A Complaint to be Filed from a South West Yonkers Citizen on July 20, 2009.
Date of Alleged Incident: 7/16/09; Time: 12:00
I was on my way home from the City. I saw a youth from my building being searched right outside of the lobby area. I stood by, so that I could observe the search. I was then told by officer (X), who was a plain-clothes officer, that I needed to leave and that I could not watch. I asserted that I had a right to observe their activities as long as I was at a safe distance and that I did not interfere. He threatened to arrest me if I didn’t go away. I walked so far from the scene that it would be absurd for anyone to accuse me of interfering (I can be observed on camera a safe distance from the investigation). As I stood and observed from the distant location, he then demanded that I go completely away from the building - at this point he began cursing and using inappropriate language towards me. He continued to threaten to arrest me. I told him that I was within my rights, and clearly not doing anything wrong, and at a safe distance. I told him that if he needed to arrest me, he could do so but we would be on camera, and if he did, the evidence would be against him. At this point, he began to question where I was coming from, and who I was. He took my ID and walked off with it. As I stood and watched from afar, the officers decided to move their detainees inside the lobby (I feel it was so that I would not be able to observe from where I was standing, but I don’t have any proof of that).
(X) who had taken my ID, was back to doing whatever he was doing before he decided to engage with me again. When he walked to his car and passed me, I asked him for my ID and he said jokingly, “When I locate it asshole.” I then asked him what his badge number was because he didn’t have any badge on him at all, and he told me “Go fuck yourself jerk.” I was highly offended, and his conduct was illegal.
When the youth were finally released (without anything being found on them), I asked officer (X) for my ID as he walked towards his car. He told me to wait a minute and continued to walk. One of the youth who had been searched walked up to me, handed me my ID, and told me that the officer had jokingly given it to him. I took the ID and walked to the officer’s car to ask him again for his badge number. He cursed at me again, and told me to “F” myself. They then drove off.
Officer (X) never identified himself. All I have is the first few license plate numbers of the unmarked SUV that he was riding in on the passenger side [EFY]. If you need to identify him, all you need to do is look at the surveillance footage. Officer X was a white male, kind of fat, with a short haircut.
in my opinion, this man needs not to be an officer if he cannot act within the law; and he needs not to be on the street if he can not deal with citizens sensibly and with respect.
