Rebels of the Week: Four Victims of Police Abuse Press Charges Against their Kidnappers
December 15th, 2010
Photo: DelMundo/New York Daily News: Ishmail Deas, Abdul Kabba, & Hasan Allen
Four men from Queens were arrested by an NYPD officer who failed to catch a drug suspect fleeing from a park. Some nearby spectators laughed at the out of breath officer as he returned, to which he reportedly retorted, “if you think that’s funny, watch what I do to [the four men].” As their perp escaped, the police allegedly sought to take out their frustration and thus kidnapped these Abdul Kabba, Isaiah Barnes, Hasan Allen and Ishmial Deas. Our rebels of the week then spent thirty hours in detention before the charges were dropped and they were released.
Their crime: they were in a group of people near where marijuana was ditched in a garbage can. They caught dubious possession and evidence tampering charges for their “crime,” and were then singled out for abusive treatment back at the station.
The police held them more than ten hours longer than the normal detention time. In addition, the plaintiffs’ are also charging the officers in question for supposedly holding them four hours more than they put on the official records.
The details in this case aren’t clear at this point, but even worst case scenario, if our Rebels of the Week were selling marijuana, so what? Even if they were selling drugs they were providing a valued service. It is also entirely possibly that they are completely innocent members of the community who were unjustly kidnapped and put in cages due to their proximity to a “crime” scene.
They are lucky to be out of police custody with nothing less than their time stolen. They could have been far worse handled, which we’re sure they’re thankful for.
Abdul Kabba, Isaiah Barnes, Hasan Allen and Ishmial Deas are heroes because even though the District Attorney dropped the charges of marijuana possession and evidence tampering they are now pressing their own charges against the police officers who were involved. This puts them in a precarious position of public scrutiny. Challenging the supposed excesses of authority as exercised by the NYPD is a heroic act!
For this act of courage in standing up for what they believe in these gentlemen are Silver Underground’s Rebels of the Week. We’re sorry you’ve been victims of a sick drug war which punishes nonaggressive people, people like yourself who are imprisoned for truly no good reason. Thank you, rebels for your bold strike for freedom!
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