At some point tonight, a couple of bored cops were hanging around in the Financial District, killing time setting up barricades on some B.S. detail. Oh well, at least there's the overtime. And the chance that maybe later they'll get to crack some skulls.
Video: Cop Hopes His Nightstick "Will Get A Workout Tonight"
Video: Student Protesters Violently Arrested
There's not much background on this video depicting the violent arrest of a demonstrator last night, but it's still a bracing way to start your day. New School students and their comrades brought the ruckus downtown to show solidarity with students at the University of California, who are occupying various administration buildings on multiple campuses to protest budget cuts and an increase in student fees, among other grievances.
Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Cop Who Broke Man's Cheek
Bronx cop Marc Rios, an 11-year-veteran currently under indictment for smashing a man in the face with his baton during a road-rage incident, has now been slapped with a federal civil rights suit. Victim John Roperto is seeking unspecified damages from Rios over the March altercation, which Roperto says was sparked after he left a Kingsbridge nightclub around 4:20 a.m and an NYPD squad car almost ran him over. Roperto, 32, slapped the car in anger, which prompted Rios to get out and crack him in the face with his flexible police baton, breaking both Roperto's cheekbone and the baton.
Cop Indicted for Breaking Man's Face With Nightstick
In an indictment unsealed yesterday, Bronx cop Marc Rios, a 12-year-veteran, is accused of assaulting a man outside a Kingsbridge nightclub around 4:20 a.m. on March 30th. Assistant DA James Cudden says the "unprovoked incident" happened after Rios's squad car almost hit clubgoer John Roperto, who had just exited the El Aguila nightclub. Roperto angrily hit the hood of the car, and Rios got out and cracked Roperto in the face with his nightstick—breaking the man's cheekbone and the baton. Rios then drove off, but when his Sergeant informed him about a 911 call to the location, he allegedly quipped, "That must be my bag of shit." Rios faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted; his lawyer tells the Post he acted in self-defense because Roperto, who was "quite likely... highly intoxicated," disobeyed an order to stop and approached Rios with his hands hidden beneath a jacket. Rios's lawyer also points out that Roperto got off easy, because "perhaps an inexperienced officer might've pulled out his gun and shot him."

