Off-Duty Officers Who Allegedly Robbed Civilians, and Retrieved a Stolen iPhone, in Court

The first witnesses in the preliminary exam for two off-duty police officers charged with the robbery and assault of two civilians in Detroit took the stand Thursday in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.

Two witnesses from the alleged July 21 assault by St. Clair Shores police sergeant Michael Notoriano and Detroit Police Sergeant David A. Pomeroy at a Citgo gas station on French Road and I-94 - a victim of the alleged assault and person who drove by the location and observed it as it occurred - took the stand during the exam before Judge Joseph Baltimore. 

Sergio Love, 27, testified that he saw a black F-150 occupied by two white men (who he later identified as Notoriano and Pomery) pass by his mother's house in Detroit. Love, his brother and cousin then drove to a nearby gas station shortly in a GMC Yukon Denali.

Love testified he went into the store at the station, and when he exited, he said Notoriano jumped out of the truck and used profanity and racially laced commands in ordering him to put his "hands up" and then "slammed" him against the Yukon.

Notoriano then allegedly pointed the gun against his head as he searched Love. The 27-year-old testified that he thought Notariano was an officer by the way he was dressed, and how he frisked him similarly to when he was previously arrested. 

During the search, the off-duty officer is alleged to have taken nearly $600 and a wallet from the victim's pants. 

He then "forcefully" directed him back to the F-150 where his cousin, Robert Cureton, was already placed by Pomeroy.

Notoriano then opened the door and called Cureton "a liar" and slapped him across the face with pistol. Cureton was then pulled out of the truck and onto the ground next to Love. 

The two officers entered the pickup, and fled, nearly striking the men. 
During cross examination by Notoriano's defense attorney Todd Flood, he questioned Love about his testimony. Flood stated that Love told police $300 was taken, who testified to that he didn't recall signing a statement about the incident. 

During questioning, Love admitted that he had retained high-profile defense attorney Geoffrey Fieger.

Additionally, when shown a video from the gas station cameras, Flood questioned the sequence of events which didn't match the footage and the timing of the encounter. 

Love said he couldn't tell what was happening in the video due to the quality of the footage, which Flood said could be enhanced.

The exam was stopped after two hours due to scheduling.

Testifying first was Ruby Grantling, 22, described how she was stopped at a light on July 21 on French road and the I-94 service drive when she saw what she thought was two white officers arresting two black men was an undercover arrest of two individuals.

"It looked like undercover guys were arresting people," said Ruby Grantley, who took four pictures with her phone of the incident.

She testified that she didn't see any badges on the officers, and she believed she saw a gun in the holster of the one of the officers. It wasn't until later, when she learned of the incident on television, Grantley shared the photos with a local television station.

The exam for the two men, on charges of charged with armed robbery and other felonies, resumes Monday. 

The charges against the men are stem from the alleged theft of Notoriano's 16-year-old daughter’s cell phone - which was recovered from the Denali during the  Both men are free on bond.