WARREN A pat-down by cops irks city driver

Cops should serve and protect, not humiliate and abuse, an attorney said.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Only months after city police officers were ordered to stop illegal strip-searches, a city man has filed a complaint alleging a different type of illegal search.
Last month, Willie Summerlin of Second Street Southwest filed a complaint with the department stating that when police stopped him and accused him of going through a red light, they subjected him to a pat-down search in which they went through his pockets and grabbed his crotch.
He noted that officers also placed him in the back seat of a cruiser while they searched his vehicle.
"There is no justification for this treatment," said Atty. Gilbert Rucker, who represents Summerlin. "His constitutional rights were violated. It is the job of the city police department to serve and protect, not to humiliate and abuse."
Summerlin explains
Summerlin, 50, a steel worker for the past 32 years, said he was driving to a friend's house around 4:30 p.m. Dec. 30, 2003, when police stopped him on Iowa Street Southwest. His friend's 10-year-old grandson videotaped the search from inside the house.
Neither Summerlin nor the patrolmen, Joseph Kistler and Ed Hetmanski, knew they were being taped, Summerlin said.
"I really felt violated," Summerlin said. "He was grabbing between my legs and ran his hand up my a--. He said I could have a razor blade there. It was very, very demeaning. I can't believe they did all this for a red light."
The officers could not be reached to comment. Police Chief John Mandopoulos said he can't comment because of the ongoing investigation.
"This is the first time I watched this," Summerlin said Tuesday, when he brought the tape to The Vindicator. "It really disturbs me. I kept asking why they were doing this, and they wouldn't tell me."
On the tape
The videotape shows Hetmanski patting down Summerlin, looking at items taken from his pockets, and then escorting him to the cruiser. Once Summerlin was in the cruiser, the two officers searched his vehicle.
After that, the officers went back to the cruiser.
"When they got in the car, I started asking them what I had done and what they were looking for," Summerlin said. "The officer said to me that, 'You people think we don't have the right search your car and you, but you watch too much television.' Finally, after 10 minutes, they gave me a ticket for going through a red light and let me go."
Summerlin has pleaded innocent to the traffic charge and is scheduled to return to court next week.
Internal affairs probe
Greg Hicks, city law director, said the police department's internal affairs division is investigating Summerlin's complaint. A letter to Hicks from internal affairs says the investigator viewed the cruiser's videotape of Summerlin's stop and observed "other possible illegal searches."
"I am going to meet with the internal affairs investigators next week and go over this," Hicks said.
An internal police investigation released in July said that at least one city police officer routinely conducted body-cavity searches on suspects in even minor crimes, in violation of state law and department policy. Even people arrested on traffic violations or driving without a valid license were subjected to strip-searches, the investigation found.
The chief said shortly after the internal report on the strip-searches was released that he ordered officers to stop the practice.
sinkovich@vindy.com