Gordonsville police officer Emerson Brown failed to come home from work on Friday, October 10th. When he didn’t turn up, an expensive, intensive search was launched. Searchers found him early Monday morning in Fredericksburg, where police reported that he had not been kidnapped, and that his gun was missing. What had led him to Gordonsville was unknown, but the Orange County Sheriff was more worried about missing service weapon, which the sheriff said had not been “forcibly taken” taken from him. Now the sheriff has launched an investigation, and Officer Brown is saying that he was on a private mission to find two people that had stolen his gun at gunpoint. (Presumably, that’s two different guns.) Nobody’s buying his story, and he’s been suspended from the force. No charges have been filed yet. Two points to the first person who connects Officer Brown to ex-deputy Stephen Shiflett.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
four six and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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I won`t "connect" on the obvious but I observe:
The Freedom of Information act in Gordonsville must contain different provisions than the local one (LOL). The information in this case is coming from all sides.
I cannot understand why the hue and cry and expenditure of funds in locating an off-duty police officer. The police don`t seem to get this excited over a "regular" citizen disappearance, at least early on, and IMHO an "off-duty" cop has the same status (I know they still have powers of arrest, etc – we all have). If an employee of mine was absent I doubt if the police would do much for a few days.We all have the right to "disappear".
To venture deeply into the causes of these incidents (and I lump them) there seems to be a desire for attention and praise. Perhaps there is something lacking in the general appreciation and psychological oversight of the local police forces . I am speaking of the police supervisory authority oversight. God knows the job is thankless enough and deserves regular recognition by supervisors. This thinking is of course speculative on my part.
The frustration must run especially high when, as in recent cases, good, hard evidence is presented and convictions are absent.
It is my experience that officers of the law — be they policemen, attorneys, judges — do not have enough oversight put upon them to keep them honest. How many times have you seen a cop doing 80 mph in a 55 mph zone, chewing on a Big Mac? Yet should you be so bold as to be going 66 mph within a cop’s 55 mph end-of-month quota zone, it’s like you’ve been really bad. First they fine you, then the insurance company hikes your premiums, lastly the DMV may get on the bandwagon also, possibly revoking your driver’s license and potentially affecting your livelihood. They all descend for the feeding frenzy. It doesn’t matter whether everyone else were also doing over 65: It was you who was caught and you weren’t in a police cruiser to immunize you.
Who has not heard the stories of judges getting off lightly where the common man would have been severely penalized?
How does this connect with the story? People need to realize democracy isn’t the same as equality. That a “free society” doesn’t mean you’re encouraged to think freely. And that America is far less idealistic than it pretends to be. And in this case, that cops are thought to be far more valuable than the rest of us.
He’s baaack!
This calls for wild speculation. Obviously he shot someone, ditched the gun, and fled town so he could claim he wasnt there.
Two words we all must consider here; Alien Abduction.