COOPER CITY, Fla. (WSVN) — A traffic stop turned into a hostile interaction after Cooper City Mayor Greg Ross allegedly used his political prowess to interfere with officers.
The incident occurred in late July when a Pembroke Pines police officer pulled over a driver for a window tint violation. According to multiple officers at the scene, Ross arrived at the scene and began questioning the actions of the officers and demanded to ask who was in charge.
"Ultimately, there were three to four Pembroke Pines officers on the scene, and the reason is we got some critical information that warned us of an extensive criminal history for all three parties," said Pembroke Pines Police Officer Adam Feiner.
Feiner said shortly after getting the OK from the driver for the dog to sniff the car, a man walked across the street, and according to what officers wrote in their reports: "[Ross] became hostile and confrontational." Advised he was an attorney, Feiner then told the officers he was also the mayor of Cooper City.
"There was a very vocal outcry about how he was the mayor of Cooper City. He was a defense attorney, and how he was there to provide legal advice to his clients," said Feiner.
The officers wrote: "Ross didn't believe the officers obtained permission for a K-9 to sniff the car and repeatedly stated, 'I am the mayor of Cooper City,' and then began to shout, 'I want to know who is in charge.' And told the police he was contacting "his people at the Cooper City Police Department."
The Broward County Police Benevolent Association calls Ross' alleged behavior out of line. "When you are acting and telling officers you are the mayor, you are demanding certain things, and it is not ethical," said Broward PBA President Jeff Marano.
7News has obtained a report from August 2011, provided by Marano, where Ross was accused of similar behavior by a postal inspector who discovered marijuana at a home during mail delivery. "This is very consistent with other behavior that he's already had in the past in a documented report by the Broward Sheriff's Office," said Marano.
The inspector said Ross was, "Loud and disruptive and made derogatory comments about the Broward Sheriff's Office and the postal inspection service."
7News has made several attempts to get in contact with Ross over the allegations made by the Pembroke Pines Police officers, but he has declined to comment.
Ross released a statement to the Sun Sentinel which reads in part: "I have never attempted nor would I ever attempt to coerce any police officer dealing with a criminal matter. I was at the scene solely acting in my capacity of a criminal defense attorney, as requested by my client to appear."
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