Police shake up daycare workers, kids (Who's at fault - you decide)

KFOR ^

[chance33_98]

OKLAHOMA CITY, January 3, 2002 - They say police from Forest Park came to their daycare trying to serve a warrant -- and left with children and employees in a state of shock and fear.

Angry at what they call “unneccesary force” those workers called our public defenders in to investigate.

Employees of the playtown daycare center say they've never had any trouble. That is until recently. That's when Forest Park police came to serve a traffic warrant for a daycare employee.

Employees say they told police that particular employee wasn't there -- and that's when things escalated out of control.

When Forest Park police showed up at the door of the Playtown Daycare looking to serve an $80 traffic warrant, employees told them the person they were looking for wasn't there.

“They kept getting persistent, they started kicking on the door, bamming on the door and we said ‘We're not going to let you in because we have kids in here,’” said Beverly Gewinn, an employee of the daycare center.

Gewinn says she was hesitant in the first place, because the officers were in plain clothes.

“There's people pretending all the time, knocking on your door, especially a place of business,” she said. “I mean, it's two women and we have about 15 kids, so that's why I didn’t let him in.”

They shuttled the terrified kids downstairs.

“I said, ‘Flo get the kids downstairs, get the kids downstairs,’” she said.

And finally let the officers in.

“They came through here and started searching the facility,” she said. “Again, they never showed any paperwork, they just came in.”

Employees called the owner's son who rushed to the scene.

“I asked what was going on. I was concerned about what was going on at the daycare because my mother and me are the owners here,” said Marshall Cudjo, co-owner of the daycare.

He says officers immediately assumed he was the man they were looking for.

He says they handcuffed him, hit him and threw him to the ground, injuring his shoulder, leg and chest.

“The one that had his foot on top of my head kept asking ‘Is it him?, Is it him,’” Cudjo said. “The other officer pulls out and says, ‘No, this ain’t him, we got the wrong one.’”

The daycare officials are furious. They say they understand police have to do their job but the way they handled it crossed the line.

“They wouldn't have went to La Petite or any of the other big centers,” Cudjo said. “I think its very sad because this is a business place and not only that, there's children.”

Forest Park police refused to comment on camera, saying the chief is the only one who can comment, and he's out of town. They did say they never kicked or banged on any doors. In fact, they say they went, looked around, and politely left.

As for Marshall Cudjo, police say they arrested him for "refusing to comply" and add that no one ever touched him.

[chance33_98]

“They kept getting persistent, they started kicking on the door, bamming on the door and we said ‘We're not going to let you in because we have kids in here,’” said Beverly Gewinn, an employee of the daycare center.

They came through here and started searching the facility,” she said. “Again, they never showed any paperwork, they just came in.”

Hmmmmmm

[ProudGenXLibertarian]

The cops were wrong here, but so were the daycare owners. If the employee really was not there, why not let the cops in to have a quick look see and then split. The sight of police officers walking through the daycare and then out quietly, Im sure would not have traumatized the kids.It seems the daycare owners were trying to start something, and the cops by being stupid and pushy let them.

[BobWNY]

Then you would have no problem having the cops at will stop and search your car or house in case there was anything in there that might be illegal or left there by someone else that was illegal.

[Bahbah]

"'They wouldn't have went to La Petite or any of the other big centers,' Cudjo said." Why does this man bring up La Petite Academie? Does he think he was being picked on for some special reason. Did the person they were looking for work there? Lots of questions here.

[mvpel]

They weren't uniformed. Remember the stories of the home-invasion robbers posing as police officers?

[ProudGenXLibertarian]

No thats different, they had a warrant for an employee who worked at the Center. They did not just randomly pick this daycare center to search. Im a libertarian, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

[Trident/Delta]

This stinks. Unless the CoP (Chief) has his head in his posterior (which is a liklihood) then there is no reason for plainclothes investigators to serve a misdemeanor traffic warrant. Methinks that there is more to this than meets the eye. I am puzzled by the statement about the only one allowed to make a statement is the Chief. All in all, I think that the media has presented an incomplete picture. Before I posture in either direction, a LOT more detail has to be forthcoming.

Semper Curious

[MistrX]

Don't EVER let the cops in for a "look around." If they want to get you they might just "find" a bag of drugs or an unregistered drop-gun. Then you are toast.

[ProudGenXLibertarian]

Ok then, tell them to wait outside and call the PD to confirm who they are. Or better yet make them slide the warrant under the door and show some kind of ID.

[babygene]

What ever the case, the cops would need a warrant to gain entrance to the place. It would be stupid for day care workers to let in an unknown person or persons because they CLAIMED to be poilce. A day care center is not a public place. One can not just walk in off the street.

[ProudGenXLibertarian]

Dude, I think you are just a tad paranoid....

[StriperSniper]

“Again, they never showed any paperwork, they just came in.”

Lots of questions, here is one, did they ask?

[babygene]

Dude, I think you are just a tad stupid....

[arkiegal]

I agree totally with you. Daycare centers cannot let in people in plain clothes who claim to be police. Even parents and friends of parents are asked for identification at reputable preschools and daycare centers prior to being allowed access to children.

[StriperSniper]

just a tad paranoid....

SOP where I come from.

[Osinski]

"ProudGenXLibertarian" Newbie alert. Libertarian? I think not.

[ProudGenXLibertarian]

I'm not stupid, but this notion that most cops go around planting evidence is nonsense. Most cops arent going to show up at your house, if you dont have a record and plant evidence. Its more paperwork for them, and lesser chance of a conviction plus they are risking their pensions if caught.

[babygene]

"I'm not stupid, but this notion that most cops go around planting evidence is nonsense."

Don't you ever watch TV?