Today, the police sent out a press release saying that it had nabbed 25 cases of assorted canned Mexican beers, quote, "in an abandoned building on Aloe Vera Street." NOW, CONTRABAND beers are not usually left in abandoned buildings and tonight the man who said he was holding those beers are calling the cops corrupt and deceitful. He asked to appear off camera:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You're saying that story that we got from police, bogus?"
Victim
"Yes."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Explain to me what really happened?"
Victim
"They went to my house and opened the door, went in there, mix some contraband beer which was actually 35 cases."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You're saying this contraband beer was in your house and that 35 cases, not 25. And you own it or were holding it for somebody?"
Victim
"I was holding it for one of my friend, like about 27 cases and the rest in the refrigerator. They asked me about the cases and what I wanted to do. So I went in the room and he went in there with the other police. I took the money out of my pocket and I put in one of the Corona case, because its big cans of Coronas with 3 cases of Superior beer wasn't cold in the fridge. They emptied the fridge and I told them to leave something for me to drink because I am under stress. So the man after all leave 6 beers for me."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"The numbers of beers we saw in there, was that the complete number you had in your house, in the picture?"
Victim
"No sir. I think you saw more or less one case of Superior. I had 2 cases of that. They work with that and the cold ones in the fridge."
But, that's not the end of the story. He then called on a police friend, Darell Tutsi Usher to intervene and get back his five hundred dollars.
Usher told us tonight that he called Southside Commander Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal - since the seizure was made by Vidal's Special Assignment Team. But, that also did not go as planned:..
Victim
"They came back speeding down the street. I wasn't paying any mind and when I saw they reach close to the pharmacy on Aloe Vera Street, I use my instinct and ran in my house and I lock my door. Next minute they ran and pull out something on their side and they say don't move or else they will burst on in me. He crack it by my door and push it. The man [police] said that he will broke down my door. So he pull open and break my door."
Ok, so now here's the other side of the story. Commander Vidal today told us that first, "There is a video recording of the search which contradicts what the young man who claims to own the contraband is alleging. He adds that the same accuser was interviewed in the presence of Inspector Palma of the Professional standards Branch and gave an entirely different account which did not at all include an allegation that any officer of the SAT extorted money from him.
As for Corporal Usher? Vidal says This is a department of discipline. Disrespect is not to be our trademark and I certainly don't tolerate it. In any event, he was still put in a position where he could have heard what was being said, and he was asked to leave after the man had already given his account.
Email
Print