Deaths and Injuries in Police Custody

[Andrea]

Detroit police officer suspended after video shows him repeatedly punching naked woman in a hospital

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/03/us/detroit-officer-suspended-punching-woman/index.html

A Detroit police officer has been suspended with pay after a bystander's video showed him punching a possibly mentally ill woman at least 10 times at a hospital, the police chief said.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig has called the video "very disturbing" and said a criminal investigation has been launched into the officer's use of force. But he also added the officer is entitled to due process. The department is not making any conclusions but observations, Craig said.

Craig did not publicly identify the officer in the video, and CNN has not been able to identify him or get comment from him or his attorney. CNN has reached out to the Detroit Police Officers Association for comment.
During a press conference Thursday, Craig detailed how the incident unfolded on Wednesday night.

The initial call

Craig said police responded to a "lewd and lascivious in progress" call around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday. The woman was walking around the neighborhood naked, according to a report from CNN affiliate, WXYZ.

The woman was not agitated but passive, Craig said.

The officers did not handcuff the woman and Craig said that was among his concerns.

"We know from our training and experience anytime we transport someone, particularly if they are suffering from mental illness for their safety and for the officers' safety and the community's safety that we handcuff," he said.
The officers gave the woman a robe to cover herself and placed her in the car. They then took her to Detroit Receiving Hospital.

The incident took a turn

When the woman -- who has not been named -- arrived at the hospital she became agitated and took off the robe, Craig said. She spat on hospital employees, bit a security staffer twice, and tried to bite the officer who later repeatedly punched her, Craig said.

The bystander video shows the officer, his partner and two security guards trying to control the woman.

According to the chief, the incident took a turn when the woman turned her back toward the officer who had hit her.

"At that point we have grave concerns for the officer's actions," he said.
Officers should not continue to use "hard hands" on someone who turns their back, Craig said.

The video shows the officer continued to swing at her at least 10 times. The woman was treated for minor injuries and had bruises, the chief said.

Investigations ongoing

Craig said officials are in the process of downloading body camera footage and that video "tells a little bit of a different story." When asked about the video, the chief said use of force "never looks good" to the public.

But he said the bystander's video was troubling because officers are taught to de-escalate, and there are parts of the recording where it appeared the officer did not do that.

The bystander video was provided to a Detroit television station, which gave the footage to police on Wednesday.

Neither the officer -- described only as an 18-year veteran -- nor the person who recorded the video have been interviewed. But Craig said that members of the hospital staff were interviewed and confirmed the woman became agitated and aggressive. The staff did not comment on the officer's use of force, he said.

The police chief also said the suspended officer has had six minor use of force incidents before, the most recent in 2015.

[Andrea]

Mom: 11-year-old handcuffed for bouncing basketball at JaxPAL gym

https://www.news4jax.com/news/mom-11-year-old-handcuffed-for-bouncing-basketball-at-jaxpal-gym

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Jacksonville mom said an overzealous police officer trying to teach her son a lesson put the 11-year-old in handcuffs when he wouldn't stop bouncing a basketball after a JaxPAL game.

JaxPAL is the city's Police Athletic League, which sponsors a youth basketball league.

Bunmi Borisade said her son was dribbling a ball Saturday in the JaxPAL gym on West 33rd Street when an officer asked him repeatedly to stop.

She said she was in another part of the gym and didn't witness the incident.

“A little girl came up to me and said, 'Hey, excuse me. Your son is being arrested for dribbling a basketball.' I said, 'You can’t be serious,'” Borisade said.

Fatayi Jomoh, an honor roll student, was not arrested, but he now knows what it feels like to be in handcuffs.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed Borisade's complaint was received by Internal Affairs on Tuesday and that it is being reviewed.

Borisade told JSO in her complaint that she believes the officer acted forcefully because she wasn't by her son's side.

“The officer who handcuffed my son looked at me and said, 'He was being disrespectful,'” Borisade said. “I said, 'Well, why didn’t you come and tell me? I’m his mom.'”

She said she understands Fatayi might have been “acting out,” but he didn’t deserve to be handcuffed and is now afraid of police, which is the opposite of JaxPAL's mission statement.

The league claims its goal is to create “positive relationships between law enforcement officers and the youth of our community through educational, athletic and leadership programs.”

Borisade said her son's opinion of police officers is anything but positive now.

“It’s ruined (my image of police) as well. I’m not going to lie and put on a show for the news,” Borisade said.

In the meantime, Fatayi said he wishes the officer would have given him a second chance.

News4Jax requested comment from JaxPAL’s leadership staff, and we are waiting to hear back.

[Andrea]

76-year-old deaf woman sues Alameda County sheriff’s deputy for rough arrest

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/76-year-old-deaf-woman-sues-Alameda-County-13159009.php

A deaf 76-year-old woman accused an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office deputy of excessive force during an alleged jaywalking incident last year, claiming the deputy “violently threw” her to the ground and handcuffed her to an ambulance while she was unconscious.

Attorneys for plaintiff Hui Jie Jin laid out the allegations in a lawsuit filed late last week in Northern District of California. The suit claims Jin suffered a permanent brain injury, along with contusions and abrasions, as a result of what her attorneys called an unlawful arrest.

Defendants named in the suit include sheriff’s Deputy Phillip Corvello, Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern, Alameda County and the city of Dublin. Corvello is contracted to work with the Dublin Police Department.

Nate Schmidt, a Dublin police captain, confirmed that the department conducted an internal investigation after the incident and found Corvello’s use of force to be within policy.

The department’s policy does not count jaywalking as an arrestable offense, Schmidt said, but “there was more than an arrest for jaywalking. Not obeying a lawful order is an arrestable offense, so that’s what we were looking at.”

Schmidt declined comment on the allegations in the civil suit but confirmed that Corvello is still employed by the agency.

Jin and Corvello encountered each other on the morning of July 21, 2017, when Jin was out shopping for groceries. The lawsuit claims that Corvello began yelling at Jin while she was allegedly jaywalking, but because Jin is “profoundly deaf” she couldn’t hear or understand his commands.

As Corvello moved closer to her, the suit alleges, Jin pointed to her ear with one hand and waved her hand back and forth with the other to signal that she was deaf.

“Despite recognizing that Mrs. Jin could not hear or understand him, Officer Corvello made no attempts to effectively communicate with Mrs. Jin at any point before or during her arrest,” the suit states.

More officers arrived on the scene and performed a search of Jin and her grocery bags, according to court documents, and during this time Jin emptied her pockets to hand Corvello her California identification card, disabled senior citizen bus pass, and a handwritten card with the name and phone number of Jin’s daughter for emergencies.

“Mrs. Jin was terrified, but at no point did she resist arrest or attempt to flee, nor could she due to her age and disabilities,” the complaint states. Jin prayed and repeatedly bowed in front of Corvello “in order to beg ... for mercy and not to hurt her.”

In response, the suit alleges, Corvello slammed the woman to the ground, placed a foot or knee behind her neck or back and handcuffed her. Jin passed out and was taken to the hospital via ambulance, according to the suit, which alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, negligence, and deprivation of Jin’s civil rights.

Jin was issued a citation for jaywalking and resisting arrest, but no paperwork exists and no charges were filed, the suit states.

Jin is seeking an unnamed amount in damages, as well as a training and policy overhaul on how the agencies handle people with hearing loss. A case management conference is scheduled for Nov. 26 at the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco.

[Andrea]

St. Louis Police Officer Adam Feaman Charged in Flashlight Beating of Suspect

https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2018/08/22/st-louis-police-officer-adam-feaman-charged-in-flashlight-beating-of-suspect

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney today filed felony charges against a city cop who cracked a retreating man's jaw with his flashlight.

Officer Adam Feaman, 40, was charged with second-degree assault and armed criminal action in the August 14, 2017, beating of Jamal White, court records show. A judge issued an at-large warrant for the officer today, and police say Feaman is not yet in custody.

As the RFT detailed last week in a story published in collaboration with the non-profit GRAM, Feaman was captured on video by a bystander as he confronted White, apparently for playing loud music on his car stereo.

As Feaman shouted he was under arrest, White broke into a nervous jog, questioning what he had done: "How am I under arrest?" When Feaman caught up to him, he struck White in the face, cracking his jaw. As White fell to the ground, Feaman again struck him in the back of the head with the flashlight, yelling, “Get on the fucking ground!”

As freelancer Clark Randall detailed in the story, Feaman had been the subject of numerous other complaints in recent years. In 2010, a 22-year-old black man filed a complaint alleging that Feaman pulled him over and used racial slurs against him. A year later, a 22-year-old black man complained that Feaman planted drugs on him, and that while Feaman arrested him, another officer hit him in the face multiple times.

In 2012, a 21-year-old black man filed a complaint alleging that Feaman had punched him in the face. Two years later, in 2014, a 31-year-old black man alleged that Officer Feaman and another officer stole $400 from his car during a traffic stop.

When asked if disciplinary actions had ever been taken against Officer Feaman, Sgt. Keith Barrett, a spokesman for the department, said those records were closed.

Attorney Jermaine Wooten obtained the video from the bystander. He filed suit against Feaman in federal court.

In the lawsuit, Wooten wrote that Feaman spotted White at a local bar or club on September 30, 2017, one month after the flashlight beating. Apparently having heard that White planned to sue him, he threatened to “crack [his] jaw again.” Feaman had to be escorted out.

Rather than explain himself in deposition, Feaman refused to answer any questions. (He also declined to answer whether he was invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, or explain why he was not answering.)

Wooten later dismissed the federal suit, but said he intends to refile in state court.

Feaman's bond was set at $30,000 cash, according to the warrant issued today.

Police refused to release his department photo but said his mug shot would be distributed once he has been arrested. He was suspended today from the force.

In a statement, the department said, "The Metropolitan Police Department fully cooperated with this investigation and is committed to ensuring the men and women of our Department are held to the highest standards. The Department will continue to be vigorous in our efforts to uphold these standards and hold any persons whose actions may compromise the integrity of the organization accountable."

[Andrea]

Cincinnati police officer tases 11-year old suspected of shoplifting, tells her 'This is why there aren't any grocery stores in the black community'

https://abcnews.go.com/US/cincinnati-police-officer-tases-11-year-suspected-shoplifting/story?id=57635409

Police in Cincinnati released bodycam video on Tuesday of an officer telling an 11-year-old girl, after he used a taser on her for allegedly shoplifting, that "this is why there aren’t any grocery stores in the Black community," an internal review showed.

The incident happened while police officer Kevin Brown was working "an outside employment extension of police services detail" at a Kroger’s grocery store on August 6, according to the Cincinnati Police Department.

Brown witnessed three girls attempting to shoplift items, the review, posted by ABC affiliate WCPO stated.

As all three tried to leave the store, Brown repeatedly asked them to stop. When they refused his commands, Brown deployed the taser at one of the girls, the internal review said.

Officer Brown did not turn on his bodycam video until after he tased the girl. After deploying the taser, Brown then placed her in handcuffs and escorted her to the back of the store, according to the use of force review of the incident.

"The last thing I want to do is tase you like that," Brown tells the girl in the video. "That hurt my heart to do that to you. Then I got to listen to all these idiots out here in the parking lot tell me how I was wrong for tasing you."

When Brown searched the girl's backpack, he found "clothing, and consumable goods which included food and beverage" which was worth just over $53, the review said.

The items included "candy and beef jerky, as well as infant clothing," according to the report. The backpack also belonged to the Kroger's, the review stated.

The girl told the officer that she "took a backpack but the two other juveniles placed items in the bag," the internal review said.

The girl was later taken to the Children’s Hospital Medical Center for evaluation, and then released, according to Cincinnati police.

The use of force review of the incident found that Brown violated several department rules including using a TASER without giving a verbal warning he was about to do so, using a TASER when not reasonably necessary and expressing prejudice concerning race.

After ordering the girl several times to stop and show him a receipt for her purchases, Brown used his TASER on her, according to the review. One barb from the weapon hit her in the back, and another hit her below the waist, documents showed. She then fell to the ground, after which Brown handcuffed her and brought her back into the store.

Brown knew the girl "did not appear to be a threat to himself or others," the review stated. It also says that "Brown was referencing the closing of a number of Kroger stores in black communities, which he believed resulted from large amounts of theft losses."

Brown had been placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of the investigation, according to police.

Brown now will face a pre-disciplinary hearing, ABC Affiliate WCPO reported.

Cincinnati Police Union President Dan Hils defended Brown.

"I think the officer was trying to express to this juvenile suspect that there are consequences, not only to herself, but to others when you don’t respect the property rights of another," Hils said in a statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

[Andrea]

Harlem Restaurant Owner Is Suing The NYPD For Arresting Him After Helping White Patrons

https://www.essence.com/news/nypd-clyde-pemberton-lawsuit/

Clyde Pemberton never expected to be arrested in his own restaurant, but that’s exactly what happened to the Harlem business owner.

According to a new federal lawsuit, Pemberton and two of his employees say they were racially profiled and falsely detained by New York Police Department officers following a bizarre scene in his establishment, MIST Harlem.

The New York Times reports:

“On June 1, 2017, Dr. Pemberton, a retired psychiatrist, was holding a business meeting at his restaurant when he saw two women leaving the bathroom, dragging a third woman who was visibly unconscious across the room at 10:30 p.m., the complaint states. The women, who were all white, knocked over a stanchion of a rope blocking off a section of the restaurant to customers.

“When Dr. Pemberton, now 68, walked over to the women to ask what was wrong and suggested the unconscious woman be placed in a chair, one woman punched him in the chest and referred to him with a racial slur, according to the complaint.”

While Pemberton and his employees, Christian Baptiste and Thomas Debnam, say they were all assaulted by the women, when police arrived they were the ones who found themselves in custody.

The New York Times explains, “One of the arresting officers, Anthony Sengco, wrote in his criminal complaint that he observed Dr. Pemberton, Mr. Baptiste and Mr. Debnam blocking the exit to the restaurant and that the men had stated to him that they were trying to prevent the women from leaving. The men deny that they made any such statements to Mr. Sengco or that they were trying to prevent the women from leaving.”

The men were charged with unlawful imprisonment and spent six hours in custody. Last November, however, the charges were dropped. Still, the traumatic ordeal has left a lasting imprint on them.

“Everything we did was in the right way and approach, and it was overlooked, ignored and disrespected, our rights as human beings,” Debnam said. “There’s a flaw in our system.”

Pemberton, a legal immigrant from Trinidad, said he’s had trouble traveling in and out of the country since his arrest, even though the charges were dismissed.

“We thought it was over,” Pemberton said, noting police have stepped up their presence at his restaurant, which he said is hurting business.

Though one of the women involved was also arrested and charged with assault with intent to cause physical injury, Pemberton’s attorney said police mishandled the incident.

“You don’t just arrest everybody on the scene and sort it out later,” Elizabeth Saylor, a civil rights lawyer, said. “They are privileged Black men who have money and the resources to fight this, but despite that it deeply affected them.”

[Andrea]

SEE IT: Cop curses out methadone patients in SoHo, yelling 'Go shoot your f------ heroin and die!'

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-metro-video-cop-curses-people-out-20180907-story.html#

An NYPD cop with his gun drawn cursed out men outside a clinic in SoHo, screaming “Shoot your f------ heroin and die!” according to a shocking video.

The clip shows the officer with his gun drawn but at his side as he approaches the group near the corner of Prince and Crosby streets.

“Taking a f------ walk right now!” the cop screams as he holsters his weapon. “I’ll knock you the f--- out.”

He storms off without arresting anyone, and hollers “Go shoot your f------ heroin and die!” the video shows.

The footage is believed to be recorded on Aug. 31, a few hours before it popped up on Facebook and Twitter.

“ALERT NYC!” wrote the Twitter user with the handle Antifa Seven Hills. “This officer responded to a minor scuffle at a methadone clinic in SOHO today with his gun out & ready to use on folks seeking help. He then told these human beings to ‘shoot your f----- heroin and die.’”

“IDENTIFY THIS PIG!” the group pleaded.

The closest methadone clinic to the scene is about two blocks away at Lafayette St. and Spring St.

An NYPD spokeswoman said that the cop’s commanding officer has been made aware of the situation and was investigating.