Gottlieb the Duke Hunter

In today’s News and Observer, Michael Biesecker, Samiha Khanna and Matt Dees take aim at Sgt. Mark Gottlieb. In their article entitled, “Detective got tough with Duke students," we receive confirmation of Sgt. Gottlieb's appetite for menacing young Duke students.

“Members of the defense team are now closely examining the arrests Gottlieb made before the rape case. Records show that the sergeant arrested a disproportionate number of Duke students, all on misdemeanor violations such as carrying an open beer on a public sidewalk or violating the city's noise ordinance.

Such charges usually earn an offender a pink ticket such as those issued for speeding. But court records show Gottlieb often arrested Duke students on such charges, taking them to jail in handcuffs.”

This report by Biesecker, Khanna and Dees echoes the words of Stuart Taylor in his recent article at Slate :

“Gottlieb had drawn fire before the alleged Duke rape—perhaps unbeknownst to the Times—as a Dukie-basher who reveled in throwing kids into jail for petty drinking infractions, noise violations, and the like, sometimes with violent criminals as cellmates.”

The article by Biesecker, Khanna and Dees offers additional details of the Duke Hunter's penchant for targeting students.

“From May 2005 to February 2006, the period during which Gottlieb was a patrol supervisor in the district, court and police records examined by The News & Observer show that Gottlieb arrested 28 people. Twenty were Duke students, including a quarterback of the football team and the sister of a men's lacrosse player. At least 15 of the Duke students were taken to jail.

In comparison, the three other squad supervisors working in District 2 during the same 10 months -- Sgts. Dale Gunter, John Shelton and Paul Daye -- tallied a combined 64 arrests. Two were Duke students.”

Today’s N&O article comes on the heels of Cash Michael’s offering this week which added details to a story first reported here. Mr. Michaels turns the spotlight on a pass given to Sgt. Duke Hunter by Raleigh PD:

"Critics, especially bloggers online, are particularly suspicious because there is evidence that Gottlieb has been given a pass by the Raleigh police Dept. before.An RPD traffic accident report for March 30, 2005, documents a traffic accident at the intersection of Creedmoor and Lynn roads. That report states that a personal vehicle that it has been confirmed Sgt. Gottlieb was driving, ran the stoplight at that intersection, striking another vehicle being driven Joseph George Stevens of Raleigh.According to the traffic report, the collision caused an estimated $3000.00 in damage to Mr. Stevens’ car, and $4000 to Sgt. Gottleib’s vehicle.

Stevens told The Carolinian/Wilmington Journal newspapers that Gottlieb was apologetic, took immediate responsibility for the accident, and even called the Raleigh Police to the scene on his cell phone. Gottlieb’s insurance ultimately took care of the damage, and the Raleigh Police officer making out the report assured Stevens that he was not at fault.

But after admittedly running a red light and causing $7,000 in damage, did Sgt. Gottleib get a traffic ticket from Raleigh Police?

No.

When asked about this, RPD spokesman Jim Sughrue looked at a copy of the traffic accident report and confirmed that Sgt. Gottlieb did not get a traffic citation for running the red light.But Sughrue added that that was unusual.

The News and Observer notes that Sgt. Gottlieb is currently on leave for undisclosed reasons, and Cash Michaels reminds his readers that the infamous Duke Hunter has retained the services of a criminal defense attorney.

In the words of civil rights hunter Michael Nifong:

"And one would wonder why one needs an attorney if one was not charged and had not done anything wrong."