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Bad Cops Victim: Abner LouimaAbner Louima was arrested outside a nightclub in 1997, handcuffed and taken to Brooklyn's 70th Precinct. Officer Justin Volpe sodomized Louima with a broken broomstick. The assault by law enforcement officers included "shoving a wooden stick into his rectum and mouth while his hands were handcuffed behind his back." Abner suffered a torn bladder and intestine and required several surgeries to repair the damage. $8.75 million settlement over police brutality - "I hope that in the future that it puts police brutality to rest and there will be no more victims," said Abner after the largest police brutality settlement in New York City history. Abner sued for $155 million in 1998, claiming officers conspired to create a "blue wall of silence and lies to obstruct justice." The city will pay $7.125 million and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA) will pay $1.625 million. Officer Justin Volpe pleaded guilty and is serving 30 years. A jury also found officer, Charles Schwarz, guilty of pinning Louima down during the assault, and 4 other officers were convicted of lying to authorities. A federal grand jury indictment handed up a 12 count indictment on February 27, 1998. The investigation of the incident was conducted by the US Attorney's Office, the FBI and the Internal Affairs department of the NYPD. Copyright Kari Sable Burns 1994-2006 |
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