MEC&F Expert Engineers : July 2016

Sunday, July 31, 2016

1 dead, 7 injured in unincorporated Bensenville, IL multi-vehicle head-on collision


One of three vehicles involved in a collision in unincorporated Bensenville Sunday afternoon. (NVP News)


Sun-Times Media Wire
Sunday, July 31, 2016 07:46PM

UNINCORPORATED BENSENVILLE, Ill. -- A person was killed and seven people were injured in a collision in unincorporated northwest suburban Bensenville Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.

The Bensenville Fire Department was called to respond to Grand Avenue at Crown Road about 2 p.m. for a multi-vehicle collision, according to Bensenville Fire Chief Mike Spain. Responders found three vehicles with significant damage.

A Ford Crown Victoria and Nissan sedan were involved in a head-on collision, Spain said. A pickup truck then crashed into at least one of the vehicles.

A person inside the Nissan was killed, Spain said. Seven more people were hospitalized with injuries. Three were in critical condition, and the conditions of four others was not known, but had stabilized. Another person refused treatment at the scene.

They were taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Elmhurst Hospital and Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Spain said.

Additional information was not immediately known.

Grand Avenue between York and County Line roads was closed while the DuPage County sheriff's office conducts an investigation.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2016.)

Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting, Forensics, and Environmental Remediation Services. Construction, Investigation, Remediation and Forensic Expert Engineers


Construction Defects, Construction Claims, Engineering, Property & Casualty Investigations, Assessment, Site Investigation, Remediation, Litigation and Indoor-Air Expert Engineers

Bill Stephan, PhD, PE, CIH, CHMM, JD, MBA
Principal Engineer

P.O. Box 520
Tenafly, New Jersey 07670-0520
Phone: (973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440



__________________________________________________



Firm Overview


The engineering and forensic firm of Metropolitan Forensics and Consulting Engineering and Environmental Services was established for the purpose of providing a high value service to the insurance industry and to the insured companies or individuals. Our founding principal (Bill Stephan) is a licensed professional engineer in several states, including, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.



We specialize in the in-situ remediation of petroleum and chlorinated spills, the defense of liability claims, the investigation and defense of first or third party insurance claims and the handling of subrogation claims.  We are also experts on oil and gas energy sector issues (design, investigations, construction oversight), renewable energy sector (wind turbines, solar panels, biofuels, etc), vapor intrusion evaluation, vapor phase and transport and in design on vapor mitigation systems.  Additionally, we offer forensic engineering services, including age-dating of contaminant releases, construction defects, oversight, evaluation of remedial alternatives, sub-slab ventilation system design and installation.  The list of our core services is:



  • Cause and Origin Investigations
  • Construction Failure Analysis (Residential, Industrial and Commercial)
  • Structural Integrity Evaluation
  • Site Investigation
  • Tank removals and tank installations; licensed and insured to perform entire UST work
  • In-Situ Remediation of Soil and Groundwater
  • Vapor intrusion, indoor air evaluation and mitigation
  • Causation
  • Forensic Investigations (age-dating)
  • Oversight
  • Review of Remedial Action Work Plans
  • Reserve Estimation
  • Cost Allocation
  • RAWP Preparation
  • Site Remediation
  • Cleanup Level Development and Negotiation
  • Subrogation
  • Expert Witness/Litigation Support
  • Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Services
  • Construction Claims (Delay, Differing Site Conditions, Loss of Productivity, Acceleration, and others)

 





















Additional Specialty Service Areas

Age Dating
Boilers & Burners
Bridges
Building Codes
Building Inspections


Construction Accident
   Reconstruction
Construction Defects
Construction Delay Claims

Construction Surety Claims
Construction Disputes
Construction Differing Condition Claims
Construction Oversight
Construction Management
Construction Acceleration Claims

Construction Failures
Construction Injuries
Contractor Performance Issues
Corrosion


Defective Designs
Defective Roadway Design
   Evaluations


Earthquake
Electrical Accidents/Injuries
Electrical Equipment Failures
Electrical Fires
Elevators, Escalators
   & Conveyors
Embedded Software Hazards
   & Analysis
Equipment Failures
Errors and Omissions
Explosions

Failure Analysis
Fire
Fire Codes
Fire Protection Systems
Fire Suppression Systems

Flood Damage Assessment

Foundation Systems

Gas Systems

Hailstorm damage

Heating & Ventilation Systems
Heavy Construction
Highway/Roadway Design
Human Factors


Indoor Air Quality
Laboratory Services
Ladders, Scaffolding Falls
   & Failures
Lightning

Mechanical Defect Evaluations
Metallurgical Age Dating
Mold Causation
Natural Disasters/Weather
   Related Issues
Nuclear Energy
Occupational Hazards
   & Illness

Piping
Playground Equipment Injuries
Plumbing
Product Failures
Roofing Problems & Failures
Safety Codes
Safety & Human Factors
   Engineering
Scalding
Scene Mapping and Photographs
Sick Building Syndrome
Sports Equipment Injuries
Standardized Codes
Steam Systems
Subrogation Issues


Transportation Issues
Trips, Slips & Falls
Underground Storage Tanks
Utilities Expertise
Vibration
Water Damage
Windstorm



Mission Statement


Our mission is to work as an extension of our clients to expeditiously achieve the most economically favorable resolution of claims on their behalf and on behalf of their insured. We have developed and will continue to create new solutions to the technical problems and issues which are facing the insurance industry and the insureds today.  

Metropolitan provides forensic engineering work (age-dating or fingerprinting), site remediation, auditing, cost control and litigation support services to insurance carriers, their insureds and to private or public companies.  In its risk management role, examines, manages and audits environmental claims to ensure that assessment and remediation services provided to both carriers and policy holders are reasonable and necessary, properly rendered and appropriately charged. 



In its litigation support role, Metropolitan assists carriers and their counsel to ensure that litigious disputes are resolved fairly and reimbursement benefits are provided when appropriate.  The corporations service area includes the entire United States, with our corporate office located in Northern New Jersey.  The Firm's professional staff also travels regularly throughout the United States on assignment.


Forensics at Metropolitan


There are many issues associated with disputes over responsibility for cleanup. Who, what, when, where, and how chemicals were released can be investigated. The tools of forensic investigation include mathematical models, statistical models, fate and transport calculations, chromatography, lead isotope analyses, time of travel assessments, library search site characterization, tracer additives, and recently developed software applications.



Effective forensic project management should include an evaluation of multiple forensic tools based on site specific circumstances. The process of evaluation and the ultimate selection of the forensic tool are critical to a successful outcome. When project budgets allow, combining forensic methods for corroborative evidence can substantially strengthen your client’s position in an effort to prevent or support litigation. The effective forensic consultant must be well acquainted with an ever expanding list of analytical methods, environmental regulations, assessment procedures and remedial technologies.



The forensic field is one that utilizes a wide range of scientific tools to identify and characterize complex adverse environmental events. Some of the scientific disciplines involved in forensics include engineering principles (biological, physical and chemical), hydrology, lithology, geology, site history, site practices, mathematics, and statistics. These areas may be combined with technologies such as respiratory analyses, chromatography/mass spectrometry and chemical fingerprinting methods to answer complex questions with the ultimate goal of establishing responsibility for a particular event. Accurate, defensible forensic analyses are an essential component of any strategy that attempts to resolve the extent of the insurer or insured client responsibilities in the cleanup of contaminants.


Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our forensic services.



Property Damage Services at Metropolitan

Metropolitan assists property owners, claims professionals, businesses, and attorneys in   the assessment of the cause & origin (C&O), extent of damage and required restoration after pipe bursts, settlements, manufacturing and construction failures, fire, flood, earthquake, or storm damage.  Our teams of engineers have extensive experience in the many systems that make up a building including structural, mechanical and electrical systems.   We also have the necessary background to evaluate property damage to items such as communications towers or solar panels. We can help determine alternative, appropriate, and cost effective solutions for repair or restoration of any damaged property, both commercial and residential. 

Providing Competent, Expert and Objective Investigative Engineering and Consulting Services.

Our experts are multi-skilled, competent, and objective professionals who apply their analytical and common sense skills to reconstruct, determine the root cause, and document the events that give rise to property, casualty, and liability claims.  Thorough investigations and detailed measurements/research help us distinguish between pre-existing conditions and sudden and accidental losses.



 






























Our investigations are:

·         Comprehensive & Accurate

·         Legible & Easy to Understand

·         Timely Performed

·         Delivered Quickly

·         Cost Effective

·         Clear & Concise

·         Developed by Professionals

·         Dependable

·         Our own uniform reporting system saves time and money.


Our Fast Track Investigation and Uniform Format Reporting systems allow us to conduct and deliver a comprehensive response to the assigned claim.  In most cases, we will obtain findings based on a site visit, visual observations, photographs, interviews, and field measurements.  Further investigations and testing will be provided upon request and approval by the client.



Forensic Investigation of Property Damage Claims

Metropolitan Consulting, Engineering & Forensics understands your need to complete a claim investigation accurately and efficiently as possible.  Whether it is accident reconstruction, damage due to environmental forces such as wind, water, hail, snow, tornado, etc.; fire origin & cause investigation or any other claim, the engineers at Metropolitan understand both you and your client want to resolve the claim.  The analysis you receive from Metropolitan will be accurate and complete, giving you the information needed in the claim adjustment and analysis.

Our services have extended beyond the forensic analysis phase into the remediation and repair phase of many large loss claims.  Upon the completion of the cause and origin (C&O) investigation, Metropolitan can provide our clients with complete working drawings and specifications needed to repair or rebuilt damaged buildings or other structures.  Metropolitan Consulting & Engineering’ staff possesses many-many years of experience in rehabilitation design, construction management, and project oversight to ensure the loss is restored in a timely and cost-effective manner without sacrificing quality.  Building code knowledge allows us to identify possible code upgrades as needed.  Metropolitan understands constructability and realizes making an insured whole goes beyond forensic investigation and design. We pride ourselves in providing practical solutions contractors can understand and follow.

At the forefront of available technology, we provide professionals and staff capable of handling a variety of engineering evaluations.  Our reports are clear, concise, complete and efficiently produced.  Our engineering objectives are achieved in an ethical manner consistent with the traditions and character of engineering professionals.

Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our property damage services.


Extensive Experience helping Sureties

Metropolitan also has extensive experience helping sureties fulfill their bond obligations resolve disputes after a contractor has defaulted.  This work includes the evaluation of contractor bid pricing, evaluation of the contractor’s ability to perform work, risk assessment, evaluation of termination, construction completion services, claim and litigation support services, loss recovery services, evaluation of payment bond claims, negotiation and settlement of payment bond claims, and construction defects investigation services.  Metropolitan has provided these services for commercial, development, educational, and assisted living projects.


Construction is a business fraught with risk.  Disputes over even the smallest of issues can quickly escalate, with crippling consequences to the project and the parties.  Over the years, the construction industry has developed various methods of contractually allocating the risk of project delay and disruption.  Some of these methods include liquidated damages provisions, "no damages for delay" clauses, mutual waivers of consequential damages, provisions that limit liability, claims notice provisions, and provisions addressing responsibility for the adequacy of the construction plans and specifications.  Parties frequently litigate the sufficiency of these risk-shifting efforts in conjunction with the underlying merits of delay and disruption disputes.
Construction Claims & Disputes
The most frequently encountered claims include:
1.            Construction Delay Claims
2.            Disruption and Loss of Labor Productivity Claims
3.            Design and Construction Defect Claims
4.            Force Majeure Claims
5.            Acceleration or Compression of the Schedule Claims
6.            Suspension, Termination and Default Claims
7.            Differing Site Conditions Claims
8.            Change Order and Extra Work Claims
9.            Cost Overrun Claims
10.         Unacceptable Workmanship or Substituted Material Claims
11.         Non-payment Claims (stop notice (or Notice to Withhold) claims, mechanics’ lien (only for private construction projects) and payment bond claims)



Forensic Engineering Experience Case Studies


Metropolitan staff has developed and utilized scientific methods to assist clients in a variety of ways related to their claim issues. The following is a partial list of such projects:

  • Provided expert witness services for plaintiff seeking remediation of contaminated groundwater that caused indoor air inhalation problems;
  • Testified that engineering and scientific evidence was improperly collected and analyzed and was inadequate to show the age of the release;
  • Origin and cause of retaining wall failures.  
  • Lightning damage to structures or electrical systems and equipment
  • Roof failure or collapse as a result of accumulated load, additional weight and snow drift at hundreds of commercial and residential properties.
  • Demonstrated that solvents in groundwater at client's property originated from off-site dry-cleaner and that client's site actually provided remediation for the off-site release of dry cleaning solvent;
  • Expert witness for property owner impacted by industrial waste disposal from industrial manufacturer;
  • Demonstrated that environmental analysis by a previous consultant for a manufacturing site was inadequate; as a result, the lender's concerns were alleviated and financing proceeded;
  • Chemical "age-dating" and contaminant transport analyses of petroleum in groundwater at a gas station showed that contaminants originated from other parties;
  • Age-dated petroleum release at a former gas station to show that the previous owner of the gas station caused groundwater contamination;
  • Age-dated petroleum releases at an industrial facility to show that the on-site plume was the result of an off-site source;
  • Prepared age-dating reports for over one-hundred residential fuel oil spills;
  • Assisted insurance companies attorneys in defending subrogation claims; was able to demonstrate that the forensic data collected by the first party consultant were collected and analyzed using invalid methods;
  • Demonstrated that structural damage to a residence was from a source other than the alleged high lake level
  • Collected evidence (for the primary responsible party) that identified other responsible parties to share in the cost of a Superfund cleanup;
  • Review of the site data at a bulk petroleum facility indicated that the site releases were not the result of regular oil transfer operations and that they were caused by the negligent actions of the insured’s agents; the case was settled in favor of the insurance company;
  • Was able to demonstrate that the majority of the removal actions at petroleum release sites were neither reasonable nor necessary; as a result of our opinion, the insurance client settled the claim in favorable terms;
  • At several drycleaner sites we were able to demonstrate that the age of the release was much earlier than the parties originally believed; as a result, the insurance client settled the claim at a fraction of the alleged liability;
  • We performed numerous flood and wind damage assessments at commercial and residential properties.
Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our forensic engineering services.




Site Remediation Services


 Characterizing and remediating contaminated sites involve some of the most complex and difficult issues for environmental lawyers and their clients. Problem areas include responding to regulators; negotiating enforcement settlements; negotiating or litigating cost allocation and recovery claims; working with the insured or insurer client, lawyers and regulators to develop efficient, cost-effective remediation approaches; and selling, buying, or developing contaminated properties.



Metropolitan staff has developed and applied an innovative approach to the use of sodium persulfate for the sequential in-situ treatment of subsurface contaminants through chemical oxidation followed by enhanced biological degradation through sulfate reduction. This approach has broad applicability to a wide range of contaminants, and shows strong cost-saving benefits through reducing the initial volume of chemical oxidant necessary and enhancing the in-situ biological degradation of contaminants.



Through proper subsurface geochemical characterization and chemical dosing design, the approach focuses on utilizing the oxidant for immediate mass reduction at the source area, followed by degradation or polishing of the residual contamination using sulfate reducing bacteria.  Depending upon the oxidant activation method, this approach is applicable to petroleum hydrocarbons including both volatiles and PAHs, chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) including chlorinated ethene, ethane and methane groups, as well as PCBs.


Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our Site Remediation Services.





Vapor Intrusion and Indoor-Air Studies


Vapor intrusion has received increased attention over the last few years near contaminated sites because some contaminants have the potential to migrate into nearby buildings and negatively affect indoor air quality. The accumulation of these volatile vapors in buildings can result in significant safety and health concerns.
To properly evaluate vapor intrusion a thorough evaluation of the building's ventilation system and subsurface conditions needs to be conducted by a knowledgeable professional in accordance with state and federal established procedures. 
The evaluation process typically includes a thorough building chemical inventory, the advancement of soil gas probes and the collection of soil gas samples. When indoor air quality problems are identified they can normally be resolved through the modification/installation of a properly designed ventilation system.
Metropolitan is well experienced with U.S. EPA and State vapor intrusion investigation techniques. We have completed numerous vapor intrusion and indoor air quality studies at commercial and residential properties. We have the experience to identify and resolve indoor vapor intrusion problems and the practical know-how to resolve indoor quality issues in an efficient and cost effective manner.
Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Air Studies.




Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting, Forensics, and Environmental Remediation Services.


Construction, Investigation, Remediation and Forensic Expert  Engineers

P.O. Box 520

Tenafly, New Jersey 07670-0520

Ph.: (973) 897-8162

Fax: (973) 810-0440



Contact: Dr. Bill N. Stephan, PhD, PE, JD, CIH, MBA, CHMM






Insurance claim examiners, insureds, insurers, insurance adjusters and risk managers use Metropolitan for determining cause, evaluating the extent of damage, determining the age of the release, separating unrelated damage, analyzing loss scopes and managing restoration data, determining costs to repair, restore or replace, and preparing for insurance appraisals.



Attorneys call on Metropolitan for help when preparing for Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution such as arbitration and mediation


Former cop shoots self on New Jersey Turnpike; wife's body found in trunk



Sunday, July 31, 2016 04:45PM
NEWARK, New Jersey -- Authorities say a former police officer killed himself after a chase with police that led state troopers to finding the body of the ex-cop's wife in his trunk.

New Jersey State police were notified Saturday night by police in Providence, Rhode Island, that Franklin Osgood was believed to be traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.

They located Osgood's car, but he refused to pull over and eventually ran off the road.

Troopers found the 61-year-old Osgood with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when they approached the car. The body of 55-year-old Mary Jo Osgood was in the trunk.

Franklin Osgood was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Providence police said at a news conference Sunday that Osgood's daughter had called them Saturday to say her father was missing and distraught. 


===============




Providence PD release details of murder suicide by former police officer


by Mario Hilario; NBC10



Providence police Sunday released new details about a murder suicide involving a former officer with the department.

Colonel Hugh Clements said Franklin Osgood, a former patrolman, shot and killed his wife Mary Jo Osgood in the garage of their Eaton Street home in Providence then left Rhode Island with her body in the trunk of his car.

Exactly when the crime took place was still unclear, though Col. Clements said likely sometime on Friday.

Police say family members became concerned Saturday afternoon when Osgood had phone conversations with first an adult daughter, then a son, saying he had done something bad to their mother.

"He really expressed sorrow and sympathy for what he had done and expressed he wanted to harm himself," said Col. Clements.

Obviously concerned, Osgood's children contacted police, who then began searching for the couple, while eventually getting search warrant for their home.

Detectives began pouring over the Eaton Street property, while still trying to locate Osgood. At one point a female Providence officer, who knew Osgood, was able to contact him after getting his cell phone number from his children.

"That female officer, I give her a lot of credit for being on the phone with him throughout the night," said Col. Clements.

Clements said they were able to track Osgood driving as far south as Maryland, with that officer having sporadic conversations with him in between his turning on and off his phone.

"At one point he was headed south on I-95, and on back streets through communities, and she turned him around, and he was headed back from Maryland, Pennsylvania, through New Jersey," said Clements.

It was around 9:30pm Saturday, New Jersey State Police recognized Osgood’s vehicle on the Jersey Turnpike from a BOLO and attempted a traffic stop. Police say Osgood fled, crashed into a barrier, and soon after, took his own life, with the same gun, they believe he used to kill his wife at their home back in Providence.

"Very unfortunate, very, very, disturbing, a sad story; again our sympathy goes out to the family," said Clements who added that the Osgoods’ four children are all adults believed to be in their twenties.

Clements said Osgood had been a member of the fifty-fifth Providence Police Academy, joining the force in 1995.

He officially retired in 2007, after a five year legal battle to get an ordinary disability pension, which he first applied for in 2002.

Clements did not immediately know the exact nature of Osgood’s disability and said he did not personally know Osgood well but added, “From people close to him (on the force), they spoke highly of him on the job. Even on the scene last night a few of his academy mates said there no indication when he was on the job of that type of behavior.”

Four Chicago firefighters were injured Sunday afternoon while fighting a blaze in a West Side apartment building

 

4 firefighters injured in West Side apartment building fire




The Chicago Fire Department on the scene of a fire in an apartment building in the Austin neighborhood.

Sunday, July 31, 2016 03:23PM
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Four Chicago firefighters were injured Sunday afternoon while fighting a blaze in a West Side apartment building, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

The firefighters were transported to Stroger Hospital and were in stable condition, the fire department said.

The first in the 4900-block of West Potomac in the Austin neighborhood was reported at about noon, and put out at about 12:30 p.m.

A flash was seen on the second floor as the firefighters went inside the building.

Six people have been displaced by the fire. No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was being investigated.

Blown transformer sparks grass fire near Riverfront Park, in Billings, Montana



Blown transformer sparks Saturday afternoon grass fire near Riverfront Park

By MIKE KORDENBROCK mkordenbrock@billingsgazette.com
 

BILLINGS, MONTANA

A blown transformer sparked an acre-and-a-half to two-acre grass fire in a field near a Cherry Avenue trailer park on Saturday afternoon, but despite some access issues, the Billings Fire Department was able to quickly contain and extinguish the blaze, according to the battalion chief who led the effort.


"There's a line that runs south of the trailer court over there toward Riverfront Park," said Battalion Chief Brian Corneliusen. "That blew, and right below that is where the sparks landed and started the fire."


The fire was originally reported at about 3 p.m. in the area of Riverfront Park, causing some confusion among the first firefighters to respond, Corneliusen said. Those firefighters ended up cutting a lock to access a bridge off the east parking lot of Riverfront. Later firefighters went off the I-90 Frontage Road into the trailer park.



Fueled by tall grass and other vegetation, the fire was traveling east, but no structures were threatened Corneliusen said. Firefighters had the flames knocked down within 10 to 15 minutes of their arrival and the fire was contained shortly thereafter, according to Corneliusen.


Two engines and a brush truck were among the resources deployed. Deputies from the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office were also visible on the scene.

FLOOD LEVELS FOR MILLSTONE RIVER AT GRIGGSTOWN, NEW JERSEY AS OF 4:00 PM JULY 31, 2016


3-alarm fire at the Colucci Lumber Yard located at 303 Delsea Drive in Franklin Township, NJ










Fire crews are responding to a serious fire in Gloucester County. (Action News viewer video) (WPVI)

Updated 14 mins ago
FRANKLIN TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- Fire crews are responding to a serious fire in Gloucester County.

The fire was reported Sunday afternoon at Colucci Lumber Yard located at 303 Delsea Drive in Franklin Township.

Crews have struck a third alarm.

There are no reported injuries at this time.

The fire is not yet under control.

3-Alarm fire: Firefighters from at least eight towns worked to extinguish a house fire in Hampden, Maine. A motorcycle in the garage is believed to have started the blaze



 



Crews respond to three-alarm fire in Hampden
WLBZ 11:08 PM. EST July 30, 2016 


 HAMPDEN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Firefighters from at least eight towns worked to extinguish a house fire in Hampden Saturday night.

The fire on Dudley Road struck a third-alarm with Hampden, Bangor, Brewer, Newburgh, Winterport, Hermon, Carmel and Levant all responding.

A motorcycle in the garage is believed to have started the blaze.

The homeowner reportedly tried to put out the fire themselves, but it was too strong and eventually spread through the rest of home.

Crews worked constantly to prevent the spread into the back of the home. The home was significantly damaged.

“When we arrived the garage was fully involved. The fire spread quickly into the attic space and across the rafters of the house. We relied heavily on mutual aid in this type of situation,” Hampden Fire Lieutenant Jason Lundstrom said.

Fortunately, everyone inside at the time made it out safely.

Fire personnel continued work into the night to ensure the fire was completely extinguished and further investigate the damage.

RECKLESS NEW JERSEY COPS SHOT A 76-YEAR OLD MAN 4 TIMES INSIDE HIS OWN HOME, AFTER 911 CALL MIX-UP






RECKLESS NEW JERSEY COPS SHOT A 76-YEAR OLD MAN INSIDE HIS OWN HOME, AFTER 911 CALL MIX-UP
New Jersey State troopers shoot man, 76, after 911 call mix-up


An investigation is underway after New Jersey State troopers shot a 76-year-old man inside his own home.

By Jeff Chirico
Sunday, July 31, 2016 02:12PM
UPPER DEERFIELD TWP., N.J. -- An investigation is underway after New Jersey State troopers shot a 76-year-old man inside his own home.

The situation was brought on by a series of misunderstandings by police and the victim.

Police responded to the home after dispatchers incorrectly traced a 911 call to Gerald Sykes house on the 300 block of Centerton Road in Upper Deerfield Township.

"Why was the first response to pump four rounds through a door?" said Ronald Lafalce.

Lafalce was shocked and outraged as he showed us the holes from police bullets that nearly killed his father-in-law.

"Twice in the chest. Once in the groin. Collapsed lung. Internal bleeding," said Diana Lafalce, Sykes' stepdaughter.

Just before midnight on Friday, Sykes and his wife, Margot, were awakened by their dog's barks.

"They both stepped into the great room and saw two figures standing right at their French doors, right up against the door. Nothing said. No identification," said Diana Lafalce.

Diana Lafalce says as her stepdad was standing in the living room holding his shotgun when police fired four shots - three hit him.

"After he collapsed on the floor, he lifted the gun up and shot out the door not knowing who was there," said Ronald Lafalce.





Police aren't saying who shot first, but the Lafalces say troopers treated Sykes like a criminal, refusing to get him medical treatment for 45 minutes until he staggered outside where they flipped him over and handcuffed him.

He was flown to Cooper University Medical Center where he is listed in critical, but stable condition.

"The surgeon says it's a miracle he's alive," said Diana Lafalce.

Police say the troopers responding to a 911 call went to the wrong house. A statement says they identified themselves, but the Lafalces don't buy it, pointing Sykes has a deep respect for police, and didn't even know he had been shot by one until he awoke at the hospital.

"His eyes got big as saucers and he said, 'What? Those were state troopers? They never game me a warning. They shot me without even a warning," said Diana Lafalce.

Sykes wife was not hurt in the incident.

It's unclear why police thought the call came from Syke's home, but there is a cell phone tower on that property.

One of the troopers we're told received a graze wound. Both troopers were taken to Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, and later released.

The attorney general's office is handling the case, and they say they will release more information once the investigation is concluded. 


The New Jersey cops are particularly reckless.  They shoot first and they ask questions (if any) later.  They are protected by the pro-police government regime.  They have behaved like clowns in this and in many other cases.



================


Elderly Upper Deerfield man shot by state police, critically wounded
Joseph P. Smith, @jpsmith_dj 1:52 p.m. EDT July 31, 2016



UPPER DEERFIELD, NJ - New Jersey State Police exchanged gunfire with and critically wounded an elderly township man after approaching his secluded house around midnight Friday while investigating a hangup cellphone call to emergency dispatch, according to a statement Saturday from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

The office's Shooting Response Team is investigating what happened at the house, located on the 300 block of Centerton Road in a rural area of Cumberland County.


The wounded resident was identified as 76-year-old Gerald Sykes, who was hit multiple times. He is hospitalized in critical but stable condition at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

According to the statement, Sykes fired one round from a shotgun. One trooper was hit either from a grazing wound or flying glass, and both troopers who responded were treated at Inspira Health Network Vineland and released.

The initial investigation indicates that two uniformed troopers from the Bridgeton barracks were sent to the house in response to a 911 call received about 11:30 p.m. Friday. Sykes was home with his wife.

The investigation has determined that the 911 call did not come from Sykes' residence, as first thought.

"The shooting occurred after the troopers approached a sliding glass door in the rear of the residence and knocked, shining flashlights into the home and announcing that they were responding to a 911 call," the response team stated. "At the same time, there was an exchange of gunfire through the sliding glass door in which one of the troopers fired four rounds from his service 9mm handgun andGeraldSykes fired a single round from a shotgun. Mr. Sykes, who was struck by multiple rounds, retreated into the house."


Authorities say the Sykes called their daughter, who called 911 to report what had happened. Dispatchers "facilitated Mr. Sykes coming out of his house so that he could receive medical treatment," officials said.

Evelyn Zielke, a Williamstown resident who is Syke’s sister, was on the way to the hospital Saturday.

Zielke said she didn’t want to talk about what happened immediately but was aware of the attorney general’s statement.

“They have admitted that he was not the target,” she said. “They made a mistake in address.”


The Attorney General's office said no additional details would be released at this time, citing an ongoing investigation.



==================




Reckless and incompetent state police blast New Jersey man four times in own home while responding to wrong address


BY Ben Kochman
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sunday, July 31, 2016, 2:12 AM

State police in New Jersey, responding to the wrong address for a 911 call, critically wounded a 76-year-old man as he stood in his own living room with a shotgun, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office said.

The state troopers thought he was a threat, and he apparently thought they were intruders.

The confusion started around 11:30 p.m. Friday with a 911 call from a cellphone near the home on Centerton Road in Cumberland County, authorities said.

The caller hung up before providing a precise location, and police later determined the call had not in fact come from the home where Gerald Sykes lives with his 80-year-old wife.


Gerald Sykes, 76, recovers in the hospital, in this screenshot from Fox 29 News, after he was shot by New Jersey State troopers in his home in Upper Deerfield Township. (Courtesy Fox 29 News)

After two uniformed troopers knocked on the front door and got no response, they approached the home’s back deck, authorities said. An exchange of gunshots followed, with one of the cops firing four times through a sliding glass door and Sykes firing a single round from a shotgun, though in the darkness no one seemed to have a clear look at one another.

Sykes had grabbed his shotgun from his bedroom to confront what he thought were intruders, a family friend and attorney told NJ.com. Sykes was struck three times, and then let off a single blast, attorney Rich Kaser said.

As Sykes lay on the floor, his shirt soaked in blood, his wife tried to call 911, Kaser said.

The bullet-riddled home of Gerald Sykes in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey. (ABC 6 Action News)

The state troopers ordered the critically wounded man to lay face down and placed him in handcuffs, the attorney said.


The stepdaughter of Sykes, Diana LaFalce, told Fox 29 News that her mother called and explained he had been shot through the back door of the house.

Sykes was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition Saturday night, officials said. The state Attorney General’s Office said that no charges have been filed as the investigation continues.


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N.J. is investigating police shooting of homeowner Updated: August 1, 2016 — 11:59 PM EDT


The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is investigating, having acknowledged that a New Jersey State Police trooper fired four shots into Gerald Sykes' home on the 300 block of Centerton Road.


by Chris Palmer, Staff Writer

His dog was barking, and his wife was worried.
 
So Gerald Sykes, leery of what appeared to be people wandering around his property in Upper Deerfield Township, N.J., about 11:30 p.m. Friday, got out of bed, loaded his shotgun, and walked toward the back of his house, according to Rich Kaser, a longtime family friend.

As Sykes took stock of his surroundings near a set of French doors, the 76-year-old was hit by three bullets through the glass, Kaser said.

After firing a shell while falling backward, Kaser said, Sykes retreated to the bedroom he shares with his wife in a panic, bleeding, calling 911, and screaming that he was going to die.


"He thought they were coming in to get him and his wife," Kaser said.

Not until Saturday afternoon did Sykes, recovering at Cooper University Hospital, learn that he had been shot by police.

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is investigating, having acknowledged that a New Jersey State Police trooper fired four shots into Sykes' home on the 300 block of Centerton Road. Officers responded to the Cumberland County property, mistakenly believing that a disconnected 911 call had originated there, prosecutors said. They have not said whether the officer or Sykes fired first.

They also have not said why the officer fired at all, saying simply that "there was an exchange of gunfire" after the officers approached the doors and shined flashlights into the home, announcing that they were responding to a 911 call.


Kaser, a Woodbury lawyer who said he had known Sykes and his wife for three decades, called the incident "bizarre" and a "tragic mistake" that has traumatized the couple.

"It's going to have a major impact on the rest of their lives," Kaser said.

He visited Sykes in the hospital this weekend, he said. Officials said Sunday that Sykes was in stable condition, and Kaser said he had been moved out of the intensive-care unit and was no longer relying on a ventilator.

Still, complications remained. Sykes' spleen had been removed, according to Kaser, and he had cuts on his face because of the shattered glass from the doors. Two bullets struck him in the chest and another in the groin.

An officer suffered a graze wound, prosecutors said, and both troopers were treated at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland and released.

For nearly half a day after the shooting, Kaser said, Sykes had no idea police had shot him. The officers involved offered no help at the scene, according to Kaser, and when authorities responded to his 911 call to take Sykes to the hospital, they made him walk onto his front lawn in a blood-soaked shirt - and they handcuffed him.

Sykes' wife, Margot, meanwhile, was taken to the police station in her nightgown, Kaser said.

"There's a whole lot here that doesn't make sense," he said.


Authorities provided no details about their interaction with Sykes beyond saying that dispatchers "facilitated Mr. Sykes' coming out of his house so that he could receive medical treatment."

Prosecutors said Saturday that they would release no further details about the shooting because of the ongoing investigation.

Kaser said that the family was considering a lawsuit, but that the couple, while scarred, were "not angry at police."

Sykes "did what any person would do" upon learning of potential intruders, Kaser said. "Somebody [else], it appears, overreacted."


This is New Jersey, a heavily pro-police state.  They will never reveal what happen and they will never issue an apology.  Crooks and reckless cops all around.