Frostburg State University Cop Asks Detained Woman How to Unload Weapon; Points Gun at Cars

November 25, 2016November 25, 2016 Kelly W. Patterson 1768 Views 4th amendment, Accountability, Civil rights, copblock, Copblock submissions, copblock.org, double-standards, Filming police, fourth amendment, Frostburg State University, Frostburg State University Police Department, FSU, Harassment, illegal detention, Illegal search/entry, kelly patterson, Maryland, md, no victim no crime, Officer Pirolozzi, police, Police State, reasonable cause, rights, Traffic stop, unlawful arrest, video, weapon in a vehicle

The following videos and description were shared with the CopBlock Network by Stephanie Sledge, via the CopBlock.org Submissions Page. The video shows a traffic stop by a pair of police officers working for Frostburg State University in Maryland, in which a female driver was arrested for having a firearm in her purse. According to Stephanie, the gun was found during an illegal search. After the weapon was found, as is described below and pretty visible in the video, the officer trying to clear the weapon seems to not know very well how to handle a firearm, something that you would thing would be fairly integral to his job.

Date of Incident: June 1, 2016
Officer Involved: Officer Pirolozzi
Department Involved: Frostburg State University Police
Email Address: police@frostburg.edu
Phone Number: (301) 687-4223

If you have a video, personal story involving police misconduct and/or abuse, or commentary about a law enforcement related news story, we would be happy to have you submit it. You can find some advice on how to get your submission published on the CopBlock Network within this post.

Click the banner to submit content to CopBlock.org

Frostburg State University cops pulled over a woman for accidentally turning the wrong way down a one way street. She was pulled over by two officers surrounding her car. She was given her citations and told she was free to go.

Officer Pirolozzi then changed his mind and asked the woman if he could search her car. She told him she does not give him consent and reminded the officer he had told her she was free to go.

The officer then asked her to get out of the car, detained her, and illegally searched her car anyway. A hand gun was found in her purse. The officer then had to ask the woman how to unload the weapon after illegally searching her vehicle.

He wore an “expert marksman” patch on his uniform. The officer also pointed the loaded weapon in a public street as cars were passing by. The other officer had to inform him cars were coming.

They charged her with having a “Weapon in a Vehicle.” She took the case to trial and was found not guilty because her Fourth Amendment rights against being searched without reasonable cause had been violated.

– Stephanie Sledge