Tonight on 13WHAM News at 11:00 you’ll hear from Locust Club Union President Mike Mazzeo, who speaks out on behalf of Officers Ryan Hartley and Rob Osipovitch.
Rochester, N.Y. --- Two Rochester Police Officers accused of lying in police reports are named in a lawsuit that also includes the RPD and the City of Rochester. Now 13WHAM News has obtained an email from Monroe County Public Defender Tim Donaher that specifically names those officers, and expresses his concerns to the City’s Law Department.
The case deals with a July 2011 drug investigation and car stop where Officers Ryan Hartley and Rob Osipovitch stated in police reports (attached) that defendant Jeramie Barideaux rolled through a stop sign. That initiated a traffic stop and Officers Hartley and Osipovitch recovered drugs and a handgun during a search of Barideaux’s vehicle.
Video from a traffic camera disputed Hartley and Osipovitch’s contention that the vehicle “rolled” through the stop sign and NY State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Doyle dismissed all charges and released Barideaux from jail.
On December 19, 2011, the day the charges against Barideaux were dropped, Public Defender Tim Donaher emailed the City of Rochester’s law department.
He states at one point, “I believe that there is reasonable cause to believe that the officers (RPD Ofc. Osipovitch and Ofc. Hartley) falsified their police reports and maybe perjured themselves at GJ.” (GJ = Grand Jury)
Donaher goes on to write, “I do not make these accusations lightly, but given the video evidence I cannot reconcile what is contained in the police reports with what the video evidence shows. Either two officers falsely claimed to see something they did not see (and relied instead upon the false report of another officer), or all three officers lied in their reports as to what actually occurred.”
The email (attached) was provided to 13WHAM News by lawyer John Parrinello, who is now representing Barideaux on the civil action against Hartley, Osipovitch, the RPD, and the City. 13WHAM News was able to independently authenticate the email provided.
Monroe County Public Defender Tim Donaher refused to comment for this report.
Mayor Richards Weighs In
On Monday 13WHAM News reported that Officer Hartley’s testimony and involvement in a “warrantless” and “unconstitutional” search of a man’s Roxborough Road home came under scrutiny in a decision by Monroe County Court Judge Doug Randall. Drugs and cash were found in that home (- click here for more details on that report and case.)
