July 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.7

eing escorted out. After

eing escorted out. After pushing the officer again, she was placed into custody,” the department said. Peterson is a probate judge in Douglas County, according to11 Alive. The body camera footage shows Peterson sitting handcuffed in a police cruiser, where she hurled profanities at officers and repeatedly refused to identify herself. She was eventually taken to the Fulton County Jail, facing charges of battery against a police officer and felony obstruction of law enforcement, according to 11 Alive. 66 The Blues - July ‘24 BWC: MAN WITH 2 SWORDS THREATENS BYSTANDERS BE- FORE FATAL OIS By Joanna Putman, Police1 BELOIT, WI. — Body camera video released by the Beloit Police Department shows a man running at a bystander with two swords before being fatally shot by an officer, Channel 3000 News reported. The officer-involved shooting occurred on April 28 when officers were called to the same location twice to respond to reports of a man acting erratically, according to the report. Body camera video shows Officer Nicholas Rodenbeck speaking with 911 callers, informing them that officers were working to avoid a potentially deadly confrontation with the suspect, who he said was “in crisis.” “Property can be replaced, but somebody’s life can’t be replaced,” Rodenbeck said to the callers, who were seated in a vehicle. After speaking with the occupants of the vehicle for several minutes, the suspect emerged from behind a home with a sword in each hand. The suspect appeared to be yelling at either the officers or the 911 callers as he approached them aggressively. The suspect repeatedly ignored Rodenbeck’s instructions to drop the swords and yelled at the officers. After the man appeared to threaten one of the callers and began walking toward their vehicle, Rodenbeck fired several shots, bringing the man to the ground. Officers rendered medical aid to the suspect until EMS personnel arrived to transport him to the hospital. He was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital, according to the report. The Rock County District Attorney announced on June 20 that Rodenbeck was found to have been acting lawfully in the officer-involved shooting. “I stand firmly by Officer Rodenbeck and his commitment to upholding the law and protecting the residents of our community,” Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles stated in a Facebook post. “Our officers are trained to make split-second decisions under extreme pressure, and in this instance, Officer Rodenbeck’s actions were necessary to prevent harm.” BWC: MAN DRAWS GUN, TURNS TOWARD N.C. OFFICER DURING FOOT PURSUIT BE- FORE OIS By Joanna Putman, Police1 CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has released body-worn camera footage of an officer-involved shooting of a man who pulled a gun from his waistline after being told to raise his hands, according to a City of Charlotte news release. On February 8, Metro Division officers responded to an armed subject call, according to the release. The area was being monitored by surveillance cameras as part of CMPD’s crime reduction initiatives. A real-time crime center video showed a suspect removing a firearm from his waistband, manipulating it, then

concealing it again. Upon arrival, officers observed what appeared to be a drug transaction involving the suspect in the parking lot, according to the release. As officers approached, the suspect fled on foot. Video shows the officers instructing the suspect to show his hands. During the short foot pursuit, the suspect pulled a firearm from his waistband and turned toward the officer. The officer fired a single shot, causing the suspect to fall to the ground. Officers quickly placed the suspect into custody, recovered the firearm, and began rendering medical aid. The Charlotte Fire Department and EMS personnel responded to the scene. The suspect was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. No officers were injured at the scene. Upon release from the hospital, the suspect was transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting a public officer and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the release. LOS ANGELES METRO TO FORM AN INDEPENDENT PO- LICE DEPARTMENT AMID RISE IN CRIME, SOME FATAL By Matthew Holloway LOS ANGELES, CA - The Los Angeles Metro Board, which oversees mass transportation in Greater LA, unanimously voted Thursday to establish its own police force akin to the MTA, and Port Authority Police in New York City or the BART Police in the San Francisco Bay area. As reported by Fox News LA, the decision has come following a series of brutal, fatal outbreaks of violence onboard or in proximity to the city’s buses and trains. The new department to be christened the Transit Community Public Safety Department (TCPSD) is planned to gradually be stood up over five years, coming fully online in 2029. Fox reported that between April and May, seven violent attacks have occurred, three of which resulted in fatalities. In a blog post pitching the new department to the public, the Metro broke down the justification for the new department into three categories: lack of oversight, lack of consistency, and skyrocketing costs. Presently, Metro LA is patroled under contract by the LA County Sheriff’s Department, the LAPD, and the Long Beach Police Department. The organization explained, “Since 2017, our Office of the Inspector General has been The Blues - July ‘24 67