06/01/08) YONKERS - Members of the National Black Police Association and NAACP called for change Sunday at a Yonkers news conference after video was released showing a cop slamming a woman.
The groups want local politicians and police to address what they feel is a longstanding practice of police brutality against Westchester minorities. While an internal probe cleared Officer Wayne Simoes in the 2007 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating.
Simoes was later promoted to detective, which outrages community leaders. "To slam a woman, put her in the hospital and bring her up on trumped up charges – which took her a year to beat – and now to get promoted in the process. That's ridiculous," said Damon Jones, of the National Black Police Association.
Their outrage is in response to stunning video that was recently released. It shows Simoes throwing 44-year-old Irma Marquez on the floor face-first. Authorities maintain Marquez was blocking officers from helping her niece, who was hurt in a fight.
A jury acquitted Marquez last month on charges stemming from the case. She has filed an $11.3 million lawsuit against Simoes, nine other Yonkers officers and the city.
news12.com
BLACKWATCH
Who is Policing the Police in Westchester County?
The dreadful incident that happen to Ms. Marquez is another example that something must be done with the ungodly attitude of policing in Westchester County when it comes to people of color or the poor community’s. As citizens we can no longer tolerate Police Criminality in our communities.
Nobody in Westchester is “Policing the Police”!!! It is time for Law and Policy makers of Westchester County to create County wide Law Enforcement Oversight or County wide Independent CCRB (Civilian Complaint Review Board). There must be balance for the citizens and accountability for law enforcement in Westchester County.
If the Westchester DA Janet DiFiore’s office does not go after these rouge Police Officers for there criminal conduct. She and her office have once again proved her office is incapable of handling cases that involved Police Criminality. The lack of swift accountability of the DAs office give more reason for the need for a permanent State-level Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute cases that involve alleged Police brutality and Police misconduct.
The Westchester Chapter of the National Black Police Association fully supports the Marquez family and every family that have been victimized by Police Criminality.
BLACKWATCH
This cop would not have done that to a white woman, somebody that looked like him, his sister, or mother. His conduct towards this woman was wrong. He may have had the right to take her down, but nothing in her conduct, at least on the video, suggest that she deserved to be handled so violently.
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