Results tagged “policeheadquarters”

Imecca Burton, her mother, and civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel held a press conference in front of Police Headquarters yesterday to decry the handcuffing of 10-year-old Imecca, who was handcuffed by police in front of PS 25 where she attends elementary school. Police officers witnessed a fight on her school bus and in the ensuing events Imecca was handcuffed. Witnesses said that Imecca was swearing, kicking, and screaming, which is why the cops cuffed her. They were removed once she composed herself. The 10-year-old said she was afraid that she was going to jail and would never get out. "I never thought I'd see my brothers and sisters again," the New York Post reports. The Post labels Imecca Burton as "disabled" when describing her handcuffing and later elaborates that she has attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. Norman Siegel plans to sue the city on her behalf.

Yesterday, the police arrested Francisco Torress of Queens, as well as Herman Bell and Anthony Bottom, in connection with the 1971 murder of a San Francisco police officer. Bell and Bottom are currently serving jail time for murdering two NYPD officers in 1971; while Bell and Bottom were convicted of the 1971 killing NYPD cops Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones, Torres and his brother were found innocent due to insufficient evidence. A SWAT team descended on Torres's home in Jamaica, Queens yesterday morning. A neighbor told the Post, "We thought he was a disabled Vietnam veteran. That's what he told people."

Last night's manhole explosions in SoHo were reportedly caused by wires underground catching fire. At least that's the Con Ed line. A Villager article from last year explained that when the fire occurs underground, there's a buildup of carbon monoxide - and then there's the explosion. Then the Department of Environmental Protection checks to see if there's CO in other neighboring buildings.

Not only did the police arrest DJ Star and charge him with aggravated harrassment and endangering the welfare of a minor, they managed to get him to Police Headquarters by asking him to surrender his 9mm handgun. And when he arrived - he was taken to the First Precinct to be arrested. Wow - that's a switcheroo, though it seemed sort of pre-ordained, given how much attention has been put on the former Power 105FM DJ after he threatened to molest the 4 year old child of another rival DJ. DJ Star told reporters, "You're looking at the new Lenny Bruce." He was released on $2,000 bail, and his lawyer Ben Brafman continued to claim it was simply a matter of radio station rivalries gone amok.

Ooohh... In 1905, when the original Police Headquarters was being built at 240 Centre Street, the NYPD may have buried a time capsule under a cornerstone, in hopes of it being opened on May 6, 2005. However, the posh co-op which now occupies 240 Centre Street is against, well, busting through some granite for what could be a wild goose chase. The president of the co-op board, Arthur Emil, says, "My answer is, 'No.' There are legends galore about the building. I've heard about the time capsule but paid no attention because there's no concrete proof. If it was a simple operation, like unsealing a Ziploc, to see if it was there, I'd have no problem." Oh, Mr. Emil, that's so silly - they didn't have Ziploc back in 1905! While the Police Building's architects during its 1988 renovation don't remember any sort of time capsule-like vessels, the Daily News reports that historians are pretty sure there is a time capsule, and that police records say contents include a "gold engraved revolver, a police badge, a letter from then-President Theodore Roosevelt and a police roster are said to be among the items in the capsule." Even the NY Times back in the day reported that the time capsule was "over a recess which contained coins, newspapers of the day and police rules and records."

Two days after Fernando Ferrer said, in front of the Sergeants' Benevolent Association, that he didn't think Amadou Diallo's death was a crime, simply a tragedy, politicians and even Diallo's mother have been weighing in. This is a big deal for mayoral hopeful Ferrer because these words seem to be a a change from 1999, when he protested outside Police Headquarters. Diallo's mother, Kadiatou Diallo, has told the media that she's "very hurt" by Ferrer's remarks, given his past support. Some political consultants say Ferrer didn't shoot himself in the foot but, as Hank Sheinkopf put it, "What voters don't like is inconsistency, and his inconsistency is going to hurt him." Though Ferrer is claiming he has been consistent, Steinkopf added that C. Virginia Fields "should send him flowers."