BADGE 149 NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2019
Captain Gary P. Jones [retired]
FORT LAUDERDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT
1967 - 1993

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE,
DIVISION OF INSURANCE FRAUD
1993 - 2003

Author of:
Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!"
and
"Saints, Sinners, Survivors"





A S WE HONOR THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, WE SHOULD ALSO REMEMBER AND HONOR THOSE DEDICATED OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY INJURED, TOO.

* REMEMBERING *

OFFICER DALSH VEVE
New York Police Department [NYPD]
Officer Dalsh Veve (age: 36) was a 9-year veteran of the NYPD. But, back in June of 2017, this man's life would change forever.

On June 4th (2017), around midnight, Officer Veve and several other officers from the 67th Precinct responded to a "shots fired" type call in an East Flatbush neighborhood, in Brooklyn. A number of people were attending a party at this location. It was eventually concluded that what was reported as shots being fired actually was the sound of fireworks, and not gunfire.

Officer Veve made contact with some subjects in a black Honda sedan. The driver of the car, who was then 15-years old, suddenly accelerated and Officer Veve was dragged for almost 3 blocks. This Honda was equipped with a "black box" type monitor. Later, it showed that the juvenile offender had the accelerator fully depressed and that the vehicle's top speed was 56 miles an hour. The car was also weaving from side to side and this was apparently an attempt by the driver to shake Officer Veve loose from the still fleeing vehicle.

While he was being dragged Officer Veve was able to fire two shots. One account I read said the driver was shot in the face. Another account was more specific and said one of the bullets entered the subject's mouth, lodging itself in his jaw.

The subject's vehicle eventually crashed into a pickup truck and when it did all of the individuals in the Honda, including the driver, exited the car and ran off. The driver didn't appear to be seriously wounded, because surveillance video in the area showed him rummaging through the back seat area before he actually bailed out of the vehicle. He starts to run away, then he turns back to the car, and then he runs away again.

The surveillance video also shows the severely injured officer on the ground between two cars. None of the occupants of the stolen vehicle stop to help him.

Other officers arrive at the scene and instead of waiting for an ambulance they put Officer Veve into a squad car and then they rush him to the hospital in the police car.

Coincidentally, the driver of the stolen Honda went to get treatment at the same hospital that Officer Veve had been taken to. But, he ran away before getting treatment because he saw all the police officers there. Instead, he walked to another hospital where he was eventually arrested. Initially, he was listed in critical condition and the police were unable to talk with him.

Officer Veve was severely injured and he suffered irreversible brain damage. At one point during his recovery he was even placed into a medically-induced coma. I also read that this officer remained in critical condition in a coma with catastrophic head and brain trauma for four weeks. Officer Veve will never fully recover from his injuries and he will probably have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. It has been reported that his injuries are so severe that he can't care for himself and at times he can't even recognize his own family.

The 15-year-old boy who deliberately dragged Officer Veve so viciously was charged as an adult. He was charged with attempted murder. The jury, in what seems to be an absurd decision, decided that the teen was not guilty. Instead, they found him guilty of the lesser offense of first-degree assault.

The subject's sentencing was on January 7th. He faced up to 10 years in prison and the District Attorney's Office implored the judge to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ruth Shillingford didn't do this and instead she gave the young thug a slap on the wrist. She sentenced him to just 16 months to four years. She also stated that she took into consideration that the subject was only 15 at the time of the crime.

The sentence the judge gave the subject is so light that he may even be eligible for immediate release, thanks to the time he has already served.

Did this young criminal deserve such leniency? Not hardly! Some reliable sources have reported that the subject is a known gang member. He also has 11 prior arrests and was reportedly on probation for robbery at the time of this offense involving Officer Veve. And, the vehicle he used to almost kill Officer Veve was stolen (from Long Island, in May).

NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill tweeted, "An absolute disgrace." He also stated, "Our brave & selfless public servant, his family, and all NYC cops deserve far better. Justice fell short today."

After hearing of Officer Veve's situation, and the eventual outcome regarding the subject who almost killed him, I wanted to let the judge know how disgusted and outraged I was. However, I found it impossible to locate a current e-mail address for Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ruth Shillingford . I did find an address, though. It is:

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ruth Shillingford
60 Centre Street
New York, N.Y. 10007 judge
United States

My snail mail letter to Judge Shillingford was short and simple. I stated,

"I am writing to you regarding the case involving N.Y.P.D. Officer Veve and the subject Justin Murrell . I don’t know Officer Veve, but throughout my career as a law enforcement professional I’ve known many men (and women) like him. He is obviously a very brave and dedicated public servant, who has now been abandoned and betrayed by the very justice system he fought so hard to protect.

You? I don’t know you either, but it seems apparent to me that you care more for the young thugs in our society than you do for the men and women who are out there on the streets trying to serve and protect us.

I read with disgust how you sentenced this young thug and how you totally ignored the hurt and pain he has brought to the Veve family. Officer Veve will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair and the subject Murrell? Well, if he should commit further crimes of violence, when he should have been incarcerated instead, then you’ll have the blood of those unfortunate and unnecessary victims on your hands.

Shame on you!"

________________________________________________


If you would like to make a donation to assist this brave NYPD officer and his family you can click on the " Make a Donation " button under the picture of Officer Veve, and his family, or you can go to the following site:

www.gofundme.com/officer-dalsh-veve


In January's newsletter I wrote about the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) and their expanded efforts to document our K-9 partners who have also died in the line of duty. Twenty-seven (27) K-9 dogs died in the line of duty in 2018.

I found it interesting, and disturbing too, that two (2) K-9 dogs, from the same law enforcement agency in Texas, died on the same day during the same incident. These were:

Refugio County Sheriff's Office (Texas)
Breed: Bluetick Coonhound mix
E.O.W.: Saturday, September 1, 2018
Cause of Death: Assault

Refugio County Sheriff's Office (Texas)
Breed: Bluetick Coonhound mix
E.O.W.: Saturday, September 1, 2018
Cause of Death: Assault

K-9 Nell and K-9 Grunt were both strangled to death by a suspect they were tracking.

Officers in nearby Aransas County had been involved in a pursuit in which numerous illegal aliens (more than a dozen) bailed out of a vehicle and fled into the brush. Members of the U.S. Border Patrol , Texas Department of Public Safety , Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. and the Aransas County Sheriff's Office were searching for these suspects and requested assistance from Refugio County S.O.'s tracking team .

After illegal aliens cross the U.S.-Mexico border they must travel through at least five other Texas counties before they reach Refugio County, Texas. The location where the two K-9s were killed is more than 150 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Most illegal aliens arrested in Refugio County are on their way to Houston, which is just 165 miles away, to the northeast. Because of the high volume of illegal aliens passing through Refugio County, on their way to Houston, vehicle pursuits are a common occurrence. After illegal aliens reach Houston, they are then able to go off in many different directions and pretty much can go anywhere they want in the continental United States.

K-9 Nell and K-9 Grunt were trained to track and find lost children and missing persons with dementia and/or Alzheimers. When they located someone they were tracking they would just bark.

The non-aggressive dogs tracked one fleeing subject into some brush, but they never came back out. Both dogs had been let off their leash as deputies followed them on horseback and on foot. When law enforcement officers called for the man to surrender, he reportedly taunted them in Spanish. He reportedly said, "If you want me, come and get me."

When officers eventually entered the brush and took the male subject into custody, they found both K-9 Nell and K-9 Grunt dead. The bodies of both dogs were found with their tracking collars twisted tightly around their necks. This man, who more than likely killed the two non-violent tracking dogs, apparently had a Mexican drug cartel-type tattoo located somewhere on his body.

Refugio County Sheriff Raul "Pinky" Gonzales stated, "These were female dogs that they used. They're non-violent, just like a pet dog. All they do is track." Sheriff Gonzales also stated, "There was no need to kill those dogs. Those dogs weren't biting him. They weren't barking at him. He was just an evil guy."

The individual who is thought to have killed the two dogs, as well as five others, were interviewed by U.S. Border Patrol officials. It was learned that they had come from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. All six subjects (5 males and 1 female) were eventually turned over to U.S. Customs and Immigration officials.

One final word about the two dogs that were killed. It's my understanding that they weren't actually owned by the Refugio County Sheriff's Office. Although the two dogs were trained by reserve deputies, they lived on a ranch in Refugio County, at a private kennel. Both dogs were a mix of black and tan coonhound, bluetick coonhound and redtick coonhound.

Note: I hope to eventually speak with Refugio County Sheriff "Pinky" Gonzales and if I do, I'll include what the sheriff tells me in a later newsletter. I would like to find out what actually happened to the individual who killed the two dogs. From everything I've read I assume he probably wasn't charged locally with any crimes, which included killing the two dogs. I'm also guessing that he was more than likely deported, but I would like to find out for sure.


For Third Straight Year,
Police Suicides Outnumber
Line-Of-Duty Deaths

It is a fact that suicides involving retired military personnel, and law enforcement professionals, occur at a much higher rate than that of the general population.
2nd book
In my book I discuss suicide and the law enforcement profession.
2nd book

In my book I also described my volunteer work with my local 2-1-1 crisis hotline, which also handled the Suicide Prevention Lifeline calls for the Tallahassee area. If you would like to help and make a difference you might want to volunteer with your local 2-1-1.

QUOTES WORTH REMEMBERING
A new True Crime Writing Contest is being sponsored by me this year. Conference registration includes free entry into all contents, including mine. This True Crime Writing Contest is open to everyone and a law enforcement background is not required. Here are some specifics to remember:
* Complete manuscript, not over 2,000 words, is required.
* Narratives should be positive, showing the good side of law enforcement.
* Both fiction or non-fiction will be accepted.
* If your entry is Non-fiction it should be accompanied by some documentation that shows the incident really happened (i.e. newspaper clipping).

2019 Happy New years with notebook   My New Year Goals   text and wooden number on table and copy space. New Start_ Resolution_ Goals and Mission Concept
I have two major goals for 2019. I want to improve the overall quality of this Newsletter, plus I'd also like to increase the number of people who receive AND read it. If you have any suggestions, and/or maybe even some constructive criticism, I would like to hear from you. And, if you know of someone who you think might like to receive this Newsletter, just give me their e-mail and I'll add them to my list of recipients.
My e-mail is: Jones313@aol.com
If you have already purchased one of my two books, thank you! If you enjoyed the book(s) I would ask you to consider writing a short review of the book, either on Amazon or at my publisher's online bookstore. My publisher's online bookstore is at:

www.buybooksontheweb.com
(You can also just click on the "Book Review" Logo above)

Go to the "True Crime" section to read the book reviews already there, or to make a new one.



A link has been added to my web site so you can go back and read all of my newsletters that I have sent out.

Book signing in Michigan
thankyou_charity_box_hdr.jpg
Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired] | Jones313@aol.com | www.badge149.com