NYC: Pastor Wants Police to Rein in ‘Savages’ in the Department

[Lanya]

Butts Wants Police to Rein in ‘Savages’ in the Department
 
By DAMIEN CAVE and CASSI FELDMAN
Published: December 16, 2006

The Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, one of New York’s most prominent and moderate black clerics, demanded yesterday that the city rein in rogue members of the Police Department whom he described as “ignorant savages who continue to prey upon our people as if we have no respect by virtue of our humanity or our citizenship.”

The surprisingly sharp comments by Mr. Butts were made at a news conference outside City Hall that was called to announce a march for today to protest the killing of an unarmed man, Sean Bell, on Nov. 25 by the police.

At yesterday’s event, political and community leaders said they planned to challenge Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to adopt a list of proposed changes in policing including several that were presented after Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant, was killed by police officers in 1999. For Mr. Butts, pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, the pointed remarks represented a marked change.

Immediately after the killing of Mr. Bell last month, Mr. Butts praised Mayor Bloomberg for meeting with black leaders and questioned the department’s commitment to reform in muted tones, suggesting that Raymond W. Kelly, the police commissioner, was “insensitive” and “getting a second look” from black leaders.

But yesterday, while surrounded by the Rev. Al Sharpton and some members of the City Council, he insisted it was the time for the mayor to act.

Referring to the list of recommendations, he said that a special prosecutor should be named for police brutality and corruption cases.

Mr. Butts called for an end to the 48-hour rule, which delays interviews with officers being investigated for brutality or the use of deadly force.

He insisted that his criticism applied only to some officers and not the whole department.

He added that the department was long overdue for reform.

“There are police officers that must be dealt with,” Mr. Butts said. “They are culturally ignorant and racially insensitive. For too long we have tried to make changes, only to be disrespected.”

As for the mayor, “the only way he can demonstrate that he really gets it is by pulling his police commissioner and officers in line,” he said.

The mayor’s office and the Police Department declined to comment.

In an interview last night, Mr. Butts acknowledged that part of his frustration started on Oct. 21 when, he said, he was harassed by an officer during a dispute over a $115 parking ticket.

He said he filed a complaint several weeks ago, and though the mayor apologized on behalf of the department, the case remained unresolved. “This happened in the middle of October,” he said. “It’s now the middle of December. In the meantime, Sean Bell was killed.”

Mr. Bell was killed on his wedding day and two of his friends were wounded, one seriously. Officers fired 50 shots into Mr. Bell’s car. No weapon was found in the car.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/16/nyregion/16butts.html?_r=5&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1166287259-JuFoTtNg8hwxZ0MH9OSHSA
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Surveillance Film Shows Police, Passengers Diving For Cover as Bullets in Sean Bell Shooting Hit Train Station
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/14/1458229