A screenshot from the body camera footage of Naugatuck, Conn., Police Sgt. Michael Wawrzyniak as he hears from Officer Ian Kosky (right) about a traffic stop on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.NAUGATUCK — A sergeant at the scene of a Monday traffic stop that has become the subject of an internal probe said the man and the officer involved could have handled the situation better, according to body camera footage.
Police on Wednesday released body camera footage of the aftermath, as well as surveillance footage of the incident, which involved Officer Ian Kosky, a 14-year veteran with the department, and an unidentified man.
A video circulated on social media earlier this week, showing Kosky appearing to grab the man’s arm and move him against the car, briefly holding him there before letting go. The video was posted by a Facebook user who claimed to be the man in the video and included a description of what he said happened.
Ian Kosky, a 14-year veteran of the force, served his suspension Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 and was ordered to attend de-escalation training after an internal investigation found he violated the Naugatuck Police Department's code of conduct during the incident.
The internal investigation was launched after a video began circulating on social media that depicted a traffic stop involving Kosky. Police determined the footage stemmed from a traffic stop that occurred around 9 a.m. on Sept. 21 at a road construction site on Rubber Avenue.
“I think this whole thing got off on the wrong foot right off the bat and it just escalated from there and it got ugly,” Sgt. Michael Wawrzyniak said to the man in the aftermath of the incident, according to the sergeant’s body camera footage.
Police said the man filed a citizen complaint over the incident. Chief Steven Hunt ordered an internal investigation of the incident, which police said is in its early stages.
In the body camera footage, the man told other officers he went around the way he “always” did to get into the parking lot to avoid a construction zone. According to the footage, the man said officers had always let him through that way until Monday when Kosky came “screaming” at him.
The man claims Kosky grabbed him, slammed him against his car and pulled on his arm, despite telling the officer about a prior shoulder injury, according to the video.
“You’re p***** ‘cause a police officer is yelling at you for driving the wrong way on a construction zone?” Wawrzyniak replied. “You shouldn’t be p*****. You broke the law. So don’t say ‘well I’m mad at him because he yelled at me.’ You deserved it. You drove the wrong way on a construction site.”
As the man talked to other officers about what happened, Kosky occasionally chimed in to provide his side of what happened.
“You drove on the wrong side of the road to bypass me,” Kosky says at one point. “That’s disregarding an officer’s signal, driving on the wrong side of the road and it’s gonna be reckless driving if you keep running your mouth.”
Kosky eventually issues the man a summons for driving in the wrong lane, disregarding an officer’s signal and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
“Listen, you gotta understand something: the construction around here changes every day,” Wawrzyniak told the man. “What may have worked one day doesn’t work another day and yelling and screaming about it is not the way to go about handling it.”
An interfering charge was discussed, because the officer said the man did not provide his identification when asked.
The man claimed he didn’t give his identification to Kosky right away because he wanted to deal with another officer because of how his interaction was going with him.
When the sergeant questioned Kosky on whether he was going to add the interfering charge, Kosky says, “I’m good if you’re good.” They agreed not to, with the sergeant explaining it to the man afterward.
“It sounds like both of you could’ve handled it differently,” Wawrzyniak said, adding that he would talk to Kosky about it afterward.
When the man questioned why it had to get physical, Wawrzyniak highlighted Kosky’s claim that he didn’t cooperate or provide his identification when asked.
“You also have to understand what officers are going through, especially in these times,” the sergeant says. “Guys are getting ambushed; guys are getting run over. You know?”
This is a Prime Example why you should alway's record the police
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
Delete"Guys (COPS) are getting ambushed..."
ReplyDelete1) No wonder. This is why
2) Not by drivers out of their cars, being active confronted. COPS are getting ambushed from cover, or unexpectedly. Not by guys right in front of them.
That was a whole lot of Cop-splaining! And its sickening how the cops always back their boys in blue! Disregarding the citizen! That blue line is a dividing factor in our country today. It should be abolished, along with that whole 'ass-on-head' syndrome some cops carry daily. We need cops to serve, and protect us, not abuse, and harass us. Pray that our people can unite! That we can respect one another. Especially those of us that carry any sort of authority. Peace, and thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete