From Dan Tepfer and Mike Mayko, CT Post:
Just days after a vicious beating by Bridgeport police drew 80,000 viewers on YouTube, NAACP leaders are calling for the arrest and firing of the three cops involved, while lawyers for the apparent victim filed a $1 million lawsuit.
“We want the immediate arrests of the three men who conducted this massive and brutal beating of a downed man,” said Scot X. Esdaile, statewide head of the NAACP. “We are calling upon the FBI, the State Police and the Bridgeport Police to effectuate this arrest immediately and the city of Bridgeport to terminate these officers.”
Esdaile said he has watched the video and sees “a black man, a white man and a Hispanic man” repeatedly stomp and kick a man giving no resistance.
“These three men should be treated like common thugs because that’s what they are, thugs,” Esdaile said.
Two of the three cops have previously been accused in lawsuits and complaints with beating people in custody, but have no record of being disciplined by the Police Department.
“I have clients telling me all the time that they have been beaten by police officers,” said attorney Sam Kretzmer, who represents the victim in this case, Orlando Lopez-Soto. “But I tell them there is not much that can be done because it’s their word against the cop. But now we have a video and a video doesn’t lie.”
Kretzmer said her client’s family only recently learned about the video, which was taken with a cell phone camera from about 50 feet away in Beardsley Park.
Read more here.
I have seen no comment from the Latino community and in this press conference there were no comments from the local NAACP officials.
No one in the Latino community gives a rat’s ass. Orlando Lopez-Soto is just another scumbag drug dealer.
According to the story “Orlando Lopez-Soto was charged with engaging police in a pursuit, criminal possession of a firearm, theft of a firearm, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics and interfering with an officer among other charges. On July 6, 2012, he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a firearm, possession of narcotics with intent to sell and failure to appear in court and was sentenced to five years in prison.”
So he’s neither an angel nor a saint. The people complaining the loudest about this do not live in Bridgeport and are clueless about the kind of scum that haunts the city’s streets. Two BPD officers saw Lopez-Soto driving a red van. They tried to pull him over and he took off, leading the cops on a chase through city streets, nearly striking several cars and blowing two tires before entering Beardsley Park. Lopez-Soto exited the vehicle and tried to flee. The cops ordered him to stop; he was hit with the taser when he didn’t stop. He struggled with the officer trying to cuff him and that’s when they started to kick the shit out of him. He was asking for it. Do I think this is brutality? Yes. Do I think he was asking for it? Yes. Don’t base your opinion on the video alone. There’s more to this story. If it was Lopez-Soto’s first brush with the law he could’ve received probation, not the five years he got after pleading guilty. He tried to escape and took a right good ass kicking for his trouble. The Department of Corrections offers the finest healthcare tax dollars can buy.
The following comment was posted on the CT Post’s website:
“The officers stated they then searched the van and found a loaded handgun on the floor along with plastic bags containing suspected drugs.
“And the scumbag pleaded guilty to the charges and got sent up the river.
“Jezuz Christ what moron in the jury would award this career criminal any type of monetary award for damages?
“His beating was well deserved he should be on his knees thanking his maker the cops did not take him out FOR GOOD!”
Here is that “adrenaline rush” I was talking about:
“… DeCarlo said.
He also said it’s important that police departments train their officers to deal with “excitation transfer” and the physiological rush that develops following a chase.”
“If we train our officer over and over and over again in de-escalation techniques by stepping back and making them aware of the situation they are in, you remove the propensity from these types of incidents happening,” he said.”
“excitation transfer.” That’s like being all pumped up. Damn, I wish Mojo and The Bridgeport kid had that sidewalk fight in Black Rock a few years ago. That would had been a video of a real “brutal beating.”
I sent the following message to Chief Gaudett. “I am a white man. I want the three cops who beat that scumbag criminal to be arrested.” Gaudett has yet to respond.