On June 2, Liberation received a call about a showdown between police and community residents outside of an apartment building at 157th St and Courtland Ave in the South Bronx. Eyewitnesses describe a brutal police beating of 39-year-old Raul Garcia, which left the street covered in blood. (see photo)
Footage obtained of the incident shows Garcia’s limp body being carried into a police vehicle while the community surrounds and denounces the officers responsible, trying to stop the abuse.
Eyewitness Christian Johnson told Liberation the incident began when a man set a fire outside of Mr. Garcia’s door, with Mr. Garcia’s family trapped inside. After firefighters arrived to put out the fire, the police then arrested the alleged arsonist, but failed to remove him from the scene. As a result, an altercation developed between the man and Mr. Garcia, but instead of separating them, the police then mercilessly beat the victim, Mr. Garcia.
According to Johnson, around 50 community members spontaneously challenged the police for their abuse, despite officers pushing them back, and threatening to beat them as well. “They made it seem like if we said anything to protect the individual, they would beat us up as well. Some of the police officers pushed pregnant women, old ladies,” Johnson remarked. “We were just tired of it … Some people were afraid but they had the guts to still stand up to the police because they knew that what was being done was wrong.”
Mr. Garcia is reportedly being charged with criminal assault. No other community members were arrested at the time.
— Danny Shaw, Victor Tejada and Ben Becker contributed to this report
