A Mailman Handcuffed in Brooklyn, Caught on Video

[KamaAina]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/nyregion/glen-grays-the-mailman-cuffed-in-brooklyn.html

On this afternoon, Mr. Grays was descending the steps of his mail truck backward, as postal workers often do to minimize wear and tear on the knees, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a car making a sharp right turn onto President from Franklin Street. Mr. Grays shouted at the driver, climbing back up the steps to avoid getting sideswiped. The black car, in Mr. Grays’s telling, came tearing back his way in reverse. The driver said to him, Mr. Grays recounted, “I have the right of way because I’m law enforcement.” The unmarked car held four plainclothes police officers, according to the Brooklyn borough president’s office, which has taken an interest in the case.

By the time Mr. Grays arrived at the front door of 999 President Street, the police were approaching him. A video of the incident, taken by an observer on the street, begins at this point and shows Mr. Grays, in his postal uniform, as he is handcuffed, frisked and taken to the unmarked car. The officers tell him to stop resisting, even though there is no evidence in the video of resistance. What the video does not show, Mr. Grays said, is what happened next, after he was placed in the back seat of the unmarked car, with his hands cuffed and without a seatbelt, compelling him to leave the mail truck unattended. The driver, who had turned around to taunt him, hit the vehicle in front of them, Mr. Grays said, causing him to bang his shoulder against the front seat. Mr. Grays was then taken to the 71st Precinct station, where he was issued a summons for disorderly conduct that will require him to appear in court. He was then released.

On Tuesday, the Brooklyn borough president, Eric L. Adams, himself a former police officer, released the video at a news conference, expressing what he said was his outrage over the ostensible violations of the civil rights of yet another young black man, this one an employee of the federal government.

Mr. Grays is the oldest of six boys. His mother, Sonya Sapp, who lives in middle-income housing in Fort Greene, spoke briefly, only to say, “I worry about them every day, every minute, every second of every day,” before fading off with, “I’m short on words; I’m just hurt.”

[Logical]

1. Cops are bullies. Hate being confronted. And got away with it before videos. nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

61. We keep hearing that "the vast majority" are good decent people

Then why do we never hear from that group? Aren't they sick of being lumped in with the tiny minority of assholes. How can it be fear of ostracization or retribution if they are the "vast majority"?

[Logical]

62. You are right, also, they ALL SHOULD BE. None ever get fired either. nt

[Jackie Wilson Said]

2. Was the black man impolite to the white police?

Postal worker is Federal, these cops might be sorry about this eventually.

[LiberalArkie]

3. Assault on a federal employee, that ought to be good.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

4. Remember the old drivers test question. You are in a traffic situation, at one corner

is a local police, one is ambulance and the third is USPS truck, who has the right over everybody else?

[LiberalArkie]

6. The local cops might have had a better chance punching an FBI agent. The USPS are very.

protective of their delivery personnel.

[Delver Rootnose]

8. I don't remember...

...do tell? Wouldn't depend on if any have thier lights and sirens on.?

[yesphan]

10. This will help explain (from 2009)

[valerief]

20. Fuckin' troopers are monsters. Were they all molested as little boys? WTF makes them like this? nt

[FighttheFuture]

29. They're Republicans?!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. Was he charged for having drugs in his vehicle?

[byronius]

25. Those are some very, very bad police officers.

Embarrassing to watch. Out-of-control teenagers swinging their penises around.

[valerief]

31. I know. Just because they suffer from arrested development they want everyone they can

bully arrested, too.

[Rex]

60. The worst is they are accepted as brothers. Cops need to weed out their pig problem.

Cops need to realize their job is for a select few. Both physically and mentally.

[Maraya1969]

42. What did they say they were arresting him for???? I skipped ahead and ended where the cop is

choking the man.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

41. What is the answer? Don't leave us hanging! LOL

[Jackie Wilson Said]

49. The feds, USPS, even if the others have their sirens on.

[uppityperson]

5. You would think that having that many cameras aimed at them might give them pause, but noooo

K&R

[oioioi]

32. you would think so - the guys filming are yelling "lawsuit, lawsuit" as it happens.

[awoke_in_2003]

34. Until we actually start locking these fucker up...

they will keep up business as usual.

[Maraya1969]

44. I would love it if President Obama could sign an executive order making all of them wear cameras

[Plucketeer]

7. Cops are ALWAYS right...

until they get caught. I have a granddaughter who was messed up bad when a cop hit her car while chasing a speeder. "Mysteriously" his dash cam was destroyed in the accident.

[Delver Rootnose]

9. Unless they had lights and....

....sirens on or in some other way on the west to an emergency cops have to, but often don't, follow normal rules of the road. At least I think they do.
And honestly them leaving the mail truck unattended after arresting the carrier is probably a crime in and of itself. A federal one. I wonder what the local postal inspectors think about this.

[csziggy]

33. In another thread about this I posted the following

Report those cops to the United States Postal Inspection Service

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail.
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/aboutus/mission.aspx

Assaults (18 USC 111 & 1114)
The protection of Postal Service employees is one of our most important responsibilities. Inspectors promptly investigate assaults and threats that occur while postal employees are performing official duties or as a result of their employment.

Destruction, Obstruction and Delay of Mail (18 USC 1700, 1701, 1702 & 1703)
The Postal Inspection Service upholds federal statutes aimed at securing customers' mail, including those related to the desertion, obstruction, delay or destruction of mail. Postal Inspectors demonstrate their resolve by implementing mail security processes to ensure that customers receive their mail intact and free from outside interference.

Theft of Mail (18 USC 1708 & 1709)
Postal Inspectors invest significant resources into the investigation of mail theft by criminals.
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/aboutus/laws.aspx

The carrier was attempting to deliver a package to that address where the cops grabbed him. The cops made him drop the package, it was kicked around during their manhandling of the carrier, then they picked the package up and carried it off. In addition, it does not look as if they secured the mail truck - how many other pieces of mail could be stolen from it?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

43. I hope the Inspector throws the fence on them. nt

[barbtries]

11. just a few more bad apples

yeah, i'm over that fiction.

[intersectionality]

12. Classic Brooklyn...

I lived in that neighborhood about 5 years ago. Just a little north of there I was slammed up against a wall and almost arrested because I slammed my hand down on the back of an unmarked cop car that nearly hit me and a friend in a crosswalk with the right of way. My parents were the most pro cop people I knew before they came to visit me (they're small town Texas folk where everyone in town is basically forced to have some type of personal relationship). We would be walking down the street and cops would be stopping and frisking young people of color. My parents minds were blown. This is not to say I have not had positive interactions with police officers in NYC. But yeah...

[bluedigger]

13. "the oldest of six boys"?

The man works for the Federal Government!

What the hell is wrong with NYTimes?

[closeupready]

14. Huh?

??

[bluedigger]

16. It's insensitive.

The least they could have done is say "Mr. Grays has five younger brothers."

[closeupready]

18. Oh ok, I see. I will say that considering that these self-styled wordsmiths

who attempted (and failed) to change the popular spelling of night to 'nite' and more controversially, refused to refer to gay men as 'gay' but rather, 'homosexual' LONG after other media sources had begun to refer to gay men as gay ... They set themselves up as being grammar/style standardbearers, and thus, the bar for propriety in these matters will be higher for them than common broadsheets. Peace.

[heaven05]

52. black males, no matter how old

are always "boys" dontcha know.

[valerief]

22. Just supporting the Divide and Conquer strategy of the oligarchs with racism! nt

[Fantastic Anarchist]

45. Hadn't noticed that, but yeah ...

... that's really disrespectful.

[mountain grammy]

15. Gee, 4 bad apples all together in the same car..

How could this be?? Shocking.

[Angry Dragon]

17. must be the local gang

[NCjack]

19. It was really bad until the smart cops figured out that there are cameras everywhere. /nt

[Angry Dragon]

23. it is still bad in many places

It took Chicago 13 months to decide that a cop killed that walking kid

Ohio has open carry but a cop kills 12 year old boy within 2 seconds of driving up
If these cops are so afraid then they should not be cops

[heaven05]

53. hell, that barrel

is FULL of bad apples, but most people try to ignore the smell, it seems.

[Fast Walker 52]

24. fucking insanity! If we got rid of all the cops who were assholes like this, what % would be left?

[byronius]

26. I do hope and trust that there will be four openings on the NYPD in short order.

Those kind of cops are too expensive for any community to support. Pathetic, crooked little gangsters.

[KamaAina]

27. It could actually happen this time.

The Brooklyn borough president is on the case. Sad that that's what it takes to make something happen, but there you go.

[raging moderate]

28. Mr. Grays should be awarded a large sum for this assault and battery by police.

These thugs in the police force need to keep their hands off OUR CONSTITUTIONALLY BASED United States Postal Service. I guess they probably like it when the postal service employees deliver their mail, don't they?

Also, I hope that EMT was suitably compensated for the police assault and battery on HIM. If the officer had been injured the next day, I guess he would have expected that EMT to save his life for him, wouldn't he?

[greymouse]

30. I suspect interfering with the US mail is a federal offense.

I wonder how much mail was stolen from that truck the police left unattended.

[FreedomRain]

47. I think none

There were people with the presence of mind to be around filming it, chances are good someone called the Post Office right away. Still stupid af though, and thats just a hope and guess.

[awoke_in_2003]

35. Adding to the list of things black men cannot do

without fear of arrest- Delivering Mail While Black.

[NutmegYankee]

36. Why are the four cops not in jail? - They committed several FEDERAL felonies!

First of all, there is no reason to arrest someone for disorderly conduct in New York, it's a violation offense. A summons is issued on the spot. Not that this man is guilty of that bullshit charge.

What needs to happen is the Federal Government needs to get an indictment against these four cops and then arrest them on duty. If they pull weapons, they get shot. If they resist, they get beaten and maybe shot. That would be justice.

[blackspade]

37. Fucking hell.

Cops are gangsters with badges.

Isn't it a Federal crime to assault or interfere with the US mail and its carriers?

[fbc]

38. His fiancée is a cop

That adds an interesting dimension to the story. Maybe this all goes away quietly now if she values her career.

[hopemountain]

39. wrong. i imagine she is rethinking her career choice

- at least with this department - and that she values more the life & safety of her fiance and her own integrity.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

40. They're not going to prosecute, or am I just confused?

[csziggy]

55. He was issued a summons

From the link in the OP: "Mr. Grays was then taken to the 71st Precinct station, where he was issued a summons for disorderly conduct that will require him to appear in court."

That may be a lesser charge than resisting arrest but since he was doing nothing wrong before being assaulted by the police, even that one should not stick.

[Jenny_92808]

46. I send a big FU to

those who chose to do the evil they did!

[Vinca]

48. Delivering mail while black. That's a new one.

At least he lived to tell the tale and, most likely, sign a huge settlement check.

[Liberal_in_LA]

50. Outrageous. They arrest him for nothing,then charge him for resisting arrest

[heaven05]

51. what can be expected

this is "post racial" america. Or is is pre -1964-5 amerikkka? Don't even bother to answer. I know where we're headed, especially in this era of trump fever. Back to the "good old days". Where black and brown people knew "their place" and women knew their place, "barefoot and pregnant" in the kitchen.

[StoneCarver]

54. I don't get it

Cops don't just pull up and arrest people. Someone said there were drugs in the postal truck? There has to be more to this story were not getting. What's up with the cop hate projecting?
Stonecarver

[csziggy]

57. The only drugs were those being delivered by mail

From the link in the OP: "Mr. Grays prides himself on getting to know the community he serves, he told me on Wednesday. He figures out who is sick, or old, or enfeebled, and makes sure that their parcels, especially if they contain medication — “I can shake a box and usually figure that out,” he said — land directly at the doors of the people waiting for them, even if they live in fourth- or fifth-floor apartments, in walk-up buildings."

The reason for the cops being so aggressive? Again from the link in the OP: " The driver said to him, Mr. Grays recounted, “I have the right of way because I’m law enforcement.” The unmarked car held four plainclothes police officers, according to the Brooklyn borough president’s office, which has taken an interest in the case."

That attitude is why so many are "cop hate projecting" - too many police are arrogant and think that their badges put them above the law. More police should have the attitude that Mr. Grays demonstrates - knowing the community and serving it.

[KeepItReal]

58. Yes, cops do just pull up and arrest people.

Just people they think have no power or legal representation.

[Rex]

56. So what does it take? DO we have to wait for cops to rough of Obama and his family?

Seriously, when does this get addressed as one of the top priorities in this country? Cops clearly are getting away with violence and the sheer pettiness does not bode well for law enforcement at all. IF they are THAT petty...how many innocent people end up in prison each year for doing nothing more then avoiding getting hit by a car being driven recklessly down a street?

Like I've said in the past, cops really need to weed out the pigs among them. They would be doing their profession and society in general a huge favor.

[KamaAina]

59. I thought it was dogs who hated mailmen.

Not pigs.