Newark cop suspended without pay for placing choke hold on TV cameraman

October 27, 2008 @ 11:50PM

Newark cop suspended without pay for placing choke hold on TV cameraman

By Carlos Miller -...

Newark police have once again pissed all over the First Amendment.

This time it was Brian Shariff, a hulking veteran police officer who can be seen on video ordering a news photographer to “put the camera away”.

Shariff repeats his order three times in a matter of seconds before shoving his hand violently into the lens of CBS cameraman Jim Quodomine.

In the ensuing struggle, CBS reporter Christine Sloan can be heard shouting, “you can’t arrest him.”

“I can do whatever I want,” Shariff responds as he handcuffs Quodomine.

Shariff then places a handcuffed Quodomine in a choke hold before shoving him in the back of a squad car.

Quodomine was covering a peaceful demonstration on Sunday where family members of gunshot victims were asking the clergy for help in resolving a recent spate of violence.

Quodomine was released an hour later with a criminal summons of “disorderly conduct”, which I’ve always said is the old standby police use when they can’t think of an actual crime committed.

On Monday, after Newark Mayor Cory Booker said he was “disgusted” and “disturbed” by the video, Shariff was suspended without pay.

But Booker also claimed that Shariff was a “special police officer”, which somehow is different than just a police officer.

Booker said that special police officers, such as Shariff, receive training from the city and often work at churches and local businesses. Their uniforms are similar to those of regular police officers, but they are not police officers.

If they are not police officers, then why the hell is Shariff wearing a yellow vest that clearly states “Newark Police”? And why the hell does Shariff have the power to arrest citizens?

It sounds to me that Booker is trying to take blame off the Newark Police Department, which was sued twice in one week in January over separate First Amendment issues.

Comments

Anonymous

3 years ago

LOL…

See what i was sayin about deputies having issues that can only be worked out by showing how massively powerful they are?

“you can’t arrest him”

“I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT”

I’m tellin you, man.

Anonymous

3 years ago

there was supposed to be a (then proceeds to have a massive erection) after the allcaps. owell.

Anonymous

3 years ago

This guy needs to be stripped of his badge immediately and should not even be allowed to work as a security guard.

Imagine how he acts when there isn’t a camera around.

Anonymous

3 years ago

I’m just thankful that that intelligent councilwoman was on the scene, and that some of the people in Newark have actually read the Constitution.

Anonymous

3 years ago

he should be fired period

Anonymous

3 years ago

Carlos,

A special police officer is similar to a fire police officer, which is what I am (actually, the full title in PA is Special Fire Police). They’re usually for special events, parades and the like. Special police in many states that have them have arrest powers. For example (from Wikipedia): “Some states, such as Maryland, grant full State Police authority to SPOs for use in whatever area they are employed to protect.”

Fire police in PA, on the other hand, don’t have arrest powers, but that’s another story for another day.

Anonymous

3 years ago

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Wait till they start using all the presidential directives issued by Caligula. The lights are going out all across America. We shall not see them lit again in our generation.

Anonymous

3 years ago

I’m sorry, maybe I just don’t understand what Caligula, (an insane Roman Emperor, for those who don’t know), has to do with anything. Maybe I just don’t see the context.

Anonymous

3 years ago

there slowly taking away our ammendment rights before long there will be nothing left. someone needs to stop the police from violating our rights. if it was me id have sued and made sure everyone knows we have these first amendment rights for a reason and there not going to take them away without a fight.