Posted on 04/27/2006 10:32:01 PM PDT by brnxyankeegirl
April 24, 2006 -- A Bronx family has sued the city, saying their 11-year-old son was busted by cops for trespassing on city property - and then taken to a police station house and handcuffed to a pole, The Post has learned. Joseph Weaver, now 12, and his mother, Melanie Ramirez-Weaver, say in a civil complaint that on April 22, 2005, cops "unlawfully arrested, frightened, assaulted, prosecuted and harassed," the boy, who was picked up while "lawfully playing with friends on a public sidewalk" outside his Grand Concourse home.
Joseph and some pals were reported for playing a spy game on public property, says the Weavers' lawyer, Bradley Sacks.
Joseph was "forcibly handcuffed, placed into a police vehicle, taken from his home without notification to his parents, and brought to the 44th Police Precinct without having committed any crime," the lawsuit states.
The Weavers charge in the suit filed at Bronx Supreme Court that the boy was handcuffed to a pole, prevented from calling family or a lawyer and insulted by a cop.
Joseph was released the same day with no charges. denise.buffa@nypost.com
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Welcome to FR. What else do you know about this article..it seems very vague..do you have any further info?
That's not a crime now, is it? Those spy games were a favorite when I was growing up. It seemed that every neighborhood had its own version and a different name for it.
WTF? If true, I hope this family sues the city into bankruptcy.
It may very well be these days. The boy should have been off doing something a little more fun loving like trying to smuggle uranium across the southern border. He'd have been perfectly within his rights then.
Sorry I don't have any other information. I thought it was a shame what happened to the young boy and wanted to see how everyone else felt about it. Thanks for welcoming me!
I'm a Bronx native myself, although I haven't been back in years. AND, a Yankee fan!
I've been around FR for a while and as far as I am concerned - WELCOME TO FREE REPUBLIC! Post freely and post often.
Justice
In the old days the cop would have taken the disruptive child to his parents (mom) and explained the offending behavior. The kid would get a good scolding and that would be the end of it.
"In the old days" where I grew up, things did happen differently. Boys were not scolded for playing games on public property.
If a boy had been arrested for playing on public property, both of the parents would have screamed at and threatened the cop and the chief. Both policemen would have apologized to both of the parents. ...reminds me of the reaction and resolution, after a patrolman's daughter injured a neighborhood boy.
welcome and congrats on your first thread
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