Copwatch Page #2

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- Yes.

White people

don't get arrested as much.

The criminal justice system

doesn't prosecute them as much.

It doesn't charge them

the same way that they charge

African-Americans and Hispanics.

There's a total imbalance to the process

that nobody wants to pay attention to.

Miranda is aware that by making

allegations of systemic racism,

he's pitting himself against the NYPD.

People say, "Well, these guys

are in uniform

and they're talking about discrimination.

These guys are in uniform

and they're talking about the abuses

that are going on in our community."

These were things that were unheard of,

you would never do that.

You're taking your life in your own hands.

The Police Department is

the biggest gang in New York.

You mess with the Police Department,

and the retaliation

is direct and absolute.

The NYPD has 36,000 officers,

and a budget of five billion dollars.

It can control every corner of New York.

In multi-ethnic areas like the Bronx,

the department operates a fleet

of mobile observation towers.

These are deployed 24/7 in poor areas.

The whole place is lit up.

It's like it is a war zone.

It's an occupying force.

Crime rates have fallen to record lows.

But Jose LaSalle, who runs

the local Copwatch team,

believes this is because

the entire community is under siege.

I'm just filming the lights all around.

Kind of give people an idea

of how police has actually took over

these projects in the Bronx.

I mean, there's no problem having

police, you know, around.

My problem is when they just

don't follow the proper procedures

and protocols, and take this to a point

where they just become more

of a harassment.

Suddenly, Jose intercepts

a police request for backup

on a possible domestic violence incident

and disappears down the road.

Jose films as two officers lead

a vocal but handcuffed man

to their vehicle.

But I didn't do nothing.

Did I hit you? Did I hit you?

He's walking on his own to the car.

By the time he reaches the police station,

multiple officers are carrying him in.

Jose's team seek legal advice.

They're concerned about the way

events are unfolding.

We ran over, got over here

in time to catch him

being pulled out of the van

like a fricking sack of potatoes,

completely inert.

What the police officer said that,

"He hit his wife,

so we can do whatever

the f*** we want with him."

And then ten minutes later,

an ambulance is called

and they brought in a stretcher,

so we're waiting to see what the story is.

I'm hoping that he's alive.

We have some video here

of him being pulled into the precinct.

We don't know

what happened to this man.

But the cop watchers

have their suspicions.

So, somewhere along inside that van,

this black male got either knocked out,

beat up by police to the point

where he was unconscious.

They're saying that they have

the right to be the judge,

jury and executioner, you know what

I'm saying, because he hit a woman.

' Cause, obviously,

domestic violence is serious.

And that's why there's a court system,

I mean, why there's a process.

You get locked up, you go to court,

you see the judge.

Their only job is to arrest people.

Just as the team fears the

worst, there's an unexpected development.

They're bringing him out.

They're taking him to the hospital.

Excuse me, sir, are you okay?

- Excuse me.

- I want to know if that man's okay.

- Hold on.

- Are you okay, sir?

Stay here.

Sir, are you okay?

Sir, are you okay?

- Back up, sir.

- Sir, are you okay?

Why do I have to back up?

'Cause we need

ample space over here.

- You have ample space.

- Back up.

Why are you standing in front

of the camera?

- Sir.

- I've given you space.

There's no cars coming, sir.

I want to know that man's okay.

You're going to get hit by a car.

He's not complaining. He has to go

to Lincoln. That's it. Okay?

The police seem to have

changed their story.

They're no longer mentioning

domestic violence.

Now they're saying that the guy

in there is emotionally disturbed,

which is another way to cover

why they had to be so aggressive with him.

The police refuse to give out

the man's name,

so the cop watchers were unable

to find out what happened to him.

What is this?

Cop watcher, Kim Ortense,

thinks it's only a matter of time

before her sons are stopped by the police.

You know that

if a police officer stops you,

- you need to be very, very careful, right?

- Yeah.

You need to not...

You put your hands to your side, right?

And you just ask them, "Am I free to go?"

- Or...

- Am I being detained?

Detained, all right.

Say it, so, "Am I free to go?"

Am I free to go or I'm being...

I'm being detained?

Excuse me, sir, what are you doing here?

- Can I talk to you for a second?

- Yeah.

- That's not what you're going to say!

- No. No!

And if they say you're being detained?

I just need to wait there for a minute.

You need to wait there

and then, when you get a chance

to call Mommy, you call Mommy.

- Okay.

- Okay?

Okay.

My nine-year-old's on the autism spectrum.

Aiden is very respectful.

Aiden is very peaceful.

But he won't understand,

you know, their aggressive,

jump-out-the-car tactics,

with guns in faces.

He will not understand that.

His mind is not equipped

to understand that in that way.

And police aren't equipped

to deal with people in that way,

so I'm terrified,

especially for Aiden,

because of that and...

So I fight and, hopefully, I fight

enough that they don't have to march,

that they don't have

to go through all of this.

Hopefully, something changes,

but, you know, the climate is just...

It's just heartbreaking.

Let me try.

Despite working full-time,

and raising her sons as a single parent...

Kim cop watches every single week

to make sure people know their rights.

Do you consent to that search, sir?

And to gather evidence

when the police step out of line.

We can get you this video.

You do not have to consent to a search.

Say, "I do not consent to this search."

- I don't consent to this search.

- I've got this on film.

He does not consent to a search.

So guess what's going to happen

when you get to court.

This video? Bye-bye.

So, I know I come across

as very aggressive and very militant,

and I am, and I'm unapologetic about it,

because, like, day-to-day,

I see police harass people

and, you know, it's every day.

Like, I can't go one day without

seeing someone's rights

violated by police officers.

And when you try to call them out on it,

it's like, "Who are you to talk to me

about what I'm doing?" Like, "Obey me."

So, yeah, I'm angry, yeah.

I'm aggressive, yes. I'm militant.

Because I've been dealing with

this sh*t for a long time now.

Stay back.

I'm taking one step back.

I'm at a reasonable distance.

You keep your hands away from me.

I'm not the one.

Yeah. I'm not the one.

Yo, what's the issue?

Record that.

- You need to get out of...

- I work for Copwatch.

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