Homicide Investigation Update:
The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives have received a ruling from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office on a shooting death investigation. The incident occurred on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at approximately 11:24 a.m., in the 5400 block of Avenue I.
The victim has been identified as:
Rapheal West, B/M, 28, of Fairfield, Alabama.
The suspect has been identified as:
Brandon Williams, B/M, 20, of Birmingham, Alabama
Homicide investigators presented the case to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney’s office advised investigators that no charges will be filed against the shooter due to the details of the domestic incident. The District Attorney’s office advised that the shooting will be ruled as justifiable and hence will not be counted as a criminal homicide.
Juvenile Arrest:
On December 19, 2014, at approximately 10:30 a.m., South Precinct Officers responded to a residential burglary in progress at 329 Theta Ave, (S-331 beat). At the time of the call the home was occupied by a young female and an infant. The first responding Officer observed three young Black males running from the incident location and notified all responding Officers thru dispatch a description of each and the direction in which they were running. A collected effort by all of the responding Officers resulted in the apprehension of all three suspects without incident.
After a short time Burglary Detectives responded to the incident location and met with the Task Force Supervisor and all of the responding Officers. The on scene investigation revealed that two of the suspects were identified by the victim, that was home at the time of the burglary and the third suspect was standing near the house as a lookout. All three suspects were taken in for questioning. The home owner also indicated that on the following evening some unknown person(s) had broken into their house and stolen several valuable items. Two burglary reports were filed by the Task Force.
An interview of all three suspects was conducted by Detectives. All suspects admitted to the burglary and all three suspects were questioned about the prior burglary a day earlier and also admitted to committing that burglary.
After the interviews were concluded the suspects were transported to the Juvenile Detention Center. All three suspects were under the age of 18.
Homicide Investigations:
The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives are conducting a homicide investigation. The incident occurred Sunday, December 21, 2014 in the 900 Block of Summit Place.
The identity of the victim will be released upon notification of immediate family.
On Sunday, December 21, 2014 around 7 p.m., South Precinct officers were dispatched to the listed location on a person down. Upon arrival, officers found the victim lying in the breezeway on the ground suffering from what appeared to be blunt force trauma to the head area. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue.
Our investigation revealed the victim was a delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza and was delivering a pizza to the location. Additional information will be released as it becomes available. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.
If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.
The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives are also conducting another homicide investigation. The incident occurred Wednesday, December 10, 2014 on College Avenue in the Powderly area.
The victim has been identified as:
Walter Cook, B/M, 42, of Birmingham, Alabama.
On Wednesday December 10, 2014 around 9 p.m., West Precinct officers responded to Princeton Hospital on a person who had been shot multiple times. The victim was later transported to UAB hospital where he underwent several surgery procedures.
On Friday December 19, 2014 around 8 p.m., our department was informed by the medical staff at UAB Hospital that the victim had succumbed to his injuries. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.
If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.
Former Winston County Deputy Pleads Guilty to Extorting Manufacture of Methamphetamine
BIRMINGHAM — A former Winston County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty today in federal court to using his police authority to extort a woman to cook methamphetamine, and to causing her to manufacture and distribute the drug at the home where she lived with a minor child, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Schwein Jr.
GRADY KEITH CONCORD, 42, of Lynn, entered his guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Abdul K Kallon to one count of extortion under color of official right, one count of manufacturing methamphetamine and one count of manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine on premises where children are present or reside. The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed the charges against Concord in November.
“Sheriff’s deputies are supposed to protect people from harm. Instead, this defendant broke the law and coerced a woman into violating the law and manufacturing methamphetamine for him in a way that put lives, including a child’s, in danger,” Vance said. “Most law enforcement officers serve honorably, but we will prosecute those who break the law.”
“We entrust law enforcement officers with certain powers and authority, which they are expected to wield with the utmost integrity,” Schwein said. “Mr. Concord’s actions breached the public trust and dishonored the badge that he once carried. This case shows that abuse of that power and authority will not be tolerated.”
According to his plea, Concord was a Winston County Sheriff’s deputy in July 2013 when he approached a woman living in the town of Nauvoo and pressured her to manufacture methamphetamine for him. Concord used the illegal drug and arranged to supply the woman with pseudoephedrine, a necessary ingredient of methamphetamine, in exchange for a portion of the finished product.
Concord disputes the woman’s claim that he threatened her with an arrest warrant unless she agreed to the arrangement, but he concedes that because he was a sheriff’s deputy, she may have felt that she “had no choice but to accept his offer,” he acknowledged in his plea agreement with the government.
On several occasions between July 2013 through June 2014, Concord delivered pseudoephedrine to the woman’s home, where she manufactured the methamphetamine, and where he picked up the illegal drug, he acknowledged during his guilty plea today. Concord obtained decongestant pills containing pseudoephedrine from the sheriff’s office evidence room, and he and his wife both bought the pills, according to his plea.
Concord acknowledged that he knew the woman had two sons who lived with her, and that one of them was a minor.
He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the extortion count and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the count of manufacturing methamphetamine. Any sentence imposed for the manufacture of methamphetamine where minors reside or are present must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. The maximum penalty for that count is 20 years in prison and a $2 million fine.
As part of Concord’s plea agreement, he must surrender all law enforcement certifications and not seek future employment in law enforcement or custodial oversight, including as a correctional or probation officer or bail bondsman.
The FBI, State Bureau of Investigation, agents of the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force assigned to the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Winston/Marion County District Attorney’s Office, with the cooperation of the Winston County Sheriff’s Office and the Lynn Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamarra Matthews Johnson is prosecuting the case.
