There is some new “News” in the South Metro but very little that’s worth an entire post so I figured I would give everyone a small taste of some tidbits that have shown up since yesterday that you might want to check out yourselves:

1. Deputy Joshua Williams, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Deputy who killed Billy Wallace when he cut across several lanes of traffic and clipped Wallce’s motorcycle while en route to a domestic disturbance call in Farmington without his emergency lights or siren activated, was convicted of “careless driving” in Scott County.

2. The Metropolitan Council has sweetened the Lakeville transit deal with an offer for $24 million in improvements to the I-35 and Cedar Ave transit corridors. Enhancements would include adding another HOV lane from Burnsville Pkwy to “The Split”, construction of a larger park and ride at the current location near Kenrick and 167th, peak hour bus routes planned and another park and ride further down Cedar between 179th and 185th. Lakeville will be holding a public open house on April 29th to discuss the deal.

3. Two people were arrested for fatally wounding a 22 year old Prior Lake man during a hit and run that occurred back in early April.

4. Two South Metro students were expelled for purchasing replica swords on a choir trip to the UK. Some believe the punishment is too severe but administrators believe it was necessary to keep up their zero tolerance policy on weapons.

The Star Tribune talked about a drunken Lakeville police officer who was charged for video taping two underage girls and providing them with alcohol but that doesn’t really go into as great of detail as the Dakota County criminal complaint which you can find in PDF here but just for fun here’s the important stuff in text format:

On January 10, 2008, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation based upon a report that a Lakeville police officer had provided alcohol to two minor females. During the investigation, I was able to identify both females, and took recorded statements from them. I interviewed the first of the two minor females on January 10, 2008. This person, hereafter witness #1, stated that she was born in 1990, and was a 17-year-old high school student. Witness #1 stated that she recalled an incident that took place on December 22, 2007 during which she drank alcohol at the residence of a person she knew as “Nick,” a person later identified as Nicholas Albert Reitmeier, the above-named defendant. She stated that Reitmeier was a Lakeville police officer. She said that she knew he was a police officer, because she noticed a shirt in a closet in his home which had the Lakeville police insignia on it when she was using the bathroom.

Witness #1 stated that on the night of December 22, 2007 she was with a female friend, witness #2, also a 17-year-old female, when a friend of witness #2 contacted them and invited them to Reitmeier’s house in Lakeville. Witness #1 thought they arrived around 12:30 a.m., which would have been on December 23, 2008. Witness #1 stated that after she put her coat away, she returned to the kitchen, and Reitmeier took out two “40s” from his refrigerator. She explained that a “40” was a 40-ounce beer. Reitmeier gave each of them a “40.” She said after drinking the beer, she and her friend drank what she described as martinis, which were made with in a silver shaker. Witness #1 stated that Reitmeier and his male friend appeared to have been drinking before the two females arrived.

Witness #1 stated that Reitmeier had asked both females more than once how old they were. Witness #1 stated that she told him, “old enough,” and Reitmeier laughed at that. Witness #1 admitted that at one point she wore one of the shirts that had a Lakeville police logo on it. Witness #1 stated that Reitmeier’s friend, later identified as Shin Taniguchi, knew that witness #2 went to high school, because Taniguchi was acquainted with witness #2. Witness#1 believed that Taniguchi used a video camera or some device that recorded videos.

Witness #1 stated that she and witness #2 began kissing and she believed that Reitmeier and his friend took pictures of them. Witness #1 recalled that Reitmeier obtained a silver camera from his bedroom. She also recalled being on the floor and kissing witness #2, when she noticed Reitmeier taking a picture with a camera. Witness #1 stated that both she and witness #2 had their shirts off at the time but were still wearing their bras.

Witness #2 was interviewed on the same date. Witness #2 stated that she was 17 years-old and was a high school student. Witness #2 stated that this incident had happened on December 22, 2007. She said she knew one of the males as Shin Taniguchi. She said that Taniguchi knew that she was in high school, since the two were well acquainted. Witness #2 stated that it was Taniguchi who had invited the two females over to the Lakeville residence.

Witness #2 stated that when they arrived at the Lakeville residence, both males were waiting outside, and had their shirts off. Witness #2 stated that once they were inside the residence, she and her friend were each given a beer, which she described as a 40-ounce bottle of Bud Light beer. Witness #2 stated that it was the male who owned the house that handed them each a beer, who was later determined to be Reitmeier. Witness #2 stated that the homeowner asked the females how old they were, but Taniguchi stated that it did not matter. Witness #2 stated that they were also each given mixed drinks which consisted of vodka and margarita mix, prepared in a shaker. Witness #2 stated she thought she had two or three of those drinks. She stated that the homeowner was the one who had mixed those drinks.

Witness #2 further said that she and witness #1 were kissing in the kitchen and at one time she had her shirt off, but not her bra. She said both witness #1 and herself eventually had their shirts off. She stated that both the male homeowner and Taniguchi were taking photos, but she was unsure whether the photos were taken with cell phones or cameras. Witness #2 believed that videos were also taken, because an acquaintance of Taniguchi later commented to her about the seeing the videos.

A check with the Lakeville Police Department revealed that Nicholas Reitmeier was a patrol officer with the Lakeville Police Department. On January 11, 2008, detectives from the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the home of Reitmeier in Lakeville, Dakota County, Minnesota. Reitmeier was present at the time, and when asked if he knew why the deputies were there, stated, “I think so.” He went on to say that his friend Shin had told him that detectives had been at Shin’s place of employment the previous evening looking for Shin.

During the execution of the search warrant, I located a Sony-brand Cyber Shot camera, various brands of vodka, a martini shaker, and a computer in the residence. A forensic analysis of the computer resulted in the discovery of a number of still photographs, and four videos which had been downloaded. Many of the still photographs and all four videos depicted witness #1 and witness #2. The videos showed the two 17-year-olds kissing and one placing her hand on the breast of the other. Some of the still photographs showed Taniguchi and another female possessing handguns in Reitmeier’s house. In several of the photographs the individuals were pointing the handguns at each other, at themselves, and at the person taking the photograph. Reitmeier appeared in one of the still photographs pointing a gun at himself while standing next to Taniguchi. The handguns in the photographs appeared to be a black Glock semiautomatic pistol and a silver .357 magnum handgun, which were located in Reitmeier’s home and vehicle during the execution of the search warrant. Forensic analysis of the photographs involving the handguns indicated that they were taken on the same date, December 23, 2007

Later on January 11, 2008, I went to the business where Shin Taniguchi worked, and executed a second search warrant in order to obtain his cellular telephone. I did obtain a Motorola Razr cell phone from him. Taniguchi also gave a recorded statement. He stated that he and Reitmeier had been at some bars on the night of December 22, 2007. He stated that at some point he sent a text message to a female friend of his, witness #2, and she and a female friend came to Reitmeier’s house. He claimed that the two females had taken beers out of the refrigerator, and denied that he or Reitmeier drank any alcohol with the young women. He acknowledged knowing that witness #2 was 17 years old.

Taniguchi admitted taking a video of the two females with the Motorola Razr phone. He said he took four or five 60-second videos. He said one of the videos showed the two females with their shirts off, just wearing their bras. He also admitted showing the videos to one person with whom he worked. He acknowledged that during this incident the two females were on the floor kissing, and he observed them touching each other’s breasts. He also stated that Reitmeier could have been taking pictures as well.

On January 14, 2008 I obtained a voluntary statement from the person to whom Taniguchi showed the videos. The co-worker stated that Shin Taniguchi showed him three videos of two young women kissing and fondling each other. He recognized one of them as witness #2, whom he knew. He said that he had been to the home of Nicholas Reitmeier previously, and said that he could tell that the videos were taken in Reitmeier’s kitchen.

OFFENSES
COUNT I – USE OF A MINOR IN A PORNOGRAPHIC DEPICTION, PHOTOGRAPH OR VIDEO
COUNT II – POSSESSION OF A PORNOGRAPHIC DEPICTION, PHOTOGRAPH OR VIDEO INVOLVING MINORS
COUNT III – PERSONS UNDER AGE 21; ILLEGAL ACTS
COUNT IV – PERSONS UNDER AGE 21; ILLEGAL ACTS
COUNT V – RECKLESS USE OF A GUN (AIDING AND ABETTING)
COUNT VI – INTENTIONALLY POINTING A GUN AT ANOTHER (AIDING AND ABETTING)

Don’t forget that you can stay up to date on all the recent Dakota County criminal complaints in text format here.

From the South metro police blotter on the StarTribune. See the original (until the link dies) here.

On March 15th, a kid ignored his mother’s advice and almost froze like that:

Medical. Officer Karen Shaw received a call of a medical emergency at a residence. Upon arrival, Shaw found an 18-year-old man laying on the floor in the living room. “His head was cocked at an odd angle and he told me he was in pain and his neck was stuck in that position,” Shaw said. The man said, “I was talking on the telephone for a long time and my neck is now stuck in this position.”

On March 17th, someone fucked up their car and then people tried to help by picking up the car. I’m not sure what hurt worse:

Auto accident. Officer Karen Shaw was called to a problem with an automobile on a private road in front of Taco Bell. When Shaw arrived, the woman who had been driving the vehicle was standing next to it. A 12-foot pothole had developed and the woman drove into it and couldn’t get her car out. Bystanders had tried to lift the car out of the pothole. A tow truck removed the car. Code enforcement officers are working with the property owner to get the pothole repaired.

Sometime during the week of March 7th and 14th, this guy was just waiting to get on the interstate, why, what did you think he was doing?

Drunk driving. Sergeant Chad Hagen was on patrol late at night when he located a vehicle sitting at a green light at the intersection of 185th Street and County Road 50. The vehicle sat at the green light through the entire cycle and didn’t proceed, so Hagen activated his emergency lights on his squad car and walked up to the car to check on the driver. When he approached the driver, he asked what he was doing. The driver replied, “Just waiting to get on the interstate. Why, what are you doing?” Hagen detected the odor of alcohol and asked the driver to step out of the car to perform a field sobriety test. The driver failed the test and recorded over twice the legal limit. The driver was arrested and taken to jail.