abpt1
02-02-2011, 10:32 PM
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=283174
A former Philadelphia policeman who moved to Reading and started the Roberto Clemente Baseball League has sued city police officers, claiming one of them knocked him down with a patrol car and three others assaulted him after he filed a formal complaint.
"The blue code: cops don't snitch on other cops," Luis A. Lazarde Sr. said Officer Angel Cabrera screamed at him during the assault.
Lazarde is seeking more than $150,000 in damages in the civil rights suit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
In addition to Cabrera, the suit names the city of Reading and Officers Christopher Cortazzo and Jeffrey Reichart and an unknown officer as defendants.
Lazarde is accusing the defendants of assault, false imprisonment, violating his right to equal protection under the law and covering up the complaint.
City officials declined to comment on the suit and on the internal probe of the incidents involved.
According to the lawsuit:
On Oct. 6, 2008, Lazarde was standing near 13th and Oley streets, waiting for his sons to leave school. He was talking to Officer Ivan R. Martinez about baseball. Cortazzo drove up in a patrol car and yelled at Lazarde.
Cortazzo then drove up Oley Street, turned the car around and sat at the top of the hill watching Lazarde as he talked to Martinez.
Cortazzo accelerated and drove directly at Lazarde.
Lazarde tried to jump out of the way, but the patrol car ran over his foot and knocked him down. He suffered a broken foot and back injury, causing permanent damage.
Lazarde filed a formal complaint, which led to an internal investigation. Martinez is not a defendant in the suit.
On Dec. 5, 2008, Reichart asked Lazarde to come to City Hall because police needed to question him.
Cabrera, Reichart and the unidentified officer took Lazarde to a basement interrogation room. He was told to sit in a chair and denied use of a telephone. Reichart blocked the door.
Cabrera screamed at Lazarde: "You used to be a cop; why are you trying to get Christopher Cortazzo fired? He takes more guns off the street.
"I heard you were a hell of a cop; how can you do this to another cop?"
Cabrera also said: "You ain't no cop, you are a snitch. the blue code: cops don't snitch on other cops."
Cabrera grabbed Lazarde, threw him against the wall, headbutted him, spit in his face and punched him. Lazarde tried to leave, but Cabrera pushed him back into the chair.
The suit doesn't mention it, but earlier on Dec. 5, 2008, Lazarde was taking his sons to school when he witnessed a student being stabbed outside Northeast Middle School.
The sons got the victim into Lazarde's vehicle to protect him, and Lazarde drove him at high speed to Reading Hospital.
A month earlier, his older son was robbed by a gang of kids, and in response, to give kids something to do, Lazarde founded the Reading Roberto Clemente Baseball League in 2009. It features six Latino teams and enters its third season this year.
A former Philadelphia policeman who moved to Reading and started the Roberto Clemente Baseball League has sued city police officers, claiming one of them knocked him down with a patrol car and three others assaulted him after he filed a formal complaint.
"The blue code: cops don't snitch on other cops," Luis A. Lazarde Sr. said Officer Angel Cabrera screamed at him during the assault.
Lazarde is seeking more than $150,000 in damages in the civil rights suit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
In addition to Cabrera, the suit names the city of Reading and Officers Christopher Cortazzo and Jeffrey Reichart and an unknown officer as defendants.
Lazarde is accusing the defendants of assault, false imprisonment, violating his right to equal protection under the law and covering up the complaint.
City officials declined to comment on the suit and on the internal probe of the incidents involved.
According to the lawsuit:
On Oct. 6, 2008, Lazarde was standing near 13th and Oley streets, waiting for his sons to leave school. He was talking to Officer Ivan R. Martinez about baseball. Cortazzo drove up in a patrol car and yelled at Lazarde.
Cortazzo then drove up Oley Street, turned the car around and sat at the top of the hill watching Lazarde as he talked to Martinez.
Cortazzo accelerated and drove directly at Lazarde.
Lazarde tried to jump out of the way, but the patrol car ran over his foot and knocked him down. He suffered a broken foot and back injury, causing permanent damage.
Lazarde filed a formal complaint, which led to an internal investigation. Martinez is not a defendant in the suit.
On Dec. 5, 2008, Reichart asked Lazarde to come to City Hall because police needed to question him.
Cabrera, Reichart and the unidentified officer took Lazarde to a basement interrogation room. He was told to sit in a chair and denied use of a telephone. Reichart blocked the door.
Cabrera screamed at Lazarde: "You used to be a cop; why are you trying to get Christopher Cortazzo fired? He takes more guns off the street.
"I heard you were a hell of a cop; how can you do this to another cop?"
Cabrera also said: "You ain't no cop, you are a snitch. the blue code: cops don't snitch on other cops."
Cabrera grabbed Lazarde, threw him against the wall, headbutted him, spit in his face and punched him. Lazarde tried to leave, but Cabrera pushed him back into the chair.
The suit doesn't mention it, but earlier on Dec. 5, 2008, Lazarde was taking his sons to school when he witnessed a student being stabbed outside Northeast Middle School.
The sons got the victim into Lazarde's vehicle to protect him, and Lazarde drove him at high speed to Reading Hospital.
A month earlier, his older son was robbed by a gang of kids, and in response, to give kids something to do, Lazarde founded the Reading Roberto Clemente Baseball League in 2009. It features six Latino teams and enters its third season this year.