Footage Released of Motorist's Arrest in Pr. George's

By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 3, 2009; 6:47 PM

A videotape of an October traffic stop that led to the suspension of two Prince George's County police officers was released to The Post today by the defense team for the motorist who was pulled over, pepper-sprayed after being uncooperative and then charged with assaulting the officers.

The charges against Rafael A. Rodriguez, 30, were dropped Friday after his attorney gave prosecutors a copy of the videotape. The recording was released today by Sharon Weidenfeld, a defense investigator.

In a statement Saturday, Police Chief Roberto L. Hylton announced the suspension of the officers, John Wynkoop and Scott Wilson, pending an internal investigation. Wynkoop and Wilson are suspended with pay.

Hylton said he ordered the investigation as soon as the incident was brought to his attention Friday. Much of the encounter was captured by a video camera mounted in Wynkoop's police cruiser. One of the officers also is heard mocking Rodriguez's Spanish accent.

"This investigation will be conducted thoroughly, yet expeditiously," Hylton said in the statement. "I ask the public to withhold judgment on this incident until the completion of our investigation."

County Council member William A. Campos (D-Hyattsville), whose district includes many Latino residents, said in a statement that he has confidence in Hylton "and his commitment to having the law enforcement personnel act professionally to protect and serve all citizens in the community regardless of their economic status, color of their skin or language they speak."

Wynkoop and Wilson have not returned calls seeking comment.

Richard J. Wolf, a spokesman for the FBI field office near Baltimore, said the bureau is "monitoring" the county police department's investigation. The FBI will take a more active role only if the results of the police investigation do not appear to be "fair," Wolf said.


The traffic stop occurred on Greenbelt Road in College Park shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 19. In sworn charging documents, Wynkoop said he stopped Rodriguez, a permanent legal resident from El Salvador, for having illegal blue-tinted turn signal lights on his car.

Wynkoop accused Rodriguez of punching him in the stomach with a closed fist. He also alleged that Rodriguez assaulted him and Wilson even after Wilson pepper-sprayed him.

The videotape, which was subpoenaed by defense attorney Terrell N. Roberts III, shows Rodriguez questioning the citation, saying another officer had told him his lights were legal.

The tape shows Wynkoop ordering Rodriguez to turn off the car's engine and get out. Rodriguez does not immediately do so, and Wynkoop opens the door and pulls him out. Rodriguez does not appear to punch or attempt to strike either officer on the tape.

Wynkoop slams Rodriguez against the car and handcuffs one of his hands. Suddenly, Wilson pepper-sprays Rodriguez but also hits Wynkoop with the spray, and Wynkoop cries out, "I can't see, dude!"

The three men go out of camera range, then Rodriguez returns and sits down near his car while Wilson stands nearby. Seconds later, Wynkoop returns, grabs Rodriguez by the shoulders and slams him against his car. At that point, Wilson strikes Rodriguez several times in the head with his retractable police baton.

The three men go out of camera range again, and Rodriguez is heard crying, "Don't kill me!"

In the moments before the encounter, Wynkoop and Wilson are audiotaped sitting inside the police cruiser. Wynkoop says that when he worked for Metro Transit Police, the chief sent him to "hug-a-thug" classes. After Rodriguez's car was pulled over, but before the physical altercation, one of the officers -- it is not clear which one -- is heard mocking Rodriguez's Spanish accent.

Roberts, Rodriguez's attorney, said he does not have confidence in the county police department's ability to police itself but said he will allow Rodriguez to meet with internal affairs investigators in his presence.

Link to video http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030303075.html

So wearing a badge means that you have the right to beat someone if they disobey you? The guy resisted arrest but that did not give them the right to beat him and then lie to cover it up. How are we supposed to trust officers when they abuse their power and lie to cover their backs? They should be dismissed as they clearly have no integrity (lying to cover up the incident) and are not looking to protect the public (escalating a situation needlessly, taunting an individual due to their accent and then using excessive force).

 

HAHAHAHAHA

"Help! Help! They are tryin to kill me!"

The dude came out of nowhere tryin to arrest him when his partner was talking to him. In the video, the cop told him to place hands behind his back and he was. Then the cop just snatched his azz up.

Not as funny though when the screaming kept goin.

 

Yikes.

 

Them fools should be suspended without pay

 

thats really ****ed up, those police officers should not only lose their jobs, but go to jail for that. That video clearly shows the dude bein of NO threat what so ever. All this for tinted blue turn signals? doesnt make sense

 

Comes to show people get pulled over for the most retarded things. Blue turn signals... WOW... what a waste of time. Y not go catch REAL bad guys.

 

 

I don't agree with what the cops did (obviously) but anyone who has blue lights on their car is begging to be pulled...

 

Paid vacation FTL

 

lol. POLICIA ES LOCO!

honestly those cops are stupid as **** but why didnt the dude just listen...

PG county cops are SOOO FTL.. but i know a couple Moco cops and honestly, there not that bad.. LOL

 

wtf they are some kind of ******.......

it sounded like the beating hurt too, by the end he was like weeping in pain


like abui said, why not go and try and get some murderer, sexual predator, or thief.

 

Greenbelt/PG County cops are the absolute worst in the nation. I got rearended by two dykes in a pickup truck when I first moved down here in '98 and after the tow trucks came to take both our vehicles away, I asked the officer taking my statement if he could give me a lift home [since it was freezing out and I was miles away from my apartment] at first he said no, then gave me a dirty look and said "Ok, hop in the back and hurry it up."

 

The police chief said he was embarrased at the incident in a news interview. Its more embarrasing that the two ****** had trouble subduing a non threatning individual.

 

True. I was thinking of the same thing when I watched the video.

 

All that ahole had to do was sign the ticket.He didnt deserve to be treated like that at the end but he was just a stupid *** that should have just did what the cops told him to do the first time.That one cop was a total ahole though.

I can kinda understand why the one cop went off the handle though cause of the total douchebags they have to put up with everyday.I have to put up with aholes all the time in my line of business......and yes i go off on customers once in a while.These are the ones who say you just did my brakes and my radio dosent work anymore.....all i say is go take a hike pal.

 

When will they learn...

 

that's so ****ed up, it be so hard to not curse back or something lol id be to ticked

 

What happens if you don't sign the ticket? I never thought about that. Arrest?

 

If it was a Z with blue tinted lights you guy would have wanted the cops to shoot him, admit it.

 

You might wanna rethink tinting your headlights blue ethan.