‘I Don’t Believe Those Officers Broke the Law’: New York Mayor Eric Adams Defends Cops Who Lied About Details of Drill Rapper’s Arrest - Yahoo News
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is sticking beside the police department in the violent arrest of a Bronx teenager even though video evidence showed the officers involved lied about the details.
NYPD officer Taulant Gjonbalaj said the 16-year old’s hands were in his pockets when they approached him in January, and he ignored commands to remove them.
The confrontation led to a scuffle where the drill rapper, Camrin’ C Blu’ Williams and an officer were injured. Williams reportedly had an illegal gun in his pocket that accidentally went off, striking him in the groin and Officer Kasim Pennant in the leg.
A Bronx judge said Gjonbalaj’s recount was inconsistent with video footage of the encounter.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Naita Semaj, in a March 8 ruling, said Williams had his hands up and cooperated with police. She said the video shows the gun went off as the officers grabbed the teenager’s sides, but he kept his hands up.
A former NYPD captain, Adams dodged direct questions about the ruling on March 8. However, two days later, at an unrelated press conference, the mayor said the officers involved should not be “demonized” for their actions.
He said the officers’ goals are to take illegal guns off the street and protect lives.
“I don’t believe those officers broke the law,” Adams said. “I think those officers were aware from a previous arrest of that young man, and there are steps to take to ensure you protect yourself and protect the public.”
Semaj said, however, the police had no grounds to search Williams. The New York Post reports the officers never mentioned the rapper’s prior history of gun charges.
“There was absolutely zero reason for any of those officers to approach this individual,” Semaj said. “They approached him, they detained him, they searched him, and no officer even bothered to come up with a halfway legitimate reason for any of that.”
The NYPD charged Williams with attempted murder, which was later reduced by prosecutors to assault and gun charges. The judge also redirected the teenager’s case from adult court to family court.
source: https://news.yahoo.com/don-t-believe-those-officers-230000290.html
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