TWO DRUNK COPS: DAN LAJACK AND DONALD KOPCHAK
TWO DRUNK COPS, DAN LAJACK AND DONALD KOPCHAK PROVE AN EMBARASSMENT TO THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR EMPLOYERS.
WHILE DRUNK, SHOWED THEIR POLICE BADGES IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY DETAINING AN INNOCENT TRUCKER WHO HAS BEEN A U.S. CITIZEN FOR 14 YEARS
BY GINA WÓJCIK
Hinckley, Ohio – In a shocking incident at the Buzzards Roost bar, two off-duty police officers, Donald Kopchak (badge number 2139) earning $83,863.00 annually, and Daniel Lajack, earning $83,000 annually decided to take the law into their own hands while under the influence of alcohol.
The officers, who were drinking at the bar, decided to act as Homeland Security agents and detained a man simply because he had an accent and mentioned he was born in Eretria, Ethiopia.
The innocent man has been a U.S. citizen for 14 years. Kopchak and Lajack not only subjected the man to questioning and prevented him from leaving the bar — but they then physically removed him from the bar against his will, threw him on the ground and held him in a wrestle-hold on the ground until police arrived.
Despite the man’s driver’s license and background check coming back clean, the two cops who reeked of alcohol and were visibly intoxicated, insisted on arresting him anyway without any legal grounds whatsoever.
Kopchak, 40, a Cleveland police officer since 2007, and Lajack, 48, a detective with the Lake County Narcotics Agency since 2000, were both relieved of duty following the incident. Both officers were also members of federal task forces, with Kopchak serving with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Lajack working with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) unit.
POLICE OFFICERS WERE CHARGED WITH THE FOLLOWING:
The incident occurred on April 26 at around 11:07 p.m. when Brunswick police responded to a call at the Buzzards Roost, located at Ohio 303 and West 130th Street. Body-cam footage revealed that Lajack approached an officer and explained that he and Kopchak believed the man was an illegal immigrant. As the man tried to leave, the officers forcibly detained him, with one pinning him to the ground until additional officers arrived.
A spokeswoman for the ATF confirmed that Kopchak is no longer part of the task force. Attempts to reach a Cleveland police union spokesman for comment were unsuccessful.
This incident raises serious concerns about the conduct of law enforcement officers, especially when off duty and under the influence of alcohol. The actions of Kopchak and Lajack highlight the need for strict adherence to professional standards and accountability within the police force.
