More 'police' conduct at the mall: Security guard arrested for concocting story to arrest customer

[Bunny]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10346/1110287-100.stm?cmpid=news.xml

Security guard arrested for concocting story to arrest mall customer

<snip>Security guard Gregory Lattera intially told police he arrested customer John Kaminski in the parking lot of the Ross Toys R' Us last month because Mr. Kaminski had run him down with his Jeep. He has since admitted he was just "tired, cold and sore" when he decided to concoct the story and target Mr. Kaminski, who was roughed up by Mr. Laterra and then Tased by a Ross police officer in front of his wife and child before being taken into police custody.

At around 2.45 p.m., Mr. Kaminski was driving his red Jeep SUV through the intersection of Old McKnight Road and Cheryl Drive, where Mr. Laterra was directing traffic, when Mr. Laterra smacked the back window of the car. At that point, Mr. Laterra reported to police that he had been run down by Mr. Kaminski and that he was going to locate him in the parking lot.

He stormed through the lot, found Mr. Kaminski and told him he was under arrest. When Mr. Kaminski's wife Kellie asked what was going on, Mr. Lattera responded that her husband had just assaulted a police officer. He then put Mr. Kaminski in a headlock, slammed him against his car and demanded that he lie down on the ground. Mr. Kaminski yelled that he couldn't because he was pinned against the car, witnesses told police. He then threw Mr. Kaminski to the ground, holding him down with his knee, while a Ross police officer who had arrived as back up Tased Mr. Kaminski. He was handcuffed and taken to the Ross police station.

Mr. Lattera's version of events unraveled after he gave his statement to police, because the Kaminskis and multiple witnesses contradicted his story that he had been hit by their Jeep. He conceded, admitting he fabricated the story because he was exhausted and upset from directing traffic for nearly six hours. <snip>

I added the emphasis. A completely innocent guy can be traveling to the mall with his family, and some jackass rentacop decides to take out his frustration by throwing the guy down and having him tased, handcuffed and hauled off to jail, all because the rentacop was tired and cranky??? WTF?

[oneshooter]

1. I forsee jail time, and a BIG civil suit against Lattera and the Mall.$$$ n/t

[MindPilot]

2. On the plus side, John Kaminski will never have to work again.

The comapny than manages the mall will likely be writing a Mr Kaminski a nice fat check.

[Ilsa]

5. I would imagine that even if the check is Big, it won't be

enough to set him up for life. Not with a family to raise.

[MindPilot]

8. We really do need a hyperbole font....

So, yeah, you're probably right, but it will be a good start. Especially if Kaminski can incite other mall cops to make false accusations of vehicular assault.

[Ilsa]

20. Thanks for clarifying.yes, a hyperbole font would be great! nt

[DemReadingDU]

13. and a percentage goes to the attorney

perhaps 30% for lawyer fees

[lunatica]

3. Rent a Cop or not this man is just another bully.

[Ilsa]

4. I keep thinking someone in power wants this:

For middle-class persons to be fighting amongst themselves taking their frustrations out on each other. I abhor what the rent-a-cop did, but I'm considering putting him, probably overworked, in the same category as a desperate thief.

[Hannah Bell]

17. me too.

[Me.]

6. Since When Do Security Guards Get To Arrest People?

[Bunny]

9. The rentacop called for backup, the local township police responded, and *they* tased and arrested

the guy.

[Me.]

12. Thanks

[bullwinkle428]

7. Sounds like you can also throw an "impersonating a police officer"

charge at the security guard in there as well - "You just assaulted a police officer!"

[Bunny]

11. They did:

"He is charged with making false reports to law enforcement, impersonating a public servant, unlawful restraint, harassment, false impisonment and simple assault."

[Kalyke]

10. First, is he a police officer or a rent-a-cop?

Police officers are better trained.

Secondly, why was he not relieved from directing traffic outside, in the elements, after about three or four hours? The poor treatment of workers in this country is sad. I'd be cranky, too, to be honest. Surely, the mall has more than one security guard and those guards can work in a rotating shift.

[MattSh]

15. How true...

And what is a security guard doing directing traffic on a public street? Is this standard procedure?

[TorchTheWitch]

18. It wouldn't have been a public street

It would have been a street within the mall parking lot on mall property. You do realize that private lots can be so vast that they require streets that even have names and stop signs or even traffic lights?

[xfundy]

14. Situational authority.

how much you wanna bet this cop wannabe is a True Christian™ repugbagger?

The buybull even mentions these assholes; "they profess to be wise, yet are fools," or somesuch stuff. Even a broken clock, etc.

[Downtown Hound]

16. Just goes to show you how just a little bit of power can really go to someone's head

You got to really wonder how he thought he would get away with it. The story said there were multiple witnesses to the whole thing that contradicted the rent a pig's story. So the sheer fact that this goober thought he could concoct a story like that in broad daylight with numerous people watching shows that he really wasn't living in reality. Probably overworked, stressed, under paid, not too bright...give an individual like that a little power, and this is what can happen.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. O.M.G.

[lpbk2713]

21. The article doesn't say how old the Kaminski's child is.

But if happened to me I'd see to it that damages included counseling for the child
having seen his/her father roughed up like that, particularly for no good reason.

[Heywood J]

22. In addition to the existing charges, bring on the civil rights violation charges.

Against both the rent-a-cop and the Tazer-happy asshole. He should be getting three checks - from the mall, the rent-a-cop, and the local force.