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 St. Paul cop smashed man's head into wall in holding cell 
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 Post subject: St. Paul cop smashed man's head into wall in holding cell
PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 2:48 pm 
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St. Paul cop smashed man's head into wall in holding cell

A St. Paul police officer was charged with felony assault today for allegedly smashing a man's head into the wall of a holding cell after other officers stopped the man in a car with his stepdaughter.

The third-degree assault charge against Scott Wendell, 45, was filed in Ramsey County District Court. Wendell was off-duty at the time of the alleged assault that caused "substantial bodily harm," requiring 12 stitches to a 4-inch cut on the man's head, the criminal complaint said.

Wendell was placed on paid administrative leave from the police department today.

The complaint gives the following information:

On Nov. 2, St. Paul officers stopped a vehicle for suspicious activity. An adult man identified as L.P. didn't have a valid license and had a warrant for his arrest, and was arrested. One of the passengers, a juvenile female identified as S.P., is Wendell's stepdaughter.

One of the officers on the scene called Wendell, of Columbus, and told him S.P. was in a vehicle with L.P. Wendell requested officers take his stepdaughter to the police station and said he would pick her up there, and officers did as he requested.

At the police station, S.P. was put in a cell intended for juveniles under arrest and L.P. was put in a cell intended for adults under arrest.

L.P. asked St. Paul police Officer Matthew Onnen to adjust his handcuffs, which the officer did, and then closed the cell's door.

Onnen reported that he noticed Wendell enter the area as he was leaving the cell, and saw Wendell push L.P. against the back wall of the cell.

"I didn't know what was going, what was about to happen," Onnen stated, according to the complaint. "I didn't know what was happening. I, I had, I just thought to myself it's just if I just, I didn't want to be part of this."

The complaint continued, "Officer Onnen walked away from the cell but returned a short time later to find L.P. lying in a pool of blood on the floor of the cell."

Wendell "walked past and stated in a 'matter of fact' manner something to the effect of 'I busted him up or his heads (sic) busted open," the complaint said.

As Onnen was leaving the area, Wendell said, "Don't lose your job over me," Onnen reported, the complaint said. "When questioned, Onnen reported that he did not know what Defendant meant because he (Onnen) didn't see what happened in the cell."

L.P. reported that shortly after Onnen shut the door to his cell, Wendell entered the cell. He grabbed him by the head and smashed his head into the cell's wall, the complaint said.

"L.P. reported that he remembered nothing else until he woke in Regions Hospital where he was treated for a 4-inch laceration to the top/back of his head requiring 12 staples," the complaint said. "The treating physician stated that the injury caused temporary but substantial impairment."

Officer Kimberly Kunde, the officer who arrested L.P. along with Onnen, was in a room adjacent to the cell area when Wendell entered from a garage where officers park their squad cars when on official business. Wendell "asked Officer Kunde something to the effect of wanting to talk to L.P." and then walked to the cell where he was being held, the complaint said.

"Officer Kunde heard Defendant yell something about staying away from Defendant's daughter or not going near his daughter or family," the complaint said. "She heard L.P. yelling simultaneously."

Kunde rode with L.P. to Regions and she reported that L.P. "repeatedly stated, 'Why did Scott Wendell assault me?'," the complaint said. L.P. reported he didn't remember making the statement or anything else until he woke up in the hospital.

Wendell is summoned to appear in court May 21. If convicted, the maximum sentence is five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

While Wendell was under investigation, he was placed on administrative desk duty at the police department. He has been a St. Paul officer since 1999 and has no record of departmental disciplinary action, a police spokesman has said.

The case was referred to the Hennepin County attorney's office to avoid a conflict of interest.

Wendell is on unsupervised probation in Anoka County for a misdemeanor domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to the domestic assault charge filed in April 2008.

It was continued for dismissal last July 14 with conditions that he not commit assault, abusive behavior, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct or other offenses, according to the court register of actions. His probation ends July 14.

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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 2:53 pm 
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Wanna make a bet that L.P. is S.P.'s biological father?

The big question: why hasn't Officer Matthew Onnen been charged with a crime?

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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 3:17 pm 
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<...> the alleged assault that caused "substantial bodily harm," requiring 12 stitches to a 4-inch cut on the man's head, the criminal complaint said. <...>

Is that the correct definition?


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 Post subject: Re: St. Paul cop smashed man's head into wall in holding cel
PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:06 pm 
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The treating physician stated that the injury caused temporary but substantial impairment.

I think that is what you are after.

I am not sure if there is a legal difference between great bodily harm and substantial bodily harm.

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 Post subject: Re: St. Paul cop smashed man's head into wall in holding cel
PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 10:21 pm 
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DeanC wrote:
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The treating physician stated that the injury caused temporary but substantial impairment.

I think that is what you are after.

I am not sure if there is a legal difference between great bodily harm and substantial bodily harm.


609.02 DEFINITIONS.

Subd. 7a.Substantial bodily harm.

"Substantial bodily harm" means bodily injury which involves a temporary but substantial disfigurement, or which causes a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or which causes a fracture of any bodily member.

Subd. 8.Great bodily harm.

"Great bodily harm" means bodily injury which creates a high probability of death, or which causes serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ or other serious bodily harm.

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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 11:42 pm 
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Wendell is on unsupervised probation in Anoka County for a misdemeanor domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to the domestic assault charge filed in April 2008.


How is a man who was convicted of domestic assault working as a police officer? Is he not forbidden to possess a firearm?

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PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 12:01 am 
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Andrew Rothman wrote:
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Wendell is on unsupervised probation in Anoka County for a misdemeanor domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to the domestic assault charge filed in April 2008.


How is a man who was convicted of domestic assault working as a police officer? Is he not forbidden to possess a firearm?

Was he convicted? Or just charged?

Like Andrew said though.........."Why can he possess a firearm"? :? :evil:

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PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 12:28 am 
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Andrew Rothman wrote:
Quote:
Wendell is on unsupervised probation in Anoka County for a misdemeanor domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to the domestic assault charge filed in April 2008.


How is a man who was convicted of domestic assault working as a police officer? Is he not forbidden to possess a firearm?



But but andrew, those laws are for US, remember? Not THEM....

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PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 12:48 am 
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If he is on probation, as the article states, then there was a conviction. Even a misdemeanor domestic abuse conviction and the adult toys that go "bang" are out the door. That means he could not be on the force.

:?


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PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 2:10 am 
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The important question is not: Why do the police have a pathological inability to police themselves?

The question is: Why do we let them get away with this, again, and again, and again?


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PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 4:39 am 
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Traveler wrote:
If he is on probation, as the article states, then there was a conviction. Even a misdemeanor domestic abuse conviction and the adult toys that go "bang" are out the door. That means he could not be on the force.

:?


So how was he on the force, if he could not be?

I have this funny feeling St. Paul PD is going to suddenly get worried about this, once L.P.'s lawyers get that data.


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PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 6:10 am 
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Andrew Rothman wrote:
Quote:
Wendell is on unsupervised probation in Anoka County for a misdemeanor domestic assault case. He pleaded not guilty to the domestic assault charge filed in April 2008.


How is a man who was convicted of domestic assault working as a police officer? Is he not forbidden to possess a firearm?
Remembering that IANAL, it sounds like he got unsupervised probation as part of a continuation in contemplation of dismissal.

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PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:14 am 
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The continuation in contemplation of dismissal, CFD in some places, sounds likely here. There is no record of the case in the public online court record system and the fact that he is still a police officer supports this conclusion. With CFDs, you are considered to be on probation for the time specified in the agreement. It is not surprising to me that the newspaper would miss this nuance.

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PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:19 am 
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Cool. A real pro thinks I may have gotten that right; I am happy.

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PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 5:05 pm 
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Yeah - I figured either a continuance and/or participation in a pre-trial diversion program.

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