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| NEWS > 21 October 2007 |
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NEW ORLEANS, LA. (FinalCall.com) - On Sept. 4, 2005, while rescuers were still evacuating flood-stranded New Orleans residents from their rooftops in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, police commandeered a truck and responded to what they initially reported as two officers downed during an armed attack on the Danziger Bridge that links the Gentilly and New Orleans East neighborhoods.
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The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,A
21 October 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Somali youth to sue police ove
A SOMALI-born youth leader at the centre of race allegations against Victoria Police has vowed to take civil action over what he says was an unprovoked police attack that left him with smashed teeth.
Ahmed Dini, 20, who required hospital treatment after being struck in the face with a heavy torch, announced plans to sue the officer involved last week, following a Melbourne magistrate's ruling that a charge against Mr Dini of hindering police be dismissed.
The alleged police attack on Mr Dini on February 14 last year was one of 13 complaints alleging police brutality and harassment of African youths received by the Office of Police Integrity in the first few months of 2006.
The claims, including allegations of punching, kicking and choking, prompted a secret "ethical health" review of the Flemington Police Station, conducted for the Ethical Standards Department last year by Inspector Mark Doney.
In one of the most shocking cases, a youth alleged that he was punched twice in the head while his face was on the ground. He said a police officer then called him a "black c---" and stood on his head while smoking a cigarette.
The confidential Doney report, part of which was leaked to The Sunday Age last month, questioned the future of a senior sergeant accused by lawyers of running a regime of "racially motivated police violence" against local African youths.
Lawyers from the Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre, who have been trying to get the report under freedom of information, say there are now 19 complaints before the OPI alleging police assaults on African youths.
The alleged assault of Mr Dini — this year's Moonee Valley youth of the year — took place as police searched a Flemington high-rise estate for youths who had allegedly thrown rocks at a police car.
During the Magistrate's Court hearing of the charge against Mr Dini, Senior Constable Matthew Alston claimed that he was helping a colleague who was wrestling with Ghafoor Wakil, 20, who was later charged with resisting arrest; that charge also was dismissed last week.
He said Mr Dini was running over to interfere in the arrest and as he tried to stop him, his forearm struck Mr Dini's chest.
However, Mr Dini told the court that he was standing 30 metres away holding a piece of cake in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other, when Senior Constable Alston ran up and ordered him to raise his arms. He obeyed, still holding the cake and drink. The police officer then used his torch to hit him "with full force" in the face, he said, knocking him to the ground. The court later heard the officer had hot chocolate on his clothes. Mr Dini said the impact of the blow dislodged three teeth. "I was saying 'hospital' — I wanted to save my teeth."
Dismissing the charge of hindering police, Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg said several aspects of the police case were "curious", such as why Mr Dini would be running over to interfere in an arrest while holding a cup of hot chocolate.
He said Senior Constable Alston's version failed to explain Mr Dini's facial injuries.
Mr Dini's lawyer, Tamar Hopkins, said she would begin civil proceedings for damages, including pain and suffering and medical expenses, against Senior Constable Alston.
However, a 2002 Court of Appeal ruling that police who behaved unreasonably were individually responsible for their actions meant Mr Dini might not be able to sue the State of Victoria, she said.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said that any legal action taken by individuals was "a matter for themselves".
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