 |
|||||
|
Officer disciplined for alleged threat
A Hermosa Beach police officer has been disciplined for misconduct after he allegedly lunged at a local businessman, while in uniform, and challenged the man to a fight.
In a Nov. 7 letter to the businessman, Frank W. Hallstein Jr., co-proprietor of Hermosa Lock and Safe, Police Chief Val Straser stated that Officer David Bohacik, a 13-year veteran of the force, received disciplinary action following an internal affairs investigation.
“Please be advised that your complaint has been classified as sustained,” Straser wrote under the city letterhead. “The internal affairs investigation discloses that the act complained of occurred and constitutes misconduct. Disciplinary action has been administered towards Officer Bohacik for his misconduct.”
Bohacik said that he could not comment on the matter without permission from his supervisor in the department. That official was not available by press time.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight July 22, and was witnessed by Steve Endom, another Hermosa police officer, and at least one civilian, Hallstein said. Endom was unavailable for comment before press time.
“Officer Dave Bohacik approached me on the promenade, screaming profanities and challenging me to fight. He also ordered me to leave the area where I was lawfully. He also cursed my wife, who was not with me at the time,” Hallstein wrote in a letter to police officials.
Bohacik, “while on duty, raged out of control,” Hallstein wrote.
“Any physical altercation from here on with Officer Bohacik, on or off duty, will be the result of an attack on his part,” Hallstein wrote. “The incident that this complaint concerns was not contact initiated by myself nor will I initiate any further contact with this officer.”
The incident occurred after Hallstein left his wife sitting inside Fat Face Fenner’s Fishack on the plaza promenade and went across the plaza to buy cigarettes, Hallstein said in an interview. He was talking with Endom and a local resident when Bohacik, standing several yards away, began staring at him and rhythmically bobbing his head forward, Hallstein said.
“Endom said, ‘Just ignore him,’” Hallstein said.
Bohacik then moved to a spot somewhat farther away and began rotating his arms and shoulders in a circular, forward-and-back motion, Hallstein said.
“You’re eye-f---ing me, you’re constantly eye-f---ing me,” Hallstein quoted Bohacik as saying.
“What’s that?” Hallstein said he asked the officer.
Bohacik then told Hallstein to leave the area, Hallstein refused, and Bohacik asked Endom to remove Hallstein, the businessman said.
“You’re way out of line, Bo, you better back off,” Hallstein quoted Endom as saying to his fellow officer.
Bohacik, standing about 10 yards away, said, “F--- you and f--- your wife,” Hallstein said.
“At least I’ve got a wife,” Hallstein said he replied.
“You call that a wife?” Bohacik allegedly said.
“Look at you, having to drag my wife into this,” Hallstein said he replied.
Bohick then lunged at Hallstein and challenged him, Hallstein said.
“F--- you, I’ll kick your ass when I’m out of this uniform,” Bohacik said, according to Hallstein.
Bohacik was restrained by another uniformed officer, who backed Bohacik off and guided him to a sitting position atop the hood of a police cruiser that was parked at the plaza, Hallstein said.
Ongoing “spat”
Straser on Tuesday called the incident part of an ongoing dispute between Bohacik and Hallstein.
“This is a spat between two people,” Straser said. He declined to elaborate, saying that a second investigation is under way involving “an allegation with the same two parties.”
Straser said state law forbids him from disclosing the exact nature of the discipline against Bohacik, but he added that it was not severe.
However, Straser said it is “rare” for a Hermosa officer to commit any act of misconduct.
Hallstein said that he had no previous conflicts with Bohacik and did not know why he the incident occurred.
“I can’t really say where that guy was coming from when he went off that night,” Hallstein said. “…I don’t really care for the guy, but that’s beside the point of what he did on this evening.”
Hallstein added that he believes the police force in general is a good one.
He said that following the July incident on the Pier Plaza promenade, Bohacik has twice stared him down and once pulled into the parking lot shared by businesses including Hermosa Lock and Key, located across Pier Avenue from the police station, and stared at Hallstein’s wife Roxanne before driving away.
About two weeks later Hallstein was driving his van at Eighth Street and Ardmore when Bohacik, driving a cruiser, stared at him with “an angry face,” Hallstein said.
“I just laughed,” Hallstein said.
A similar cruiser-to-van staring incident took place at Valley Drive and Pier Avenue, Hallstein said.
Then, shortly before 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4, Hallstein was returning to his storefront on foot with soup for Roxanne’s lunch when he saw Hallstein pull into the shared parking lot, he said.
Roxanne said Bohacik pulled up outside the business and stared at her for about two seconds, as she sat outside with her 18-year-old nephew, Morgan Nation. Then Bohacik drove on, she said.
“He just stared at me and made me feel kind of creepy,” Roxanne Hallstein said. “…I tried not to look at him.” ER