HIKIND LEADS ELECTED OFFICIALS IN DENOUNCING BRUTAL POLICE BEATING OF pOLICECROWN HEIGHTS MAN

Assemblyman Hikind surrounded by Crown Heights leaders and elected officials.

NEWS FROM

ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

October 15, 2012

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release

              718-853-9616 (office)      

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HIKIND LEADS ELECTED OFFICIALS IN DENOUNCING BRUTAL POLICE BEATING OF CROWN HEIGHTS MAN

CALLS ON NYPD TO SUSPEND OFFICERS

“I’VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED NEW YORK’S FINEST
BUT THIS WAS FAR FROM THEIR FINEST MOMENT”

At a press conference today, Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) led fellow elected officials in denouncing the beating of a man by NYPD officers. A surveillance video shows Ehud Halevi, who was found sleeping in a youth center in Crown Heights, brutally pummeled by two police officers.

The two police officers—one male and one female—awakened Halevi, argued with him, then attempted to handcuff him. The policeman then squared off and punched Halevi in the face, while the female officer appears to pepper-spray him and beat him with what appears to be a truncheon. Following several minutes of beating, in which Halevi does not appear to defend himself, Halevi was handcuffed and arrested.

“When I was called by the leaders of the Crown Heights community regarding this incident, I was shocked—but my shock turned to horror and utter disbelief when I watched the surveillance video,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “This young man had permission to sleep at this youth center and when questioned he put his hands behind him as if to demonstrate that he was not threatening anyone. If not for the clear evidence of this video, we might believe that Mr. Halevi had committed the crime he was accused of, which included assaulting an officer of the law. But the video proves this was a lie. How many similar claims by law enforcement officers are equally fictitious?”

Halevi spent four days incarcerated after being charged with assaulting a police officer, trespassing, resisting arrest and harassment. This brought strong condemnation from Assemblyman Hikind and his fellow elected officials, including 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.
Rabbi Moshe Feiglin, who runs the youth center where Halevi was beaten and arrested, confirmed that Halevi had permission to sleep at the center.

“This can’t possibly be the type of training that New York City police officers receive,” said Hikind. “I have long been a friend and vocal supporter of the NYPD but this was anything but New York’s Finest in their finest moment. We are demanding an immediate investigation into this incident. These two officers must be suspended for this cruel, unprofessional, unconscionable act.

“Clearly, things have not been good between the Crown Heights community and the police precinct that is here to protect them. It’s a shame that it took an incident like this—and a video to prove it—to change things. But it must change. This type of behavior from a police officer can never be allowed again.”

Police officer squares off to punch man in youth center