How many times will the law enforcement community and the people that they serve allow our elected officials to risk the safety of our community and the lives of our dedicated law enforcement officers?
The recent decision of the Yonkers City Council and Mayor not to authorize and provide funding to the Yonkers Police Department to purchase new bullet proof vests is unacceptable. It indicates to us that the bottom line is more important than the safety of the men and women who place their lives on the line for eight to sometimes sixteen hours a day.
The National Black Police Association has found that these careless governmental decisions have occurred not only in Yonkers but elsewhere in Westchester County. When you have cities such as Mount Vernon and Yonkers that have been infected with Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), gang members video-taping themselves with SALW, along with the rise of people being shot at or killed, the Police Departments should be well trained and equipped to do their jobs. They need to have the best equipment and training those professionals should have available to them. For any officer to go 5 to 10 years in this type of environment without the municipalities updating their body armor is an insult to the police officers and their families.
Unfortunately these decision makers will not properly respond until a life is lost. Regretfully if a life is lost, shortly thereafter a report would most likely be issued, more recommendations given and still nothing would be corrected. Why? This is because effective correction of a problem such as this in law enforcement costs money. It’s the NBPA’s opinion; our leaders would rather foolishly bury their heads in the sand and hopethat an officer is not mortally wounded than have the courage to invest in the safety of our law enforcement professionals.
In Unity and Peace
Damon K. Jones
North East Region Representative
National Black Police Association
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Response to Janet Defiore and the Mt. Vernon Democratic Committee
In response to the statement and press conference by Janet Defiore and the so-called Mt. Vernon Democrat supporters on the recent mailing of a flyer that had myself and Tony Castro candidate for District Attorney. It is amazing that Janet Defiore and her supporters would jump to conclusions so fast. No one asked me if I was responsible for sending this mailing out. I was asked to give a statement by Mr. Zherka, which I did, in support of Castro. That is all! The P.O. Box address is registered in Mr. Zherka’s name. We must wonder, is this the same form of research used by Janet Defiore to prosecute cases? No wonder Naimah Yancy, Dara Massey, Primivita Diaz, Irma Marquez, and Lance Cooper were all falsely prosecuted by Janet Defiore’s office. This is the same Democratic Party City Committee that did not know how to legally and properly submit petitions. So, it is no wonder they would falsely accuse me of doing something I did not do without properly finding out the facts.
Now that an attack has been made by Janet Defiore and these so-called Mt. Vernon Committee leaders on my character; without doing proper research of the facts; it is incumbent that I respond with Actual Facts.
The District Attorney’s office must be held accountable in failing to prosecute shootings and attempted murder cases. Those actions allow these offenders to walk the streets of Mount Vernon unchecked, often times holding the community hostage and paralyzed by fear. It is only a matter of time before they commit another murder, which is often in these same poor, immigrant and disadvantaged communities throughout Westchester. The District Attorney’s office refuses to prosecute, even when they have witnesses or compelling evidence. If these same shootings, as well as drug and violent crimes occurred in Rye and or Scarsdale, the District Attorney’s office would most certainly prosecute. SO WHY ARE THEY SUPPORTING HER?
The “sweep under the rug technique” used by Westchester politicians and the DA’s office was a disservice to the Ridley Family, the four County Police Officers, ALL Mt. Vernon Police Officers and the Mt. Vernon Community. I will never forget the Detective Ridley tragedy and by no means will I ever use it for any political gain, because I am not a politician. I have supported the Ridley family from the beginning. I have stood with Stan Ridley when he announced his lawsuit against the county and Janet Defiore when none of these so-called Democratic community leaders would. Where were these so-called community leaders and supporters, then? I have supported the Ridley family from the beginning and will support them to the end. The question is, can these so-called community leaders say the same?
I have given service to the community of Mt. Vernon for over a decade. I was president of the Universal Community Development Corp. I was a member of Ujima Million Man March organization. I even worked on the plans for the Hip-hop Museum under former Mayor Davis. My son was born and lives in Mt. Vernon. I have been consistent in fighting for Human and Civil Rights violations of people of all colors. If there is an interloper around, it is these so-called leaders of the Democratic committee of Mt. Vernon. They interlope on the community’s Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Action.It is time for Revolutionary thinking in how the people of Mt. Vernon handle Politics, Policies and Procedures that affect our everyday life. Begin the change now!
Damon K. Jones
Now that an attack has been made by Janet Defiore and these so-called Mt. Vernon Committee leaders on my character; without doing proper research of the facts; it is incumbent that I respond with Actual Facts.
The District Attorney’s office must be held accountable in failing to prosecute shootings and attempted murder cases. Those actions allow these offenders to walk the streets of Mount Vernon unchecked, often times holding the community hostage and paralyzed by fear. It is only a matter of time before they commit another murder, which is often in these same poor, immigrant and disadvantaged communities throughout Westchester. The District Attorney’s office refuses to prosecute, even when they have witnesses or compelling evidence. If these same shootings, as well as drug and violent crimes occurred in Rye and or Scarsdale, the District Attorney’s office would most certainly prosecute. SO WHY ARE THEY SUPPORTING HER?
The “sweep under the rug technique” used by Westchester politicians and the DA’s office was a disservice to the Ridley Family, the four County Police Officers, ALL Mt. Vernon Police Officers and the Mt. Vernon Community. I will never forget the Detective Ridley tragedy and by no means will I ever use it for any political gain, because I am not a politician. I have supported the Ridley family from the beginning. I have stood with Stan Ridley when he announced his lawsuit against the county and Janet Defiore when none of these so-called Democratic community leaders would. Where were these so-called community leaders and supporters, then? I have supported the Ridley family from the beginning and will support them to the end. The question is, can these so-called community leaders say the same?
I have given service to the community of Mt. Vernon for over a decade. I was president of the Universal Community Development Corp. I was a member of Ujima Million Man March organization. I even worked on the plans for the Hip-hop Museum under former Mayor Davis. My son was born and lives in Mt. Vernon. I have been consistent in fighting for Human and Civil Rights violations of people of all colors. If there is an interloper around, it is these so-called leaders of the Democratic committee of Mt. Vernon. They interlope on the community’s Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Action.It is time for Revolutionary thinking in how the people of Mt. Vernon handle Politics, Policies and Procedures that affect our everyday life. Begin the change now!
Damon K. Jones
Monday, August 24, 2009
True Community Based Policing is the Core for a Better Community for All
In a post 9-11 world, the police have become more militarized in operation and thinking. The new police exist in the U.S. as a paramilitary force, the role of protect and serve is to preserve the system just as it is and do the bidding of the power elite. Any other analysis of the role of police is just romanticized nonsense.
Community-based policing is both a philosophy (a way of thinking) and an organizational strategy (a means to carry out that philosophy) that allows the police andcommunity to work together in new ways to solve problems of crime, disorder and safety. It rests on two core elements: changing the methods and practice of the police and taking steps to establish a real working relationship between the police and the community they claim to protect and serve.
The philosophy is built on the belief that the community deserves an input into policing, and indeed, has a right to it. It also rests on the view that in order to find solutions to community problems, the police and the public must move beyond a narrow focus on individual crimes or incidents, and instead consider innovative ways of addressing community concerns.At the heart of community-based policing is the recognition that the police are much more than mere crime fighters and can be public servants in other ways. The end goal is the creation of a professional, representative, responsive, and accountable institution that works in partnership with the public. These ‘peace officers’ are a service rather than a force, and an institution that only criminals need rightly fear.
Achieving these goals requires taking action at three levels: individual, institutional, and social. Even as the values of service and competency are imparted at the level of the individual officer, an appropriate management structure capable of embedding and sustaining these values must be created as well. In order to achieve this goal, management must first have a relationship with the community. Reform to the police alone, however, is insufficient; community support and assistance are also necessary to achieving the basic goals of the police. Community-based policing, therefore, also encompasses strategies to reorient the public who, for frequently good reasons, have been leery and distrustful of the police. However, beyond a rhetorical commitment to community policing there has been little sense of how to operate a process to achieve the changes sought. In the best-case scenario, management should come from the community; have a true history with the people in that community so it will enable them to better manage the rank and file to give proper service to the community through law enforcement.
In the communities of color in Westchester, the crime rate has escalated with the insurgence of weapons in the communities. Controlling the availability and circulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is vital in the effort to increase community safety, the aim of community-based policing. However, citizens will only be willing to hand over firearms in their possession if they perceive an improvement in public safety and security and if they have a certain degree of trust in the police and other security agencies. This is where community- based policing can play an important role in strengthening SALW initiatives. Similarly, if there is a good working relationship between the policing and the community, it will be easier for the policing to obtain information about arms caches or transit routes for arms trafficking.
Community-based policing can contribute to a wider poverty reduction strategy. Several agencies and governments have recognized the links between security, development, and poverty reduction. High levels of crime stifle development in any community, businesses become the victims of crime, commercial activities are interrupted, and outside investment leaves.The poor and marginalized also suffer disproportionately from the effects of crime and violence. They lack adequate protection from corrupt or dysfunctional security institutions. The poor are also often marginalized when it comes to political or social structures and are likely to have very little influence over the policies and programs that affect their daily lives.Community-based policing, through its partnership approach, aims to ensure that the safety and security needs of all groups in a particular community are addressed. In this way, the police can facilitate all people’s access to justice, regardless of their social oreconomic status.
Addressing local needs while effectively combating crime improves safety and security, and with it, strengthens the conditions for development to take place.Policing is an activity that is not carried out in isolation. All the disparate aspects of policing that individual officer are called upon from issuing parking tickets to thwarting crimes impact and involve other institutions and processes. In closing, effective Community Policing will link other criminal justice institutions. The Police Department is the primary entry point to the justice system and the part in closest contact with the public. A fair, competent, non-discriminatory, and respectful police is integral to upholding the rule of law. Along with courts and the correctional service, the police are an essential part of the ‘triad’ of institutions needed to make a justice system run effectively and truly serve its community.
In Unity and In Peace,
Damon K. Jones
North East Region Representative
National Black Police Association
Community-based policing is both a philosophy (a way of thinking) and an organizational strategy (a means to carry out that philosophy) that allows the police andcommunity to work together in new ways to solve problems of crime, disorder and safety. It rests on two core elements: changing the methods and practice of the police and taking steps to establish a real working relationship between the police and the community they claim to protect and serve.
The philosophy is built on the belief that the community deserves an input into policing, and indeed, has a right to it. It also rests on the view that in order to find solutions to community problems, the police and the public must move beyond a narrow focus on individual crimes or incidents, and instead consider innovative ways of addressing community concerns.At the heart of community-based policing is the recognition that the police are much more than mere crime fighters and can be public servants in other ways. The end goal is the creation of a professional, representative, responsive, and accountable institution that works in partnership with the public. These ‘peace officers’ are a service rather than a force, and an institution that only criminals need rightly fear.
Achieving these goals requires taking action at three levels: individual, institutional, and social. Even as the values of service and competency are imparted at the level of the individual officer, an appropriate management structure capable of embedding and sustaining these values must be created as well. In order to achieve this goal, management must first have a relationship with the community. Reform to the police alone, however, is insufficient; community support and assistance are also necessary to achieving the basic goals of the police. Community-based policing, therefore, also encompasses strategies to reorient the public who, for frequently good reasons, have been leery and distrustful of the police. However, beyond a rhetorical commitment to community policing there has been little sense of how to operate a process to achieve the changes sought. In the best-case scenario, management should come from the community; have a true history with the people in that community so it will enable them to better manage the rank and file to give proper service to the community through law enforcement.
In the communities of color in Westchester, the crime rate has escalated with the insurgence of weapons in the communities. Controlling the availability and circulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is vital in the effort to increase community safety, the aim of community-based policing. However, citizens will only be willing to hand over firearms in their possession if they perceive an improvement in public safety and security and if they have a certain degree of trust in the police and other security agencies. This is where community- based policing can play an important role in strengthening SALW initiatives. Similarly, if there is a good working relationship between the policing and the community, it will be easier for the policing to obtain information about arms caches or transit routes for arms trafficking.
Community-based policing can contribute to a wider poverty reduction strategy. Several agencies and governments have recognized the links between security, development, and poverty reduction. High levels of crime stifle development in any community, businesses become the victims of crime, commercial activities are interrupted, and outside investment leaves.The poor and marginalized also suffer disproportionately from the effects of crime and violence. They lack adequate protection from corrupt or dysfunctional security institutions. The poor are also often marginalized when it comes to political or social structures and are likely to have very little influence over the policies and programs that affect their daily lives.Community-based policing, through its partnership approach, aims to ensure that the safety and security needs of all groups in a particular community are addressed. In this way, the police can facilitate all people’s access to justice, regardless of their social oreconomic status.
Addressing local needs while effectively combating crime improves safety and security, and with it, strengthens the conditions for development to take place.Policing is an activity that is not carried out in isolation. All the disparate aspects of policing that individual officer are called upon from issuing parking tickets to thwarting crimes impact and involve other institutions and processes. In closing, effective Community Policing will link other criminal justice institutions. The Police Department is the primary entry point to the justice system and the part in closest contact with the public. A fair, competent, non-discriminatory, and respectful police is integral to upholding the rule of law. Along with courts and the correctional service, the police are an essential part of the ‘triad’ of institutions needed to make a justice system run effectively and truly serve its community.
In Unity and In Peace,
Damon K. Jones
North East Region Representative
National Black Police Association
Monday, July 27, 2009
Professor Gates Nightmare is a Black Mans Reality
The incident that happened to our beloved brother Professor Henry Lewis Gates Jr. is a constant reminder of the true meaning of institutionalized racism. The reality is; it just doesn’t matter if you’re a student from New Rochelle, N.Y. with a scholarship, a world renowned professor of learning, or an off duty police officer making an arrest, as long as your skin color is Black, the institution of policing sees you as a criminal first.
We question Sgt. Crowleys report of the incident by the simple fact that the department dropped the charges. Disorderly Conduct Charges are common among cases found when the actions of the arresting officer are in question. Most victims of racial profiling live at poverty level or below and do not have the means to afford proper legal representation. The majority are ill-advised regarding their charges and have no other choice but to plea bargain for a lesser charge. Mr. Gates is not the average person that couldn’t afford good legal council. They knew that Mr. Gates had the finances to fight the charges to the full extent of the law. So it was expedient for the officials of Cambridge to drop the charges to save the embarrassment of a possible law suit for false arrest.
President Obama and Massachusetts Governor Patrick were correct when freely criticizing the actions of Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department. The National Black Police Association has been addressing this issue for decades. Politicians and policy makers have kept their eyes wide shut for too long to this ongoing problem. We have seen the civil rights of our mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers repeatedly violated and abused. How many more reports of police misconduct and criminality must we hear about until Politicians have the testicular fortitude to ask for accountability and proper oversight in law enforcement nation wide?
The National Black Police Association has been in existence since 1972 nationally and has chartered organizations in the United Kingdom, Canada and Bermuda. The principal concerns of the National Black Police Association are the promotion of justice, fairness, and effectiveness in law enforcement issues and the effect of those issues upon the total community.
We question Sgt. Crowleys report of the incident by the simple fact that the department dropped the charges. Disorderly Conduct Charges are common among cases found when the actions of the arresting officer are in question. Most victims of racial profiling live at poverty level or below and do not have the means to afford proper legal representation. The majority are ill-advised regarding their charges and have no other choice but to plea bargain for a lesser charge. Mr. Gates is not the average person that couldn’t afford good legal council. They knew that Mr. Gates had the finances to fight the charges to the full extent of the law. So it was expedient for the officials of Cambridge to drop the charges to save the embarrassment of a possible law suit for false arrest.
President Obama and Massachusetts Governor Patrick were correct when freely criticizing the actions of Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department. The National Black Police Association has been addressing this issue for decades. Politicians and policy makers have kept their eyes wide shut for too long to this ongoing problem. We have seen the civil rights of our mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers repeatedly violated and abused. How many more reports of police misconduct and criminality must we hear about until Politicians have the testicular fortitude to ask for accountability and proper oversight in law enforcement nation wide?
The National Black Police Association has been in existence since 1972 nationally and has chartered organizations in the United Kingdom, Canada and Bermuda. The principal concerns of the National Black Police Association are the promotion of justice, fairness, and effectiveness in law enforcement issues and the effect of those issues upon the total community.
National Latino Officers Association Supports Gates and Obama
The disproportionate stopping of African Americans and Latinos by law enforcement is a national problem. We support the President 100% on this issue.
“What I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there is a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact.”
The National Latino Officers Association supports the comments made by the President of the United States Barrack Obama. For the first time perhaps there was an acknowledgement and understanding of what many minorities know to be true, that African Americans and Latinos are being stopped disproportionately by law enforcement.
The President should not apologize for being African American and having a greater understanding and sensitivity to racial profiling or over bearing police responses. We should be clear, the President never asked the Cambridge police to apologize. The officer’s response however, clearly shows that he is responding to an African American and not the President of the United States. Any police officer after reviewing his actions in retrospect can conclude that this situation if handled differently could have better served police and community relations.
We also agree that the officers acted “stupidly” in arresting a man in his own home for disorderly conduct. Police officers are held to a higher standard than the public. They are trained to de-escalate situations and to be more tolerant. The officer in question, an instructor of sensitivity, should have exercised more discretion between free speech and the necessary element of public alarm for disorderly conduct. It is a common practice, often complained of, that requesting an officer’s name and badge number often results in being arrested.
Resisting arrest, resisting arrest without violence, disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental administration and similarly worded statutes are tools for law enforcement officers to advance or support legitimate police actions and strategies. These statutes were never meant to advance the intimidation of the public.
Whether you call it racial profiling, selective enforcement, abuse of authority, disparate impact or any other name which translates to illegal, it is a national and local issue that plagues African Americans, Latinos and others who are not Caucasian. It is long overdue that law enforcement practices be more closely scrutinized for civil rights violations. All law enforcement agencies should be mandated to analyze and document their enforcement activities for race, age, and sexual orientation for review by the public.
Police practices need greater accountability for the protection, advancement and potential violations of civil rights with renewed vitality.
Anthony Miranda
Executive Chairman NLOA
“What I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there is a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact.”
The National Latino Officers Association supports the comments made by the President of the United States Barrack Obama. For the first time perhaps there was an acknowledgement and understanding of what many minorities know to be true, that African Americans and Latinos are being stopped disproportionately by law enforcement.
The President should not apologize for being African American and having a greater understanding and sensitivity to racial profiling or over bearing police responses. We should be clear, the President never asked the Cambridge police to apologize. The officer’s response however, clearly shows that he is responding to an African American and not the President of the United States. Any police officer after reviewing his actions in retrospect can conclude that this situation if handled differently could have better served police and community relations.
We also agree that the officers acted “stupidly” in arresting a man in his own home for disorderly conduct. Police officers are held to a higher standard than the public. They are trained to de-escalate situations and to be more tolerant. The officer in question, an instructor of sensitivity, should have exercised more discretion between free speech and the necessary element of public alarm for disorderly conduct. It is a common practice, often complained of, that requesting an officer’s name and badge number often results in being arrested.
Resisting arrest, resisting arrest without violence, disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental administration and similarly worded statutes are tools for law enforcement officers to advance or support legitimate police actions and strategies. These statutes were never meant to advance the intimidation of the public.
Whether you call it racial profiling, selective enforcement, abuse of authority, disparate impact or any other name which translates to illegal, it is a national and local issue that plagues African Americans, Latinos and others who are not Caucasian. It is long overdue that law enforcement practices be more closely scrutinized for civil rights violations. All law enforcement agencies should be mandated to analyze and document their enforcement activities for race, age, and sexual orientation for review by the public.
Police practices need greater accountability for the protection, advancement and potential violations of civil rights with renewed vitality.
Anthony Miranda
Executive Chairman NLOA
New Rochelle teen alleges civil rights violations by police
ROCHELLE - A black teenager and son of a city detective is alleging he was assaulted by police, and yesterday local black leaders pressed the city for answers."Don't get me wrong, there are some good police officers - black, white, purple and green," said Ron Williams, president of the city's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "There's also a lot of bad police officers, but we're not painting them all with the same brush. All we're saying is we want to be treated with respect just like everyone else.
"Demetrius Hazelton, 17, was arrested April 13 on a charge of disorderly conduct, a violation. He is due in City Court on Thursday.
Williams stood yesterday alongside Hazelton and his father, Detective Timothy McKnight, to discuss the allegation. About 50 people stood behind them in solidarity.
Earlier this month, Hazelton filed a notice of claim against the city. He alleges in his lawsuit that his civil rights were violated during his arrest. Several city officials, including City Manager Charles Strome III, police Capt. Joseph Schaller, acting Corporation Counsel Kathleen Gill and city spokeswoman Kathy Gilwit, declined to comment on the allegation. Each cited pending litigation as the reason for not discussing the matter.
Police Commissioner Patrick Carroll and Mayor Noam Bramson could not be reached for comment.
According to the police report, officers responded to noisy parties at the Hartley Houses complex April 13 and tried to break up an altercation there.After the crowd ignored police commands to calm down, the report said, an officer brandished a Taser and fired it in the air without a cartridge to show the crowd the device's electric shock.The report said many of the people there, including Hazelton, ran from the police and into traffic on Lincoln Avenue. An officer asked Hazelton to get off the road, the report said, and Hazelton mocked the officer's commands by imitating him with a "white racial monotone voice." The report described the voice as the same one comedian Dave Chappelle uses "when making fun of white people."
The officer again asked Hazelton to get off the road, according to the report, and Hazelton said, "What the (expletive) are you going to do, white boy? My father is a detective. What are you, just a cop?"
Hazelton mocked the police to the crowd, according to the report, and an officer tried arresting him by pushing the teen against a police car.
Hazelton then tried to push himself off the car when another officer came by to help take Hazelton down to the ground, the report said.
Calvin Scholar, Hazelton's attorney, disputed the police report and alleged that several key details from the incident were omitted from the report.Those alleged omissions make up a bulk of the lawsuit against the city.
The lawsuit claims the officer pushing Hazelton against the police car threatened to break his arms while other officers smashed his head multiple times against the car."We dispute that there was any lawful reason for him to be arrested," Scholar said.
"We believe he was singled out."Scholar added that Hazelton did not use a Dave Chappelle voice to mock the officer but said Hazelton did reference the fact he was the son of a New Rochelle detective.
McKnight did not want to comment on his son's lawsuit, but Damon Jones, executive director of the Westchester County chapter of the National Black Police Association, spoke on his behalf.Jones said Hazelton's arrest wasn't an isolated incident happening in the area."This is an issue in communities of color throughout Westchester County," Jones said."If false reports are generated, we cannot trust the internal mechanisms of the New Rochelle Police Department to police their own," Jones continued. "There has to be some type of outside investigation."
"Demetrius Hazelton, 17, was arrested April 13 on a charge of disorderly conduct, a violation. He is due in City Court on Thursday.
Williams stood yesterday alongside Hazelton and his father, Detective Timothy McKnight, to discuss the allegation. About 50 people stood behind them in solidarity.
Earlier this month, Hazelton filed a notice of claim against the city. He alleges in his lawsuit that his civil rights were violated during his arrest. Several city officials, including City Manager Charles Strome III, police Capt. Joseph Schaller, acting Corporation Counsel Kathleen Gill and city spokeswoman Kathy Gilwit, declined to comment on the allegation. Each cited pending litigation as the reason for not discussing the matter.
Police Commissioner Patrick Carroll and Mayor Noam Bramson could not be reached for comment.
According to the police report, officers responded to noisy parties at the Hartley Houses complex April 13 and tried to break up an altercation there.After the crowd ignored police commands to calm down, the report said, an officer brandished a Taser and fired it in the air without a cartridge to show the crowd the device's electric shock.The report said many of the people there, including Hazelton, ran from the police and into traffic on Lincoln Avenue. An officer asked Hazelton to get off the road, the report said, and Hazelton mocked the officer's commands by imitating him with a "white racial monotone voice." The report described the voice as the same one comedian Dave Chappelle uses "when making fun of white people."
The officer again asked Hazelton to get off the road, according to the report, and Hazelton said, "What the (expletive) are you going to do, white boy? My father is a detective. What are you, just a cop?"
Hazelton mocked the police to the crowd, according to the report, and an officer tried arresting him by pushing the teen against a police car.
Hazelton then tried to push himself off the car when another officer came by to help take Hazelton down to the ground, the report said.
Calvin Scholar, Hazelton's attorney, disputed the police report and alleged that several key details from the incident were omitted from the report.Those alleged omissions make up a bulk of the lawsuit against the city.
The lawsuit claims the officer pushing Hazelton against the police car threatened to break his arms while other officers smashed his head multiple times against the car."We dispute that there was any lawful reason for him to be arrested," Scholar said.
"We believe he was singled out."Scholar added that Hazelton did not use a Dave Chappelle voice to mock the officer but said Hazelton did reference the fact he was the son of a New Rochelle detective.
McKnight did not want to comment on his son's lawsuit, but Damon Jones, executive director of the Westchester County chapter of the National Black Police Association, spoke on his behalf.Jones said Hazelton's arrest wasn't an isolated incident happening in the area."This is an issue in communities of color throughout Westchester County," Jones said."If false reports are generated, we cannot trust the internal mechanisms of the New Rochelle Police Department to police their own," Jones continued. "There has to be some type of outside investigation."
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