Fairfax County Police Watch: 10/12/13

Truck Driver Nearly Beaten to Death By Police For Not Signing Traffic

Listen to this arrogant prick defend from CHP the beating

NYPD Officer Arrested for Participating in the Motorcycle 'Road Rage' Attack

An off-duty undercover cop who was riding with a large gang of motorcyclists in New York last month, not only witnessed other riders dragging a man out of his SUV and brutally assaulting him in front of his wife and child, the cop allegedly participated in the attack.
Originally, the seven-year veteran narcotics officer claimed he didn't do anything while members of the ride along punched, kicked and slashed at the victim's face because he arrived at the scene when the attack was ending. But according to new video evidence obtained by the New York Post (from the paper's "disgusted" sources), the unidentified undercover officer can be seen punching one of the SUV windows while the attack is still ongoing. (Update, 5:53 p.m. CBS News reports the undercover officer in question has been arrested for his part in the assault.)
In total, six officers were allegedly part of the group of motorcycle riders when the attack went down. It's unclear so far why they were riding with the group that NYPD was already on alert for, or why any of them failed intervene when things got ugly. The unidentified undercover officer originally got himself in trouble for not reporting his presence at the scene of the crime until more than three days after the attack. He has since turned in his badge and gun and has been reassigned pending an internal investigation.
On September 29, Alexian Lien, 33, was driving in a Range Rover on New York's West Side Highway with his wife and two-year-old daughter when a group of motorcycle riders pulled in front of him. An accidental bump occurred, and the gang started to surround Lien's SUV. When the father sped away because he was threatened, scared and outnumbered, he ran over a few of the riders, paralyzing 32-year-old Edwin Mieses, who has since teamed up with power lawyer Gloria Allred. The bike gang raced after the SUV and pursued Lien into New York City traffic where, finally having him cornered, members of the group proceeded to smash the driver side window and drag Lien out of the car. Lien was assaulted and hospitalized following the attack. Everything leading up to the attack was caught on video:
At least four bikers have so far been been arrested for their roles in the attack. Twenty-nine-year-old Craig Wright, 37-year-old Reginald Chance, and 35-year-old Robert Sims were all arraigned on assault charges. Prosecutors decided not to formally charge the fourth, 43-year-old Allen Edwards, for his role in the attack. To make things even stranger, the man who organized the ride, Jamie Lao, who goes by the name Hollywood Stuntz online, told the website Global Grind he tried to cancel the event at the last minute "due to overwhelming pressure from the police."

Prichard Officer Arrested in Child Abuse Case

PRICHARD, Ala. (WPMI) A Prichard Police officer with a previous criminal history is accused of severely abusing a child, prosecutors said.

Bryan Pearman, 24, is charged with aggravated child abuse, jail records show.

Mobile County Assistant District Attorney Nicki Patterson said deputies received a call from USA Women's and Children's Hospital in July telling authorities a two-year-old girl had been treated for injuries that did not appear accidental.

The girl had injuries to her head and face as well as marks on her neck that were consistent with having been choked, Patterson said. The girl had been in Pearman's care when the injuries were discovered.

Deputies continued to investigate the case and obtained a warrant this week.

Prichard Police officials learned of Pearman's imminent arrest during Thursday's City Council meeting, a source with knowledge of the case said. Coincidentally in that meeting, the council voted to confirm Jerry Spezial as the city's new police chief.

Mayor Troy Ephriam and Chief of Staff Eddie Brown have been briefed on the matter, the source said.

Pearman has been a patrolman for nearly 2 years. Before he became an officer, Pearman was charged in a misdemeanor animal cruelty case where his neighbor's dog was shot, court records show.

"All the other neighbors heard shots and pinpointed them to his house," a witness wrote in a 2010 deposition, "Dog returned to her front yard where she lay bleeding."

Pearman was fined and ordered to pay restitution, records show.

It was not immediately clear how the previous arrest was handled when Pearman was applying to become an officer.

The abuse charge is a felony and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years. Pearman is scheduled to appear in court on the matter October 21.

Wildwood cop who kicked handcuffed suspects resentenced to 5 years in prison

CAPE MAY COUNTY — Wildwood police officer convicted of kicking two handcuffed suspects has been resentenced to five years in prison, according to a report on PressofAtlanticCity.com.

David Romeo, 43, will have to serve one year and five days before he is eligible for parole. He has spent 30 days in the Atlantic County jail since an August decision that denied his request for a new trial, the report said.

The state appellate panel instead ordered that the sentence be revisited.

Romeo was convicted of official misconduct for kicking two handcuffed car burglary suspects in the head as they lay on the ground in a parking lot in 2007.

Romeo testified he kicked the men because he saw a weapon. But three other officers said no weapon was present when the suspects were kicked.

When Romeo appealed his original five-year sentence in 2010, prosecutors appealed a judge's decision not to make the former sergeant ineligible for parole, the Press of Atlantic City reported. The officer was allowed to remain free.

Norristown cop sentenced to 17 years in drug case

COURTHOUSE — A Montgomery County judge sentenced a retired Norristown police officer to 17 to 50 years behind bars Friday for selling methamphetamine and prescription pills and using his old police badge and license plate as clout to do it.

In July, a jury found Jack Pennington, 68, of Upper Merion, guilty of 16 out of 21 drug-related felonies stemming from a wiretap investigation spearheaded by Montgomery County Detectives and their Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET).

Throughout Pennington’s four-day trial, Schadler said Pennington repeatedly used his position as a former police officer to sway the jury.

Tampa police officer fired, charged with welfare fraud

Tampa police fired and arrested another of their own on Thursday. This time, the charges involve a longtime police sergeant accused of using a convict's food stamp card.

Police arrested - and Chief Jane Castor fired - Sgt. La Joyce Houston, a 16-year veteran of the force. Houston, 47, is charged with two counts of welfare fraud and one count of grand theft. She was released from the Hillsborough County Orient Road Jail after posting bail set at $6,000, records show.

The firing comes less than a month after the chief terminated two officers for unrelated reasons. One officer had been arrested on charges she stole money from an evidence area. The other was Sgt. Ray Fernandez, terminated after police investigators said he was not truthful about his involvement in the drunken driving arrest of a Tampa attorney in January who prosecutors say was set up.

LAPD officer charged with assaulting handcuffed woman who died

Prosecutors say police cruiser's video camera caught the officer kicking the woman in the stomach and groin during an arrest. Alesia Thomas, 35, died soon after.

An LAPD officer has been charged with assaulting a woman under color of authority by kicking her in the groin during an arrest last year, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office announced Thursday.

LAPD Officer Mary O’Callaghan, 48, was charged Wednesday in connection with the July 22, 2012, incident that ended with the death of Alesia Thomas.

O'Callaghan was one of several officers sent to Thomas' home in the 9100 block of South Broadway Avenue to investigate allegations that Thomas had abandoned her children after they were left at a local police station.

O’Callaghan arrived at the scene to assist the arresting officers in placing Thomas in a patrol car. While Thomas was in handcuffs and leg restraints, prosecutors said, a police cruiser’s video camera captured the veteran officer kicking Thomas in the stomach and groin area and pushing her in the throat.

Thomas, once inside the patrol car, lost consciousness and paramedics were called. Shortly afterward, she was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Prosecutors on Thursday said they declined to charge O'Callaghan with involuntary manslaughter because of insufficient evidence to prove her conduct caused Thomas’ death.

O'Callaghan's attorney, Robert Rico, could not be reached for comment. O'Callaghan is a 19-year veteran of the LAPD.

But the president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League issued a statement.

“While I cannot comment on the specific incident because I have not seen the video and the officer involved has her own legal counsel, the alleged actions of the officer are incongruous with her reputation as an officer who was known to be diligent, courteous and ethical,” said Tyler Izen. “This officer had previously been publicly commended by the LAPD for community efforts and was publicly commended for helping a burglary victim’s family who lost all their presents at Christmas time.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck previously criticized the officer's actions.

In a report to the Police Commission, the civilian board that oversees the LAPD, Beck concluded -- without naming O'Callaghan -- that a veteran female officer violated department policies by repeatedly using her feet to kick or shove Alesia Thomas in her genitals and midsection.

The same officer, the chief and the commission found, showed "apparent indifference" toward Thomas as she cursed at the mother of two young children during the messy effort to restrain her and place her in the back of a police cruiser.

Beck also raised concerns about the actions of three additional officers and a supervisor during the confrontation.

Two of the officers disregarded Thomas' request for medical help, while the third cop may have lied to investigators about the incident, Beck wrote in a report.

The five-member Police Commission agreed with the chief's finding that the female officer's forceful use of her feet was "ineffective and inappropriate," according to a commission report on the incident.

An autopsy by the L.A. County coroner determined that cocaine intoxication probably was "a major factor" in Thomas' death. It was impossible to determine what role, if any, the struggle with the officers played in the 35-year-old woman's death.

Because of that uncertainty, the official cause of death was listed as "undetermined."

The Times reported previously on the alleged kicks by the female officer and Thomas' odd decision to abandon her children outside the LAPD's Southeast area station, which led to the fatal confrontation with police.

Hours before she died, Thomas, who suffered from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and drug addiction according to the autopsy report, had left her children, a 3-year-old and a 12-year-old, outside the station, according to a department account of the incident.

Initially, police reported that Thomas was attempting to surrender the children to police custody because she felt she could no longer care for them properly.

In his report, however, Beck said, it appeared Thomas expected her mother to pick the children up at the station.

Washington Shooting – Police Brutality Becoming Routine?

By Lucille Femine

The latest incident of police violence – perpetrated on a frightened young mother in Washington, DC shooting, appears to be have been made out to be just another routine occurrence – protecting the public from a crazed, dangerous maniac. But was it really another incident of police brutality?

This woman was on psychiatric drugs which accounts, most likely, for her erratic behavior. But there’s a huge difference here; she was unarmed. Doesn’t that get figured into the computation anymore? Couldn’t they simply have shot the tires to get her to stop? Or fired warning shots?

Sure, she drove through a barrier and slightly injured a secret service man and then gunned it down the street. That was definitely not rational behavior. But still this was no cause to go trigger-happy.

Yes, there’s national security to consider and it was happening at the White House. Those are still not justified rationalizations, however, for gunning down a fairly helpless young woman – with a baby in the car no less. It is entirely possible that child could have been shot or killed, regardless of how accurate their aims were.

Could it be they didn’t have time to go to the shooting range for target practice and conveniently used her instead? That sounds blasphemous, yes, but not necessarily unlikely, considering the senselessness of the whole tragedy.

The famous Rodney King beating, caught on tape in 1991, was one of the first of brutal, unfair violence against unarmed victims of the police to hit the news on a national scale. What sparked the public uproar and massive property destruction and looting afterwards was the fact that the three officers involved were acquitted.

Despite the huge protest at that time, could this have set a precedent of leniency in the courts when it came to police crimes against the public?

In 2005, a young man named Patrick Lee was tasered 19 times for simply behaving a bit strangely. He died from the wounds. The court later acquitted the police officers; the jury decided they did not use excessive force.

In May 2009, a 15 year-old boy was shot in the upper body by a policeman because he refused to drop a toy gun he was playing with in a game of cops and robbers.

A college student named Derek Copp, unarmed, was shot at his home by police on a drug arrest for marijuana. The police officer was put on paid administrative leave. Does that men police brutality has become routine?

In a well-known case in 2006, Sean Bell was shot dead in front of a nightclub on the eve of his wedding. Fifty shots were fired with no warning from the police. The judge ruled in favor of the police, despite witness testimony to the contrary.

Not long ago, thanks to a youtube video, a police officer was charged with assault after he pushed a man off his bike for no apparent reason. The policeman claimed otherwise and arrested the man. The officer was later accused of filing a false report and put on administrative leave while the bicyclist was acquitted.

In September 2013, a police officer in North Carolina shot and killed a man who appeared to be a burglar. He was banging on a door for help after an accident in his car. He did charge at the police but he was unarmed – very similar to the Washington shooting. The incident was noted by police simply as imperfect self-defense. Was that term a piece of poetic license as the policeman filled out his report but when translated into a less fanciful language, means murder?

In Galveston, Texas, a 12 year-old girl was beaten in the face by three officers outside her home, calling her a prostitute; the attack was done after she screamed for help. It turns out they had the wrong house but even if they had the right house, how was that OK? Not only that, they later came to the house and arrested her for having allegedly assaulted them.

In January 2012, a man named Sebastian Prevot stopped just past the white line at a stop sign. Frightened he would be arrested, saying he was black and the two officers in the car behind him where white, as well as it being 3 AM, he continued home at the speed limit and stopping at every stop sign correctly. Ten police cars were waiting for him at home; he was severely beaten while they also went after his wife.

This occurred in Houston, Tx where 588 incidents of police brutality were reported in the past six years; all but four were dismissed.

What is occurring when the very people who are given the responsibility to protect citizens from criminals are criminals themselves? Of course, criminal police officers are still a minority but that percentage is growing, due most likely to their acceptance by fellow police, judges, juries and their unjust acquittals of some police officers who are clearly guilty.

Aside from this Washington shooting, more and more scenes are appearing in the news and online of rows and rows of police decked out like Nazis or from some galactic patrol, armed to the teeth. It is simply another sign of the general moral decay of society when police brutality becomes routine. Are they afraid of us? All bullies are.

Clarksburg man alleges police brutality from 2011 arrest

By Kate White

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A dashboard camera captured three police officers beating a Clarksburg man in 2011, according to a lawsuit claiming excessive force that was filed last week in federal court.

Joy Pumphrey was pulled over near the town of Nutter Fort in Harrison County in October 2011 for having loud exhaust, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Clarksburg on Tuesday.

Nutter Fort Patrolman J.E. Young and Harrison County sheriff's deputies W.J. Cunningham and C.M. Heater had the man get out of his vehicle for questioning and a search. Pumphrey was "known by the officers to be unarmed," the lawsuit states.

"Suddenly, [Pumphrey] began to flee, on foot, from the officers," the complaint states. He was subdued within a short distance -- "still within the partial view of the dashboard camera."

The lawsuit states that the officers were then able to take the man into custody without resistance. But they began "striking, kicking and punching [Pumphrey] in the face, head and ribs," according to the complaint, which claims the man was not resisting or fighting back.

Pumphrey, according to the suit, was rendered unconscious for a period of time and suffered severe injuries to his face and ribs. He was taken by ambulance to United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, where he was diagnosed with several facial fractures, including his sinuses and nose and several ribs.

"When the defendants repeatedly struck and punched Joy Pumphrey in the face and ribs, no objectively reasonable officers could have perceived Mr. Pumphrey as posing an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others," John Bryan, the man's attorney, wrote in the complaint.

He was transferred to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown because his severe facial fractures needed special treatment, the lawsuit states.

Doctors there diagnosed him with an orbital floor fracture, a zygomatic fracture, a right orbital fracture, and a laceration of the left eye as the result of "assault," according to the complaint.

Nutter Fort Police Chief Ron Goodwin said Young still works as a patrolman with his department. He said the county's prosecutor and an independent agency investigated the incident and no charges were filed against the officers.

Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Shaffer didn't return a phone message.

A secretary with the Harrison County Sheriff's Department said Cunningham and Heater still worked for the department. Sheriff Albert Morano couldn't be reached for comment.

Pumphrey underwent surgery, but has permanent injuries to his body and vision from the alleged attack, according to the complaint.

He is suing the officers individually, the Harrison County Commission and the Town of Nutter Fort.

Police brutality is a state disease

Editorial

By The Daily Targum

Did anything in that headline actually surprise you? We know it didn’t, but it should — no matter how common police brutality has always been, we refuse to become desensitized to it. David Castellani’s dreadful experience isn’t any different.

We wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard that name before. The trend of the media underreporting police brutality is obvious. We can imagine the same trend applies when it comes to the known corruption of Atlantic City — where six armed police and a K-9 officer tackled Castellani, a 20-year-old Temple University student.

Surveillance footage of the attack is available online, and it is beyond clear that excessive force was used on the prostrate Castellani, who was already lying on his stomach. At the time, the K-9 officer unleashed the dog on him and it gnawed on his head and neck, which could have killed him. This is after the first five cops beat the crap out of him with fists, feet and batons — a type of force that should only be used when a weapon is present. Castellani had emptied his pockets in front of the cops moments before the attack.

What prompted it? Castellani directed offensive comments and gestures at the police from across the street after they approached and released him.

While disrespecting a cop seems like automatic grounds for disorderly conduct, there’s absolutely no reason why so many needed to bumrush one 20-year-old and use so many different forms of violence against him. Fists and batons aside, they let the dog rush at his neck and could have very easily killed him.

Here’s a shocker for you: The cop with the K-9 already had 15 complaints of excessive violence filed against him prior to this incident and five pending lawsuits.

What we’re seeing here is a recurring pattern of corruption and oversight in police departments. In our previous editorial “Circuit judgment a bad call for NJ,” we noted Atlantic City’s known corruption and inefficiency. Here it rears its ugly head, at the expense of a college student who now has to live with the scars of 200 stitches at the hands of a corrupt police force.

Strong and respectable leadership is missing. The police chief condoned the actions of the officers and, while an “internal investigation” is taking place — which we presume to be like the internal investigations that absolved that police officer of his 15 excessive force complaints — no disciplinary action has been taken against any of the cops involved, which we feel is absolutely unacceptable.

But this isn’t a problem just limited to A.C. Rutgers University experienced a similar incident in 2011, when two University students filed a lawsuit against New Brunswick police for using excessive force after officers wrongly broke into their apartment and attacked them while they were asleep in their beds.

When cops are getting hired based on connections rather than merit, their superiors’ priority is to cover up their tracks rather than carry out thorough backgrounds checks and take necessary action against officers with repetitive offenses. We are only fostering a breeding ground for this type of sanctioned violence by law enforcement officials on the civilian population.

Castellani and his stunned parents are justified in their decision to sue the city and the police department for their clear disregard and negligence.

Police Officers Suspended on Allegations of Misconduct

CORPUS CHRISTI - Two Corpus Christi police officers who just graduated from the academy in August are on suspension while internal affairs looks into allegations of misconduct.

Officers Bryan Cantu and Spencer Christian were both in the final stages of their training when they were suspended for unrelated incidents.

The president of the police officers' union says Cantu, was suspended over a disturbance involving his girlfriend.

Christian was reportedly suspended following his arrest by the Dallas Police on charges of assaulting a family member.

Both incidents happened over a week ago.

Police Chief Floyd Simpson told KRIS 6 News on Monday that he doesn't want to release specifics until internal affairs finishes their review.

Police officer facing misconduct charges waives prelim

GREENFIELD -- The Greenfield Police Officer Thomas Roszak appeared in court to face criminal charges of misconduct for allegedly harming a DUI suspect at the Greenfield Police Department.

Roszak waived his preliminary hearing meaning there will be no witness testimony in this case.

According to the criminal complaint, Amanda Luke was arrested for driving under the influence and fleeing on July 27th. The complaint says Greenfield Police Officer Thomas Roszak removed Luke from her holding cell for purposes related to the arrest and booking process.

The complaint says Luke demanded to make her phone call, and told Officer Roszak, "I f---ing hate you!" Officer Roszak picked up Luke by her torso, causing her feet to lift from the floor. He carried her to her holding cell and threw her in to the cell.

Luke's body hit a steel stool affixed to the floor of the cell. After throwing her back into her holding cell, the complaint says Officer Roszak called Luke a "F---ingB---" just before closing the cell door. Officer Roszak did not check Luke's condition. She suffered numerous bruises across her body.

Roszak is currently on paid administrative leave with the Greenfield Police Department. If convicted, Roszak will face up to 3.5 years in prison.

Roszak is due back in court on October 24th.

Officer Suspended, Chief Resigns In Criminal Investigation

A Highfill police officer was suspended and the chief resigned following a criminal investigation by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The county prosecutor says he will not file charges in the case.

The officer was suspended after residents entered the Highfill City Hall, complaining that the officer had broken into a home and stolen a Pea Ridge population sign, Mayor Stacy Digby told 5NEWS.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the officer and forwarded the case to Benton County Prosecutor Van Stone. Stone said he will not file criminal charges because his office and the Sheriff’s Office determined there was no criminal intent.

Highfill Police Chief Chuck Eggebrecht resigned earlier this week following a dispute with the mayor about the investigation. Eggebrecht disagreed with the mayor’s choice to suspend the Highfill officer, Digby said.

The mayor said the city is searching for a new police chief to replace Eggebrecht.

1 Bridgeport officer arrested, another suspended

BRIDGEPORT - Police say one Bridgeport police officer has been arrested and another is on desk duty following two separate cases.

Police say one of the officers is facing charges for allegedly fighting with his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend.

Officers say it happened Tuesday night at a home on Sage Avenue while Paul Cari was off-duty.

Meanwhile, police say Sgt. Pasquale Feola has been put on paid desk duty after a woman filed a complaint about his behavior during a traffic stop.

Officer Josue Hernandez suspended

Officer Josue Hernandez, 28, filled out more than a dozen community contact cards with the names of sports celebrities and long dead historical figures.

The joke got him a 10-day suspension without pay, said Sgt. Terence Thouez, who conducted the Internal Affairs investigation.

Parking officer is demoted, suspended

A Princeton parking enforcement officer was suspended for four weeks without pay and demoted, the town said Thursday in announcing the disciplinary steps they had taken this week to clean up issues with him and another meter reader.

Jon Hughes will be reassigned to a parking garage where he worked as an attendant before going over to enforcement, town administrator Robert W. Bruschi said in an email.

Mr. Hughes has been an enforcement officer for the past six years, at a salary of $44,000. His pay grade will not change.

The punishment handed down to Mr. Hughes was made public the same week in which the town announced Monday that it had fired the other enforcement officer, Chris Boutote, a retired Princeton Borough police officer.

Though the town suspended both men without pay last month, Mr. Bruschi said the punishments were for different reasons.
”Jon’s disciplinary action was different from Mr. Boutote’s because Jon didn’t follow some proper internal procedures when it comes to processing of a ticket that was going through the court system,” Mr. Bruschi said in an email. Responding to a follow-up question, he said it dealt with his not properly dismissing a ticket.

”It was a single incident but we felt that a very strong message had to be sent that our procedures need to be followed by the letter of the law.”

‘Sick’ Newark officer was really partying at FOP lodge

A Newark police officer has been suspended without pay for 18 work days for calling in sick and then improperly opening the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge for drinks with friends after legal serving hours.

The punishment was issued to Officer Adam Pfannenschmidt on Oct. 3. He will be eligible to return to his $52,617-a-year job on Nov. 2, Newark Police Chief Steven Sarver said yesterday.

“It’s not the kind of conduct we want from our officers,” Sarver said. “It makes us look bad."

Pfannenschmidt, 39, has been a patrol officer since December 2007. He is a good officer who behaved badly and deserved punishment, Sarver said.

Sarver gave this account:

Pfannenschmidt called in sick on July 20 last year for his 5 p.m.-to-3 a.m. shift. Policy requires sick employees to stay at home. Instead, Pfannenschmidt went to the FOP lodge about 3 a.m. on July 21 with another man and two topless dancers, one of whom is his girlfriend. The group drank 12 beers without paying.

A sergeant driving by about 5 a.m. noticed the lodge was occupied when it should not have been and found the officer and his friends.

The lodge is licensed to serve liquor but not after hours, Sarver said. Pfannenschmidt is a lodge trustee and used his key to enter. He told internal investigators that he had done so about 10 times.

Pfannenschmidt was suspended for four work days without pay last year after he lied about an injury he suffered in a bar fight that resulted in extended sick time. The punishment for the more-recent misconduct, which Pfannenschmidt did not contest, was thus more severe, Sarver said

Bradenton officer suspended one month for improper use of police database

BRADENTON -- A Bradenton police officer has been suspended without pay for one month for reportedly accessing a police database for non-law enforcement purposes.

Officer Adam Wollard was suspended last month after he was found guilty of misusing access to the State of Florida's Driver and Vehicle Information Database following an investigation by Bradenton Police Department Internal Affairs.

Wollard accessed the DAVID system July 23, 2011, to retrieve drivers license information involving more than 200 people, including fellow police officers, former city and police department employees and civilians.

The incident was discovered when a records request prompted the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to be notified a search by Wollard of State Attorney General Pam Bondi had been conducted Nov. 27, 2010.

Wollard did not deny misusing the database.

officer suspended after traffic stop with councilman's son

By Brett Buffington -

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -

A Wagener police office is suspended with pay following a traffic stop involving a town councilman's son.

The son of Councilman George Smith, was pulled over for speeding, and Officer Dustin Johnson suspected that he was driving drunk. But, instead of conducting a field sobriety test, the officer let him go with just a warning.

Johnson told him that he turned off his dash cam recorder. However, a camera on Johnson's belt recorded the conversation between the two.

"My years of experience as a DUI specialist, you're not able to drive," said Johnson in the dash cam video. "That's just from looking at you and not having to do anything else. I could tell as soon as you stepped into the light."

Smith was pulled over, according to the officer, for driving 51 in a 30 mile per hour zone, which he was issued a warning for.

"How many of them you got in the car? You say you got two of three licenses? That's against the law, I don't need to hear anymore," said Johnson in the video.

The town isn't turning a blind eye to the stop. Instead Wagener's mayor, Mike Miller, sat down with us to set some things straight.

"I've asked the employees and office staff, anything we can do for our young people and the elderly we do, but that does not mean letting them go when they violate the law," said Miller.

Miller tells us he watched the video and he believes Smith did not appear intoxicated.

As for the speeding, Miller says, issuing a ticket is up to the officer. He feels Officer Johnson was just helping. He admits officers in the town have done this before.

The mayor told us about a case when a 17-year-old was sent home with his father, and an incident at a BP where an officer spotted an open container in a car, and simply poured the alcohol out.

We asked Miller if he believes any favoritism was shown by the police department, and he said he didn't feel like that was the case at

Fairfax County Police Watch