Boy injured in alleged police brutality case is back in hospital
Written by Brandi Barhite | Special Sections Editor | bbarhite@toledofreepress.comThe 14-year-old boy who was allegedly beaten up by Toledo police officers on May 15 is back in the hospital.
At-large council candidate Stephen Ward confirmed that Trevor Casey is at St. Vincent suffering from the shakes, slurred speech and blurry vision. Ward said Casey seemed fine when he saw him on May 18.
“He doesn’t look well at all,” Ward said.
Police Chief Mike Navarre said May 19 that the officers accused of beating up the boy will remain on duty during internal review, which is normal for excessive force complaints.
Navarre said the department gets a lot of complaints and if officers were taken off the street for each one, there would be no one to patrol. Officers are usually put on leave when it involves criminal wrongdoing or a weapon, he said.
Navarre, as he has told other media outlets since the May 15 incident, said Byron Daniels and Andre Bills are “outstanding officers with excellent reputations in the community.”
Ward hosted a press conference May 18 to decry the actions of Daniels and Bills. Ward said Toledo police beat up Casey during his arrest on May 15 at the Brand Whitlock housing projects because he allegedly did not move fast enough when officers told him to get off an apartment stoop.
Ward, a minister, said not all police are bad, but some are abusing their powers. His concern about Casey is not about politics, he said. He read about the incident for the first time over the weekend and decided to speak out.
“This is not an issue of race; it’s an issue of power,” Ward told the media and residents who gathered where the alleged assault took place. The two officers involved were black.
He went onto say that the city needs to get rid of those who abuse their power. Police are supposed to protect and serve the citizens of Toledo, even if morale is low and stress is high because of the recent police layoffs, he said.
Casey’s older brother, Vincent, spoke at the press conference, too. He said the family has retained attorney Lafe Tolliver and referred questions to him. Vincent said his brother is not an angel, but he is not a criminal, either. The family filed a complaint with the police department, which led to the internal review.
“He never caused too much trouble,” Vincent said … “I believe he didn’t move as fast as [the police] wanted.”
Tolliver declined to comment further, stating the teen is a minor.
“It is too early for these types of discussions with the media,” he said May 19.
TO SERVE AND PROTECT! HUH! THAT WAS CLEARLY A YOUNG BOY BEING BEATEN BY COPS WHO FEED OFF OF THE LACK OF CONTROL THEY HAVE IN THERE LIVES..WHEN DOES IT STOP?..I SAY PROTEST, PROTEST AND PROTEST SOME MORE UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE
This comment was posted on May 31st, 2009 at 2:56 pmI agree we need to get those Policemen that use excessive Abuse and brutalize people in the process.
This comment was posted on September 17th, 2009 at 5:15 pmI recently witnessed a horrific case of Police Brutality to my son in my presence. The Police were responding to a complaint of another man and then recognized my son from a prior pot arrest over 1 year past. They spoke meanly to him and accused him of mean things. Then asked if he would put his cig down, my son replied politely ok, just one more puff they then proceeded to beat and mase him then charged my son with assault. My son only laid there to be beat as he is disabled with a severe brain injury from an car accident…. North Attleboro’s finast at work to protect and to server……God I thought Police brutality only happened to others or in the movies. God I still cry when I picture my son getting a beating when he was innocent, he was home watching movies with his mom and little sis and friend. A drunk acquantance showed up and was kicked off the property and later came back with a tire iron. The police were called and did not harm the drunk trespasser because they did not know him, they went after my son.
people