NEW YORK (FinalCall.com) – Juanita Young has been both a local and national voice against police brutality, so her supporters say they are not surprised that she was recently arrested.
On Nov. 26, the outspoken mother of five called an ambulance for one of her daughters. The police arrived first and reportedly Ms. Young would not let them in. News reports state that the ambulance crew called for backup and eight more officers arrived; and after a brief tussle, Ms. Young, who is legally blind, was arrested.
According to Steve Yip, a spokesman for the Oct. 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality and Repression, Ms. Young has received a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT).
›“After suffering four days of beatings, shackling and torture at the hands of the New York Police Department (NYPD), she is home and resting,” Mr. Yip stated in an email to the press.
While still in the hospital, Ms. Young charged, “This is not the first time the 43rd precinct attacked me and my family.” She added that, “It is evident that they have no intentions of releasing the pressure they’ve put on me and my family.”
Ms. Young has been vocal about the killing of her son Malcolm Ferguson at the hands of the NYPD in the Bronx in March 2000. Her son had been arrested for taking part in a protest after a verdict of innocence was returned against four police officers accused in the killing of Amadou Diallo. A week after the protest, Mr. Ferguson reportedly encountered officers in a building in his neighborhood; and according to police, a scuffle ensued and the young man was shot point-blank in the head.
Observers say that Ms. Young was once evicted from her apartment as part of the ongoing campaign of harassment at the hands of the NYPD. Reportedly, she will soon enter into discussions with the city of New York regarding her financial claim in the death of her son.
Ms. Young also serves on the Justice Committee of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights.
