Police discipline officer named in lawsuit over traffic stop

Department clears four other officers; civil suit continues to move forward

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006

Montgomery County Police found one officer guilty of an administrative charge, but determined four others committed no violations during a February traffic stop that led a Prince George’s County restaurant owner to file a $5 million federal lawsuit against the department.

Donnell Long of Silver Spring, who owns the Stonefish Grill and the Red Star restaurants in Laurel, filed a lawsuit in April, claiming Officer Daniel Godoy grabbed him ‘‘roughly” when he was pulled over in the early hours of Feb. 23 on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. Police charged Long for driving with expired license plates and no proof of insurance, but the car belonged to one of his restaurant workers, whom he was driving home from work. The charges were later dismissed.

In a Sept. 12 letter to Long’s attorney, Jimmy A. Bell of Upper Marlboro, Capt. David Falcinelli, director of the department’s Internal Affairs Division, wrote that ‘‘appropriate personnel actions” were taken against Godoy, who joined the department in 2003. Falcinelli did not say what those actions were in the letter and did not return calls Tuesday.

Police spokesman Lt. Eric Burnett said he could not discuss the charge or any action taken because it was a personnel matter.