Man Testifies on Police Acts in Subway

[alp227]

Source: Kareem Fahim, The New York Times

On the witness stand in court Monday morning, finally with a chance to tell his side of the story officially, Michael Mineo yelled, just as he said he did that day in October 2008 when police officers swarmed around him in a Brooklyn subway station.

He said had he yelled to everyone who passed by that the officers had stuck something in his rectum and had implored, “Help me!” In court, Mr. Mineo used more of a stage scream, but it was startling enough.

His graphic, confident testimony came on the second day of the trial, in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, in which Officer Richard Kern faces accusations that he repeatedly rammed a retractable baton between the buttocks of Mr. Mineo, who was 24 at the time and had been strolling down the street smoking marijuana. Two other officers, Alex Cruz and Andrew Morales, face charges that they helped cover up the assault.

Over an hour of direct questioning by the lead prosecutor, Charles Guria, Mr. Mineo spoke in a deep, calm voice that rarely broke, laying out his version of the disputed events of Oct. 15, 2008. Later Monday he was expected to return to the stand for vigorous questioning by the three lawyers defending the officers, who already made his character and background issues in their opening arguments last week.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/nyregion/26mineo.html

[closeupready]

1. This is the kind of story that, in past times, would never have been covered

since discussion is about private parts and, to a lesser extent, show law enforcement officers in a bad light. I hope he gets a huge award.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[Rebubula]

3. 2 Points....

...1st....the cops are assholes in many situations.

2nd...only a complete fucking moron strolls down the street smoking pot. It may or may not be wrong, but it sure is illegal.

That said...no one deserves a baton shoved up their ass.

[Butch350]

4. I hope those cops get the SHAFT!

[Flaneur]

5. Wow, third separate account of police brutality on DU today.

And that's not even counting the Massachusetts cops who beat that guy to death for smoking a joint.

What the fuck is wrong with our police?

[pattmarty]

6. First they have very little actual restrictions on how they act..............

..........and probably the biggest reason is when is the last time you heard of a cop getting convicted of "brutality"? Hell, in the Rodney King case they had it on fucking tape and NONE of the cops were convicted. Same is true in many other cases you here about on the news and in the papers, somebody shot or fucked up somehow and the cops walk. Would you be extra careful of how you handled a situation if you KNEW there would be no consequences?

[mrbarber]

7. They can do whatever they want..

and even if there caught on film or have witness testify against' them, they still get off.

The police force and organized crime have loads in common when it comes to intimidating witness, burying evidence, paying off the right people, etc.

[Arctic Dave]

8. And the cops wonder why people want to "assassinate" them.

[valerief]

9. Tasers, baton ramming, WTF is wrong with American police? Are there Robocop plants scattered among

them?

There's no accountability anymore. Only the innocent get punished.