Better not complain in Florida

[Mike]

Florida cops threaten people who ask for complaint forms

A CBS undercover reporting team went into 38 police stations in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Florida, asking for a set of forms they could use to complain about inappropriate police behavior. In all but three of the stations, the police refused to give them forms. Some of the cops threatened them (on hidden camera, no less) -- one of them even touched his gun.

    officer: Where do you live? Where do you live? You have to tell me where you live, what your name is, or anything like that.

    tester: For a complaint? I mean, like, if I have --

    officer: Are you on medications?

    tester: Why would you ask me something like that?

    officer: Because you're not answering any of my questions.

    tester: Am I on medications?

    officer: I asked you. It's a free country. I can ask you that.

    tester: Okay, you're right.

    officer: So you're not going to tell me who you are, you're not going to tell me what the problem is.You're not going to identify yourself.

    tester: All I asked you was, like, how do I contact --

    officer: You said you have a complaint. You say my officers are acting in an inappropriate manner.

    officer: So leave now. Leave now. Leave now.

[Mike]

Here's the link:

[a href="vny!://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_033170755.html"]vny!://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_033170755.html[/a]

[Mike]

(CBS4 News) FT. LAUDERDALE
After CBS4's Mike Kirsch aired a piece where several South Florida police officers were caught on camera intimidating would-be complainants against their police departments, one officer has taken action against the station in court.

SergeantPeter Schumanich, of the Lauderhill Police Department, filed an injunction in a Broward County court to stop the airing of the story where he appears on the air and online.

Schumanich was caught on camera cursing and screaming at a member of a police watchdog group who went to his department asking to file a complaint against an unspecified officer. The officer was caught on camera literally chasing down the man out of the police station and off the block, after he did not act the way Schumanich wanted him to.

Judge Goldstein denied the temporary injunction. Another hearing is scheduled for March 3rd.

[img]vny!://img.viacomlocalnetworks.com/images_sizedimage_053003459/lg" alt="SGT. PETE SCHUMANICH" border="0" height="131" width="175"]A quieter, more civilized, Sergeant Peter Schumanich appeared in Broward County Court Tuesday.[/p]vny!://cbs4.com/local/local_story_053001510.html
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