Criminal complaint against MPD officers details illegal body cavity searches
MILWAUKEE -- A 12-page criminal complaint details crimes four Milwaukee police officers are accused of committing. The officers were charged Tuesday, October 9th for criminal misconduct related to illegal strip searches of individuals in the community. Victims have filed notices claiming they were illegally searched.
34-year-old Officer Michael Vagnini faces 25 counts of violating the strip search law, misconduct in public office and second-degree sexual assault. If convicted of these crimes, Vagnini faces up to 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
41-year-old Officer Jeffrey Dollhopf faces two counts of violating the strip search law and two counts of misconduct in public office.
Officers Brian Kozelek, 33 and Jacob Knight, 31 each face one count of violating the strip search law and one count of misconduct in public office.
CLICK HERE to read the entire criminal complaint. WARNING: the content described in the complaint is graphic and not suitable for all readers.
The criminal complaint in the case details incidents spanning from February of 2010 to February of 2012.
The criminal complaint singles out Vagnini as the ring leader. The events witnessed in the criminal complaint allege Vagnini took part in illegal body cavity searches.
According to a witness, Vagnini placed his bare hand inside a man's pants and underwear in late 2010. The witness alleges Vagnini touched the man's genitals all in the name of finding drugs.
The complaint also says after a traffic stop on July 7th, 2011, Vagnini arrested a man, and took him to a small room inside District 5's police garage. The man alleges he was given a body cavity search with no gloves. The criminal complaint indicates Vagnini found no drugs, and became frustrated, so he threw a brown box into the room and told the man to "(expletive) in that" before Vagnini would let him go -- implying Vagnini believed the man had drugs on him. These events allegedly took place with other officers in the room.
In early 2012, Vagnini stopped a man outside his aunt's house. Vagnini allegedly rushed his hands down the man's pants, and inserted his finger intothe man's anus. After the man pulled away from the illegal search, Vagnini allegedly put the man in a choke hold while yelling "stop resisting." The complaint states two other officers were hanging onto the man's arms.
None of the incidents detailed in the criminal complaint show Vagnini went through proper procedures to legally conduct body cavity searches.
The four officers charged made initial court appearances Tuesday afternoon. They were charged following a seven-month investigation initiated by MPD Internal Affairs.
CLICK HERE to read the entire criminal complaint. WARNING: the content described in the complaint is graphic and not suitable for all readers.