Latin@ family describes vicious police attack

Jesus Bracero and family. WW photos: Lal Roohk

Standing in front of the 34th Precinct police station in Manhattan’s Washington Heights on May 10, members of a Latin@ family gave details to the media about how the police had attacked them the previous day. The New York Justice Committee called the media conference.

Jesus Bracero said he had been dropping his daughter and her child off at school on May 9 when police approached his car and demanded to see identification. Bracero did not immediately comply because, as he said, “I had not done anything illegal.” The police called for backup from the 33rd and 34th precincts. They dragged Bracero out of his car with a chokehold on his neck. Bracero says he was assaulted by many police, who handcuffed him and repeatedly banged his head on the ground.

This occurred in the presence of parents and children coming to school. One of these parents, Lucie Turul, spoke at the press conference. She said many parents could testify that the police brutalized Bracero. Turul said these types of police attacks against members of the Dominican community in Washington Heights were becoming worse.

Later that morning Bracero’s family had gone to the 34th Precinct, where he was being held. They say that when Bracero’s daughter reached out to hug her 56-year-old father, who suffers from a severe back disability, the police told her she was “acting up” and grabbed her. When her mother tried to help her, they threw the mother across the room onto the floor. His son tried to help. He was assaulted and thrown in jail with his father.

The father and son were arraigned the next morning and face serious charges.

The son, a U.S. Army soldier, is waiting to be shipped out to Afghanistan. He came to the media conference but stayed in the background. He told the media he had military instructions not to speak about the police attack or have his photo taken.

Many New York television reporters appeared at the media conference. As cameras and microphones were trained on the tearfully distraught and badly injured family members, they grilled Bracero over and over again on the same question: Why didn’t he immediately give his ID to the police? The question assumed that it is normal for the police to used force to stop people without reason and demand identification, especially if these people happen to fit their bias profile.

Bracero is receiving hospital treatment for serious head and back injuries.