2016-02-19 Police Commission Regular Minutes

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Hawaii Police Commission Regular Session Minutes February 19, 2016 Page 4 Complaint HPC 16-06: Complainant Hope Cermelj alleged that an officer threatened to impound her vehicle for not having the proper license plates. Ms. Cermelj came before the commission and stated that she was pulled over for having sovereignty plates. She wrote the wrong name as the accused on her complaint. The officer's name is Nactor. The officer said he would impound her car because she didn't have proper plates. She is not a U.S. citizen anymore. On her insurance it says she is in the Kingdom of Hawaii. The Kingdom of Hawaii is a neutral country. She did nothing wrong but drive her car on the road. Complaint HPC 16-07: Complainant Mary Alexander alleged that during her arrest, an officer used force on her. Ms. Alexander came before the commission and stated that she was driving from Pahoa to Kona. A Forerunner pulled in front of her in the 55. She could see the farthest vehicle for almost 20 miles. It was a very windy section of road that goes from 55 to 45 to 35. It's a crazy road. She saw this vehicle with many car lengths between them, 10 to 20 to 30. He starts going over on the shoulder. He didn't correct, so she passed. She straddled the center line and didn't have to go into the other lane. As soon as she passed, he was right on her tail with his fist out the window. At one point she saw his whole torso out the window, and he was shaking his fist. It looked like he wanted her to pull over. She drove another two miles and pulled onto the shoulder. She turned off her truck and walked over to him with her hands up. Before she could say anything, she was on the ground. He jumped on her on the asphalt and dragged her. He tried to put cuffs on her. He waited for backup. Her ribs and shoulders were bruised. She has scars on her elbows and knees. New officers came, and she never saw him again. An ambulance came, and they told the officers to take her to the hospital. She doesn't know why the officer did that to her. She may have been swerving into the shoulder lane. She still has pain and nerve issues. Complaint HPC 16-08: Complainant Collin Kerrigan alleged that during his arrest, an officer used excessive force, and that he was not given medical attention in the cellblock. Mr. Kerrigan came before the commission, and stated that when he was arrested, he laid down on the ground and said he surrender. The cops used excessive force when they arrested him, putting their knees in his back. He ended up breaking his ribs. While in lockup at the police station from Wednesday night to Monday morning, he asked three times a day if he could see a medical person because his side was really hurting. He never got any kind of medical attention. He got ignored. He went to court on Monday. He went to the hospital on Wednesday. They told him he had broken ribs. He didn't fall or trip or hurt himself in anyway prior to being arrested. Seeing that Dannette Godines was present at the meeting, Chair Schutte asked her why she was there. Ms. Godines stated that she was there for moral support. She also stated that the commission would be getting a complaint from her for being held at gunpoint during a traffic stop.