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Subject: SNET: Fwd: 3 NY cops guilty in station sex assault cover-up
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>Subject: 3 NY cops guilty in station sex assault cover-up
>
>http://news.excite.com/news/r/000306/16/crime-louima
>         6/crime-louima">
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>3 NY cops guilty in station sex assault cover-up
>Updated 4:48 PM ET March 6, 2000
>NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal court jury Monday convicted three white New=
=20
>York City police officers of conspiring to cover-up the 1997 sexual=20
>torture of a Haitian immigrant in a Brooklyn police precinct bathroom, an=
=20
>incident that sparked outrage over police brutality.
>
>In a trial last year, officer Justin Volpe pleaded guilty to the assault=20
>on Abner Louima, who said that after he was arrested following a scuffle=20
>at a nightclub, Volpe held him in a station-house bathroom and rammed a=20
>wooden stick into his rectum.
>
>The 32-year-old Louima suffered severe internal injuries that required=20
>several surgeries and he was hospitalized for more than two months. Volpe=
=20
>was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
>
>Another officer, Charles Schwarz, was also found guilty last June of=20
>taking part in the assault on Louima, but he has maintained his innocence,=
=20
>telling the jury in his conspiracy trial that he was nowhere near the=20
>bathroom on the night of Aug. 9, 1997, when the attack took place.
>
>On Monday, on the fourth day of deliberations, the jury in U.S. District=20
>Court in Brooklyn found officers Schwarz, 34, Thomas Bruder, 34, and=20
>Thomas Wiese, 37, guilty of obstruction of justice by covering up=20
>Schwarz's role in the attack. The prosecution argued that the officers=20
>made 58 telephone calls to one another in four days after the assault and=
=20
>fabricated a story to get Schwarz off the hook.
>
>All three officers and their families were visibly distraught when the=20
>verdict was announced in the courtroom. Bruder opened his mouth as if in=20
>shock, Schwarz appeared to be furious and Wiese sat stoically as relatives=
=20
>of all three men sobbed.
>
>Federal prosecutor Alan Vinegrad said Schwarz's alibi, that he was outside=
=20
>the 70th precinct station house during the Louima assault tending to his=20
>patrol car, "was a lie." He added, "I think there was overwhelming=20
>evidence that the defendants engaged in a conspiracy and that's what the=20
>jury believed."
>
>Lawyers for the officers said they would appeal the convictions.
>
>LAWYER CITES DIALLO VERDICT
>
>Outside the courtroom, there were immediate accusations from relatives and=
=20
>lawyers that the jury was influenced by the acquittal 10 days ago of four=
=20
>white police officers charged with murder in the shooting death of unarmed=
=20
>African immigrant Amadou Diallo in a barrage of 41 bullets in the Bronx.
>
>Both the assault on Louima and the Diallo shooting 18 months later in=20
>February 1999 created an uproar among many New Yorkers, who accused the=20
>mostly white NYPD of excessive use of force against minorities in fighting=
=20
>crime.
>
>The brutality of the assault on Louima and the violence of the Diallo=20
>shooting prompted protest marches and threw a national spotlight on=20
>alleged police misconduct and racism.
>
>"In this time of pressure, everyone is second-guessing the police and I=20
>think it is very difficult for jurors to put aside everything that they=20
>hear," said Andra Schwarz, wife of Charles Schwarz. "Anyone who sat in the=
=20
>courtroom knows that my husband was not in that bathroom."
>
>Bruder's attorney, Stuart London, told reporters: "Obviously we're very=20
>disappointed. It is hard to ignore the fact of the post-Diallo,=20
>anti-police sentiment."
>
>National civil rights leader Jesse Jackson also referred to Monday's=20
>verdict in the context of the Diallo shooting trial, but instead called=20
>for a civil rights case against the officers acquitted in the Diallo=20
>trial. The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division is already=20
>reviewing the case.
>
>"This verdict sends a strong message that brutality must end," Jackson=20
>said in a statement. "We must now intensify our efforts to receive justice=
=20
>for the Diallo family."
>
>New York City Police Commissioner Howard Safir said in a statement that=20
>"there is not a police officer of good character who would not be=20
>disgusted by this abhorrent behavior and any effort to conceal it." A=20
>civil lawsuit is pending against the city, the NYPD and the officers.
>
>Schwarz faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life for=20
>his conviction on taking part in the assault on Louima.
>
>The convictions on conspiring to cover-up the incident carry sentences of=
=20
>up to five years in prison for all three officers.
>
>Striking engineers snub Boeing wage-hike move (Previous story)
>Canadian man dies after puck hits him in the head (Next story)
>
>
>Archive: Mon Mar 6  Sun 5  Sat 4  Fri 3  Thu 2  Wed 1  Tue Feb 29
>
>Reuters Other News
>Nine West to pay $34 mln to settle shoe price case
>Reuters Canada Entertainment News Summary
>Striking engineers snub Boeing wage-hike move
>3 NY cops guilty in station sex assault cover-up
>Canadian man dies after puck hits him in the head
>Kosovo relief phase to give way to reconstruction
>FOCUS-Serb opposition condemns attack on TV
>Car bomb explodes in Spain's Basque region, 4 hurt
>Gore hammers Bush and McCain on health care
>Plane dragged to tarmac after skidding onto highway
>U.S. Army shortens active tours for Guard, Reserve
>WRAPUP-Israel, Syria spar as Lebanon makes warning
>U.S. sees swift vote in Senate on China trade pact
>United States welcomes Putin remarks on NATO
>Florida court hears plans to end racial preference
>Chronology of events in Elian Gonzalez case
>
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3 NY cops guilty in station sex assault
cover-up 

Updated 4:48 PM ET March 6, 2000

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal court jury Monday convicted three white
New York City police officers of conspiring to cover-up the 1997 sexual
torture of a Haitian immigrant in a Brooklyn police precinct bathroom, an
incident that sparked outrage over police brutality.



In a trial last year, officer Justin Volpe pleaded guilty to the assault
on Abner Louima, who said that after he was arrested following a scuffle
at a nightclub, Volpe held him in a station-house bathroom and rammed a
wooden stick into his rectum.



The 32-year-old Louima suffered severe internal injuries that required
several surgeries and he was hospitalized for more than two months. Volpe
was sentenced to 30 years in prison.



Another officer, Charles Schwarz, was also found guilty last June of
taking part in the assault on Louima, but he has maintained his
innocence, telling the jury in his conspiracy trial that he was nowhere
near the bathroom on the night of Aug. 9, 1997, when the attack took
place.



On Monday, on the fourth day of deliberations, the jury in U.S. District
Court in Brooklyn found officers Schwarz, 34, Thomas Bruder, 34, and
Thomas Wiese, 37, guilty of obstruction of justice by covering up
Schwarz's role in the attack. The prosecution argued that the officers
made 58 telephone calls to one another in four days after the assault and
fabricated a story to get Schwarz off the hook.



All three officers and their families were visibly distraught when the
verdict was announced in the courtroom. Bruder opened his mouth as if in
shock, Schwarz appeared to be furious and Wiese sat stoically as
relatives of all three men sobbed.



Federal prosecutor Alan Vinegrad said Schwarz's alibi, that he was
outside the 70th precinct station house during the Louima assault tending
to his patrol car, "was a lie." He added, "I think there
was overwhelming evidence that the defendants engaged in a conspiracy and
that's what the jury believed."



Lawyers for the officers said they would appeal the convictions.



LAWYER CITES DIALLO VERDICT



Outside the courtroom, there were immediate accusations from relatives
and lawyers that the jury was influenced by the acquittal 10 days ago of
four white police officers charged with murder in the shooting death of
unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo in a barrage of 41 bullets in the
Bronx.



Both the assault on Louima and the Diallo shooting 18 months later in
February 1999 created an uproar among many New Yorkers, who accused the
mostly white NYPD of excessive use of force against minorities in
fighting crime.



The brutality of the assault on Louima and the violence of the Diallo
shooting prompted protest marches and threw a national spotlight on
alleged police misconduct and racism.



"In this time of pressure, everyone is second-guessing the police
and I think it is very difficult for jurors to put aside everything that
they hear," said Andra Schwarz, wife of Charles Schwarz.
"Anyone who sat in the courtroom knows that my husband was not in
that bathroom."



Bruder's attorney, Stuart London, told reporters: "Obviously we're
very disappointed. It is hard to ignore the fact of the post-Diallo,
anti-police sentiment."



National civil rights leader Jesse Jackson also referred to Monday's
verdict in the context of the Diallo shooting trial, but instead called
for a civil rights case against the officers acquitted in the Diallo
trial. The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division is already
reviewing the case.



"This verdict sends a strong message that brutality must end,"
Jackson said in a statement. "We must now intensify our efforts to
receive justice for the Diallo family."



New York City Police Commissioner Howard Safir said in a statement that
"there is not a police officer of good character who would not be
disgusted by this abhorrent behavior and any effort to conceal it."
A civil lawsuit is pending against the city, the NYPD and the
officers.



Schwarz faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life for
his conviction on taking part in the assault on Louima.



The convictions on conspiring to cover-up the incident carry sentences of
up to five years in prison for all three officers. 



Striking engineers snub
Boeing wage-hike move (Previous
story)

Canadian man dies
after puck hits him in the head (Next
story)

 



Archive:
Mon Mar 6  Sun 5  Sat 4  Fri 3  Thu 2  Wed 1  Tue Feb 29  

    

Reuters Other News 

Nine West to pay $34=
 mln to settle shoe price case 

Reuters Canada Entertainment=
 News Summary 

Striking engineers snub=
 Boeing wage-hike move 

3 NY cops guilty in station sex assault cover-up 

Canadian man dies after=
 puck hits him in the head 

Kosovo relief phase=
 to give way to reconstruction 

FOCUS-Serb opposition=
 condemns attack on TV 

Car bomb explodes=
 in Spain's Basque region, 4 hurt 

Gore hammers Bush and McCain=
 on health care 

Plane dragged to tarmac after=
 skidding onto highway 

U.S. Army shortens active=
 tours for Guard, Reserve 

WRAPUP-Israel, Syria spar as=
 Lebanon makes warning 

U.S. sees swift vote in=
 Senate on China trade pact 

United States welcomes Putin=
 remarks on NATO 

Florida court hears plans to=
 end racial preference 

Chronology of=
 events in Elian Gonzalez case 





=A9 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication=
 and redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited=
 without Reuters prior written consent. 



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