By Jane Prendergast
The Cincinnati Enquirer

An 18-year-old Bond Hill woman has become the first person prosecuted in Cincinnati for falsely complaining about a police officer after she alleged an officer was loud, rude and dishonest - without realizing the truth was captured on videotape.

Janika Mitchem was pulled over by Officer Keith Fangman, who as vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police was involved in negotiating the collaborative and Justice Department agreements. The agreements, in part, required police to more openly advertise how citizens can complain about an officer's actions. Officers bristled, saying there should be more ways for officers to complain about citizen conduct as well.

Mitchem got tickets during a 21-minute traffic stop May 31 for running a red light and not having a driver's license. The next day, she filed a written complaint, claiming Fangman was disrespectful, yelled and wouldn't let her explain because he was trying to meet a quota.

When a police supervisor began to investigate, he got a videotape from Fangman's cruiser's camera. The tape shows Fangman repeatedly referring to Mitchem as "ma'am,'' explaining that she was pulled over because she disregarded a no-turn-on-red sign, and offering her a ride because neither she nor her two passengers had valid driver's licenses.

Mitchem pleaded no contest to making a false allegation of police misconduct, for which she could have been jailed for six months. Instead, she got a 30-day suspended sentence, was fined $100 and was put on probation. She also paid $80 court costs.

"If someone feels they have a legitimate complaint against a police officer, there are avenues for them to follow,'' Fangman said. "However, if someone decides to file a false, malicious complaint against a Cincinnati police officer as some form of retaliation, that person is going to be charged, physically arrested and taken to jail.''

E-mail jprendergast@enquirer.com