By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 8 – Eliezer Lopez sued NYPD officers of the 42nd Precinct in The Bronx for excessive force.
He was chased, he says, by police who did not show badges in Crotona Park North and Arthur Avenue. He was pushed after being told, "this is what happens when you run from the cops."
On September 1 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Loretta A. Preska held a final pre-trial conference. Inner City Press covered it.
Judge Preska described how trial work during the time of COVID, saying that this one will be in large Courtroom 26B. She was asked, Is that where you did the Donziger trial?
The municipal defendants asked questions like, Can we leave the drugs seized from plaintiff with the Marshals overnight during the trial? It was said the trial will begin on September 15.
Jump cut to April 7, 2022, and the trial was on. Inner City Press covered it, in person. The police officer witness, not in the glassed-in box used for example in the just concluded US v. Larry Ray trial, testified that he had merely chased Lopez to the railing, and watched him climb and jump over it.
Plaintiff's counsel grilled him about previous deposition answers and his answers drew instructions from Judge Preska. The witness said a doctor had found drugs in the plaintiff's clothes, but then couldn't name the race or even gender of the doctor.
April 8, the trial went past 5 pm with Sergeant Rosario on the stand. He demonstrated how undercover officers wear their NYPD shield on chairs or laces, but could not explain why he did not tell IAB that the now partially paralyzed Lopez said he feel or jumped and was not pushed by Officer Linares.
Inner City Press will continue to cover the case.
The case is Laureano v. City of New York et al., 17-cv-181 (Preska)
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