WARREN POLICE Arrests prompt internal probe

The city man said he was arrested a second time when he tried to file a complaint against an officer.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city law department will meet with internal affairs investigators next week to determine if officers made an improper arrest of a 45-year-old Fourth Street man.
Law Director Greg Hicks said he plans to discuss Randall Morgan's complaint Tuesday.
A letter sent to his office by internal affairs states that Morgan's complaint deals with the "possible improper/illegal disorderly conduct arrests."
Morgan states in his report that he believes he was mistreated when he was arrested on disorderly conduct charges Oct. 25 and Oct. 27.
What complaint says
The complaint states that Morgan was first arrested Oct. 25 when walking on Fourth Street and was arrested the second time Oct. 27, when he went to the police station to file a complaint against the arresting officer, Chris O'Rourke.
"I was walking home on Fourth Street when I saw Officer O'Rourke," Morgan's complaint states. "I cross the street in front of him, and he jumps out of the car and ran up from behind me and told me to stop. I immediately stop, and he told me to get on the ground. I got on the ground, and he put his knee in my back and told me I was under arrest for jaywalking."
The arrest report states that around 3 a.m. Oct. 25, O'Rourke saw Morgan walking in the middle of Fourth Street and turning diagonal toward Highland.
O'Rourke states in the report that he told Morgan to stop and come toward the officer but Morgan didn't comply. The report says Morgan had his hands in his pocket and the officer had to run to catch up with him.
"[Morgan] was advised to bring his hands out of his pockets," O'Rourke's report states. "The arrestee stated he didn't do anything and was advised by reporting officer he was not allowed to be walking in the middle of the road and was getting a summons for his lawlessness."
O'Rourke's report further states that when Morgan kept moving around and started to become hostile, he was placed in handcuffs.
Case pending
Morgan was then taken to the station and later released with a summons ordering him to appear in court Oct. 27. He pleaded innocent in municipal court. His case is pending.
After appearing in court, Morgan went to the police chief's office to file a report.
Morgan's complaint states he was sitting in the office when O'Rourke came up to him and asked him what he was doing.
"I told him I was filing charges on him about the arrest that took place well, he then grabbed my arm and told me to get my [expletive] out of the office, and then I told him to get his ... hands off of me," Morgan's report states. "He then had the other officers in the hall come in and had me arrested again for disorderly conduct."
O'Rourke's arrest report says Morgan swore at him and refused to leave.
"Randy was advised numerous times to calm down; with the assistance of officers, Randy was removed and placed into custody for disorderly conduct," O'Rourke's report states.
sinkovich@vindy.com