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Staten Island Man Claims NYPD Beat, Sodomized Him, Then Threatened His Life
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 16, 2011
Modified Oct 16, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 16, 2011
Modified Oct 16, 2011
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A Staten Island man claims that NYPD officers in the Staten Island Gang Squad beat and sodomized him during a drug arrest earlier this year, then threatened his life if he ever came forward with the story.
26-year-old Vincent Delgrosso has filed a lawsuit that alleges that the seven officers who arrested him on Watchougue Road for selling PCP on February 17 "were just stomping on my face for four or five minutes." Delgrosso then details the sexual assault in the filing obtained by the Post: "They pulled my pants down first. I was naked on the ground. They started sticking objects in my rectum. I don't know what they were." Staten Island University Hospital confirmed his injures five days later, including rectal bleeding that was "precipitated by trauma."
Delgrosso claims that the NYPD officers "laughed during the beating and called him a 'faggot,'" before threatening to "shoot him in the mouth" if he told anyone about what happened. The NYPD claims that Delgrosso never requested medical treatment or made any complaints or allegations.
Delgrosso's claims echo those of Abner Louima, who was sodomized and beaten in a Brooklyn precinct in 1997.
Tagged
abner louima
crime
drugs
nypd
police brutality
sodomy
staten island
staten island gang squad
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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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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