Officer fails to back colleagues' use of force, faces termination

[Carbonfiberfoot]

There is a video through the link, but it doesn't really show enough of anything to discern what actually happened.

http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-office...,2795580.story

Bogota Officer May Be Fired For Stopping Beatdown

Plenty of cop "beat downs" can be found online, but how often does the officer who stops others from handing out the beating get fired for it? That's exactly what's happening to Officer Regina Tasca in the Bogota Police Department.

Tasca's dashboard camera captured her as she attempted to stop two officers from beating an emotionally disturbed young man. Just days after the incident, she was told she was being suspended with pay. A year later, her trial is about to begin as the Bogota PD seeks to fire her.

In Bogota, officers control whether or not their dashboard camera rolls. Fortunately, when Officer Tasca responded to a call in April 2011, she clicked her unit "on." The black-and-white tape captures it all--a mother, Tara, screaming for police to stop punching her son on their front lawn. She had called to have her emotionally disturbed son Kyle taken to the hospital. Bogota police responded while waiting for the ambulance. Tasca was the sole officer on the road that day, so she called for back-up according to protocol. Ridgefield Park police then sent two officers. Tasca had just completed her state-mandated training for working with emotionally disturbed citizens.

Tasca described what we see on the videotape: "The Ridgefield Park officer automatically charges and takes him down to the ground. I was quite shocked. As he's doing that, another Ridgefield Park officer flies to the scene in his car, jumps out and starts punching him in the head."

On the tape you can hear Tara, the mother, and Kyle, her son, screaming, "Why are you punching him?" and "Stop punching me!"

The two Ridgefield Park Sergeants are never heard refuting the claims that they punched the 22 year-old man as he was waiting for an ambulance.

Even worse, Kyle was never charged, nor arrested, for any offense. Tasca says it's because he never threatened, did not have a weapon, and indeed never resisted and was not violent. Eventually Tasca was able to pry the punching Ridgefield Park officer off Kyle, as seen in a picture taken by the Kyle's mother, who also later commended Tasca in a phone call.

The call came in to Tasca's answering machine and was kept on a recording: "Thank you Regina. I appreciate you standing up for him, for protecting him while the officer attacked him. I can't figure out what i would have done without you at the scene."

Catherine Elston is the attorney helping Tasca prepare for a week-long departmental trial. Elston is also a former police officer.

"This was excessive force used against an emotionally disturbed person," she said. "This was an unlawful tackle, this was a punching an emotionally disturbed person whose arms were pinned under his chest with his face pushed into the ground."

What happened next is so baffling to so many.

Tasca's voice began to waiver as she recounted the meeting with her superior officer:

"The next thing I know he asks me to turn over my weapon and be sent for a fitness for duty exam," she said.

Bogota PD, after hearing Tasca's story, believes she is psychologically incompetent to be a police officer, and she is being sent for testing. The Ridgefield Park Police officers seen tackling and punching an emotionally disturbed man waiting for an ambulance are never questioned. never interviewed by an Internal Affairs Investigator, and are still working the streets today.

Bogota Police chose to suspend Tasca, an 11-year veteran with numerous commendations. There are photographs from the hospital documenting the bruises on the 22-year-old's head, back, arms and wrists.

Tasca says the real reason she's being called out on these charges is she crossed the "blue line" by refusing to support another officer even when he used excessive force. The other problem? The Bogota Police Department is very small--fewer than 20 officers. And there, she is a definitive minority.

Tasca spells it out: "I'm the only female--the first female ever--and the first and only gay female also." When asked if she feels targeted because of her sex and her sexual orientation, she doesn't hesitate in here answer: "Yes."

The trial, to be in front of a retired judge who will be the sole decision maker, starts Tuesday.

"If another officer is using excessive force, it's my duty to make sure you stop it. and that's what I did," says Tasca about her actions.

But attorney Elston, a veteran of "the job" knows even more. "They're not just terminating her. They're destroying her reputation."

[valetudo39]

Well her unit was parked too far away from the incident to see anything......hmmm never heard of an unlawful tackle though.

[NORCOCOP]

Unlawful tackle, would I presume be anything used to fish that has not been inspected, taxed, and approved of for use: by the appropriate state game and fish agency. Woops wrong thread.

[Ex Army MP]

Man, a lot of crap happening in Columbia. First the Secret Service prostitution thing and now this. And in the capital city of Bogata no less.

[lpstopper]

Man, a lot of crap happening in Columbia. First the Secret Service prostitution thing and now this. And in the capital city of Bogata no less.

Think its a different bogota bro. Like an American one.

bogota nj - Google Maps

[Neverwas..]

this smells bad. i bet her lawyer is drooling..

[mac266]

AAAAAAAAND...once again Carbonfiberfoot posts an anti-LEO thread.

[Aerohead]

Where do you find this s**t???

[MDPOLICE]

Sound like it more took place in Bogata New Jersey.

[jeffIL]

Sometimes use of force is neccessary but ugly. If you don't have the fortitude to use it when appropriate, you shouldn't be the police.

[Aerohead]

Sometimes use of force is neccessary but ugly. If you don't have the fortitude to use it when appropriate, you shouldn't be the police.

+1.

What if this poor little innocent person, because of his mental problems, had attacked them first? Or what if they let him go and he takes away one of their weapons or pulls out a weapon of his own? It's not all black and white - just because someone is mentally disabled doesn't mean they're not a physical threat as well. Sounds like she was fired for a whole list of things and she's playing the proper cards to get her job back....or MONEY....

[PhilipCal]

AAAAAAAAND...once again Carbonfiberfoot posts an anti-LEO thread.

Yep, nothing new there. Deny it though he will, Carbon has a pronounced anti-law enforcement bias. This is merely the latest manifestation.

[mvill203]

Among many other questions.....Was she in control of the situation when back up arrived?

[MDPOLICE]

I like how she pulls the the Gender and Sexuality card. Geez she has been there for 11 years, you think if that was the case they would have tried to get rid of her a long time ago.

[Chomp]

The only side of the story we are hearing is that of the mother and the cop who is trying to save her job.

Honestly, how many cops, in this day and age, just run up to a completely peaceful person and just start punching him in the face? How stupid/anti-LEO biased do you to be to believe that scenario?

[pujolsfan146]

Where do you find this s**t???

He spends all day going over the internet and trying to find what he believes is corruption by officers. This video doesn't show crap. It is clearly slanted to one side and reveals nothing. I am not going to buy into hype that the officers did wrong. Their force very well could have been justified and the officer trying to stop it could have put the officers in danger. She might be the "problems can be solved with hugs and kisses" type.

There is a whole lot more to this then meets the eye. Just because the news media and a few others scream it is wrong does not mean it is wrong. Huge indicator that the department is not backing her. She did not arrive on the scene first so she probably does not realize what is taking place.

I am sure a very different story will be told when all the facts come out. If those officers were justified in using force and she tried stopping them she should be fired.

[jannino]

Among many other questions.....Was she in control of the situation when back up arrived?

This was the only thing I really thought of.. why were the other officers having to handle the guy? Do they not have a policy for who dictates the scene in these situations?

[reils49]

Yep, nothing new there. Deny it though he will, Carbon has a pronounced anti-law enforcement bias. This is merely the latest manifestation.

Yup.....

[Marine0083]

AAAAAAAAND...once again Carbonfiberfoot posts an anti-LEO thread.

Hold on a sec, let me put on my surprised face....

[Firebug]

He spends all day going over the internet and trying to find what he believes is corruption by officers. This video doesn't show crap. It is clearly slanted to one side and reveals nothing. I am not going to buy into hype that the officers did wrong. Their force very well could have been justified and the officer trying to stop it could have put the officers in danger. She might be the "problems can be solved with hugs and kisses" type.

There is a whole lot more to this then meets the eye. Just because the news media and a few others scream it is wrong does not mean it is wrong. Huge indicator that the department is not backing her. She did not arrive on the scene first so she probably does not realize what is taking place.

I am sure a very different story will be told when all the facts come out. If those officers were justified in using force and she tried stopping them she should be fired.

While I agree with most of what you have said, after re-reading the article she did in fact arrive on the scene first. The incident occurred in her jurisdiction and she was the only officer working that shift. She called for backup and officer's from an neighboring jurisdiction responded. That said I agree that there is much more to this story than is being reported.

FB

[BigDog4907]

BOGOTA — The borough is seeking to fire Police Officer Regina Tasca for “bizarre and outlandish” behavior she exhibited in two incidents last year, and for no other reason, an attorney for the borough said Tuesday.

But Catherine Elston, Tasca’s attorney, said she would establish that Tasca, who is openly gay and the only woman on the force, had been targeted by various members of the Police Department during her career.

Raymond Wiss, who represented the borough in a disciplinary hearing, said Tasca’s termination is warranted based on two incidents in April 2011 — one at Holy Name Medical Center, in which she is accused of failing to assist a fellow officer who was attacked by a drunken woman, and another in which she allegedly tried to restrain one of two Ridgefield Park officers who responded to a call for assistance for an emotionally disturbed person at the home of a borough councilwoman.

Wiss called Tasca’s failure to assist Officer Jerome Fowler in the Holy Name incident a “clear dereliction of duty.”

Tasca faces 13 charges, including failure to perform the duties of her rank, incapacity either through mental or physical or gross ignorance of laws, conduct unbecoming of an officer and failing to assist other members of the department.

She was suspended with pay last May, after a department-ordered psychological exam found her unfit for duty.

Wiss, the borough’s attorney, focused Tuesday on the April 3 incident at Holy Name.

Fowler testified that he and Tasca, who were the only Bogota officers on the road at the time, took the unusual step of leaving town to take the woman to the hospital because she was extremely drunk.

In video footage of the incident, which was played at the hearing, the woman can be seen walking into the emergency room with Fowler, Tasca, hospital security guards and emergency medical technicians following her.

A few seconds later, the woman bolts back to the sliding door and attempts to leave, and Fowler runs after her. Fowler testified that Tasca did not follow him or try to help him. The woman hit Fowler in the face as he tried to subdue her.

Elston asked Fowler whether he knew Tasca was gay. He said he hadn’t known until Monday night, when WPIX aired a segment about the case. Elston asked him about a 2010 Christmas card, which he addressed to “Mr. Regina Tasca.”

Fowler said it was a mistake.

“There was nothing malicious or anything like that,” he said.

Under questioning from Elston, Fowler said he had been the subject of an internal affairs investigation for revealing to a former police officer that Tasca had been ordered to undergo an earlier psychological exam in December 2010.

Fowler said he was given two written reprimands as punishment, and that he believed Tasca did not act to help him at Holy Name in retaliation for revealing that she had been ordered to take the test, which found her to be fit for duty.

“I could not come up with another reason why she did not get involved at the hospital,” he said.

Capt. James Sepp, the internal affairs investigating officer who recommended the charges against Tasca, testified that Tasca told him she did not intervene because the situation was under control.

Sepp is expected to continue his testimony next Tuesday, when the two Ridgefield Park officers are expected to testify.

[BigDog4907]

My above post is what was found on an internut search of Officer Tasca. There were many stories by various sources and interestingly they were almost all word for word the exact same story that anti LE Carbon printed. Interesting how they were all too lazy to actually conduct their own investigative reporting and just went with what someone else said.

Also noted, is that the same doc that found here not to be fit for duty is the same doc who found her fit for duty the previous time she had been sent for an evaluation.

What does this all mean to me??? Not a damned thing because I don't have the whole story and neither does anyone else, least of all Carbon. Sounds like maybe social worker would be a better job for Tasca.

[Fëanor]

+1.

What if this poor little innocent person, because of his mental problems, had attacked them first? Or what if they let him go and he takes away one of their weapons or pulls out a weapon of his own?

Sounds like a lot of "what ifs" that never really happened according to Officer Tasca:

"Kyle was never charged, nor arrested, for any offense. Tasca says it's because he never threatened, did not have a weapon, and indeed never resisted and was not violent."

However her story sounds more like a Reno 911 episode than the full truth. Somehow I don't think the other officer just jumped out of his car and immediately tackled the crazy.

[Aerohead]

Sounds like a lot of "what ifs" that never really happened according to Officer Tasca:

"Kyle was never charged, nor arrested, for any offense. Tasca says it's because he never threatened, did not have a weapon, and indeed never resisted and was not violent."

Perhaps because he's MENTALLY DISABLED?!?!?



Are you really that clueless? When a mentally disabled person starts fighting with the poe-lease, he's subdued, using physical force if necessary, then given the proper mental/medical treatments after he's under control.

That's why the cops go there BEFORE or WITH the ambulance!

[eyesopen]

Perhaps because he's MENTALLY DISABLED?!?!?



Are you really that clueless? When a mentally disabled person starts fighting with the poe-lease, he's subdued, using physical force if necessary, then given the proper mental/medical treatments after he's under control.

That's why the cops go there BEFORE or WITH the ambulance!

Do the police reports show that mentality disabled person started fighting with the police?