Bicyling Teen: Surveillance Video Shows Police Brutality

NYPD Internal Affairs is investigating allegations of police brutality related to the arrest of a teenager in a Bronx bodega last Friday night. Surveillance video (below) from the bodega shows the teen, Jorge Cartagena Jr., saying something to an unidentified officer as the cop exits the deli. The cop then whirls around, grabs the teen, and flings him against a shelf of snack food. Moments earlier, outside the bodega, the officer had given Cartagena Jr., 19, a warning about riding his bike on the sidewalk.

The surveillance video shows the officers dragging the teen to the ground and arresting him. Cartagena Jr.—who wants to be a cop when he grows up—tells WABC that as he was handcuffed, one officer "was slamming my head against the floor over and over." He sustained cuts and bruises on his face and body, and now says he's "so hurt because it's the police officers, and they're supposed to be there to help us."

Cartagena Jr. was taken to the local precinct and then Central Booking, ultimately spending about 24 hours in jail. He was finally released with a citation for riding his bike on the sidewalk. His father tells WABC, "To be honest, I want to beat the crap out of the cop." His son, however, still wants to become a cop. Well, he certainly learned something about how our courteous and professional NYC officers handle vital police work.

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

By John Del Signore in News on February 22, 2011 9:27 AM

Comments [rss]

StriketheSet

I do not know what happened as i was not there
the rest is just someones words, this will probably
end up as a story searching out for a lawyer.

Ladder157

Ray Kelly with his unstoppable ego will never admit to a poorly trained department.

Kyle Petersen

I blame the officers' training. Everyone knows you're supposed to destroy all video evidence after issuing a savage beating. What are they teaching these guys in the academy?

Bottom line: Kid will get rich, officers will be fired, New Yorkers will pay the bill. Maybe it's time we train NYPD officers not to violate the constitutional rights of our citizens. Is that so crazy?

Jeni

Way to protect us from those sidewalk-bikers, thumbs up! All that training really came in handy. Tax dollars at work. *smh*

Alien0011

Typical minority crying for help. Yes Sue the city so there is less money to fix our streets. If u fucknuts didn't read says he got a warning about the sidewalk riding and he prob thought he's clever saying shit to a police officer these idiots have no respect for police officers and what they go through physically and mentally everyday. fuck these baby tears. Psychological scars my ass. Just cry for attention and another typical Americanized family trying to always get money out of the city and Sue. Go back to Mexico or whatever I'm sure the cops there are better. Stupid ignorant brown people

Ladder157

Go live in Arizona if you don't like so called minorities . Let's see what you do when a cop abuses you for no reason. Or does that not happen in lilly white neighborhoods where you want to live?

Kyle Petersen

let me guess, you're a cop.

Emilio Lopez

While most police don't beat people up and CAN be a hero, most are NOT committed to uphold our civilian rights and our constitution (first amendment free speech for example) but ARE committed to the political causes of their orders (tickets, summonses, and fines to close budget gaps). NYPD Internal Affairs, like many other police departments around the world, have turned a blind-eye to abusive police historically, making this division a waste of taxpayer money and a liability to the city when victims sue and offending officers go unpunished. There should be an efficiency rating for accused cops that reflects lawsuit money handed out to victims who successfully sue and also how good the officer’s judgment is. This should be used to garnish police wages and fire bad cops. These two NYPD police officers should be suspended without pay and fired after trial, (and maybe even beaten up by angry family members of those who suffered police brutality). For a democratic nation to survive, police officers need to be subject to accountability, this is America, not the third world that these to disgraceful NYPD officers made it for this teenager. (Police getting beaten rarely happens in the third world).

GregJG

I would really like to know what this young man said to the police officer.

Petey

Today's Daily News has an article that says that IAB found that the cops weren't rough.

Jorge Jr said he'd do it again, so I guess the cop changed his mind about the warning, then there's the lapse in the video, that i'm sure IAB has, but channel 7 decided to edit out to make the police look like it was unprovoked. Don't know why there wasn't a resisting charge though.

anonomatic

C'mon, nothing new here. Just more bullies with badges. This barely counts as news in NYC after the past 10 years.

SomethingBetter

I bet he won't mouth off to the Police again!

SomethingBetter

I bet he won't mouth off to the Police again.

Peanut_Butter

Is it just me? I can't hear the name Cartagena and not think Romancing the Stone.

blink667

The police on the streets should be subjected to a mandatory weekly piss test for steroids. There are too many emotionally out of control cops, and they can't blame it all on stress of the job or domineering latino girl friends.

Google Santorum

If this is what it takes to get hipster single-gear doofus self-important bike nazis off the sidewalk and on the street where they belong, I vote YES.

Jefferson Monkeycum

I agree. In fact we should kill everyone who rides a bike with our humvees!

Guest

I personally invite these two slop cops to the 67 precinct. I would be glad to meet them in the Flatbush Fitness Zone boxing arena. 3301 Foster avenue. I would love the chance to slap the living shit out of both of them. Even if I got beat, just getting in a few good licks would feel good. These slop cops need to have their asses beaten bloody, but with Skelly Kelly as the PC nothing will happen. Rise up, exert your rights and fight illegal force with force. Use cameras, take shield numbers and bring law suits. These slop cops really need to be brought under control. IF any MOS involved in this incident reads this, please reply so that we may meet and so I can get a chance to put my foot up your ass.

Ladder157

I'll join you.

Sinchy

Though the cops were in the wrong (a snide comment or even an insult is no excuse to pummel someone) I can't help thinking that the kid's tears are phoney.

neuroradical

rly?

kazubes

Did I miss in the video where the kid got beat up or what. All I noticed was the two cops try to put him to the floor and he kicked himself back upwards.

steve

exactly.

Sylvia Cuadrdado

he's lucky he didn't get shot.

Petey

@aleksey
@spirit of 76

notice the lapse in the video. There's definitely something missing. The 19 year old said that he said something, then was attacked, but doesn't elaborate on what he said, nor does the video show what transpired after the 19 year old stepped away, but before physical contact was made.

Ladder157

Who gives a f*ck what you say to the police. Words are never justification for illegal use of force.

Samba Lamba

Since when saying something to a cop gives them right to beat someone up?

Communist

It does not matter what kid said, he could have said that cops mother is a fat bitch but is a great lay. Cop has no right to do anything about it just like you can't assault, kidnap and imprison somebody for saying something you do not like in your face.

They need to release officers names, fire them and shame them publicly. A real tough guy attacking 19 year old, I would not shed a tear if he and his partner get shot up.

Scum NYPD.

m015094

Actually, it's called "Disturbing the Peace," and the cops COULD haul this crybaby off to jail for saying something.

Communist

Please, unless you are a lawyer save your comments.

"Disturbing the Peace" does not warrant grabbing the guy and tackling him. Nor is saying something to an officer is 'disturbing the peace'.

Learn about free speech and your rights in this country first, bumble fuck.

Guest

I "disturbed the peace" and had ESU bust into my house. How was that warranted?

Steven Harris

This kid just hit the lottery.

Ladder157

I sure hope so.

Steven Harris

And you're paying for it.

Ladder157

Paying for it doesn't bother me. The fact that the NYPD is a group of criminal thugs who are above the law does.

Petey

Why is there a lapse in the video that the news report showed? The clock is shown running at the bottom, then there's is an obvious lapse in the tape, and no more clock running.

I'm guessing he didn't say to the cop "I'm sorry officer, and I appreciate the warning." It was probably something more belligerent or confrontational.

I'm not saying that what happened was right, BUT like I3iodeez said, there isn't enough footage (at least shown by the news) to say the cops were wrong either.

Spirit of 76

Of course they were wrong. There is no legal or moral justification for a cop beating somebody up if that person is not physically threatening the cop or anyone else. It doesn't matter what anybody says. They're just words.

$100,000 per year should be able to buy a lot more courtesy, professionalism and respect, but I guess inflation has caught up.

moocow

I agree, I think about what a better smarter force we could have if we paid more, and enforced residency rules. Paid more, but not for this crop of policemen.

Spirit of 76

Pay more? I was saying that they already get paid $100k after a handful of years on the force. The rapist cop makes $150 per year, according to the Gothamist writeup this past weekend. And yet a little CPR seems to be too much to ask. Sometimes literally.

handsomedevil

My dream of a better police force would involve more training and education, like one training day per week for their entire careers. They'd sit around and discuss cases like this.

Barbara Starkweather

A question this brings up is "why are some cyclists getting $260 tickets for running red lights in an empty city park, while this guy gets a verbal warning for riding on the sidewalk"?

I like a police department with a clear sense of mission, but it seems our police department is addressing the reckless cycling issue in a remarkably willy nilly way.

cmdrogogov

^ implying anyone actually has a clue of how to do things properly here.

Devilforhire

"Cartagena Jr.—who wants to be a cop when he grows up"
This would be so cute if HE WASN'T 19 YEARS OLD!!!.
He wanted to act tough in front of the cops, but when his ass got slammed to the floor he turns into a cry baby. SHUT UP!!!

CRYMTZ

for all we know he probably said something he shouldnt have said to the cop but then again he might not have. but doing that to him was excessive. thats basically like having a wife talk back to her abusive husband and him beating the hell out of her. its not right in either scenario.

cmdrogogov

in most cases a full grown adult over the age of 25 will easily be able to out-muscle a 19 year old.

Unless you feel he should have had the benefit of a few years hard labor in the work-house by now?

Devilforhire

I wanna see you try and beat up some of the 18 and 19 year olds that play in the NBA,NFL,NHL Mr tough Guy

Marc Hug

you are an idiot. you SHUT UP!!!

Devilforhire

no need for insults Mr Nut Hugger. Just because I have a different opinion than you, doesn't give you the right to call me an idiot.

Ladder157

No but the fact that you are an idiot does.

Devilforhire

I hope one day one of these savages kills you or one of your family members. Then you will be singing a different tune.

If this little fuck is cursing at cops, what do you think he would do to your relative. YOU MORON!

Ladder157

Devil, Anyone has a right to voice their opinion to a cop. I've yelled at them numerous times when I have seen them doing something wrong. And as to your comment about 'MORON' , it only reflects on you.

unretrofiedforu

If it's not the civilian savages it would be the savages in uniform.

The point is the boys in blue are exactly on the same level as the 'savages' they claim to police.

Ladder157

Actually a step below IMHO because the blue savages know that they will get away with anything that they do wrong.

smorrebrod

legally it does.

Devilforhire

Mr Street Lawyer. Knows all the laws...

smorrebrod

You are an idiot. It's not a law, it's a constitutional right. Of course people can insult other people for having a different opinion, you could just not give a shit about what some bozo on the internet says.

Devilforhire

Why did you post 'legally' then, you idiot!

smorrebrod

Isn't trolling fun?

Devilforhire

not as fun as using words properly.

WesternQueensLand

All cops aren't bullies/
Unfortunately good cops'/
Silence allows this*/
#Haiku
*pigs

dis_sho_am_good

I am torn. Is this a police brutality story or a story about the horrible plight of bicyclists?

proudliberal1947

Hey Gestapo in New York, I realize that your Brain Dead and Stupid and must be told what to think here is a suggestion, read the article on random cop killings in St Petersburg Fl., yup its coming your way and you IDIOTS in BLUE are the ones bring it.

Your job is to SERVE and PROTECT, if you can't handle it you low life pieces of SH*T I suggest you quit. Your attitude of "Us against Them" is coming to a end.

I ask you how many COPS have to die before you realize that your job is to SERVE and PROTECT not Judge,Jury and Executioner" hey New York if you have to stand Jury trail and this is sickening find the COP KILLER INNOCENT maybe if enough cop killers are set free these MORONS in Blue will get the message.

l3iodeez

This footage isn't enough to be really damning. Police need to wear lapel cameras at all times while on duty. The camera needs to BE their badge, ie. they are not on duty if its not running. If they turn it off they should have no authority to detain people. Sure the union will bitch, and maybe some cops will quit, I say good riddance! Any cop that wants to hide their actions from public review shouldn't be on the force anyway. This would stop police brutality, corruption, and harassment in its tracks. It would change the culture of the police force for the better I am sure of it. Privacy is going the way of the dinosaur anyway.

proudliberal1947

Look the gestapo has lost its way, read the Police article from St. 'Petersburg Fl. todate three cops killed its coming your way. the police have a "Us against them Attitude" and forget what their job is and it is "To Serve and Protect", they are in the present state of mind of "Judge,Jury and Executioner" and they FAIL,FAIL,FAIL to take responsibilty for there actions. The watch many way to amny cop shows like Law and Order and try to justify their actions with a TV show, perps have no rights, hell they commited a crime in the past so they are guilty anyway. The best one of all is the "I felt AFRAID"so they pump 46 rounds into a man reaching for his WALLET (remember that one Folks. Now they are trying to ban ANY picture and MOVIE taking of their VIOLENT and GESTAPO tactics as the film doesn't show anything, yeah right on those grounds then IT should NOT be admissable in COURT.

Anyway start looking for random cop killings in your area if St. Petersburg is a hint of whats to come.

cmdrogogov

For now the only way to hold them to account is to get a camera phone, then stream your video directly to an internet account such as Qik or Youtube.

That way the video won't be destroyed if your device is confiscated.

Ladder157

I agree totally the cops do believe it is "Us versus Them" The NYPD has been gestapo like ever since Ray Kelly. I thank you for putting into words what I was too outraged to do.