Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - Police officer pleads not guilty

Police officer pleads not guilty

Apr 17, 2008 - 04:05:58 CDT

GRAND FORKS (AP) - The second of two Grand Forks police officers to be charged with reckless endangerment has pleaded not guilty.

Officers David O'Toole and Eric Straus are accused of forcing 24-year-old Jason Hickman of East Grand Forks, Minn., to stand outside for a prolonged period of time during a February 10 traffic stop. A prosecutor says the wind chill made it feel like 42 degrees below zero at the time.

O'Toole pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge Wednesday. Straus pleaded not guilty on April 2.

Hickman said in court documents that the two officers left him in the cold for more than 20 minutes with no coat or hat after his friend was stopped for speeding, and that he suffered frostbite to his ears.

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Comments

nodakman wrote on Apr 17, 2008 11:21 PM:

" I think any officer worth his salt would be aware of weather conditions that are possibly life threatening. After all the person they forced to stand outside was the passenger in the car not the driver. They wouldn't even be charged if there was a remote possibility they weren't pullling a power play of some sort. "

expositor wrote on Apr 17, 2008 8:37 PM:

" And the moral of the story is: Whenever you are going to break the law during the winter-time this far north, you'd better be wearing your insulated parka, wool cap, and sheepskin mittens. You never know what the weather will be like when an officer asks you to stand outside for a while, especially if he thinks you need a little time to cool off. After all, a little fresh air never hurt anyone. "

hmm wrote on Apr 17, 2008 3:17 PM:

" i don't usually see cops stopping people when the weather is bad. there must have been more going on with this story. "

Sk wrote on Apr 17, 2008 10:26 AM:

" Also, did the guy even have a coat and hat he could have put on? If not that is not the officers fault "

not enough info wrote on Apr 17, 2008 9:31 AM:

" All though this sounds unreasonable, there is not enough information in this article. Ex. why, what were the officers doing at the time.......... "

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