Details are few at this juncture, but it seems that on Friday night at around 2am Bushwick resident Gamalier Reyes was beaten to a pulp by officers from the 83rd Precinct.
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Flyers posted in area apartment buildings by advocacy group Make the Road NY gave little information except that 911 was called for “medical assistance,” Reyes was beaten, and that there would be a press conference to demand criminal charges be filed against the officers. A subsequent press release by the organization said the victim’s family called to seek help for a “mental health issue.”
It’s doubtless that something improper happened early on April 11th, but unfortunately the details of Reyes’ even officially alleged transgression have gone suspiciously unmentioned by Make the Road in either piece of literature. Calls to the 83rd Precinct on the matter were unanswered.
Reyes, who has not been charged, is “awaiting facial reconstructive surgery for a skull fracture and multiple bruises and lacerations to his face” at Woodhull Hospital, according to Make the Road. How he was able to sit still long enough for a proper photo to be taken of his injuries is not clear. The organization will hold a press conference in front of the 83rd, at Knickerbocker and Bleeker, tomorrow at 11am.
UPDATE: It turns out that as suspected, Mr. Reyes, a schizophrenic, attacked officers who arrived at the man’s home to help take him to a psychiatric ward at the request of his family. Police should be better trained to deal with people in this state, especially as they are on the scene in the first place to ease the transfer to medical care. As well, influential organizations like Make the Road should not be omitting inconvenient facts about the issues they take up, lest their credibility be doubted in the future.
chillinoncentral April 14th, 2009 at 5:06 am
Unbelievable! Maybe I’m a bit more naive than I should be, but… first, it’s hard to fathom how or why anyone, regardless of their mental state, would attack police who are on site to assist in a medical situation… and second, it’s equally difficult to accept any officer’s over-the-top reaction to that sort of act. More fact and details are needed to get any grip on this story, but I doubt we will get that.
Dresden April 14th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Sounds like everyone was a loser in this confrontation. Too bad. But this guy did send a cop the hospital.
jb April 16th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
well of course they omitted certain facts a police officer does not get up and decide to go smash someones face in the man was not on meds and hat to be restrained from figting to escape and biting and injuring someone who went there to take them to the hospital but of course the people who dont know better are gonna say how did he get hit so much i will tell u police are not allowed to carry tasers only sergeants who are usually not on scene till after things have happened. then its to late.. if the so called community help groups care so much then they would help the police with methods to get these people treated and not complain after.. ohh and by the way from what i know the man came back from a trip to the dominican republic agitated from his own mothers account who called for ems which police are automaticly dispatched to an emotionally disturbed person .. he was probably beat up in dr by police there which is comman practice for criminals there and came home off his meds.. we will see when they pull the video from jfk and see his face then.. most criminals arent that smart so i think we will see a different story in days to come…
Dresden April 17th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Wow – the video from JFK will totally see if this is gold digging. Totally didn’t think about that.