Video: Woman files $11.3M brutality suit against Police after knocked unconscious by an officer

Yes the force was excessive, but I also look at that video and see a very rude and disrespectful woman. Does it justify the body slam? No but it says a LOT about her character.

She loses her balance and staggers back a few feet and bumps into the cop. Now a normal, civilized, polite person would naturally utter "excuse me" or "sorry" for bumping into a stranger. Instead when he gently brushes her away from his gun/side she pushes him back. That is rude and aggressive and shows that she had a hostile attitude towards the authorities that had been called to help her niece.

She no doubt demanded that the police and paramedics be called to help her niece, and then they show up and she takes on a rude, nasty attitude.

I have no sympathy for her.

I doubt many here will argue that the woman seems confrontational but that is not the issue here. What's most important is whether the amount of force used was appropriate to the situation. If face slamming a woman into a tile floor with enough force to break her jaw is an appropriate reaction to resistance, I should think we would see many similar cases as this would be a common occurance.

The reason we don't, is that this was innapropiate and extreme behaviour on the part of the officer (and I'd bet the farm that there are many other cops who would agree). I have no doubt in my mind that the court case will eventually reflect this. Not all cops are bad cops but these cases are important to remind cops that there can be severe consequences to abusing their authority.

[edit on 2-6-2008 by SystemiK]

That's sad. That's my old stomping grounds too. It's where I grew up. A lot of friends I went to high school with are now Bronx cops and there was a HUGE beef at this cop bar that is right on the border of Yonkers/Bronx as NYPD off-duty started a fight with a Yonkers cop then more units showed up from both departments are escalated the situation terribly. Sad to say most of the ones I know definitely shouldn't be carrying a badge as they weren't responsible in high school and the few times I am back there they haven't seemed to have changed much.

They should of just ignored her and not made a move to arrest her, him moving in like that was a bad call.
The initial shove was excessive, being stood over paramedics when your own family is lying there is no grounds for being shoved away like you're an irate bystander/stranger.

From what I've seen of UK police they would ignore a person just mouthing off when it was concerning a relative unless they got really nasty.

The floor slam was pretty horrific as far as arresting a woman who had done little wrong to justify that.
People have had broken necks and lost their lives from a lot less.

11 million is a lot but if she's permanently traumatised and fcked up from it then that is probably not too exessive.

Telling to note is the paramedic who had gone to his medic bag barely even looked up when she got floored!
In a way he could of reacted but like a pro he kept doing his thing and kept his cool!
I wonder what he thought of it!?

reply to post by Sonya610

Yes the force was excessive, but I also look at that video and see a very rude and disrespectful woman.

So a drunk, and what is interpreted as disrespectful, woman is enough to turn an officer of the law into a jaw-breaking thug. I'd hate to see what a cop like that does when confronted with a real criminal in a real dangerous situation. Say maybe, when he is being disrespected by some wacked-out meth addict who is holding a family hostage with an assault rifle, and a few bombs.

I'm hearing a lot of people saying that 11.3 mil is way too much. I think it's more of a statement than anything else. That 11.3 million dollar lawsuit is going to get a lot of attention from local politicians. Hopefully, this type of thing will make Yonkers officers a little less heavy handed if they know that the slightest step over the line will cost them their jobs, and their brothers in blue their reputation.

She probably won't get the full sum, but I bet she'll get a few mil at least.

For her it's about the money, for the rest of us, it's about our safety. I hope she gets as much as possible.

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
I'm hearing a lot of people saying that 11.3 mil is way too much. I think it's more of a statement than anything else. That 11.3 million dollar lawsuit is going to get a lot of attention from local politicians. Hopefully, this type of thing will make Yonkers officers a little less heavy handed if they know that the slightest step over the line will cost them their jobs, and their brothers in blue their reputation.

She probably won't get the full sum, but I bet she'll get a few mil at least.

For her it's about the money, for the rest of us, it's about our safety. I hope she gets as much as possible.

Yeah great she gets a bunch of money but the taxpayers pay for it. You want to make a statement put the guy in jail for a few years for assault. Then give her a million and that would make all well but this officer needs to be punished. Its not fair the taxpayers should have to pay and the cop gets off scotch free.

I want to bring some perspective to some of you who seem to think her actions somehow warranted this attack by the officer...

This is what she got for brushing off the officer:


This is what she got for being obstinate:


This is what she got for making a scene:



What did Officer Wayne Simoes get for his part in all this?

The Yonkers Police Department is standing by Officer Simoes. Internal Affairs cleared him of misconduct and he's recently been added to a list for promotion to detective.

Irma Marquez was aquitted of all charges. I believe the woman deserves some compensation....

Originally posted by mybigunit

Yeah great she gets a bunch of money but the taxpayers pay for it. You want to make a statement put the guy in jail for a few years for assault. Then give her a million and that would make all well but this officer needs to be punished. Its not fair the taxpayers should have to pay and the cop gets off scotch free.

You're right, he shouldn't get off scotch free. He should get as much scotch as he wants so that he can deal with his forthcoming troubles.

As for taxpayers paying for this. Let me show you something.
www.cityofyonkers.com...

Feel free to peruse the 2008 Yonkers budget. 11Mil is a drop in the bucket, and it won't result in property tax increase, or anything else noticeable by the taxpayers.

I love how people always trot out the taxpayers when they want to make a point, but have no idea what the actual cost to any individual tax payer would be. In this case, zero.

reply to post by SystemiK


She took the full force in her face. In the vid she didnt have a chance to (or could not) put her arms out to take some of the impact of the slam. That is nasty. It is highly possible that this was a cop with short-itis who knew some special moves so he didnt use standard police tactics.

reply to post by Tiloke


Just watched the video.
1. You are either blind or a cop yourself.
2. You are possibley a cop so your opinion is biased (i.e. stupid and thuggish).
3. I hope she gets the 11 million, the #wads badge, and a chance to kick his tiny balls with a steel toed boot.

reply to post by jackinthebox


They look the otherway, or run. They don't attack anyone unless they know they have zero chance of losing (50 rounds into a car full of unarmed black guys, anyone?).
I'm actually quite surprised that all the apologists on this board for these organized state gangsters, are not out in full force defending this twit, aside from the half hearted attempt by the person who says she was hitting the cop. No choice but to escalate?
I can think of at least five. I am actually surprised they didn't taser her after she was in handcuffs.
Is that not the usual procedure for someone who is so bold as to question the Wehrmacht?

reply to post by Rasobasi420


I dont understand what you are saying at all you will have to make yourself more clear. In one sentence you say that the cop should get scotch for all his troubles that nothing should happen to him that he is justified and on the other side you say hey 11 million to give to her is a drop in the bucket leading me to believe you think she should get the money. You are also saying that it will cost the taxpayers nothing if she gets the 11 million. Ok then where are they going to get that 11 million off the back of their money tree? It comes from the taxpayers it may only be $.05 per person or whatever but its still $.05 that is not in your pocket because some cop had to act like the SS.

Originally posted by morthn1waytoskinacat
They look the otherway, or run. They don't attack anyone unless they know they have zero chance of losing (50 rounds into a car full of unarmed black guys, anyone?).

Yeah black guys that were bragging that they had a gun in a strip bar during a fight in front of undercover police officers. But they were just keepin' it real! But I am sure most of us find ourselves in that situation almost weekly, being in a bar fight and then bragging we have an illegal firearm.

Oh and he was a bride groom! Three illegitimate children by his "bride". Young love, so very very touching. She was probably going to wear white.

If only we could stop the police violence, cause its the POLICE that do the majority of killing in this country. Yes sir. If we could stop them this country would be safe!

Haha. Cry me a river.

anyone who can justify that god awful action only because a drunk girl stumbled into athem needs a little of that themselves . only the weak use that kind of force on another person who obviously will have no chance of stopping it. a scared little boy who should always look over his shoulder at all times from here on out . if that was one of my loved ones that scumbag punk would already be taken care of by me personally . totally unacceptable for action from someone we pay to protect our love ones.
i have been studying krav maga for some time now and at 6ft tall 265lbs i have plowed some people pretty dam hard and have never made any of them look like that . i only wish that man was a member of an ATA studio there in yonkers so that i could pay a visit there and do a little sparring with him and show him the meaning of mercy . i am disgusted with all of my heart that someone could treat a defenseless woman that way.

Here’s what I see, and what I think should have happened.

When the woman was being intrusive and getting in the EMP’s way, she was shoved back out of the way. What should have happened is that the officer should have stood up, taken her by the hand perhaps, and explained why she needed to move back while walking her back towards the wall.

When the woman was shoved back, she stumbled (she does look like she’s had a couple) into the large cop on the back wall, who then rudely shoves her off him. What should have happened is the large cop catches her, seeing that she’s a bit unstable, and perhaps with a hand on her shoulder, tells her to stay there with him so that her relative can get the care they need.

The woman, now upset at having been shoved twice, is accosted by the cop with the Napoleonic complex, and predictably acts defensively. The result is an inexcusable assault by mini-she. What should have happened is that the half-pint calms the woman down while the big cop approaches from behind asking her to come with him out of the way.

It not surprising to me that the assaulting ocifer is now up for promotion, as this is just the kind of behavior the PTB want from their storm troopers. The excuse making sycophantic toadies on the thread make me ill.

[edit on 2-6-2008 by resistor]

reply to post by resistor



It says he got a promotion? I admit I only read it once. I think I must have watched the movie a dozen times.

reply to post by Sonya610


Oh the mating call of the cop lover, isn't it a sweet tune?
Get your head out of the sand,(or where ever it is stuck). The cops kill or assault as many innocent people as they do criminals. If this weren't true, there wouldn't be any cop haters except criminals. Funny how that isn't the case is it?
Go to sight like cop watch and see how many complaints there are against the police by people who aren't criminals, and did nothing worse than be in the wrong place at the wrong time (in front of a cop with an attitude and some free time on his hands). Excessive force is their mandate, it is used to control people they feel don't respect their "authority", or those that don't conform to their narrow world view, or just because they can.
Just as they said tasers would be used only for self defense and as a last resort before lethal force was used, we now have hours of video of it being used for punishment. Said it before, saying it again:Liars, bullies, useless.

reply to post by raven bombshell


Of course he's up for promotion, he did as a good little piggy should do.
Put a civillian slave in their place. Lie about the circumstances, eventhough it's on tape (we all know regular people don't know how to percieve correctly, so no worries there.... ), be investigated by your peers, be cleared of all wrong doing.
Welcome to the ranks of the gestapo, herr porky! Feel free to kill civilians at will, import or deal drugs, and whatever you can get away with. If you get caught, we will suspend you wiyh pay while we investigate (enjoy your paid vaction brother ), and if, however unlikely, we find you guilty, we will allow you to retire without charge, full pension included................



[edit on 2-6-2008 by morthn1waytoskinacat]

11 million is wrong its 45 million according to her and its only right that she gets every penny and those officers to be made an example out of. officers in yonkers are to agressive