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Local Man Abused by Dover Police

Started by Kat Kanning, March 10, 2009, 05:27 PM NHFT

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Kat Kanning

Local Man Abused by Dover Police
http://newhampshirefreepress.com/?q=node/348

David Montenegro
SEAL PAC
March 10, 2009

SEAL PAC, the Seacoast Liberty Police Anti-Corruption Campaign, recently received a complaint alleging that Anthoney Baker, a resident of Somersworth, was abused by members of the Dover Police Department early Sunday morning. SEAL PAC's David Montenegro interviewed Mr. Baker, who related the following events:

In the early morning hours of Sunday, March 8, 2009, Mr. Baker and his fiance visited the Dunkin Donuts at 526 Central Ave., outside of which they saw parked a Dover police cruiser. While waiting for their order to be filled, Mr. Baker went outside, where he found two acquaintances of his engaged in a verbal dispute. One of these acquaintances appealed to Mr. Baker for help. However, Mr. Baker declined to get involved with the couple's disagreement.

A number of Dover police officers then approached Mr. Baker, and demanded that he show them identification. One of the officers, who was acquainted with Mr. Baker, addressed him by name. Mr. Baker didn't have his wallet on him and explained that to the officers. He further explained that he wasn't a party to his acquaintances' dispute, telling the officers that it had "nothing to do with me."

The officers told Mr. Baker that they didn't intend to charge him with anything, and Mr. Baker bid the officers farewell. The officers, however, would not let him leave. They pushed, tugged, tripped, and forced Mr. Baker to the ground in the parking lot of the adjacent Store 24. They then handcuffed and transported him to the Dover police station. Mr. Baker was not told why he was being arrested at the time of his arrest. However, in the Dover police station, he learned that he was being charged with loitering and resisting arrest. Mr. Baker was not read his Miranda rights, and was not issued a written citation, but was released on bail just after 3:00 A.M.

Mr. Baker told Mr. Montenegro that he has evidence to prove these officers' misconduct, including physical evidence as well as multiple eyewitnesses to the event. Mr. Montenegro found Mr. Baker's claims to be both credible, and consistent with known patterns of abuse by the Dover Police Department.

Mr. Baker, who happens to be black, said he was unsure if race had anything to do with the incident, but notes that a caucasian female present was not asked for identification.

DoverExposure

Local Man Alleges Rough Treatment by Dover Police
March 11, 2009
by David Montenegro

Controversy erupted, this weekend, as half a dozen police cruisers descended on a local donut shop.  Anthoney Baker, a resident of Somersworth, claims that officers from the Dover Police Department pushed, tugged, tripped, and forced him to the ground while he waited for food, early Sunday morning, at a Dunkin Donuts in downtown Dover.

According to Baker, he and his fiance have a custom of visiting the the Dunkin Donuts, located at 526 Central Ave., during wee hours of the morning.  Upon arriving there Sunday morning, Baker noted there was a police car parked outside the donut shop.  He and his fiance went inside and placed an order, he recalled.  While waiting for their food, Baker said he went back outside, where he came across two acquaintances of his engaged in a verbal dispute.  According to Baker, one of these individuals asked him for help, but he declined to get involved in the couple's "debate".

Shortly thereafter, Baker recounts, a number of police officers approached and demanded that he produce identification.  Baker said that he didn't have his wallet at the time, and explained to the officers that he didn't have any identification with him.  He told the officers that he wasn't even a party to his acquaintances' disagreement, saying it had "nothing to do with me."  At least one of the officers knew who Baker was, and addressed him by name.  Even after the officers understood that they had identified him, Baker said, the officers continued to demand that he show them identification.

Eventually, Baker asked the officers if they intended to charge him with anything, which Baker says the officers denied.  When he indicated his intent to leave, however, the officers demanded that he stay.  That's when, Baker says, an officer pushed him, unprovoked, against an outside window of the donut shop.  According to Baker, he was pushed "at least three times" by the officer, and, each time he was pushed, he told the officer "please don't touch me".  Baker recalled that two officers then grabbed each of his wrists, and pulled him in opposite directions.  The officers then moved him to the parking lot of the adjacent Store 24, where Baker claims the officers intentionally tripped him, causing him to fall to the ground.

Once he was lying on the wet asphalt, Baker said, the officers handcuffed him, helped him up, and put him in the back of a cruiser without frisking him, without reading him his Miranda rights, and without even telling him why he was being arrested.  At the Dover police station, Baker learned that he was being charged with loitering and resisting arrest, and was released on bail just after 3:00 A.M.  Baker maintains that he was not intoxicated during the incident, and that neither a field sobriety test nor breathalyzer test were administered or requested.

The following day, Baker, astounded and dismayed by the officers' actions, contacted the Seacoast Liberty Police Anti-Corruption Campaign (SEAL PAC) for assistance.  SEAL PAC's David Montenegro interviewed Mr. Baker, reviewed some of his evidence, and spoke with an eyewitness to the event.

According to Montenegro, Baker's claims appear to be credible and are consistent with known patterns of abuse by the Dover Police Department.  As indicated by a number of other complaints from the community, the Dover Police Department has a history of making unreasonable demands for identification, using excessive force, and filing made-up charges to justify illegal arrest.

Mr. Baker, who is black, said he is unsure if race had anything to do with the incident, but notes that a caucasian female present was not asked for identification.

Press contacts at the Dover Police Department did not return a phone call seeking comment on the matter.

KBCraig

Charged with loitering for not leaving, and with resisting arrest for trying to leave. At the same time.

Brilliant.

Jitgos

Quote from: KBCraig on March 15, 2009, 04:08 AM NHFT
Charged with loitering for not leaving, and with resisting arrest for trying to leave. At the same time.

Brilliant.


Haha... hell of a point.