Source: The Lima News, OhioAug.迷你倉 23--LIMA -- Citizens Review Board members interviewed Lima Police Chief Kevin Martin and Sgt. Dave Gillespie Thursday about a formal complaint against an officer, asking technical questions about how officers use radar and a piece of a traffic citation regarding proof of insurance.Huston's action is the first time the board is considering a complaint from an individual. The board plans to hold a special meeting Aug. 29 and discuss the case in executive session. After that conversation, the board will issue a written report on the matter, board Chairman Mike Hayden said.The board is handling a formal complaint made by Henry Huston, 66, of Lima, who said a Lima officer made a traffic stop based on race. Brotherwood gave Huston a ticket March 13 for speeding and a seat belt violation. Huston first fought the case in court and made a formal complaint with the Lima Police Department. In early July, he also made a formal complaint with the Citizens Review Board.Martin and Gillespie said Lima Ptl. Dustin Brotherwood was not racially profiling and that he didn't violate any department protocol. The board is not permitted to interview Brotherwood because of liability issues, Hayden said. That is a common issue review boards face, Hayden said.At 4:15 p.m. March 13, Huston was driving to a friend's house on Kibby Street when a police officer drove past him in the opposite direction. When Huston arrived at his friend's house several blocks later and was already out of the car, the officer pulled into the driveway and asked Huston for his license, telling him he was driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. The officer gave Huston a speeding ticket and additional citation for not wearing his seat belt.Huston said he was not speeding and was wearing his seat belt. Huston also said the officer wouldn't show him any radar evidence of the speeding, and he also questions how the officer could give a seat belt citation when Huston was no longer in the vehicle. Huston wrote in his complaint to the police that the officer was confrontational, "trying to intimidate me in order for me to escalate the situation. The officer showed distinct signs of prejudice and racial bias toward persons of color."When board members interviewed Huston Aug. 8, Huston said Brotherwood did not ask him for proof of insurance, but checked a box that said it was not shown. In dash camera video, Brotherwood can b文件倉 heard asking for a license and registration, but not insurance. As a result, Huston said he had to pay a fine to the state.Martin and Gillespie said officers are not required to ask for proof of insurance, but that if the box on the ticket is marked as proof not shown, the person who received the ticket would be required to show it in court. That person would not be allowed to pay the fine without showing proof of insurance, and if they do not show it, it is the court, not police, that send insurance information to the state.While Brotherwood didn't do anything technically wrong, Hayden questioned the interaction."Isn't it a citizen's expectation that if you're going to be marked for not having proof of insurance that you'd be asked for it first?" Hayden said later in the meeting after the officers left.Gillespie also said offices are trained to look for seat belt violations and can often focus on drivers pulling belts across their chest and lap after they spot a police officer. He did not say if that happened in this case.Martin said officers are taught to not lock in radar speeds because they are doing multiple things at the same time: tracking a vehicle, watching that vehicle slow down as the driver sees the police, watching other traffic."If one more task is made a priority, it draws an officer's attention away from other things," Martin said.While Huston said Brotherwood was being confrontational, Gillespie said Brotherwood believed it was Huston who was confrontational, and Brotherwood, as he is taught to do, was trying to end the stop quickly before it escalated, and may have forgotten to ask about insurance.Board members also asked if Brotherwood has a history of racial complaints against him. Martin said other complaints have been filed, but he didn't know if they were race-based. Martin also said the department wouldn't consider prior complaints when reviewing a new one."What if the common thread isn't a traffic violation, it's people's feeling they've been disrespected because of their race?" board member Bryan Bucher asked."Not if each case is looked and found to have no validity," Martin said. "Police officers have rights just like everyone else. If we did find racial bias, that's not tolerated and would be strongly dealt with."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) Visit The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) at .limaohio.com Distributed by MCT Information Services存倉
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