Excessive Force Suit Brought by Indians Against NY State Police Allowed to Proceed

An excessive force lawsuit brought against the New York State Police by a group of Indians can proceed through the courts. That's the ruling from a federal judge in Syracuse. US District Judge Frederick Scullin determined there's enough questions of fact for a jury to decide the claims of 65 protesters who say troopers used excessive force and violated their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly. The lawsuit stems from a confrontation at a 1997 protest staged by Indians who were blocking Interstate 81 where it runs through the Onondaga Indian Nation, just south of Syracuse. About two dozen demonstrators were arrested protesting a sales-tax agreement between Onondaga Nation chiefs and the Pataki administration. The protesters claimed dozens of troopers used excessive force to quell the protest when it spilled onto I-81. Charges were dismissed against all but one protester, who was acquitted following a jury trial. [more]

Accused police officer testifies

One of the two Palo Alto police officers facing brutality charges for allegedly beating a black motorist took the witness stand Tuesday for the first time as the prosecutor wrapped up his case. Officer Michael Kan, 26, began reading a transcript of his testimony during the case's preliminary examination for the jury late Tuesday afternoon. Kan and Officer Craig Lee, 41, are accused of beating and pepper-spraying Palo Alto resident Albert Hopkins, 61, on the night of July 13, 2003, after he allegedly refused to provide identification to the officers and became confrontational. At the preliminary examination held last summer, Kan testified that when he arrived on the scene to provide back-up to Lee, he approached Hopkins, who was "hostile." "He was basically argumentative with me and very aggressive," Kan said. Kan read his preliminary examination testimony in which he described Hopkins as cursing and using slang on the night of the alleged beating. "A black man can't do nothing in Palo Alto without the police being involved," Kan testified Hopkins said. Last week Hopkins testified at the trial that he received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master's degree from San Diego State University. During his testimony, which lasted more than a day, he never used the style of speech that Kan attributed to him at the preliminary examination. [more]

Police abuse alleged by blacks in Marin County (CA)

Marin County elected officials and concerned residents are considering the formation of a citizen review board to examine complaints of police abuse of minorities in Marin City and other parts of the county. A dozen people, many of them African American, complained before a hearing of the county Human Rights Commission last month of being harassed and/or arrested by authorities in some parts of the county. Many believe officers stop, handcuff and manhandle blacks as a way of training young officers. And in a series of Chronicle interviews with 30 randomly selected African American residents in Marin City, 10 said they'd been stopped and harassed by law enforcement officers in the past year. Derrick Morgan, a member of the Marin City Community Service District board who is in charge of safety issues, said there is a need for some sort of process to investigate complaints from the public. Most complaints aired last month before the Human Rights Commission came from Marin City, an unincorporated community between Mill Valley and Sausalito. It is home to many of the county's African American residents, who live in a collection of apartment complexes, public housing units and private homes. Marin County, with one of the state's highest median household incomes at $71,300 in 2000, has a population of 250,000 -- predominantly white. It is made up of 11 incorporated cities with their own police departments. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans as a percentage of the county population fell from 3.5 percent to 2.9 percent from 1990 to 2000. [more]

Rapper from Dead Prez Compensated by New York City for False Arrest

Dead Prez star Stic.man has received more than $50,000 in settlement fees from the city of New York for false arrest and excessive force, according to his attorney. The rapper and three associates were arrested during a photo shoot and subsequently sued the New York Police Department for false arrest and excessive force. A portion of the settlement will be donated to the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement to prevent further police misconduct, reports MTV.com. [more]