Ragusa
Ragusa was charged by a Tangipahoa Parish sheriff’s deputy on Thursday.
In an interview with the Tangi Digest late Thursday night, Chief of Police Frank Edwards III said:
--his IPD officers were not involved with an arrest of Ragusa Thursday. “It was TPSO.” He did not want an appearance of conflict.
--when his department completes the filing of paperwork with the DA’s office Friday or Monday, “we are done with the investigation, except for our officers testifying if it comes to court.”
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The four-page IPD incident report says:
--“Officer [Jeanine] Cruz signed three probable cause 21st Judicial [District] affidavits against Mike Ragusa for battery on a police officer, public intimidation and resisting an officer, to wit, interfering with an investigation.”
--“The mayor of Independence committed a battery on Officer [Jeanine] Cruz when he slammed the door of the unit into the body of Cruz.”
--“The mayor of Independence threatened to have officer Cruz fired from her job.”
--“Mayor Ragusa carried out his threat of having the officer [Jeanine Cruz] fired from her job by calling the chief, Frank Edwards, within minutes of the confrontation, demanding the officer be fired.”
--“The mayor of Independence cursed at this officer [Cruz] at least a dozen times.”
--“This incident took place after the officers made a legitimate traffic stop on a truck for two violations which took place on a city street in the city limits of Independence.”
--“The mayor of Independence had to be physically restrained by another human being.”
--“After slamming to door of the police unit, the mayor of Independence held the door shut on the officer [Jeanine Cruz] preventing the officer from getting out as he yelled profanities at the officer.”
--“Officer Cruz had to physically kick the door open to free herself.”
--“Mayor Ragusa was not arrested on the scene due to the fact that the white male driver, later learned to be his son, Hunt Ragusa, had physically removed him, the mayor, from the immediate area of the investigation.”
--“Mayor Ragusa had a red polo shirt with the insignia of the Town of Independence clearly visible on the shirt.”
--“Officers [Jeanine] Cruz and [Andreus] Whitehead were in a marked Independence Police Department police unit.
--“Officers Cruz and Whitehead were in full police uniform.”
--“This incident took place after the officers made a legitimate traffic stop on a truck for two violations which took place on a city street in the city limits of Independence.”
***
How the story began:
“On August 6, 2012 at 1330 hours [1:30 p.m.] Officers Cruz and Whitehead of the Independence Police Department were on patrol on West Railroad Avenue in marked police unit 105. As the officers were heading north on Railroad, the officers observed a silver Ford truck turn onto West Railroad, heading north from 5th Street with very dark tinted windows.”
The report continues: “As the officers drove north on Railroad Avenue, the officers began to speed up in an attempt to pull the truck over but the truck somewhat accelerated in speed. As the officers approached Hwy. 40 West and Railroad, the officers’ radar gave a speed of 38 mph in a 25 mph, as the odometer did read the same.”
“At this time Officer Cruz activated the light bar on the vehicle in an attempt to pull the truck over. After activating the light bar, the truck traveled a short distance of about 50 yards and turned into the driveway of the Brunt Construction Company [on US 51] and then pulled over in a parking place, somewhat in the front of the Brunt building,” the IPD incident report said.
“At this time Officer Whitehead exited the police unit from the passenger side and walked up to the truck at the same time that the driver, a white male exited the vehicle and walked to the back of the same. The white male presented Officer Whitehead with his driver’s license and the two stood at the back of the truck talking in a friendly but professional manner.”
“While Officer Cruz was watching Whitehead, Officer Cruz heard a male yelling from the left side of the police unit, “What the hell are you doing, this is private property get out of here.”
“Cruz immediately turned to the left and asked the male subject, “can I help you” as the officer began to open the marked police unit driver’s door to exit.”
“At this time, the white male subject, who was wearing a red polo shirt charged the officer and FORCEFULLY SLAMMED the partially opened door shut with both of his hands, causing the door to strike the officer’s upper left arm,” the IPD report said.
“At this time the officer observed the male to be Mike Ragusa the mayor of Independence. This officer [Jeanine Cruz] began to yell at the mayor, “what is wrong with you mayor?”
“This officer being at a disadvantage of being in the unit, while being aggressively yelled at, attempted to get out of the unit to protect herself and partner. The officer could not get out of the unit because the mayor had both of his hands on the top of the door holding it shut barricading the officer inside.”
“The mayor yelled at the officer, “this is private property get the f*** out of here, don’t ask me if you can help me, you have no business on this property it is private.”
“At this time, while stating loudly, “mayor what is wrong with you,” this officer [Jeanine Cruz] turned her body to the left and with her left foot and right knee the officer was successful in pushing the door open, almost knocking Ragusa to the ground.”
“When the officer [Cruz] exited the marked vehicle unit the mayor began to curse the officer even more, while coming closer to the officer shouting, “Get the f*** out of here this is private property, I cannot even get y’all to do anything at the QuickWay.”
The report continued: “This officer had no idea what the mayor was talking about. The mayor continued to yell at the officer in an aggressive and highly agitated state. Again, this officer kept asking the mayor, “what is wrong with you?”
“At this time the white male driver that was pulled over then ran up between the officer and the mayor grabbing the mayor, physically, and then began to push him away from the officer, as the mayor continued to yell at this officer, “I am calling Frank and you are going to get fired you bitch.”
“Even as the mayor was being forcefully removed by the driver that was pulled over, the mayor continued his rant on the officer. “You are going to get fired. I am calling Frank f*** you get out of here.”
The report continued: “At this time this officer [Jeanine Cruz] turned to Officer Whitehead and stated, “let’s go, let’s get to the station.” As the officers drove to the station, both officers were numb. Both officers were in disbelief as to what had just happened. Upon arrival at the police station, within minutes of this confrontation, the officers approached the chief’s office but found him on the phone and very shortly thereafter the officers could hear the chief telling the mayor, who had already called the chief, that he, the mayor, does not run this police department. Immediately the officers walked away from the office.”
***
Who’s involved:
--Independence Mayor Mike Ragusa. Elected to his second term in March 2012. Inaugurated in July. He cleaned up town operations and some finances in his first term. In August he asked all city departments for about $40,000 each in cuts because of about $400,000 in revenue drop. He has worked at Brunt Construction on US 51 in Independence, where the traffic stop took place Aug. 6.
--Hunt Ragusa. Mayor Ragusa’s son. He was driving a silver Ford truck with dark tinted windows Aug. 6. Officers clocked the truck at 38 mph in a 25 mph zone. “Mayor Ragusa was not arrested on the scene due to the fact that the white male driver, later learned to be his son, Hunt Ragusa, had physically removed him, the mayor, from the immediate area of the officer,” said the IPD incident report.
--Officer Jeanine Cruz, a veteran police officer and member of IPD.
--IPD Officer Andreus Whitehead.
--Independence Police Chief Frank Edwards III. In office two years. Helped get raises for his officers. Established standards for accreditation. Made budget cuts in 2011-2012. Objected to the $40,000 requested by Mayor Ragusa in August-Sept. 2012. “It will take patrol cars and officers off the road,” he told the council and mayor at a recent meeting. His father is former Tangipahoa Sheriff Frank M. Edwards Jr.
--IPD Detective Chris Chappell. He reviewed the incident report. He gave a passionate request that the IPD not be cut in budget at the last council meeting in September.
--Le’Anne Malnar, assistant district attorney in DA Scott Perrilloux’s office and counsel to the town of Independence. She was not at the council meeting Thursday, Sept. 27, the day of the mayor’s charges surfaced.
--DA Scott Perrilloux. He and his staff must consider the charges brought against Mayor Ragusa. Will he handle the case? Or seek an outside prosecutor—from another Louisiana district attorney—to avoid the appearance of conflict?
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