Posted: 7/6/04
Actions of officers draws criticism
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
Caledonia Police Chief Duane St. Mary says he canít blame his officers for doing their job, but wishes they would have handled a recent traffic stop differently.
The two officers, James Logan and Derek Lanning, came under fire at the June 28 meeting of the Caledonia C ity Council. At issue was a traffic stop that the officers made in the early morning hours of June 18. The officers stopped a car that had sped through Caledonia travelling about 73 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone. Passengers in the car were Mitchell and Amanda Stortz, whose 8-year-old son Brady had been air-lifted to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center following a four-wheeler accident near Highlandville. Driving the car was a friend, Janice Thorson, who had been to the scene of the accident and was one of those who tried to assist Brady. The child died while his parents were en route to the hospital.
Joel Thorson addressed the council on behalf of his wife, and asked the council why the officers, who had the ability to assist his wife and Bradyís parents get to the hospital, instead chose to detain them. The ticket was issued at 12:30 a.m.; Brady was pronounced dead at 12:37 a.m.
ìWe donít understand why they were treated that way,î said Joel Thorson. ìThey were covered with dirt and blood from trying to help Brady. It was heartless-I am beyond outraged.î
Bradyís aunt, Michelle Borreson, told the council, ìThereís a time to be forceful and a time to be helpful.î
They said they were told by a Winneshiek County deputy to put their flashers on and that he would call ahead so they wouldnít be stopped.
The council noted that officers both have video cameras mounted in their vehicles and that they would review the tape of the incident at the police station.
Neither officer nor the police chief, Duane St. Mary, were present at the meeting.
City council members and The Argus had the opportunity to view the tape following the meeting.
The tape shows that the traffic stop lasted just under 10 minutes.
In it, Officer Lanning approaches the car and the driver can be heard explaining the situation. The officer asks her several times to ìhold on just two seconds.î The second officer, James Logan, then approaches the car and tells the driver she was clocked at 73 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone, and adds ìYou are going to cause another accident and another family is going to be going to the hospital. ì He adds, ìI know youíre upset, but youíre going to have to go the speed limit.î
Also evident on the tape is that there was some confusion because the license plate and the description of the car did not match what was called in by Winneshiek County.
Throughout the incident, the driver apologized for speeding and asks for the officersí help in getting to the hospital.
On the tape, Officer Logan is heard telling Officer Lanning to write a ticket. Lanning seems reluctant and Logan is heard saying, ìIf you donít want to do it, Iíll do it.î Lanning replies, ìI just want to find out what their story is.î
Lanning returns to his squad car and begins writing the ticket and Logan then asks the driver if she has a cell phone. She replies that she does and he asks if other family members are on the way. She says that they are.
ìPlease call them and tell them not to speed,î Logan says. ìYou canít do anything by driving fast. Weíre going to take a couple more minutes here so I suggest while weíre waiting that you call the others and ask them to slow down.î
Throughout the tape, Thorson and the Stortzes car can be heard pleading with the officers to let them go or to follow them. Logan says, ìIf we tell you to go ahead and drive fast, and someone else gets in an accident, theyíll say the Caledonia Police Department didnít do its job.î
It takes about seven minutes for Lanning to return with the ticket. Logan tells the party in the car, ìI know things are tough right now.î As the officers are wrapping up, people in the car ask them to ìPlease say a prayer for Brady.î
Later, Police Chief St. Mary told The Argus, ìItís a tragic event. Itís every parentsí worst nightmare.î
St. Mary said he discussed the situation with the officers following the incident and told them he was disappointed in how it was handled. He told The Argus that in his mind, there were two acceptable responses in that situation. The first would have been to stop the vehicle and tell the driver to slow down and calm down, and the second, which would have been the best option, would have been for one of the officers to take the parents to the hospital while the other vehicle followed at the speed limit.
ìThey are young officers going by the book, but you donít always have to go by the book,î he said.
The ticket will not be processed, said St. Mary.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com