Truck Driver Nearly Beaten to Death By Police For Not Signing Traffic Ticket

NBC Bay Area ^ | 5-19-13

[rawhide]

BERKELEY, CA -- A truck driver was beaten within an inch of his life by California Highway Patrol for not signing a traffic ticket that he could not read. The driver, who broke no laws, was beaten so badly that he woke up in a trauma hospital.

Olegs Kozacenko, a local resident originally from Russia, was pulled over and cited by police for allegedly driving too many hours in one day. Kozacenko refused to sign the ticket because he had not or could not read it.

CHP Officers didn't take kindly to the driver's refusal to sign. Two officers, one of them a trained fist-boxer, beat Kozacenko on the side of the highway nearly to death. He suffered a crushed left orbital eye socket, multiple facial fractures, a broken left arm, broken ribs, a concussion, loss of consciousness, and possible neurological damage. His injuries caused a deprivation of oxygen for a prolonged period of time.

Photographs taken of Kozacenko's unconscious body showed that he was in handcuff restraints. A toxicology report showed a 0.00% blood-alcohol content of the driver; perfectly clean.

"The public if they get stopped and simply comply with what they are asked to do, they have nothing to fear, nothing to fear at all," said Acting Chief Ken Hill

[prof.h.mandingo]

It was a long, long time ago but I was a state trooper. These guys don't even belong on a village police force much less the state. It was a different world back then. We had some pricks but we “policed” our own to a large degree. I see the “robocops” that are now in every department. It is disgusting. My only relief is our local, rural sheriff's people are pretty laid back. One night I was doing 60 in a 35 (country back road), I just got a warning to slow it down some. Yeah I was going way too fast but the warning was enough for me. We used to use common sense. That is gone now.

[BenLurkin]

Good question!

[riverrunner]

Depends on what the driver is doing and if they keep true and accurate time records. There are reasons a 100 air mile driver might have to have a log book for a single day.

[ken5050]

Thanks..

One follow up...isn't a signature on a ticket NOT an admission of guilt, merely an acceptance of the ticket, and a promise to appear?

[Travis T. OJustice]

Typical. Most cops are pure scumbags.

[Jed Eckert]

Gosh,where are all the bootlickers?

It's still early.

BTW, I've noticed in the past few years more and more cops everywhere going with the shaved head look. Whats up with that? Fashion statement? Trying to get around testing hair for drug or steroid use? Anybody know?

(Notable exception: I was in Miami 2 years ago and all the cops I spoke with had normal, neat haircuts. They were also all Latino FWIW.)

[autumnraine]

If the driver didn’t have log books, they wouldn’t have known that he drove too many hours, which is what the ticket was for.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Here in Maine, when I watch the local news, they frequently have stories about car accidents or drug busts. I’ve noticed a number of the young cops at these accident and/or crime scenes have shaved heads.

[CodeToad]

That cop deserves a beatdown.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

Still, nearly two years later neither the CHP nor the state Attorney General’s office will confirm whether or not the officers involved were ever disciplined for their actions, citing the law officer’s bill of rights.

It’s been six months now, and I’m wondering if anyone ever heard what happened to the 9 cops involved in shooting at Margie Carranza and David Perdue during the Chris Dorner chase. You may remember that they were the folks of the wrong race, wrong gender and in the wrong type of vehicle who were shot and (and hit in Carranza’s case) while the cops scrambled to catch Dorner.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

But according to the CHP there is no dash cam video of the actual incident. In response to a public records request the CHP says Murrill and Sherman didn’t have cameras in either of their patrol SUV’s. The CHP also said that computer aided dispatch logs of radio conversations from the incident weren’t found because of “system malfunctioning for this time period.”

I reported a local deputy for aggressive driving recently. The Sgt I talked to said that the car number I gave them wasn't checked out that day and that the GPS tracking log was missing.

I told him that he has too many patrol cars then. That pissed him off real good.

[citizen]

Acting Chief Ken Hill: “If your papers are in order, you have nothing to fear.”

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

[OneWingedShark]

One follow up...isn't a signature on a ticket NOT an admission of guilt, merely an acceptance of the ticket, and a promise to appear?

So, what if you do not want to accept the ticket or promise to appear in court?

[OneWingedShark]

Gee, that bill of rights must trump the US Constitution's amendments 1-10! I think the OFFICER'S bill of rights include Article 3, "Citizen's who show disrespect or disobey an officer are scheduled for road side beat downs. All they have to do to avoid such correction (as deemed necessary by the officer) is fully comply. If there is a question of whether the officer is wrong, refer to Article 1."

Article 1. "An officer is never wrong. If you don't agree, he will beat you to an inch of your life."

Stories like this [and the attitude to which you refer] are why I made this brochure:
Stop, Drop, and Cower
[Direct Link]

[OneWingedShark]

In new America, you serve and protect the police.

Indeed comrade, that is why I made this brochure:
Stop, Drop, and Cower
[Direct Link]

[ken5050]

I think that's a state by state law. I think in many states you can be arrested if you refuse to sign the ticket.

The classic story is that of the outraged motorist who signed the ticket, then crumpled it and through it on the ground. The cop then smiled, and wrote him a ticket for littering. The driver then stormed away, at which time the cop wrote ANOTHER ticket for abandoning the vehicle in an unsafe manner.

[South Dakota]

Yes I read that but a comment was made about log books and as a local driver I am not required too fill one out.

What I do fill out is a check list detailing the condition of my truck and when D.O.T . stops me I make sure it’s hidden so they cannot tell how many hours/ days I have been in service.

The driver must not have been running multiple log books

[Alas Babylon!]

Your link takes me to a Google page that says:

“This content cannot be displayed in a frame

To help protect the security of information you enter into this website, the publisher of this content does not allow it to be displayed in a frame.

What you can try:

Open this content in a new window”

When I try to open the content in a new window, it wants me to log into gmail. I’d rather not do so.

[OneWingedShark]

That’s odd. It’s supposed to allow viewing to anyone w/ the URL.
Pop me your email via FRmail and I can send you a copy.