North Myrtle Beach Police’s Statement on Officers Involved in Wrongful Detainment Lawsuit

Statement on Officers Involved in Wrongful Detainment Lawsuit by North Myrtle Beach Police

A recent federal lawsuit has been filed against the City of North Myrtle Beach, Police Chief Dana Crowell, and two police officers, Mike Pacileo and Kayla Wallace. In response to this, the North Myrtle Beach Police Department has announced the current employment status of the accused officers.

The department reported on Wednesday that officers Pacileo and Wallace are still on active duty.

The Case Background

An 18-year-old recent high school graduate, Hemingway, has named the officers, the City, and Police Chief Crowell in the federal civil rights lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, Hemingway was stopped by the officers who then allegedly forced her to exit her vehicle, walk backwards towards them at gunpoint, and then proceeded to handcuff her. This occurred despite the fact that her car and license plate did not match the description of the stolen car the officers were looking for.

About the Officers

Pacileo has been with the department since 1992, and was recently honored by being named the ‘Optimist Club Officer of the Year.’ His co-officer, Wallace, joined the North Myrtle Beach Police Department in 2021, and was recognized last year for her role in arresting a kidnapping and shooting suspect.

Body Camera Footage

Three minutes of footage from Wallace’s body camera was released, documenting the encounter with Hemingway. It’s worth noting that just before Wallace exited her vehicle, drew her weapon, and instructed Hemingway to back up towards her, she can be heard commenting that Hemingway’s car “isn’t it”.

Alleged Acknowledgement of Error

The lawsuit claims that the officers quickly recognized their error after Hemingway was detained, realizing they had pulled over the wrong car. This realization was reportedly captured on the police body camera footage. The lawsuit further alleges that Hemingway’s car was searched “without sufficient probable cause or a warrant.”

Details of the Lawsuit

The lawsuit was filed a month after Hemingway’s wrongful detainment, which occurred while she was on her way to a graduation celebration with friends. The suit alleges that police pulled over Hemingway while she was driving a dark grey Dodge Charger. However, the vehicle they were searching for was a silver Dodge Challenger with a different license plate, unassociated with Hemingway.

Updates on this case will be provided as they emerge.