Keller Police officers Ankit Tomer and Blake Shimanek (credit: Keller PD) Shimanek claimed Puente blocked a roadway, but a subsequent investigation found Puente did nothing wrong. 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. "Every officer in this police department, and for that matter, every officer in this . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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The city is also pointing out that its insurance company is paying for all but a $5,000 deductible for the settlement. 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. Hernandez had remained at the same South Los Angeles home, living with his parents and working in the familys flooring business. I think he knows the right thing to do.". Also, some Keller residents demanded that the police department fire both officers. Witnesses recalled that Hernandez sped north up the busy street in a black pickup, crashing into another car and unleashing a five-vehicle chain reaction. $5.00 + $4.00 shipping. 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. The Long Beach Police Department is down 97 sworn officers, causing the department to require its current force to work one mandatory, 10-hour overtime shift per month, officials said. The award-winning Keller Police and Fire departments serve a community of ~45,400. About. See details. Hernandez kept moving slowly toward her, throwing both arms out from his sides. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Mr. Puente was then pepper-sprayed, according to video footage, with Officer Tomer removing Mr. Puentes sunglasses before spraying him a second time. Before joining Community Impact, she majored in journalism at the University of Missouri and covered education and local arts for the Columbia Missourian and Vox Magazine. Records provided by the Keller police department show Shimanek was disciplined once in 2016 and reprimanded in 2018. Undated photo of Daniel Hernandez with his daughter Melanie. After announcing Shimanek's resignation, representatives of the city tweeted: "This Council and our Police Department led by Chief Fortune remain committed to ensuring encounters like these never happen again, and we will continue working tirelessly to provide every member of our community with a sense of safety and security that reflects Keller's values. She might, for example, have stepped behind a bystanders car to buy time, they say. For her, the April 22 incident has been very hard and one she hopes she will never have to repeat. The suspect, who police say is an 18-year-old, was shot in the head and is critically injured, Brown said. Officer Shimanek was demoted to officer from his previous rank of sergeant with the opportunity to reapply to the position after one year. Calls to schools unless the school administration is initiating a call for an emergency police response or making a mandatory reporting notification;5. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Keller Police Chief Brad . Calls also detailed that the unknown male was stating Youre under arrest and that he was going to pull the trigger.. On Sept. 8, the police chief, Brad Fortune, said evidence supported the allegation that Officer Shimanek had arrested Mr. Puente for an offense he did not commit. Special financing available. The officers then arrested Marco Puente and his son, Dillon, and took them to jail. Charges against both Puentes were eventually dropped. 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. Non-criminal and/or non-violent homeless and quality of life-related calls;2. When he said he couldnt breathe, the officers allegedly laughed and dunked his head again. 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. The Keller Police Department, TX offers housing services for the Keller Police Department at 330 Rufe Snow Drive, Tarrant. Tomer was not punished after an internal investigation was completed. Im not even doing anything, Marco Puente says. Driveway tow;12. Earn up to 5x points when you use your eBay Mastercard. The recordings reveal a chaotic scene early on the evening of April 22, in the middle of San Pedro Street near East 32nd Street. By Kira Lovell A photo included in the lawsuit shows Officer Shimanek putting Mr. Puente in a headlock. Dillon Puente, 22, was on his way to his great-grandfathers when he was pulled over by Officer Shimanek for making an improper wide right turn, according to the lawsuit. 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. They contend that she responded like the competitive shooter seen on video, racing to get off shots. LAPD may no longer send armed officers to these police calls. Over 3 million Texans impacted as emergency Officials prepare emergency resources ahead of severe New loan available to help students complete DFW Airport runway work could affect air Huckleberrys bringing breakfast, brunch, lunch options to Wilemon resigns as chair of Tarrant Appraisal Gov. 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. 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. The video showed Shimanek telling the other officer, Antik Tomer, to arrest and pepper spray Puente for recording the encounter. In this screen grab from police body-cam video, Marco Puente grimaces after he was pepper-sprayed by a Keller officer. Once the charges were reviewed, the two were released and Shimanek was demoted. The shooting felt unnecessary to some of the people living in motor homes and trailers along San Pedro Street. 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. 18410 101st Avenue NE Bothell, WA 98011 . Keller Police Department Chief Brad Fortune spoke about upcoming changes to department standards at a Jan. 21 town hall meeting. Syringe Disposal;20. In 2016, an internal investigation found he searched a woman's home. Shimanek could not immediately be reached for comment and did not have an attorney listed in court records. An officer involved in the episode, which happened in Keller, Texas, was demoted for misconduct, officials said. 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. Upon arrival at the intersection of Park Vista Blvd at Keller Haslet Road, officers located the suspect and began talking with him and seeing if they could provide him with assistance. Apply for the Job in Police Officer at Keller, TX. Police Department . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The decision to trim back armed responses by sworn officers is an alternative policing approach that has been deployed in other major cities to varying levels in the wake of wide-scale civil unrest caused by deadly police slayings of civilians. Former Sgt. Their officers are polite infirm as well as sometimes just downright funny. McBrides decision-making will be broken down and analyzed, shot by shot. A second officer, Ankit Tomer, arrives, and Shimanek tells him to watch Marco Puente. Shootin Newton!. "Police officers that cost their cities money, it's a reminder that you've got to behave better.". Hernandez keeled forward to the asphalt, but quickly pushed himself up and forward. KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) Blake Shimanek, one of two Keller police officers involved with the controversial arrest of Marco Puente in August 2020, has resigned. Beautiful girls who shoot as good as they look., McBrides appearances with celebrities such as Reeves and former Lakers star Rick Fox attracted scores of fanboys, who showered her with an online marriage proposal and compliments about her #badass ways. Those reviews could take a year. 7 reviews of Keller Police Department "My family has a history of police service for over 60 years. A bystander shot video of the confrontation, broadcasting it live on Facebook. Tom has covered breaking news for The Dallas Morning News since 2016. The case quickly garnered attention after Marco Puente posted footage of his arrest online. The videos show Keller Police Department Sgt. Hernandez died in an LAPD shooting on April 22. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Keller Police officers Ankit Tomer and Blake Shimanek (credit: Keller PD), 19-Year-Old Arrested For Murder Of Frisco High School Student At Apartment Complex, Residents Frustrated After Long Lines Form At Dallas' Convention Center Vaccination Site, 1 Dead, 1 Injured After Crash Caused By Alleged Street Racing In Dallas; 2 Arrests Made. The. Yolanda Madison, 56, said she also talked to Hernandez as he exited his pickup truck. . Kira Lovell is a reporter covering Grapevine-Colleyville-Southlake and Keller-Roanoke-North Fort Worth. Shimanek then tells Tomer to pepper-spray Marco Puente as he handcuffs him. From there, the man grabbed the weapon from his waistband and an officer fired their weapon in response, striking him. In 2020, after weeks of demonstrations over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that non-criminal calls would be handled by trained, unarmed professionals, rather than armed police officers. A petition to fire the two Keller police officers who handcuffed and pepper-sprayed a man who was filming the detention of his son has more than 18,700 signatures as of Monday. How to Become a Police Officer Investigations Law Enforcement Policies Less Lethal Off Duty . Butler did not return a phone call requesting comment for this article. Robert H. Keller. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, he said, this officer was facing an immediate threat to her life.. What is this about?. Puente's attorney said the family received a settlement from the city worth around $200,000. Do they know who we are?. But the Hernandez family contends that the frothy, rapid-fire videos exhibit a kind of gun use not consistent with LAPD policy, requiring measured and deliberate force. McBride commanded, Drop it! a final time, a split second before firing two shots. McBride quickly requested backup. March 1, 2023 Updated 5:36 PM PT. Then he says, Better yet, arrest him.. "Chief Fortune seems like a decent guy, like going to do the right thing," Marco said. Body-cam video of the Aug. 15 arrest went viral, leading to calls that Shimanek be fired and face criminal charges. He was walking toward her.. Former sergeant Blake Shimanek is accused of using. 2023 FOX Television Stations, 3 children killed, 2 hurt in Italy, Texas, Fiery crash involving 18-wheeler on I-20 closed interstate for a time, Rockwall-Heath coach resigns after school workout investigation, Strong winds leave trail of damage in North Texas, Housing affordability at record low, report says, Skunk found in Grapevine tests positive for rabies, Costco answers whether it is raising membership fee: 'Question of when, not if', If youve got the CASH, this $2 million vanity license plate can be yours, Car debt piles up as more Americans struggle to make payments. Keller Police Department - Keller, Texas. But her commitment to being a police officer, to help people who cant help themselves, has not wavered, Hanna said. The wild pursuit began in Corona where the carjacking occurred around 3 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Jamie McBride is an unrepentant backer of old-school policing. Non-criminal mental health calls;3. Israel Espinoza, 75, said he briefly talked to Hernandez just after his smashed car came to a stop. The group does not represent the Keller Police Department or have a lawyer involved in the litigation. Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes told media in a press conference Saturday morning that North Division officers responded to the intersection of Park Vista Boulevard and Keller Haslet Road and . 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!. A lawyer representing Officers Shimanek and Tomer did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday. Body camera video of the incident, which involved Shimanek and another officer, showed Marco Puente being sprayed and arrested while recording his son's encounter with police. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. Hey, he knows! she said, clapping. As of 2023; the Department has 2 part-time workers and 82 full-time officers. Maegan Hall, who joined the La Vergne Police Department as an officer in February 2021, was fired in January after a sexual misconduct . Seller does not accept returns. He was later released after paying a fine, Marco Puentes lawyers said. The Keller Police Department was started as the critical law requirement propagator serving Keller city, Tarrant, Texas. Lawyers representing Mr. Puente accuse them of using excessive force, among other claims. Now Hernandezs death has become a cause celebre, protested by Black Lives Matter and questioned by a candidate for district attorney. Lawyers. Police use-of-force expert Ed Obayashi defended McBride as an officer doing her job, in what he called a clear-cut justified shooting. Obayashi said he was persuaded after watching video of the incident. The alleged incident. 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. He saw the box cutter Hernandez was carrying and thought it was not dangerous. 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. (Kira Lovell/Community Impact Newspaper). LAPD officers have already begun heading to other departments, union leaders told the council. Footage from Officer Shimaneks body camera shows that Dillon Puente was asked to step out of the car and was then handcuffed. Shimanek ultimately resigned in February, after the city agreed to pay Puente $200,000 to settle a lawsuit he filed against them claiming the arrests utilized excessive force, and were illegal and discriminatory. 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. Within hours of the incident, Keller PDs command staff reviewed the case and the charge of interference against Marco Puente was dropped. Theyre supposed to preserve and protect, and they caused havoc and mayhem.. Officer Shimanek yelled at him for obstructing the roadway and threatened him with arrest. 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. See terms and apply now. 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. Just 23 years old and near the start of her life in law enforcement, Toni McBride brimmed with youthful exuberance. The department received backlash for the incident, and Keller Police Chief Brad Fortune said it "caused great disappointment and regret." And he is the recent face of the LAPD union. Lally said it was important that the initial list of calls be robust.. He has degrees in journalism and economics from Lehigh University. McBrides supporters defend her as an officer trying to protect herself and the public from a dangerous man. Keller Police Department A former Keller police officer who resigned last year after the city agreed to a settlement with a man who accused the officer of excessive force and of. Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. He had been talking excitedly about the grand quinceanera celebration he planned to mark his daughters 15th birthday later this year. Code 30 Alarm Response (except 211 silent alarm);19. The information is preliminary and this story is developing.