NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND
October 17,
2012
Contact: Yehudah
Meth For
Immediate Release
718-853-9616 (office)
973-945-4903 (cell)
HIKIND ASKS
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HYNES TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST MAN
BEATEN BY POLICE IN CROWN HEIGHTS
PRAISES D.A.
FOR DILIGENCE IN HANDLING CASE
Assemblyman
Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is asking District Attorney Charles Hynes to immediately
drop all charges against Ehud Halevi, the man beaten by two NYPD officers after
being found sleeping in a Crown Heights youth center.
“Halevi has been through enough,” said the Assemblyman. “A brutal beating, four days in prison and the knowledge that this incident has caused his parents terrible pain and fear—that’s more than enough for any man who is clearly innocent of the serious charges that were brought against him.
“A surveillance video makes it clear that Halevi did not assault a police officer,” said the Assemblyman. “The people in charge of the youth center make it clear that Halevi was not trespassing. Why go through the ordeal of having charges hanging over his need? The police officer who brutally beat this young man, who does not appear to even defend himself, has been placed on modified assignment. The District Attorney’s office has moved quickly and diligently. Now it’s time to do the next right thing and drop all charges against this young man.”
After being contacted by leaders of the Crown Heights community regarding Halevi’s beating and incarceration, Assemblyman Hikind led a number of elected officials in a public condemnation of the police brutality and a demand for an investigation into the incident. On Monday, Hikind was joined in a public condemnation of the NYPD officers’ actions in Crown Heights by NYS Senator Eric Adams, Assemblyman Karim Camara, NYC Public Advocate Bill deBlasio, NYC Comptroller John Liu, Councilwoman Letitia James, as well as Crown Heights community leaders Barry Sugar (president of the Crown Heights Jewish Leadership Council) and Chanina Sperlin.
Hi Dov,
ReplyDeleteAs a former law enforcement officer I can tell you that I was absolutely appalled by what I watched in the video that has been posted on line. You have this shirtless young man standing in a non-aggressive defensive posture when out of the blue the male officer begins to throw BOXING punches. I suppose he thought he was going to take down this individual MMA style by "softening him up first". It did not appear that there were was even an attempt to say turn around with your hands behind your back or an attempt to reach for this individual's arm to handcuff - he just started hitting. When the unarmed individual was on the couch the beating assault continued with fists and then the officer's baton??!!! The female officer should also be taken to task for macing him on the couch - a little late and a dollar short. The mace should have been used prior as non-lethal force if it was going to be used at all as a way to gain compliance - this individual was never going to comply because he was being beaten. Finally, they all could have just waited for DOZEN plus officers who soon arrived on the seen and this person could have been easily subdued without ANY incident if that was even required. This once again shows that NYPD officers are still not being trained how to deal with special needs individuals. It again recalls the incident where a person was tazed as he was sitting on a high perch and fell down and died or the time they shot an individual holding a hammer. I am truly disgusted.
Stan Cohen
Wesley Hills, NY