Posted on 03/26/2009 2:10:56 PM PDT by AreaMan
Trooper in trouble over Facebook photos
Posted: March 24, 2009 10:24 PM
Updated: March 25, 2009 11:43 AM
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| ISP Trooper Chris Pestow |
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| IMPD Officer Andrew Deddish |
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| Pestow and Deddish are in trouble for this photo posted on Pestow's Facebook page. |
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Bob Segall/13 Investigates
Indianapolis - An Indiana State Trooper is under investigation for what some call compromising photos and statements he posted on the Internet.
Police say what 13 Investigates found on Trooper Chris Pestow's personal Facebook page is embarrassing and might even be against the law. Some of the entries showed Pestow with a .357 Magnum pointed at his head, drinking what he described as lots of beer with his buddies and lewd horseplay.
Over the past several months, Pestow has used his Facebook page to brag of heavy drinking. He also posted pictures of a crash involving his ISP cruiser.
"Oops! Where did my front end go?" he wrote when he posted the picture. Later, while discussing the accident with his friends on Facebook, Pestow added, "kiss my butt, Not my fault.:)"
And he isn't shy about sharing his views of police work, referring to himself as not a state trooper, but as a "garbage man." His Facebook page said, "I pick up trash for a living."
Pestow also weighed in on the issue of people who resist arrest and threaten police officers. Referring to an incident in California in which Fresno Police officers punched a homeless man during his arrest, Pestow wrote: "Let someone, homeless or not, try and stab me with a pen, knife, spoon, etc, not only will he fail, he'll probably end up shot. These people should have died when they were young anyway, i'm just doing them a favor." [sic]
Eyewitness News interviewed Pestow in December 2008 while he was responding to traffic accidents on an icy stretch of I-465. He wasn't happy about the icy conditions, and we know that because after the interview, at 5:42 a.m., his Facebook page has this entry: "Chris Pestow is very mad @ whoever is responsible for this awful weather."
Now, the Indiana State Police may be very mad at him.
"There has been an internal investigation started," said ISP Major Carlos Pettiford, adding that investigators are trying to determine if the photos and information posted on Pestow's Facebook page violate department rules.
Pettiford says the state's biggest concern is that Trooper Pestow may have been Facebook-ing while you were paying for it.
ISP records show Pestow was on duty during the early morning hours of February 11. That day at 2 a.m., an entry on his Facebook page reads "Chris Pestow is NOT working in the rain."
On February 19, while state records indicate Pestow was working his overnight shift, the Trooper's Facebook site shows this entry at 3:22 a.m.: "It's cold AND snowing?!?! I can't possibly work in these conditions."
And on November 28 at 1:20 a.m., ISP says Pestow was supposed to be on duty at the same time he apparently wrote, "Chris Pestow is keeping the mean streets of Fishers safe and free of trash."
A friend quickly responded to that post.
"Hmmmm. how are u keeping the streets safe ... if u r on facebook? :)," the friend wrote.
ISP is wondering the same thing.
"That's a clear violation. We know that right off the bat," said Major Pettiford. "When they're working, that's exactly what they're supposed to be doing is working, not playing or writing on the internet unless it's for department business."
Pestow isn't the only one who is now facing possible punishment.
The man holding the gun to his head in one of the photos is also a police officer. Andrew Deddish works for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and officials there are not happy with the picture.
"We're trained [that] we don't point firearms at anything we don't plan to shoot," said IMPD Sgt. Paul Thompson.
Thompson said Deddish is now facing an internal investigation, because pointing a gun at someone is against state law and because he says a police officer should know better.
"It's embarrassing. We're always under public scrutiny. We hold a position that's a trust to the public. You're expected to act accordingly," Thompson said.
So what were the officers thinking by posing for the picture and later posting it on the internet?
"They weren't thinking," said Thompson. "It was an error in judgment ... so now there has to be accountability and that's what we're going to do."
13 Investigates tried to reach Chris Pestow through his family and friends, but the state Trooper has not responded to WTHR's request for an interview.
Pettiford said ISP contacted Pestow Monday - the same day WTHR contacted ISP to ask about the photos and information posted on the Facebook page -- to inform the state officer he was the focus of an internal investigation. Pestow did remove his Facebook page from the Internet that same afternoon, but not before 13 Investigates, State Police and IMPD had a very good look at it.
ISP is currently in the process of drafting a Standard Operating Procedure for all department staff regarding posting information on personal web pages such as Facebook.
"These are new times," Pettiford said. "We didn't have Facebook when I got into law enforcement, but nowadays it's out there so we're putting together a policy."
Officials told Eyewitness News both Pestow and Deddish will remain on paid duty while their departments conduct the internal investigations, which will probably take several weeks.
Police say this situation should provide a powerful reminder to all of us: don't post anything on the Internet that you would not want to see on the news.
This reminds me of a guy I new in the military. He wanted to be an LA County Sheriff. He also let me in on his plan to rid the SoCal area of bums, a.k.a. homeless, by purchasing the largest car possible (lincoln town car, caddy, buick, etc) and just run them over a-la Death Race 2000 style. I suspect alcohol was involved in the formulation of this plan.
morons.
Get him off the streets if he isn’t any smarter than that!
I remember talking to a brother-in-law a few years back. At the time he worked for a supply store for police officers. They supplied everything up to guns... and he said many police officers were so casual with guns... more than once he had to tell them to watch where they were pointing the weapon... wow...
Never a misfire when you really need one...
I don’t see what the big deal is with the pic. I have taken and seen way worse while overseas in uniform.
I’m going to put this on the net, but I only want a few people to see it...
Reminder to everyone, particularly you young’uns.
The Internet is FOREVER.
Never a misfire when you really need one...
Actually, and accidental discharge might be appropriate.
Anyway, I always thought you couldn't see somebody's Facebook page unless you are invited in as a friend? At least that's what my kids tell me.
Did he threaten to kill the father of the governor?
Did he taze an 11 year old child?
Did he drink on the job?
Then, if it was Alaska, the libs would have no problems with him.
Much ado about very little. This might give some insight about the type of person he is, or wants us to think he is, but it does very little to indicate how he actually does his job.
As far as the posting on duty goes, he may have been on a break or, otherwise, 908 (out of service).
Idiot? Probably, but, incompetent, who knows.
Damn, I wished I would have said that! LOL
My take is since people will always be people why in the name of time do “you people” insist on empowering government employees with guns? Why do you insist on seatbelt laws? Why do you insist on all the taxes and registration all the pain in the @ss that revolves around owning and operating a car? Why do the Police of Rio Rancho NM line up in the medians, on foot, staring INTO your car trying to find some damn thing to pull you over with. Why do “you people” want an intrusive and intimidating government when people are people. When you have a tyrant running the place, sometimes you get a really good tyrant and things are great! Sometimes you get a really bad tyrant and things really are bad. So why empower the government except with only the most minimal of powers? It is foolish to do otherwise. I unlike most of “you people” don’t want overlords. But most of you do! I spent the morning drive listening to the water authority moron on the radio expounding on all the new and exiting ways for people to be fined or taxed for using “too much water”. True, we live in the desert BUT we pipe water in from Colorado and heard a city water engineer state that no water shortage exists now or in the future because of that project. He admitted that water conservation issue was just a nice political football and leverage thing. But “you people” called in and dutifully asked questions about how to be in compliance. I HATE modern America and it’s politicians and all “you people” who want a tyrant for a government.
Gee, and I thought they are tax collectors and revenue raisers.
feel better?
I totally agree. and I can still breathe, so far.
Quick piece of advice - if you have a job that involves any form of dealing with the public - stay away from facebook, myspace, twitter, et. al.
You have to make it private, mine is ‘public’ to see.
Did you post them on the internet?
They sure are entertaining.
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