Osamah Alsaidi (2020)
Overview
On December 14, 2020, Paterson New Jersey Police Department officers Kevin Patino and Kendry Tineo-Restituyo responded to a call of a suspicious person. The officers claimed that Alsaidi "walked towards these officers screaming profanities and acting belligerent causing a disturbance", took "an aggressive fighting stance", and punched Patino in the chest with his fist.[1]
Surveillance video showed two officers drive up to Alsaidi as he was walking. Patino punched Alsaidi repeatedly. Officers lifted Alsaidi up and took him to the ground. An officer punched Alsaidi several more times before he was handcuffed.[1]
Alsaidi claimed that Officer Bishnu McKnight took him to the hospital. When Alsaidi told the nurse how he received his injuries, McKnight "made them discharge" Alsaidi, and punched him before driving him to the police station.[1]
Alsaidi was arrested for aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.[1]
Alsaidi reported the incident to the department's Internal Affairs Division.[1]
The case was referred to the Prosecutor's Office.[1]
The state Attorney General's Office opened an investigation.[1]
On April 27, 2021, the United States Attorney's Office charged Patino and Tineo-Restituyo with unreasonable use of force and falsifying a police report.[2][3]
In May 2021, Patino and Tineo-Restituyo were suspended with pay.[4]
On January 18, 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office indicted Patino for conspiracy against rights by depriving a person of his constitutional right to be free from use of unreasonable force by law enforcement, deprivation of rights under color of law, and two counts of falsification of records.[5][6]
Tineo-Restituyo filed criminal charges against Alsaidi, accusing him of assault.[7]
In November 2022, Alsaidi filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the three officers and the department.[8]
On February 8, 2024, Patino pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of deprivation of civil rights for both Alsaidi and another incident involving Rosdward Hernandez. Patino faces up to one year in prison for each count.[9]
On February 15, 2024, the charges against Tineo-Restituyo were dropped as the U.S. Attorney determined that "further prosecution of these charges is not in the interest of the United States at this time".[10]
The department will now investigate Tineo-Restituyo's actions.[10]
Officers Involved
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Joe Malinconico, NJ attorney general investigating claims of Paterson cops repeatedly punching man on video, northjersey.com, 2021-02-15
- ↑ Tom Nobile, Paterson cops charged by feds for alleged assault; NJ to take over IA investigations, northjersey, 2021-04-28
- ↑ Two Paterson Police Officers Charged with Assaulting Victim and Filing False Police Report, United States Attorney's Office, 2021-04-27
- ↑ Joe Malinconico, Now there's a third excessive force lawsuit filed against these indicted Paterson cops, northjersey, 2022-12-06
- ↑ Jonathan Greene, Paterson police officer indicted for allegedly assaulting teen, attempting to cover up attack, Paterson Times, 2022-01-18
- ↑ Paterson Police Officer Indicted on Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction, U.S. Attorney's Office, 2022-01-18
- ↑ Joe Malinconico, Accused Paterson cop also assaulted handcuffed ER patient, witness says, northjersey, 2021-05-10
- ↑ Joe Malinconico, This new lawsuit says Paterson was ‘deliberately indifferent’ to police misconduct, northjersey, 2022-11-26
- ↑ Paterson Police Officer Admits Civil Rights Violations, U.S. Attorney's Office, 2024-02-08
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Joe Malinconico, Charges dropped against Paterson cop in excessive force case, Paterson Press, 2024-02-20
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