Village Voice: New York's Finest Police Cover-Up

[marmar]

The Village Voice has learned that New York City's Police Department has spent nearly two years covering up an ugly, alcohol-fueled street brawl in which 10 rookie cops beat up a taxi driver outside a trendy Upper East Side bar. The NYPD has allowed the rookies' boss—a captain who witnessed the fight but didn't act to stop it and left the scene without speaking to investigators—to escape scrutiny.

None of the rookies were charged criminally with the December 2008 assault. Instead, it was the cab-driver victim who was arrested, records show. Meanwhile, the captain, William Pla, was subsequently promoted to commanding officer of the 23th Precinct in East Harlem.

And Sergeant Anthony Acosta, the man who waded into the melee and broke up the assault—a highly decorated sergeant who has made more than 1,000 arrests in his 20-year career—was slapped with administrative charges and chained to a desk without his gun or his shield for almost two years.

"I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how this happened," Acosta tells the Voice. "I did everything right. I feel like the lesson is, you know what, mind your business, stay in your house, don't get involved. I'm not one of those conspiracy people, but how the hell did I end up in this position?" ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-10-13/news/nypd-cover-up-cabbie/

[sakabatou]

1. *facepalm*

[JohnyCanuck]

2. "I'm not one of those conspiracy people"

Maybe it's time you became one. Their numbers are growing and not without reason.

[47of74]

3. Yet another example of...

...why I believe our nation is going down the tubes.

[Dawson Leery]

4. And the few idealists don't stand a chance.

[tblue37]

5. I often complain about the "good" cops who help cover up for the

brutal ones, but this suggests that the good cops are afraid that if they don't play along with the bad ones, they will be retaliated against. I am reminded, also, of the whistleblower cop who was arrested when he called in sick.

[ThomCat]

6. This shows how corrupted the force is, how rare a good cop is,

and how any good cop will be persecuted for not being a cooperative bad cop. Only bad cops are allowed. :(