A Brooklyn student is looking to put the hurt on the city after spending an agony-filled night in a precinct cell just one day after hernia surgery – minus his pain medication. Simon Weiss, 22, said cops ignored evidence of his surgery when they arrested him on May 9 for possession of two Vicodin pills. Not even a call from his Beth Israel Hospital doctor – a police surgeon – could free him.
“They’re not human,” Weiss, who filed a $1 million notice of claim last week, said of arresting cop Jason Reynolds and others at the 70th Precinct.
Weiss, who attends Yeshiva University, and a friend were pulled over at Coney Island Avenue and Avenue O just after 3 p.m.
When the cops found the pills, Weiss showed them his bandages. His roommate even rushed to the precinct with a copy of the prescription – to no avail.
By midnight, Weiss, in too much agony to sit or lie down, was leaning against a cell wall and moaning for an ambulance. At 4 a.m., cops finally took him to Coney Island Hospital – where doctors treated him with Vicodin.
“Officer Reynolds had so many opportunities to release Simon,” said lawyer Saul Bienenfeld. “The fact that he continued to keep my client in custody is egregious and warrants that he be censured.”
Prosecutors dismissed the case. Sources said Reynolds denied that anyone documented Weiss’ prescription.
(From today’s NY Post)
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30 Responses
Since when is it a crime to carry prescription medication with you in a car!?
There Officers are animals in uniforms.
They are animals in unfiorms’
How would you describe these officers had the situation happened in Europe? I think it would be more like NAZIS in uniform! WAKE UP, antisemitism is rapant EVEN in the ‘Golden’ America!
I bet they thought he was a drug pusher.
If this had been Israeli COps I am sure that your headline would have been more derogitory towards the police. Why the double standard?
Please back up your statements before spewing your hot air (as you always do against Yeshivaworld). You also are always proven wrong, yet you never acknowledge that.
Here is some proof contradicting your blatant lie:
Yerushalayim: Chareidim win case against Israeli police
Kikar Shabbos: Policeman injured in Hafganah
Eretz Yisroel: Cops clash with Chareidim
I never said its worst in American then anywhere else. People assume that its worst in Europe.However, in light of so many incidents that occured in the States lately, it is fair to say its equally rampant all over.
nameless – It isn’t a case of anti-semitism here. It is a case of Police Brutality. The police have acted in such a reprehensible manner with others previously as well (worse in fact.) There are other cases unfortunately of anti-semitism in the States, despite it being a medina shel chesed. But it is nothing compared to the outbreak of rampant anti-semitic violence in Europe, a remez of Europes long and troubled anti-semitic history.
illini – Once the perscription is filled, the pharmacy keeps it. So the patient wouldn’t have a copy. I do not understand on what basis they arrested him. He was probably initially stopped for a traffic infraction.
nameless, I think your definition of “rampant” is different than the common one, so no one gets what you are trying to say.
Rampant means, loosely, very common and widespread. You seem to define it as, based on a few YW stories, the whole world is waging war against us. I respectfully disagree that this is the case.
Personally, I bet the cops thought he was a drug-pusher, nothing to do with the fact that he’s Jewish. They were still wrong and, especially if they brought the prescription and the doctor called in, that Cop blew it big time.
But even if it was because he’s Jewish, to say Anti-Semitism is “rampant” here, is still false. I heard (possible here) that one can’t walk the streets of London with a Kipa on. That’s a pretty bad sign.
Here, however, people go about their own business, and the police and other public officials are helpful and even overly respectful of our traditions and laws.
a controlled substance can be a crime in some states and that includes painkillers
I wish him Hatzlocha Rabbo in his lawsuit. Someone somewhere has to put these immature inexperienced cops in their place.
They are slowly taking all forms of garbage today into the Police Academy. THe better ones end up in Nassau and Suffolk counties earning 3 times the salary while the riff raff ends up on our streets here in Brooklyn
I don’t think that this necessarily has anything to so with anti-Semitism.
I would guess it has more to do with police brutality, which affects all segments of society, particularly minorities. Most cops are not cops because they want to help people. For most of them, it’s a fulfillment of a childhood dream of running around with a gun and playing cops and robbers – it gives them an ego boost. They enforce the law. They protect the law. The are the law. And eventually, they are above the law.
Police brutality is documented in thousands of stories and hundreds of videos. Speaking of the 70th pct, that’s where Abner Loiuma was victimized.
Many cops are good people. But imo, many more are animals.
I don’t understand…just because we know that he wasn’t well and that he wasn’t really taking drugs- how do they know? They must arrest hundreds of poeple a day for drug dealing and I assure you that most of them will give the same excuse…granted in our case it was true but you can’t exactly call them “animals”…they were just doing their job…I think everyone is getting rather het-up with their cheese-cake baking…
I Wish Mr Weiss much success in his lawsuit.
It is actually illegal to carry narcotics not in the original bottle. This is because of drug pushers. However when his prescription was brought in to the precinct they should of let him go. Will see how this pans out.
Hak’
Your information regarding anti semtitism in London( with regard to the kipa) is totally false. Maybe that is the case in Austria. I dont know why Americans get so offended when one suggests that anti semitism is an issue in your neck of the woods as well as everywhere else….
Your right, RAMPANT in this case is a bit of an exaggaration, althoug its possible that it was antisemitism, you cant know for sure. Howeve these outrageous 9/11 conspiracies which blame Jews, is defintily considered RAMPANT! SO are the theories of the ‘David Dukes’ and other white supremacists in the States.
In the following post on April 21st you compared the Israeli Police brutality to the Nazis. Although they most likely went overboard and their brutality was not called for (regardless if it was against charedim or chilonim) the comparison of Jews to Nazis is in bad taste and uncalled for.
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/?p=6240
Editor response: Yes that is correct, they beat Frum Jews with “Nazi-style beatings”.
Your complaint was with the H-E-A-D-L-I-N-E.
Please get your issues in order.
I happen to work together with a few Detectives from the 70th Precinct, and they are really nice, and professional.
The 70th Precinct deals with a large Brooklyn community, and I think they know what they would be getting themselves into for messing up something like this. Perhaps this officer is a bad apple, and he will be tranferred in the near future, or assigned a desk job in some paper pushing job.Perhaps there is another side to this story that we do not know about yet.
noitallmr go back and read the first paragraph:
“…Not even a call from his Beth Israel Hospital doctor – a police surgeon – could free him.”
so, fine don’t call them animals, how about fools. does that meet your approval?
nameless, I am not offended by your suggestion that “antisemitism” is a problem in the US as much as it is in Europe or elsewhere; I simply don’t see “antisemitism” as a major issue in this medina shel chessed in which we are blessed by Hashem to spend our galus days in. If Europe suits you, good for you.
I am, however, surprised that when a questionable event like this occurs, all of a sudden these fear-mongerers come out of the woodwork and start crying “antisemitism”. It’s like the Zionists did, and do, to get people to move to their paradise but that’s a topic for another day.
A Cop seems to have blown it big time against a Jewish guy and the guy is rightfully suing the cop. End of Story. Why make it into “antisemitism” and then extrapolate that to the general attitude of the gentiles towards us? Many Jews work for Goyim and do their jobs, get their paychecks, and go home. As well, many Gentiles work for Jews, do their jobs, get their paychecks and go home. Simple as that. Many Gentile cops/firefighters, etc. help those in need, Jews/Gentiles alike, and do not discriminate in fulfilling their duties.
I think what bothers Americans when they hear accusations about American Anti-Semitism, is that we are grateful to our Non-Jewish Government for allowing us to observe our religion and laws, and for giving us the freedom to go about our daily business as we see fit.
David Duke and other extremists are not representative of your typical American Non-Jew. Every country and society has extremists.
Americans, in general, have a live and let live attitude (at least the ones I’ve met).
May Hashem redeem us all and bring us to Yerushalayim HaBinuya bivias Goel Tzedek bimheira vimeinu, Amein.
What was the original reason why they pulled him over?
And what allows them to check his pockets if it was just a (possible) ticket infringement?Good luck Mr.Weiss!And a Refuah Shleima!
LYberditchev, Are you, like myself, a Berditchever einekel?
Nameless, are you ever right?
Hakatan,
Anti semitism doesnt really suit me whether in Europe or anywhere else.
You say Americans have a’live and let live attitude’, I totally agree! Freedom of speech is perfectly fine and its not a crime to deny the Holocaust whereas in Europe it is, but we dont have to dwell on that!
Due to the fact that America is a Medinah Shel Chesed and tolerance is one of the basic foundations of the constitution, there might be abit more discretion! However, if you think the average Joe Shmoe THERE likes you more than the ones HERE , I think your makinga big mistake!
i think if it happened to an African-American it would be on national television
This is not anti semitism per se. What it is is a case of a cop trying to make an easy arrest and advance his career and standing by arresting someone who will not put a cop’s life in danger. The cop knows that a frum Yid would most probably not pull a gun on him, whereas the dusky citizen who is peddling 400 Vicodin is crazed on the stuff himself and armed to the teeth. So, Simon Weiss gets arrested, and Leroy Brown is free until he really does something outrageous or meets his end via street justice or the effects of what he pushes.
The quality of NY cops is sadly sinking, as the descendants of the old Irish cops are now working on Wall Street (which is what America is about), and the replacements are increasingly drawn from a less and less fit candidate pool.
Why I am not surprised, I have had my own personal experices with the Bummbling police officers of the 70th Precinct. Total mishandling of a police accident report, being abandoned with an EDP on the back of an ambulance. and the police refuing to let me take a suicided victim to the hospital.
Maybe it’s time to transfer everybody out of the precint and send them up to the bronx.
Joseph and Hakatan,
In Israel an incident like these would be considered Anti Religious,,
In Europe it would be considered ‘RAMPANT’ antisemitism,
But ofcourse in America, its only police brutaltiy:)))
Look , I am not implying that it is Anti semitism for 100 per cent certainty, All I am saying is that you cant know for sure. That specific officer could have just happened to have gotten disgusted at that particular moment and just because it happened before to non Jews doesnt mean that this was just ‘another case’ of animallike behaviour . You can never be sure !
‘The cop knows that a frum Yid would most probably not pull a gun on him,,,,,’
Your right! and even a call from ‘BETH ISRAEL’ Hospital to confirm the fact didnt help him. You’d think a decent unarmed citizen with reliable sources to back him up would be dealt witha bit more civilly, especially in
a country where there are so many armed fellons,,,,,,,
Was the Rodney King case in the early 90s, also just ‘police brutaltiy’???
nameless,
Actually Rodney King, a violent felon with a complete violent criminal background, deserved the beating he got after he tried to kick and beat the cops attempting to arrest him. In that case, the cops were railroaded by the justice system due to minority groups pressure.
In any event, as you mentioned, with America being a medina shel chesed while Europe having a history past and present of being an ongoing hotbed of anti-semitic violence, you can cut the United States a bit more slack in incidents where the motive is not entirely clear.
Jos,
Actually, King, who DID have a criminal record was unarmed at the time and reached out for a weapon of one of the cops on sight to protect himself but to no avail. I am just wondering if the beating would have been so excessive had he been a white guy with the name ‘James Burbank III’
My point is that even the ‘medinah shel chesed’ is never exempt from any anti semitic suspicions as long as we are in Galus., JUST
because they have a less violent past towards Jews than Europe does. why dont you look past the city of New York where the Southern States and their KKK commited such horrible acts against Jews and other minorities,? You’ll realize that Golus is no blessing anywhere…..
nameless,
If he had been a white guy, the cops would not have gone to jail for rightfully defending themselves from a violent felon. And if he had been a white guy on drugs acting violently towards the arresting Officers he would have not been shown any more mercy. King was on drugs at the time, acting violently towards the Police as a result. The cops couldn’t risk him grabbing a gun or otherwise injuring one of them. He got what he deserved. The Officers were railroaded due to minority groups RIOTING in LA. The Officers were ACQUITTED at trial, and despite protections against DOUBLE JEOPARDY, they were tried again on nuanced laws. The government was afraid of another RIOT.
I completely agree with you that we are in golus and are subject to the taunts and violence of our gentile neighbors wherever we may be (including the Holy Land most unfortunately.) But you also must realize that at different junctures throughout our long and painful exile, there have been some malchus’ that welcomes us with open-arms, others that barely tolerated us, and others that showed us violence and expulsion. There was always a “medinah shel chesed” throughout our history. When one madman ruler killed and expelled us, miraculously another medinah suddenly welcomed us. Look at the times during the Spanish Expulsion/Inquisition as one prime example. In todays world, the United States of America is that medina shel chesed (this of course is subject to change, but various Tzaddikim for previous generations predicted that America would be the last golus before Moshiach.) Europe on the other hand, today unfortunately (and for the past 60+ years) falls into the barely tolerated/violence category.