New Case - Mar. 14, 2009 Witness #1

Witness #1
Male – 17 years old

Around 7 pm, I was walking from my friend’s house that lives down the street, across the street from Bona Grille. We were walking to the store at the Citgo Station. We were there to buy Blank-n-mild Mini-cigars. We weren’t part of the pub crawl and weren’t interested in it.

After buying the cigars we were walking out I saw my friend ‘A’ when we were walking in front of the Dunkin Donuts (DD), he was on his way in the Dunkin Donut and I waved Hi. We walked past DD where there is another parking lot next to the bar, I don’t know the name. I turned around because there started to be a lot of police in the area and I heard screaming, like it was crowds of people making that noise. So I walked over to see what was going on and that was when I saw Officer XX grab ‘B’s hair by the braid and rip it out. I was around 5’ feet away, just watching. I saw Officer XX slam ‘B’s face into the car at least 2 times. I was in shock.

I didn’t know that the cops could do something like that out in front of everyone. The crowd was still mostly in front of the DD and now I saw the other cops coming toward me. Some were on the road coming around Officer XX’s car toward me and others were coming from the crowd on the sidewalk to ward me. That’s when they started screaming, “Back up the Fuck up! Back the Fuck up!” Two dogs were over by ‘B’. The dogs were on leashes and they were growling at ‘B’. The other dog was in the middle of the street watching the rest of the crowd.

I backed up and walked to the Barking Frog (a bar) parking lot to walk back toward the Citgo Gas Station store. I was walking around because my other two friends were over on that side and we were split up and I wanted to get back together with them.

I join the crowd in front of DD and it was then that I saw 2 officers hit ‘B’ in the head with their flashlights. I saw at least 2 officers with tasers hitting him too. That’s when I stepped back because then the 2 officers that had the dogs on ‘B’, turned to the crowd and they started saying, “Back the Fuck up or we are going to let the dogs bite you.” There was at least 20-35 people in the crowd. Everyone was yelling at the cops saying, ‘That’s messed up!” People were taking pictures with their cameras. I wanted to see everything that was happening to see how the Beacon cops do things.

I have always heard that the Beacon cops do people dirty. I was 16 when the cops slammed me to the ground, Officer XX threw some racial slurs at me, I got no phone call at the police station, I was in a cell that smelled like piss which gave me an asthma attack, and they didn’t read my rights and stole $30 from me.

Anyway, the crowd backed up deeper into the DD parking lot and the cops grabbed ‘B’ by his neck and put him car. That was the second time I saw Officer XX and 2 other officers slam ‘B’s face before putting him in the car. When they did that the cops were heading towards the car and I walked into DD. I looked behind me for my friends to make sure they were all right. That’s when I saw the cops slam my friend ‘C’. He was by the DD sign on the sidewalk. I saw them slam him and I saw my friend ‘D’ fall. I saw her get back up. That’s when more 2 or 3 more cops jumped on ‘C’ and they grabbed his arms and legs and put their knee in his back.

Then my friends came into the DD and we were talking about ‘how crazy the cops were going out there.’ I look back out the window and now I saw ‘D’ at the newspaper stand and the cop pushing her up against the stand. There was another girl in the crowd watching what was going on. She was like 10’ away from ‘D’. She was over by ‘C’ and she was watching that. The female cop from Beacon pushed her down on the sidewalk. The girl sat on the sidewalk and the female cop from Beacon was standing behind her with hand on the girls neck squeezing it and the girl was hunched over. Another female officer came over while the girl was in this position and just punched her in the face.
She yelled to the girl, “Stop Moving!” while she punched her. But I was watching the entire time and she wasn’t moving because the other cop had her so tight by the neck.

When I saw that I finally said, “I am out of here. They are beating females and we got to go.” So I am on my way out of DD and around 3 cops come in and tell everyone to get out even people who were buying stuff. There were around 10 people in the store. So me and my friends left and we went to our homes.

Mar. 14, 2009 Guns drawn and pointed at videotapers gathering evidence

New Case - Feb. 26, 2009

Complaint filed by witness vs. the City of Beacon Police Department.
An eyewitness who will remain anonymous on this blog documented on a complaint form with the City of Beacon that on,

"February 26, 2009 at approximately 4:30 pm on Main Street,

unnecessary and excessive use of force was used to subdue a subject.

The subject was unknown to the witness.

While subject was under custody of 2 officers on the ground,

Alan Castro, a City of Beacon Police Officer,

intentionally had his police dog attack and bite subject 2 separate times.

This occurred in view of a large crowd that had gathered.

This witness saw the male, african-american youth on the ground and subdued

while there was a large crowd of youth surrounding.

The girlfriend of the youth was taking photographs or video with her cell phone. "

Documenting police activity is necessary to protect the rights of the City of Beacon residents who interact with the City of Beacon Police Department. Soon after, all remaining squad cars and police officers were on the scene to 'disperse the crowd'. It was then that documentation ceased.

There is no further information on the identity of this youth, what the outcome of this action was, and no access to the documentation. If you have any information, please contact: Fonda Muhammed, Chairperson of the Human Relations Commission. The Human Relations Commission is working with this blogmaster to return safety and order to the residents of the city of Beacon.

Oct. 31, 2008 Victim #3 - Male, 21 years old.

I was at the 2 parked cars in Mr. Xxx’s driveway, talking with some friends and I looked down the long driveway and saw 2 cars driving with no lights and then suddenly then put on their lights and spotlights and I said, “Yo, that’s the cops!”

That's when I ran. I have had bad experiences in the past with the Beacon Police. They know my name, they know me, they have roughed me up and threatened me numerous times. I ran to the shed in Mr. Xxx’ s back yard. I got up on the roof and hid there. No cops saw me up there. I was there for like 3-4 minutes. Then I saw 1 car pull into Mr. Xxx’s house from 9D, and after that, another car pulled in to the neighbor’s house driveway next door on 9D. I started thinking, “What am I doing up here? I didn’t do nothing wrong.”

As I was getting down from the roof, I saw the cop walking onto Mr. Xxx’s driveway from next door. Before he saw me, I put my own hands up and I said, “ I don’t want no problems.” He said, “Get the fuck on the ground! Get the fuck on the ground (victim #3's last name)! I’m not playing!”

I am pretty sure it was Mr. Azario (sp?). I know him and it sounded like him and I think that’s who it was. I saw Castro there with his dog and another white, male sergeant that I didn’t recognize. A female cop arrived toward the end. I also believe Martinez was there with his dog, but don’t quote me on it.
So I got on the ground. I asked” What’s going on? Talk to me.”

“Not now! Just chill out!” Then he lifted me by the handcuffs to a standing position and I would say it was with hard hands because he didn’t touch me, he used the cuffs to lift me up. He walked me over to his car in the neighbor’s driveway. Then he threw me onto the hood by pushing my back and said, “Got anything in your pockets?”
“I don’t have nothing.” I said
Then he searched me.
“Am I under arrest?” I asked.
“No. We’re conducting an investigation.”
“Well, if you’re conducting an investigation, why haven’t you read me my rights? Why am I in these handcuffs?”
Then he sat me in the car and said, “We’re conducting an investigation. We’ll be back with you.” He then proceeded to announce, “I got (victim #3's last name).” into his walky-talky.
I sat there for 20-30 minutes. When the officer returned he said, “ All right, see you later. Have a good night.”
I asked, “What was the purpose of spending a half hour in your car?”
After the incident, a number of my friends said the cops were asking them, “Were you with (victim #3's last name).” ?”

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Oct 31, 2008 Incident - Victim #2

I was walking home on Dutchess Terrace toward Verplank Ave., leaving X’s house.

All of a sudden police ran up in front of me on the street, they were on foot and they had a police dog. They were yelling, “Get down on the fucking ground! Get down on the fucking ground or else we’ll make the fucking dog bite!!!”

I got down on the ground on my stomach with my arms outstretched out in front. They grabbed my arms with a yank and cuffed me. There was a cop with a flashlight pointed at me with a gun under the flashlight. The flashlight and the gun were pointed at me, approximately 10’ away. They searched my pockets in back and in front.

I asked, “What is this for? What about having my rights read to me?”
I was answered, “We don’t have to read you your rights.”

Then they put me in a cop car. I gave them my NYS ID card and then they ran it through the computer. After 10 minutes they said, “OK, you can go.”
But I still wanted my questions answered, so I asked, “What was this for?” “What about having my rights read to me?”
They said, “Just go.”

I noticed there was something missing from my pocket and asked them for it. They gave it back. I went home. I didn’t want to ask them about my rights anymore. I didn’t want to push it and ask for more trouble.

Oct 31, 2008 Incident - Complaint Filee Report

Incident Date: Thursday, October 31, 2008
Incident Time: Approximately 1:00 am

As of November 17, 2008, although told by the Mayor of the City of Beacon, that the City Council will be investigating the case, none of the incident victims have been contacted about their experiences.

At 1:00 am on October 31, 2008 on the private property of xxx, the City of Beacon Police Department, BPD, failed to implement the guidelines. Xxx's account of the incident is as follows:

"Last Saturday night several City of Beacon youth and myself witnessed police activity that proved that even though the police are there to enforce laws, it appears that to achieve law enforcement, they need to bypass correct police guidelines and actually break the laws set in place the the U.S. Constitution and adopted procedure. "

"Late Thursday Night at approximately 1:30 am several police officers were dispatched to my home on North Ave to investigate a group of city youth that were gathered together enjoying each other's company. The following are some issues that are disturbing and need to be brought to light: The police initially broke the law's set forth in the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by entering my property without a warrant or permission.

Approximately 10 youths were ordered by police to 'get on the ground'. The officers were yelling at the youth who were engaged in legal, social activity, on my property. The youth were threatened with guns drawn and police dogs. The youth were told if they did not comply with getting on the ground that they would be attacked by the dog. All of the male youths were handcuffed while laying down.

They were not informed of their rights. The police told them, that they were doing an investigation. One of the youth, had a gun put to his head, was hit on the head with a flashlight, along with another with whom he was lying on the ground next to, shoulder to shoulder. One youth had his face stepped on by an officer, as the officer stepped over him to hit another on the head with his flashlight. Even though there were no radios playing or contraband found, guns were drawn and more than one youth was assaulted.

No one broke any laws and no one was arrested, no tickets were written. 5 female youth were also ordered to lay on the ground, face first, with their hands behind their backs. When I came out of my home, the officers started screaming at me, “Back the fuck up! Get back in your fucking house. We know who you are!”

The next morning I went to BPD Headquarters to file a complaint and requested a complaint form. The forms were supposed to be available, according to Federal Guidelines. I was told by the sergeant on the desk 'they don't have complaint forms.' After denying my repeated request for a complaint form I was told that I could go 'upstairs' to the City Hall Office and fill out a Freedom of Information Act Form, if I wanted to get a list of the officers involved so that I could file an informed complaint.

Besides not being given a complaint form, I also observed that the sergeant was not wearing a name plate, even thought the Federal Guidelines recommended that they do so. I am aware of a Use of Force form that officers need to fill out during an incident such as this.

I called Mayor Steve Gold after visiting the BPD. I told him of my attempt to complete a complaint form. I also asked him for a copy of the completed Use of Force form. He told me that 'he will investigate this incident’. The BPD and the city did not earn any respect from these youth and actually now probably worry that the police are not there to protect them. I worry about my children's safety and that of the youth in this town, that they may come into contact with the police.

Oct 31, 2008 Incident - Victim #1

Account #1 - Male, 20 years old

"I Heard “Cops are coming!”, next thing, they swarmed us out of nowhere. I think they were 5 cop cars pulled into Mr. XXX's driveway really fast. 3 cars came in from the neighborhood and 2 came in from 9D.

I was sitting in xxxx’s car in the front driver seat with my girlfriend, making out. My friend X was in the back seat with his girlfriend. Next we hear all the cops screaming “Get down on the fucking floor! Get down on the fucking floor! ”

I got out of the car and now I hear, “Get down on the fucking floor or else I’ll make the dog bite!” As I walked to the front of the car I got hit on the back, right-side of my head with his police flashlight. One week later, I still have the lump. As I was falling to the ground, the officer stepped over me and stepped on my jaw. Then he did the same to X. He hit X with his flashlight, also on the back, right-side of his head. X was also lying on the ground, on his stomach, shoulder to shoulder with me.

Then he came back and handcuffed me. I don’t know why he kept beating on me, I was complying.

As I looked up, I saw a flashlight and a gun pointed at me. The cops arms were crossed. A flashlight was in one hand and the gun was in the other. The gun was pointed at my face approximately 4-5’ away. I had no idea what was going on or why. They searched my pockets in the back and then rolled me over and checked my pockets in front.

We kept asking, “Why are you doing this?” They were screaming, like hysterical, “Get down on the fucking floor!” like it was a huge bust or something. We had been hanging out in the driveway not doing anything. They searched everyone’s pockets, rolling other people over.

Then Mr. X, who owns the house, came out. The cops started screaming, “Back up! Back the fuck up!!!” Then the cops said, “We know who you are!!! Back the fuck up!” The cops were walking around looking for stuff. One of my friends was in a vehicle and he got out and they had him standing the whole time. They were searching in the cars and on the ground. I couldn’t see any name tags. No one said why this was happening. All they said was, “Are we going to have to come back here?”

Why would they show up and use so much force on just a suspicion?

No arrests, no tickets. No one was read their rights.