Friday, March 23, 2007

WHAT'S UP WITH NY COPS ANYWAY


Bronx minister Reverend Indalecio Del Valle claims he was beaten last Thursday night by police after being taken into custody by mistake.

"I saw about ten police officers who drew their guns at me; they come to my car, where I was at my car; one of the police officers opened the door and grabbed my hand; and pulled me out of the car and threw me on the floor,” said Reverend Del Valle.

De Valle says he kept asking why he was pulled over.

"I was telling him, ‘I am a minister,’ he told me to shut up and on the floor he started hitting the right side of my face, and other officers started kicking me in my legs and my back,” said Del Valle. “The officer who was hitting me with his fists on my face told me I shouldn't run over a cop. I didn't know what was going on."

Bronx Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr commented, “It is baffling; it is every word you could think of that on this eve of the decision from the grand jury of Sean Bell that we have to be here and we have to make a complaint about what happened to Rev. Del Valle.”

The following is a report from NY1 News.

Local Leaders Call For Suspension Of Cops That Allegedly Beat Minister

One week after a Bronx minister claimed he was the victim of police brutality, Thursday local leaders called for the suspension of the officers who allegedly beat him.

Reverend Indalecio Del Valle says he was on his way to church last Thursday in Soundview when a police van with about ten police officers, some with guns drawn, stopped him and told him to get out of his vehicle.

He tried to explain who he was, but he claims police attacked and arrested him anyway.

After being battered and bruised he was hospitalized for his injuries and then released.

Del Valle's lawyer drew a parallel between what happened to his client and other well known cases of police violence.

"You are not going to get the stoppings of the Amadou Diallo case, or the Sean Bell case, until you start with the Reverend del Valle case,” said his attorney Michael S. Lamonsoff. “It has to stop and it must stop now."

Police admit Del Valle was mistakenly taken into custody and say they are still investigating the incident.

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