Detained, 86’ed from Whole Foods by West Hartford, CT Cops for Filming

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Detained, 86’ed from Whole Foods by West Hartford, CT Cops for Filming

November 19th, 2015

Awake Goy

The video included within this post was submitted by Lisa Michel Williams, via the CopBlock.org Submissions page. Along with the description of the video Lisa states:

“I have way more videos of the West Hartford Police behaving badly. I am in the process of uploading them to my youtube channel. Also, as time is a major factor, I have not yet edited some of the videos. Those that are unedited are almost unbearably long and uneventful. Many apologies for that.”

Date of Incident: October 22, 2015
Officers Involved: Ct. State Trooper Comulda, Officer Robert Hass, Sergeant Daniel Moffo
Department Involved: West Hartford Police Department
Contact Number: (860) 523-5203

On October 22, 2015, upon entering the Whole Foods parking lot, I noticed a state trooper, (Comulda), and tow truck driver attempting to tow an Escalade truck. I pulled out my camera and began to film. The trooper approached and asked for my name. I refused to identify myself.

Shortly after, the Escalade was removed from the tow truck and parked, while I continued filming. Eventually, a local policeman, Officer Robert Hass, arrived on the scene. I assumed that Trooper Comulda had summoned him, but was uncertain whether it was for me or for the truck.

The Escalade was parked, the tow driver left, the trooper left, and yet Hass stayed behind, awaiting back up. Hass’ supervisor, Sergeant Daniel Moffo, arrived and we began to chat, as I continued to film. Hass was sent into the store to ask the store manager, Erin Foley, to have me “trespassed,” so they could identify me.

Now, I’m no stranger to this strategy. I just thought it would not work because I was a regular customer. Also, West Hartford Police have had more than their share of racial profiling in the past, such as the incident when one of their officers racially profiled ESPN’s Doug Glanville in his own driveway. Out of 120 officers, I’ve been informed that there are only four African American officers. However, I digress.

Hass returns and informs me that I’ve been trespassed and I am not to return to that store, ever. That’s right, I was Jim Crowed for filming.

When I reached the store manager, Erin Foley, she told me that the police were concerned because I was filming children, and they had asked me to leave several times. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but it seems that the officers were so interested in learning my identity, they went as far as to label me a “pedophile.”

They are disgusting!

– Lisa Michel Williams