By Amy Batista, Special Writer
BORDENTOWN CITY — Officials said an officer’s actions were in accordance with standard operating procedure after he physically tried to remove a Pennsylvania man from his car who allegedly refused to leave his car during a traffic stop last week.
”The sergeant followed all protocols on this stop,” said Deputy Mayor James Lynch and director of Public Safety and Affairs in an email Sunday. “An officer doesn’t necessarily have to tell the occupant why they’re being stopped until after he’s identified the person.”
Bordentown City police last week released the police dashcam video recorded by a passenger in the vehicle.
Deputy Mayor Lynch said the man was asked more than 23 times to remove himself from the car and continually refused to turn over necessary documentation.
”Had he complied with the sergeant’s request, this would have been nothing more than a routine traffic stop,” he said.
According to police, the incident occurred at 1:58 p.m. March 11 when Sgt. Vincent Bernotas ran the license plate of Abdoul A. Koita from Upper Darby, who was driving a Mercedes with Washington State tags south on Route 206.
”The vehicle also had a broken taillight,” Bordentown City Police Department Chief Frederic Miller said in a press release issued Friday. “The dealer tags were not on file. The sergeant initiated a motor vehicle stop.”
He said the sergeant approached the vehicle and asked the driver to produce his credentials.
”The driver began to question the stop,” he said. “The sergeant instructed the driver that he would explain the stop after the credentials were produced in accordance with standard operating procedure.”
”You’ve ignored my requests,” Sgt. Bernotas said, according to the dashcam video. “Sir, I am going to asking you to step out of the vehicle.”
”Or what?” Mr. Koita said.
Sgt. Bernotas said, “You are going to be arrested for hindering.”
He told Mr. Koita that he was not providing identification.
Chief Miller said after four requests, the driver was instructed he was going to be arrested for hindering.
”In ordering the driver out of the vehicle, the driver resisted in defiance of the sergeant’s commands,” he said. “The suspect was instructed more than 20 times to exit the vehicle.”
Mr. Koita told Sgt. Bernotas, “Please, don’t pull,” according to the video, as Sgt. Bernotas began pulling on his left arm to try and get him out of the vehicle.
”Somebody call 911, please,” Mr. Koita said.
Mr. Koita said he asked why he was pulled over.
”That’s all I asked you,” he said. “You didn’t tell me.”
During the stop, the sergeant tried to get the driver out of the vehicle after he failed to comply with his specific orders, Chief Miller said.
The chief said the driver continued to resist and refused to comply with the police commands.
In the video, Mr. Koita claimed “police brutality” as Sgt. Bernotas tried to pull him from the car.
”No it’s not,” Sgt. Bernotas said.
Mr. Koita asked for the sergeant’s supervisor to be called.
Another officer from another town showed up to assist Sgt. Bernotas and told Mr. Koita to get out of the car.
The chief said Mr. Koita said he would get out, but after Sgt. Bernotas let go of him, he again refused to get out, and “the sergeant again ordered the driver out of the vehicle approximately seven more times.”
”Additional law enforcement officers from surrounding stations arrived as backup within 2½ minutes,” Chief Miller said. “Upon arrival, the suspect was removed from the vehicle, was placed under arrest and placed in the sergeant’s patrol vehicle.”
He said the other occupants of the vehicle complied with all police directives, presented credentials upon request and were permitted to follow the sergeant to the station to pick up the suspect after he was processed.
In the video, a passenger in the back seat explains to a Bordentown Township Police Department officer that they were coming from a car auction and were heading to Wells Fargo to get money to pay for the car.
”We are a car dealer,” said the front-seat passenger. “They see four black people in the car, and they profile.”
Police responded, “He has every right to take your documentation. If he asked for you documentation, you are supposed to give it to him. That’s why it became an issue.”
He explained the car was stopped because it was not a valid dealer tag and was not supposed to be on the road.
”That’s the issue,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Lynch agreed with Chief Miller.
”It is my opinion as well as Chief Miller’s that Sgt. Bernotas conducted himself in a professional manner during this vehicle stop,” Deputy Mayor Lynch said in an email Sunday. “All this gentleman had to do was comply.”
”By asking to see the sergeant’s supervisor before complying with his request creates suspicion of his motive,” he said.
Chief Miller said Mr. Koita was charged with obstruction and a motor vehicle summons for the license plate issue.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the video clip taken by the passenger of the vehicle and decided not to conduct an independent investigation, police said.
