Complaint #200106783,
September 12, 2001

Summary

On September 12, 2001, at approximately 8:15 p.m., [redacted] was sitting in his living room when he noticed that lights were flashing outside his house. [redacted] lives with several other family members; at the time of this incident, however, [redacted] was alone in his home. Looking out his front door, standing behind his metal screen, [redacted] observed two police officers shining a flashlight into his car. [redacted]'s car was parked directly in front of his house. The police officers were traveling on foot. [redacted] asked the officers, "What seems to be the problem? Why are you looking in my car?” PO Cherry (identified from the name on the summons) approached [redacted] and asked him for his license and registration. [redacted] replied, "No, you can not come to me and ask for my license and registration if I am in my house. What seems to be the problem?" [redacted]'s response apparently upset PO Cherry. PO Cherry turned around and cursed at [redacted] calling him a "black fuck." PO Cherry told [redacted] that he was going to issue [redacted] a summons "whether [he] liked it or not" and subsequently called [redacted] a few more pejorative names that he could not remember. PO Cherry told [redacted] "fuck you" and the tone of the conversation was very loud. The police officer that accompanied PO Cherry did not say anything to [redacted] during the encounter. The second police officer was a black male with short dreads. PO Cherry wrote [redacted] a summons for a cracked windshield while he was outside and left the summons on [redacted]'s car. According to [redacted] his car did not have a cracked windshield and PO Cherry was incorrect in issuing him a summons.
The next morning, on September 13, 2001, [redacted] took his car to the 73rd stationhouse where a sergeant inspected his car and did not find a cracked windshield. The sergeant told [redacted] that he would cancel the summons. Read report for details.