Our Views: Learn from Howell beating

The Island Now

The vicious beating of Kyle Howell by Nassau County Police Officer Vinnie LoGiudice at a routine traffic stop while his partner watched and did nothing has done major damage to the image of the Nassau County Police Department. 

The incident which was captured on a 35-minute video leaves little doubt that nothing justified the actions of LoGiudice.

LoGiudice has been suspended without pay and it is expected that he will be indicted.

But our concern goes beyond the abuse by one rogue officer. From what we have been told, albeit anecdotally, it is not unusual for a cop in Nassau County beat a suspect to a bloody pulp.

The officer adds resisting arrest and assault to the original charges to justify the beating. In most cases, we are told, this happens when there are no witnesses.

Even if the suspect needs to be taken to a hospital, it is assumed that he got what he deserved. More than one inmate in the county lockup has learned the hard way what it means to “eat the curb.”

The assistant district attorneys use the assault and resisting-arrest charges as a bargaining tool in getting a plea to the original charges. Since assaulting a police officer is a felony, the battered suspects are willing to take the deal.

Had the beating of Howell not been caught on video, it would have been his word against the officer. We doubt the charges against him would have been dropped.

Unfortunately Police Benevolent Association President James Carver added fuel to the fire by asking the rank-and-file officers to come to the courthouse “to show Vinny our full support during the most difficult time.”

He added “any police officer can face being arrested for taking action while making a lawful arrest . . . while the charges against the defendant are dropped!”

Did Carver not see the video which shows Howell being repeatedly being kicked and punched in the face for no apparent reason? In fact Carver and others like him are part of the problem.

When a new police commissioner is appointed, we hope he or she will make it clear that such beatings damage the reputations of all police officers and will no longer be tolerated.

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