Some of the about 40 citizens who rallied Wednesday evening
KINGSTON – The City of Kingston Police Commission voted to discipline officers involved in a brutality complaint at a meeting Wednesday night, after several hours of closed-door deliberation.
Tight-lipped officials declined to name the officers involved or discuss further details, citing civil service procedure regulations.
The historic move follows months of pressure from community activist groups including Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley and End the New Jim Crow Action Network (ENJAN), among others.
Prior to the commissioners meeting, a rally of just over 40 people took place at City Hall, demanding justice for alleged victims of excessive force, several of whom had lodged formal complaints.
Discipline was recommended by the commission in the case of Adrin Brodhead, who was stopped by cops July 20th while walking home from work with a beer inside a paper bag. He was charged with resisting arrest, open container, and littering, for putting the beer down on the sidewalk as ordered.
Tasers and pepper spray were used in the incident, which was captured on video.
Several other complaints were dismissed and/or tabled pending further evidence by the commission, including Fabian Baker, previously identified as Fabian Marshall, who was tased over 21 times by Kingston police in September 2015 on his way to work. He was recently convicted of obstructing governmental administration, pending appeal. The videotaped encounter went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
The most recent incident at Kingston High School took place November 15, when Elissa Jordan, a female undergraduate senior was tased and pepper sprayed by a school resource officer, and charged with obstructing governmental administration. The police commission declined disciplinary action. Lisa Royer, the girl’s mother, spoke out about her daughter’s treatment.
“She was assaulted by two officers, who left the high school to
make an arrest of her friend,” Royer said. “There were two
officers on her friend, and she thought that they were abusing her, and
she spoke out, and in return she received facial contusions, chest wall
contusions, a sprained wrist, and they withheld her inhaler for half an
hour, while she was screaming I can’t breathe on the video. The
problem is these officers still work at the school,” Royer added,
calling for accountability and restorative justice measures.
According to Frank OLeary, a summer program instructor, “Elissa
is now going to night school because the officer who assaulted her still
patrols the hallways and she does not feel safe.”
Last month, the police commission capitulated, announcing the city would be implementing new policies, to prevent further incidents of this nature, and facilitate civilian oversight.
Odell Winfield, an ENJAN organizer, said the community has been waiting through several years of lip service.
“For two years we’ve been doing the police forums,” Winfield said. “And we have been talking about how our police officers have been doing community policing. However, the people here is experiencing broken windows policing. If they don’t change, they have to go. All of them, they gonna have to go.”
Callie Jayne, lead organizer for Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley, said there are currently seven formal complaints of police misconduct, and roughly a dozen more unofficial cases she claims the victims are too frightened to officially lodge. “I know people that have filled out complaints, and have had cops knock on their doors the next day.”
After the Wednesday executive session broke, Jayne called for the removal of KPD Chief Egidio Tinti, for allowing a culture of abuse to occur under his watch. Tinti replied that it would be up to the police commission – of which he is a member – to make such a decision. Other members include Mayor Steven Noble, Kingston Plaza owner Brad Jordan, and 4th Ward Alderman-elect Rita Worthington, who will be replaced next month when she takes office on the City Council.
Shalawn Brown, a local supporter, agreed. “We have no results,
and we as a community are angry and frustrated; we want answers. We’re
the ones suffering, and y’all sit up here and act likes it’s
nothing, When are you going to do something for us, the community?”
Others echoed the same sentiment. “What makes you think we’re
not going to come out here and support those people who are beaten and
tased by cops in this community,” Quay Smith asked the commissioners.
“We want to trust you and have faith, but this keeps happening,
it’s happened too many times, and nobody feels safe,” she
said.
