Strolling through the Bronx late one night in 2011, 17-year-old Tyre Davis remarked to his friend that the immediate vicinity smelled like dog feces. A moment later, Officer Joseph Murphy and Office Jose Ocasio arrested him for disorderly conduct. When Davis was released, the officers took him to an alley and pummeled him in the face and body. Davis later told the Daily News, "I thought I was going to die." Yesterday, a judge convicted both police officers of misdemeanor assault.
The Times reports that Judge Julio Rodriguez III weighed evidence that included surveillance footage of the two officers "punching and kicking the teenager."
Ocasio, 31, and Murphy, 29, were also convicted of harassment, which is a violation.
As for their punishment, Bronx DA Robert Johnson said he will ask for parole. Because Murphy and Ocasio weren't convicted of felonies, they may be able to keep their jobs. An NYPD spokesman told the Times their fate was uncertain.
Davis has since sued the City and the department for damages.
In other NYPD news, the department will lose its second-in-command next month. First Deputy Commissioner Rafael Pineiro was reportedly "forced out" by Commissioner Bill Bratton. Pineiro had been considered a long shot to replace Ray Kelly, and flew down to Puerto Rico to state his case to mayor-elect de Blasio. Pineiro, 65, was a 44-year veteran and the highest ranking Hispanic member of the department. The chairman of the National Latino Officers Association called the decision "a betrayal to the Hispanic community."
