A Long Island police officer was arrested today on charges that he forced a woman to grope him during a traffic stop in exchange for getting rid of her traffic ticket. Garrett Mannerz pleaded not guilty to bribe receiving, official misconduct and sexual abuse. "This is a shocking case of a policeman abusing his power. This defendant was supposed to serve and protect the people, but chose instead to disgrace himself and the honest, hard-working members of the Nassau County Police Department," said Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice.
Mannerz pulled a car over carrying three women in their early 20s in East Meadow on Feb. 27. After performing sobriety tests on the driver, he ordered one of the passengers out of the car, and then the fun allegedly began: according to court papers, he commented on her attire, asked for her number, and told her if she "did something for him," he would allow them to leave without a summons or criminal charge.
Let's go to the release for the steamy details: "Mannerz then grabbed the woman's wrist and made her touch him sexually. He also arranged to call her to set up a date. Mannerz let the three women drive away. Within two hours, Mannerz began a series of sexually suggestive telephone calls to the passenger he had grabbed."
Mannerz, a six-year-veteran, "was arrested after the victim recorded one of the phone calls and brought it to police." He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. His lawyer called the charges outrageous: "The absurdity of this false claim will become crystal clear as the case against this well-respected officer and family man unfolds." The woman should just be glad he didn't sing any Bon Jovi to her.
