Three officers charged in illegal strip search case due in court





MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Three of four Milwaukee police officers charged for criminal misconduct related to illegal strip searches are due back in court Friday, April 12th for a motions hearing.
During a pre-trial hearing Tuesday, February 5th a Milwaukee County judge granted a motion allowing Jeffrey Dollhopf, Brian Kozelek and Jacob Knight to be tried separately from Michael Vagnini.
Dollhopf, Kozelke and Knight filed a motion to have their cases heard separately from Vagnini because he is accused of the most aggressive actions.
34-year-old Officer Michael Vagnini faces 25 counts of violating the strip search law, misconduct in public office and second-degree sexual assault. If convicted of these crimes, Vagnini faces up to 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
41-year-old Officer Jeffrey Dollhopf faces two counts of violating the strip search law and two counts of misconduct in public office.
Officers Brian Kozelek, 33 and Jacob Knight, 31 each face one count of violating the strip search law and one count of misconduct in public office.
The criminal complaint against the officers details several instances in which illegal strip searches were allegedly conducted. Many of the allegations began with a traffic stop, leading to a pat down and eventually what prosecutors say were illegal cavity searches.
The complaint details multiple other instances in which the officers accused made illegal strip searches during traffic stops as well as at the District 5 police station. In each of the cases, the officers were allegedly attempting to get drugs they believed were concealed within body cavities on the persons they were searching.