BY KIMBALL PERRY
Cincinnati Enquirer
CINCINNATI, Ohio — Rert Obrecht complained that Cincinnati police Officers Toni Lutz and Robin Elliott slammed his head into their police cruiser while arresting him.
Timothy Morsch said Officers Eric Priestle and Kenneth Vanderpool kicked him and shoved his head into the plexi-glass divider of their cruiser while arresting him.
Bruce Stallworth complained that Officer Kevin Newman punched him in the ribs while being hauled to jail.
None of those allegations were true – and police have proof.
Mobile video cameras in the police cruisers in each case proved the allegations were lies unsubstantiated and the images were used as evidence.
In each case, police used the videos from the cruiser cams to press criminal charges and win convictions against the three men. Each served jail time for making false reports.
“They helped me,” Newman said of the cruiser cams.
Newman, nicknamed “Big Hugs,” was patrolling the 4400 block of Hamilton Avenue in Northside at 4:14 p.m. July 23 when he stopped the car Stallworth was driving for improper license plates.
With Newman was Ryan Lieberman, a University of Cincinnati student, for a “ride-along” with police.
Stallworth, Newman said, was immediately belligerent.
Despite only being cited for traffic violations, Stallworth remained antagonistic, balled up his fists and posed in a fighting stance, Newman said.
Stallworth was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct, and placed in Newman’s cruiser to be taken to jail.
During the ride, Stallworth began moaning and complaining about his ribs hurting.
But Stallworth couldn’t decide how he hurt his ribs, telling Newman three different stories.
When they got to the jail, Stallworth complained Newman had punched him in the ribs.
Luckily for Newman, when he first got in the cruiser to take Stallworth to the jail, he turned his in-cruiser camera backward to tape Stallworth in the back seat.
“My camera was on the whole time,” Newman said.
A police investigation, using the camera footage as evidence, agreed and exonerated Newman.
“Obviously, I didn’t hit him at all,” Newman said.
After the investigation, police used the same camera footage to press charges against Stallworth. He was convicted of making false allegations of a peace officer and sentenced to 180 days in jail.
Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Melissa Powers also ordered Stallworth to write Newman a letter of apology, pay for the cost of the investigation caused by his allegations and speak to high school students about police and community relations.
Cincinnati police procedure requires officers to turn the camera backward when taking prisoners to jail.
Some, like Newman, go even further.
“I don’t care if it’s the Pope (in the backseat). I always keep it on,” Newman said.
Cincinnati police administration wouldn’t be interviewed for this story and didn’t cooperate with requests to take photos of the mobile video recorders.
Kathy Harrell, president of the Fraternal Order of Police union that represents Cincinnati police, called the cameras helpful.
In addition to these three cases, cruiser cameras have exonerated officers accused of sexual misconduct by suspects they arrested.
“When cameras first came about, a lot of the officers didn’t want it,” Harrell said. “Now, we’ve found that it’s been more of a help than a hindrance.”
Copyright 2007 Cincinnati Enquirer