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Witness Who Objected To Cops Beating Teen Says Cops Attacked Him Too
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 1, 2012
Modified Feb 1, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 1, 2012
Modified Feb 1, 2012
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Bronx resident Javin James was one of several witnesses to an NYPD beatdown caught on video last week, and he says that after he yelled at police to stop, they came after him. James claims he was in his apartment when he saw police beating and kicking 19-year-old Jatiek Reed on Thursday. He went out onto his fire escape and yelled at police to stop because, as he tells NY1, he wanted Reed "to know you are not alone with what is going on there." But after Reed was handcuffed, James says cops came up to his apartment, kicked his door in, and threatened him.
"When they surrounded me and looked at me with gloves on, I knew what was going to happen," James tells NY1. "I just had time to pull my glasses off. And by the time I did that, it was 'boom' [with a punch]. I did [put up my hands] like that to shield my face immediately. I tried to protect my face. I'm shielding my face and this is exposed. He uses his right leg and stomps me here [in the torso]." James says cops then asked him what he saw, and he said he saw nothing, because he was afraid.
According to James, the police then left, but he called 911. A Sergeant and another officer came to his residence and took his complaint, and he later spoke to someone with Internal Affairs. On Facebook, he says he was also contacted by a "big name" lawyer, so you can guess where this is headed.
As for Reed, he's still in jail on a range of charges, including possession of crack cocaine and assaulting a police officer. Police say they saw him toss a bag of drugs aside as police approached him, and then violently resisted arrest when they tried to cuff him. NYPD Internal Affairs is investigating the four officers seen in the video, and they've been relieved of their guns and badges and placed on modified duty. The Bronx DA is also looking into it, and the Post reports that the cops "will not be given law-enforcement assignments pending the outcome of the investigation."
Tagged
bronx
cops
jatiek reed
javin james
nypd
police brutality
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
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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