband had his knee in his back on top of him.
“He was quite a resister. It was quite nerve-rattling.”
Slaymaker tried to pepper-spray the man, but he moved out of the way and some of the spray appeared to hit Keith, Young said.
Young said police officers are often unappreciated and underpaid. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough to Keith for being here for traffic control, and have to go through something like that,” Young said.
She said the man was out of line in causing the disturbance. “If there is a problem (with voting), there is a time and a place to take that up,” she said.

source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/05/14/news/news03.txt
---------------------------
Monday May 15, 2006 - News

As situations are resolved, police staffing improves

By Steve Nash — Brownwood Bulletin

A few months ago, the Brownwood Police Department was short five officers whose jobs couldn’t be filled in their absence.
Two were on military deployments to Iraq, two were on medical leave and one was suspended while awaiting trial.
Most of those situations have either been resolved or are about to be, Police Chief Virgil Cowin said.
Lt. John Harper and patrolman Bryan Keith returned in December from Iraq deployments and are back on duty. Sgt. Dennis Watson has returned to duty from medical leave. Police officials were in the process recently of hiring an officer to replace former officer Larry Robison, who resigned as police officials prepared to terminate him after his conviction in March on two counts of tampering with a government record.
Patrolman Kenyon Black, who was injured while making an arrest, has not returned to duty.
“We’re not anywhere close to where we ought to be but we’re a lot better off today than we were four or five months ago,” Cowin said.
An applicant for patrolman was going through the hiring process recently and could be at work early next month, Cowin said.
Since Black is still recuperating from his injury, the new officer will bring the department to within one of having a full complement of officers on the job.
The department is allotted 36 officers, including 24 patrolmen.
Cowin said the department puts five patrolmen, including a sergeant and corporal, onto the streets per shift if the department is at full strength.
He said he doesn’t fault the city council for not providing funding to hire more officers. “There are ‘x’-number of dollars in that bucket,” Cowin said. “Everybody’s in need of everything.
“The council is very aware of the needs of the City of Brownwood but if the money’s not there, they can’t budget for it.”
The council approved funding in late 2003 to increase the department’s manpower allotment by three officers.
“We understand we’re talking about the taxpayers’ pockets here,” police Capt. Garry Page said.
source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/05/15/news/news03.txt
---------------
Tuesday May 16, 2006
News

Man free on bond after incident at voting location

By Steve Nash — Brownwood Bulletin

A man who was arrested following a disturbance Saturday morning at the coliseum annex as voting took place is free on bonds totaling $17,500, Brown County Jail records state.
Brownwood police identified the man as Eddie Gomez, 33. He faces two charges of assault on a public servant, failure to identify, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, jail records state.
The disturbance began when a man who was there to vote became angry over issues including being asked to turn off his cell phone, officials said.
The man was arrested after a melee involving two police officers and civilians who helped the officers, police said.
Police Cpl. Mitch Slaymaker was on patrol at 9:05 a.m. Saturday when he drove by and saw officer Bryan Keith talking with elections administrator Suzy Young outside the annex, Slaymaker’s report states.
Slaymaker stopped, and Keith told him someone inside had caused a problem and there was almost a fight, the report states. The man came outside and yelled at Young, and Keith told the man he needed to leave because he had finished voting.
The officers asked him repeatedly to leave and told him he would be arrested for trespassing if he did not, Slaymaker’s report states.
“He then looked at us from the feet up as if sizing us up and said ‘you aren’t taking me to jail,’” Slaymaker’s report states.
The man took an “aggressive stance,” then cursed when Slaymaker pulled out his pepper spray, the report states. When Keith reached for the man’s wrist and told him he was under arrest, he twisted away and Slaymaker activated the pepper spray. The man swung at Slaymaker and hit the officer in the face, the report states.
Keith took the man to the ground, and the man ended up on top of Keith with a hand around the officer’s neck, choking him, Slaymaker’s report states.
Slaymaker got the man’s hand away from Keith’s neck, and the officers subdued the man with the help of bystanders, the report states. When the officers put him in a patrol car and asked him his name, the man replied “I plead the fifth,” the report states.

source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/05/16/news/news02.txt

--------------------
Note from Steve Harris,
Do you think your getting the entire story from the above reporting ? From my experience with Brownwood Bulletin Reporter Steve Nash, I can guarentee there's a great deal that was left out and yet to be uncovered ! Stay tuned !
------------------
Wednesday May 17, 2006

As situations are resolved, police staffing improves

By Steve Nash — Brownwood Bulletin

A few months ago, the Brownwood Police Department was short five officers whose jobs couldn’t be filled in their absence.
Two were on military deployments to Iraq, two were on medical leave and one was suspended while awaiting trial.
Most of those situations have either been resolved or are about to be, Police Chief Virgil Cowin said.
Lt. John Harper and patrolman Bryan Keith returned in December from Iraq deployments and are back on duty. Sgt. Dennis Watson has returned to duty from medical leave. Police officials were in the process recently of hiring an officer to replace former officer Larry Robison, who resigned as police officials prepared to terminate him after his conviction in March on two counts of tampering with a government record.
Patrolman Kenyon Black, who was injured while making an arrest, has not returned to duty.
“We’re not anywhere close to where we ought to be but we’re a lot better off today than we were four or five months ago,” Cowin said.
An applicant for patrolman was going through the hiring process recently and could be at work early next month, Cowin said.
Since Black is still recuperating from his injury, the new officer will bring the department to within one of having a full complement of officers on the job.
The department is allotted 36 officers, including 24 patrolmen.
Cowin said the department puts five patrolmen, including a sergeant and corporal, onto the streets per shift if the department is at full strength.
He said he doesn’t fault the city council for not providing funding to hire more officers. “There are ‘x’-number of dollars in that bucket,” Cowin said. “Everybody’s in need of everything.
“The council is very aware of the needs of the City of Brownwood but if the money’s not there, they can’t budget for it.”
The council approved funding in late 2003 to increase the department’s manpower allotment by three officers.
“We understand we’re talking about the taxpayers’ pockets here,” police Capt. Garry Page said.

source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/05/15/news/news03.txt