Aa
85-year-old man in jail, accused of felony assault for hitting person with his cane
http://kdvr.com/2013/01/03/85-year-old-man-in-jail-accused-of-felony-assault-for-hitting-person-with-his-cane/
DENVER — An 85-year-old man who admits he smacked someone with his cane was in jail Thursday accused of felony assault with a deadly weapon.
His family says what is even more absurd than the allegation is the way Denver police officers hauled him out of bed in the middle of the night and took him away.
The family says the incident with the cane took place more than two weeks ago and the family thought it was just a minor parking issue.
They said the man would’ve been happy to go in and talk to police if they had only asked him to do that.
The first time family members were aware an investigation was underway was when police showed up in the middle of the night Wednesday, got the elderly man out of bed, arrested him and took him away in handcuffs.
John Copeland leaned on his walker and slowly made his way to the podium in the courtroom Thursday afternoon.
His family says Copeland is nearly deaf and he told the judge he couldn’t hear what the judge was saying.
When the judge told him he was being held on $50,000 bond charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, Copeland said he didn’t understand anything that was going on.
“Last night at about 12 o’clock AM, they sent about three policemen to the house to arrest my father,” says Larry Copeland.
Police and court officials say the arrest documents aren’t available.
But John Copeland’s family says the arrest is the result of an altercation that happened when the 85-year-old man was parking in a Home Depot parking lot more than two weeks ago.
Copeland told his family a security person took an expired handicapped parking placard out of his car. That man turned out to be a volunteer Denver police officer who enforces handicapped parking violations for the city. He was not a security officer hired by Home Depot.
He tells FOX31 Denver getting hit with the cane stunned him. He also says he identified himself as a Denver police officer. He says Copeland became angry.
“This guy grabbed him. So that’s why he struck him with his cane, because he thought he was being attacked.” Larry Copeland says.
He says there was no need for police to roust his father out of bed in the middle of the night. “My father was in bed, in pain, sick, and they took him to jail.” Larry Copeland is worried because the family doesn’t have the $50,000 to get his father out of jail.
John Copeland spoke to FOX31 Denver from jail Thursday. “He never identified himself or nothin’,” he says about the man he had the altercation with in the parking lot. “And then I opened the door, I had my walkin’ cane, and I got out and I went to grab my parking thing from him.”
“He slammed the door on me, and I took my cane and hit him,” Copeland says.
The family showed FOX31 Denver a parking ticket from Denver police for a handicapped parking violation.
DENVER — An 85-year-old man who admits he smacked someone with his cane was in jail Thursday accused of felony assault with a deadly weapon.
His family says what is even more absurd than the allegation is the way Denver police officers hauled him out of bed in the middle of the night and took him away.
The family says the incident with the cane took place more than two weeks ago and the family thought it was just a minor parking issue.
They said the man would’ve been happy to go in and talk to police if they had only asked him to do that.
The first time family members were aware an investigation was underway was when police showed up in the middle of the night Wednesday, got the elderly man out of bed, arrested him and took him away in handcuffs.
John Copeland leaned on his walker and slowly made his way to the podium in the courtroom Thursday afternoon.
His family says Copeland is nearly deaf and he told the judge he couldn’t hear what the judge was saying.
When the judge told him he was being held on $50,000 bond charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, Copeland said he didn’t understand anything that was going on.
“Last night at about 12 o’clock AM, they sent about three policemen to the house to arrest my father,” says Larry Copeland.
Police and court officials say the arrest documents aren’t available.
But John Copeland’s family says the arrest is the result of an altercation that happened when the 85-year-old man was parking in a Home Depot parking lot more than two weeks ago.
Copeland told his family a security person took an expired handicapped parking placard out of his car. That man turned out to be a volunteer Denver police officer who enforces handicapped parking violations for the city. He was not a security officer hired by Home Depot.
He tells FOX31 Denver getting hit with the cane stunned him. He also says he identified himself as a Denver police officer. He says Copeland became angry.
“This guy grabbed him. So that’s why he struck him with his cane, because he thought he was being attacked.” Larry Copeland says.
He says there was no need for police to roust his father out of bed in the middle of the night. “My father was in bed, in pain, sick, and they took him to jail.” Larry Copeland is worried because the family doesn’t have the $50,000 to get his father out of jail.
John Copeland spoke to FOX31 Denver from jail Thursday. “He never identified himself or nothin’,” he says about the man he had the altercation with in the parking lot. “And then I opened the door, I had my walkin’ cane, and I got out and I went to grab my parking thing from him.”
“He slammed the door on me, and I took my cane and hit him,” Copeland says.
The family showed FOX31 Denver a parking ticket from Denver police for a handicapped parking violation.
My problem is, if this feller is nearly blind and damn near deaf, what is he doing driving? Around here, you kind of need vision to drive. Maybe we are just a bit different.
Very good point!
Yes he probably shouldn't have whacked him with his cane, but he is almost blind and can't hear, still that doesn't excuse him from whacking him with the cane.
My problem with this story is the "parking lot monitor", I could see approaching someone who is able and parking in a handicapped space but to approach someone who is clearly not able and has a handicapped parking pass, expired or not, and harassing them is totally uncalled for. JMO
My problem with this story is the "parking lot monitor", I could see approaching someone who is able and parking in a handicapped space but to approach someone who is clearly not able and has a handicapped parking pass, expired or not, and harassing them is totally uncalled for. JMO
LOL! Well my ol' elbow doesn't pack the power of a cane.
I saw this headline and thought it was funny.
I wonder if they can arrest old ladies for elbowing you ??
I wonder if they can arrest old ladies for elbowing you ??
Whatever..don't care how old a person is, you just don't hit someone on the head while he is bending over unless said person is in attack mode.
He should have probation and some community service or anger management classes req. of him.
He should have probation and some community service or anger management classes req. of him.
85-year-old suspect in cane assault released on $2,000 bond
An 85-year-old man accused of swatting a parking monitor with his cane was released from jail Friday and faces a lesser felony charge after the Denver district attorney's office reviewed the case against him.
John W. Copeland had been held since early Thursday on $50,000 bail after Denver police arrested him on suspicion of felony second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The case stemmed from a Dec. 15 disagreement with the volunteer over an expired handicapped-parking placard outside a Home Depot in Stapleton. Police said Copeland hit 66-year-old Richard Knudson once over the head with the cane.
The district attorney's office determined Friday that a lesser felony was appropriate and, consequently, a lesser bond, said Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the office. Copeland's son, Larry Copeland, posted the new sum of $2,000, and his father left the Downtown Denver Detention Center at about 5 p.m.
"They came up and got me and told me I could leave," John Copeland said later Friday from his northeast Denver home.
The turn of events came just hours after a group of community activists demanded answers from city officials about why police rousted Copeland from his bed in the middle of the night and why a judge originally held him on such high bail.
A judge typically lowers bail when charges are formally filed and a defendant appears in court for his second advisement. Kimbrough declined to specify the charge Copeland faces but said the office could file it early next week.
John Copeland wondered whether community pressure played a role in his release.
"Whatever they did made a difference," he said.
Public-safety officials told a small group of supporters who gathered outside Mayor Michael Hancock's office Friday that they would investigate concerns about how Copeland's case was handled.
Although his release appeared to appease one of their concerns, they also had questions about the powers of volunteer
Rap Sheet Blog
The Denver Post's crime and courts reporters take you beyond the press release with more Denver and Colorado crime coverage.
parking enforcers, who are not police employees but work for the Denver Office of Disability Rights.
"What we need to look at is exactly what occurred and, right or wrong, is there a better way?" Denver Police Chief Robert White told the group.
Knudson, a volunteer deputized as "special police" through Denver's Disability Parking Enforcement Program, said he found Copeland asleep in the passenger seat of a vehicle that lacked a visible placard, for which he wrote a citation. Copeland "confronted the victim about the citation" and "became upset" when Knudson told him he could not take the placard back because it had expired, according to an arrest affidavit released Friday.
"Everyone can relate"
"People are troubled by what is taking place," said Brother Jeff Fard of Brother Jeff's Cultural Center in the Five Points neighborhood, who led the short discussion at the mayor's office. He wondered why police did not call Copeland before showing up at his door after midnight and had questions about the policing powers of the volunteer parking officers.
"Everyone can relate this to their own mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers," he said.
White said Denver officers tried to locate Copeland at his home on the night of the incident but left when they didn't spot the car outside. They then began an investigation that took several days while detectives showed Knudson a photo lineup and sought a warrant for his arrest.
The time of day is not a factor officers consider when making a felony arrest, nor is a suspect's age, White said. At least three officers showed up at Copeland's door for safety purposes, as is always the case.
"It's not so much the individual that you're serving the arrest warrant for. What are you going to face when you get there?" White said. "There was clearly a victim that was adamant about what occurred. We had no alternative but to serve a felony warrant."
Volunteer parking monitors are given power to enforce handicap violations in private lots and on city streets only after receiving 30 hours of classroom time and 24 hours on the street, program director Dale Coski said.
"Richard is one of our best officers; he's very courteous," she said, adding that she had received no public complaints about his enforcement efforts. "I stand behind him 100 percent."
They wear identifying hats and badges on lanyards around their necks. Knudson, on the job since 2010, said Copeland yanked on his lanyard so hard that the ID badge fell into the street. He was bending down to pick it up when Copeland struck him, he said.
He has had concerns for his safety ever since.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22314766/85-year-old-suspect-cane-assault-released-2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the local news eye witnesses at the scene have said the "parking lot monitor" did not act professionally, also the Denver Chief of the PD said he is not sworn in by the police.
An 85-year-old man accused of swatting a parking monitor with his cane was released from jail Friday and faces a lesser felony charge after the Denver district attorney's office reviewed the case against him.
John W. Copeland had been held since early Thursday on $50,000 bail after Denver police arrested him on suspicion of felony second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The case stemmed from a Dec. 15 disagreement with the volunteer over an expired handicapped-parking placard outside a Home Depot in Stapleton. Police said Copeland hit 66-year-old Richard Knudson once over the head with the cane.
The district attorney's office determined Friday that a lesser felony was appropriate and, consequently, a lesser bond, said Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the office. Copeland's son, Larry Copeland, posted the new sum of $2,000, and his father left the Downtown Denver Detention Center at about 5 p.m.
"They came up and got me and told me I could leave," John Copeland said later Friday from his northeast Denver home.
The turn of events came just hours after a group of community activists demanded answers from city officials about why police rousted Copeland from his bed in the middle of the night and why a judge originally held him on such high bail.
A judge typically lowers bail when charges are formally filed and a defendant appears in court for his second advisement. Kimbrough declined to specify the charge Copeland faces but said the office could file it early next week.
John Copeland wondered whether community pressure played a role in his release.
"Whatever they did made a difference," he said.
Public-safety officials told a small group of supporters who gathered outside Mayor Michael Hancock's office Friday that they would investigate concerns about how Copeland's case was handled.
Although his release appeared to appease one of their concerns, they also had questions about the powers of volunteer
Rap Sheet Blog
The Denver Post's crime and courts reporters take you beyond the press release with more Denver and Colorado crime coverage.
parking enforcers, who are not police employees but work for the Denver Office of Disability Rights.
"What we need to look at is exactly what occurred and, right or wrong, is there a better way?" Denver Police Chief Robert White told the group.
Knudson, a volunteer deputized as "special police" through Denver's Disability Parking Enforcement Program, said he found Copeland asleep in the passenger seat of a vehicle that lacked a visible placard, for which he wrote a citation. Copeland "confronted the victim about the citation" and "became upset" when Knudson told him he could not take the placard back because it had expired, according to an arrest affidavit released Friday.
"Everyone can relate"
"People are troubled by what is taking place," said Brother Jeff Fard of Brother Jeff's Cultural Center in the Five Points neighborhood, who led the short discussion at the mayor's office. He wondered why police did not call Copeland before showing up at his door after midnight and had questions about the policing powers of the volunteer parking officers.
"Everyone can relate this to their own mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers," he said.
White said Denver officers tried to locate Copeland at his home on the night of the incident but left when they didn't spot the car outside. They then began an investigation that took several days while detectives showed Knudson a photo lineup and sought a warrant for his arrest.
The time of day is not a factor officers consider when making a felony arrest, nor is a suspect's age, White said. At least three officers showed up at Copeland's door for safety purposes, as is always the case.
"It's not so much the individual that you're serving the arrest warrant for. What are you going to face when you get there?" White said. "There was clearly a victim that was adamant about what occurred. We had no alternative but to serve a felony warrant."
Volunteer parking monitors are given power to enforce handicap violations in private lots and on city streets only after receiving 30 hours of classroom time and 24 hours on the street, program director Dale Coski said.
"Richard is one of our best officers; he's very courteous," she said, adding that she had received no public complaints about his enforcement efforts. "I stand behind him 100 percent."
They wear identifying hats and badges on lanyards around their necks. Knudson, on the job since 2010, said Copeland yanked on his lanyard so hard that the ID badge fell into the street. He was bending down to pick it up when Copeland struck him, he said.
He has had concerns for his safety ever since.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22314766/85-year-old-suspect-cane-assault-released-2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the local news eye witnesses at the scene have said the "parking lot monitor" did not act professionally, also the Denver Chief of the PD said he is not sworn in by the police.
ROFL, Sorry! That is funny! And thanks for sharing! I think I saw one like it on newsvine, which is simply another forum that discusses the daily news and the opposing parties dicker it out, much like here. When I saw it here, I remembered seeing it elsewhere, but that doesnt really mean anything. I had an avatar of a kitten and someone stole it over there! So yes, multiple people could be using it.
Someone called me egghead (that was a first) for a educated response on the HCV forum so I adopted the avatar, I haven't seen anyone else use it but maybe
Copeland told his family a security person took an expired handicapped parking placard out of his car. That man turned out to be a volunteer Denver police officer who enforces handicapped parking violations for the city. He was not a security officer hired by Home Depot.
And the security officer grabbed him? Why? In this day and age I would have fought back as well I think. No need for hands on with an old guy that needs a walker and a cane to get around.
But he deserved a ticket for the expired tag I admit.
Is this the normal way of things nowadays or is something in this story missing?
By the way, I was wondering where that avatar went. I thought it belonged to someone else. What does it mean? If you dont mind me asking? Im just curious, feel free to tell me to mind my own. lol
And the security officer grabbed him? Why? In this day and age I would have fought back as well I think. No need for hands on with an old guy that needs a walker and a cane to get around.
But he deserved a ticket for the expired tag I admit.
Is this the normal way of things nowadays or is something in this story missing?
By the way, I was wondering where that avatar went. I thought it belonged to someone else. What does it mean? If you dont mind me asking? Im just curious, feel free to tell me to mind my own. lol
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