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Cop Accused Of Karate-Chopping Judge Identified, But Still Walking The Beat
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 7, 2012
Modified Jun 7, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 7, 2012
Modified Jun 7, 2012
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A routine allegation of police brutality made headlines yesterday, in no small part because the individual making the accusation is a Very Important Person on the side of the Law. Justice Thomas Raffaele, who sits in the Matrimonial part in State Supreme Court in Jamaica, Queens, says an NYPD officer karate-chopped him in the throat without provocation just after midnight on Friday. Investigators tell the Times the judge has since identified the officer, and an investigation is underway. But for now at least the unnamed officer is still on the beat, free to walk the streets and sweep the leg at will.
Raffaele picked the officer out of a photo array, and the NYPD has confirmed he works in the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights, Queens. The incident occurred when Raffaele, 69, was headed home after cleaning out his parents' old house, which had recently been sold. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans, he came upon a handcuffed man lying face down on the sidewalk at 74th Street near 37th Road, screaming at two police officers standing over him.
One officer—the one who would soon assault Raffaele—was allegedly dropping his knee into the man's back repeatedly. Raffaele says he called 911 because an outraged crowd was gathering and he was concerned the situation could spiral into further violence. Which it did, with Raffaele the alleged victim. He says the officer became enraged and charged at him, perhaps thinking Raffaele was one of the bystanders heckling him. The officer allegedly karate-chopped the judge in the throat, sending him to his knees in great pain. After a visit to the E.R., doctors determined that Raffaele was not seriously injured.
The man in handcuffs, Charles Memminger, sustained "incredibly substantial bruises" on his back and abrasions to his face from where it was pressed into the sidewalk, according to his attorney, who plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city. (He also says he's in possession of video of the incident, which has yet to see the light of day.) Memminger was not charged, and it's still unclear what started the whole thing.
High Commissioner Ray Kelly himself has weighed in on the incident, telling reporters, "The investigation is going forward. We have to assemble the facts and, obviously, talk to officers who were on the scene. That’s all being either conducted now, or will shortly be conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau."
Tagged
cops
judges
karate
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
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