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Judge, Citing Extreme Facts, Tosses Arrest of NYC Professor
New York Law Journal ^ | 1//21/14 | Joel Stashenko

Posted on 01/18/2014 8:15:46 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines

Unnerved by a chaotic scene that involved a bolting dog, a sick husband and an aggressive police officer who ignored her pleas, it was "hardly surprising" that Suzanne LaFont tried to physically stop the officer from handcuffing her husband, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Steven Statsinger said....

For 30 to 60 seconds on April 11, 2013, the judge noted, LaFont tried to pull on the arm and shoulder of Officer Anthony Giambra to stop him from restraining her ill husband, Karl Peltomaa, outside their apartment on West 83rd Street....

According to the ruling and LaFont's papers, her husband had only been home from Roosevelt Hospital for one day after surgery for an aortic aneurysm when he began to feel very anxious on April 11, 2013. In two calls to 911, LaFont said her husband had just been in the hospital, was on a "lot of medication" and that he was "freaking out."

LaFont also explained that Peltomaa did not have a "psych history," just a "medical history."

When Giambra and other first responders arrived a short time later, LaFont's dog dashed out the door. After returning the dog to the apartment, LaFont said she found Giambra attempting to subdue her much smaller husband by pressing his chest against a hallway wall.

She said that despite her trying to tell the officer that Peltomaa had just had open-heart surgery, he threw her husband face down onto the floor. According to statements by the couple, Peltomaa was hospitalized for two days following the incident with a cut to his chin and a dislocated thumb....

"Rather than interfering with the responders' task, her providing them with accurate medical information about Peltomaa could have assisted them in managing the situation more effectively," the judge wrote.

(Excerpt) Read more at newyorklawjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: New York
KEYWORDS: brutality; donutwatch; lafont; police; suzanne
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
NYC Professor - Do we even have to guess he wears a Che’ shirt?

Probably the only reason the cops backed off. I'm guessing the Mayor got a call from the dean, saying "If you don't want every professor here calling you a crypto-fascist in every class, you better make this go away".

There would have been less chance of a good outcome if it had been a truck driver who was registered Republican.

41 posted on 01/18/2014 9:12:41 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Cops are all about ego and display of power.

Much like a liberal.


42 posted on 01/18/2014 9:12:49 AM PST by stinkerpot65 (Global warming is a Marxist lie.)
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To: null and void

Why are you digressing with things that are entirely beside the point?

It would be a step away from the welfare state that everyone could agree with. People get a part or all tax CREDIT for donations to anything that is currently considered charity.


43 posted on 01/18/2014 9:14:14 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar for you if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: null and void

Well if you want to get dully pedantic, a crazy person is a “threat” but one that is best dealt with using means that actually have a HEART.


44 posted on 01/18/2014 9:15:01 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar for you if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: Leaning Right
But I do like the idea of having the chief law enforcement officer being directly elected by the people, as is the case with the sheriff.

And now visualize yourself having had to defend yourself against a black thug, in a town where the Sheriff got elected by the black vote.

45 posted on 01/18/2014 9:15:27 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: IbJensen
Sheriff and local PD isn't perfect, but I trust them more than the State Cops. I can elect the sheriff. Local PD is hit or miss depending on department.
46 posted on 01/18/2014 9:15:52 AM PST by Darren McCarty (Abortion - legalized murder for convenience)
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To: PapaBear3625

No mechanism on earth can defeat raw politics.

Only what is OFF earth, can.


47 posted on 01/18/2014 9:17:02 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar for you if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
For 30 to 60 seconds .... , LaFont tried to pull on the arm and shoulder of Officer Anthony Giambra to stop him from restraining her ill husband

She's lucky he didn't shoot her dog.

48 posted on 01/18/2014 9:17:45 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (My tagline is in the shop.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
It seems that modern cop craft is based on the premise that everybody you meet is a crook.

Militaristic training. Most of the good cops are over 45. Old school vs new school.

49 posted on 01/18/2014 9:18:16 AM PST by Darren McCarty (Abortion - legalized murder for convenience)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

*shrug* it was the trajectory our conversation took us on.


50 posted on 01/18/2014 9:18:17 AM PST by null and void (We need to shake this snowglobe up.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

no hounds were abused or shot


51 posted on 01/18/2014 9:18:35 AM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: null and void

And the next step after weaning from the welfare state by making donations be tax creditable, would be to eliminate the taxes. And guess what... the donations would probably keep up.

And you want to hobble it up with all kinds of human minded garbage!


52 posted on 01/18/2014 9:19:41 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar for you if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: PapaBear3625
And now visualize yourself having had to defend yourself against a black thug, in a town where the Sheriff got elected by the black vote.

I'd be getting out of dodge if I defended myself. No police involvement.

53 posted on 01/18/2014 9:20:02 AM PST by Darren McCarty (Abortion - legalized murder for convenience)
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To: null and void

It was the trajectory that YOUR thoughts went in. (Fixed, as you say.)


54 posted on 01/18/2014 9:20:19 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar for you if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: PapaBear3625
And now visualize yourself having had to defend yourself against a black thug, in a town where the Sheriff got elected by the black vote.

Or any case where the sheriff is beholden to any special interest group. Yep, that's the downside.

55 posted on 01/18/2014 9:21:34 AM PST by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: Darren McCarty

Military training would be an improvement.

There would be far, far fewer officer related shootings if we held our police to the same rules of engagement that we hold over our military.

An Afghanistani terrorist is safer in the sights of a US combat professional than John Q. Public is answering a cop’s knock at his door.


56 posted on 01/18/2014 9:23:27 AM PST by null and void (We need to shake this snowglobe up.)
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To: null and void

Wait, are you saying the cop didn’t “follow protocol” in this case?


57 posted on 01/18/2014 9:23:43 AM PST by Repeat Offender (What good are conservative principles if we don't stand by them?)
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To: Repeat Offender

Bad cop! No doughnut!


58 posted on 01/18/2014 9:25:46 AM PST by null and void (We need to shake this snowglobe up.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

This sort of thing would end if all training academies had to have certification which judges could pull.


59 posted on 01/18/2014 9:27:53 AM PST by Brass Lamp
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To: Repeat Offender
Wait, are you saying the cop didn’t “follow protocol” in this case?

As no dog was shot, we can safely say that protocol was not followed here.

60 posted on 01/18/2014 9:36:40 AM PST by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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