Northwest briefly: Deputy in cell assault won’t be tried again
Published 9:52 pm Friday, July 9, 2010
SEATTLE — After two mistrials in the case of a King County deputy accused of assaulting a shoe-kicking teen in a holding cell, prosecutors have decided not to have a third trial.
The King County prosecutor’s office said Friday another trial of Paul Schene is unwarranted.
The first jury deadlocked in January at 11-1 to convict. The second jury was split last week 11-1 to acquit.
The November 2008 beating of 15-year-old Malika Calhoun was caught on a SeaTac jail surveillance video and led to the fourth-degree assault charge. Schene also was fired last year for using excessive force.
The beating has also been condemned in courtroom appearances by Christopher Monfort, who is charged with the Halloween killing of Seattle officer Timothy Brenton of Marysville.
Seattle: Copter wreckage recovered
The Coast Guard is recovering the wreckage of one of its Jayhawk helicopters that crashed into water off the Washington coast, killing three of the four crewman.
Petty Officer Nathan Bradshaw in Seattle said two of the four major pieces were lifted out Friday morning and recovery work is continuing. The debris is being taken to a Coast Guard station at nearby La Push. Fog had hampered work Thursday.
Bradshaw said it will be some time before Coast Guard officials declare a cause of Wednesday’s crash. Witnesses say the copter was flying low and hit power lines at James Island.
The Sitka, Alaska-based crew was flying the copter from Astoria, Ore. The survivor is in a Seattle hospital with a broken arm and leg.
Parkland: Search on for missing teen
The Pierce County sheriff’s office is looking for a missing 16-year-old Parkland girl.
Candra Goggans was last seen by her family in the early morning hours of Monday. She was reported missing after she failed to arrive for a driving school lesson and her job. Goggans is a black female, 5-foot-5, 130 pounds. She has no history of running away.
Longview: Smoking in parks banned
The Longview City Council has approved a ban on smoking in city parks.
The Daily News reported that the ban passed on a 4-2 vote Thursday. The ban also includes chewing tobacco.
New rules usually take effect 30 days from after adoption. The ordinance has a two-year sunset clause, which means the council can kill the ban if it proves unenforceable.
From Herald news services
The new city ordinance also includes five parks that will have yet-to-be-determined designated smoking and chewing areas.
Olympia: Virginia teen killed in crash
A 16-year-old from Ashburn, Va., was killed in a collision involving three vehicles at an intersection in Thurston County near Olympia.
The Washington State Patrol said Zachary Reid was a passenger in a car that was attempting a left turn Thursday night when it was struck by a pickup truck, which also struck another car.
Four other people were injured and taken to a hospital in Olympia.
Vancouver, Wash.: Prosecutors to dismiss 1993 La Center rape charges
Clark County prosecutors plan to officially dismiss charges against two men whose 1993 rape convictions were vacated by a judge.
Superior Court Judge Diane Woolard ruled in April that new DNA testing shows Alan Northrop and Larry Davis were not at the scene of the crime in La Center.
The pending dismissal follows weeks of investigation by the prosecution to try and explain the new DNA evidence.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Fairgrieve told The Columbian newspaper the charges will be officially dropped at a court hearing Wednesday.
Northrop and Davis were both sentenced to more than 20 years in prison following their convictions.
Stevenson: Boulders trap boy on Washougal River
A LifeFlight helicopter transported a 14-year-old boy to a Vancouver, Wash., hospital after a swimming accident on the upper Washougal River.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said Friday the boy from Wilsonville, Ore., got his leg trapped between boulders in the river below Dougan Falls. The water reached to the boy’s nose and bystanders had to hold his head up to keep him from drowning.
Bystanders and rescuers were eventually able to free the boy.
The boy’s name and his condition have not been released.
Friday’s incident happened less than 24 hours after a 16-year-old Wilsonville boy drowned near Sweet Home, Ore.
Spokane: E. coli found in tap water at raceway
Visitors to Spokane County Raceway have been advised to drink bottled water because E. coli has been detected in the tap water of an employee bathroom.
There have been no confirmed reports of sickness related to E. coli, but the health warning is likely to extend through next week
Health officials say visitors should not use racetrack water for drinking, washing hands or preparing food.
Bottled water is available at the raceway and fans can bring their own beverages. Hand sanitizers will be provided.
Tacoma: 95 pounds of cocaine seized
Fife police say they seized nearly 95 pounds of cocaine Thursday night after a high-speed chase.
The Tacoma News Tribune reported two men were arrested in connection with the drug bust, which happened while officers were working on a prostution sting.
Police say that officers noticed a vehicle blocking a lane of traffic on a street near a truck stop. They saw a man emerge from nearby bushes with a duffel bag and put it in the vehicle. The man collected two more large duffel bags.
When the officers approached the vehicle, the car took off and a pursuit began. The chase ended when the suspect vehicle turned into a dead end and its two occupants ran off. They were caught by police shortly after.
Inside the car, police found about 95 pounds of cocaine after obtaining a search warrant.
Wenatchee: Search on for missing hiker
The search continued Friday for a hiker missing since Tuesday on Mount Cashmere in central Washington.
Chelan County sheriff’s Lt. Maria Agnew said about two dozen people on the ground and a helicopter are searching for 54-year-old Mark Swenson of Soap Lake.
Agnew said if he is not found the search will likely continue this weekend.
Toppenish: Girl walking to summer school raped
Police investigating a reported rape found marijuana plants growing at a house in Toppenish.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported a teenage girl said she was on her way to summer school Wednesday when she was dragged into the house and raped. She was later able to run away.
Officers arrested a suspect and booked four other men into jail on drug charges.
Blaine: Man tries to ram through U.S. border
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer fired shots at a man who rammed a barricade after speeding through the U.S. border crossing in Blaine.
The Bellingham Herald reported the shots did not hit the man, who was first contacted by officers when he got into the frequent traveler lane at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine Friday morning.
When customs agents approached the man, he refused to turn off the 1991 Plymouth Voyager’s engine and was evasive in answering questions. The man suddenly stepped on the accelerator and rammed through the gate, swerved around other traffic but crashed into a barricade. The customs officer fired two shots as the van drove off.
The man fled, but was later spotted by a Border Patrol helicopter and was arrested by agents.
He was not immediately identified.
Lakewood: Man drowns in American Lake
A young man drowned Thursday night in American Lake at Lakewood.
The News Tribune of Tacoma reported firefighters were called about 8:30 p.m. for a missing swimmer.
Friends say he had jumped from a boat to swim to shore but didn’t make it.
Police and fire divers located the man’s body in 12 feet of water.
Richland: City breaks ground on solar power test project
Tri-Cities officials broke ground Thursday on a solar power demonstration project in Richland.
The city will spend $350,000 for 15 solar dishes that are expected to generate enough electricity by this fall to power eight homes.
The solar power generating system is made by the Kennewick company, Infinia. CEO J.D. Sitton told the Tri-City Herald the project should show the Infinia PowerDish technology is commercially viable. He said the Hanford nuclear reservation gets enough sunlight to generate power equal to 16 nuclear power plants.
Oregon: Portland Coast Guard captain relieved of command
The captain of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Portland has been relieved of his command because he used a government computer to view unauthorized websites, some pornographic.
The Coast Guard said Friday that Capt. Fredrick G. Myer will be reassigned to a lesser role for now and further disciplinary action may be taken after the investigation is complete.
Capt. Leonard R. Tumbarello has been assigned sector commander. He is currently the deputy of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Seattle.
From Herald news services
