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Cop Accused Of Road Rage Assault Says She Was The Victim
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 12, 2011
Modified Apr 12, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 12, 2011
Modified Apr 12, 2011
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In August 2008, "aspiring poet" Marlon Smith was allegedly beaten, pistol whipped and maced by two off-duty female cops during a road rage incident in the Bronx. He claims Michelle Anglin, 37, and Koleen Robinson, 24, became enraged at Smith for leaving the driver’s door of his Suburban open, almost scraping Robinson's SUV. An angry verbal exchange quickly escalated, and he says the policewomen approached his vehicle and Anglin allegedly blasted him with pepper spray. After the ensuing beatdown, Smith had to get 25 staples to hold together the three gashes in his skull. The officers did not need medical attention, but yesterday Anglin testified that she was the victim.
"He grabbed me, threw me to the ground and straddled me," Anglin said during her tearful testimony in Bronx Supreme Court. "He went ballistic. He was sitting on my stomach and ripping my shirt open. I was just thinking how I was on White Plains Road with my breasts out with all these men staring at me. I felt humiliated. I was supposed to be a police officer and I couldn't handle myself." That, of course, is exactly the point prosecutors are trying to make.
"When this man disrespected you and your partner, you decided to do a number on him," prosecutor Don Levin said during Anglin's cross-examination. "You decided to teach him a lesson." The Bronx DA says the two officers never called for backup during the incident, though Anglin did allegedly tell Smith, "Do you know who you are f----ing with? We are the police." Smith, who reportedly has past arrests for domestic violence and pot busts, has filed a civil suit against the NYPD for $25 million. Officers Anglin and Robinson face a minimum five years in prison if convicted of felony assault charges.
Tagged
cops
marlon smith
michelle anglin
nypd
road rage
the bronx
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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