POLICE BRUTALTY

Brothers and Sisters, I am reaching out to all of you for help. In June of 2007, I was assaulted by a Caucasian blue who called me names, abused me physically and mentally and basically made up the report after the liar came into the precinct, was there for about 10 minutes, signed a blank complaint form and left.  What happened afterwards was the closest to enslavement that I could have gotten to in modern day America or at least felt like it.  I was arrested and told by the officer that %u201Cyou aint shit and I%u2019m gonna show you you ain%u2019t shit%u201D.  I was arrested %u201Cbecause he said so%u201D and would not give me a reason for my arrest, was physically and mentally and abusive, continued to jump in and out of my face as I was leaning up against the door jam because I had just had knee surgery and was not mobile without the use of crutches.  I was threatened with mace, had a finger placed on my nose, and was continuously yelled at and physically accosted while he attempted to cause me to do anything at so he could hurt me and say that I resisted arrest.  There was another officer there with him who just kept his hear held down..  My only assumption was if you don%u2019t see it, you can%u2019t be a witness to it.  The officer realized that he couldn%u2019t cause me to react violently and went back in the woman%u2019s house who just happens to be my niece, and the other officer remained.  I asked if he would accompany me inside so that I could put clothes on and he agreed.  All of a sudden, the other officer reappeared and came into my home and said %u201Cwatch this bitch, she might get a fucking knife and stab us the fuck to death%u201D.  AI began shaking violently, he came up to my face again and put his finger on my nose and demanded that I hurry up as he watched me get dressed.  I could barely fasten my pants at that time because that%u2019s how afraid I was.  I found out that the reason they were called is because she stated that I was stabbing a knife in her front door an even though both officers agreed that there were no knife prints I was still arrested.  AI came out of my apartment as e was still trying to orchestrate what was to happen including telling me to turn of this and to turn off that.  I wasn%u2019t even allowed to lock my door.  I was handcuffed and on the drive to the precinct, I was yelled at non-stop while the same officer swerved in and out of the lane on Springfield Avenue in Newark which has a double line and is always busy.  I was taken to the precinct and the woman was only there for about ten minutes and left.  All he let her do was sign a blank complaint form.  He then took the next 3 hours or more filing a false complaint against me.  I continuously asked why I was being arrested and each time the story would change or no one had an answer.  I didn%u2019t find out what I was charged with until I got to central booking when advised that I had four charges:  assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, intent to harm, and terroristic threats.  These were all lies and stemmed from a complaint that was filed with the division of youth and family services anonymously and the woman who was assigned the case disclosed the information to the plaintiff. 

I was held in this place for a few days losing my mind, in a cell with people who were addicts and kicking (a term I learned while in jail).  I have asthma and was having an attack and kept calling for help but was ignored, I got the phone and called 911 and advised them of he situation and the officer who picked up the phone and called downstairs where I was and a sergeant came back and told me to %u201Chang up the damn phone%u201D and then removed it so that I couldn%u2019t reach it anymore.  He then called EMS and when they arrived, I was spoken to so badly by one of the EMS workers who told me I was faking%u2026I then when I could speak advised him that I knew his boss which was the only thing that closed his mouth.  Three or four officers accompanied me to the hospital as I was taken through triage because it was written that I was violent and resisted arrest.  I received treatment and then asked for a psychiatrist, that I wanted to be taken to crisis%u2026

I identified myself each time as a clinician in the Essex county area and when the psychiatrist came in, I was given mediation and allowed to stay overnight because I was hysterical.  I came back to the hospital once ore for the same thing and then was transferred immediately to county.  I advised the doctor and nurse of what I had been through and showed the bruises that were black and not blue from the officers fingers and handprints that were all over my arms, in addition I was in a lot of pain from the surgery that I had just had.  They prescribed medication and documented what happened and I was sent to quarantine where I remained for about seven days.  The doctor stated that I was not to be placed on a top bunk nor was I supposed to be subjected to stairs but it happened anyway.  Up and down four flights of stairs on various occasions and on the upper deck of cell block and upper bunk.  I slept on the floor the entire time I was there until one of the inmates was transferred to some place.  I only go to sleep because the doctor gave me a sleeping pill and after that the only one who was even concerned about what happened was a Nurse June who documented everything including the marks on my body and the swelling in my leg.  There was a male nurse there who was a nightmare and I was not give my asthma medication and if AI asked what he was giving me he stated to give it back then and to not ask questions. 

My mother continuously tried to get to see me or get my property where y keys were located so she could get in my house to get money that I had there but was denied each time.  She finally got my keys on the seventh day and then I was sent to Delaney hall which is a rehabilitation center.  I was sent to NA groups and was forced to say Hi my name is Cynthia and I am an addict.  I worked for a company that had a program in this facility and after I contacted my supervisor because I was mia who incidentally told me that I had no other choice than to report the child abuse, the next day all of my cases were reassigned.  My mother placed bail and I was still held for a few more days and when released it was before day in the morning on the 10th day.

I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after this event and I literally hid in a corner in my house because I was afraid that they would come back to get me.  In the meantime, the plaintiff decided she didn%u2019t want me in the apartment building anymore so she filed multiple additional false charges against me and I was in court multiple times per week and she even got a restraining order against me using a different address and had me put out of my own house.  In January of 2008, she dropped all charges and the prosecutor%u2019s office did so as well but I still have felony charges on my record.

On labor day of 2008, I dropped on of her sisters off at her home and she didn%u2019t know if it was me until her new boyfriend told her I was in front and she immediately came running to the front and kicked the car I was driving and attempted to assault me.  She is known for cutting and fighting and has several dyfs charges against for cruelty to the children in addition to mine and does have a police record.  On this day, she called the same precinct and on the supervisors there is one of her many men friends and he showed up as well as two other officers.  They told me to move my car from where it was and I did so.  I hadn%u2019t seen any of the kids in a while so they were talking with me and my oldest niece brought her kids to the front to see me.  The woman stated that she didn%u2019t want me on her street period and i was then told by the police that because I didn%u2019t call that they couldn%u2019t talk to me.  I just dropped my niece who had just done my hair off at her house where her children were.  I was taken attempting to call internal affairs and they all jumped at me, grabbed my phone and broke it and took me to jail again.  While in jail, I passed out from an anxiety attack and they refused to call the paramedics.  When I passed out, I was the only one in the cell, and when I awakened, it was via one of two other cell mates shaking me.  I was petrified and couldn%u2019t move.  The officers kept telling me I was lying and didn%u2019t believe something was wrong until some other officer came and all I saw were a bunch of feet around me.  I couldn%u2019t move because I was terrified and thought they were going to hurt me again.  EMS then appeared.  But before I could get released, I was continuously antagonized by a female officer who stated that %u201Cthis bitch is in here every two days and she%u2019s lying%u201D, I also heard numerous officers stating to each other that they had each others backs..  The female officer also stated tat she was going to take a copy of my mug shot and place it all over the city of Newark.

I filed charges with Professional standards after gong to internal affairs who always lie and say there is no one above them  After the first case, they decided that nothing was to be done and never notified me so I refused to deal with them on their terms.

I was and still am so devastated by this incident that many issues have stemmed from it and believe it or not, the officers who committed the offense called me and I honestly don%u2019t know if this was coercion or intimidation.  All I can say is that I left the state with the clothes on my back and had a friend find a room for me in another state in someone else%u2019s name.  I%u2019m frightened and am alone here.

For quite a while I tried to keep this quiet because I was ashamed and humiliated and had not done a thing.  I have reached out to many groups and have gotten no responses from them except from the NAACP who is experiencing a financial hardship and stated that it had to be class action before they would get involved.  I contacted Al Sharpton%u2019s crisis hotline and was ridiculed because I was upset and said that AI should seek therapeutic services ad wouldn%u2019t discuss anything else.  I%u2019ve tried every other organization I could think of to no avail.  I was very shocked and humiliated and sunk into a deep depression and have chronic nightmares and night terrors still to this day.  I%u2019ve lost everything, my job, my house, my savings have been depleted, and most of all my life as I knew it is gone.

It%u2019s time now for this to be made public and I don%u2019t know how to go about it.  I%u2019m exhausted and still frightened and don%u2019t know what to do.  Can anyone help me?  I am asking that all who have experienced what it is like to be assaulted and to have your whole life turned upside down to please sign this petition, I have no other resources and no one will hear what I%u2019m saying because no one will listen or they just don%u2019t want to get involved.  We are all mandated by law to report incidences of child abuse and never did I ever think this would happen while performing my duty.  The supervisor from the Mental Health Association is the one who advised that I had no other choice than to file the charges and when I did so, he turned his back on me because of the results.  I am alone and isolated here and have no support system.  Money is very low and I can%u2019t even get any kink of public assistance.  I am a mere fragment of who I once was!!!  Much less afford co-pays and medication.  And most of all, I cannot afford an attorney and was told I did not qualify for public assistance.  I need help!  PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION SO SOMEONE WILL LISTEN, PLEASE!!!!  Cynthia Johnson (Afua Ampoma)