By COLlive reporter
Photos: Levi Percia/COLlive
A larger than usual participation in the NYPD 71st Precinct Community Council meeting on Thursday was clearly noticed at the MS 61 school at 400 Empire Boulevard in Crown Heights.
The infusion of attendees at the monthly, often dull, meetings was due to the heavy scrutiny the Precinct is under after two of its officers were seen beating Ehud Halevi, 21, at the Aliya Institute on the holiday of Shmini Atzeres.
Elected and community officials said at a press conference Monday the incident was blatant brutality. An investigation has been opened, but the officers remain on duty (albeit limited for one of them).
Residents made it a point to attend, among them Rabbi Jacob Goldstein of the Community Board 9, Fishel Brownstein and Chanina Sperlin of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Devorah Halberstam and Barry Sugar.
Ahead of the meeting, a community activist with close ties to the NYPD told COLlive.com: “We need to go there and hear from them what they are doing about police aggression and misconduct to the black and Jewish communities.
Asked not to be identified to protect his standing, the man said there have been many cases such as Halevi’s, only they were not documented on camera and didn’t reach the public eye. “This needs to stop,” he said. “The top brass of the Police Department needs to admit that this is happening and tell us how and what they are doing to prevent it.”
DOUBTS ADMITTED
Deputy Inspector John Lewis, Commander of the 71st Precinct, was on hand to answer those questions, but said he couldn’t go into detail “since this is an ongoing investigation.”
He did however state, in response to a question, “this conduct is not tolerated. There’s some serious allegations and serious issues raised in this video but the way that it is handled is not on my level.”
In a moment of openness, Lewis revealed that “there are already inconsistencies in the officers’ statement and the District Attorney’s office will take a hard look at them.”
He was referring to the charges against Halevi. Security camera footage, uncovered on COLlive.com on Sunday night, shows Halevi did not assault the cop, as the police report claims.
“I’m not privy to how their investigation is going but I’m working in conjunction with the commanding officer of the force group in Internal Affairs,” Lewis said.
As is usual in these meetings, attendees were invited to speak, and many of the Jewish participants shared their concern over the frequency of such incidents.
Inspector Lewis said he understood the frustration. “We expect people to submit to the authority of the police officers, (but) if his integrity is in question it makes it difficult to submit to that authority.”
He added that the rules of conduct are clear within the Police Department during the training and everyday on the force.
“We let them know that when someone is resisting arrest they’re allowed to use necessary force and nothing more, and when the person is done resisting and is handcuffed – it’s over. That’s it. We’re done.”
VIDEO: Inspector Lewis responds
A protest titled “Justice for Ehud” will be taking place Friday, leaving at 2:00 PM from the Jewish Children’s Museum and marching to the 71st Precinct.
Civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel, who is providing legal defense to Halevi, will be attending and addressing the protest.
Rabbi Moshe Feiglin of Aliya has created a petition on Change.org calling on the Kings County District Attorney’s Office to drop the criminal charges.
“Ehud Halevi has been part of Aliya’s family for the past month and his best interests have been and will continue to be our best interests,” Feiglin said in a statement.
“Ehud had full right to be sleeping on our couch on the night of the incident. Our number one priority is to ensure this disaster is resolved to his satisfaction.”
RELATED ARTICLES:
+ NYPD Union: Beating ‘Justified’
+ Halevi’s Friends Plan Protest
+ Not the First Police Incident
+ Bigwig Lawyer Takes Halevi Case
+ Violent Officers Are Investigated
+ No Punches Pulled With NYPD
+ COLlive Uncovers Shocking Footage
What a miserable gullus we’re in… Parenthetically, for some it might be wise to use “spellcheck” before posting a comment -for obvious reasons.
Right on. Though it is (also) true that leadership of ch (whatever of it exists) should have promoted the support and encouraged strongly that everyone go.
#40
ALFRED NEWMAN IS 100% CORRECT.
THAT’S THE POINT YOU IDIOT. YOU VOTED THESE CLOWNS IN AND THAT IS PATHETIC TO. SAY YOU HAVE “A ZILLION OTHER THINgS TO DO’. IF IT HAD BEEN YOUR RELATIVE THAT GOT BEAT UP 55 TIMES AT 4AM I GUARANTEE YOU WOULD HAVE ” REMEMBERED”
BEFORE YOU GET OFF CONDEMNING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN NOTICES OF THE MEETING TAKING PLACE. IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME STATEMENT THAT THESE MEETINGS TAKE PLACE EVERY THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH. MANY PEOPLE ARE LIKE ME AND HAVE A FEW ZILLION OTHER THINGS ON MY AGENDA AND DON’T REMEMBER WHEN THE THIRD THURSDAY IS. BUT IF I HAD A NOTICE IN WHATEVER FORM CHANCES ARE I WOULD BE THERE. I BELIEVE I SPEAK FOR COUNTLESS OTHERS AS WELL.
THE SHAME IS ON THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO REAL LEADERSHIP HERE. I LIKE MANY OTHERS WERE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE MEETING TAKING PLACE. WHY WAS THERE NOT A NOTICE POSTED ON THIS OR ANY OTHER WEB SITE A DAY BEFORE OR ON THAT DAY AS WELL OF THE UPCOMING MEETING AND ITS LOCATION???? HAD THIS BEEN DONE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH BIGGER TURNOUT. ESPECIALLY IN THIS SITUATION. AND TO NUMBER 8. IF A PERSON RESISTS ARREST THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE BEATING A PERSON TO A PULP. AND IF HE… Read more »
#11
Tell it to the judge. That’s not the version everyone else knows.
The community should have packed out that meeting to send a clear message of what has to be done in levy’s case and to that anti semitic coward of a thug cop. The CHCC foto op do nothing are hopeless totally useless. They should have ensured that meeting was packed out not virtually empty. It showed CH doesnt give a hoot.
The officer was relieved of active DUTY,does anybody pay attention!!!He was transferred to administrative work.Dont fight and argue w/ cops!!!!It is illegal to resist arrest.
shame on the community this is more pathetic than a mets game. when 90 percent of the seats are empty the message clearly is we dont care!
Exactly my words.
#Justice4Ehud
Whoever is going to today’s rally, should dress well and not act out in violence!
I thought of going on this 2PM demonstration but I don’t know what our leadership says about it.
I have called and searched. Try again.
I wasn’t at the meeting at the junior high…I’ve gone before.
If, as you say, the questions weren’t respectful, then we are dishonoring ‘The Rebbe,’ MH”M…without him we probably wouldn’t be here.
Let’s all start honoring ‘The Rebbe’ by acting speaking and dressing as he desires.
I wish they had surveillance cameras with sound.
Why was it so empty????
So only 20 Jewish guys care enough to show up, of course this will happen again, I you cared about your fellow Yid you would show up.
This told the police we don’t really care, their mission is to serve us, and guess what based upon the attendance they were doing their mission.
Shame on this community.
were the he– is everyone
get the cops name and badge number and report him to internal affairs
I will take care of it for you. How can i reach you?
My husband was asked for id last night (walking) as he came back from grocery shopping. The cop haressed him until my husband stopped answering his stupid questions. When he got into our car and the cop who had followed him stopped him again and asked all sort of stupid questions again. What was this about? Anybody being harrassed by angry cops here as well??
from all the outrage on these posts, it doesn’t seem like there was a huge crowd at the meeting. if you all are so concerned and this is such a big problem, why not show up en force?
those handwritten signs are pretty pathetic. is there not a single computer in the police station which could have printed the names?
what a small crowed!!!
Its gym.
As upset as I am about this whole story, and there is no question that we need to demand fair treatment from the police I was very very unimpressed with some of the people asking questions and the way those same people answered to Inspector Lewis’s responses. I thought that as tough as it may be, he spoke with professionalism and respect, unlike some of our people questioning him. Like “Maybe next time thy’re going to shoot someone and get away with it”? or like “oh so he’s on vacation”? or “you guys refuse to meet”. Just the whole manner… Read more »
You said ” 3) One absolutely does NOT tell a police officer “No – YOU leave”! 4) If police ask you to leave – you leave”
Do you know anything about the American constitution, if you did, maybe you would spew less drek
What you wrote here is %100000 against probably the most basic, common constitutional right that America is BASED ON, do you know what a warrant is? You have a lot of learning to do before you start posting comments on public forums, start googling
you idiot
thats all i can say
55 punches is the main thing
Very cute
The best way to troll is to spew some hideous lie & get everyone outraged
Niiiice going!!
Ty for standing for the truth & not allowing cop’s propagandists to promote distortions & fabrications
Aliya has footage worth 30 days revealing no presence of any security guard & nightly footage of Ehud using that very room as the designated sleep area!
“other than that…”?? Are you for real? Other than that they did 55 things wrong!! You said it, now connect it! BING. Oh, and most don’t agree with yourvwhitewashing of the issue anyway…but be who you are, cop-lover, fearer or whatever, as long as it gets you where you want to be WITHOUT compromising the rights and wellbeing of others.
I thought Ehud was a special needs case……….
Nebach ……
i happen to know all the parties involved
u are dead wrong & its disgusting of u to push out info that is inaccurate!!!!
“Other than that”????
THAT’S exactly what is being protested!!!
abuse of power!!
the bachur who called 911 on yomtov was NOT an aliya rep NOR DID HE CONSULT THE PPL IN-CHARGE it was a bullying incident that got out of control & the 911caller was harassing Ehud from sleeping (in the place he’s bee authorized to sleep for 5 weeks) why the 911Caqller would harass Ehud’s choice of attire under his blanket is beyond bullying its boredom + some Lechayim pehaps! either way Aliya would never & has never hired a disturbed unbalanced druggy to be a security-guard!! his lie to claim that he was security was able to be exposed by… Read more »
That’s a bit rich from Feiglin when it was him or his cronies who called the cops to begin with to throw Ehud out.
–
It was neither he nor one of “his cronies” who called the cops. It was someone who volunteered to watch over Aliya in a very informal manner DAVKA so people like Halevi could sleep there.
#8
Well that’s sorted then. The next time your dragged out of your bed at 3am and punched senseless 55 times we’ll remember you deserved it and the cops fully entitled to do so. IDIOT
what about the false charges????? with out the video this boy would do jail time because of the cops testimony!!! and “the only thing he did wrong was punch 55 times”???? are you for real or were you just being sarcastic?
Lets face the facts: 1) The police WERE ASKED to come in and remove him. 2) The police tried arresting him – and he resisted 3) One absolutely does NOT tell a police officer “No – YOU leave”! 4) If police ask you to leave – you leave. Then LATER you take it with the owner or the guard why he was asked to leave and prove that it was a mistake. The only thing that the police Did do wrong was – that they didn’t have to punch the guy 55 times…..!! That was uncalled for. Other then that… Read more »
The cops had all right to do it!!!
Tragically amazing story…it started with a Jew…a supposed ‘security guard!’
There is no such law as “sanctuary” in the U.S.
“Ehud Halevi has been part of Aliya’s family for the past month and his best interests have been and will continue to be our best interests,” Feiglin said in a statement.
What’s more we should be calling for commissioners resignation for failing to curb the brutality and thugggery prevalent under his watch…
That’s a bit rich from Aliya when it was one of their members who called the cops to begin with to throw Ehud out.
Mr hynes is anti semite and he will do anything to see a Jew rot in jail
look what he is doing to Shuchat?
Its time for the anti semite to retire
it was in a jym not a shul
Im pretty sure you’r not allowed to arrest someone in a place of prayer, because it is considered a Sanctuary, it could even be a serial killer. How were they able to arrest him in a shul?