Liberty Fight – by Martin Hill
A police officer in Barstow California who was caught on video attacking a pregnant black woman has now reportedly begun stalking the victim, driving by her house and waving at the woman when she is on her front porch with her kids.
In the original incident, Charlena Michelle Cooks had dropped her daughter off at school when police approached her and demanded her ID. Since she had committed no crime and there was no probable cause, Cooks knew she was not required to show ID and refused, at which time the officer launched his viscious assault, which went viral as soon as the video was released. (The video is below.)
Attorney Caree Harper, who represents Cooks, is herself a decorated police officer and issued a statement about the harassment. Harper has also amended the civil rights lawsuit to include intimidation fromOfficer Ronan Colleoc, (who also goes by the nickname “Frenchie”, as pointed out in the lawsuit.)
A 2006 newspaper article about Colleoc states that he was born in New York, raised in France then came back to the states, served in the military and became a police officer in Barstow, where “He considered it a way to follow God’s will”.
Here is his LinkedIn page. He also served as a Barstow school resources officer giving tickets to little kids. Here is a Photo of him and the accompanying article about him.
You may remember Attorney Caree Harper from a previous high-profile case last year, when she represented the Marlene Mardella Pinnock, a 51 year old black grandmother who was beaten nearly half to death on the side of a Los Angeles freeway last year by crazed CHP officer Daniel L. Andrew. That case was settled without going to trial. In that case also, CHP officer Sean K. Taketa intimdated and harrassed motorist David Diaz, the music producer from Los Angeles man who had recorded the “excessive and brutal” attack from his car with his cellphone.
On June 12, Harper posted on Twitter: @AttyCareeHarper Jun 12 After filing lawsuit #CharlenaMichelleCooks is now subjected to harassment & intimidation from Officer COLLEOC -lawsuit will be amended.”
https://twitter.com/AttyCareeHarper/status/609542679160983553
https://twitter.com/AttyCareeHarper/status/609446930901393408
https://twitter.com/AttyCareeHarper/status/609239242166788096
https://twitter.com/AttyCareeHarper/status/609176183024975872
https://twitter.com/AttyCareeHarper/status/609041315100147712
https://twitter.com/AttyCareeHarper/status/608290299413032961
The Defendants in the civil rights lawsuit include ‘OFFICER RONAN COLLEOC (aka “Frenchie”), a Caucasian male, and at all relevant times was a sworn police officer with the Barstow Police Department in the County of San Bernardino in the State of California.. Defendant OFFICER J. SILVA, POLICE CHIEF ALBERT RAMIREZ, and the CITY OF BARSTOW.
The Barstow, CA Police Department website states, in part, “The Barstow Police Department services 40 square miles with a city population of 23,000. Interstates 15, 40, State Route 58 and Historic Route 66 run through our city. Because of our location and surrounding communities, the Barstow Police Department services approximately 60,000 people with a sworn force of 40 officers. Our officers are well trained and experienced in handling most of their investigations from the initial report to successful prosecution. In major investigations, we rely on highly trained detectives who have proven their abilities time and time again.” They can be reached at their business office, (760) 255-5111. or Andrew Espinoza, Jr. Detective Sergeant at (760) 255-5181. Espinoza’s “Division also has the responsibility of conducting follow-up investigations on all felonies crimes and criminal investigations where potential leads or suspects may develop.” The Police Department Annex is located at 500 Melissa Ave., Barstow, CA 92311.
The Desert Dispatch reported: “The Barstow woman who filed a lawsuit against the Barstow Police Department earlier this week claims an officer drove by her home Friday morning and waved at her as she sat on her front porch. According to Caree Harper, attorney for Charlena Michelle Cooks, the lawsuit that she filed Thursday will be amended with an action for retaliation. Cooks claims one of the officers named in the lawsuit drove by her home at approximately 11:34 a.m. Friday and waved at her. “I just want this to stop,” Cooks said. “Please, just leave me alone. This situation really affects me personally. I have three kids, my job is in Barstow, my life is here. Now I’m unable to come outside my home without fear.” Lt. Mike Hunter said the Police Department was unaware of any such incident. He declined comment on the allegation. Harper told the Desert Dispatch the officer drove by Cooks’ home as a means of striking fear in her client. “It’s concerning that the officer felt bold enough to drive by (Cooks’) house because it sends a bad message,” Harper said. “it was really such a sarcastic gesture.” Cooks said the officer’s actions made her feel uncomfortable. “It’s like he is letting me know ‘I see you and I know where you’re at,'” Cooks said. “I have seen him drive by my home several times but this is the first time he got my attention.”
LibertyFight.com notes: I have quite a bit of experience in this matter of demands of compulsory ID by rogue police. In 2010, two Texas troopers demanded my ID with no probable cause, and threatened to arrest me if I did not comply- identical to this Michelle Cooks case. As I document on my website DontWakeMeUp.org, I recorded both officers and then filed state and federal civil rights complaints. The Texas Department of Public Safety admitted wrongdoing in writing on behalf of the two officers only one month after an internal affairs complaint was filed against the officers in November 2010. Theadmission letter, dated December 20, 2010 and signed by Captain Kenneth Plunk of the Waco Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, stated that “corrective action was needed” against both officers and that “additional training has been taken.” I then filed a 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit against the scum, for damages, permanent injunction, and t o dissuade them from continuing this blatantly illegal practice. One of the internal police department documents which they were forced to release as a result of my lawsuit in initial disclosures revealed that the Texas Troopers officially admitted that “The passenger is under no obligation to comply with request” for ID. This issue is not complicated and the matter of compulsory ID has been to the U.S. Supreme Court countless times, most notably Brown V. Texas. The only police who demand ID without cause are rogue lawless criminals. They should be imprisoned.
Here is a photo of Charlena Michelle Cooks with her baby and a copy of the lawsuit against the Barstow, Calif. Police officers. Thank God the baby survived, and good job to Caree Harper for fighting for what’s right.
http://libertyfight.com/2015/creepy_cop_who_attacked_black_pregnant_woman_stalking_her.html