This was posted to my wall on FB. Anybody know the source or can verify this?
Toronto!
Javier Reyes here. I would like to personally apologize for canceling
the Toronto show last night. I can explain. After the Boston show on May
26th, I was unlawfully arrested by the Boston Police Department. I had
to return to Boston on May 30th for court. As much as we had looked
forward to playing Toronto again, there was nothing I could do other
than cancel the show and return to Boston to avoid having an arrest
warrant filed against me. I have included a complaint letter a
friend/witness has written and sent to the Boston Police. It explains in
more detail about the appalling and absurd encounter that occurred that
evening. Again, to all our fans in Toronto, I am truly sorry for
cancelling the show. - WRITTEN BY JESSICA BLANK2
Upon leaving The Tam in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday, May 27th,
2012, around 1:30 am, DUSTIN BLANK1 was playing “air-guitar” to a song,
which was playing in the bar, as we all ‹‹exited onto the sidewalk.
There was another civilian (white male, unrelated to our party) to our
right, off the sidewalk, whom police were talking to. After walking
past the civilian whom police were talking to, Officer BLANK forcefully
shoved BLANK1, from behind, and informed him that he was interfering
with a police investigation. Confused and startled, BLANK1 turned around
and asked what Officer BLANK was talking about. Officer BLANK then
grabbed BLANK1 by the throat and slammed him against a wall, then turned
him around to handcuff and arrest him. Meanwhile, JAVIER REYES
pulled out his cell phone and informed the officers that he was
recording the arrest. Immediately, Officer BLANK turned around from
arresting BLANK1 and hit Reyes’s cell phone from his hands (both hands
were holding the cell phone) onto the ground, breaking the cell phone.
Next, Officer BLANK grabs Reyes and shoved him face first into a wall
and handcuffs him. Neither BLANK1 nor Reyes, in any way, resisted
arrest. Friend, TOSIN ABASI, concerned about how quickly things had
escalated, asked an officer what was going on and why BLANK1 and Reyes
were being arrested. Officer BLANK then shoves Abasi into the side of
the police cruiser and asks him if he is trying to assault an officer.
Officer BLANK asks this question while both of Abasi’s hands are in his
pockets. Abasi denied attempting to assault an officer, pointed out that
his hands were in his pockets, and admitted that he was only asking a
question. Worried about my friends and feeling shocked about what I
had just witnessed, I, JESSICA BLANK2, announced that I did not feel
safe. An officer replied to me by saying “Then call the police.”
Surprised by this disrespectful sarcasm, I responded, “You are the
police.” Another response came, “Then call 911.” Again, I responded,
“You are 911.” Officer BLANK chimed in saying that I had quite the mouth
on me for a lady and to “get out of here.” To avoid further
mistreatment, we all (Jessica Harvey, Tosin Abasi, MICHAEL BLANK3,
JESSIKA BLANK4, THOMAS BLANK5, and LAUREN BLANK6) moved to the corner of
the block. Distressed from all of the chaos, abuse, and false
accusations made by the Boston Police Department, BLANK6 dropped to the
ground and had an epileptic seizure. A by-stander, who informed us he is
certified in First Aid, offers to help. He placed both of his hands
under her head, not restricting any movement, to cushion her head from
the cement section of the sidewalk. Officer BLANK7 pushed the by-stander
away and informed him that if he continued to help, he could be sued if
BLANK6 got hurt. The by-stander understood and again stated that he was
certified in First Aid and just wanted to help BLANK6. Cooley was very
aggressive in his approach to this outside medical help. Upset and
frustrated, Abasi began speaking to BLANK7 about his concerns for
BLANK6’s health and safety, which was in danger due to the actions we
all witnessed, while using some swearing language. Officer BLANK7
continuously criticized Abasi from his choice of language instead of
listening to Abasi’s concerns about his friends. BLANK6 had a
seizure because of this highly stressful situation. She was approached
by EMS and had to continuously deny care before the paramedic would
leave her alone. Reyes had the right to videotape the public arrest
of BLANK1 as we were in a public location, on the sidewalk, after
exiting The Tam. Officer BLANK violated Reyes’s rights by forcing the
videotaping to end by his physical actions. Reyes phone screen is
completely shattered; Officer BLANK unlawfully destroyed Reyes’s
property in order to stop the recording of BLANK1 arrest. I feel
incredibly disrespected by Officer BLANK (and his fellow officers) by
the words he said to me and his actions toward my friends who I
witnessed and believe were not interfering with the previous situation.
I was a witness of all accounts mentioned in this complaint and demand
the Boston Police Department to review Officer BLANK’s performance, and
demand that action be taken against him in order to make things lawfully
right. I request that all officers at the scene, who were involved with
the arrest and detainment of BLANK1 and Reyes, to be interrogated, but
most specifically Officer BLANK. BLANK1 and Reyes were physically
assaulted by Officer BLANK, who received no physical contact,
resistance, or retaliation from either subject. It is to my
understanding that Reyes is being charged with assault and battery of a
police officer while the only assault and battery present was done by
Officer BLANK and his partners in this unlawful arrest. Reyes made no
physical contact with anyone present at the scene. Please review my
eye-witness report of this event. I am completely unsatisfied at how the
Boston Police Department handled this situation. All officers were very
unprofessional and disrespectful to my friends and me. Service and
protection were not present in any way during our encounter with the
Boston Police Department.
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