Saugus cop quits, taped stealing gun

W

wolf223

[hmmm] OMG. why?


http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2009/02/20/news/news01.txt

Saugus cop quits, taped stealing gun

By Dan O'Brien / The Daily Item

SAUGUS - One town police officer has resigned and another is on paid administrative leave in the wake of two internal investigations that have shaken the police department, The Item has learned.

Jason LaBella, 25, of Saugus, sent a letter of resignation to Police Chief Domenic DiMella on Thursday, DiMella confirmed. LaBella, who has been a patrolman for fewer than two years, is facing a criminal larceny charge in Woburn after he was allegedly caught on video tape stealing a handgun from a member of the Mass. Rifle Association, a Woburn-based gun club.

DiMella also confirmed that Lt. Howard Wheeler, 57, of Saugus, has been placed on paid administrative leave after he was allegedly involved in a fight with two other men, including a former auxiliary police officer, outside the Fox Hill Yacht Club on Jan. 24. Wheeler, the commanding officer for the 1-to-9 a.m. overnight shift, has been with the department nearly 32 years and was the second highest-paid town employee in 2008, earning a base salary of $145,801 and an additional $11,634 in road details totaling $157,435.

In the case of LaBella, Woburn police spokesman Detective Ralph Coakley declined to release the video tape that allegedly shows LaBella stealing the gun. However, DiMella said Thursday that he has seen the tape and positively identified the suspect as LaBella. According to a Woburn police report, Detective Fred Forni also viewed the tape and positively identified LaBella.

LaBella, a 2001 Saugus High School graduate who lives at 26 Orcutt Ave., did not return a phone call for comment Thursday.

According to LaBella's Facebook.com page, which features photos of him socializing with Revere police officer Michael Prochilo, he is a six-year Army combat veteran, a self-described "adrenaline junkie" who plays drums for a rock band.

LaBella was given the option to resign this week and faced termination if he did not do so. LaBella handed DiMella a one-sentence letter on Thursday.

"It said, 'Effective immediately I resign from the Saugus Police Department,'" DiMella said. "It's a felony charge, so absolutely I have to take swift action."

When asked how Thursday's meeting went, DiMella said, "It was not pleasant. It never is."

According to a Woburn police report, a member of the Mass. Rifle Association contacted police Jan. 22 after noticing a 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson handgun with five bullets inside went missing at an earlier date. A member had placed it inside a pouch on a counter in the firing range.

The video allegedly shows LaBella pick up the pouch, walk outside the building then return without the pouch approximately 30 seconds later.

LaBella had signed in two other men as guests at the time of the theft and their identities are unknown, but they are not Saugus police officers, according to DiMella.

LaBella was contacted by Woburn detectives Jan. 29 and he agreed to meet them at the Woburn police station. However, once inside, he allegedly refused to be interviewed and told the investigators, "I'm a Saugus cop."

About two hours later, he called back the Woburn detectives saying there was a "misunderstanding" and blamed the theft on the two guests he brought into the gun club, according to the police report.

In the meantime, Saugus police officials placed LaBella on administrative suspension and yanked his license to carry a firearm.

Woburn and Saugus detectives went to LaBella's home on Jan. 29 and retrieved the stolen, loaded handgun from underneath the back seat of his truck, police said.

LaBella was not arrested but has been summonsed to Woburn District Court on a single charge of larceny of a firearm. He is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 25.

DiMella says State Police are handling the investigation of Wheeler to avoid a conflict of interest.

Lynn District Court officials and DiMella confirm that the person involved the alleged confrontation has filed an assault and battery claim against Wheeler in district court and that Wheeler also filed a cross complaint of assault and battery. A hearing into the complaints is scheduled to take place March 11.

DiMella says he's not able to fully comment on the investigation, but said a fight allegedly occurred in the Fox Hill club parking lot between Wheeler and two other men at about 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. He said police were not called to respond to the fight, but were informed about it around the time complaints were sought in district court.

DiMella said none of the three men were seriously injured.

When asked if Wheeler has ever been in trouble with the department before now, DiMella answered, "None whatsoever."

In September 1985, Wheeler's truck was set on fire and his house was almost set on fire by a teenager who he arrested for drunken driving a few days earlier and three others.

The chief said that, unlike LaBella's case in which he was charged with a felony crime, Wheeler hasn't officially been charged yet. If a judge finds there is enough cause to charge Wheeler, he would only be charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, which would make it unlikely for him to be terminated, DiMella said.

"There is a whole progression of discipline that I could go to for (Wheeler)," he said. "I would probably consult with the attorneys to see what the punishment would be for a (violation) like that. There's a whole spectrum of options."

Those options include a verbal warning, written warning, out-of-work suspensions or even termination, he said.

"It was an unfortunate incident, both were, but the organization is the most important thing," DiMella said.

Item reporter Chris Stevens contributed to this report.
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Cop hater! [wink]

Not only does this idiot steal someone elses property, but when caught he tries to pass the buck to his buddies.....what a scumbag.

I'd like to see this kid end up in Middleton for a few...I'm sure a self-professed "adrenaline junkie" cop has plenty of old friends up there...
 
As for the one that got in a fight, that probably could have happened to anyone. Not sure who started it but hopefully it wasn't the other guy starting the fight and pressing charges after he found out he was a cop.
 
I would love to see the followup story on this situation. I am sure more facts will be brought to the table but as of now all i can say is WTF
 
Hmmm, no unsafe storage charge?

"Woburn and Saugus detectives went to LaBella's home on Jan. 29 and retrieved the stolen, loaded handgun from underneath the back seat of his truck, police said."

Why?
 
If a judge finds there is enough cause to charge Wheeler, he would only be charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, which would make it unlikely for him to be terminated, DiMella said.
Click to expand...

So, it's OK for a police officer to commit a misdemeanor and still be an officer of the law and possess a firearm? I guess it's the LEO double standard.
 
Wheeler, the commanding officer for the 1-to-9 a.m. overnight shift, has been with the department nearly 32 years and was the second highest-paid town employee in 2008, earning a base salary of $145,801 and an additional $11,634 in road details totaling $157,435.
Click to expand...

[rofl] That's a pretty reasonable salary. [rofl] I can't imagine how much the tax payers are going to pay for his retirement.
 
Does this stolen gun disturb anyone like it is disturbing me? He stole the gun, but left it in his truck. He didn't take it out and put it in his safe, or even bring it inside his place and "make it his". Could he have been taking this for an untraceable throw away piece?

Yeah, I know, I am a cop hater for asking the question... [rolleyes] The question needs to be asked. There is no reason that a guy who is a cop needed to steal an already cheap firearm unless he is a compulsive clepto.
 
Wow this is a shock. I live in Saugus and my brother is good friends with Jason. This is a shocker. But the police department here are a bunch of jokes (with the exception of a few) so it doesnt surprise me.
 
jay_chris said:
same here.

i'd bet a 100 rounds of ammo he'll get probation and a job at Square One Mall.
Click to expand...

Hey it would be a shame to ruin this kid's life over what was obviously an innocent and common lapse of judgement....boys WILL BE boys...

Besides, if he's put away that's one less person out there to clog up the courts and jails with kids busted for weed...u know, the REAL threats to society.
 
I'm not surprised by this one bit, I've seen cops with attitudes (and records) worse than this reject. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not a cop hater. I have the utmost respect for what cops do. Unfortunately, just like any profession, there are bad apples and these apples slip through the cracks far too often.
Oh and 145K base salary is pretty obscene, even for Eastern Mass.
 
LaBella was not arrested but has been summonsed to Woburn District Court on a single charge of larceny of a firearm
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Just curious, do you think one of us would not be arrested and just given a summons to court of we had been caught on videotape stealing a firearm?
 
on the salary:

don't all police officers in the surrounding cities make the same, if not more?

they do post the salaries that the city employees make every year. -why the outrage here?
 
Mr Weebles said:
Just curious, do you think one of us would not be arrested and just given a summons to court of we had been caught on videotape stealing a firearm?
Click to expand...

All that, and we would be charged with more than a single count of firearm larceny. I'm curious to see what the DA's office does with this case. I am a little bit happy, at least, because he was actually charged.
 
ipscdrl said:
Hmmm, no unsafe storage charge?

"Woburn and Saugus detectives went to LaBella's home on Jan. 29 and retrieved the stolen, loaded handgun from underneath the back seat of his truck, police said."

Why?
Click to expand...
He's an Only One?
Mr Weebles said:
Just curious, do you think one of us would not be arrested and just given a summons to court of we had been caught on videotape stealing a firearm?
Click to expand...
You're kidding, right?
 
I thought the same thing to myself. Seriously how much can any S&W 9mm cost. $500 or less like others have said.


I think there is more to the story. Stolen gun, puts it in his truck still loaded. Sounds to me like he might have had some other plans for sure. Probably a drop piece like others have said.
 
In terms of the second guy, it looks like there was a fight. That could happen to anyone. For the younger cop that was stupid enough to steal a firearm, I hope he gets pounded for that one.
Most cops are decent guys, but it only takes a few idiots like that one to make the cops look like a bunch of ignorant thugs. You're not going to remember the actions of the good guys - we only remember the cases like this. It's the same thing with gun owners in general. Most of us are normal, stand up people, and a few nutballs give all of us a bad name.

In terms of the salary, the second guy is the second highest paid in the dept, so I'm not that surprised by the salary. Publishing his salary in this article was done purely to piss people off, and had nothing to do with the story. It was not a relevant detail, but people would care more about a 145k/yr cop getting into an altercation than a 50k/yr cop getting in the same predicament.

In terms of salary, look at the company that you work for. Chances are, your boss makes more than you. And his/her boss makes more than that. And the money increases until you get to the CEO. If you don't like that the CEO makes more money than you do, quit bitching about it and work toward getting a job like his. If it was really easy to become a CEO, everyone would do it.

That police officer probably got to his current salary by working his way up through the organization. Even if you get a job at McDonald's, some people will shovel french fries for years, while another may eventually become a district manager. I'm not going to blame either one.

I live in Saugus and any of the officers I've met have been stand up guys, and few would be dumb enough to steal something, let alone a firearm, and then leave it loaded in his truck. It makes you wonder if he had a purpose for a gun that couldn't be traced back to him.
 

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