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| Samantha Zucker |
Samantha Zucker, who is from Westchester but goes to school at Carnegie Mellon University, was visiting NYC on October 22 with a group of seniors looking for jobs in design industries when she had her fateful run-in with cops. She and friend Alex Fischer were walking in Riverside Park after its 1 a.m. closing when they were confronted by police. “We’re there five minutes when a police car came up and told us we had to leave because the park was closed,” Fischer said. “We said, ‘O.K., we didn’t know,’ and turned around to leave. Almost immediately, a second police car pulls up.”
The students were given tickets for trespassing, and the officers demanded their IDs. While Fischer was allowed to leave after showing his, Zucker had left her wallet in a hotel two blocks away. Police wouldn't allow Fischer to go get it for her, and Zucker was handcuffed and forced to spend the next 36 hours locked up shuffled between a cell in the 26th Precinct station house on West 126th Street and central booking in Lower Manhattan. It's as if she had been eating doughnuts in a playground while unaccompanied by a minor!
The arresting officer, identified as Police Officer Durrell of the 26th Precinct in court papers, also allegedly made fun of Zucker while she was being held: “He was telling me that I needed to get a new boyfriend, that I should get a guy who takes me out to dinner,” Zucker said. “He mocked me for being from Westchester.” After two nights in custody, the judge dismissed all charges in seconds.
Dwyer describes Zucker's pointless arrest in poetic terms, calling it indicative of a larger cancer choking the effectiveness of the NYPD: "the staggering waste of spirit, the squandering of public resources, the follies disguised as crime-fighting." He also connects that with the controversial stop-and-frisk policy, which accounted for more than 600K arrests last year.
According to NYPD spokesman Paul Browne, officers can allow a friend or relative to retrieve ID. Zucker isn't only upset with the arresting officer however—she also blames a culture of complacency which prevented anyone from helping her during those 36 hours: “While it may have been one out-of-control officer that began the process, no other officer had the courage to stand up against what they knew was a poor decision,” she said.
6 comments:
OMG - if this is true, WHEN will this "officer" be FIRED - without the benefit of a pension paid by all of us??? AND the rest of the enforcers reprimanded - OFFICIALLY!!!! How do I teach MY kids to respect cops and respect the law when this happens?
The story is pretty upsetting but why is it mentioned in the headline that she is Jewish? Does that imply she is more innocent of wrong doing or does wrong doing only matter to readers if the victim is Jewish? We all know what the answer is and then pretend to wonder why there is so much antisemitism.
The reason we mentioned that she was Jewish, was simply because this is a Jewish oriented blog, and our readers are interested in Jewish issues. There are millions of non-Jewish blogs, and if they wish they don't have to mention that she was Jewish. At any rate, she actually was innocent, in this country you are not required to carry ID unless you drive a car. Also the judge immediately dismissed the charges. The police officer should be dismissed because he acted unprofessionely by taunting her.
"At any rate, she actually was innocent, in this country you are not required to carry ID unless you drive a car. Also the judge immediately dismissed the charges. The police officer should be dismissed because he acted unprofessionely (sic) by taunting her."
Lets examine each of your contentions.
1) At any rate, she actually was innocent, in this country you are not required to carry ID unless you drive a car.
The crime which she was charged with was not failing to produce ID, rather, violating a park rule.
Was it harsh to be arrested for such an offense? Absolutely; however it was within the bounds allowed by law. Failing to show an ID can make the difference between an arrest and being cited and released. The US Supreme Court has consistently ruled that where a defendant (not just a suspect, but someone about to be charged) cannot produce identification, they may be arrested and booked to confirm their ID.
2) Also the judge immediately dismissed the charges.
Would you happen to know the legal basis for that ruling? Was it due to a legal flaw in the case, or perhaps was it at the behest of the DA declining to prosecute? Bad publicity, and all...
3) The police officer should be dismissed because he acted unprofessionely (sic) by taunting her.
This is your strongest point, although you only touch on it indirectly. Yes, acting unprofessionally should be a basis for sanction, however, what is most disturbing (if one is to believe her version of events) is the glaring lack of discretion shown by the officer. This should never have gone beyond a verbal warning, and at worst, a citation. Perhaps she escalated the situation by mouthing off or taking a poor attitude, who knows?
Having finished my criticism for the evening, I wish to commend you generally, I enjoy your blog, keep up the good work.
A Gitte Voch, zei matzliach
Just wondering if you missed the part where the friend that was at the scene offered to get her ID and there was a refusal by the police officer and if I understood correctly from previous comments, this is allowed?
If that is the case, he was being a dick, plain and simple. Jail can be a very scary place and there really was no need for this to go this far.
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