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Tax Payer Dollars at Work: New York State Police Helicopter Deployed after Rochester, NY’s Annual Puerto Rican Festival

Davy V. 651 Views , , , , , , , , , ,

By Davy V.

In what looked more like a scene from South Central, Los Angeles, than Rochester, NY, a New York State police helicopter hovered over Rochester’s North Clinton Avenue neighborhood, less than a half hour after the annual Puerto Rican Festival wrapped up.

On the ground, several Rochester, NY Police officers, including Sgt. Nelson Soto, one of six RPD officers who shot and killed a young mentally-ill Puerto Rican man last June, on his 20th birthday, ordered families and their young children to keep moving, in Gestapo-like fashion.

As you can see in the videos below, one RPD officer can be seen holding some sort of weapon which looks like it may be a pepper ball launcher, commonly used by law enforcement agencies for crowd control.

The annual Puerto Rican Festival has a long history of festival goers taking the party to the streets after the last day of the festival, but I think it’s not only overkill to call in a police helicopter, but also a waste of tax payer dollars.

I also have a problem with Rochester Police officers taking advantage of a situation, to abuse their power and authority, ordering innocent families, and their children to keep moving.

This is not Cuba.

This is the United States of America.

Isn’t it?

 

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Davy V.

Davy V. is a Cuban-American Filmmaker, Video Producer, Photographer and Freelance Writer, best known for using the power of video and film to expose Police Brutality, Corruption and Misconduct. The son of the late Mario Vara, a community activist who for years fought against Police Brutality and Misconduct in Rochester, New York, Davy V. got his start in Television and Video by tagging along and working camera for his father's cable access television show, "La Voz Del Pueblo" (The Voice of The People). Davy V. later went on to produce and host "KEEP IT ON THE REEL", a cable access TV show with a mix of Hip Hop as well as issues affecting African-Americans and Latinos in Rochester, NY, such as Police Brutality and Misconduct. Some guests on the show included Treach, KayGee and Vinnie of Naughty by Nature, Method Man, Funkdoobiest, Da Youngstas, and the Rottin' Razkals. Davy V. won the U.S. ACM Video Festival Award for his Documentary, "R.P.D. EXPOSED!" about the Rochester, New York Police Department and their long history of misconduct, corruption and unnecessary killings of unarmed innocent citizens. "R.P.D. EXPOSED!" and Davy V.'s follow up, "R.P.D.: Badges of DISHONOR, CORRUPTION and MURDER!" were both screened at the National Hip Hop Political Convention at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Davy V.'s work has been featured in publications such as THE SOURCE Hip Hop Magazine, URBAN AMERICA Magazine, The Ave. Magazine, Insider Magazine, La Voz Newspaper, Minority Reporter Newspaper, CNY LATINO Newspaper, DOWN Magazine, as well as on television news stations, and programs such as CNN and Inside Edition. In addition to his freelance writing, Davy V. also writes a monthly Op/Ed Column for LA VOZ Magazine and Minority Reporter Newspaper. In June 2012, Davy V. joined Cop Block as a regular contributor.