It’s always sad when rogue policemen violate their responsibility to “protect and serve” and, instead, use their authority to exploit or violate the rights of vulnerable citizens.
That appears to have happened, recently, when two East St. Louis officers were fired over allegedly forcing a woman to perform sex acts after a routine traffic stop.
The officers, Ramone Carpenter and Christopher Parks (first cousin of Mayor Alvin Parks), had been recommended for 30-day suspensions for department policy violations by ESL Police Chief Michael Floore, with the criminal investigation referred to the Illinois State Police, the state’s attorney and the FBI.
During a hearing before the East St. Louis Police and Fire Board, the unnamed victim told Chairman Verge Riley and board members Rev. Johnny Scott, Levoy Perry, Larry Hampton and Jesse Davis that the officers stopped her and found an open container of alcohol.
Instead of doing a sobriety test, checking the woman’s license, insurance or ticketing and arresting her, they escorted her to her residence only to find that her children ages one, eight, nine and 10 were home alone.
At that point, between 2:30-3:00 a.m., the woman testified that Officer Carpenter told her to come with him, again abandoning her children.
Officer Carpenter then, allegedly, drove the woman to Jones Park, with Officer Parks following him.
There, according to testimony, the officers forced the woman to perform sex acts.
Parks allegedly asked if Carpenter was OK, then left the scene.
The officers also testified before the board, who voted 4-1 to terminate them, and rightfully so.
First of all, these cops had options. If the woman had an open container of booze in her car, then she should have been given a sobriety test and dealt with accordingly. Once they found her children abandoned, especially at 2:30 a.m., the proper authorities should have been notified.
But they blew it, turning it into an ugly situation which will, undoubtedly, get uglier with potential lawsuits, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.
And it begs the question: who can you trust, if not the police?
Don’t get me wrong. There are many dedicated, hard-working “good cops” in ESL. I know them well.
However, this type of story not only erodes the morale of an already understaffed police department, but creates doubt in the minds of citizens who are disgusted with the endless negative news accounts and misdeeds of those whom they should be able to trust with their very lives.
If you like my column, then you will love my radio show on WGNU-920am every Sunday from 4-5 pm and repeated Tuesday from 5-6pm. Please tune-in and call-in. I love to hear from my St. Louis American readers.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
