NYPD Blame "Abnormal Homosexual Sex" After Brutal Sodomization of Abner Louima

On the evening of August 9, 1997, NYPD officers from the 70th Precinct responded to calls of a large fight outside of a Brooklyn nightclub called Club Rendez-Vous. Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant living in the United States since 1991, was involved in the fight between two women.

Officers Justin Volpe, Thomas Bruder, Charles Schwarz, and Thomas Wiese responded to the call. Volpe said that Louima attacked him during the fight and arrested the man on charges of obstructing government administration, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

Officers Attack Louima

While transporting Louima to the 70th Precinct, officers beat Louima with nightsticks, two-way radios, and closed fists. Once they arrived at the station, Louima was strip searched and put into a holding cell.

The officers continued the attack against Louima by pulling down his pants to his knees, taking him to the bathroom, and while his hands were handcuffed behind his back, sexually assaulting the man. Volpe kicked Louima in the testicles, squeezed, and then forced the end of a jagged, broken broomstick into his rectum.

Volpe then shoved the broken handle into Louima’s mouth, badly damaging his teeth. A second officer assisted Volpe with the attack, although he could not be positively identified.

Officers later testified in court that Volpe walked through the precinct holding the bloody, broken handle as he bragged to the police sergeant that he had “took a man down tonight.”

Louima Suffers Extensive Injuries

Police took Louima to the Emergency Room at the Coney Island Hospital the following day. They tried to explain the injuries as the result of “abnormal homosexual activity.” The ER nurse, Magalie Laurent, suspected this was untrue and notified the Internal Affairs Bureau.

Louima suffered severe internal damage to his colon and bladder, requiring two months of hospitalization and three surgeries to repair.

Day of Outrage Against Police Brutality and Harassment

Reports of the incident sparked national outrage. Police brutality, particularly against the African-American and Latino community, was nothing new. On August 29, 1997, around 7,000 protestors marched around the New York City Hall and the 70th Precinct station where Louima was attacked. The march was dubbed the “Day of Outrage Against Police Brutality and Harassment.”

Breaking the Blue Oath

Many New Yorkers, including then-mayor Rudy Guiliana, thought Louima was lying. He asked the Internal Affairs Investigator, “Are you sure this happened?” Believing that NYPD’s finest could carry out such a horrific attack was unfathomable to so many people who put their trust in police officers.

The case was eventually turned over to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District in Brooklyn along with the FBI who worked together to bring charges against Officer Volpe. After conducting interviews at the precinct and a few officers coming forward, the blue oath began to crumble and (the judicial system’s version) of justice began.

Officers Sentenced to Prison

Volpe was charged in federal court with numerous counts of violating Louima’s civil rights, as well as making false statements to police, and obstruction of justice. Volpe changed his “not guilty” plea to “guilty” midway through the trial, confessing that he in fact sodomized Louima. He denied attacking him in the mouth.

On December 13, 1999, Volpe was sentenced to 30-years in prison w/o the possibility of parole. He was assessed a $525 fine and restitution in the amount of $277,495. He will be released in 2025.

On June 27, 2000, Charles Schwarz was convicted of helping Volpe in the attack and sentenced to 15-years in prison. After Volpe said Officer Wiese was the man in the bathroom in an interview with the news show 60 Minutes, the conviction was overturned. He was convicted of perjury in 2002 and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Three other officers were indicted for their part in attempting to cover up the crimes. Officer Bruder, Wiese, and Michael Bellomo were convicted of conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation but their convictions were overturned on appeal in February 2002.

Louima Wins Largest Civil Suit in NYC History

Louima filed a civil lawsuit against the City of New York. The suit was settled for $8.75 million on July 30, 2001.

The Able Louima Foundation evolved from this act of police brutality. In 2003, Louima set up the foundation to open community centers in Haiti and Florida for refugees seeking legal, financial, and other types of aid.

He also paid tuition for 14 poor children in Thomassin.

In an interview with a news outlet, Louima said the incident was “something you’ll always have to deal with.”

"But I thank God to be alive,” he said. “I follow the word of God, so I have to forgive — but I don’t forget. A lot of people mix forgiving and forgetting.”

“I forgive, but I do not forget,” he reiterated.

More Information:

https://www.wnyc.org/story/twenty-years-later-look-back-nypd-assault-abner-louima-and-what-it-means-today/