Blackmon - newspaper reports

[MJP]

Here's a summary of newspaper articles about incidents involving Steve Blackmon whilst he was a policeman / deputy in Virginia.
...

1981

• Blackmon was charged with assault and battery after striking a person he was arresting.  I could not find a reported outcome to the internal police investigation so assume the charge was dropped.
• Blackmon was one of four officers involved in the fatal shooting of a sailor. The officers’ accounts of what happened did not match crime scene evidence, autopsy report or eye witness statements.  Subsequent investigations by NNPD and DOJ/FBI cleared the officers of any wrongdoing. Also a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit brought by the sailor’s father was dismissed. 

1982

• Blackmon and a second officer scuffle with a man they are arresting; man suffers cuts to head and requires hospital treatment.
• Blackmon and two other officers attend a domestic incident during which Blackmon scuffles with a man he is trying to arrest; man suffers broken cheekbone and cut above eye.  An internal NNPD investigation clears Blackmon of using excessive force.  A subsequent lawsuit against Blackmon and NN Police Department for excessive force / violation of civil rights is dismissed.  

1983

• Blackmon and another officer were involved in the fatal shooting of an NN resident.  Despite ballistics information contradicting the initial reports of the shooting, both officers are cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to duty.  Blackmon is awarded a Medal of Valor for his actions in this incident. 

1985

• Blackmon and three other officers respond to a call about a man with a concealed shotgun sitting in a bar.  Blackmon ends up fighting on the floor with the man and shoots him in the chest, and the shotgun goes off - Blackmon's eyes were burned by the powder flash and he suffered some hearing loss.  The man was charged with attempted capital murder but those charges are later dropped.

1986
 

• Blackmon strikes a man he is trying to arrest and the man suffers a broken nose and cuts above his eye.  The police department determines Blackmon's actions appeared to be within department guidelines.
• Blackmon voluntarily resigns from NNPD; briefly works for Darlington County Sheriff's Department (SC) before returning to VA to join GCSD.

1988

• Blackmon arrests a GC resident and, once the man is in handcuffs, it was alleged that Blackmon broke his nose, teeth and cut an eyeball by kicking and stomping on the man and by smashing the man's face with his (Blackmon) arm, which was in a cast.  The Sheriff asked the State Police to investigate the subsequent complaint of police brutality; State Police exonerate Blackmon.  A subsequent civil lawsuit re police brutality is dismissed.

1989

• Blackmon credited with pulling to safety a man who tried to kill himself by jumping off the Coleman Bridge.
• Blackmon is given (and takes) the opportunity to resign from the GCSD following an internal investigation over violations of administrative policies.
• Blackmon moves to SC, works for various police / sheriff departments in 1989-1990 until he is arrested in November 1990 for killing two men.

1990

• It is alleged that Blackmon accompanied GCSD deputies, who arrested and beat a GC resident (Blackmon did not participate).  The GC resident was the same person who had a civil lawsuit against Blackmon for police brutality (lawsuit was starting a couple of days later this incident). 
• When back in SC, Blackmon fatally shoots two men that he claimed he found burglarizing his father's home.  Forensic evidence does not support Blackmon's account of what happened.  Also a toxicology report showed Blackmon had cocaine his his bloodstream at the time of shooting the men.  Blackmon is arrested and charged.

1991

• It is alleged that two GCSD deputies arrest and beat up the man mentioned above (who had a 1990 lawsuit against Blackmon).  The GCSD deputies tell the man they are punishing him because his lawyer was cooperating with SC authorities in its case against Blackmon.
• Blackmon pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter (12 years each) and 18 months for obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit.