BERLIN – Ronshell Shockley was sitting on a picnic table in Henry Park, watching her son’s basketball game with her husband and a friend, when she saw a police officer approaching. Judging by his purposeful walk, she figured he was there to arrest someone — until he stopped in front of her.
“I said ‘hi there,’” she recalled this week. “He said ‘you need to sit on the bench the right way.’”
Though surprised by the abrupt admonishment, Shockley told him she didn’t realize she’d been breaking a park rule by sitting on the top of the picnic table. When her husband, Ernest Shockley, questioned the officer’s behavior, she said they were told to leave the park.
“He said ‘leave or you’re going to be arrested,’” Ronshell Shockley said.
That was June 30. Four months and several phone calls later, Shockley received a letter from the Berlin Police Department advising her that a violation of police department policy had occurred and corrective action had been taken.
It’s not quite the resolution she’d been seeking.
“We’re left with all these unanswered questions,” she said. “He was having a bad day and decided to harass someone? We all have bad days. It’s not right for you to take it out on a law abiding citizen.”
When contacted Wednesday, Berlin Mayor Gee Williams said he wasn’t aware of the incident until he saw WBAL share the story on Facebook last week.
“I was surprised and saddened to see the news report on WBAL-TV because that certainly isn’t representative of how we work with our community,” he said. “However, I’m confident the matter has been properly investigated and handled.”
According to Shockley, getting the incident investigated took some effort. While she was upset about being confronted at the park, she was even more upset when she and her husband went immediately to the police department to file a complaint and were told they couldn’t do so because the police chief, Arnold Downing, wasn’t present.
Knowing Downing personally, the Shockleys proceeded to go to his house. Ronshell Shockley said they saw him and spoke to him about the incident, and he advised them to re-visit the police station when he was back in the office.
“For me what added fuel to the fire is I went back a second time and couldn’t file a complaint,” she said, adding that Downing hadn’t been in. “We knew then they were going to give us the runaround.”
She said she was able to formally file a complaint on her third trip to the station.
The police department’s policy on complaints is outlined on its website.
“Most disagreements involving officers can be worked out by discussing the problem with the officer’s supervisor,” the website reads. “If you feel it is necessary to lodge a formal complaint, you may pick up a general complaint form at the front desk at the police department. Once the form is returned, an investigation into the matter will be initiated. … You will be notified of the outcome of the investigation.”
Shockley, who said she and her husband even contacted Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, said an investigation was eventually launched by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. Shockley said she was interviewed, as were witnesses present in Henry Park June 30.
Two months later, Shockley still hadn’t been notified of the results of the investigation. She says she sent letters to Williams and Downing asking about it.
Williams said he was not contacted by her.
“I knew nothing about this incident or the subsequent investigation until the WBAL-TV report was posted on Facebook last week,” he said.
Shockley said she was still in a holding pattern, waiting to hear from someone, when a reporter from WBAL contacted her in early October. She said he’d heard about the incident and wanted to do a story. She says he called the Berlin Police Department to get a comment on Oct. 13, the same day the letter she eventually received from Downing was drafted.
“The Berlin Police Department has taken corrective action with the officer involved and will be reviewing the compliant [sic] process in an effort to improve the manner in which complaints are taken and conducted,” the letter reads.
Shockley said it was that process that really frustrated her. In a small town like Berlin, she believes there’s no reason why citizens shouldn’t be able to easily voice their concerns and have issues addressed.
“I respect good police officers,” she said. “When you have a rogue police officer with attitude it gives the town a bad name.”
Williams said he could say little about the incident. In addition to the protections provided to town employees, police officers are protected by The Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights.
“I know every news outlet works hard to report accurate stories, but there were some details that were not quite right in that news broadcast,” Williams said. “Personnel matters involving town employees are protected by law, therefore, much as l might like to, I’m not able to discuss the situation in detail.”
