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Arizona Deputy Sheriffs Vindicated
Dangerous and Deceptive, False Accuser, Rafael Herring, Attacks US~Observer
Author’s Note: This article exposes the tragic results from a person’s actions when they abuse alcohol and drugs. Listen to the recording of Rafael Herring’s own son Nicholas as he explains how Rafael threatened Nicholas’ life and that of his sister and mother. I was literally shocked after listening to Rafael’s son describe how Rafael has ruined his life. And yet, after all the damage Rafael has caused, he is still allowed to continue attempting to ruin good people’s lives. The US~Observer fully intends to stop this abuse and it starts right here!
By Edward Snook
Investigative Journalist
Tucson, AZ – Most law enforcement officers are honest and protect and serve, not all prosecutors falsely indict the innocent, and not all business’s cheat people but when they do, the US~Observer is there to protect those caught in their crosshairs. The US~Observer takes on cases where innocent people have been falsely charged with crimes, cheated by bad businesses or financial con-artists, or are otherwise abused by the system or other people. Do not confuse the US~Observer with a media ‘gun for hire’ as we investigate each case to get to the truth. We do charge for the services we provide, and we get results, as is evidenced by the great number of vindicated clients we have helped over the years.
Rafael Herring
Regarding the case at hand, we received a complaint from Tucson resident Rafael Herring who claimed he was falsely charged and prosecuted. We subsequently investigated the two Pima County, Arizona Sheriff’s Deputies, and a Pro Tem Judge who he accused of serious transgressions – possible crimes.
The Arizona Man Who Falsely Accused Law Enforcement and Attempted to Deceive the US~Observer
Most who come to us are innocent victims, however, there are a few who are extremely deceitful and fool us for a short time. These undesirables or bad actors generally focus on accusing the cops, prosecutors, and/or businesses rather than working to prove their innocence. Whether they are sociopaths, violent alcoholics, dangerous drug abusers, mentally ill or just rotten humans we find them out before we go after those they accuse because we conduct extremely thorough investigations on all our cases.
In very rare instances the dangerous players we encounter turn on the US~Observer for finding them out. One such person is Tucson, Arizona resident Rafael Roche Herring, who filed a Better Business Bureau (BBB) Complaint against the US~Observer on January 19, 2022. Herring represented himself to the BBB as Rafael Herringraf, probably attempting to mask his horrible reputation. The reader can determine what type of undesirable Herring is by reading on – possibly concluding that Herring fits into all the categories listed above.
Herring’s False Accusations
Ever since Pima County Sheriff’s Deputies Matthew Lesage and Lynsey Cole arrested Rafael Roche Herring for Felony Assault in June of 2014, they have been the recipients of continued and unwarranted harassment by Herring.
Herring complained about these officers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of the Arizona Attorney General, the Office of Professional Standards, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick and others. Herring even filed a complaint against Judge Howard J. Fell with the Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Herring’s complaints were dismissed.
Facts – Rafael Herring Assaults Son and Officers Lesage and Cole
On June 1, 2014, Officers Lesage and Cole responded to a 911 placed by Herring’s son Nicholas. According to the Officers in their report, Nicholas claimed “his father was impaired from alcohol and that he grabbed a hammer and threatened to kill Nicholas with hammer.” The report further states, “He also grabbed a meat cleaver and threatened to kill Nicholas with the meat cleaver.” Rafael Herring then used the hammer to break Nicholas’s phone. Officer Cole wrote in her report, that Nicholas stated that his father “started following him through the residence stating that he was going to kill him while slashing in the air with the meat cleaver.”
When Lesage and Cole arrived at the Herring residence to question Rafael Herring about the incident, Officer Lesage asked Herring to step outside and Herring refused, but stated the Officers could come in. Upon entering the home Deputy Lesage asked Herring to place his hands behind his back. According to the police report, “At that point in time, Mr. Herring became combative and pulled his hands away from Deputy Lesage. Mr. Herring then stepped backward and ran into the living room/kitchen area.” Deputy Cole’s report continues, “I was behind Deputy Lesage and was unable to maneuver to the side due to there being couches as well as several boxes to my left, as well as a wall to my right. I observed over Deputy Lesage’s head what looked to be a bat going up into the air. At that point in time, Deputy Lesage drew his taser and gave commands to drop it. I then observed over Deputy Lesage’s shoulder the male raise the bat looking weapon up higher. At that point in time, Deputy Lesage then tased Mr. Herring. Mr. Herring dropped the weapon and fell to the ground…I observed the weapon to the right of Mr. Herring, which was a long ax handle with a knife embedded in the top of it.”
One would have expected Herring to have been convicted and sent to prison for his actions that day, however, due to his ability to persuade and convince, he was able to obtain a plea agreement and avoid a lengthy prison sentence. As soon as the dust settled in Tucson, Herring started attacking Officers Lesage and Cole, claiming they lied and that he wasn’t guilty of assaulting them.
On December 11, 2021, Herring called the US~Observer seeking to hire us to investigate his case. I took Herring’s call and found him to appear extremely sincere. He agreed to hire us but then had trouble obtaining funds, so he talked me into just looking at his documents. He offered $3,000.00 and I told him I would do it for $2,000.00, based on my experience of how many hours would be needed to complete the task. Herring signed a contact with the US~Observer which stated, “The US~Observer agrees to go over Rafael’s legal paperwork for the sum of $2,000.00. This contract is for rendering an opinion on the legal paperwork provided by Rafael and any talks between Rafael and any investigative journalist with the US~Observer only.”
As agreed upon in the contract, I read-over Herrings legal documents such as his indictments, police reports, etc. I then obtained a list of witnesses in the case. I called them and left them a message to return my call – none of them returned my call. I was able to reach Herring’s son Nicholas and I recorded a phone call with him on December 30, 2021. Nicholas confirmed everything the deputy sheriffs stated. In reference to the day of the incident with his father, Nicholas explained, “There’s no way he (Rafael) remembers anything. Barely kept an eye open. He likes to take pain killers and gets all sorts of stuff in him. He was just gone. Yeah, absolutely fried, I mean one eye was open for 40 minutes. Just on a crazy, raging tirade.” Nicholas went on to say, “I have text messages of him blaming me and threatening to you know, kill my mom and sister. These are recent too. He openly likes to threaten my sister’s and mother’s lives in front of me.”
I asked Nicholas if his mother and sister had done anything about Rafael’s threats and he stated, “Well, no, he’s smart.” Nicholas continued, “Before the incident with me he had just got out of jail for another DUI. Bad DUI. He was fresh out of jail. He hadn’t had a job for over a year before that happened. And, he’s gotten many DUIs .”
After hearing Nicholas’s account of everything I decided that the only way to be absolutely sure of the facts in this case was to travel to Tucson and get next to one of the officers involved – that is unless Herring exposed himself as being guilty. I believe most people would have formed a concrete opinion of Herring’s guilt after hearing the horrendous things Herring’s son had to say about him. However, I have learned over the years to be certain of the facts before I make a conclusion – something that bad cops and unscrupulous prosecutors fail to do.
I then called Herring on January 6, 2022, and informed him that I was finished with my work. I told him if he wanted to continue an investigation I would need to travel to Tucson and get next to the officers, which would take approximately three weeks. I explained in detail the costs that I believed Herring would incur. Herring asked if I needed payment in full and I said yes, because I will be doing all my work up front, and he said he understood. We ended the phone call with him stating, “When I get the green light (meaning when he obtains the funds) you book your own flight – thanks for the birthday present (meaning thanks for agreeing to take the case).”
Herring subsequently sent me emails trying to get me to go after some of his alleged post-incident claims of abuse, but I told him I would have to deal with his original criminal conviction before looking at other issues.
On January 6, 2022, after our phone call detailed above, Herring sent me the following email:
“Very good. I intend to have payment for 3 weeks for what we discussed. Ill send you my figures and adjust accordingly please and with that can you send a tentative agreement in writing ?
Secondly, will it cost extra to uncover to me who the shot caller from above is and who is the mole? To me the harassment is almost as bad as the false charges. Enough is enough. I say this as I suspect and im not asking for any disclosure now, David Kolinoski and Robert Warren fit the profile.
Please advise and thank you for your faith and honesty, more importantly , your trust.”
On January 9, 2022, Herring sent me an email stating in part, “I think I can get another 13,000 and maybe a week expenses… I defenitely need your media reach.” He ended his lengthy email stating, “It frustrates me because I keep proving my innocense and it felt good that someone of you high moral standards, believed me vut now its the same issue that show the unfairness of our legal system, rich go fee and poor go away.. I am asking for your help. Im asking that in a non emotional way, to perhaps use experience, get creative and come up with a solution. Thank you and please advise”
While Herrings English is poor, any prudent person can see that he was NOT unhappy with the US~Observer on January 9, 2022 – he wanted to hire us but was obviously having trouble raising funds.
Herring Case Solved Conclusively
Using hindsight in this case, Herring completely exposed himself when he sent an email (below) demanding a return of funds after he entered into a valid contract with the US~Observer. His con-artistry, persuasiveness, and as his son stated, “he is smart” became clear. Herring did the same exact thing with the legal system in Pima County, AZ. He committed serious felony crimes, he then deceived (conned) them into giving him a plea bargain which kept him from receiving a long prison sentence and then he attacked the system that showed him great mercy.
The Rock-Solid Timeline Recorded and Preserved!
On January 6, 2022, Herring was informed I had completed my work and what his cost would be for us to engage his case further.
On January 6, 2022, Herring sent the email above stating he was hiring us.
On January 9, 2022, Herring sent an email proving he was satisfied with the US~Observer and in fact still wanted to engage our services.
On January 11, 2022, just two days after his complimentary emails, and evidently upon realizing he could not borrow the funds to hire us, Herring changed from Jekyll to Hyde and sent this email:
“Edward, Please refund me the $2,000. Its obvious to me that you have done nothing and want me to fund your vacation here. I trusted you and you steal my life savings? I dont want any excuses, just do the right thing please Regards, Rafael Herring”
On January 19, 2022, Herring filed a complaint with the BBB – much of which was garbled, showing incoherence. Herring made up numerous lies which come across as pure lunacy and he ended his complaint by stating, “I’ve asked for all my files and a full refund.” Under the desired settlement section he selected “other” and wrote: “Full refund and apology. He contacted my son and ex wife and that is concerning.”
For the record, Herring provided me with his ex-wife’s and son’s phone numbers as well as the phone numbers of his self-proclaimed friends, who would not return my calls. He should have been concerned about what his son would say before he gave me his phone number. Herring knew at the time that he had “threatened to kill” his ex-wife, son, and daughter on numerous occasions.
As soon as I read Herring’s sick, dreamt-up complaint against the US~Observer I decided I had to air my conclusion regarding Rafael Herring’s false accusations against Officers Lesage and Cole, and the US~Observer. Like all our cases involving those who attempt to deceive and cause harm, Herring was finally caught and now he is exposed! His son and both officers told the truth about this extremely troubled man.
I would hope that the ones who read about the true Rafael Herring avoid him completely – he is flat deceptive and dangerous.
This article totally vindicates Officer’s Matthew Lesage and Lynsey Cole. They were both serving justice when they arrested the felon Rafael Herring, and I sincerely hope they are still serving justice.
Editor’s Note: The Better Business Bureau obviously saw through Herring’s deceptions as they closed Herring’s complaint against the US~Observer on Feb. 1, 2022.
