Bodyguard Arrests 2012
Over the years I have amassed a small collection of stories about bodyguard being arrests, here is my collection for 2012.
Wrong Place with Weapons
Patrick Burke, bodyguard to Michael Moore was arrest in New York for carrying a concealed weapon without a permits, while licenses in Florida and California, he was not licensed in New York, State or New York City. This is just so funny as Michael Moore appears to have a rabid antigun stance in public, but appears much more weapon embracing in private.
The bodyguard of Michaele Salahi and Neal Schon was arrested at New York’s La Guardia Airport for have a weapon in a bag. While he did have a concealed weapon permit, it did not allow him to carry a concealed weapon at the airport.
Brawling Again
Kenneth Hamilton was arrested in New York for shoving a paparazzo up against a car to protect Justin Bieber.
Pat McCollum, the bodyguard to comedian Ron White was arrested in Hartford, Connecticut after a police officer entered Ron White’s bus unannounced. The bodyguard and police officer got into an argument and the bodyguard was arrested for interfering with an officer.
50 Cents’ bodyguard got into a fight with a paparazzo outside of 50 Hotel in Copenhagen. The bodyguard smashed the paparazzo’s cameras and promptly got hauled off to jail.
Indian police took three of Oprah Winfrey’s bodyguards into custody after they got into a scrap with local TV journalists. Winfrey had been traveling with both American and Indian bodyguards. Police detained three Indian bodyguards after journalists claimed their equipment had been damaged in a scuffle. No one was reported hurt and the American bodyguards were not involved. However, the Indian bodyguards were released after apologizing to the journalists
Darker Side
One bodyguard, a member of the SPI – President Security Service and who was supposedly protecting Richardo Martinelli, President of Panama, was arrested in part of a plot to kidnap the Panamanian President.
Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the bodyguard arrested for the killing of Pakistani Governor Salman Taseer. Pakistani religious scholars warned that anyone who expresses grief over the assassination of an official who opposed the country’s blasphemy law could suffer the same fate.
Iraqi authorities said they have arrested ten bodyguards of the country’s Sunni Finance Minister, Rafia al-Issawi, in a terrorism-related enforcement. The chief of Issawi’s protection force was arrested on the strength of his confessions that the chief had taken part in terrorist attacks. Nine other bodyguards were held while the investigation proceeds.
Ukraine’s security agency arrested a former presidential bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko, for on charges of divulging state secrets and abuse of office. Melnychenko had claimed his boss plotted the murder of an investigative journalist over 10 years ago. Melnychenko left the Ukraine about a year ago, returning to Ukraine from New York. It is unclear why he decided to come back.
Mr. Bachirou Adjani Sica one of Benin President Boni Yayi’s bodyguards has been arrested for his alleged role in an attempt to poison the Head of State. He was seized as part of the investigations in the case that has been making headlines for the past several weeks.
Just Plain Stupid
Heidi Klum’s bodyguard, Martin Kristen was pulled over after a California Highway Patrol officer noticed him texting while driving a black Mercedes Benz passenger van. He was cited and sent on his way.
Rapper Nelly, known as Cornell Haynes, was in his tour bus when it was stopped at the Sierra Blanca checkpoint along Interstate 10 in Texas. During the stop, a U.S. drug dog alerted. Officers checked further and found nine sealed bags of marijuana, 36 small baggies of heroine and a loaded .45-caliber pistol. OMG, it’s called dope for a reason.
Mickey Brett has made my list for 2012, as this is the first year in a half a dozen or more this knucklehead has not made the news. He previously operated a training company called Elite, was a BG for TomCruise, Keifer Sutherland, and then AngelinaJolie and Brad Pitt. Mr. Brett made the news for assaulting a restaurant owner in Namibia, being investigated for the murder of a Donald Urquhart, being asked to leave India for voicing racial slurs at a local Indian children’s school, or grabbing a photographer by the neck and choking him. Last heard, after he left the service of Jolie and Pitt he was going to commit the unforgivable treachery of penning a “Guard and Tell” book about them. Needless to say, Brangelina’s lawyers put Brett in his place and shut that little adventure down.
These stories are culled from the headlines, actually these stories are rarely headlines but a more like a back page mention if that. The stories are the consequences of the three errors made by greymen taken to extremes.
The first is carrying weapons into places with which they are unfamiliar. The laws on carrying firearms will very from country to country, and region to region and city to city and place to place inside each and every city. You may legal in that country and in that state and in that city, but just not at the airport. This is why you need local skilled and licensed talent. Also note that none of those being protected were detained or arrested — only the bodyguards.
The second is thinking that, as a result of your longtime affiliation with an important person that you – the greyman – are important or for the VIP that just because you hire someone does not mean they are loyal. Greymen are there to protect the client and the client needs to hire skilled and trained professionals and to pay enough to insure loyalty. There must be a bond of fidelity between greyman and charge.
The third is – oh yeah – some people are simply not smart enough to be greymen – no ifs and or butts about it.
Greymen, please take time to read and study about your profession and understand that you are not an answer in and of yourself… but part of a team to protect your charges and the charges and their family and staff.
Charges, you must do you best to engender loyalty and fidelity toward your greymen as they are what stands between you and mischief. Further, if turned against you they have some of the most intimate knowledge that can compromise your reputation and safety.
Lets us make 2013 a great year for all. Cheers!
This Executive Protection article was written or edited by Barron James Shortt, the Executive Director of the IBA. http://www.ibabodyguards.com
