10th Anniversary of Abner Louima's Attack

On August 9, 1997, a 30-year-old Haitian immigrant taken into police custody (and eventually found innocent) was beaten and sodomized with a broken broomstick by police officers at the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn. Today, Abner Louima is back in New York and is attending an event at the Reverend Al Sharpton's The National Action Network tonight. From the National Action Network:

ABNER LOUIMA AND REV. AL SHARPTON, ALONG WITH OTHER VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY, TO COMMEMORATE THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF LOUIMA'S ATTACK

REV. SHARPTON TO APPRAISE RUDI GIULIANI AT TENTH ANNIVERSARY RALLY & DISCUSS THE STATE OF POLICE BRUTALITY TODAY IN LIGHT OF GIULIANI'S FRONTRUNNER STATUS ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET BY ANALYZING WHAT THE NATION MIGHT FACE IF GIULIANI IS ELECTED PRESIDENT AND OVER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Other attendees include Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, who survived being shot by police officers last fall (their friend Sean Bell did not survive) .

Louima's harrowing experience, which left him a perforated colon, damaged bladder, and broken teeth, was the first of many high-profile cases of police brutality during a period when the city touted its dropping crime. The Daily News has reprinted the columns by Mike McAlary, who broke the story after an anonymous cop left him a tip. McAlary, who died of colon cancer in 1998, received a Pulitzer Prize for the story.

The News' Errol Louis also has a column about the incident today, and Newsday spoke to Louima who said, "Maybe God figured I was the one to make it public. God wanted me to suffer, he had a plan for me." The main aggressor in the attack, officer Justin Volpe, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and he said earlier this week, "We are men, humans, who gave in to our dark side — but in the end just men." Officer Charles Schwarz served five years for his role in the incident.

Photograph of Reverend Sharpton and Louima, during a taping of Sharpton's radio show today, by Mary Altaffer/AP

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

By Jen Chung in News on August 9, 2007 3:49 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

You all need to stop with the hating on Abner Louima ! If you all were sooooo interested in the lives of a select group of officers . You would ask why did they violated Louima's rights throughout the occurrence ? Ask why these Officers didn't follow proper procedure ? Regardless of what followed with Louima suing and Al Sharpton doing his thing, The whole thing could have been avoided by these Officers doing what they were supposed to be doing in the first place ! Secondly, With the "Diallo Mess" as some doofus labeled it ! This was both a failure to communicate and a lack of confidence in the Police ! Maybe if Police just did there jobs and not go around harassing people situations like the "Diallo Mess" are null & voided out ! Bottom-line Diallo wasn't reaching for a gun whether the Police knew that OR not is irrelevant ! OK, So he was pulling out something out of his pocket, You warn him to stop and if he would have continued One Officer should have fired a warning shot at him . I'm sure that after the case was brought to trail and the evidence displayed with the Officer's testimony . The shot wounding Diallo would have been justified ! Did the Police think to do it that way ? No they didn't and that's part of the reason why he died the way he did ! Plain and simple, That was Police brutality for all of those Officers to crowd around this one man and empty wholes clips into his body as he tried in vain to escape the torrent of bullets ! There was no excuse for that and while they didn't get what they deserve, They got something that resembles Justice ! So I say leave Abner Louima, & Diallo's Family the hell alone and focus on the fact that White people will never have to go through something like that in there lives ! You all will never be pulled over, Harassed, Embarrassed, and belittled by someone with a Napoleon Complex ! To Both I say Enjoy the money and live life to the fullest ! Fuck all the haters, & Naysayers ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"

Dave Hogarty

[7] Yeah, that was Peter Gabriel with Genesis and a fairly successful solo career.

Toby von Meistersinger

I think guest #2 has basically regurgitated Sean Hannity's version of the Louima incident adding some expletives. Ah the power of WABC-AM and its right wing talk show hosts who just happens to be holding some sort of scary jingoism festival on September 11th featuring Ollie North.

And apparently Dullton's Sharpton's minions can't spell, since they call Rudy Giuliani "RUDI GIULIANI". I do have to give them credit for getting his last name spelled correctly as that is a bitch and a half to spell, but how can you mess up the spelling of Rudy?

guest

wow, did the PBA or the whiners in NYPD Rant just sign in?

because if they're regulars of Gothamist they would of read what mr. Louima did with the money and how he helped the the Haitian community.

God Bless you mr. Louima.

guest

"All perps are considered innocent until found guilty in a court of law" or something like that. I watch "COPS" and "America's Most Shocking" so I know what to expect from the law.

How much is Louima giving back to the Haitian community? I thought so? He's living the American dream. It would take his entire village back in the old country about seventyfive lifetimes to get that kind of money.

guest

People are not "found innocent." It's "not guilty," if that's what you're trying to say.

guest

Didn't John Gabriel sing for Genesis? I don't remember the song "Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory." What album was that?

moneda

The 'guests' of Gothamist perfectly exemplify John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.

guest

Yeh, sodomize me, officer, please!

guest

Boy, 9 million smackaroos buys a whole lotta carmex! LOL

guest

Yes Louima suffered wrongly but now he's living the high life thanks to teh mistakes made by the NYPD. He's crying all right, all theway to the bank.

As for the right Rev., why doesn't he take a hint from his constituency and move to the south where his people be moving. What next? He will be complaining that the fire hoses are too big down there and police dog's teeth should be filed down.

guest

When the Giuliani Time comes on January 20, 2009 no doubt the pair of liars pictured - Al Sharpton and Abner Louima - will be thrown into Gitmo faster than the innocent cops were railroaded in this travesty.

It is like the whole fucking Diallo mess, where a hell of a lot of problems could have been avoided with the simple use of a drop weapon. Here, they could have just have gotten Louima to OD and problem solved and lives of good honest police officers wouldn't have been ruined by this asshole who wanted some cover story about the rough gay sex he just had, since it would dishonor him. But, he proved he had no honor by lying. Just look who he is hanging around with - the biggest racist liar known to man Al Sharpton.

guest

what the FUCK. SODOMIZED WITH A BROOMSTICK? holy christ, how corrupt can police officers get??

power to mr. louima for turning something so terrible into something positive.