LAS VEGAS, Nevada — A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer faces a criminal charge after he allegedly engaged in inappropriate conduct with a woman while responding to a suspicious vehicle call, according to law enforcement records.
Officer Manuel Ramangmou, who is assigned to the department’s Southeast Area Command, has been charged with oppression under color of office.
The incident occurred on May 9, when Ramangmou was dispatched to a commercial property near the intersection of Sunset Road and Pecos Road. Security personnel had contacted police because a vehicle was parked overnight on private property. Upon arrival, Ramangmou located a woman, identified as April Woolum, who was allegedly sleeping inside her white van in the parking lot.
An arrest report states that Ramangmou approached the vehicle, identified himself, and requested Woolum’s identification information. He advised her that she was not permitted to stay on the property and instructed her to leave the area. Body-worn camera footage reviewed by investigators showed that this initial, official interaction lasted for several minutes before concluding.
According to police documents, Ramangmou began acting inappropriately once his body-worn camera was turned off. He allegedly complimented Woolum’s physical appearance, asked if he could send her text messages later, requested a hug, and instructed her to move behind a set of bushes located away from security surveillance cameras.
Woolum informed investigators that Ramangmou hugged her, touched her lower back and buttocks, pulled her close to his body, and asked her for a kiss. She stated to police that she complied with his demands because she felt intimidated and feared she was not free to refuse the commands of a police officer during an active stop.
Surveillance footage obtained from the business partially corroborated the timeline, showing movement behind the bushes and showing that the interaction continued after the official police stop had seemingly ended.
Investigators also found that text messages were sent from Ramangmou’s phone to Woolum following the encounter, which included phrases identifying himself as Manny, apologizing if he had scared her, and asking how she was doing.
Ramangmou is scheduled to return to court for a legal hearing on June 18.
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