What Happened?
11/30/07: Video interview by TotalBlackTV.com
(this is the first 2 minutes of interview, view rest at TotalBlackTV.com)
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Attorney Michael Tarif Warren and his wife Evelyn were driving along Vanderbilt Avenue around 6 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2007 when they stopped at a red light. While stopped in traffic they witnessed NYPD officers pursuing a young man. They put their vehicle in park and exited their vehicle to see what was happening. They saw the young man on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him surrounded by police officers who were kicking him viciously.
Then Sgt. Talvy, who appeared to be in charge, kicked him in the head and stepped back some distance away. He placed his hand on his handgun on his right hip.
"Not only as people of conscience and moral decency, but as lawyers, we thought this is outrageous." They arrived and stood "more than ten feet away," he said. We returned to the vehicle almost immediately because we were ordered to do so. Outside the vehicle, Mr. Warren said to Sgt. Talvy, "Why are you beating him, he's handcuffed, he's not a threat. Take him to the precinct."
They returned to their car, and Ms. Warren began to write down the license plate numbers of the police vehicles as the Warrens watched the NYPD put the bleeding young man in a car. When Sgt. Talvy came over to the car Mr. Warren told him we were lawyers. Sgt. Talvy struck Ms. Warren while both Warrens were in the vehicle. Sgt. Talvy was punching Mr. Warren repeatedly in the head, looking as if he had no intention of stopping, repeatedly punching him through the window and shouting, "Get out of the car!" Sgt. Talvy dragged Mr. Warren out of the car, ripping his shirt and pants. Ms. Warren, very upset, asked "Why are you doing this?" Sgt. Talvy then punched her in the face. Both were arrested and taken to the 77th precinct charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Quickly, word of the Warrens arrest spread, and several hundred people descended on the 77th Precinct demanding his release. Organizations including the December 12th Movement, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, Malcolm X Grassroots, International Action Center, CEMOTAP, the Muslim community, the Haitian community and many others were present and several media outlets were on hand.
NYC Councilman Charles Barron, Attorneys Roger Wareham, Reginald Haley, and Marisa Benton began negotiating their release with Brooklyn's top brass, including Community Affairs Chief Douglas Zeigler, Brooklyn Borough Commander Chief Gerald Nelson, and 77th Precinct Executive Officer Michael Marino. At approximately 10:30 PM Evelyn Warren was released with a summons. Michael Warren was released with a DAT at 11:30 PM.
Michael Tarif (left) and Evelyn Warren with NYC Councilman Charles Barron
Councilman Barron and other community activists are demanding Talvy be fired and that Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hines "drop the charges (against the Warrens) and charge the police." He stated, "Police who murder and assault us must be charged with crimes and put in jail. That is the only deterrent."
Evelyn Warren added, "We are professionals, if they do this to us in broad daylight on a crowded street, what do they do in the dark when no one is around? That's what I'm concerned about. Officer Talvy must go and Police Commissioner Kelly must go, because his policy allows this behavior to continue."
If charges against them are not dropped, Michael and Evelyn Warren vow to take the case to trial and use it as a community mobilizing and educating tool to fight police brutality.
This report largely taken from an article by Amadi Ajamu published by the NYC Indymedia Center on June 23, 2007. Thank you, Sister Amadi.
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7/23/07: Monthly Review, "Aparthied America"
Read this excellent article by journalist Susie Day. Thoughtful interview with Evelyn Warren. Perfect for organizing anti-racist white folks and others who want to learn more about police brutality.
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7/5/07: The Beating of Black Lawyers
(c) '07 Mumia Abu-Jamal
No matter who we are, or where we live, folks in Black America have grown up with the lesson of the importance of education as a tool of social mobility. That's why lawyers are generally so highly regarded in many Black communities, as people who have undergone years of legal education. But that respect doesn't go far beyond the community. Cops in Brooklyn, New York recently showed what they thought of lawyers by beating them up! Read more.
Hear Mumia read this essay (MP3).
