No felony charges for officer in DPS dog's death

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Department of Public Safety officer who left his K-9 partner in a hot squad car will not face felony charges in connection with the dog's death.

Officer Korey Lankow was placed on administrative leave after leaving Jeg, a drug-sniffing dog, in his squad car outside DPS headquarters in Tucson for more than an hour on July 11. The high that day was about 98 degrees, which means the temperature inside the car was probably in the 120-degree range.

Jeg suffered severe heat-related injuries and had to be euthanized.

Based on the criminal investigation conducted by the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Attorney's Officer opted not to pursue felony charges against Lankow.

While he won't face felony charges in Jeg's death, The Tucson City Attorney's Office could still file misdemeanor charges.

Lankow, who has been with DPS since October 2005, and Jeg had been partners for almost three years. The 7-year-old Belgian Malinois had worked with another handler before being paired with Lankow.

According to investigators, Jeg was left behind when Lankow was sent on an emergency call while moving from one squad car to another. Lankow was en route to a crash scene when he realized Jeg was not with him.

He turned around to go back to his partner, but it turned out to be too late.

In addition to the TPD investigation, DPS has launched its own internal investigation to determine if Lankow followed proper procedure.

Jeg is the second Arizona law-enforcement dog to die after being left in a hot car.

Chandler police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was charged with animal abuse after leaving his K-9 partner, Bandit, in a patrol car in August 2007. Bandit was left in the car, which was parked outside of Lovejoy's home, for 12 hours. He died from excessive heat.

Less than three weeks after Jeg's death, two K-9s in Bexar County, Texas died after being left in a deputy's hot patrol car overnight.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/No-felony-charges-for-DPS-officer-in-K-9-partners-death-166407076.html

El Mirage police officer accused in assault, disorderly conduct

An El Mirage police officer was arrested early Saturday morning in Surprise in a suspected domestic-violence incident, according to a department official.

Surprise police arrest documents said Officer Susan Gallant, 44, was arrested on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct at 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

El Mirage Lt. Ronald Hergert said the arrest stems from two incidents between Gallant and her domestic partner. The partner, whose name was not provided by Surprise police, was also arrested, Hergert said.
Hergert said Gallant will be assigned desk duty when she returns to work Friday at the El Mirage Police Department for the duration of the criminal case.

"She won't be on the street in a normal enforcement role," he said.

Gallant, who has worked as an El Mirage officer for at least four years, also faces an internal investigation in Saturday's incident.

Hergert would not comment on the details of the case, saying that he had not received the police report and that any information he has is "hearsay at this point."

"As we would with any employee, we're going to take administrative action at an appropriate time if warranted," he said.

Hergert, who was serving as acting chief Tuesday while chief Steve Campbell is on vacation, conferred with City Manager Spencer Isom about placing Gallant on administrative leave after she was arrested. The situation did not warrant suspension, he said.

Surprise Municipal Court records show that in 2009 Gallant was ordered to take a defensive driving course after her unmarked car rear-ended another vehicle while she was on duty.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/10/12/20111012el-mirage-police-officer-accused-assault-disorderly-conduct-brk.html

Ex-Glendale sergeant pleads no contest to assault charge

A former Glendale police sergeant has pleaded no contest to domestic-violence assault.

Brent Thomas, 43, was arrested in April after he allegedly assaulted his live-in girlfriend in Oregon and fled.

Lincoln City police found dozens of loaded firearms in Thomas' home, which were not there when they returned to search the house.

Thomas was barred from possessing weapons because of an order of protection filed by his estranged wife in Arizona.

Thomas, a 14-year Glendale officer, resigned from the Police Department last November amid an investigation sparked by an anonymous report he had abused his wife.

The couple were in the midst of a divorce when the allegations surfaced. Thomas' wife said he had abused her for years and shared pictures of her injuries.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office decided in February that it would not file charges against Thomas.

Thomas, a former Glendale SWAT officer, later moved to Oregon.

On April 10, police responded to Thomas' new home to find his 27-year-old girlfriend's face covered in blood and her eyes swollen, according to Lincoln County Circuit Court records.

Thomas was held without bond in the county jail on suspicion of three counts of felony assault and misdemeanor counts of domestic-violence assault, menacing, strangulation and harassment. He also faced 71 misdemeanor counts of continuing to possess weapons.

Last Tuesday, Thomas agreed to enter a no-contest plea for misdemeanor assault as part of an agreement with prosecutors. All other charges were dropped and Thomas has since been released from jail.

Court records show the former officer was ordered to complete a batterer's intervention program, undergo an alcohol evaluation and to return his firearms to his estranged wife in Arizona.

He will also be required to return police uniform patches seized during the investigation to the Glendale Police Department and to pay more than $11,000 in fines, according to records.

Last month, Thomas agreed to permanently surrender his certification to serve as an Arizona police officer.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/08/01/20110801glendale-sergeant-pleads-no-contest-assault-brk.html

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputy accused of domestic violence

A Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputy and former reality TV show cast member was arrested Saturday on suspicion of domestic violence, authorities said Monday.

Deputy Deborah Moyer, who was featured last year in TLC's "Real Police Women of Maricopa County," was arrested in connection with assault and domestic violence, said Jay Davies, a spokesman for the Peoria Police Department.

Officers went to an apartment complex near 83rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road at about 6 p.m. in response to a 911 caller who reported hearing an argument from a nearby apartment, Davies said.

Officers suspect Moyer was the primary aggressor in an argument with her husband, Davies said. The name of Moyer's husband was not released. Police believe that Moyers scratched her husband on his head and upper torso, Davies said.

As Moyer was being taken into the police station, she reportedly looked pale and complained that she was having chest pains, Davies said. After Peoria Fire Department paramedics evaluated her, she was taken to a local hospital, Davies said.

Moyer faces misdemeanor charges, he added.

The four-episode reality show depicted Moyer and three other women in law enforcement as they juggled families and career.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/05/09/20110509maricopa-county-sheriffs-office-deputy-arrest-reality-show-abrk.html