Any opinion on Matt Sullivans arrest?

[bobbbiez]

Sorry, but I'm really giggling at the people who are trying to make points, "because he's a cop."

"Because he's a cop," is the reason the OD is over publicizing this story. Come on people, get real. I know and I'm positive you know people who have done far worse when it comes to receiving a DWI. Some have even been involved in accidents before being arrested. Within an hour they're back home. Sure it might make the papers but I'll guarantee you it won't be on the front page or will it make news for days to follow. You, the average person who commits the same crime and maybe worse will not sell papers for the OD, but "because he's a cop" will.

For you, that have any grips against any officer of the law who you know their actions are unbecoming a law enforcer, I suggest, you take it to the attention of the officer's supervisor and further up if you're not satisfied with the results. I'm kind of sick of hearing you bitch about things you're not willing to pursue.
I know if it was me, and most who know me will verify, I wouldn't stop bitching until I got some damn good results. I don't care who it's against.

[frankcor]

Call me old fashioned, but I tend to believe justice will be served. I say that despite my earlier prediction. I found this interesting story while researching Sullivan's case: New York State Police Troop C scandal. Be sure to read the part about the CIA interview. It provides some faith in the goodness of most people in power.

The guilty parties received some pretty stiff sentences in this case.

[Clipper]

The state police are a proud agency. When one of their own commits a minor offense, I am sure they are capable of covering it and taking care of it internally, but when someone makes front page news and puts a black mark on the integrity of the entire state police force, I am sure that he will be prosecuted and disciplined vigorously, with no cover up.

I have to agree with you Frank. I don't think anyone is going to skate away from this incident unscathed.

[Clipper]

McNamara is going to arraign Sullivan in front of the JP tonight and ask that the case be given over to the grand jury. That is a smart move, and I am sure that EVERYONE will get a fair shake under that scenario.

The "trial by media" will be hard to keep out of the minds of the grand jury, but at least they will have the issue decided by a fair and impartial group. I wonder if it is possible for him to ask for a change of venue or for the grand jury to be picked only from those not familiar with the news stories?

I imagine that part of the reason for the way it is being handled is because Judge Cannon was a friend of Matt's deceased father, and although he is very fair and unbiased, he most likely doesn't want to rule on the case for fear of looking conflicted. Cannon is VERY fair and unbiased. This is a good move for all involved.

The OD comment section is ON FIRE! LOL. It is like Topix again. If ya want to read it, ya better be quick before someone says something about Andy Donovan's case and they take down the comment section again.

[denise]

Mar 3, 2009 13:13:10 GMT -5 bobbbiez said:

For you, that have any grips against any officer of the law who you know their actions are unbecoming a law enforcer, I suggest, you take it to the attention of the officer's supervisor and further up if you're not satisfied with the results. I'm kind of sick of hearing you bitch about things you're not willing to pursue.
I know if it was me, and most who know me will verify, I wouldn't stop bitching until I got some damn good results. I don't care who it's against.

Interesting point.

We had a terrible incident in Watertown a few years ago that resulted in a Watertown Police Officer going to jail after several incidents involving his girlfriend went unpunished. This all finally ended when the now former police officer located his former girlfriend at a male friend's house, climbed a ladder carrying a loaded gun and shot the male several times. The victim is lucky he is alive.

Too bad the department didn't choose to address the complaints when the prior incidents were reported. Maybe things would not have escalated to the events and outcome that it did, and maybe the Watertown Police Department wouldn't be involved in a law suit at the present time. Maybe the former police officer wouldn't be sitting in jail right now.

For anyone who is interested, here are some links.

www.flickr.com/photos/tacoma_taser/33272765/

nnyfollies.blogspot.com/2006/07/thin-blue-line.html

nyoidv.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html

[gearofzanzibar]

Sullivan is going to walk.

Okay, he might end up paying a fine for speeding.

[Clipper]

I don't know about that Gear. Looking at the picture on the OD homepage, he looks like hell. This is really taking a toll on him as is evidenced by the hollow eyes and pale complexion. I don't think he has slept since the indident by the way he looks. I guess you don't see the confident personna you are used to. He looks like a whipped puppy that just wants it over with.

I will be really surprised if he doesn't lose his job, and pay some major money in fines. I would also not be surprised to see him put on house arrest, seeing as how he wanted to lock himself in his house on the night of the arrest.

I guess if it goes to the grand jury, it will be decided in a fair manner. I doubt that he will get much slack when tried in court if he is indicted on several charges by the grand jury. Much will depend on how much the arresting officer sticks to his guns and follows through. If they can back the officer off, they can play with the charges, but that officer's integrity is on the line now too. They can't make him look like an ass.

[bobbbiez]

Denise, question for you. Why didn't the threatened parties report all these incidents to the State Commission of Investigation while all this was taking place? Why was all reported after the fact?

I CAN NOT COMPREHEND why anyone would not take action if nothing locally was being done. There is always a division in government that one can contact if local authorities are not doing the proper thing and that goes for any department. If that was happening to me or a member of my family or even a friend I would not hesitate for one minute to contact someone higher then the locals. Believe me, I have done that myself in helping a friend against the city of Utica and we did get action and results.

I don't think anyone is that naive to confess that incidents like this don't happen but I have to believe people would know enough to fight to get justice for themselves and not after the fact. Especially in domestic abuse cases which seems to get a lot of attention today and rightfully so.

I have listed this website before, policelink.com, and even though it is about police all over the nation, it is not one sided and gives all info concerning "everything" that is happening with our law enforcers. They point out the bad and the good and does give the general public information on many different agencies.

As in any avenue of work there will always be some bad which the good does not want to be part of. I will only repeat what I said earlier. You or anyone else as citizens, if you know someone is doing wrong, has to report it until the right action is taken and don't stop until you get the justice you seek. Plenty have done just that, including myself, and have succeeded what was once against all odds.

[dgriffin]

Mar 3, 2009 0:44:08 GMT -5 Clipper said:

LOL. Are you stirring the pot again David?? I didn't mean to insult Gear or infer that he was a "heartless bastard" LOL.

I meant ... ahem ... Gear is a heartless bastard because he has suspended CNY Snakepit.

[lefty]

This case is getting as much press if not more than a double homicide!!

[denise]

Mar 4, 2009 1:11:06 GMT -5 bobbbiez said:

Denise, question for you. Why didn't the threatened parties report all these incidents to the State Commission of Investigation while all this was taking place? Why was all reported after the fact?

I CAN NOT COMPREHEND why anyone would not take action if nothing locally was being done. There is always a division in government that one can contact if local authorities are not doing the proper thing and that goes for any department. If that was happening to me or a member of my family or even a friend I would not hesitate for one minute to contact someone higher then the locals. Believe me, I have done that myself in helping a friend against the city of Utica and we did get action and results.

I don't think anyone is that naive to confess that incidents like this don't happen but I have to believe people would know enough to fight to get justice for themselves and not after the fact. Especially in domestic abuse cases which seems to get a lot of attention today and rightfully so.

I have listed this website before, policelink.com, and even though it is about police all over the nation, it is not one sided and gives all info concerning "everything" that is happening with our law enforcers. They point out the bad and the good and does give the general public information on many different agencies.

As in any avenue of work there will always be some bad which the good does not want to be part of. I will only repeat what I said earlier. You or anyone else as citizens, if you know someone is doing wrong, has to report it until the right action is taken and don't stop until you get the justice you seek. Plenty have done just that, including myself, and have succeeded what was once against all odds.

It was a city council person who ordered the investigation through the State Commission after the history of the matter came into public view. I am not sure what channels the young girl and her family attempted to use in order to lasso in Officer Vanwaldick. I don't recall if all the facts of that matter ever came into public after the state completed their investigation. Still, it doesn't say much for any department that would allow one of their officers stalk, harrass and kidnap an individual.

I guess the Bottom Line is that one need to walk a few miles in someone shoes before going into Monday Morning Quarterback mode.

I am sorry that it is a true fact that police protect their own in situations when they should not. No one is above the law, and many times the people who get hurt are those that the law enforcement swore to protect. I also know first-hand that you can continue to report crimes and non-results to this, that and the other agency but if the looney-tune is being protected, no one is going to touch it. I took off my rose colored glasses on this one a long time ago!!

[lilbump1980]

Kathy Donovan should have made a big article of her son's incident last year. But no lets just run every other person who makes a mistake. Thank god he didnt kill anyone or himself. I am not going to lie there have been times I or my fiance should not have driven home.. THank god we didnt hurt anyone or ourselves. But this man has no proor offenses.. Like others that have been in the paper.. that is just my opinon.

[bobbbiez]

Denise, you're listening but not hearing. No one is wearing rose colored glasses. No one is condoning any officer that does wrong or is disagreeing with you. I simply stated that when an officer does wrong he will be facing much more then the common citizen doing the same whether it be in the news or when he is sent to jail or to prison. That is fact proven most times. The bad are made an example of.

If you read the Utica paper a few months ago one of my dear neighbors was stabbed on my street by a druggie requiring a hospital stay and over 26 stitches to close the wound. It was no front page news and I will guarantee you, will that druggie spend half the time in prison the officer you brought up will have to do.

Please don't ever think that someone hasn't walked a mile in others shoes and just maybe walked more miles. I'm not going to vent my personal life with you but I will tell you this. Twenty eight years ago I and my family took on a whole town similar to Watertown not to far from Utica because of their negligence resulting in the tragic death of two of my family members. It was a very long battle and very frustrating but we pursued the avenues we needed to get justice. We succeeded in bringing those guilty parties to justice but the headlines were not there to prove otherwise but that didn't matter to us.

What I learned for that horrible experience is to put all that bitter energy I was feeling into doing things to ensure it didn't happen to anyone else. That was my suggestion to you or anyone else that holds any animosity towards law enforcement. There are avenues one can take to prevent and protect you from any injustice. One has to take those avenues.

I will state this. For every bad cop then are many more out there every single day who dedicate their lives in protecting you. Those are the ones who are not given front page news. With or without rose colored glasses one can not deny that as fact.

I hope you and others take my advice. It is the only way improvements and justice for all can be obtained.

Now, back to the topic.

[bobbbiez]

Lefty, I am in total agreement with you. This story about Sullivan is getting pretty damn ridiculous.

I just read in (Tuesday) yesterday's OD about a man in Ilion arrested for the same "exact" charges and it's this little article in the local section. No history given on the man, no big headlines and it didn't reappear in today's paper.

Give me a freaking break! Point proven.

[dgriffin]

WKTV now reporting that his lawyer says Sullivan was stopped, NOT arrested, and continued home. He called others for advice and then took himself to the barracks, where he was then arrested. He evidently felt himself free to leave the scene, because he was not arrested. And the arraignment was postponed today because the Breathalyzer report was not available. Sort of strange.

www.wktv.com/news/local/40683987.html