RIP Officer Blake
- Chicago police are searching for the killer of one of their own. A veteran SWAT team officer was found murdered inside his SUV Monday night.
The slain off-duty officer has been identified as 45-year-old David Blake, according to a release from the police department.
Officer Blake was a dedicated officer. Rest in Peace.
We will post arrangements when they become available.
UPDATE: Very bad rumors about this one. Leave them be for now.
UPDATE: Post altered slightly. Supposed to be a press conference shortly according to HQ. Stand by for stormy weather.
UPDATE: Visitation and Funeral Information
Waked at: A.R. Leak Funeral Home
7838 S. Cottage Grove
Chicago, Il. 60619
Sunday, Nov 28, 2010
1400 to 1700 hours
Funeral: Private
Interment: Private
We will post arrangements when they become available.
UPDATE: Very bad rumors about this one. Leave them be for now.
UPDATE: Post altered slightly. Supposed to be a press conference shortly according to HQ. Stand by for stormy weather.
UPDATE: Visitation and Funeral Information
Waked at: A.R. Leak Funeral Home
7838 S. Cottage Grove
Chicago, Il. 60619
Sunday, Nov 28, 2010
1400 to 1700 hours
Funeral: Private
Interment: Private
Labels: officer down
posted by SCC at 12:07 AM
96 Comments:
GOD bless us all!!! Let's pray!!!
I worked with Dave in SWAT. I wanted to say thanks to all the officers that lined the streets as officer Blake was brought to the M.E.'s office....what an incredible show of respect to a great brother of ours.
Rest in Peace, Brother.
Eddie Schak
May angels welcome David into heaven with open arms, and may his memory be eternal.
This is the "fifth (5th)" police officer killed in the LOD this year, not the 4th as reported by the media.
May the souls of Sgt. Haymaker, Officers Wortham, Soderberg, Bailey and Blake all rest in peace in the arms of our Lord... Amen.
My heartfelt sympathy for my fallen Brother Officer.My Soul is heavy with sadness. May you Rest in Peace.
Godspeed brother !!!!!
I worked with Dave. He was a prince. We will miss you.
Devastating all the way around.
Sincerest Sympathies for your co-workers and any other lives you touched along the way. RIP
DAVE. WAS A SOLID GUY AND A GREAT TEAMMATE. LINING UP TO PLAY FOOTBALL WONT BE THE SAME WITHOUT BROTHER. MAY YOU REST IN PEACE. TEWS#2
RIP Blake. God bless his blood family and family in BLUE.
Please don't forget officer Vasquez.
MAY HE R.I.P...
AND MAY GOD GIVE HIS FAMILY THE STRENGTH AND THE WISDOM TO ENDURE THEIR LOSS....
I just learned of the murder of SWAT Off. David Blake in 008. My prayers for David and my deepest condolences to his friends and loved ones.
Above all, stay safe, guys.
Please keep your letters coming and may all of you have a happy Thanksgiving. I'm with you in spirit.
WJC:jn
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
Rest easy brother.......
Cicero PD
RIP Brother !
Sad, rest in peace brother.
I don't care what rumors there might be. He joined the right team, fought the good fight, and died by the sword. From what I read he was an only child, and preceded in death by his parents. The CPD is his family, and I would hope everybody that can show their respects as his family do so.
RIP
R.I.P Brother
OT --
Chicago Police Save Wheelchair-Bound Woman From Fire
"It must be a harrowing time to be a Chicago cop, with this Monday's murder of David Blake marking the fourth officer killed off duty in the last six months.
"But at 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, officers Kristopher Krizka and Christopher Davis were able to get back to the best part of the job: saving lives.
"The two men were patrolling near the 7200 block of South Stony Island Avenue in the South Shore Tuesday night when they saw smoke billowing from the top of a two-and-a-half-story townhouse.
"They kicked in the door to the building, according to NBC Chicago, to find an elderly, wheelchair-bound woman apparently trapped inside.
"Krizka and Davis rescued the woman, and woke the other residents of the townhouse, alerting them to the danger. As the building burned, all 10 residents escaped unharmed."
(Watch video from the scene of their heroics below.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
/2010/11/24/chicago-police
-save-wheel_n_788096.html
Rest in Peace, Brother.
PO/CPD GSF member
TO the brothers and sisters in chicago our prayers are with u and with the blake family.
from SAN JUAN puerto rico police department
god bless !
May God watch over your family during this very difficult time. Please pray for Officer Blake's family.
R.I.P. Dave it's your turn too join our other brothers in blue and watch over us now thank you for your service
Officer Blake may have been a loner, but you can bet he took the extra shifts, worked dogged hours like everyone else here. He volunteered his time and gave his life, if not heart and soul to serve. Whatever the circumstances of his death, I hope proper and respectful protocol is followed " talkin to you shortshanks".
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
Bullshit! It was one of our own, preserving evidence to make sure everything is done right to bring the killer to justice IS paramount. So get off your Skull bandwagon and get over it.
Dave Blake was a very loyal dedicated officer, who only wanted to do the right thing. I am proud to have worked with Dave in 003 Tact. May God grant his eternal rest, and his friends and relatives peace.
Bill Kushner
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
It was the right thing to do, if an offender was ever going to be identified! It's a very hard decision, but the right decision. So stop being the monday morning quarterback from your house, it was hard on all of us involved.
They left him in the car while it was flatbedded are you fucking kidding me!
RIP Officer Blake
he procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
11/24/2010 10:53:00 AM
Please explain to everyone why it was a bad decision to transport the crime scene in an intact condition?
Your first clue should have been that j-fled was against it. No matter what you think about peterson he was a pretty good fucking homicide detective.
Dignity is a great luxury but comes in second to catching the bad guy.
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired.
----
Dignity? Solving his murder gives him dignity. Leaving the body in place was THE RIGHT DECISION.
By all accounts, this lovely man was a friend and team-mate to many, I didn;t have the priveledge of knowing him My condolences to his friends and teamates and family. Peace my brother.
the virginian has expressed the true feelings of most chicago police family members...we love our children and rejoice in their accomplishments and weep for their frailities....officer blake had many,many accomplishments in life...his service to this family of cpd should be honored...his killer will have to answer for his crime...we are all poorer today for the loss of a good man
LOD I thought this officer was off duty?
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired.
They did the right thing cry baby.
He volunteered his time and gave his life,
I thought this happened off duty.
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired.
Gutsy call, but the correct one.
I was wondering if they would leave the scene intact and transport with the deceased inside and process in private with all the time and privacy they needed.
That is the correct decision, catching the killer is the ultimate respect.
he procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
11/24/2010 10:53:00 AM
The reason not to remove Officer Blake at the scene was to preserve possible evidence. The area was dirt, leaves etc. Any possible evidence could possibly be lost in that situation. It was necessary decision. A hood was placed over Officer Blake's head to preserve some dignity.
I was also in the procession and was proud to see Officers out of their vehicles with many saluting. Made me proud. Even Cook County and Evergreen Park assisted.
A/1 Dick
My heart breaks for his extended family and brothers and sisters in blue. You will all be in my family's prayers tonight, as will the spouses, children, parents and siblings of CPD officers who are once again reminded of the dangerous nature of their loved one's job.
God watch you all.
- A civilian
To the anonymous post of how the body was transported. I am sorry to say, That is how some of the best evidence is collected in a preserved scene. If the crime scene is in the car, take the whole car to a garage and process it accordingly. It will take hours, shifts, but it could be done. The DNA off the clothes and from the offender and victims car could be the best results. Stanger things have happened in the past where they found DNA where it didn't belong. The bad guy was found. Led to several murder convictions. Hopefully the dicks were not tired and did it right. It does take time, but if done right, it works. I work in a slow area and when I asked for a victim in a car to to be transported to the ME, it was unbelievable. This is what I want and done, I want it this way and this is what I want done to the body and car. Swab the body's, do it the right way right, swab the rest of the rest of the car. The ETs north may hate me, but the results have matched a bad guy.
It has worked in the past. It will work.
It will work.
Slow ass Dective from A/3
Leaving the body in place was THE RIGHT DECISION.
--sorry but it's a crime scene and if the body was taken out of the vehicle, valuable evidence could be lost. You're right it does suck, but they did the right thing.
We have lost one of our own in almost every Area. Something to think about. Please be careful we love you guys and gals.
Many have had bad experiences with ET's, FI's or Forensics or BIS in general, but the same can be said with McDonald's.
Some good, some bad, some indifferent. Does anyone really believe that the investigative team on this night or any other were a dead PO is involved did not give 110%?
It is not pleasant to deal with the aftereffects of a crime, but best practices are not a show of disrespect or shortcuts but a sincere desire to do everything and anything humanly possible to find the killer of a fellow officer.
Anger is natural in this situation but please do not misdirect it at those who are trying to do their jobs to their sincere best and bring him justice
Removing the body at the scene and transporting him to the ME then covering the car and taking it directly to area 5 for processing wouldn't compromise any more evidence than flatbedding it UNCOVERED to the ME and letting the gouls remove the body before it is then moved to area 5 for processing. And as far as catching the bad guy, an arrest is imminent. This wasn't random. Mf me now but watch and see.
Dignity? Solving his murder gives him dignity. Leaving the body in place was THE RIGHT DECISION.
11/24/2010 05:24:00 PM
I agree with you 100 percent.
for as bad as it may seem to the layman and even jw, evidence preservation, in this case our brother was kept intact so that his killer could be caught and convicted as he will be soon. it wasn't a bad call, it was the right call as bad as it seemed. we all as police officers should understand that.
don't knock anyone for making the right decisions.
MY guardian angel
My sweet company
Don't leave me alone
Night or Day
Until you present me in front of
Joseph, Jesus and Mary.
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
Bullshit! It was one of our own, preserving evidence to make sure everything is done right to bring the killer to justice IS paramount. So get off your Skull bandwagon and get over it.
The actions by a lot of CPD at the crime scene was horrible, does anyone remember what inner and outer perimeter mean? I know everyone wants to find that crucial piece of evidence that will break the case, but so many do more harm than good.
There were plenty of bosses walking around with their thumbs up their butts, nothing against the unit people, MSF and TRU, but due to their relationship with DB they should of sealed the perimeter.
All that being said, the response was great, as was the outpouring of support for each other. Even though our department may be in a flux we still have, collectively the best group of officers in the world.
Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
When was the last time the kindergarden fed solved a homicide? Right call by the Skull if it assists in the investigation and solves this homicide.
All you Hair Gels are showing your time & experience on the job (lack there of) and your age.
It was in the best interest of crime scene preservation to leave his body in the vehicle in order to preserve the most possible evidence. You fucking new guys need to be able to seperate your emotions from reality when shit like this happens...this WAS the right call from beginning to end. And please don't take this as me trivializing the situation, but Blake wasn't the first p.o. to lose his life, and unfortunately won't be the last. Im not saying don't grieve, but learn to put your emotions to the side until the time is right and let us do our jobs to the best of our ability and in the best conditions to get the best jump on getting the bad guy.
- A2 Dick
DAMN RIGHT! Lay off Peterson. He made a tough decision and the right decision. If it were me in that vehicle, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Keep me in that car, do it the right way and catch the bad guy. Once you f#@! up the crime scene, you can’t un-f#@! it. Good call Skull.
Signed-
A detective
Bullshit! It was one of our own, preserving evidence to make sure everything is done right to bring the killer to justice IS paramount. So get off your Skull bandwagon and get over it.
11/24/2010 04:06:00 PM
Preserving evidence?! You're right, it was one of our own and he was left in the car like some shithead gangbanger. God forbid the tow truck get into an accident and the body comes tumbling out!! Not to mention the SUV is sitting up on a flatbed bouncing all over the place. Any casings inside the vehicle have now moved and the body has been shifted!! If the body tumbles over and smears away any blood splatter then it's all useless. You never ever leave one of our own sitting by himself like that. I don't care if he was dead, get his ass out of that car as soon as possible and get him to a hospital regardless. And as for saying the scene could have taken hours to process and was out in the open, well tough shit. It's one of our own and we stay there and make that street ours until the job is done. How would you like your dead partner sitting up on a fucking tow truck getting bounced all over the place?!
"The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired."
The only bad decision was allowing you to become a Police Officer. F'NG IDIOT!!
press conference friday as to let the holiday pass...
he procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
get some time on the job, know what your talking about and dont monday morning quarterback. it was 100% correct to leave the officer in the car. Its a shitty thing to do but if you want to find the killer and avenge him then do it the right way. they did it the right way. preserve any evidence you can in a case like this...especially with little to no info in the preliminary investigation. clearly jody didnt know what the best thing to do was either...typical
11/24/2010 11:21:00 PM
Hey, Dude. You are wrong and this is not the forum to debate this issue.
Now stfu.
Anonymous said...
Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did..."
11/24/2010 10:53:00 AM
David Snethen said...
"...Your first clue should have been that j-fled was against it..."
11/24/2010 05:08:00 PM
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Look, I'm not one to shy away from piling on J-Fled, but what we have here, sincerely, is a "teachable moment", and one more reason why this man should not be running a police department.
As a Fed, his investigative expertise is NOT one as a violent crimes dic or first responder. He's never done it before. That being the case, there is no reason to believe he knows what SHOULD be done in this type of investigation.
So, to the original Anonymous said..., I suggest in the future that in matters regarding police activity and investigations, you should immediately assume that J-Fled is wrong. No, not because he is stupid. He's not. He is simply a product of a totally different course of training than you and I. He repeatedly comes off looking stupid because he is speaking through HIS training and experience as a Federal investigator and not that of a police officer. HE'S NEVER BEEN A COP, and one cannot do the job of the other without extensive retraining. It's a TOTALLY different mentality.
It's like asking a coach to change sports. Does anyone think Bill Parcells or Bill Cowher would be a great baseball manager? Of course not!
Should Jody Weis be running a police department? OF COURSE NOT! He does not have a lifetime of experience in that profession learning all the tendencies and nuances to make good decisions for the officers.
Weis should never have accepted this position as a police administrator that he was ill-prepared to do, but, more incredibly, Richard Daley should never have offered it to him. Blame Daley. That is where the REAL stupidity lies!
To 11/24/2010 11:21:00 PM
How would you like to see photos in the newspaper and videos on the news and on Youtube of your dead partner sitting in his SUV while the crime scene is being processed?
...
Preserving evidence?! You're right, it was one of our own and he was left in the car like some shithead gangbanger. God forbid the tow truck get into an accident and the body comes tumbling out!! Not to mention the SUV is sitting up on a flatbed bouncing all over the place. Any casings inside the vehicle have now moved and the body has been shifted!! If the body tumbles over and smears away any blood splatter then it's all useless. You never ever leave one of our own sitting by himself like that. I don't care if he was dead, get his ass out of that car as soon as possible and get him to a hospital regardless. And as for saying the scene could have taken hours to process and was out in the open, well tough shit. It's one of our own and we stay there and make that street ours until the job is done. How would you like your dead partner sitting up on a fucking tow truck getting bounced all over the place?!...
I would want the right thing done and the killer(s) caught, for my partner and my partner's family.
Does anyone know why our flag wasn't lowered? the purple and black ribbon or his picture are up. All feelings aside he is a police officer and his personal life was just that, may he rest in peace with the honors he deserves.
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
11/24/2010 10:53:00 AM
You are so wrong....the greatest show of respect is to make every effort to find the killer...I have watched enough coppers fuck up a crime scene...thank you to whom ever had the presence of mind to preserve the scene "as is" hopefully some fingerprints can be lifted..RIP officer you will be missed...
With the entire crime scene, once photographed, now moved to an enclosed garage, usually 025/A5 the entire vehicle can now be tented and crazy glued inside and out. (Requires certain controlled humidity conditions to expose prints)
Leaving brother Blake inside may seem heartless to the uninformed (like JFled) but it enhances greatly the likelihood to expose, organize and collect evidence necessary for identification, arrest and prosecution.
Leave it alone. Chose your battles... this is not one of them.
Keep our brother in your thoughts and prayers.
Now move along.
o'v(r)
"The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired."
This just in - to close a budget gap, the city is going to lay-off all the hair gel cops (less than 10 yrs on) Us old-timers will still get things done, there will be a lot less whining, less squad car accidents, less frivilous verbal-abuse beefs, and a lot less off-duty nonsense...and then this blog can be used what it really should be used for, praising good work done by brother officers.
doing everything we can to preserve the scene was the best choice. we have had several unsolved CPD murders lately and dont need another one. the decision must have been difficult but thats part of our job. he was given a dignified procession to the me's office and hopefully any evidence was contained and this terrible tragedy can be solved. GOD Bless our fallen Brother.
I didnt know this officer but am confident he was a good guy! As far as the transportation method, that was complete shit. Process the scene completely on site. You wont lose any evidence if its done correctly. Tape it off, tent it and go to work with no time constraints. This just shows theres no confidence in the work of our own! Respect would be to handle the job professionally and not fuck it up!! On the back of a tow truck is not professional.
If thats what they're going to do, then set up the proper type of transport vehicle, an enclosed truck or van type vehicle would be appropriate. Not an open tow truck !! Yeah thats right, you people ARE showing your age. Idiots running this dept. need to have protocol and the equipmet to carry it through. RIP brother, your in a better place than us!
To all the Monday morning quarterbacks, Peterson made the right call. It was a hard one, but if any evidence is to be collected to find who killed DB, they did it the way it should have been. If it was a gang banger they would have pulled him out the car at the scene destroying any possible evidence. Because it is one of our own, They made a call to do it properly. I know it seems like it was a lack of respect for DB, but it was quite the opposite. It was a call that showed respect due to the fact they want the bastard who killed him identified, arrested and brought to justice. Sometimes the hardest call to make is the one that is in the best interest of finding the killer. It was a call made to respect him and find his killer. Peterson may be many things, but he is a cop who knows the job and respects the people on the job. If anybody wants to fault Petersom, so be it. But any good Detective will agree with the decision one hundred percent. It's those who don't understand the job of investigating a homicide that will scream and yell it was wrong. To keep any evidence from being destoyed or tainted this was the right call. Because J-Fled was livid shows he doesn't have a clue. Peterson and the Detectives on scene know the peoper procedures, J-Fled doesn't. Just respect the fact they made a call to insure that everything to catch the killer was done. Sometimes what seems like the wrong call is in the best interest of catching the person who did this. This showed the utmost respect and caring for DB by making the call to find his killer. RIP brother. Know they did everything they could to find your killer. The most important thing is keeping the crime scene intact and undisturbed.
All you Hair Gels are showing your time & experience on the job (lack there of) and your age.
It was in the best interest of crime scene preservation to leave his body in the vehicle in order to preserve the most possible evidence. You fucking new guys need to be able to seperate your emotions from reality when shit like this happens...this WAS the right call from beginning to end. And please don't take this as me trivializing the situation, but Blake wasn't the first p.o. to lose his life, and unfortunately won't be the last. Im not saying don't grieve, but learn to put your emotions to the side until the time is right and let us do our jobs to the best of our ability and in the best conditions to get the best jump on getting the bad guy.
- A2 Dick
EXACTLY RIGHT!!!
While leaving the body of our deceased brother in the car, and taking it via flatbed to the Morgue seems cold and tacky, it WAS the right move. How many crime scenes have been destroyed by rushing to process? Better to do it the RIGHT way for a change, and maximize the opportunity to gather all the evidence, including trace?
Another do nothing bashing Peterson. 100 percent the right decsion. Stop with your feel good bs..and when this pos is caught and not convicted because of a f'ed up crime scene then what? idiot.
Taking the vehicle, the crime scene, intact to an indoor facility for privacy was the correct thing to do.There is could be processed property. taking their time, and giving the officer privacy. Either that, or putting a tent on the vehicle and working outdoors for a day or so. A tough decision.
Removing the body at the scene and transporting him to the ME then covering the car and taking it directly to area 5 for processing wouldn't compromise any more evidence than flatbedding it UNCOVERED to the ME and letting the gouls remove the body before it is then moved to area 5 for processing. And as far as catching the bad guy, an arrest is imminent. This wasn't random. Mf me now but watch and see.
This is as tough a call, as any you will make on this job, period. I agree with the above on this one though. He doesn't seserve to go to the ME on the bed of a tow truck. This isn't random, we know this already, so it shjouldn't have happened.
I cannot stand even being anywhere near the Skull. He is an ignorant, pompous ass, but, in this instance, he made the right call.
Plus:
"The actions by a lot of CPD at the crime scene was horrible, does anyone remember what inner and outer perimeter mean? I know everyone wants to find that crucial piece of evidence that will break the case, but so many do more harm than good.
There were plenty of bosses walking around with their thumbs up their butts,..."
11/24/2010 09:32:00 PM
After the initial emergency response, yes, sadly, many blue-shirts do not respect the scene, and that is on them, but after a white shirt arrives, crime scene mismanagement lays squarely at the feet of incompetent supervisors and gold stars. And, even on the rare occasion when you have a competent supervisor with enough balls to insist on necessary restrictions and management, some idiot meritcloutorious gold star will tell them to stand down. Other meritcloutorious exempts will step all over the scene with the "I outrank you and you cannot tell me anything" attitude.
These idiot gold stars fail to realize once they are on the scene, it is not time for them to be chuckling, hand shaking, back slapping, gawking, generally being nosey and compromising the scene.
Once there, they are in-charge and should be an example and manage the scene until being relieved, or support and respect the supervisor that has the presence of mind and the balls to manage the scene, otherwise, go bullshit and gawk somewhere else. We don't need you.
"...the SUV is sitting up on a flatbed bouncing all over the place. Any casings inside the vehicle have now moved and the body has been shifted!! If the body tumbles over and smears away any blood splatter then it's all useless."
--11/24/2010 11:21:00 PM
Not a pleasant subject for this day, but, you know -- all emotions aside -- this is a very good point.
...not to mention how everything movable inside rolled/slid towards the back when the vehicle was winched up the ramp...then it gets bounced around on the trip.
I've seen TV of how major crime scenes are processed in the UK; they tarp everything off, set up powerful lights if need be, roll up a command trailer, set up portapots, coffee/cold drinks, warming/cooling off bus, whatever they need, and, as someone here said, "make the street theirs" until the job is done.
This may really be the best approach.
The scene had too many people, the ET couldn't do their job. Then and there the call was made based on that ask the guys who took pics and stepped over the crime scene tape.
God forbid the tow truck get into an accident and the body comes tumbling out!! Not to mention the SUV is sitting up on a flatbed bouncing all over the place. Any casings inside the vehicle have now moved and the body has been shifted!! If the body tumbles over and smears away any blood splatter then it's all useless.
--Photographed PRIOR to movement newbie!!! You obviously know how to fuck up a crime scene.
Some of you guys need to get a grip on your emotions.
You never ever leave one of our own sitting by himself like that. I don't care if he was dead, get his ass out of that car as soon as possible and get him to a hospital regardless.
**Never ever? Really? The point of transporting a deceased person to the hospital is what????
You are so wrong....the greatest show of respect is to make every effort to find the killer...I have watched enough coppers fuck up a crime scene...thank you to whom ever had the presence of mind to preserve the scene "as is" hopefully some fingerprints can be lifted..RIP officer you will be missed...
11/25/2010 07:41:00 AM
Well said. Too many coppers on the street stroll into crime scenes and fuck up evidence just to see what is going on. Investigating crimes is hard enough without the crime scene being fucked up by every know it all nosey asshat who taints the evidence that is there. Officer's remember, the initial responding officers and paramedics are the only ones who should be inside that crime scene other than the dics and crime lab / ET's. The samllest piece of evidence can be ruined by everyone trampling on it when they don't know what to do. The PO guardind the crime scene should always have the balls and sense to keep everyone outside the tape other than those who are investigating the crime and collecting evidence. The yellow tape and red tape are there not just to mkeep out the public, but all the arriving coppers out of the scene. We are all on the same side, but please work together and don't make it harder for the Dics investigaing these crimes. Some of the most important evidence to catch an offender could be the smallest most insignificant thing. But if it is stepped on, kicked or moved it can be the one thing that causes the investigation to go south.
The decision made by Peterson and the Detectives handling the case was hard, but it was the smartest thing that could have been done. If you understood all the evidence that is possible to process, you would understand the decision. The best scenario is a closed area inside where a thorough collection of all the evidence can be done in a slow and concise manner. Yes he was one of our own, but the circumstances called for this decision to be made. It is the best chance to collect every bit of evidence to identify and charge the offender. What shows the most respect? Doing a half assed investigation and collection of evidence or ensuring that you do the most complete investigation and evidence collection possible. Yes he was one of our own, but his body can contain evidence used to further this case. By moving him at the scene could have destroyed valuable evidence.
Signed,
A Detective who understands
To all those bitching about the way it was handled, just ask any good Detective about how it was handled. Yes it was a hard decision and we are all greiving, but the most important thing is to keep everything in perspective. The most important thing in this is to identify and bring the offender to justice. Caching the person who did this has to be more important than the emotions we feel. Just look at it in that way. What is more important than doing the most thorough and competent investigation possible. Nothing. Don't let your emotions cloud the fact this was the hardest and most intelligent decision that could have been made. The strongest case and most evidence is the most important way to put the fucker who killed him behind bars. That is and should be the most important factor in how it was handled. Peterson made the best call he could have made. Any other call would have been incompetent and weaken the investigation.
The procession was s great show of respect. I wish whoever made the BAD decision to leave the officer in the car and flatbed it to the ME gets fired. Even JFled, who was waiting at the ME's office was overheard saying to M3 (and I quote) "no...please don't tell me they did what I think they did"
I understand preserving evidence but how about preserving dignity too.
And FYI. It was the screaming skulls decision NOT to remove the officer from the car at the scene.
When you grow us and learn a few things about a homicide investigation, you would know the Detectives involved would have been part of this call. They had the knowledge and sense to make this call along with Peterson. It would have been asomething that was agreed on by all. I'm glad the Detectives on the scene and Peterson had the sense to make the call. Thankfully the Detectives on the scene and Peterson were the best that are on this case.
You should be praising them and not calling them idiots. Idiots would have done exactly what you are saying should have been done. Peterson may scream at many, but if you are competent at your job, he is the one who will always back the correct decision. Leave the man alone. If I was the victim, I want the same Detectives and Peterson handling my case.
Learn before you start knocking everyone for making the best and smartest decision there was.
If you are knocking Peterson, the screaming skull, then you are a fuck up or listening to someone who is a fuck up.
Here's what everyone is missing. They took the Car to the ME's office, took the body out by the intake doors THEN took the car to A5 for a thorough processing. Who's to say there wasn't evidence lost on the drive or when the ME staff (not trained in evidence preservation) removed the body. He could have been removed at the scene and transported by ambulance to the ME while the car went directly to A5 here they could spend days recovering evidence.
No hair gel here. I have 20+ so gfy.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I didnt know this officer but am confident he was a good guy! As far as the transportation method, that was complete shit. Process the scene completely on site. You wont lose any evidence if its done correctly. Tape it off, tent it and go to work with no time constraints. This just shows theres no confidence in the work of our own! Respect would be to handle the job professionally and not fuck it up!! On the back of a tow truck is not professional.
11/25/2010 10:26:00 AM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
If thats what they're going to do, then set up the proper type of transport vehicle, an enclosed truck or van type vehicle would be appropriate. Not an open tow truck !! Yeah thats right, you people ARE showing your age. Idiots running this dept. need to have protocol and the equipmet to carry it through. RIP brother, your in a better place than us!
11/25/2010 10:49:00 AM
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Yeah, right. Just simply get a tent. Poof! There's a tent. Get an enclosed vehicle for transporting an SUV. Poof! There is it. Really now, where do you think we're going to get all this stuff immediately? We do the best we can with what we have. Perhaps, in addition to evidence preservation, they didn't want to remove the body in front of so many people. Have you ever heard of rigor?
.... Officer's remember, the initial responding officers and paramedics are the only ones who should be inside that crime scene other than the dics and crime lab / ET's. The samllest piece of evidence can be ruined by everyone trampling on it when they don't know what to do. The PO guardind the crime scene should always have the balls and sense to keep everyone outside the tape other than those who are investigating the crime and collecting evidence....
11/25/2010 08:07:00 PM
******
Nobody can say no anymore. Avoiding conflict seems to be the way. Recently, at a shooting in a business. Crime scene should be easy to control. PO put on door told not to let anybody in except dicks or ET/Crime lab. Not 5 minutes later, here comes joe citizen walking through the blood IN THE STORE. PO on door says "well, he said he worked here." Not sorry, not embarrassed, not concerned in the least. All he had to do was keep the door shut!!!
Here's what everyone is missing. They took the Car to the ME's office, took the body out by the intake doors THEN took the car to A5 for a thorough processing. Who's to say there wasn't evidence lost on the drive or when the ME staff (not trained in evidence preservation) removed the body. He could have been removed at the scene and transported by ambulance to the ME while the car went directly to A5 here they could spend days recovering evidence.
No hair gel here. I have 20+ so gfy.
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ok old timer well you may have time on but clearly zero experience.... stop making a fool of yourself. Ive been a homicide dic for 18 years in a/1 and area 4, a V/C sgt for 7 years and a patrolmen for 9 years. learn something about properly processing a scene and how to effectively do it. trust me, this was the right decision for a police officer being killed. you need to learn that once the officer has passed emotions need to go out the window. You immediately turn to catching the bad guy. That takes precedence over anything else, including your hurt feelings... im sure p.o. blake would have wanted his death avenged and his killer caught at any means necessary... I sure know I would. everything you've said in your post is completely wrong. stop spouting off about things you have zero knowledge about... really, you have 20+ years on?? hard to believe considering many if not all guys with over 20 years on have enough sense to know the number one "NO-NO" is to monday moring quarterback... so im not seeing you having 20 years on... maybe 6-10 years.. stop pretending
I wasn't going to post this here, but it now seems fitting since DB believed in training.
The fact that this back and forth is going on speaks volumes about the lack of training on basic police procedures that the typical CPD cop has.
One time through the academy and some of these guys think they're good for a career. Do some training or reading on your own.
The call was the right one in order to preserve evidence. And yes, I'm an ET.
Learn before you start knocking everyone for making the best and smartest decision there was.
If you are knocking Peterson, the screaming skull, then you are a fuck up or listening to someone who is a fuck up.
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OK...
SO.. let me ask you this all you DICK TRACYS . .
The car is towed to the ME's office / parking lot.
It is now SITTING in the parking lot....
HOW IN THE FUCK is the car and the deceased processed any differently that it could have be on the street????????
They can't bring in the fucking car IN THE MORGUE and place it under some special fucking microscope!!!!
I will tell you EXACTLY what happened when the car was brought to the M.E. :
It sat by the loading lock for a few hours . . the doctor who BARELY speaks English looked in the car and examined the remains .. then, the attendants took the body out of the car and it was brought in the building.
I worked homicide for 22 years and I can tell you the Cook County M.E. has NO SPECIAL SUPER DUPER FORENSIC TOOLS that will help them if an entire car is brought into the fucking parking lot. It is simply only a matter of convenience for the doctor who is nothing more than a fucking political hack.
FUCK Chicago,
FUCK COOK COUNTY,
FUCK the STATE OF ILLINOIS.
I am so glad I am retired from this shit.
Worked with Blake in 003 in patrol. He was a quiet serious guy, but one hell of a PO. He truly loved this job. Playng football was his other passion. He will be missed.
How do you know the quote from Weis, submitted by Anonymous, is accurate. Seems like a lot of crime solvers who do things the "right way" are going against what they are saying by assume the quote is good. Be consistant people.
Scc, hasn't their been other times when p.o. Was transported with vehicle as I recall? Did it lead to an arrest? Soto was removed by CFD correct?
From a citizen....transporting the vehicle and body sounds like the smartest thing to do to me to preserve evidence. So many people complain about evidence being tampered with or "lost" this seems like the most logical plan to me...give these guys some time and space to do their jobs. Someone had to have been in the car with him, therfore there MUST be a lot of prints or DNA that can be retrieved from that vehicle and his body. It's a tragic event and another sad loss of life but it's time for everyone to stop being so critical and insulting. Stay safe boys and girls.
interesting post from the so called detective regarding weiss and m3 against the transporting the body intact..lets see, goldstien was on the scene..why i dont know. the decsion was the right one. it seems whoever posted this has some sort of issue with peterson that has nothing to do with what needs to be done..everyone is entitled to their opinion however those who have been involved with shootings know his priority is always with the workers..if he is arrogant it is drectly toward those who try to mess with the men and women doing the job..i can say being involved he always was a gentlemen and has never fucked with a working copper.so is it you masters posting this shit to undermine the boss is who concerned with doing the right thing and not your egos image and not his popularity with the press??? anyone every been involved in shootings can back me up on this?if he yells at anyone (and ive been on scene) its directed at other arrogant supervisors and morons from ipra trying to hang the police out before an investigation is started..btw it was peterson who through the woman who heads ipra out of his office after listening to her trying to tell a 38 year veteran how to run a police shooting investigation..of course never being involved in one herself..good job skull.perhaps your naysayers should grow a set and tell you to your face..never will they are pussies and have nothing to back up their bs. and one more thing,,goldstein stay away from this shit.you add nothing and perhaps you should go to your crystball room and leave the police work to the police..a complete insult to you to come to a scene of a murdered po.
Soto was alive for hours you idiot. Of course CFD removed him.
FYI-per fax msg 103856: Officer Blake's wake will take place on 28Nov10 from 1400Hrs to 1700Hrs at A.R. Leak Funeral Home located at 7838 S. Cottage Grove Ave 60619. Both funeral and interment private. No St. Jude requested at this time.
I worked homicide for 22 years
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Well you should know then to STFU about an investigation you are not working...were you there? Or are you a monday morning quaterback, which IF you worked homicide for 22yrs you would know not to! I'm betting 5-10 yrs and never in the D-unit.
maybe someone could talk to ADS Georgas about how to dress for the funeral of someone who worked for him. As commanding officer of SWAT, he could have worn something better than old gym shoes, jeans and a fleece jacket. lead by example
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