HANDS OFF JUANITA YOUNG AND FAMILY!

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HANDS OFF JUANITA YOUNG AND FAMILY!

Juanita Young's son, Malcolm Ferguson, was killed by a New York City policeman on March 1, 2000. Since then Juanita has been deeply involved in the struggle for justice and to stop police brutality.

She and her family have come under repeated assault from members of the NYPD, increasing over this past summer, including a series of illegal raids on her home.

This is outrageous and intolerable.
We the undersigned DEMAND THIS IMMEDIATELY STOP!

November 11, 2009, at 12:30 am, police broke open the downstairs front door, then started pounding with a police battering ram on the apartment door of Juanita Young and her family. Their claim as they did so was that Juanita's son, Buddy, was a suspect in a robbery, and they didn't need a warrant to enter and arrest him. After they got in, they handcuffed Juanita and others and threw her on the floor, kicking her. They searched the apartment and took Buddy away in cuffs, her door and the downstairs door mangled. Later in court the charges against Buddy included nothing about robbery or anything higher than a misdemeanor. According to police at the 43rd precinct, it was the Anti-Crime Unit that invaded Juanita's home.
November 3, 2009, police broke open the downstairs door and ordered Juanita to open her apartment door, saying they heard someone was injured in the apartment. Juanita told them no one was hurt, and they eventually left.
October 27, 2009, about 6:00 am, five police raided the home of Juanita Young. They threatened to break down her door, tried to climb in through her bathroom window, put a gun in Juanita’s face and took away her son, Buddy. The cops justified this by citing a warrant but refusing to show it or say what the warrant was for. It was later determined there was a warrant for failing to appear in court for a Desk Appearance Ticket on October 13th, which in fact is not a legal justification for this.
August 2009. During a cookout in her backyard, over a dozen cops broke open the front door, slammed Juanita Young's oldest son up behind the door, and beat him on the head. Before he was taken away, while he was on the ground handcuffed, he was beaten and maced, which was fortunately photographed and the images are available on the Internet. The police then invaded the Young home and arrested several others inside. Charges against her son are pending.
November 2006. Juanita Young was arrested after more than 8 cops entered her apartment during an ambulance call for her daughter. The cops jumped her, punched and kicked her. She was taken to the hospital, where she was handcuffed to the bed for four days, only to be handed a ticket on the last day an hour after a press conference about her attack took place. In October 2008, a Bronx jury acquitted Young of all charges.
November 2005. While observing an arrest at a demonstration, Juanita Young was arrested. While in custody she was refused medical attention that she needed for an asthma attack. Young was afterward hospitalized for three days and faced criminal charges, but before the date of her arraignment she received notice in the mail that the charges were dropped.
June 2003. During what was in fact an illegal eviction carried out by the NYPD, Juanita Young was arrested for trespassing in her own home. She was handcuffed and aggressively pushed out of her apartment and building, falling twice and injuring her arm. In October 2007, a Bronx civil jury determined that the arresting officer used excessive force in her arrest. Juanita Young was acquitted of all charges.

All these attacks are outrageous, illegitimate and illegal. We say:

HANDS OFF JUANITA YOUNG! The NYDP must stop this intimidation and harassment of Juanita and her family. Speaking out against police brutality is no crime. But targeting someone in retaliation for speaking out is illegal.

From a statement from Juanita Young to supporters:

“Not only have my rights been violated in the most blatant ways, but I feel physically and psychologically terrorized. I fear for my safety, my very life, and the lives of my children and grandchildren.”
(October 29, 2009)

We refuse to allow Juanita Young, this fighter against police brutality and injustice, to stand alone against this onslaught.

We demand:

The NYPD stop its persecution of Juanita Young!
Bronx DA Robert Johnson investigate the role of the 43rd Precinct in this persecution.
An investigation of the Warrant Squad and how they were charged, and how they went about, in serving the warrant at Juanita Young’s house on October 27th.

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