Saturday, March 19, 2016

Ever wonder what angers people about the police?



Have a look-see at this piece from Jim Haddadin at the MWDN. While it leaves many questions to be asked, one thing is for sure... the police department went to far... all this over a small bag of weed.. which it appears she was not ticketed for possessing under an ounce. But was beaten, taszed and stripped naked in a holding cell because she was loud and uncooperative and yelled obscenities at 1AM.  I wonder if she is already suing the Town for excessive force.

By Jim Haddadin
Daily News Staff 
Posted Mar. 17, 2016 at 7:24 PM
Updated Mar 18, 2016 at 10:33 AM
FRAMINGHAM — A Framingham District Court judge on Thursday dismissed charges against a woman accused of assaulting two Framingham police officers.
Police arrested Eunika Hardy on April 26, 2015 on a warrant, but later added six charges after an incident in one of the police station's cells. Police accused Hardy of biting two officers and throwing urine at a hospital security guard while she was in custody.
With the case still pending Thursday, Judge David Cunis allowed a motion to dismiss the charges filed by Hardy’s court-appointed lawyer, who argued the state failed to provide video recordings and police reports describing the incident, despite a court order.
On the night Hardy was arrested, police encountered her walking on Arlington Street after they were dispatched to the area around 12:15 a.m. for a report of a fight, according to a police report. She was then arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Boston District Court and booked at the police station.
Lt. Stephen Cronin, a police department spokesman, said previously that Hardy became loud and uncooperative when she was placed in a holding cell, at one point taking off her shirt and wrapping it around her throat, then later ripping her jeans and again trying to choke herself.
"She was yelling, calling us (the police) obscenities," Cronin said when he was interviewed about the incident last year.
Police say Hardy was taken to MetroWest Medical Center, then eventually returned to the station, where a female officer asked Hardy to take off her clothing. Police allege Hardy immediately began fighting with the officer, then bit two other officers who entered the cell. In a police report, Officer Shannon Burns wrote that she issued “two closed fist strikes” to the right side of Hardy’s head while the officers had Hardy pinned against the door frame due to Hardy's "prolonged assaultive behavior.”
Police then brought Hardy to ground, subdued her with a stun gun and used scissors to cut off her clothes, according to Burns’ report. Officers later allegedly retrieved a baggie from Hardy's clothing that appeared to contain marijuana, according to Burns' report.
Hardy, of Framingham, was charged with threatening to commit a crime, assault, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and two counts of assault and battery on a police officer.
Hardy’s lawyer subsequently filed a motion asking Cunis to either drop the charges, exclude testimony from police or impose a deadline of 48 hours for the state to provide discovery material requested by the defense. According to the motion, the state failed to provide Hardy with a copy of video shot inside the police department’s booking area and holding cell. Hardy's lawyer had also requested recordings of Hardy’s entrance and exit from the police station, as well as a use of force report, supplemental police report and photos of Hardy's injuries.
Page 2 of 2 - Roubil wrote that police were “overly aggressive” when they entered Hardy’s cell last year and used surgical shears to remove the blanket and clothing she was wearing.
“Upon her refusal to strip naked, she was punched in the head by one officer, punched in the face by another, brought to the ground, then tazed, then handcuffed, and then stripped of her clothing with surgical shears and made to sit naked in the holding cell as she waited to be transported to the hospital for medical attention due to the injuries the officers inflicted on her," Roubil wrote.
Hardy wept outside the courtroom after the judge rendered his decision. Both Roubil and a prosecutor from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the outcome.
In an email, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Marian Ryan wrote that prosecutors provided "numerous documents" to the defense while the case was still pending, including the booking report, police reports and a paramedic's report. Ryan's office also furnished a letter from the town regarding "the absence of surveillance video in the ambulance," according to the spokeswoman, Meghan Kelly.
"Prior to today’s hearing the Commonwealth had requested the two additional documents (a security report from the hospital and a use of force report) and a photograph which had been sought by the defense," Kelly wrote. "However, we had not yet received them. Our request for additional time to obtain these items was not granted by the Court."
Daily News staff writer Norman Miller contributed to this report. Jim Haddadin can be reached at 617-863-7144 or jhaddadin@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JimHaddadin.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Two Selectman Candidates refuse to partisapate

The Selectman candidates Q&A event at our new beautiful library planned for this Sunday will have to be canceled. Only one member, Deb Butler said she would be there. Mr. Monzon and Mr. Sisitky have not even sent a note to say they wouldn't attend. This type of party elitism from an incumbent is expected, after all, he's been around so long now, moss grows under his feet. But what possible purpose does Mr. Monzon ducking out of a chance to be in front of the voters? Could it be that both are afraid to face Ms. Butler in a free and open public debate? Do they both feel sure that their party loyalists will support them no matter what? We.. the voters know little about 2 of the candidates and will not get the chance to ask any of them any questions before the elections.

So I ask the readers here.. will changing our form of government eliminate the party arrogance of the incumbents and mandate that candidates face the voters in public?