Complaint #9703208,
September 5, 1997

Summary

On September 5th, 1997 at 8:30 a.m., [redacted] was returning from [redacted] (110th street) where his daughter attends school. He was walking south on 2nd Ave. toward 106th street, when a white male called him from a van. The male said "hey you," and flashed his badge. The officer was not in uniform and was working out of a 10 passenger, unmarked gray van, NY Plate #[redacted]. The officer asked him if he knew anything about a stolen bike or gun shots fired in the area. [redacted] said no to both questions and he began to walk away. The officer continued to question [redacted] asking him questions such as his name and address. [redacted] told the officer where he lived, and the officer asked him his date of birth. [redacted] restated that he did not know anything about a stolen bike, and he turned to walk away. P.O. #1 called over three plain-clothes officers; they grabbed [redacted] and frisked him along the side of a nearby fence.
[redacted] states that P.O. #1 never touched him and in fact remained to his back, therefore invisible. However P.O. numbers 2,3, and 4 held him against the fence. [redacted] states that P.O. #2 kicked and searched him then pulled off his jacket, leaving it on the ground. While P.O. #2 searched him, P.O. #3 stood to his right and said, "Hey, you fucking moron, when police stop you, you don't have the right to leave, when we want to stop you and search you we can." When [redacted] asked for their badge numbers P.O. #2 said "Shut the fuck up or I'll rip your balls off." Then P.O. #2 kicked him again on both ankles, grabbed and hit both testicles. [redacted] said to the officer, "you're hurting me," the officer said again, "shut the fuck or I'll rip your balls off." [redacted] was asked to explain the difference between a kick and the police officer using his foot to spread apart a suspect's legs. [redacted] responded, "because I have been searched before."
[redacted] stated that his face was bent over the top part of the fence and he could not see any people who may have been... Read report for details.