Who left the hospital today after being shot in the head. He too, was just doing his job.
Tag: NYPD
Round up the Usual Outrage
An officer, who heard over his radio that a drug suspect was armed with a gun, kicks down the door of his apartment, finds the suspect hiding in the bathroom (probably trying to flush weed down the toilet), thinks the suspect is going for his gun, and shoots and kills the suspect. The problem is that the suspect, according to…
NYC marijuana and jail
Two good posts from Zachary Goelman. One on the latest death caused by marijuana (prohibition). The other on the new jail in Brooklyn.
The attempted murder of Officer Brennan
I wish Officer Brennan and his family the best. Nobody recovers completely from a gunshot wound to the head. Nobody. And I can’t help be moved by this amazing photo by Robert Stolarik for the New York Times capturing a failed two-bit criminal being himself. The caption reads: Luis Ortiz taunted photographers and jeered at onlookers as he was taken…
Low-Level Marijuana Arrests Rise for Seventh Straight Year
Andy Newman of the Timesreports: Low-level arrests for marijuana possession in New York City increased for the seventh straight year in 2011, according to a study released Wednesday — despite a September memorandum from the police commissioner that reminded officers to follow the letter of the law and not arrest people with marijuana unless they have the drugs in plain…
RIP Peter Figoski
From the New York Times: Officer Figoski, a father of four daughters and the brother of a retired city police officer, was shot with an illegal semiautomatic weapon, Mr. Bloomberg said. He had made over 200 arrests, nearly half of them felony arrests, Mr. Kelly said. He worked out of the 75th Precinct, one of the city’s most crime-ridden, where…
Occupy Updates
The best current/live account of what’s going on is from a UK paper. (Why is that?) The Guardian. Also, I wrote an update to my Slate article.
Police vs. Occupy Wall Street
Turns out I dohave a few thoughts about police and Occupy Wall Street. Read all about it on Slate.com: If cops could wave a magic wand, the protesters would simply go away. But if cops could wave a magic wand, the whole damned city would probably disappear. Police relate to the demoralized employees in the film Clerks: “This job would…
Patrolman Kelly
Has Ray Kelly ever fixed a ticket? I’ll take him at his word that he hasn’t. But has Ray Kelly ever written a ticket? I mean, how long was Kelly on patrol?
Too Gentle a Slap
I’ve said beforethat Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna should be in trouble (but not fired). But this seems like too gentle a slap on the wrist. What worries me isn’t his career (I couldn’t care less), but the message it sends. Clearly transferring this man to a precinct closer to home is a case of rewarding an officer for 30 years…