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The family of Sgt. Brian Dulle, from left: son, Jackson, wife, Abbie, and daughters Maddie, 12, and Emma, 11, prays during a memorial dedication for Sgt. Dulle, the first Warren County sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran

Posted in: News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: abbie dulle, Brian Dulle, death, deputy, died, marcus isreal, memorial, Sgt. Brian Dulle, warren county, warren county sheriffs

After eight years of declines, more young people are dying on roads in the nation and in our region

Michael D. Clark reports:

Former high school sports star John Garrison struggles each day with one of the gallery of misfortunes that worry parents whose teenagers drive: Brain damage from a car crash.

Alex Thesken, a senior plays the role of the drunk driver, juniors and seniors at Lakota West High School in West Chester got a shook lesson on drinking or texting while driving. The West Chester Fire and Police stage a fatal accident scene the included one student being killed and other seriously injured. The Enquirer/Tony Jones

Garrison, now 20 years old, is still a student at Northwest High School. A 2009 car crash – with a teen behind the wheel and Garrison a passenger unsecured by a seat belt – hurled him through a window of the SUV. His head injuries were so grave attending paramedics thought he had died at the crash site.

It’s a nightmare scenario that will haunt high school parents in the coming weeks through the prom and graduation season. Thousands of area teen drivers will hit the road, many of them excited and dangerously distracted.

Feeding parents’ fears are national studies showing that after years of safer driving, more teens today are dying on roadways. And Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky reflect the grim trend.

When Garrison speaks to younger students at his school, the room grows silent when they notice his teary eyes.

“I used to play football and wrestle. And I used to be smart,” Garrison tells classmates in a halting voice.

“I probably would have had a college scholarship to play football. But I lost it all in a second.”

Garrison is a cautionary tale that parents and school officials hope cuts through the often distracted consciousness of teen drivers this time of year.

Schools try to combat the rising death toll on the nation’s roads with the now-familiar programs highlighting the perils of distracted or drunken driving.

Some teen-driving experts, however, question the timing of traditional spring driver safety programs and their overall effectiveness in light of the uptick in the number of fatalities involving teens.

(more…)

Posted in: Uncategorized |

Tags: Tags: accidents, car crashes, death, distracted driving, drivers, john garrison, lakota west, motor vehicle accidents, northwest, teen crashes, teenage, Texting, tire rack street survival

Douglas Boucher, 39, of Mason died after a 2009 tasing incident with Mason Police. Boucher’s family has filed a a lawsuit in federal court against the city, police department and two officers involved. . Provided photo

A federal judge on Friday refused to throw out a civil rights lawsuit filed in the case of an unarmed, mentally ill Mason man who died after a confrontation with police.

Judge S. Arthur Spiegel denied a request by the city of Mason to dismiss the suit filed by the family of Douglas Boucher, who died on Dec. 13, 2009 after two Mason police officers Tased him seven times, kicked and repeatedly struck him with a baton — all mostly after he had fallen face-first onto cement and stopped moving.

The suit alleges Mason Police Officers Daniel Fry and Sean McCormick unreasonably seized and used excessive force on Boucher, 39, and that the city of Mason failed to adequately train and supervise officers’ use of Tasers or conduct a meaningful investigation of the incident.

Neither officer was disciplined, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation cleared both of wrongdoing.

The two officers apprehended Boucher after a 19-year-old clerk at the Speedway gas station on Reading Road reported to them that the 6-foot-tall, 290-pound musician allegedly made a lewd comment to her.

When officers tried to take Boucher into custody, police say he punched Fry in the head twice and then chased the store clerk. Fry shot Boucher in the back with his Taser, the shock of which knocked Boucher face-first onto the pavement.

• Read more details of the confrontation
• Read the judge’s ruling

Boucher died of a skull fracture sustained from the fall, although Butler County Deputy Coroner James Swinehart said he couldn’t rule out that the seven Taser shocks contributed to his death.

Mason had requested the case be dismissed, arguing the officers acted reasonably and within the bounds of the law in response to an encounter with an aggressive subject who resisted and assaulted officers.

While Spiegel dismissed the plaintiff’s claim that stopping Boucher was a violation of his Fourth Amendment rights, he denied the officers qualified immunity.

(more…)

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: al gerhardstein, city of mason, cyril wecht, daniel fry, daubert, death, denied, doug boucher, douglas boucher, excessive force, gary becker, jennifer branch, lawsuit, mason, mason police department, s. arthur spiegel, sean mccormick, taser, tasing, u.s. district court, unreasonable siezure, wrongful death

Douglas Boucher, 39, of Mason died after a 2009 tasing incident with Mason Police. Boucher’s family has filed a a lawsuit in federal court against the city, police department and two officers involved. . Provided photo

A federal judge will decide if a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the city of Mason and two police officers should move forward in U.S. District Court.

Judge S. Arthur Spiegel Tuesday heard arguments in two motions filed by the city in the case of Douglas Boucher, who died in 2009 after Mason police shocked him with Tasers

Attorneys for the city filed both a motion for summary judgment in the case and to exclude the expert opinion testimony of Dr. Cyril H. Wecht concerning the alleged cause of death.

The suit alleges Officers Daniel Fry and Sean McCormick unreasonably seized and used “dangerous” and “excessive” force on Boucher, 39, who was mentally ill when he died on Dec. 13, 2009 after he was Tased seven times in the parking lot of a Speedway gas station.

The suit, filed by renowned Cincinnati civil rights lawyer Al Gerhardstein, demands a jury trial and seeks compensatory and punitive damages from the city of Mason and the two officers.

Officers Fry and McCormick were at the Speedway gas station on Reading Road the night of the incident when Boucher allegedly made a lewd comment to the 19-year-old clerk. The frightened clerk reported the incident to the officers and told them Boucher had made the same comment to her earlier that day, according to court records.

The two officers approached Boucher, a 6-foot-tall, 290-pound musician who had untreated bipolar disorder, and asked him to go outside. When Boucher tried to get in his car to leave, McCormick said he approached Boucher from behind and put a hand on his shoulder.

Boucher allegedly then spun around, clenched his fists and screamed at McCormick, who said he pulled his Taser and ordered Fry to handcuff Boucher. Fry said he cuffed Boucher’s left wrist when Boucher turned and punched the officer in the head twice.

McCormick said he then deployed the Taser on Boucher, shocking him in the chest and causing him to fall to his knees. The officers say Boucher then spotted the clerk outside, got up — dislodging the Taser probes in the process — and ran toward her while screaming.

(more…)

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: al gerhardstein, city of mason, cyril wecht, daniel fry, death, doug boucher, douglas boucher, excessive force, gary becker, jennifer branch, lawsuit, mason, mason police department, s. arthur spiegel, sean mccormick, taser, tasing, u.s. district court, unreasonable siezure, wrongful death

Janice Morse reports:

Citizens may pay their respects by turning out for the visitation, services or funeral procession for a fallen local soldier – a gesture that would be meaningful for the family of Army Sgt. 1st Class Bobby Lee Estle, said Funeral Director Mike Kilburn.

“By seeing that our citizens respected his commitment to the country, and gave his all – he lost his life serving us – I’m sure that would be very, very touching to the family,” Kilburn said Friday.

Sgt. Estle, a 38-year-old married father of three, was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan last weekend – his fourth foreign tour of duty, Kilburn said. Sgt. Estle died less than two weeks before he was scheduled to travel home for a visit with his family, relatives said. After a final stint in Afghanistan, he was expected to go to Mississippi to become a drill sergeant.

Escorted by police and the Patriot Guard group, funeral officials will travel to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, on Sunday to receive Sgt. Estle’s body.

At 3 p.m. Monday, a procession will leave Stine Kilburn Funeral Home, 801 Monroe Road, and head for Cornerstone Church of God, 1004 Columbus Ave., where public visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Monday.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday, a procession will leave the funeral home and head for the church for 11 a.m. services, followed by the final procession to Deerfield Cemetery, South Lebanon.

In his honor, Warren County commissioners had ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all county buildings until he is laid to rest.

Sgt. Estle’s survivors include his wife, Monica, a 12-year-old daughter, and two sons, ages 19 and 20.

Estle was assigned to the 630th Engineer Co., 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

Posted in: Community, News |

Tags: Tags: 630th engineer co., 7th engineer battalion, afghanistan, army, bobby lee estle, death, fallen soldier, lebanon, monica estle, services, sgt., south lebanon, stine kilburn funeral home

The Enquirer reports:

A 49-year-old man was found dead in his car around noon Friday in the parking lot of Meijer at 3911 U.S. 22/Ohio 3 in Deerfield Township.

Warren County sheriff’s officials said they don’t expect foul play and it appeared the man died of natural causes. An autopsy is being to determine the cause of death.

The man’s identity is not being released pending notification of relatives.

Deputies arrived at the department store after a customer noticed a man sitting in a car in front of the store with the engine running and a window partially down, sheriff’s officials said.

Posted in: News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: dead, death, deerfield township, parking lot, warren county sheriffs

Jennifer Edwards-Baker reports:

Douglas Boucher, 39, of Mason died after a 2009 tasing incident with Mason Police. Boucher's family has filed a a lawsuit in federal court against the city, police department and two officers involved. . Provided photo

The family of a man who died in 2009 after Mason police shocked him with Tasers has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city, police department and two officers.

The suit alleges Officers Daniel Fry and Sean McCormick used “dangerous” and “excessive” force by essentially torturing Douglas Boucher, 39, who was mentally ill when he died on Dec. 13, 2009, after he was Tased in the parking lot of a Speedway gas station. He fell and struck his head on the pavement.

Filed by renowned Cincinnati civil rights lawyer Al Gerhardstein, the suit demands a jury trial and seeks compensative damages and legal costs.

It also asks for punitive damages against the officers, not the city.

“They tortured him when he was on the ground and obviously incapacitated,” Gerhardstein said Tuesday. “They gave him a command, he did not comply and rather than check and see if he had a medical problem, they kicked him and used a (baton) on him. They also Tased him five times in a a row before they realized he was incapable of responding to commands, and that’s what torture is.”

Gerhardstein also alleges in the suit the officers failed to “spark test” their Tasers before they used them so the current that ran through Boucher’s body may have been higher than the manufacturer specifies.

He said he obtained the download off of the devises and it shows the officers’ Tasers hadn’t been sparked tested for 10 days.

Boucher’s autopsy results showed he died from a skull fracture from the fall.

The report did not blame the use of Tasers for the cause of death.

City and state investigations into the incident cleared the officers of wrongdoing in Boucher’s death.

Former Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel determined that the state investigation and evidence in his death indicated the officers did not commit a criminal act during the Dec. 13 incident.

Neither officer faced internal discipline because they were found to have followed the police force’s policy and procedures, Mason spokeswoman Jennifer Trepal has said.

Calls to Mason’s city manager and police chief were not immediately returned Tuesday.

In in a court filing, a lawyer for the city, Gary Becker, denies all allegations the officers violated Boucher’s constitutional rights and asks that the suit, which was filed on Dec. 9, be dismissed.

(more…)

Posted in: City Council, Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: al gerhardstein, city of mason, death, douglas boucher, gary becker, jennifer trepal, lawsuit, mason, mason police, officer daniel fry, officer sean mccormick, police, rachel hutzel, speedway, taser, tasing, west chester

Funeral services will be held this evening for John Odell, the retired Mason teacher and first-term school board member who died Thursday from an aggressive form of lung cancer.

The 62-year-old Odell was diagnosed with lung cancer this summer but continued to work until recently as part of the five-member board that governs one of Ohio’s academically top school systems.

A pioneer in applying learning technology in the classroom and district-wide, Odell was hailed Friday by Mason officials for both his dedication to students and foresight in advancing teaching techniques.

School officials publicly announced his passing Friday.

“He was a remarkable man who never wavered in his commitment to education,” said Mason Board of Education President Debbie Delp. “His career in education gave him insights that challenged us to expand our thinking, understand the impact of our choices and look for creative ways to accomplish our work.”

Odell began teaching in the Warren County school system in 1985.

Retiring from the classroom in 2006, he won his first try at public office in 2009 with election to the Mason school board.

Mason Schools Assistant Superintendent Amy Spicher worked with Odell for years and said his impact was district-wide and will last into the next generation.

“John was such a visionary and he understood the big picture, but he also capitalized on the small moments. Every time a parent in our district logs on to Edline (Mason’s website) to check their child’s grades or a teacher’s homework assignment – John’s hands are on that,” said Spicher.

“I have met so many, many teachers who have been inspired by John – many of whom would say that they are better teachers because of him – and that legacy will impact our students for decades to come,” she said.

Memorial services for Odell will be held beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Christ’s Church in Mason, 5165 Western Row Road, with services starting at 6 p.m.

Odell is survived by his wife Susan and five children.

Under Ohio law, the remaining Mason school board members must wait 10 days but no more than 30 days to decide on appointing a new member to fill the remainder of Odell’s term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2013.

The school board’s next meeting is Nov. 15.

Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |

Tags: Tags: comets, death, died, john odell, lung cancer, mason city schools, mason school board, schools

Retired teacher and first-term Mason school board member John Odell died Thursday after a short battle with lung cancer, school officials announced this afternoon.

The Enquirer’s Michael D. Clark has the details:

The 62-year-old Odell was diagnosed with lung cancer this last summer and up until two weeks ago was still performing the duties of his publicly elected seat as one of Mason Schools’ five board members.

Odell began teaching in the top-rated, Warren County school system in 1985 and was elected to the governing board in 2009.

“It’s an obvious loss to both the board and the whole Mason community,” says Tracey Carson, spokeswoman for the 11,000-student district. “He was a very innovative teacher and an amazing educator who had such a passion for kids.”

Under Ohio law the remaining Mason school board members must wait 10 days but no more than 30 days to decide on appointing a new member to fill the remainder of Odell’s term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2013.

Memorial services for Odell will be held beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Christ’s Church in Mason, 5165 Western Row Road, with services starting at 6 p.m.

Odell is survived by his wife Susan and five children.

MasonBuzz will report more as details become available.

Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |

Tags: Tags: comets, death, died, john odell, lung cancer, mason city schools, mason school board, schools

Services were held this week for longtime TV sportscaster/anchor Walt Maher.

Maher, 81, of Mason, died last Thursday in Drake Center.

The Enquirer’s John Kiesewetter offers this look into the life of one of the most colorful characters in Cincinnati television history.

Maher was the dean of local sports anchors when he retired from WKRC-TV (Channel 12) in 1997.  His first radio job was in his hometown of Maysville, Ky. He came to WCPO-AM (1230)  in Cincinnati in 1960, and soon started filling in as a sportscaster and newscaster on sister WCPO-TV.

His Saturday night Channel 9 newscasts “dominated the ratings” in the early 1970s, often drawing more viewers than Al Schottelkotte’s weeknight Channel 9 newscasts, said Jim Delaney, a former WCPO-TV and Enquirer editor.

“He was a real gentleman on and off the air,” he said.

Maher moved to Channel 12 sports in 1979, where he was the newsroom father figure and coach of the Channel 12 Who-Dos basketball team which played charity games throughout the Tristate for years.

“I feel so blessed to have known him, and worked with him, because he was a rare, caring human being,” said Sports Director Brad Johansen. Maher was weekend sports anchor when Johansen was hired in 1992 as a reporter/anchor.

“He was one of the first to befriend me, because he ran the Who-Do basketball team. That got me indoctrinated into Channel 12. Everyone in the community knew him, and everyone in the community loved him,” Johansen said.  Maher would insist that the host school/organziation for the Who-Do game provide a postgame meal for both teams to eat together. “That’s the kind of peson he was. He was always trying to get people together.”

Johansen visited Maher last night at Drake Center. Johansen said Maher told his family and friends: “I miss doing it (TV).”

If desired, memorials may be sent to Juvenile Diabetes Reseach Foundation, Life Center Organ Donor or Whiz Kids. Here’s a link to Maher’s obituary at Mueller Parker Funeral Home.

Posted in: Community, News |

Tags: Tags: brad johansen, death, died, funeral, mason, services, Walt Maher, walter maher, WCPO-AM, WCPO-TV, WKRC-TV