Bieger pleads not guilty to attempted murder in shooting of fellow Lauderhill cop

From Sun-Sentinel.com

A Lauderhill police officer accused of emptying his gun into the patrol car of his ex-girlfriend, a fellow cop, was formally arraigned Wednesday on a charge of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.

Kristopher Bieger, 30, entered a written plea of not guilty and said nothing during a brief hearing in front of Broward Circuit Judge Lisa Porter. Porter scheduled his next court appearance for March 29.

There was no discussion of bail for Bieger, who has been in custody since his arrest Nov. 12 for the shooting of Officer Brittny Skinner, 31, who survived the violent encounter at the Inverness Plaza, near Northwest 56th Avenue and West Oakland Park Boulevard. Skinner was working an off-duty detail providing security at the plaza.

Investigators say the pair were dating until Skinner broke it off the week leading up to the shooting. Bieger did not take it well, police said.

Bieger "began to cry uncontrollably" and begged her to take him back, according to a police report.

Skinner "made it very clear" to Bieger "that she was no longer interested in dating him," according to police.

On Nov. 12, a Saturday, Bieger drove his silver 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup to the plaza, saw Skinner sitting in her patrol car, and opened fire, emptying his Glock pistol of all 10 rounds. The trunk, rear driver's side door and window took most of the shots.

But at least one bullet went through the patrol car seat, through Skinner's police uniform and into her protective vest, police said.

As Skinner raced to the Lauderhill police station fearing for her life, police say, Bieger headed south. At 9 p.m. he was at an Italian restaurant in the Regency Square Plaza on Volunteer Road off Interstate 75 in Davie. He called family members and colleagues, confessing to the shooting and asking for one more bullet so he could commit suicide, police said later.

At the restaurant, he ordered two slices of pizza to go. Minutes after he paid, an armed SWAT team showed up to take Bieger into custody.

Bieger joined the police force in 2006. He has been on administrative leave since the incident.

While the shooting is the most serious accusation Bieger has faced, he has had a history of disciplinary incidents.

In 2010, he was suspended for five days after a woman in Virginia complained he had been harassing her. According to files, he called this woman more than 140 times in one month. Charges weren't filed in Virginia, in part because the woman apparently initiated some of the correspondence.

Bieger is being held at the Broward Main Jail. County Judge John Hurley ordered him to refrain from contacting Skinner while the case remains active.