Man Shot Over 20 Times By Cops Will Sue NYPD

Angel Alvarez in the hospital last summer

Last summer, 50 bullets were fired during a chaotic Harlem block party—and 46 were from police guns. One man, Luis Soto, died from a police bullet and another, Angel Alvarez, was shot at least 23 times, mostly from the police. Yesterday, a grand jury decided against bringing criminal charges against the police, but Alvarez is looking to sue the NYPD. His lawyer said, "It appears their mentality was: Shoot first and ask questions later."

Alvarez was cleared of criminal charges as well earlier this week: The 24-year-old had been in jail ever since the August shooting, but a grand jury believed his story that Soto pulled a gun on him—the two men had been fighting—and Alvarez said he tried to wrestle the gun away, but the gun fired three times into him.

Alvarez spoke to the NY Times and recounted what happened next: "Then, according to Mr. Alvarez, bullets began flying from behind him. Initially, he said, he had assumed that friends of Mr. Soto were shooting at him, though he later learned that it was the police. Mr. Alvarez also said a police officer kicked him in the head and told him, 'You’re going to die.'" He added, "It was like being hit with a machine gun... I have 27 holes in my body."

Alvarez, who was given a mystery novel, One Step Behind, by a fellow Rikers Island inmate—Nicholas Brooks, accused of killing his girlfriend at the Soho House—was relieved at being free and hugged his three-year-old son after the grand jury's decision. He said, "I thought I was never going to come home. They didn't have no evidence against me with cops - it's really difficult to have a case against cops."

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

By Jen Chung in News on March 5, 2011 4:00 PM

Comments [rss]

Gerald Zecker

"They didn't have no evidence against me with cops" - So wait, then they did have evidence against him?

JesseCal

Oh Yes!! The Cops should ask question first- you know. . . have a dialogue with a guy firing a gun in a crowd of people. . . ask him what has made him so upset with his fellow man . . .listen to him- hear what he has to say. . . AND THEN- after they understand what this guy's all about. . . THEN START SHOOTING!!

This modus operandi should be on the very first page of the Cops shooting manual!! Sheesh! Imagine those trigger-happy Cops. . . SHOOTING FIRST. . . just to make sure that they go home after their shift. . . and not to the hospital- or to the morgue!!

subvet4

Reading all your foolish comments and verbal volleyball replies I have come to the conclusion that you are an idiot. The cops were wrong and if a resonable person can not admit it they have a pro cop agenda,

JesseCal

I definitely have a 'pro-cop' agenda. . . I take it that you do not!
So does that make you have 'pro-shooter-thug' agenda?!

BTW- You know, I like your term: 'verbal volleyball'! It actually suits
me!
Especially so, when I can reply to your comment with a slam-dunking spiked
ball!!

I dunno- Call me an idiot. . . but somehow, there is just something about a
guy discharging a handgun while at a street party crowded with people,
that is sort of inviting of a similar Police response. . . and YOU think the
Cops are 'wrong'?!? Too bad you weren't there subver4, so the shooter
could have put a 'cap-in-yo-ass'! ( Geez- you certainly do live up to the
'sub' part of your Gothamist ID! You sound pretty 'sub' to me!! )

In a message dated 3/27/2011 8:38:53 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:

subvet4 wrote, in response to JesseCal:

Reading all your foolish comments and verbal volleyball replies I have
come to the conclusion that you are an idiot. The cops were wrong and if a
resonable person can not admit it they have a pro cop agenda,

Link to comment: http://disq.us/1iuek3

heyhohey

Can you read? He wasn't shooting a gun in the first place.

JesseCal

Sure I can 'read'. . . I read this article using TWO finger- so I wouldn't miss a word!!
It was Mr. Soto- who was doing the shooting. . . and Mr. Alvarez got caught in the crossfire. . . Now if I were Mr. Alvarez- I would refrain from going to any more chaotic Harlem block-parties. . . where bad guys (now dead guys) like Mr. Soto are carrying guns and then pointing them and shooting at people!!

NOW. . .Mr. Taco. . . can you read?!?
I sugget you use at least TWO fingers- and move them across the artricle SLOW-LY!

heyhohey

Yeah I read it. Soooo then why is it o.k. for Alvarez to have been shot 23 times? That's not cross fire, and on top of it the police admit that they were targeting him, claiming he was shooting at them, even though he didn't have a gun.

Look at me, I'm reading with one finger!

And P.S. I have a taco, so that's MS. Taco to you.

JesseCal

Dear Ms. TacoTownNYC-
I thought you wrote pretty well- I'd like to read some more of your
comments. . .
Give me a shout. . . _JesseCal@aol.com_ (mailto:JesseCal@aol.com) -just
to say 'hello'!
JesseCal

heyhohey

You just revealed yourself as out of touch and/or an old fart. AOL? Although what seems to possibly be a touch of racism, class-ism, naivety/ignorance about poverty stricken communities, and being perfectly fine with the police following a shoot first ask questions later policy kind of already revealed that.

JesseCal

Dearest Ms. Taco-
So how about THESE Cops?! Wow!!

NYPD Officers Save Six-Week-Old Infant
_http://gothamist.com/2011/03/...
(http://gothamist.com/2011/03/1...

'Save Life First. . . ask question later!!'

Best Personal Taco Regards-
JesseCal ( _JesseCal@aol.com_ (mailto:JesseCal@aol.com) )

heyhohey

How bout these cops? http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news...
kill first ask questions later.

JesseCal

Dearest Ms. Taco- Here below (In blue) is the actual text from the
Gothamist article:
'Alvarez was _cleared of criminal charges as well earlier this week_
(http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_...
imes_by_cops_found_innocent_on_charges_he_opened_fire_on_.html/) : The
24-year-old had been in jail ever since the August shooting, but a grand jury
believed his story that Soto pulled a gun on him—the two men had been
fighting—and Alvarez said he tried to wrestle the gun away, but the gun fired
three times into him.'

So when the police- confronted with 'shots being fired'; -do you think the
cops should start the interview process. . . or do you think they should
return the fire to forestall many innocents bystanders from being shot by
the pro-active-shooter. Yes- it is an unfortunate circumstance that Mr.
Alverez, an almost innocent bystander- in that he was a participating combatant
in his altercation with Mr. Soto, was indeed him wounded. . . but such is
life. Miraculously- NO OTHER (actual) innocent bystanders were wounded in
this incident.

So tell me, Ms. Taco what part of the above DON'T you understand- or does
your understanding stop at the phrase: ". . .poverty stricken communities.
. ."; because you just, defacto, don't like Cops circulating among the
'poverty-stricken' underclass!
BTW- Allow me to inform you- people are stricken: by disease and other such
incidents of Mother Nature. Poverty is induced. . . usually by lack of
education, so absolutely necessary in assimilating to a sophisticated,
modern-day, economic social structure like. . . main-stream America!! <-(Are you
getting this?! Or what?) Try to use your 'Taco' brains. . . and stop
rationalizing-away the facts of life!

JesseCal <-(An in-touch/not-so-old fart. . . who absolutely loves and
enjoys 'Tacos' of all shapes and sizes! )

In a message dated 3/12/2011 12:26:43 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

You just revealed yourself as out of touch and/or an old fart. Although
what seems to possibly be a touch of racism, class-ism, naivety/ignorance
about poverty stricken communities, and being perfectly fine with the police
following a shoot first ask questions later policy kind of already revealed
that.

Link to comment: http://disq.us/1e78lo

JesseCal

OK- Ms. Taco-
You win- send the guy to Disneyland- (but take away his gun!);
and give a gift-certificate for 'How to shoot straight- in ten easy
lessons. . .
or five hard ones' over at the NYPD pistol range on City Island!
JesseCal
PS- So how's your Taco?!

In a message dated 3/10/2011 8:39:08 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

http://disq.us/1dxjz2

heyhohey

Nothing you said just now makes any sense at all. Except for you asking about my vagina. Which if you really must know, it's bleeding, but don't worry, NYPD has nothing to do with that bloodshed.

JesseCal

I had no idea that 'Taco' was a colloquialism for 'Vagina', Ms. Taco. . . .and I'm sorry to have made a somewhat rude reference. . . send me a pix, and I'll send you a pix in return! Jc~