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NYPD White Shirt Under Investigation For Punching Protester
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 18, 2011
Modified Oct 19, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 18, 2011
Modified Oct 19, 2011
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The actions of the NYPD officer seen punching protester Felix Rivera-Pitre in the face during last Friday's Occupy Wall Street protests are officially under investigation. According to the Guardian, the New York Civilian Complaint Review Board is looking into Deputy Inspector Johnny Cardona's use of force. "We have several ongoing investigations involving police interactions with protesters, said the CCRB's spokeswoman, Linda Sachs. Presumably included are the actions of Deputy Inspector Tony Bologna, who pepper-sprayed seemingly innocent women during protests on September 24.
However, unlike Bologna's pepper-spraying, Cardona's punch is not currently being investigated by the NYPD's own Internal Affairs Bureau. Department spokesman Paul Browne, without specifically naming Cardona, claims that Rivera-Pitre attempted to elbow the officer. The police are seeking his arrest for attempted assault on a police officer, obstructing governmental justice, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Rivera-Pitre has retained famed civil rights attorney Ron Kuby, who has advised the NYPD not to charge his client with any crime.
Cardona is also implicated in an incident shortly before Bologna's pepper-spraying, as video shows him lunging over orange netting acting as a NYPD barricade to grab a female protester by the throat, seemingly unprovoked.
Gene O'Donnell, a CUNY law professor and former NYPD officer, tells the paper that white-shirted supervisors like Cardona are in the "hottest seat" during large demonstrations. "There's friction between cops and their leaderships that gets exposed," he says. "That's when you have the potential for over-reaction from people with white shirts. It's a very difficult place for a middle manager to be."
Tagged
civil unrest
felix rivera-pitre
johnny cardona
law and order
nypd
nypd policing tactics
occupy wall street
police brutality
tony bologna
white-shirts
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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