$8.5 million settlement in Louima case
City, cop 'union' held accountable
By Heather
Cottin
New York
When the police tortured Abner Louima in a bathroom in
Brooklyn's 70th precinct station on Aug. 9, 1997, leaving him
bleeding internally, they warned him they would kill him and
his family if he said anything.
After four years of struggle, New York City authorities were
forced to award the Haitian American $8.75 million in damages.
This includes an unprecedented $1,625,000 payment from the
Police Benevolent Association, the first time any police
"union" in the United States has had to pay for the ravages of
police brutality.
Abner Louima did not remain silent. After a "life and death
battle" in the hospital as a result of having a broken broom
handle jammed into his rectum and his throat, Louima and his
supporters fought back.
For four years, the Haitian community and other anti-police
brutality activists organized to protest this heinous police
crime. Marches and rallies swelled to 10,000 people demanding
justice for Louima.
Because of the tremendous outpouring of rage against the
torture--especially after more cop killings of Aswan Watson,
Amadou Diallo, Anthony Baez and Patrick Dorismond--several cops
involved in Louima's torture were jailed. The case brought
worldwide attention to the epidemic of police brutality under
the administration of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Black and Latin communities in cities around the U.S. are
under essentially police-state conditions. Neighborhoods are
occupied by predominantly white police forces.
These conditions generate protest. The epidemic of racist
brutality is not confined to New York, as shown by an uprising
against police murders of African Americans in Cin cin nati.
From Philadelphia to Los Angeles, from Chicago to San
Francisco, thousand of incidents have enraged the communities
where predominantly Black and Latin communities face daily
assaults by occupying police armies.
In the United States, the majority of people shot and killed
and beaten by police are people of color.
"Since that day four years ago, I have vowed to do
everything I can to ensure that the torture and cover-up I
suffered will not be inflicted on my children or anyone else's
children," Louima said after the verdict.
The settlement reportedly will end the policy allowing
police officers 48 hours of silence before they have to answer
questions in brutality cases--a policy that streng thens the
infamous "blue wall of silence."
"Mine is just one case, so much more needs to be done,"
Abner Louima stated.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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