I caught some of this encounter on video, and when I saw officer Fitelson retreat into the state police offices there in the concourse, I went in too. He had gone into the back, but there was an older officer, who was in uniform but who declined to give me his name, at the front window. I told him I would like to make a complaint about officer Fitelson, and began to explain what had just happened. Rather than listening to me, treating me with respect, or taking my complaint seriously, this man began arguing with me, and interrupted me several times to ask me to produce "a prescription and legal documentation" to "prove" to him that my dog is a service animal. Frankly, I'm shocked that a *police officer* would be so ignorant of the law. As a person with an invisible disability and a service dog, I'm sadly accustomed to having my day sidetracked with harassment from ignorant dolts who don't know the law and see themselves as some kind of entitled gatekeeper. But I expect BETTER than that from a person whose entire job is supposed to be to uphold and enforce *the law*. Such a person has no excuse for this kind of ignorance of the very laws they are charged with upholding. In fact, asking for documentation on a service dog is illegal. So is threatening to "throw out" a service dog team because you don't like the fact that the handler informed you that she has every right to be there without being harassed by you.
I got his name from his nametag, and when he saw me looking pointedly at it, he mockingly sneered, "Oh PLEASE call my supervisor. Just go right ahead and call." This gave me the impression that he believed himself to be above the law or standards of professional conduct, and did not expect to receive any kind of discipline for this type of behavior. It also suggests that this department might be something of a good ol boys club, where complaints are ignored. That impression was confirmed a few moments later. Read on.
Instead of allowing me to make a complaint about officer Fitelson, this officer just sat there and argued with me, and when I attempted to explain the Americans with Disabilities Act to him, he put up a hand in my face and told me he couldn't help me. He then got up and left the room. He exited into the hallway directly behind the door leading from the lobby in which I stood, so when he encountered officer Fitelson in there, I could hear the entire conversation. Both officers were unbelievably rude and unprofessional. "Oh, did she come in here with that?" Fitelson laughed. Both proceeded to stand there, just on the other side of the door, ridiculing me and laughing at me. A good old boys club indeed.
(CONTINUED IN PART 3)
PART 2 (CONTINUED FROM PART 1)
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