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  • June 20, 2023 at 7:57 pm in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/20 – 7/2 #144411
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    June 20, 2023 at 7:49 pm in reply to: tracking Rams UDFAs: special teams #144408
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    Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTST
    Ideally, the Rams sign a veteran kicker if the price is right, but don’t write off Tanner Brown just because he’s an “unknown”. Has gone 71-for-71 on XPs last two years. Went 6-for-7 on FGs of 40+ yards last season and was PFFs 3rd-highest graded kicker in 2022.
    June 19, 2023 at 10:51 am in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144404
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    June 18, 2023 at 7:30 pm in reply to: previews, forecasts, predictions, roster guesses…from June on #144403
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    PARAM

    Despite getting 99.9% of NFL/Rams news on the internet, I’m still a sucker for the magazines. Pre internet habits are hard to break, I guess. Picked up Lindy’s NFL Preview and Athlon NFL Preview today.

    To quote Athlon….

    “Rams general manager Les Snead declined to call 2023 a rebuilding year, despite dumping several key players via trade or release….including Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd and Allen Robinson [me: funny they don’t include Bobby Wagner]….and accumulating 74.2 million in dead money. Paying starters to leave strongly indicates the once-mighty Rams are rebuilding but Snead can get away with calling 2023 a “remodel” because QB Matt Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp and DT Aaron Donald are still on the roster while head coach Sean McVay remains on the sidelines. Not many rebuilding teams have that type of core group with one of the best head coaches in the NFL”.

    To quote Lindy’s…..

    “3 THINGS TO LOOK FOR…..
    1) Time for the young guys: The Rams drafted a league high 14 players and signed 26 UDFAs. But they lost 20 players to free agency as they work to get their cap more manageable.
    2) Can McVay bounce back? He’s only 37 years old but McVay didn’t appear to take much joy out of last year’s disappointing season. [Me: No shit???] After having so much success his first 6 seasons, it’ll be interesting to see if McVay can get things turned around and how long this remodeling process will take. [Me: Different magazine/called it ‘remodeling’ ]
    3) Defense will lean on Ernest Jones: The Rams will lean on Jones to help fill the defensive void. Jones said he learned how to be a pro daily from Bobby Wagner last season and is ready to take on more of a leadership role on the defense”

    They list “key additions” as Mike LaFleur, Hunter Long and Brett Rypien!!!
    “Key loss” Jalen Ramsey
    “Key losses” Aboushi, Brewer, Malcolm Brown, Dixon, Edwards, Floyd, Gaines, Gay, Gervase, Haley, Harris, Hill, Howard, Long, Mayfield, Nsekhe, Orzech, Perkins, Pinkney, Powell, Rapp, A. Robinson, A’Shawn Robinson, Scott, Skura, Wagner, Wolford.

    I guess “key losses” would be EVERYBODY, though to their credit they had Floyd, Gaines, Hill, Rapp, A’Shawn, Scott and Wagner in bold type. Accurately, Allen Robinson wasn’t. But seriously, Perkins? Pinkney? Brewer? I would have also had Powell in bold.

    Anyway, as you might expect from publications covering the entire NFL, they’re not going to have pinpoint accuracy but…..in Athlon’s “Final Analysis” they wrote:

    “The Rams have a top heavy roster with Stafford, Kupp and Donald at the forefront, and with so much inexperience across the roster, it could be another long year for McVay. The Rams don’t appear to be a playoff contender but they added depth to the OL, and that could be enough to keep this squad competitive after Thanksgiving.

    But the offense isn’t this team’s biggest problem. The unknown defensive players behind Donald likely will dictate whether the Rams are competing for the #1 pick or fighting for a wild card spot. But with McVay on the sidelines, don’t be surprised if the Rams have a better-than-expected season as a new era begins in Los Angeles”

    Lindy’s “Intangibles”:

    “While the Rams will roll out a much younger roster in 2023, they have one of the most experienced coaching staffs to help guide those players for bigger roles this year. Coaches like Raheem Morris, Eric Henderson, Chris Shula, Eric Yarber, Zac Robinson and Ron Gould should provide mentorship, structure and strong coaching fundamentals for McVay’s green roster, helping them grow and develop quickly over the duration of the season”

    June 18, 2023 at 10:03 am in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144401
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    June 18, 2023 at 9:58 am in reply to: Rams cap space — 2023, 2024 #144400
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    June 18, 2023 at 8:37 am in reply to: comics, jokes, one-shot memes, funny tweets, etc. #144399
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    June 18, 2023 at 8:31 am in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144398
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    June 17, 2023 at 11:28 pm in reply to: OTAs … w/ a good re-cap article (posted 6/23) #144397
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    June 17, 2023 at 1:50 am in reply to: NPR today…which becomes the garden thread #144395
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    I have a huge perennial garden. Can’t grow anything in our woodsy area on either side of the house or behind the house–light’s an issue. I can only garden in the front of the house, and maybe this is just me but I won’t veggie garden in the front. Not sure I am  personally into that anyway. But I do love to perennial garden. Still, I have had an arthritic spine for a couple of years now so I hired a gardener to do all the major spring work, but this year she can’t work anymore (also medical issues) so I basically just said okay guess I have to do it myself again. I couldn’t work at all about 3 years ago but now I can do it, just a bit slower and not as much progress per day as I was used to doing before. But I can do it! It used to be that the neck cramps were so severe (and that’s without gardening) that I needed physical therapy, but now I guess I settled into my new body, the compression has lessened, and I can work. It’s a great pleasure to do that.

    I’ve posted pics of my gardens before but here’s a sample. This is just part of it. 2 slightly different views of the same section of about 1/6th of all the gardens. I live in a very wooded cul-de-sac and this is the edge of one garden that goes out to the road with nothin but woods behind it. Old picture from a couple of years ago. The way I do things, what you see here is all July blooming stuff. But mixed all through and still green (or dark red foliage) is a lot of late August through the fall blooming stuff, which is a very different sight when it comes in–that’s all that the back row is in fact. This garden is lined by about 60 feet of football-sized stones but you can’t see the stones is the bottom of these pics because I planted stuff on the edge that climbs over them.

     

    June 15, 2023 at 10:08 pm in reply to: OTAs … w/ a good re-cap article (posted 6/23) #144391
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    Observations from Day 2 of Rams minicamp 2023: Stetson Bennett’s mobility, pressures from defensive front stand out

    Stu Jackson

    https://www.therams.com/news/observations-day-2-rams-minicamp-2023-stetson-bennett-logan-bruss-jordan-fuller

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Rams’ 2023 minicamp concluded with quarterback Stetson Bennett showcasing his ability to make throws on the run, pressure and plays made by defensive rookies, and more.

    Here are additional notes, details and observations from Wednesday’s practice:

    1) Logan Bruss in action: With Rob Havenstein getting a veteran rest day again, Bruss got some run at right tackle during Wednesday’s practice. It was good to see for the 2022 third-round draft pick whose rookie season ended prematurely because of a torn ACL sustained in the preseason last August.

    2) Off-schedule: One of the most notable aspects of Wednesday’s session was Bennett showcasing his ability to make throws while on the run or escaping the pocket. On one play during redzone work, Bennett escaped pressure to find wide receiver Tyler Johnson in the back of the endzone for a short touchdown pass. He also made similar throws finding running back Ronnie Rivers for a short touchdown pass in the flat and wide receiver Lance McCutcheon in the back of the endzone for another short touchdown pass.

    3) Getting pressure: The Rams’ front seven had success on a handful plays generating pressure that either forced a Rams quarterback to throw the ball away or tuck the ball and run out of the pocket. Rookie defensive tackle Kobie Turner had one on third down during team drills, though Stafford answered with a short touchdown pass to running back Kyren Williams on fourth down. Outside linebacker Michael Hoecht’s pressure on another play forced quarterback Matthew Stafford to settle for a short throw in the flat to wide receiver Tutu Atwell.

    4) Floaters: If Tuesday’s session featured velocity, Wednesday’s was about putting just the right touch on the ball for Stafford, floating completions to wide receivers Tutu Atwell and Van Jefferson on the second level. Stafford also had an impressive throw where he escaped pressure by rolling out, then launching a deep completion down the sideline to wide receiver Van Jefferson.

    5) Takeaway: Linebacker Christian Rozeboom nabbed an interception against Stafford during team drills. And while it didn’t result in a turnover, rookie outside linebacker Byron Young showcased his speed batting down a pass by quarterback Brett Rypien intended for running back Zach Evans in the flat. Fellow rookie outside linebacker Ochaun Mathis batted down a Stafford pass on another play.

    6) Solid day for Tyon Davis: The undrafted rookie cornerback out of Tulsa was active in the secondary. On one play, he broke on the ball quickly to deflect a Bennett pass intended for wide receiver Austin Trammell. On another, he had a pass breakup in the flat.

    June 15, 2023 at 5:55 pm in reply to: the 2023 OL thread (w/ definitive article posted on 5/30) #144388
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    June 15, 2023 at 5:49 pm in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144386
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    June 15, 2023 at 5:43 pm in reply to: dumb & awful stuff #144384
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    June 15, 2023 at 5:00 pm in reply to: OTAs … w/ a good re-cap article (posted 6/23) #144383
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    …

    Rams minicamp: Young D-line developing rapport, rotating centers, notable plays

    By Jourdan Rodrigue

    https://theathletic.com/4611113/2023/06/14/rams-minicamp-observations-defensive-line/?source=emp_shared_article

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Third-year defensive tackle Bobby Brown III has been leading the line of his teammates during drills in Rams minicamp this week, a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.

    “I’m just trying to be the guy that (defensive line coach Eric Henderson) thinks I can be, knows I can be,” Brown told The Athletic after Wednesday’s practice.

    In his words, Brown wants to be a dominant player — “if I’m not getting double-teamed, that’s disrespect” — but getting back on track toward that has taken work. He was suspended for the first six games of the 2022 season for violating the NFL’s PED policy.

    “It’s been like staying focused, taking it one day at a time. Getting better (by) 1 percent every day,” Brown said. “No matter if it’s technique, or mentally … even if it’s attitude.”

    Brown said that this offseason he has become more of a “student.”

    “I’ve been willing to learn since I got here, and that’s been one of my biggest things, and now it’s even more,” he said. “I’m learning more. Even the smallest details, as simple as backing off the ball or whatever it could be, any little thing. Lifting weights, getting stronger, as strong as I possibly can, all of that.”

    The Rams need Brown to take a step forward this season because the departure of A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines in free agency left two gaping holes on the inside of the defensive line.

    It wasn’t just that Robinson and Gaines really understood how to work off the dominating, versatile and often creative play style of star Aaron Donald — they also all understood how to flow together and complement each other.

    “You want guys that play off one another,” head coach Sean McVay said. “It’s all predicated situationally, but I think you want to see some of the things that A’Shawn Robinson has shown where he’s been a really productive player the last couple years, Greg Gaines … I think it’ll really come to life once we put pads on, and you start to see us try to get into more realistic situations and settings. … We’re gonna find the best players, and it might be more rotations than we’ve been accustomed to.”

    Most of the Rams’ defensive line room is either filled with rookies or relatively inexperienced players. But they all need to figure out how to flow with each other and with Donald (who was excused from minicamp for a personal matter). Brown said that work is done off the field.

    The defensive linemen all have a group chat, they have been watching the NBA Finals together at each others’ houses, they often get dinner together and hit the town and they recently went paintballing.

    “It’s more family-oriented than just being single, trying to get paid,” Brown said. “We all love each other, we all work, talk crap, it’s all love. When we’re on the field, we just feel like we don’t want to let the guy next to us down. We’re out there playing for each other.”

    More observations from the last day of Rams minicamp:

    (Note: Per the Rams’ policy, media with access to practice cannot report formations, personnel groups, deployment of personnel, starting lineups unless confirmed directly by a coach or player, unconventional plays, the number of reps players take at certain positions, etc.)

    • The Rams are missing several tackles at the moment because left tackle Alaric Jackson was excused from minicamp for a personal matter, tackle/guard Joe Noteboom is being brought back to full participation cautiously after a 2022 Achilles injury, and right tackle Rob Havenstein is taking veteran rest days.

    So others have had to fill those roles — including second-year guard Logan Bruss, who played right tackle Wednesday.

    “That’s where he was comfortable, he played a lot of that position at Wisconsin,” McVay said. “You don’t minimize how difficult the transition from tackle to guard really is, he did a really good job. I think it’s something to be able to look at.

    “Ultimately, it is our job to be able to find the best spots that accentuate these guys’ skill sets, where they’re most comfortable and where they’re most valuable for our team.”

    • As they have through much of the spring, the Rams continue to rotate their centers with quarterback Matthew Stafford. He may start out 11-on-11s with Coleman Shelton, and finish the last drill of the day with Brian Allen.

    “We’re kind of rotating a bunch of guys in there,” Stafford said with a chuckle, referring to the offensive line in general. “We’ve had some new guys in at tackle this week. I know, at some point, we’ll settle into what we want to get to. I’m lucky to play with both of those guys. They’re really great centers. Great command of the offense, what we’re trying to do. Professional snappers of the football.”

    • Cornerback Tre Tomlinson (hamstring) and receiver Ben Skowronek (foot) didn’t practice. Receiver Cooper Kupp went through individual drills with teammates, but not 11-on-11s. McVay said he expects all players to report healthily to training camp on July 25.

    • Remember the play safety Jordan Fuller made against receiver Tutu Atwell on Tuesday? He did it again Wednesday, on the exact same route concept for Atwell. He also broke up a shorter pass intended for Atwell later in the day. The throw, from Stafford, drew a few impressed whistles from the sideline.

    • In red zone 11-on-11s, Stafford hit receiver Van Jefferson with a dart of a throw through the middle of the field into the back of the end zone. Jefferson toe-tapped inbounds as he secured the catch.

    • Robert Rochell broke up a deep pass intended for tight end Tyler Higbee, but the offense argued that it was clear pass interference and said Rochell would have been flagged were officials present.

    • Undrafted free-agent cornerback Tyon Davis made a nice play on a Brett Rypien throw intended for receiver Demarcus Robinson.

    • Inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom had an interception on a short underneath throw by Stafford.

    • Running backs coach Ron Gould is in his first season with the Rams, but his veteran coaching style has been on display. Gould pulled rookie Zach Evans aside during 11-on-11s and, with one hand on his helmet in a comforting fashion, talked Evans through a concept and spent extra time with him.

    • Players can’t hit each other, tackle, truly block or pass rush. But still, sometimes successful pressure is apparent. The combination of outside linebackers Daniel Hardy and Michael Hoecht, plus defensive linemen Jonah Williams, Kobie Turner and Marquise Copeland/at times Brown, were in high spirits after a few red zone pressure designs would have likely led to a sack or broken play for the offense.

    • There is a ton of structure, design and discipline that goes into every Rams practice (they literally “walk through” every practice rotation and emphasize the point of certain drills and exercises, so that every segment of it moves fast and efficiently). But with such a young defense, it’s quite clear the Rams have encouraged the linebackers and defensive backs to build confidence early. One way to do this is to allow them to make plays on the ball if they see an opportunity and it’s within their technique and the structure of the play or drill. The benefit is twofold: Energy spikes up early in the practice and sustains through the end.

    “It’s been great,” Stafford said. “Our guys on the back end, and really up front as well, are doing a really nice job. Rah (defensive coordinator Raheem Morris) has got a bunch of good stuff going in and they’re doing a nice job of executing it … playing within their technique and using their instincts.”

    • Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett is, of course, still learning the ropes. But especially when he’s throwing on the move or out of structure, he has become appointment viewing. In red zone 11-on-11 drills with pressure looming (again, quarterbacks can’t get hit, linemen can’t really block, pass rushers can’t really rush), Bennett rolled to his right and flicked a pass across his body and into the outstretched arms of tight end Brycen Hopkins in the back of the end zone.

    “When the ball is in Stetson’s hands, the game makes sense to him,” McVay said. “He’s got a good feel for being able to get through progressions quickly, he can feel space on the back end … he feels open areas, he can get through things quickly. And you love the athleticism. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I like his demeanor.”

    • Another new sight for the Rams’ special teams: Coordinator Chase Blackburn appeared to have brought in some motion-capture equipment for the kicking unit and had it running during parts of Tuesday’s practice. That’s the first time I’ve seen a special teams coach do that here. They’ll be able to measure things like alignment, kick height off the foot, angles, trajectories, spin, etc., with the equipment and adjust accordingly.

    June 15, 2023 at 4:58 pm in reply to: Stafford #144382
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    June 15, 2023 at 4:40 pm in reply to: Rams cap space — 2023, 2024 #144381
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    June 15, 2023 at 4:37 pm in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144380
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    June 15, 2023 at 4:33 pm in reply to: high time we had a gender thread #144379
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    June 15, 2023 at 1:06 am in reply to: Stafford #144378
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    Zooey wrote:

    The answer to all of your questions is, “16-0, baby!” That applies even though there are now 17 games each season. Whatever happened to Old Hacker, anyway? Did he ride off into the sunset on his John Deere?

    As I recall, Old Hacker passed away a few years ago.

    …

    June 14, 2023 at 3:08 pm in reply to: OTAs … w/ a good re-cap article (posted 6/23) #144374
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    actionjack

    By all accounts the light has really come on for Atwell according to all who have attended OTA’s and mini camp. Just watching him last year he looked way more comfortable and unlike many smallish WR’s he has great hands.

    More observations…

    -Jordan Fuller looking like Jordan Fuller prior to 2022
    -Shelton taking starting snaps at starting center with Avila at RG, Anchrum at LG (big line)
    -Kendrick making plays
    -signed vet WR’s mostly to provide veteran presence at camp with the Ram vets not practicing much
    -Stafford looks like Stafford prior to 2022

    June 14, 2023 at 3:02 pm in reply to: Stafford #144373
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    wv wrote:

    It vexes me.

     

    June 14, 2023 at 3:01 pm in reply to: Stafford #144372
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    June 13, 2023 at 9:38 pm in reply to: the 2023 OL thread (w/ definitive article posted on 5/30) #144369
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    June 13, 2023 at 9:05 pm in reply to: Rams cap space — 2023, 2024 #144368
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    Elvis

    3 of the top dead money teams for 2023 are the Rams, Bucs and Eagles.

    Eagles were in the SB last year, are expected to be good this year and have over $54 mil in dead cap. Howie Roseman is generally considered to be a genius.

    Rams won the SB in ’21 with a ton of dead cap. Bucs won it in ’20. It’s okay to take on future cap debt in the quest for a Lombardi.

    I think a lot of people have this wrong while the Howie Rosemans and Les Sneads of the world have it right.

    June 12, 2023 at 10:27 am in reply to: The police #144365
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    zn wrote:
    Zooey wrote:

    The ENTIRE West Virginia State Police department is under sexual misconduct investigation.

    James Endicott@o76923
    The saga of the West Virginia State Police is so over the top you’d dismiss a movie on it as unrealistic. A whistleblower sent a letter detailing cops robbing a casino, covering up a murder, drunken fight clubs, and affairs then the entire department tried to bury it.
    .
    Setting up cameras in the women’s changing room in order to peep on the Junior Trooper Academy is just the first part of it that is leaking from their cover up because there are so many victims willing to testify.

    What to know about the West Virginia State Police scandal
    As a dizzying number of allegations have emerged, here’s what you need to know.

    Public spats between high-ranking officials. Anonymous letters and lawsuit threats. A cast of characters longer than a blockbuster movie and a laundry list of allegations that seems to grow every day.

    The scandal that has rocked the West Virginia State Police is shocking, complicated and confusing.

    But with more investigations vowed – including a federal probe and numerous civil lawsuits – it’s clear that the scope of the allegations are far-reaching and may impact the state for years to come.

    Here’s what we know and what we don’t.

    What is being investigated?

    Sometime last year, an anonymous letter was sent to the office of Gov. Jim Justice, alleging over a dozen incidents of misconduct within the State Police. It detailed drunken fights, office affairs, misspent funds, overtime theft, sexual assaults, and how a trooper had installed a hidden camera in the women’s locker room at the State Police Training Academy.

    The letter worked its way through the state government like a slow-burning fuse. In the last few weeks, it has exploded. After the letter was sent to legislators and described by media outlets in mid-February, the governor confirmed several acts of misconduct among troopers. State Police Superintendent Jan Cahill has resigned under pressure from Justice. And State Police have arrested a trooper on domestic violence charges, which his attorney says are retaliation for speaking out.

    Yet despite the revelations, critical elements of the sprawling scandal remain unknown. Most of the allegations in the letter have neither been publicly substantiated nor disproven. And Justice has not released the results of an initial investigation he said was completed over a week ago, despite vowing to be “one-thousand percent transparent.”

    Meanwhile, Cahill has vigorously defended himself, saying he is “a fall guy” who was kept in the dark about the entire inquiry until Justice pressured him to resign.

    Justice has spoken publicly and released the most information about three incidents:

    An alleged theft by a state police trooper at the Mardi Gras Casino in Cross Lanes in 2021

    Alleged video taping inside the women’s locker room at the State Police Academy in Institute.

    The death of a man during an encounter with state police on Interstate 81 in the Eastern
    Justice has provided the most information about an alleged theft of roughly $750 by a veteran state police officer at the Mardi Gras Casino.

    A video released of the 2021 incident shows the man, who has not been identified, picking up an envelope off the chair of the slot machine.

    The officer ultimately returned the money and hasn’t been charged with a crime. He resigned last month after the incident was brought to light.

    Justice said that the officer should have been fired and accused Cahill, the superintendent at the time, of botching the investigation. Cahill has said he did not have the ability to fire the officer.

    How did a camera get in the women’s locker room at the State Police Academy? How long was it there?

    When Justice spoke to the media on March 20, he described how a state trooper had installed a camera in the women’s locker room at the State Police Training Academy in Institute. Justice said that when troopers discovered evidence of women being taped, they destroyed it.

    Justice did not name the trooper in question, but said he was deceased. It’s also unclear when the taping began, when it stopped, whether there is any additional footage or whether any other troopers were involved.

    Cahill told MetroNews that he was aware of only one woman who had been filmed and that she didn’t want there to be any further investigation.

    But on March 23, Wheeling-based attorney Teresa Toriseva sent a letter to the State Police, notifying the agency that several women who used the locker room at the Academy intend to sue.

    She said in an interview that she now has eight clients and that dozens more have contacted her office. She said that it’s not only state troopers who may have been videotaped but that police officers from agencies all across the state use the facility for training.

    “In the last decade, any woman who was a police officer in West Virginia had to come through and now has to ask this question: Was I taped?” she said.

    Toriseva says her clients feel violated by the possible videotaping but are still “proud of their service as law enforcement officers.”

    How did a man die on I-81 after a struggle with police?

    Edmond Exline, 45, died in February after a struggle with State Police troopers on I-81 in Berkeley County.

    The death of Edmond Exline has also become part of the ongoing investigation. Exline died late Feb. 12 after a struggle with state troopers on I-81 near the Maryland border.

    Details are sparse. The State Police have released little information. Even Exline’s family is still in the dark about what happened.

    Sarah Hartman-Exline, Edmond Exline’s sister-in-law, said Maryland state troopers knocked on their door in Hagerstown, M.D, at about 2:30 a.m. They then informed her and her husband that Exline was dead.

    She said she and her husband made more than 100 phone calls to the West Virginia State Police to gather details about Exline’s death. A trooper eventually told her that Exline, 45, was encountered by officers after a 911 caller reported an intoxicated man walking on the highway.

    Exline’s family said he suffered from schizophrenia, which often caused him to act erratically.

    Hartman-Exline said the trooper told her that a Taser was used on Exline, that numerous officers were involved, and that there was a five-minute window where the troopers didn’t respond to the dispatcher.

    Both Justice and Cahill have watched the video and described it as unsettling.

    “The audio concerned me right off the bat, the commands, the screaming,” Cahill said.

    On March 2, Governor Justice’s Chief of Staff, Brian Abraham, sent a memo to Cahill asking for a trove of information, including text messages and emails from Cahill and 12 other members of the State Police. The request appears to be related to Exline’s death, as the date range begins the morning after the incident.

    Justice said that prosecutors reviewing the case had asked him not to release the video but that he intends to do so in the future.

    Meanwhile, Exline’s family is still mourning his death.

    Brian Exline, Edmond’s brother, said his brother left behind one adult child. He described his brother as a genius with his hands, who “could literally take apart anything and put it back together.”

    That included a 1962 Buick Skylark Convertible Edmond rebuilt with their father when the boys were young.

    Who is the whistleblower?

    No one has publicly confirmed that they are the whistleblower who wrote the anonymous letter. However, David Moye, the attorney for Sgt. Joseph Comer, has said State Police believe his client is the whistleblower.

    Moye has not confirmed Comer wrote the letter, but that Comer reported similar concerns to State Police leaders. Moye also alleged that State Police retaliated against Comer when they arrested him on charges of domestic battery and felony strangulation on February 24.

    In an interview with WSAZ News, he said that Comer had a State Police administrative hearing scheduled on the day he was arrested.

    “I believe that they came as a smokescreen trying to prohibit him from testifying,” Moye said about the charges. He said that the charges stemmed from an incident in December and described them as being “absolutely false.”

    What other State Police scandals have there been?

    This is not the first scandal for the West Virginia State Police, which has been plagued by misconduct allegations over the decades.

    One of the most notable cases of misconduct was the work of former forensic technician Fred Zain, estimated to have falsified evidence in 182 cases during the 80s and 90s. He was set to be retried on fraud charges related to testimony he gave in a criminal trial when he died from cancer in 2002.

    In 1999, State Trooper Gary Messenger II was sentenced to seven years in prison for beating a McDowell County man who had complained about a party where state troopers were firing their guns at an American Legion hall in Welch.

    Justice also confirmed in a press conference last week that the FBI is investigating allegations that a state trooper raped a woman in December 2021.

    What happens next?

    Justice has said that he directed interim State Police Superintendent Jack Chambers to investigate all allegations of wrongdoing alongside an investigation by the state Department of Homeland Security.

    A special prosecutor from Grant County is investigating Exline’s death – and Justice has said that federal investigators are also involved in some elements of the State Police probe, although their focus is unclear.

    There is no public timetable for any of the investigations, but Justice has indicated that investigators have continued to find evidence of wrongdoing.

    “The more we dug, the more it stunk,” he said.

     

    June 12, 2023 at 10:11 am in reply to: The police #144364
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    Zooey wrote:

    The ENTIRE West Virginia State Police department is under sexual misconduct investigation. 

    James Endicott@o76923
    The saga of the West Virginia State Police is so over the top you’d dismiss a movie on it as unrealistic. A whistleblower sent a letter detailing cops robbing a casino, covering up a murder, drunken fight clubs, and affairs then the entire department tried to bury it.
    .
    Setting up cameras in the women’s changing room in order to peep on the Junior Trooper Academy is just the first part of it that is leaking from their cover up because there are so many victims willing to testify.
    June 12, 2023 at 8:01 am in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144363
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    June 11, 2023 at 6:18 pm in reply to: Rams tweets … 6/7 – 6/18 #144361
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    June 10, 2023 at 5:34 pm in reply to: high time we had a gender thread #144357
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