12/14/2006
Illinois: Police Sued Over Car SeizuresA car wash owner is suing Stone Park, Illinois police for seizing the cars of innocent customers for cash.
The owners of a car wash in Stone Park, Illinois yesterday filed a lawsuit against the local police department over an undercover car seizure scheme that has operated on their property since September.
According to the suit, an undercover female officer would approach male patrons of the The Blue Dolphin Car Wash saying, "I'll do anything" and "how much would you give me for..." Even after rejecting the approach, the customers would be pulled over, ticketed, and their cars seized for solicitation of a prostitute.
"It's the same story, over and over again, from every single person," said attorney Blake Horwitz who will argue the case.
Outraged car wash owners John and Zyta Pawlik are trying to stop police entrapment activity on their property. Pawlik claims video evidence proves the victims of the sting operation were innocent.
"The village is relying on the victims' embarrassment to keep this money-making scheme quiet, but I think they'll find that the falsely accused men don't want to be intimidated," Horwitz said.