WATCH: NYPD Cops Assault, Pepper Spray & Beat Homeless Man Repeatedly With Baton
15 Oct 2012
JEWISH ELECTED officials on Monday called for the heads of two city cops caught on tape pummeling a young man who was sleeping inside a Brooklyn synagogue.
An NYPD spokesman said Internal Affairs is investigating the officers’ conduct regarding Ehud Halevy, 21. He was subjected to a barrage of blows after police roused him at the Aliya Institute in Crown Heights Oct. 8, according to a disturbing video that went viral Monday.
“By my count, one officer punched the victim over 20 times after he was already subdued,” said Council member David Greenfield (D-Brooklyn). “That’s insane.”
He called for the NYPD to fire the officers, identified in court papers as Luis Vega and Yelena Bruzzese.
Internal Affairs has referred the matter to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, said a police spokesman. Vega has been placed on desk duty.
Volunteer security guard Zlamy Trappler called the cops after he had an argument with Halevy. The shirtless man was snoozing on a couch in the back room of the synagogue, where troubled youngsters are allowed to stay sometimes, sources said.
Police claimed Halevy refused to leave the women’s section of the center, but Aliya director Rabbi Moishe Feiglin said that wasn’t the case.
He said Halevy has been allowed to stay at the center for about a month and the initial dispute was about his not wearing pants. Trappler wasn’t authorized to call 911, the rabbi added.
The rabbi said Halevy “didn’t appreciate” being awakened. “It turned confrontational.”
“I have a right to stay here,” Halevy told Trappler, according to the criminal complaint.
“If you’re going to arrest me, I’m going to punch you,” he said, the document states.
He was charged with assault, trespass, marijuana possession and other counts. He was released on a $1,500 bail last week but his whereabouts were not known Monday.
Vega claimed he suffered a sprained wrist, bruising and swelling, according to court records, though it didn’t appear he was struck during the taped beatdown.
“This is clear and convincing evidence of police brutality,” Assemblyman Dov Hikind said. “We don’t want anything like this ever happening again to our community.”
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