Black Lawyers Beaten by NYPD

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July 15th, 2007 Tambra · 7 Comments

The Beating of Black Lawyers
[col. writ. 7/5/07] (c) ‘07 Mumia Abu-Jamal

No matter who we are, or where we live, folks in Black America have grown up with the lesson of the importance of education as a tool of social mobility.

That’s why lawyers are generally so highly regarded in many Black communities, as people who have undergone years of legal education.

But that respect doesn’t go far beyond the community. Cops in Brooklyn, New York recently showed what they thought of lawyers by beating them up! Well-known human rights attorney Michael Tarif Warren, and his wife, Evelyn (also a lawyer), were driving down Brooklyn’s Vanderbilt Avenue, when they spotted a Black youth being chased by cops across a McDonald’s parking lot.

The youngster was tackled to the ground and handcuffed, when the Warrens saw a Sgt. Talvy begin kicking him in the head, the ribs, and stomping on his neck.

The 2 attorneys stopped their car, walked within 10 feet of the beating, identified themselves (as lawyers), and told the cops to stop beating the youth, and simply take him to the nearest precinct.

The Sergeant’s response was to shout, “I don’t give a f**k who you are, get the f**k back in your car!” The Warrens returned to the car, where Michael began to write down notes of what he saw, and the license plate numbers of the cop cars present.

Before he could finish his notes Sgt, Talvy walks up to the car, and began to repeatedly punch him through the window, shouting “Get out of the car!”

Warren was then dragged out of his car, his clothes ripped in the process. His wife, obviously upset at these events, demanded to know why he was attacked, and was promptly punched in the face by this same cop! Both Warrens were arrested and driven to the 77th precinct and charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Within hours hundreds of Brooklynites converged on the precinct, demanding the release of the Warrens. People came from all walks of life, for Tarif has a long history, almost 30 years, of representing people who have been victims of police or prosecutorial misconduct in the city. Groups like the December 12th Movement, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, the International Action Center, and many others quickly mobilized support for the Warrens.

In an interview in the New York Daily Challenge, Evelyn Warren spoke for many people when she said, “We are professionals, if they do this to us in broad daylight on a crowded street, what do they do in the dark when no one is around? That’s what I’m concerned about.”

She and others called not only for the removal of Talvy, but of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly as well. When Black lawyers are beaten in the streets, what about average folks?

What about you?

[Source: Ajamu, Amadi, “Civil Rights Attorney Assaulted”, Daily Challenge (N.Y.), Mon., June 25, 2007, p.3.}

This is truly unnerving to know that regardless of race, that active professionals who are tax paying residents were treated in an inhumane way by simply being concerned, civilly engaged citizens. My heart raced as I read every line. I can depict a tension in Brooklyn that could give rise to a riot because of the repeated injustice and misconduct by the local government to the residents, particularly those of color. At some point, people will say enough is enough. There must be accountability and balance. The superiority complex must be checked. When the very same institution is to serve and protect begins to violate their mission, an unethical dilemma rises and has to be properly dealt with.

This injustice of a people cannot continue…

7 responses so far ↓

1 Jackie Garrett // Jul 16, 2007 at 7:13 am

It happens everyday in other places as well. This is one of the reason I have little respect for MOST law/police officiers. Of all the public professions, law/police officers are the least educated and yet we, as a society, give them so much power—-of which, they often abuse. Will this cop be fired and prosecuted—PROBABLY NOT! But believe me—-there day will come.

Garrett
2 Tony Sipp // Jul 16, 2007 at 1:43 pm

What happened with the officers?were they charged are did they get away with it like always,Im from miami florida and i tell you,you see it everyday,its bad.i went to jail once with a cop planted dope on me and there was nothing i could do about,i even reported it to florida department of law enforcement and nothing was done,but guess what happened later.they planted drugs on a white citzen which parents were higher up in the public sector and he was caught along with other officers in florida.i hope those good people are and will be ok.And have these people removed and sued.thank you all for your time
3 SJ Gaines // Jul 17, 2007 at 5:59 am

What a horrible incident! And how horrible that it happened to ANY decent, law abiding citizen who was merely concerned about the safety of another citizen. What does it matter that they are lawyers? What if they had been postal workers, or house wives, or sanitation workers? The point is, they were not obstructing or disrespectful or aiding the alleged perpetrator in escaping. They only asked for the allleged good guy to do the right thing and when he didn’t took steps to hold him accountable. It’s even more tragic if you have to a be a lawyer or some other professional to not be “blamed” for the incident and receive sympathy! As a lawyer, a criminal defense lawyer, I am concerned if only by carrying my law degree I can get the community to pay attention to injustice and take a stand against it!
4 lions2the3 // Jul 17, 2007 at 8:36 pm

I T should’nt matter if your a lawyer or not cops don’t care when they know the law is on their side so if they dont respect lawyers then you know a regular person don’t stand a chance.It’s only one way to get the cops to respect you.Cops have been beating up killing black people for years and years but it’s about to be a new day and a new way GOD is tierd of this and hes raisen up a whole newbreed of people,people who will demand justice…..
5 marjie1 // Jul 20, 2007 at 1:45 pm

Well, ignoring it certainly didn’t make it go away, did it? I wonder what black folks are going to do now?
6 DAVID // Jan 11, 2008 at 1:06 pm

i’ live in Queens n.y i need a lawyer for a police brutality case, please call me at (347)848-7710
7 J.Mitchem // May 8, 2008 at 4:37 pm

My partner and I were working security in the Carnegie Hill section of manahttan 05/08/2008 for movie production about 2:30 a.m. sitting in my black Pathfinder Truck listening to the radio.When an unmarked police car pulls up asking ,am I alright.Yes I said, they got out came over shining lights in my truck. saying we got a call ,told us to get out and they searched us and it. they never displayed any I.D. went away came back and did it again still no I.D. shown.