In Their Own Words
Part 6: Corruption and brutality, real and threatened
“The Biggest Gang Here in New York City”: From Serve and Protect to Patrol and Control
Note: PROP originally published this report in May 2013. It is available in .pdf format from the PROP website. PROP is republishing it here in multiple parts to make its content more widely available and in the hope of spreading its findings and message. This report is even more relevant in light of continued public protests and discourse on biased policing practices in NYC and the United States.
“My jeans were ripped. I had bruises on my face. My whole face was swollen. I was sent to the precinct for disorderly conduct. I got out two days later. The charges were dismissed. At central booking, they threw out the charge. No charge.” Keenan H.99
“[NYPD] beat up three brothers from up the block. One of the guys was coming in from buying Chinese food, they told him to get against the wall, he put his hands up — they proceeded to beat him up. His other two brothers came downstairs, and [the cops] just beat them up like it was nothing, like ‘you’re animals.’” Denise.100
“For three days we weren’t allowed to see our son. I finally saw him on his arraignment. When I saw him, I broke down… Even the court officers in there couldn’t believe how they beat him up.” Cap, South Bronx mother of Shabazz, who was brutally beaten by NYPD officers.101
“One day over here, the cops stopped me — plain clothes cop stopped me — they threw me on the floor, because I came out of the building with my brother. They choked me, they arrested me. I slept overnight in jail. When I come out next morning to the judge, they said I was pissing by the building. This was their justification to try to protect themselves.” New Yorker.102
“I have a friend who got beat up by the police. They maced his eye. They threw him on the ground, put their knee on his face, and he didn’t do anything wrong.” Tairece Flowers.103
“There was an ambulance parked in front of the precinct. No one told me that was for my son… We found out that they took my son Shabazz to the hospital, because they beat him up so bad. They couldn’t tell me why. The only thing they could say was, ‘We were told that your son tried to beat up three officers.’ I know that’s not what happened.” Cap, South Bronx mother of Shabazz, who was brutally beaten by NYPD officers.104
“I do feel that it’s important for this [officer] to be disciplined. I don’t know if he should be an officer or not — what he was doing was so violent.” Justice Thomas D. Raffaele, about the NYPD officer who struck him in the throat.105
“After they arrested [Jateik], I have witnesses that say they were still beating him in the van. They still beat him when they brought him to the precinct. Sprayed him in the face with mace in the precinct and everything.” Schuan Reed, Bronx mother of Jateik Reed, 19, who was beaten by NYPD officers.106
“I came in contact with the video about an hour after Jateik was arrested. And it was very, very shocking to me to see my child being beat the way he was being beat. But this is something that I know goes on in the community, on and on and on again.” Rev. Bernard Walker, Bronx father of Jateik Reed, 19, who was beaten by NYPD officers.107
“That’s what [the cop] says to me. ‘Step over here. I don’t want to make a mistake and shoot my partner.’ Now I haven’t resisted; I haven’t raised my voice; I haven’t given him any reason to put out a threat like that.” Bronx resident.108
“You could have got on your walkie-talkie. I gave you my name, my date of birth, you could have ran a check right here and seen that I wasn’t wanted or didn’t have any warrants. You took me in handcuffs — strip-searched me in the precinct — to find out if I had any warrants. And when I didn’t, you just released me, like, ‘OK, go about your day.’” Andre, South Bronx resident, recounting the story of his arrest for disorderly conduct.109
“I said I don’t want to speak to the sergeant because he had something to do with the incident, so he can’t help me. So I asked: ‘What do I have to do to in order to be able to speak to the captain?’ He said, ‘You can’t speak to the captain. We can’t even speak to the captain.’” Schuan Reed, Bronx mother of Jateik Reed, 19, who was beaten by NYPD officers.110
“[The cops] asked me what I was doing in front of the shop and I said I was the owner. They said, ‘No, you’re not. You’re not the owner. Let’s see some ID.’ [Mr. Carrion was then shoved against a wall.] I was like, ‘You’re using police brutality. You’re not supposed to be doing that. Let me show you ID.’” Felipe Carrion, barbershop owner in the South Bronx.111
“While it may have been one out-of-control officer that began the process, no other officer had the courage to stand up against what they knew was a poor decision.” Samantha Zucker, college student, about her arrest.112
“It would’ve been [the cop’s] word over mine. He would’ve said I was resisting and going crazy. It would’ve been brushed under the rug.” Sean Pagan, 19, whose violent treatment by the NYPD was captured on video.113
“Of all the things that go on around here, I’m more scared of the police… They should be our protectors, but we don’t get that feeling in this neighborhood. Every time they approach me I feel threatened.” New Yorker.114
“I really think it’s sad that I was held in shackles for 36 hours without any thought of how my mental illness had impacted this whole situation… In this situation they wanted to penalize me for being ill.” Michelle Benfield.115
“As I walked past the crowd I was grabbed up and tossed up on the wall too… One of the officers planted, I say ‘planted’ because I never possessed the bag of marijuana that he said that I had… I was released after three days of being incarcerated against my free will for absolutely nothing. For simply just walking home from work.” Jerry, Bronx resident, who was arrested on a false marijuana possession charge.116
“Abuse is abuse, and no one deserves to be beaten the way my child has been beaten.” Rev. Bernard Walker, Bronx father of Jateik Reed, 19, who was beaten by NYPD officers.117
“It’s not just about Ramarley. I’m fighting for all these black and Latino men out here, because this is who this problem is affecting. And I’m fighting for my 6-year-old son, knowing that if he gets older and he sees a cop and tries to run, he might get shot in the back — not because he’s doing something wrong, but because he’s scared.” Constance Malcolm, Bronx mother of Ramarley Graham, 18, who the NYPD shot and killed in his home.118
You can read this report in full, and many others, on PROP’s website.