Brooklyn Barbecue Gets Brutal

A Brooklyn barbecue party became the scene for a melee involving the partiers and housing cops. The police 'shot 28 year old Robert Ramirez after he allegedly hit one of the cops with a scooter. And Ramirez, whose left lung was removed and is at Brookdale Hospital, was provoked when his stepfather, known as both Adiel Ramirez and Jose Morales, was confronted by the police. It all started when the police asked the courtyard party at the Glenwood Houses in East Flatbush to turn down the music, and then it's they said, they said. Witnesses claim that the police were roughing up Adiel Ramirez (one said, "They handcuffed him and started beating him") after asking him for ID and that his stepson stepped in defend him. However, the police say there were people smoking pot and that a DJ punched one of the officers in the face. After the younger Ramirez hit police officer with a Razor scooter, the officer shot him in the chest. The Daily News reports that a partygoer shot video on a cellphone, but the video doesn't show the police beating Adiel Ramirez or the younger Ramirez hitting the cop with a scooter.

Adiel Ramirez was taken into police custody; some of the accounts say he does not speak English and did not understand the police's earlier requests for ID. While we do wonder if the police are a little too trigger-happy (especially after the Bronx incident involving 26 bullets and a pitbull), we're not sure hitting a cop with a scooter was a good idea, either.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on July 25, 2006 8:31 AM

Comments [rss]

Dan

Here is an update on this:

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/438210p-369105c.html

It appears that the guy who hit the cop with the scooter has 2 previous arrests for assaulting cops.

NYPDwatcher

If the NYPD can justify unloading 26 rounds into a pitbull in an

occupied apartment hallway, I'm sure they can justify shooting someone once!! Of course, they're averaging about $1 million per bullet in court lately....

NYOne got it

Got it, it was Michael O'Looney the former NY1 reporter, former NYPD spokesman who's married to Annika pergament.

justified my luv

Shooting was justified per NYPD spokesman, (their former spokesman was a reporter for NY1, the one who's married to another reporter, I forget the name)

guess that's why most NYPD shootings are settled for Million plus.

For instance, last weeks $3million settlement.

will

[7]kojak - police don't shoot people in the legs because they are trained to aim for the center of mass. real life isn't the movies -- pistols are fairly innacurate and do not have the energy to reliably incapacitate whomever or whatever has been shot. in a fast moving situation it would be impossible to reliably hit someone's legs in the first place, and in the second it is quite possible for someone to be hit in the legs (or arms or torso) and still be a threat. hence the 26 bullets in the dog & the stories of people being shot multiple times: police are trained to shoot until the target stops being a threat, -not- fire once or twice to check to see if it worked, then fire a few more times, etc. etc. etc.

now obviously the police have made mistakes in the past and every shooting is going to end poorly and be a tragedy for any number of people -but- the shooting-multiple-times-to-kill bit occurs for sound tactical reasons, not bloodthirsty ones.

Aristocrat

No Sleep In Brooklyn, I couldn't agree more. Instead of enjoying each other's company, the serenity of the park, or some good conversation, people insist on blasting their shitty musicand annoy everyone around them. Selfish and low class.

No Sleep In Brooklyn

side note - why do people gotta be blasting music all night long, anyway-so tired. Go to a club. Peops are tryin to sleep! I vote we have quiet time between the hours of Midnite 7a. The city's just too noisy.

Judas Iscariot

"but then, what will the cops do when there's no crime?"

I thought they just go and get donuts and stuff their fat face.

anonymass

Interesting that people admit to not knowing the full story and yet their first response is to accuse the police of wrong-doing.

Quite revealing of the level of mistrust the PD has engendered with the public, and probably well-deserved. People usually question authority when there is a good reason to do so.

Constant Dater

Jen, you're "not sure" if hitting a cop with a scooter (or hitting anyone with a scooter, for that matter) is a "good idea"? Why don't you try it and find out? It's the only way to learn! Be careful out there!

(On a side note, someone who goes by two completely different names is not sketchy at all. No siree.)

joe

why doesn't gothamist get some freaking proofreaders?

Dead Letter Box

i think everyone is missing the big question here.

what was a 28 yr old doing with a Razor Scooter? And I don't think the English was the problem with the father...I think he got confused when police asked for an ID. Which one should he give them, Adiel or Jose?

mickster

If Woody had gone straight to the police, this would never have happened!

Michael

Or perhaps that's the best shot he could take at someone who was moving erratically as he was violently swinging a metal scooter at his partner??

S.D.

"Spare me the BS Michael. You mean the cops were unable to at least shoot him in the legs or use some kind of non-lethal force, which they are also trained to use in these types of incidents?"

Kojak, I'm pretty certain Police officers are trained to shoot for the Torso, not the leg or to wound.

Also, Only one shot was fired. Did the cop panic or slip?

sonny kroket

The mayor talks about guns, gun crime and gunfire,

I hope he's taking count of how many rounds the NYPD fired and how many the BG's have fired per incident.

Bring back the 10 round mag which PC Kelly first wanted till Bratton came and gave everyone 15 rounders plus one in the pipe. That means they carry 46 rounds on their belt.

KC

Interesting that people admit to not knowing the full story and yet their first response is to accuse the police of wrong-doing.

Kojak

"Plus, it's the NYPD."

Agreed. That pretty much settles it.

tos

and then it's they said, they said.

Rocknrope

"Shoot him in the legs?" - you've seen too many Lethal Weapon movies. Here are the facts - when you're being attacked and your adrenaline is in the red, you lose most of your fine motor skills - it's amazing if you hit anything at all, much less target limbs.

Plus, it's the NYPD.