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while we don't know all the details, the video speaks for itself.
"Here's a little tip I would like to relate: Many fish bites if you got good bait."
Brooklynian » Forum » Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens »
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excerpts from the nyt link above:
The Police Department and the Brooklyn district attorney’s office have begun separate investigations into allegations of police brutality after reviewing video that shows two officers repeatedly striking a young man inside a Jewish community center in Brooklyn, officials said on Monday. ...
... The video, posted online on Sunday night by CrownHeights.info, shows Officer Vega punching the head and body of Ehud Halevy, 21, and another officer from the 71st Precinct, Yelena Bruzzese, battering Mr. Halevy with a baton for more than two minutes last week as he tries to fend off the blows. ....
... According to a criminal complaint, the officers said Mr. Halevy had attacked them, causing one to suffer a sprained wrist, during an encounter on Oct. 8 in the Alternative Learning Institute for Young Adults on East New York Avenue in Crown Heights. ...
... But the seven-minute video seems to contradict the officers’ account ...
"Here's a little tip I would like to relate: Many fish bites if you got good bait." -
Ah, video. When combined with the internet, it provides a witness that must be listened to, and makes allegations that must be investigated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7bxmXMTkwo
As a result of video, this guy may end up with a payday from the city and this cop may face discipline.
However, I will take away that I should comply with orders from a cop, because it is not unusual for them to inflict lots of pain on people who do not adhere to their verbal commands.
Several of those blows look like they hurt.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Obviously the cops were called there for a reason. Was this guy a nuisance or causing a problem? Without knowing what that was we're only getting half the story. I'm not saying that what was done was right but we need to know why they were there to begin with.
Just RTFA. So, he was ordered out but refused to leave. There was some degree of belligerence. The cops just showed more. -
The NYT is reporting:
The call was made by Trappler Zalman, a center volunteer, who performs security checks in the building. Mr. Zalman told the officers that he found Mr. Halevy “sleeping naked” on a couch inside the lounge. Mr. Zalman ordered him to get dressed and leave, telling him he did not have permission to be there. Mr. Halevy refused and argued that he had a right to be there, the complaint states.
In fact, Rabbi Feiglin said in a telephone interview on Monday, Mr. Halevy had permission to stay overnight at the center. He needed “a place to crash for a short period,” the rabbi said. Rabbi Feiglin added that it was unclear what had prompted Mr. Zalman to call the police, since Mr. Halevy had been sleeping in the lounge for about a month.
Which leads me to believe that the following scenario could have happened:
1. Upon discovering Mr. Halevy sleeping, the volunteer may not have been aware that Mr. Halevy was allowed in the building or allowed to stay. [Questions: How often does the volunteer work? How much communication does he have with the Rabbi? How do volunteers learn who is supposed to be in the building?]
2. The volunteer told Mr Halvey to leave. ...at which point Mr. Halevy refused because he had authority to stay from a higher ranking person.
3. The volunteer didn't believe Mr Halevy, and called police.
4. Upon the arrival of the police, Mr. Halevy continued to assert his belief that he could stay.
5. The police reacted as shown in video.
Which leads me to provide the following advice:
When to police arrive and tell you to leave, you have to leave ...even if you were given permission to stay from the Rabbi.
...Even if you are a wayward, intoxicated youth.
[Hopefully, you can then contact the Rabbi and get back in]
Sadly, Mr. Halvey did not receive (or did not follow) such advice.
Leading me to state the following:
It seems Mr. Halvey decided that his right to stay trumped that of the police's right to tell him to leave. This decision seems to have angered the police officer, who decided that he could use a lot of force against Mr. Halvey ...force that seems unrelated to accomplishing an arrest for tresspassing and/or securing suspect for removal.ah, video. It has a way of showing situations that are somewhat routine to a relatively small group of people, to the eyes of many.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
so the correct response is beating the shit out of someone?
what would you tell me, if i could hear you speaking?--t.r. -
BP, I expect this case to show that is the wrong response when being recorded.
It is less clear to me whether this case will impact situations in which cameras are believed to not be present.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
If you've ever watched the tv show "Cops" you know they never do anything wrong because they know they're being recorded. Maybe what we need is to give all officers helmet cams. Now, this poor sot definitely should not have had his butt kicked but I'm sure there are many times that certain perps deserve it. I know if I was in law enforcement it would be very hard for me to not take things personally. The "it's only a job" saying will never trump the emotional aspect of a job as hard as this.
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Yup. Hence, we should balance what we believe to be the officer's best response with what actually happened.
As one might expect, several politicians are now asking how often such incidents occur off camera:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/10/new_york_pols_w.php
The female officer in the video was present for the whole incident. The male officer seems to have had confidence that she would not be offended by his actions (I.E. Describe the force used as "excessive" to their superiors).
Indeed, no such concerns were raised before the video became public.
P.S. I think the police officer helmet cams would mysteriously malfunction, or be obstructed by black tape when they were about to record (or recently recorded) something an officer believes to not be in their favor. ...at least that is what I would do.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
You mean to tell me that you think electrical tape would become part of the standard issue of patrolmens supplies?
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Yes.
I also can't imagine that the recordings would cause much change unless they were reviewed by someone outside of the police department.
In addition to the problem of them being defeated (and therefore impractical), I can't imagine the PBA would agree to cameras, much less their review by an outside entity.
...this problem will reoccur.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Well, State Trooper cars have dashboard cameras installed, if not in New York then in many other states and of course the PBA would never go for this. As for the tapes being reviewed...I thought that's what the Civilian Complaint Review Board was for.
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It think the the civil suits stemming alleged police misconduct will have a far greater effect incidents of misconduct and excessive force than the CCRB ever will.
While juries in NYC seem to be really generous with the city's money and police work will always be a field which costs the city million in settlements, if a given officer's actions repeatedly cost the city money, said actions may cost them their job.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Vega had a some decent boxing. Its funny how he puts his fists up like, "ok well, have it your way - lets fight!" LOL!
IMO, the kid got what he deserved. You could see him yelling and pointing in their faces and the cops waving for him to sit down/back away.
Thats enough for most cops to beat your ass right there.
Then they try to arrest him and he dances around then pushes one of them (chest bumps him off). Thats when the fists start flying.
And the dude still doesn't give up.
I'm sure this dude wouldn't be talking that way to the Rabbi; or pushing the Rabbi off if he tried to escort him out.
Obviously a "strong" reaction by the cops. But thats what WE pay them for.
Whys he naked on the community couch anyway? Bath salts?
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I remain interested in the female cop's thought process.
When you have a guy who is resisting, and there is only two of you, it would seem to me that calling for backup is the way to go, and she seems to do that early on.
However, it isn't clear why she continues to be in a mostly observer role.
Surely they are taught a two person take down technique.
If find it hard to believe that one officer is to wrestle and punch the perp, while the other is to call for back up and lets the struggle go on. I would have hated for the young man to be able access the cop's gun during the struggle....
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Yea she was pretty worthless. She watched him get beat up, then hit him a couple times when he resisted again.
I thought women were supposed to be better under pressure?
I wonder if Vega had a male sidekick if they would have cuffed him on the floor like they did right away instead of him going into melee mode (protecting/showing off for her?)
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20 counts of assault by the cop.
30 counts of resisting arrest by the kid.
Edit: brain typo
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Anyone notice at around 4:00 a bunch of the cops put their arm over their mouth. Did they all decide to cough at the same time or did the kid shit himself in protest?
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Having the shit beat out of you is not always merely an expression.
The young man's charges are here: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/2012/HALEVY-complaint.pdf
I suspect all the charges will be dropped.
I also suspect that Vega will remain on modified duty until he is fired; There are just too many eyes on this case for the PBA to prevail.
I also like how this case is relatively clean from a racial point of view. While racism certainly exists, cases like this show that people put themselves in danger of getting pummeled for not obeying cops, mouthing off to them and/or resisting arrest ....regardless of their race, or whether they were "in the right".
If I was a cop, I would want people to fear me. I would want them to simply comply with my orders, and not have to investigate whether they had permission to be there.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
seriously? we haven't heard from any of the cops who post -- parade rest? -- but i'm pretty sure there's a standard procedure for someone who refuses to be cuffed but who is not physically endangering the officers or trying to flee: radio for assistance, monitor the situation, make sure he doesn't flee, and when help arrives, overpower and cuff him. a more experienced officer -- yes, it would require some skill and maturity -- might even try to lower the temperature rather than raise it. or, presuming one of the things the victim is saying is that he had permission from the rabbi to sleep there, call the fucking rabbi. no one's going to get murdered if you take five minutes to check an essential fact before making an arrest.
but a cop beating the shit out of someone for essentially being an asshole? 'that's what we pay them for?'
not me.
"Here's a little tip I would like to relate: Many fish bites if you got good bait." -
Smokin' Joe-
Well stated.
In my view, Officer Vega, seems to have concluded that the young man did not know his place vis a vis authority:
-He did not obey the volunteer's demand that he leave.
-He did not obey the officer's demand.
Officer Vega then seems to have concluded that he had the right to teach Mr. Halevy a lesson about respecting those in authority:
-Beat the crap out of him (perhaps literally)
-Allege lots of chargesHad Mr. Halevy left when instructed by the volunteer, the police would have never been called.
Had Mr. Halevy left when instructed by the police, he may have not been arrested, and may have been able to have the Rabbi inform the volunteer he can stay.
By not realizing he can not win this battle even thogh he is right, Mr Halevy is guilty of making a bad situation worse.
By acting in a manner that demonstrates that he alone has the right and obligation to teach Mr Halevy respect for authority, Officer Vega placed his job at risk perhaps only because was caught on camera.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
but a cop beating the shit out of someone for essentially being an asshole? 'that's what we pay them for?'
Thanks Smokin' Joe. I feel the same way. I know cops put up with all kinds of crap, from the obnoxious to the dangerous, all the time, and I appreciate it. But that's the job. That's why we call so many of them heroes.
If I had a kid, I would tell her to always be polite to cops for her own safety, just like I'd tell her not to feed bears. But just because you run the risk of getting beaten by cops for being an idiot and an asshole doesn't mean the cops have a right to do it. It's true that we live in a society where the cops are dangerous - see for example, the case of the deaf woman who called the police to help her when someone was beating her up, and ended up tasered and held in jail for 3 days. That's why so many of us hesitate to call them in an emergency. But police are not wild animals, they're trained, thinking public servants who are responsible for their own actions. This kid's behavior makes him foolish, it doesn't make the cops justified.
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Whynot, Jews say that they are a race. Vega is clearly Spanish; maybe he likes beating up people of lighter hues (to quote).
I know where you were going with this but you can't rule out some sort of racism entirely.
Also the community Jews generally dont respect people not from their community - especially those of darker hues.
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Given NYC's demographics and how specific we could make our identities, I suspect we could make most incidents be based on some difference in hue, race, religion, age etc.
The alternatives to such risks seem limited.
For example, it would be difficult to have only 19 year old, male jewish police officers respond to an incident involving Mr. Halevy.
Taken a step further, if the victims and the alleged perp were different in the slightest, finding a pair of officers that matches the demographics of the people involved would add complexity.
Which officer(s) would be dispatched when a description of the perp is vague?
You gotta love NYC.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Well in my experience, even white cops don't take any shit from me
whynot_31 said:
Given NYC's demographics and how specific we could make our identities, I suspect we could make most incidents be based on some difference in hue, race, religion, age etc.It would be difficult to have only 19 year old, male jewish police officers respond to incidents involving Mr. Halevy
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I will say though, if you "know people" or are a person of power, they will generally relent very quickly.
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When you're being arrested it's not an opportunity to negotiate or refuse. The "no sock law" states that it is unlawful to resist arrest even if you believe the arrest to be unjust or unlawful. Put your hands behind your back and cut the crap. There is recourse for those who are wrongfully arrested and that does not include swinging your hands at a police officer.
These officers gave the perp every opportunity to comply with their orders and he refused. When the perp swings his arms at the officer, the perp has now elevated the encounter and put the officers personal safety at risk. The officer uses neccesary to force to gain compliance and effect the arrest. At any time the perp could simply place his hands behind his back and the force against him would be halted.
And that's the way it is. -
In case readers need a summary of the "no sock" ruling Paraderest references:
§ 35.27 Justification; use of physical force in resisting arrest prohibited. A person may not use physical force to resist an arrest, whether authorized or unauthorized, which is being effected or attempted by a police officer or peace officer when it would reasonably appear that the latter is a police officer or peace officer.
http://law.onecle.com/new-york/penal/PEN035.27_35.27.html
Some of the logic and rationale:
(bolding added)In People v. Simms, (1971) 36 A.D.2d 23, 24, 319 N.Y.S.2d 144 the Court of Appeals stated that
“In a consideration of the legislative intent, we are persuaded by the well-found logic and reasoning in the practice commentary (McKinney's Cons.Laws of N.Y., Book 39) following this section (Penal Law, § 35.27 ) wherein it is stated that: “ ‘The rationale of this so-called ‘no sock’ principle is that to authorize or encourage a person to engage an arresting officer in combat because of a difference of opinion concerning the validity of the arrest being effected or attempted produces an unhealthy situation; that orderly procedure dictates peaceful submission to duly constituted law enforcement authority in the first instance; and that if it develops that the officer was in error and the arrest unauthorized, ample means and opportunity for remedial action in the courts are available to the arrestee.' ” Obviously this statute is designed to protect the physical safety of the average [*25] citizen as well as that of the peace officer, and quite properly discourages altercations and eliminates the risk of injury.
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ny-justice-court/1046984.html
Given this definition, do we have any readers who believe he did not resist arrest?
Paraderest-
Although you perceive the amount of force used by the officer was necessary, do you think this officer will be subject to disciplinary action?For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
CCRB will likely substantiate any allegations should the perp cooperate with their "investigation" and they will likely recommend some sort of discipline. There are many factors involved in whether action is then actually taken against the officer.
And that's the way it is. -
Yes, CCRB seems as if they usually take the complainants side.
That said, (as you point out) their power is limited. Let's assume that the police officer has a clean record, and that the police manage to thwart the efforts of the council members who want to make an example of the cop...
So, in my fantasy scenario, the matter is to be decided soley by a hearing attended by IA and their nemesis: The PBA. What is your guess about the outcome?
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
The website that posted the video, has now posted an editorial:
A homeless man sleeping at a Jewish youth center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was roused from his sleep, wrongly accused of trespassing, then repeatedly and violently pummeled by the police after he jerked his hands and held them behind his back in an effort to non-violently avoid being handcuffed.
The homeless man was then falsely accused of causing the officer to suffer a “sprained wrist, bruises, swelling and scrapes” all resulting in the fabricated charges of “felony count of assault on police officers and three misdemeanors: resisting arrest, obstruction and criminal trespass.”
The following video shows police officer Luis A. Vega flying into an uncontrolled animalistic rage against the homeless Ehud Halevy while Officer Vega’s partner Yelena Bruzzese batters the non-threatening man with a truncheon. Any “sprained wrist, bruises, swelling and scrapes” on the officers were caused by their own violence and overreaction not Mr. Halevy’s conduct.
The lapse of judgment, fit of rage, on the part of the police is inexcusable, but what is even more shocking is what follows the vicious beating: a cold-hearted, fabricated police complaint accusing Mr. Halevy of crimes he never committed. Had a video not revealed the truth, Mr. Halevy could very easily be languishing in prison for crimes he never committed.
The complaint portrays a scenario that completely contradicts the video of the incident. The complaint boldly asserts that Mr. Halev was “swinging … [his] … fists and flailing … [his] … arms … striking …[the police] … about the body.” The video shows Mr. Halevy passively attempting to avoid being handcuffed after he jerks his hands in the air. The police then beat him while he’s curled up in a limp fetal position.
In terms of the charge of resisting arrest, New York Penal Law 205.30 requires that an arrest be authorized and lawful for one to be charged with the crime of resisting arrest. In other words, “[i]f the police made an unlawful arrest and you refuse to be handcuffed during that unauthorized arrest, then the charge of Resisting Arrest, pursuant to New York Penal Law 205.30, is not sustainable.” Since it was determined that Mr. Halevy was not trespassing, he cannot be charged with resisting a trespassing-related arrest because the underlying arrest was determined to be unlawful.
The charges against Mr. Halevy need to be summarily dismissed and the police officers involved need to be charged with lying under oath and falsely accusing someone of a crime. If not for the video camera replaying the truth, the officers’ lies could have led to the imprisonment of an innocent man and the cover-up of a brutal beating.
Let’s hope the NYPD seeks to restore their tattered relationship with the citizens of Crown Heights and hold their own rotten apples accountable.
http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=47638
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
These cops' behavior reminds me of why we used to call them "pigs".
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Anti police brutality advocates are determined to keep this incident in the public's mind, while the police are in the position of telling the public that substansial force is often required to subdue subjects who refuse orders.
Or, to paraphase: "Yes, we used more force than the subject was using. If we used the same amount of force as him, the subject would not be in custody. We aren't there to fight. We are there to win"
DNAinfo » CROWN HEIGHTS — Members of Crown Heights Jewish community say they're taking to the streets Friday to demand justice for Ehud Halevy, the young man whose videotaped beating at the hands of police sparked a firestorm of controversy across Brooklyn after it went viral earlier this week.
Marchers say they will rally at the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue at 2 p.m. Friday to protest the incident, which took place inside the ALIYA community center and synagogue on East New York Avenue on Oct. 8.
"I know a lot of people are upset over what happened at ALIYA a couple of weeks ago," Deputy Inspector John Lewis of the 71st Precinct told a packed house at Middle School 61 on Empire Boulevard Thursday night. "I spoke to (ALIYA director) Rabbi Feiglin and we’re trying to work through this and come to some resolution."
The altercation began just after 4 a.m. on Oct, 8, after a volunteer security guard allegedly found Halevy, 21, sleeping naked in the women's section of the synagogue and called police. Officer Luis Vega, identified by a source close to the precinct as a 20-year veteran of the NYPD and a longtime presence in Crown Heights, can be seen on the surveillance tape repeatedly pummeling the youth after he refused to leave the building.
Halevy was arrested and charged with assault, trespass, resisting arrest, and harassment in connection with the incident. Vega has been put on modified duty pending further investigation.
"There are real sanctions against the officers in this," Lewis said. "If these allegations are substantiated, it’s not going to be retraining."
Outraged residents came clamoring to the precinct's top brass at Thursday's precinct community council meeting, where police spent nearly two hours fielding questions and concerns.
"There's some serious allegations and some serious issues brought up by this video," Lewis said. "We understand there are really serious allegations, but if you’re trying to tell me there’s a culture of police just bashing people, then I'll have to disagree with you."
In fact, Professor Eugene O’Donnell of John Jay College said most civilians simply aren't trained to see the difference between appropriate use of force and brutality.
"I’m surprised it’s creating this much furor," O'Donnell said of the clip. "We need to gain maturity on what police do — they use force on people when they don’t acquiesce and there’s not an alternative."
Whether the incident is ultimately ruled a justifiable use of force, Halevy could still face serious penalties for the handful of felony charges he racked up during the seven-minute tussle.
"When we’re conducting our business and you’re trying to prevent us from conducting our business and there’s an injury involved, that makes it assault in the second degree," Lewis said. "Sometimes we can throw the first punch — absolutely."
Facebook page of organizers:
https://www.facebook.com/events/289294357839310/By the way, the bolded info seems new:
The altercation began just after 4 a.m. on Oct, 8, after a volunteer security guard allegedly found Halevy, 21, sleeping naked in the women's section of the synagogue and called police.
This would indicate to me the volunteer had a big reason to confront Mr Halevy. Even if he Mr Halevy had permission from the Rabbi to be at the center, it seems very unlikely that he was allowed in the women's section at 4 AM.
This volunteer seems to have been doing his job.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
booklaw said:
These cops' behavior reminds me of why we used to call them "pigs".O pls. Cops have one of the hardest jobs in the city, and for the most part (outside of the 75th precinct) don't give anyone too much trouble they didn't have coming. Show some damn respect.
Cops or not, group of guys tell you to STFU and relax, its prob in your best interest to do so, especially if they all have guns and experience/training to put your ass down. This is not a case where cops were out of line, this was cops doing their job.
[Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK
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If this is the way cops are taught to do their jobs, someone else should be doing the teaching.
Cops should not have the right to beat up on non-violent civilians.
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In my experience, it is common knowledge that if you in anyway resist arrest:
-wrestle
-punch
-attempt to run
-run and have them chase you
-refuse to voluntarily turn yourself in after being informed by a Det. that they have a warrant
Police feel that it is their job to have you not act that way in the future. Meaning, you will end up with additional charges that include resisting arrest and have your faced shoved into hard objects, like walls.
The police EXPECT that criminals know that this is the consequence of said actions, and believe that they are simply doing their part of an agreement that was established thousands of years ago.
I.E. "You picked a fight with someone larger than you, and were taught that is a very bad thing to do. I don't know why you had to learn that lesson. I only know that I taught it, and don't teach it to people who already know the material"
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
"while we don't know all the details, the video speaks for itself."
and as all the details start coming out we learn that the video only tells part of the story and you cannot depend on seeing something out of context.
Actually upon seeing the video I felt the officer had every right to beat the snot out of the guy. Even after he started punching, the guy was still resisting and wouldn't let himself be handcuffed. I dont think a nicer request to "please stop resisting" would have worked.
Of course everything could have been avoided if the perp had known how to handle himself, but he didnt and then got what was coming to him.
Even with a larger contingent of officers this jerk was not going to give up easily. Its easy to say that police should not use violence, youre not in there doing the work. Perhaps they should have just tazerd the guy, but again some people would find fault with that.
Quick and efficient, the guy got what was coming to him and then the police can get on with the business. -
The demonstration mentioned above seems to have been attended by fewer people than the organizers hoped.
Photos, commentary: http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=47658#c
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
booklaw said:
If this is the way cops are taught to do their jobs, someone else should be doing the teaching.Cops should not have the right to beat up on non-violent civilians.
If cops played nice, this city would be overrun by actual criminals
Dude resisted arrest, that warrants a physical response
[Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK
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The charges against Mr Halevy have been dropped.
He is lucky video was present.
NYT »
The Brooklyn district attorney, Charles J. Hynes, dropped all criminal charges on Monday against a young man whose arrest inside a Jewish community center in Brooklyn led to allegations of police brutality.Police officers stated in a criminal complaint that the man, Ehud Halevy, 21, attacked them, causing one to suffer a sprained wrist, during an Oct. 8 encounter inside the Alternative Learning Institute for Young Adults on East New York Avenue in Crown Heights. Mr. Halevy was charged with a felony count of assault on police officers and a slew of other charges, including resisting arrest and criminal trespass.
But a video of the arrest, posted on the Internet last Sunday, showed two officers from the 71st Precinct repeatedly striking Mr. Halevy, and casting doubt on the officers’ version of the incident. While the video shows Mr. Halevy trying to pull away from Officer Luis A. Vega and using his arms to break free, it does not show him striking either officer.
Mr. Hynes informed Mr. Halevy’s lawyer, Norman Siegel, of his decision to drop the charges during an afternoon meeting, and issued a statement, of one sentence, announcing the dismissal of the charges.
“We are very pleased,” Mr. Siegel said. “Justice was done.”
Mr. Siegel said he had asked the district attorney to bring criminal charges against the two officers, pointing out that it was a misdemeanor for the police to make “false statements.”
CrownHeights.Info, via YouTube
“There were numerous inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the criminal complaint,” Mr. Siegel said. “Why is the complaint not accurate? That in and of itself is a Class A misdemeanor.”Mr. Hynes did not say whether he would take any action against the officer, merely telling Mr. Siegel that the investigation was continuing, according to Mr. Siegel. Mr. Siegel also said that he would ask Commissioner Kelly to bring disciplinary charges against the officers.
The charges against Mr. Halevy are expected to be formally dropped during a court hearing Wednesday morning, Mr. Siegel said.
The surveillance video, taken by a camera in the center’s lounge, shows Officer Vega assuming a boxer’s stance and punching Mr. Halevy in the head in successive blows and his partner, Yelena Bruzzese, striking Mr. Halevy with a baton for more than two minutes.
After viewing the video last week, the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the district attorney’s office opened separate investigations. Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly placed Officer Vega on restricted duty.
Officers Vega and Bruzzese were responding to a 911 call of a dispute inside the youth outreach center. The police call was made by a center volunteer who told officers that he had found Mr. Halevy sleeping naked on a couch in the lounge and that he refused to leave. The center volunteer, according to the criminal complaint, said Mr. Halevy did not have permission to sleep there.
However, in a later interview, Rabbi Moishe Feiglin, a director at the outreach center, said Mr. Halevy had been given permission to sleep at the center and had been spending nights there for about a month.
The video sparked widespread condemnation from community leaders who questioned how the officers had handled the arrest and whether the arrest should have been made to begin with.
Paul J. Browne, chief spokesman for the Police Department, declined to comment.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
I do agree the cops should get something for making false statements. They did try to lie and cover-up the incident.
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It often takes some time before a decision is made re: what to do with a police officer.
For now, he is on Modified Duty. I'll try to post an update once it becomes available.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Mr. Halevy has given his account of the incident to the press:
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
The Daily News ran an article today about the efforts of the synagogue/center where this took place to create a formal shelter (since they can no longer act as an informal one): http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/controversial-crown-heights-synagogue-beatdown-viral-raise-cash-dorm-article-1.1236826
The project is called "Ehud's Room" in honor of the victim: http://ehudsroom.com/
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The Daily News gives you only part of the story.
Behind the scenes are hard fought victories by the Coalition for the Homeless and other advocates that designed to reduce both the frequency and intensity of such situations, as well as help ensure the safety and cleanliness of facilities providing shelter.
Shelters such as this one have long been subject to the regulations, but enforcement by government agencies has been difficult (and not a priority) because the shelters do not utilize government funding, and often are small enough that they operate under government's radar.
Here are the regulations: http://coalhome.3cdn.net/3112843aa22f007555_wtm6b6bat.pdf
Registration with NYS OTDA and oversight by entities such as the Department of Buildings, and the Fire Department is but a few of the requirements.
....reducing the number of situations in which a lone, overnight volunteer is reliant upon the police for back up in a somewhat routine situation is but one of the goals.
I hope that the lesson of this incident to Officer Vega and the Director of the shelter is as follows: Do your job well or don't do it all.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
When the CCRB agrees that excessive force has been used, it usually recommends disciplinary action.
This foundation report states that the NYPD rarely implements the recommendations of the CCRB; it often implements a punishment that is less severe:
http://www.citizensunion.org/www/cu/site/hosting/Reports/CUReport_AccountabilityPoliceMisconduct.pdf
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
As one might expect, Mr. Halevy is going to file suit against NYC. The Daily News announced it today, Jan 31, 2013
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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