Police Brutality Alleged In Wilkes-Barre

[normanvin]

http://pahomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=98511

Police Brutality Alleged In Wilkes-Barre

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- As many as a dozen witnesses say they're coming forward to report what they describe a violent beating at the hands of city police on Tuesday morning. Luis Cruz, 23, was hospitalized following the alleged altercation in the 200 block of Stanton Street.

Witnesses claim Cruz was running from police for an unknown reason. Neighbor Chrissy Krepps tells WBRE Eyewitness News she yelled at Cruz to get down and put his hands up. Krepps said Cruz again started running at which time he was subdued by as many as six officers. A woman who was driving by at the time and did not want to be identified claims she saw "nightsticks, mace, hitting, kicking and banging a head off a car." She said "that's excessive force to me."

Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll confirmed state police were investigating the matter. She said the investigation would be "thorough."

Repeat messages left with a spokeswoman for Wilkes-Barre administrators were not returned. A shift commander on duty Tuesday evening said he was unable to comment on an incident that happened earlier in the day.

Cruz spent more than 10 hours in the emergency room at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. Family said he was sedated at times. They described bruises over large parts of his body, a gash to his leg and a large cut over his eye.

Witnesses said police had responded to the scene for reports of a man with a gun. Luzerne County 911 supervisors Tuesday night were unable to verify if a call was made regarding such a complaint.

Cruz's mother said he suffers from bi-polar disorder, but she disputes he was involved in a violent act that triggered a police response such as the one that's being alleged.

Absent comment from city officials, there's no information on the status of police officers under state police review who were allegedly involved in the altercation.

[normanvin]

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Luis...o_happen_.html

Chief Dessoye: Luis Cruz will be charged

Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE - A prepared news release from city Police Chief Gerard Dessoye says Luis Cruz, who claimed he was physically beaten by at least seven city police officers on Tuesday, will be charged.



"The Wilkes-Barre Police Department is cooperating fully with investigations being conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and Luzerne County District Attorney's Office. WBPD's investigation thus far indicates that the officers who were involved in yesterday's incident acted accordingly. The suspect, who repeatedly failed to comply with verbal directives and fled from officers who were dispatched to Stanton Street, will be appropriately charged. The officers involved in the case will continue to work during their regularly scheduled shifts," Dessoye said in the news release.

Mayor Thomas M. Leighton and his administration have been continually monitoring this situation and have met with Dessoye for updates. "We welcome the investigation of the Pennsylvania State Police and District Attorney's Office. We will withhold further comment on the actions of the officers until these investigations have been completed, Leighton said in the news release.

Cruz, 23, said he was walking on Stanton Street when he spotted a group of people that are associated with a man who doesn't like him. Cruz claimed he ran when he saw an officer in a cruiser that chased him to his mother's residence on Stanton Street where he was allegedly beaten by officers with batons.

POSTED 1:40 p.m.

WILKES-BARRE - A state police trooper and a corporal were questioning family and neighbors on Wednesday, a day after Luis Cruz was allegedly beaten by as many as seven Wilkes-Barre police officers on Stanton Street.

Cruz, 23, spent nearly 10 hours at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for injuries to his legs, knees, back, ribs, chest, shoulders and head.

Cruz and his family are speaking out to what they say is police brutality.

Walking on Stanton Street around 10 a.m. Tuesday, Cruz said he noticed some people that don't like him driving in the area and talking on cell phones. He said a police officer showed up in a cruiser, and Cruz ran.

"I knew what was going to happen, the guy that don't like me, I seen his friends talking on phones, and the cop cruiser slowing down," Cruz said. "I started taking off to get help, to get a witness or get to my mother's house. The cops hopped out of their car and got out their batons and started beating me."

Cruz, wearing jeans on Tuesday, had a six inch, deep purple colored bruise behind his right leg, bruises on his two knees and elbows, multiple bruises on his abdomen, shoulders and back. There were also bruises on his head and face, including a large laceration above his left eye.

"I knew what the cops were going to do, that's why I ran," Cruz said from his mother's home on Stanton Street on Wednesday.

"I came out and (police) had (Cruz) on the porch and they were hitting him with a baton," said neighbor Rebecca Wickkiser. "I was telling the police to stop. (Cruz) was already down and the cop kept hitting him with a baton."

Cruz alleged he was transported to the Wilkes-Barre Police Department where he was beaten a second time while handcuffed.

"They were yelling in Spanish, "you're going to see the devil; God ain't going to help you," Cruz claimed.

Cruz was transported by ambulance to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where, he claimed, the police left.

Cruz's mother, Mayra Cruz, said she was with her son in the emergency room when the attending physician asked for permission to contact the state police.

"The doctor said to the nurse, 'I need you to take pictures of every angle of his body,'" Mayra Cruz said. "Then the doctor said to me, "Do I have your permission to file a complaint against the Wilkes-Barre police.' I said why, and he said, "His injuries, this is police brutality."

Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll said she requested the state police to investigate claims that Cruz was the victim of excessive force by Wilkes-Barre police.

Bridget Guinta, administrative assistant to city Mayor Tom Leighton, said in an e-mail that Leighton will issue a statement when the independent investigation is complete.

[mikepro8]

I saw some video of the alleged "victim" on the news today... I bet you dollars to donuts the guy is a gang-banger... Latin King to be more precise. His tats give him away when he took his shirt off.

[Strapped]

I saw some video of the alleged "victim" on the news today... I bet you dollars to donuts the guy is a gang-banger... Latin King to be more precise. His tats give him away when he took his shirt off.

I would like to know what you consider 'gang banger tats'? "Latin King to be more percise"?

[mikepro8]

The Lion tattoo over his heart is a dead giveaway (so I have been taught).
The tat on his right shoulder also looks similar to LK tats that I have seen, but this video is too small... I am going to try to record it at home with my video capture card, then see if I can zoom in at all with my comp.

[Big D]

I stand behind the W-B Officers 100% on this.
What I find amazing is the fact that there were over 10 people home to witness. Obviously living off of the wonders of free welfare life. I'm sure they don't have typical night jobs.

[Strapped]

The Lion tattoo over his heart is a dead giveaway (so I have been taught).
The tat on his right shoulder also looks similar to LK tats that I have seen, but this video is too small... I am going to try to record it at home with my video capture card, then see if I can zoom in at all with my comp.

Unless the lion was wearing a crown that has 5 points, it is not a Latin Kings tattoo. Latin Kings Tattoos are very distictive, and involve a '5 point crown' the letters 'LK' or some spanish sayings.
I believe you have been misinformed, honestly I don't know of any gangs that use a lion as their symbol.

I worked as a tattoo artist from age 16 to 25, in Philly, Miami, LA, Baltimore etc.. We had to learn what alot of gang tats were.
I'm covered in tats, well built, and a shaved head,,, if you seen a pic of me would you assume I was an Aryon nation or Skinhead member?

I stand behind the W-B Officers 100% on this.
What I find amazing is the fact that there were over 10 people home to witness. Obviously living off of the wonders of free welfare life. I'm sure they don't have typical night jobs.

What I find amazing, is that this is what you find amazing about this story...
Perhaps they do work night jobs, perhaps they are on disability, or vacation, or it was their day off, or perhaps they recently lost their jobs due to the economy,, or ant other dozens of reasons besides "welfare life".

This story is about multiple cops beating a man, and this is what you got out of it??


99% of the time I hear a story about the police having to use deadly force and shoot a suspect, I side with the police because I KNOW taking a human life is not an easy thing to do, killing a person is not like killing an animal, it takes it's toll on every aspect of your life after that. And I doubt that they are just looking to kill people for the "hell of it".

But when I hear stories of multiple cops beating an unarmed man to the point he ends up in the hospital, I have to wonder about that a bit more, because it is easy to punch, kick and use objects to hit a person, especially if that person was pissing you off.

I need to hear more about this incident before I can draw my own conclusion of whether or not it was police brutality, but I am leaning towards that direction.

[normanvin]

Yet more in the news

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Wilk...ad_a_gun_.html
Wilkes-Barre police investigated death threats; believed Luis Cruz had a gun

Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE - City police were chasing Luis Cruz after receiving reports from a postal carrier that he was threatening to kill African Americans, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Times Leader.
click image to enlarge


Cruz, 23, of Stanton Street, Wilkes-Barre, is claiming he was beaten by at least seven police officers Tuesday morning. His allegations sparked an independent investigation by the state police at Wyoming to determine if city police did use excessive force in arresting Cruz.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Officer Joseph Sinavage:

Sinavage was dispatched to Dana Street for a male walking down the street screaming obscenities at about 10:44 a.m. Tuesday. Several people told Sinavage that they believed the male had a gun.

Sinavage searched the area and was approached by a postal carrier in the area of Grove and Dana streets. The postal carrier claimed there were two males and a female walking in the area, and one of the males wearing jeans and a white tank top was screaming, "I'm going to kill them; (expletive) them (racial slur); I got a gun and I'm going to show them not to (expletive) my family," the criminal complaint says.

Sinavage encountered the three people, including Cruz, who was wearing jeans and a white tank top on Grove Street.

Sinavage alleged in the criminal complaint that he overheard Cruz yell, "I'm going to kill him. (Expletive) that," the criminal complaint says.

Cruz ran away through rear yards and refused police commands to stop running. At one time during the foot pursuit, Sinavage and an assisting officer ended their pursuit.

Sinavage returned to his cruiser and searched the area, encountering Cruz in the area of Stanton and Loomis streets. Sinavage yelled to Cruz, "Police, stop running and get on the ground," according to the criminal complaint.

Cruz ran onto the porch of his residence at 247 Stanton St. and approached a neighbor, Chris Ann Krepps. Police said in the criminal complaint that Cruz struggled with an officer as Krepps screamed at Cruz "to stop and get on the ground."

Police said they dispensed pepper spray in an attempt to subdue Cruz, who continued to resist arrest.

Police said in the criminal complaint that they struck Cruz in the legs four times with a baton. Cruz refused to get on the ground and would not comply with officers' orders, the criminal complaint says.

Krepps, according to the criminal complaint, yelled at police, "stop, he probably high right now, he gets like this when he's high."

Police said they felt Cruz' aggressive behavior and not complying with commands was consistent with that of behavior of an individual on illegal drugs.

Police said Cruz broke away screaming, "No, no, no," and ran off the porch and into a parked vehicle. Police said they struggled to arrest Cruz after a foot pursuit, and observed Cruz reaching into his waist band during the struggle, according to the criminal complaint.

Cruz was transported to Wilkes-Barre Police Headquarters saying to himself, "Jesus, forgive me Lord, I'm sorry."

Police Chief Gerard Dessoye said in a news release on Wednesday, after Cruz and his family spoke to the media, that Cruz will be appropriately charged. Dessoye further said that the officers involved in the apprehension of Cruz remain working their regular scheduled shifts.

Cruz is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was arraigned by District Judge William Amesbury in Wilkes-Barre and released on $10,000 unsecured bail, with stipulations that he undergo treatment for mental health issues.

[Strapped]

Well clearly the was no gun found on or near him. I think they could have handled a drunk kid a bit better than they did.