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Mentally Disabled Man Beaten by Police Officer in New Jersey

by PAIR A NORMAL GUYS INC | June 6, 2009 at 01:53 pm

1790 views | 52 Recommendations | 13 comments

Watch as Ronnie Holloway a man who suffers from Schizophrenia is beaten by an officer for not zipping up his jacket. The entire altercation is caught on video. You can see the officer striking Mr Halloway several times with extreme force. Eventually after multiple strikes the officers arrested Mr Holloway with unbelievably resisting arrest , a charge you can see is completely fabricated. Mr Holloway appears more to be protecting himself rather then resisting.

HERE IS THE FULL VIDEO FOOTAGE

www.northjersey.com/multimedia/video/47054637.html

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

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Rhonda J Mangus

at 14:06 on June 6th, 2009

Thanks for this story. Please keep us updated. I'd like to know how these officers are going to 'worm' their way out of this one. Thanks!

PAIR A NORMAL GUYS INC

at 14:21 on June 6th, 2009

THANK YOU RHONDA HERE IS MR HALLOWAY'S SIDE OF THE STORY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxkr4509-WU

Rhonda J Mangus

at 20:55 on June 6th, 2009

Thanks PAIR A NORMAL GUYS INC!

myspacer (not verified)

at 14:09 on June 6th, 2009

Just wrong, this cop should be fired, and imprisioned.

JeffHuang

at 15:34 on June 6th, 2009

What a bizarre video

Babel-Fish

at 17:43 on June 6th, 2009

With a swollen eye and bruised ribs, Ronnie Holloway said he doesn't know what led to what happened.

"I know I deserve better the way I was treated," Holloway said.

The way he was treated by Passaic police was captured on surveillance camera at a restaurant. The 49-year old is seen walking without a shirt on.

anarkissed

at 18:34 on June 6th, 2009

cops should be trained to tolerate verbal abuse without resorting to violence. that man did not need to be arrested, certainly not with such extreme violence. Besides, since when is it illegal for a man to show his tits, even if they are fat?

Rhonda J Mangus

at 21:04 on June 6th, 2009

anarkissed, I am sure that police officers are trained to "take people down" without injuring them if they are in fact combative.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 21:00 on June 6th, 2009

nyctuber, "They asked him to zip his jacket and he freaked out. They tried to subdue him and he resisted."

I must be missing something. Where did you see this in the video? Too, the fact that this gentleman appears to you to "look to be unstable and quite dirty" is not a reason to try to beat the life out of him.

hendratedi

at 21:14 on June 6th, 2009

shame on this officer......brainless....

DebRN (not verified)

at 09:46 on June 7th, 2009

My GOD! where is the respect for all indivuals equally? This is a horrific case of abuse on a disabled person who appears to be standing at the corner. Quite frankly I am so sick of reading about abuse of our most vulnerable population. It goes on more than I want to think about and often their complaints are not heard. Those officers..ALL OF THEM..in the car and out need to lose their jobs...NOW.

duo

at 19:33 on June 7th, 2009

Thanks for this story. I saw it early last night but could not find it later to make it front page news at Care2. I used the ABC link instead when. I would have preferred to use this link. It did not come up when I searched at NP for "Mentally Ill Beaten" or "Schizophrenic" Here is my front page news: http://www.care2.com/news/member/513396753/1161193

Some more public reaction can be viewed in the comments there. I thank God that so many people care about abuses to mentally dysfunctional citizens like my brother was who don't have to be doing anything wrong to be mistreated, attacked, and criminalized!

duo

at 17:28 on June 9th, 2009

"PASSAIC — Officer Erica Rivera, the partner of the Passaic cop who allegedly used excessive force to control a Passaic resident last week, was placed on administrative duty, pending the result of the investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, according to Detective Andrew White, spokesman for the Passaic Police Department"

Now the interesting part

"The Herald News obtained a report filed by Rivera, stating that she required medical attention at police headquarters after the incident. That Injured Officer Report said she “was struck accidentally several times with a baton about the body & head.” The video, however, shows Rivera pacing around, mostly at a safe distance from Rios and Holloway. When she does get close to Rios, there is no apparent recoil from an accidental blow to the head or body.

White declined to comment on the Herald News’ report Tuesday that Rivera allegedly filed a false report after the incident."

http://www.northjersey.com/news/crimeandcourts/Partner_of_cop_accused_of_excessive_force_taken_off_street_patrol.html

"The Passaic police officer caught on video allegedly using excessive force in trying to control a mentally disabled man last month has been suspended.

Mayor Alex D. Blanco announced his decision about Officer Joseph J. Rios III late Tuesday afternoon in a statement, just two hours before what could be a contentious City Council meeting.

“I have called upon the police chief to suspend Officer Rios based on the Passaic County Prosecutor’s investigation of alleged excessive force the statement read. “The police chief has executed the necessary paperwork to suspend Officer Rios effective immediately."