Teen Disillusioned With Cops After Racially Charged Incident

Devin Almonor

Last spring, a retired NYPD officer was acquitted of felony assault charges for allegedly punching a female police officer as he and his wife were picking up their 13-year-old son. The teen, Devin Almonor, was arrested after a stop-and-frisk, and his parents argued he was the victim of racial profiling. Now, the family has filed a lawsuit against the NYPD, and the teen has spoken out about the incident: "It was surreal. I thought cops were out here to protect us. But they racially profile. They are prejudiced. I don't know what to believe anymore."

Devin, now a freshman at All Hallows Catholic school in the Bronx, said he was on his way home when he was stopped by plainclothes cops on W. 141st Street. Police said he was part of a rowdy group of kids that prompted six 911 calls, and said he was arrested after he reached toward his waistband as if he had a gun—police later acknowledged he didn't have any weapons. Despite not being charged with any crime, Devin was handcuffed and held at the 30th precinct for six hours. Even worse, he alleges in the lawsuit that police officers teased him for crying, saying he was crying like a girl.

While he was sitting in a juvenile holding room, Devin's father Merault Almonor, who retired from the NYPD in 2003, ended up in a fist fight with officers, while his mother was also arrested. In their lawsuit, which names six individual cops, they argue that Devin's run-in with cops was just another example of racially motivated policing under the highly criticized stop-and-frisk program. Merault Almonor feels betrayed by the whole experience: "I can't believe my department did this to me. We are a family of cops...I used to look up to cops. After this, I lost respect for the department."

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By Ben Yakas in News on June 18, 2011 5:55 PM

Comments [rss]

Archie1954

I have to say that articles like this one make me very happy I not only do not live in New York but that I do not live in the US.

hotguy

Hey boy I feel sorry for you as I too have been the victim of police misconduct on one occasion when they wrongfully claimed that I was occupying 2 seats on a train at 4am with very few riders on the whole train and the ticket was dismissed. But my twin brother knocked out a barowner one night and got arrested by the barowners cop friends who put my bro in cuffs and then put him In a choke hold after he was he had the cuffs placed behind his back, and after he stated to the cops" this is bs, how come I'm in cuffs when this guy, the barowner was coming up behind me to sucker punch me?"
My bro was looking in the mirror when he noticed the owner coming up behind him to punch him!
My brothers neck was damaged and he couldn't breathe but he survived, so don't feel bad e sry race has suffered from the cops!
It must have been 6 white or Spanish cops that attacked though. I can't imagine a brotha cop attacking the excop
But you should get your damages but please don't knock the good work that the stop and frisk does. Too many punk thug blax and spani have too many fucking gins and are killing each other for nothing so let Kelly and the boys do there job and your lawyer should get a few mill
But hey don't play the race card
Yes you are chocolate and ugly and no one likes ugly people but hey you will he's rich ugly people and then ye can move away from the fucked up Dodge!!

Kimberley Truelove

I think I just fried some brain cells reading this.

hotguy

Um sorry kimbalove for hurting your brains))

josephb76

We are in the 20 year cycle when, once again, there needs to be a commission to investigate corruption and rights' abuses in the NYPD. (Like the Knapp Commission) The ongoing , and escalating abuses, are, yet another, sign of what happens when you lower the standards for police admissions. Oh...and when the Police commissioner spends his time sipping cocktails at the Harvard Club. It's all about misdirection. While the NYPD is conducting terrorism security theater, city crime is skyrocketing and real crime is creating casualties. I support the GOOD cops in the NYPD, but nowadays there seems to be a growing number of bad ones. In our local precinct, the 20th, the C.O. does't even respond to crime tips. Go figure.

sluntbucket

Racist dirtbags. Hope one day this kid goes on to greatness and one of those cops will be pumping his gas after losing their jobs.

Geoffrey Martin

He reached towards his waistband as if he had a gun. Yes, I'd frisk that kid too, likely with my hand on my gun. And then he cried after? Yes. I'd make fun of him, too.

I'm trying to figure out where the racial profiling comes into play here.

nomadnewyork

Sure, the cops always tell the truth in these cases.

AkAsh NYC

"Faggot" and "shitty parents" guilty of being prejudiced against the police. First off, that's what happens when you have dumb fuckin racist pigs rollin around. And read again moron, they said they lost respect for the whole department... not all law enforcement, not a whole race of people. What do you want the family to do? Give the cops a hug? LOL.

Guest

Hey cunt, I never mentioned all of law enforcement. I said they are being hypocrites, because they're accusing the NYPD, which stands for New York Police Department, for being prejudiced while being prejudiced themselves. See how it works? Basing all of your opinions on the whole, because of the actions of the few. Isn't that why they have a problem with these cops? Yes it is. These people are hypocrites.

nomadnewyork

Wasn't the dad a cop?

Guest

Yes he was. Doesn't change the quote directly from the teen in question.

JPeditor

"Devin, now a freshman at All Hallows Catholic school in the Bronx,"

Aw, does the public school have too dangerous a PROFILE?

Guest

Isn't this faggot and his shitty parents prejudiced against the police? He's just as ignorant as the one asshole who fucked with him. Hypocrite.

Renee Stewert

I could not agree more. Glad to see I'm not the only person to see past the bullshit.

Guest

Schmuck cops. They arrested Urkel...

Disillusioned. Too bad Sidney Lumet is no longer around. He would have turned this story into a weekly TV series.

Mordicai

Me too, kid. Me too.

janice

Endless police corruption by the NYPD and the Dept of Justice is investigating... NEWARK's police department?

Are you all just going to sit there?

Oh. Of course you are. It says so right there in the Declaration Of Independence: the people are gutless cowards and sheep.