Compiled by Badpuppy's GayToday
From Reports by Mark Hannay & Richard McKewen
At Monday's Political Funeral March for Matthew Shepard and Against Hate in Manhattan, a team of 18 legal observers documented [numerous] alleged incidents of harassment and physical assault by New York City police officers.
All of the legal observers were clearly marked as such, and identified themselves to police as non-protesting observers. Despite that fact, three observers were arrested while carrying out their duties, and two other legal observers were physically assaulted.
The legal observers have documented a total of 136 arrests. The arrests began at 6:20 p.m. Those arrested were taken to at least four different processing centers. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, legal counsel had still not been permitted to meet with any detainees [which continued into this morning.]
Preliminary notes [of incidents witnessed] follow:
Officer Anitra 6448 physically assaulted peaceful protesters while
screaming "Get back faggot!" Another observer saw Anitra repeatedly
pushing peaceful protestors to the ground.
On 43rd St., at least four demonstrators were peacefully sitting down
when seven or eight officers on horseback attempted to trample them. On
horseback were observed officers 17865 (or 17985), 860, Perno (28731 or
28734), Conzyz (28330), 19403.
At lease 3 protestors were injured when they were trampled by horses (a woman with a broken ankle, a woman with abdominal injuries and contusions, and a man with an injured foot.)
One of
the officers on horseback threatened to kill a protester if he "touched
[his] horse". Camptian Riedel refused to halt the actions of the officers
on horseback.
Officer 4270 continued to push people on the sidewalk to
the ground after the horses had dispersed the protesters. Officer
Dougherty verbally mocked the crowd.
Wielding his nightstick, Captain
Shindel physically repeatedly assaulted several people, including two
legal observers and a reporter from [WNYW] Fox 5. Present were Officers
Malone, Brocatto (8793), Leun, Roganella, Francis, and 18792.
A white male in jeans, black loafters, wearing a white T-shirt torn
under the left breast was pinned on the ground by cops. He was clutching
his left breast and asking for help. No blood was visible. The police
did not seek medical assistance. The officers' badge numbers were
[illegally] covered by jackets.
An approximate 5'10" male of south Asian descent wearing glasses and
driving a white mini-van (NJ Lic. plate no. MJ 303C) got out of his
vehicle and struck a marshal at 59th St. and 5th Ave.
A NYC Transit bus driver (bus #018, Q32 route) drove his bus into a
crowd of people, yelling expletives and homophobic slurs.
Officer 21575 on a motorcycle rammed into a non-violent protester [on
5th Ave.] between 50th and 51st Sts.
A man was arrested by Officer Brestle Crimmins 26727. The plastic
cuffs were on so tight that the victgim's hand turned purple. When the
officer finally consented to cutting off the cuffs, he injured the victim
with his cutting pliers.
A non-violent protester was injured while being arrested. While being
transported to jail, he asked for medical assistance. Officer Doyle 953
would not stop the bus. The protester screamed from the bus window for
help (bus #9123.) Captain John Littleton finally stopped the bus at 47th
St. and 5th Ave. and called for an ambulance.
A non-violent protester was thrown to the ground and arrested. the
plastic cuffs were applied too tightly and his hands went numb. Whe the
victim complained, Officer Doyle 953 said no one had the "device" and that
it would be "an hour or two" before the cuffs were removed. Eventually an
officer brought scissors and removed the cuffs. Deep red marks were left
on the protester's wrists.
Officer 13955 continued to cover his badge despite being told by a
legal observer that doing so was illegal.
At the first road block [not sure where this was], a peaceful
demonstrator was beaten, crying out, thrown to the ground and against a
truck by Officer Ferguson 17874.
Officer 11386 in riot gear drove his motorcycle into a group of people.
A non-violent protestor was thrown to the ground by the police.
A white woman with brown hair and glasses in a black skirt and sweater
was assaulted by five police officers. One of the officers threw down his
helmet and chased her with his nightstick.
Two people were arrested simply for talking to the press after the
crowd had dispersed at Madison Square Park.
A protestor was arrested while walking down the sidewalk carrying a
candle. He was not given a reason. After being taken downtown to One
Police Plaza, he was released several hours later without being charged.
Officer Mulroney was forcefully pushing protestors at 53rd [St.] and
5th [Ave.] He grabbed one protester and then pushed him away laughing.
A protestor was arrested for yelling when someone got hit.
A female protestor was pushed to the ground by Officer Hawkins on 59th
St.
Captain Caposa, Schindle, Hoehl were all observed treating protestoer
with unwarranted violence. Officer Cabb 8342 was noted as exhibitng
"severe brutality". Capt. Moldori physically assaulted a TV reporter.
Officer Doudou 4476 physically assaulted a legal observer.
Officer 513 at 6th Ave. and 55th St. drove in a motorcade which
recklessly forced its way into the crowd.
Officer Slifkin physically assaulted a peaceful demonstrator on 6th
Ave.
Officer Millne physically assaulted a peaceful demonstrator.
AT 6:35 p.m. Officer Drestler(?) dragged a woman away by [her] hair,
forcing [her] head down between his knees.
Officer Walsh physcially assaulted a non-violent protester on 5th Ave.
and 34th St.
Officer Brent 26727 attacked a peaceful demonstrator, threw him to the
ground.
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