A gang of rogue cops clobbered and beat a Brooklyn man then sodomized him with a walkie-talkie antenna during a brutal broad-daylight attack inside a subway station, the victim’s lawyer and law enforcement sources said tonight.
The horrific attack, reminiscent of the Abner Louima assault – which horrified the city in 1997 – put the victim, Michael Mineo, in the hospital for four days.
“This is one of the most horrendous and grievous cases I’ve ever seen,” said Mineo’s lawyer, Stephen Jackson.
Law enforcement sources said the investigation was focusing on five cops – four patrol officers from the 71st Precinct in Wingate, and a transit officer – all of whom were characterized as relatively inexperienced.
The following account of the incident is drawn from Jackson’s discussions with his client and law enforcement sources investigating the incident.
Mineo, who is in his 20s, was walking to the Prospect Park subway station from his home at about 2 p.m. last Oct. 15, when two uniformed officers in an unmarked car spotted him smoking a joint.
A chase ensued, during which the officers, joined by two other uniformed cops, chased Mineo into the station, which is located near the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard.
At some point during the case, investigators believe, Mineo allegedly swallowed the marijuana.
The four cops, joined by the transit officer, tackled Mineo to the ground near a token booth, where they beat him.
Then, one officer allegedly pulled Mineo’s pants down and shoved his radio antenna into his rectum.
“Police officers grapples with an individual they observed smoking marijuana after he fled and resisted being handcuffed,” said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne
“His assertion that he was sodomized is not supported by independent civilian witnesses on the scene. The complaint is being investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau and the District Attorney’s Office,” said Browne.