NYPD Cop Disciplined Over Occupy Wall Street Pepper Spray
EmailABC News’ Richard Esposito and Dean Schabner report:
An internal New York Police Department review has found a senior police officer violated NYPD guidelines when he used pepper spray on Occupy Wall Street protesters last month, ABC confirmed.
According to a person with knowledge of the investigation, Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna faces discipline of a loss of 10 vacation days as a result of the incident on Sept. 24.
According to officials, after the demonstrators left their base in Zuccotti Park and spilled over into the streets, blocking traffic, Bologna approached a group already corralled by police and sprayed the group with pepper spray.
Clips on the Occupy Wall Street website show the incident, when a group of young women who were penned in by orange netting were approached by Bologna, who then without apparent warning, used pepper spray on them. Two of the women hit by the spray fell to the ground and one screamed.
Bologna has the option to appeal the decision.
“Deputy Inspector Bologna is disappointed at the results of the department investigation,” Roy Richter, president of the NYPD captain’s endowment association, said in a statement. “His actions prevented further injury and escalation of tumultuous conduct. To date, this conduct has not been portrayed in its true context.”
The Occupy Wall Street protests began in downtown New York City Sept. 17, and have continued with the occupation of a park in the city’s financial district and several large-scale marches, generally on weekends. Though many of the group’s marches have resulted in dozens of arrests, there has been very little violence and conflicts between the protesters and police have been limited.
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It’s hard to take a video with multiple camera angles out of context. Sounds like a bunch of boloney to me…
Posted by: Kr | October 18, 2011, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
Bologna loses 10 days vacation pay? He should have been arrested & charged with assault, and then fired.
Posted by: Pete | October 18, 2011, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
God, I hope this punishment wasn’t too severe! The guy might never be the same and may need therapy. I mean, 10 days of lost vacation, out of what, maybe 6 or 8 weeks knowing the entitlements those frigging cops get? Gosh I hope he’s all right.
Posted by: Terry | October 18, 2011, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm
The protesters fall down and scream anytime the police are near and they see a camera.
Posted by: SamJ | October 18, 2011, 9:41 pm 9:41 pm
Something tells me that if the protesters used pepper spray on the cops, they’d lose more than 10 vacation days.
Posted by: Scott | October 18, 2011, 9:47 pm 9:47 pm
Dont pepper spray them. take your stick and smash them.
Posted by: Jinal | October 18, 2011, 9:53 pm 9:53 pm
The protest have nothing to do with hard work. I have my doctorate and I have worked hard my entire life. I have had success because of hard work and I stand with this movement, because what they are tired of is the people who don’t work hard getting rich while the working poor cannot even get adequate healthcare. I’m tired of every time someone talks about equality the right wing calls them communist. That is such a cop out. We should help the poor, take what we need, work hard, and not tolerate greed, and above all speak our mind when we see something that is wrong in our society.
Posted by: Becky | October 18, 2011, 9:59 pm 9:59 pm
Maybe Letterman will make a ten vacation day punishment joke tonight.
Posted by: Rick John Denton | October 18, 2011, 10:11 pm 10:11 pm
How is it that he is not charged with assault? The protestors were already penned up and not threatening anyone. His actions were gratuitous and outside the boundaries of his job, the situation, etc. 10 vacation days? Cripes. That’s nothing. This guy probably has about 4 weeks paid vacation at this point in his career.
Posted by: JrzWrld | October 18, 2011, 10:11 pm 10:11 pm
Let me see………, if I pepper spray someone for no cause, will I lose my vacation time or will I go to jail?
Why is this criminal getting away with physical assault?
Posted by: Rudy Avizius | October 18, 2011, 10:48 pm 10:48 pm
10 vacation days? wow what a joke. next time i mace a police officer can i just lose 10 vacation days at my job? what a absolute joke the NYPD and the so-called “internal affairs” is lol…
Posted by: mike | October 18, 2011, 10:48 pm 10:48 pm
10 Vacation days, whoa,, they should have just done nothing like everyone expected,, this is actually worse cause it means he’ll be on the street and extra 10 days. He’s (and the same goes for most of the NYPD) not there to police and uphold the law and see to it that justice is served,,, he there to beat people and bring them pain and work out his superiority bro-who-da-man complex. New York City would be the safest place in the world if it wasn’t for the cops.
Posted by: Mark | October 18, 2011, 10:53 pm 10:53 pm
Great. His punishment is that he will be out “protecting and serving” a few EXTRA days. Sounds more like punishment for the people of NY.
Posted by: AJ | October 19, 2011, 12:00 am 12:00 am
An obvious attempt to mollify the protesters and the other cops at the same time. Assault is assault. That is, if you live in a country where the laws are applied equally. Those in power are starting to be worried. Hit the streets in whatever town you live in. You don’t have to say anything or carry a sign. The presence of each new person brings us closer to bringing down these criminals and throwing them in jail. If the authorities refuse to “get it” and continue to ignore the complaints of the people, American just may be heading to it’s “Bastille” moment.
Would our Founding Fathers tolerate the taking over of our government by these parasites?
Posted by: Bryan | October 19, 2011, 12:35 am 12:35 am
He should be arrested for assault, jailed and fired! Cops think they are above the law. This guy is a bully and a sadist and has no place on the the police force.
Posted by: Lisa | October 19, 2011, 2:17 am 2:17 am
Will you guys please stop asking for assault charges? It is not assault. If you guys were to do that you would not be charged with assault.
Posted by: Lawyer | October 19, 2011, 9:03 am 9:03 am
For anyone who says this wasn’t an assault, you are completely incorrect. Pepper spray is considered the same level has hitting someone physically. Matter of fact, if you have a bad reaction to it, asthma, etc, you can die right there on the pavement. For police officers to use pepper spray, they have to prove that the same level of physical violence is being used against them. For this guy to walk up to non threatening people, who’s movement has already been controlled, and pepper spray them is the same as if he walked up to them and punched them in the face for no reason. Yes, this is assault. However, if you know anything about senior NYPD supervisors, you do not get to that point without serious connections in the department. Thats why he got a slap on the wrist. he knows the right people in the right places. How do I know this? Because i was in the NYPD for several years before getting tired of being flat broke. I hope he is sued by the people who he assaulted.
Posted by: GMoney | October 19, 2011, 10:23 am 10:23 am
10 days of vacation?! He committed a brutal, criminal assault! Lock him up for a year, at least. Corruption on display, I’m afraid.
Posted by: smm | October 19, 2011, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
I don’t agree with most of what the protesters are for. However freedom to protest and safety are the first priorities. Keep marching.
Posted by: 4trotter | October 19, 2011, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Poor, poor Inspector Bologna! I’m pretty sure that taking a guy’s vacation days for an unprovoked assault violates the Constitutiona’ prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Stop the madness.
Posted by: LP | October 28, 2011, 9:15 am 9:15 am
Lawyer, I think you must either be a liar, or you got your license from one of those places through the mail.
If you don’t think penning up non-violent civilians and the spraying them with pepper spray is an assault, perhaps you should go to your local pub tonight (it’s Friday) with your orange netting and your mace, and give it a shot. Just don’t call me to bail you out.
Another Lawyer
Posted by: LP | October 28, 2011, 9:18 am 9:18 am