Two tales of the tape

There is a lot of slapstick on the tape, but no violence.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Now out in video: city police officers making faces, calling names and threatening to subpoena the tape from the camcorder at a black nightclub.
Chief John Mandopoulos and several officers stopped by 77 Soul on May 24 "to make sure everyone was safe," Mandopoulos told the cameraman before giving a close-up view of his eyeball.
This tape of police has no violence but plenty of slapstick.
At one point, Officer Manny Nites shines a flashlight in the camerman's eyes and asks him if he is nervous.
Mandopoulos asks the cameraman if he was "voted the nerd most likely to succeed," and an officer tells customers walking by that the cameraman was a "snitch" for the police department.
"We were just joking," said Mandopoulos.
But the butt of the joke, and his friend, LaShawn Ziegler, owner of 77 Soul, are not amused.
Lawyer's assessment
"All Mr. Ziegler ever wanted was a fair opportunity to operate his business just like any other business owner in the city of Warren," said Atty. Gil Rucker, who represents Ziegler.
"If all they were doing is having fun, then they were having fun at the expense of Mr. Ziegler's clients and profits."
Rucker plans to meet with city officials soon to discuss the tape.
"I have not seen it yet but from what I've been told, I am highly, highly upset," said Fred Harris, safety-service director.
The tape was shown to The Vindicator Wednesday afternoon. The man who taped the police officers did not want his name to be used.
"I usually go out and tape the parking lot but I was in New York so I had my friend do it for me that weekend," Ziegler said.
The tape starts with a view of the parking lot. There are several cars, but the only people in the lot are Mandopoulos and four officers who begin waving at the cameraman, one shouting, "We're back."
"It is my perception that the one officer then clicks his heals and does a Nazi salute," Rucker said. "I find that very offensive. Where is the justice? My client is helping pay for his salary and this is how they are acting? It is not professional."
Chief's rebuttal
The chief says he does not remember an officer making a Nazi gesture.
"We were all just being friendly and silly, but if they don't want that then we will go there and follow the letter of the law," the chief said.
Mandopoulos noted that police have been regularly visiting the nightclub because of complaints from a local business owner about noise.
The chief said that there have also been several disturbances at the club and that the business had to be shut down because of occupancy violations.
"We were trying to help the club," the chief said.
Ziegler, however, says he has been harassed.
"I have the cops here all the time and they are calling the fire station and I'm constantly getting shut down. Then the cops come in here with a dog, they walk through my parking lot with shirts that say narcotics on the back, and it drives business away," he said.
Call-outs
According to police department records, officers have been at the club 21 times since June 1 responding to complaints of noise and parking violations.
"They gave one customer a ticket for parking in the handicap space," Ziegler said.
The FBI is investigating the actions of Warren officers involved in the arrest a couple of weeks ago of Lyndal Kimble.
A videotape of that episode recorded by a neighbor shows three white officers throwing Kimble, who is black, against a cruiser and onto the ground. The tape drew national TV exposure and a federal agency promise to look into police tactics.
sinkovich@vindy.com