Compiled by Gabriel Falcon
AC360 Writer

Welcome to the 360 Crime Blotter.

Some of the best crime writing comes from cops on the beat. But it’s not fiction. It’s fact, put down on paper in incident reports. We’re going to bring you their first-hand accounts. Taken from police department web sites, the official submissions run the gamut from mundane misdemeanors to the most serious of felonies. They all show what police officers across the country face 365 days a year. So let’s get started:

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Seattle Police Department

The Seattle Police Homicide Unit is seeking the public’s assistance in locating the suspect wanted in a homicide that occurred on November 30th. The suspect is Jose Angel Blanco, AKA Jose A. Blanco-Naranjo. He is 39 years old, described as 6′ 0″ and 190 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He may be driving a silver 2001 BMW with Washington license plate 732PPB. The suspect is the ex-husband of the victim. There is a murder warrant for him. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Seattle Police Department or call 911 immediately.

Hartford, Conn Police Department

Detectives of the Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division have released a video of the New Alliance Bank Robbery that occurred on October 29, 2008 at 1700 Park Street, Hartford.
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Editor’s note: Dr. Gail Saltz is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at The New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. Gail Saltz
Psychiatrist

Over the weekend a group of waiting shoppers trampled and killed a temporary Wal-Mart worker who was standing at the door to let shoppers in. How in the world could this happen? How could anyone do such a thing?

This was sadly a case of the effects of group dynamics, or in other words mob mentality. When you put people into a group you tend to increase their level of arousal and excitement. Another phenomena of a group is that of shared responsibility, that each individual feels less directly responsible and “delegates” his own superego (conscience) to the group. The particular group in question here were people feeling the effects of this recession and fearful that they will not be able to get enough stuff for the holidays, thinking they NEED the sales to make their family and themselves happy. This added to the feeling of rationing, that there is a limited commodity of stuff, money, sales items and if they don’t get it now then they never will. This is of course untrue and in no way justifies anyone’s actions, none the less it is this desperate perception that likely fueled extreme behavior.

Mobs can incite all kinds of awful behavior. “Fans” have set fires and destroyed property at sporting events. Concert goers have groped women and jumped on top of and hurt people. Gangs have robbed and destroyed stores in city blackouts. Taken as individuals many of these people would never ever have done something so amoral. But put together they incite each other, embolden the crowd and lose their moral compass.

This weekend’s horror was likely done by a group of anxious, excited shoppers who individually would never have done this and are likely feeling tremendous guilt and remorse that they were in anyway involved. Some will feel so uncomfortable that they may be in utter denial they were involved at all. It speaks to the power that one psyche can have upon another and to the immense power and loss of boundaries in a group. It is also evidence of the tremendous anxiety people are feeling in the face of the economic pressures and the unknowns that financially lay ahead. We need to be aware of the ability of such fears to move us, to make us behave in ways that we will regret. Desperation can mess with your conscience and so we all need to be on the alert to remember there is no material thing worth hurting someone for. Although a group can have a negative impact, it can also have a positive one. What we need is for people to gather together in support of each other, to lend a hand to your neighbor, be a listener to your friend, be compassionate to your loved ones. And remember grouping together for support requires no stuff.

Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

Chicago police say they’ve arrested 27-year-old William Balfour for the October murders of three relatives of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. Balfour is the estranged husband of Hudson’s older sister and stepfather of one of the victims, 7-year-old Julian King. The other victims were Hudson’s mother and brother. Balfour has been in custody on a parole violation since shortly after the killings; he previously served seven years for a 1999 attempted murder and carjacking conviction. We’ll have the latest on his arrest and the investigation.

Some other stories we’re following tonight:

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Program note: Watch Randi’s full report tonight at 10pm ET.

Nassau County Police examine the front of the Wal-Mart on Long Island, N.Y., Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, after a temporary Wal-Mart worker died when trampled by shoppers.

Randi Kaye | Bio
AC360° Correspondent

Imagine the force it took to bring down Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour. He was the worker trampled to death by hundreds of crazed shoppers at a Wal-Mart store on Long Island last Friday. Black Friday. It doesn’t get any darker than this.

Today I learned that Damour stood six foot five and weighed two hundred and seventy pounds. Imagine what it must’ve taken to knock him down! Police officially said today he died from suffocation, from the pressure of feet pounding over his chest.

Can you imagine? All this worker did was attempt to open the doors so people could shop. Is a deal on a plasma TV really worth it? Or is that new video game really worth it? How can anyone at the store that morning actually give a gift this year and not wonder what role they may’ve played in that stampede and the tragedy that followed?

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Compiled by Gabriel Falcon
AC360 Writer

Welcome to the 360 Crime Blotter.

Some of the best crime writing comes from cops on the beat. But it’s not fiction. It’s fact, put down on paper in incident reports. We’re going to bring you their first-hand accounts. Taken from police department web sites, the official submissions run the gamut from mundane misdemeanors to the most serious of felonies. They all show what police officers across the country face 365 days a year. So let’s get started:

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Boston Police Department

DAILY INCIDENTS FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2008

Death Investigation at 8 Malta Street in Mattapan

This morning around 12:22AM, officers from District E-18 (Hyde Park) responded to 8 Malta Street in Mattapan for a person shot.

On arrival, officers located a 29 year-old male victim suffering from several gunshot wounds lying on the sidewalk in front of 8 Malta Street. EMS responded to the scene and transported the victim to Boston Medical center with life threatening injuries. Once at the hospital, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced.

Boston Police Homicide detectives are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident and appeal to any and all individuals who may have information relating to this incident to contact them at (617) 343-4470. Individuals who wish to provide information anonymously may do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or texting ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

Death Investigation at 416 Talbot Street in Dorchester
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A Wal-Mart employee at this Long Island location was killed in a rush early Friday morning.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360 Writer

Jdimypai Damour began the day working part-time at a Wal-Mart mega-store in Valley Stream, New York. His job was to stand by the entrance doors — marked with a sign saying “BLITZ LINE STARTS HERE” — as the crush of early-morning holiday bargain-hunters began their frenzied Black Friday shopping.

Damour never made it home alive. The 34-year-old man from Queens, New York was crushed to death, a victim of a massive stampede of people pouring into Wal-Mart. One detective described the scene to CNN, calling it “utter chaos as these men tried to open the door this morning.”

Police officers who arrived to tend to Damour reportedly couldn’t even break through the mob to get to Damour. As the man lay dying on the ground, men and women continued to trample over him, fixed on gifts and deals, seemingly ignoring his plight or refusing to help.

In a statement, Wal-Mart said, “We are saddened to report that a gentleman who was working for a temporary agency on our behalf died at the store and a few other customers were injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families at this difficult time.”

A video camera caught pictures of the police trying to rescue Damour with CPR. Please be cautious: the video can be disturbing.

Damour’s death is tragic. He was an innocent man. But was a crime committed? A law broken? Authorities investigating this disturbing story have not filed any charges at this point. One officer told the New York Times that Wal-Mart “could have done more.”

What do you think?

Soledad O'Brien talks with Jeffrey Toobin about the case of the woman allegedly using MySpace to bully a teenager.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° writer

Lori Drew is not being charged with murder, but the parents of Megan Meier are convinced she drove their daughter to suicide.

Now, two years after the 13-year-old girl hanged herself in her bedroom, Drew, who lived just down the block from the Meier home, is being tried in connection with this tragedy.

But are prosecutors overreaching in their case against her? Drew was indicted on one count of conspiracy and three counts of three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

A jury in Los Angeles has already reached a partial verdict on three of the counts. The judge has ordered them to continue deliberations.

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Chuck Johnston
CNN National Desk

The patriarch of the world’s biggest polygamist sect’s compound in Eldorado, Texas turned himself in after being indicted on felony charges. Fredrick Merril Jessop, 72, of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), is charged with one count of conducting an unlawful marriage ceremony involving a minor, which is a third-degree felony.

Jessop has been running the compound, called the Yearning for Zion Ranch, home to hundreds of church members. He was husband of Carolyn Jessop, who wrote in her best-selling book, “Escape” about their marriage and life in the FLDS, and her frightening escape from Merril Jessop and the compound with her children.

Carolyn Jessop and others have said girls as young 11 have been forced into polygamists marriages with older men, boys have been ejected from the sect on trumped up infractions, and children have been beaten.

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Compiled by Gabriel Falcon
AC360 Writer

Welcome to the 360 Crime Blotter.

Some of the best crime writing comes from cops on the beat. But it’s not fiction. It’s fact, put down on paper in incident reports. We’re going to bring you their first-hand accounts. Taken from police department web sites, the official submissions run the gamut from mundane misdemeanors to the most serious of felonies. They all show what police officers across the country face 365 days a year. So let’s get started:

______________________________________________________________________

Palm Beach Police Department:

Our policing philosophy is based on a strong community partnership dedicated to improving the quality of life in Palm Beach. We are a national and state accredited, proactive, highly visible, full service law enforcement agency, promoting an environment that values creativity, innovation and invention.
Palm Beach is very unique in character and demands the highest level of service and the utmost in professionalism from its personnel. The Department emphasizes efficiency and excellence in law enforcement.

Recruitment is conducted on an ongoing basis for all applicants who possess the minimum qualifications. Preliminary testing consists of swim test, physical abilities test and oral review board.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

For information about a career with the Palm Beach Police Department, please contact Janet Kinsella, Manager, Personnel/Training by phone at (561) 838-5467 or via e-mail at info@palmbeachpolice.com. To request a police officer application packet, please call the Human Resources Department at (561) 838-5450.

Police Officer Salary Range

• $54,299 - $66,063 (starting range for certified officer, based on experience)
• $51,772- Trainee Position (non-certified/no prior experience)
• $54,299 - $80,376 Salary range for certified police officers

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
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Compiled by Gabriel Falcon
AC360 Writer

Welcome to the 360 Crime Blotter.

Some of the best crime writing comes from cops on the beat. But it’s not fiction. It’s fact, put down on paper in incident reports. We’re going to bring you their first-hand accounts. Taken from police department web sites, the official submissions run the gamut from mundane misdemeanors to the most serious of felonies. They all show what police officers across the country face 365 days a year. So let’s get started:

______________________________________________________________________

Los Angeles Police Department

Detective Seek Help in Identifying a Suspect in Century City Murder Case

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying an individual depicted in a surveillance video and composite drawing.

On July 28, 2008, at 6:30 p.m., Pamela Fayed, a resident of Ventura County, was murdered in a parking structure at 1875 Century Park East. On September 15, 2008, Robbery Homicide Division detectives obtained a warrant and criminal filing for James Fayed for the murder of Pamela Fayed. James Fayed appeared in court on a Federal matter where he was arrested.

The detectives believe that the person depicted on the surveillance tape may be an additional suspect involved in the murder. It is believed the individual may frequent the Cities of Oxnard and Ventura in Ventura County.

Anyone who has information is urged to contact Robbery-Homicide Detectives Salaam Abdul or Louis Zorrilla at 213-485-2135. After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD. Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD website. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
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