NYPD STRIKES BACK! Dept threatens to sue teen who was punched by a cop as she tried to stop armed BF's arrest
HARLEM, NEW YORK CITY: A teenager who was punched hard in the face by a New York City Police Department officer appeared in Manhattan Criminal court Wednesday night, August 31. Tamani Crum was pressed with obstruction charges as New York City Police Department (NYPD) cops have threatened to sue her.
As per reports, the 19-year-old was seen wearing a mask, white top and grey cardigan while being arraigned. Crum pleaded not guilty to obstructing governmental administration and was released on her own recognizance. Her attorney said the District Attorney has decided not to charge her with assaulting an officer or resisting arrest.
The arraignment came after civil rights activist Al Sharpton warned to sue the officers for Tuesday's incident that saw Detective Kendo Kinsey hitting Crum hard on face as she tried to stop cops from arresting her boyfriend, Elvin James. The 22-year-old was reportedly wanted for murder. A video of the chaotic incident went viral and had people divided.
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However, Detectives' Endowment Association slammed the activist’s threat as president Paul DiGiacomo said, “Criminals in NY have grown accustomed to there being no consequences for their dangerous, illegal actions — but when you assault a New York City Detective in order to interfere with an arrest of a man armed with a gun there are repercussions.”
DEA Statement on Detective Assaulted While Arresting Armed Man in Harlem pic.twitter.com/01s8XIsNlw
— Detectives' Endowment Association (@NYCPDDEA) August 31, 2022
“As the DEA explores a possible civil suit on behalf of our dedicated member against the woman who attacked him, we urge politicians to open their eyes and see the public safety disaster they've created,” he asserted.
Taking direct aim at Al Sharpton, DiGiacomo stated, “As for Al Sharpton's insane comments, he should be worried about the thousands of actual crime victims in this city and not the limelight and lining of his pockets,” before telling DailyMail.com, “They (Sharpton) said they're going to be filing a civil suit. We're going to be looking to file a civil suit as well, against the woman.”
The president also added, “This individual (James) was in possession of a loaded, illegal firearm, and her interference in that arrest could have cost the police officers as well as other innocent people their lives because they had to divert their attention away from the armed suspect to her.”
Meanwhile, the video of the Tuesday episode has gone viral on the internet, attracting a lot of criticisms against the officers, especially for Kinsey. Rev Stephen Marshall said, “The question for the NYPD is when it became a tactic for crowd control to knock somebody unconscious.” Crum’s grandmother, Julia, added, “He cold knocked her out. He's not better than the people who are knocking people out in the street...He should never have put his hands on her or any female. He's wrong. He's wrong. He's wrong.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has urged the public to be patient while a probe is done. “It's a lot of madness going on. This is not just something that is a theatrical performance. This is real danger. This person was wanted for murder. This person had a loaded gun,” Adams noted.
Besides, an NYPD source told the Daily News, “That guy had a loaded firearm on him. If she was successful in stopping the arrest, then he could have pulled that gun and hurt someone.” Another NYPD source added, “A lot of people see cops struggling and wrestling with people. But they have to understand that punching someone is a justifiable action, too.”