Cuomo Delaware North Plan Big Changes For
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CUOMO DELAWARENORTH PLANBIGCHANGESFOR NIAGARAFALLSSTATEPARK FREE • vol. 16 no. 9 | Mar 2 - Mar 8, 2017 artvoice.com | fb: artvoiceav | tw: @artvoiceig: artvoiceav NEWS Sergeant Aljoe takes first step in lawsuit against police who killed his dog in wrong house raid On February 15, 2017, a notice of claim was December last year. advanced to the door upon the officers. served on Buffalo and Tonawanda Police for However, the informant was unable to Officer Bartolotta, who the dog allegedly was the shooting death of a German Shepherd describe the age, ethnicity, height, race or attacking, said he was laying down in the belonging to 37-year military veteran and any other distinguishing features of the man doorway of the home. Riverside homeowner, Sergeant First Class he claimed he purchased rugs from. On the (retired) Gary Aljoe. The couch is at 10 feet from the doorway, search warrant application as well as the war- according to Albert. The dog, named ‘Sarge’ was shot and killed rant itself, the target of such warrant is listed by Lieutenant Derek Scott of the Town of as “first name unknown, last name unknown, “It appears that about 20 armed officers Tonawanda Police Department just before male.” stormed the residence of this proud Veteran, his son, and their beautiful German Shepherd Christmas last year during a ‘wrong house’ The house was raided but officers found no drug raid. as if they were storming the Beaches of marijuana or heroin in the home. Normandy,” Alberty said. “However, the fact Artvoice obtained documents relating to the Police allege there was cocaine residue found of the matter is Gary Aljoe is 60 plus years raid which led to the dog’s death. in a baggie – with a possible street value of old and his son, Garrett Aljoe, weighs about As ArtVoice reported in our January 5, 2017 10 cents. 120 pounds. You could pick twenty random edition, the warrant seem suggestive of false Aljoe’s attorney, Matthew Albert believes women from a sewing club and they would information being provided from a confiden- small remnants of drugs are planted on fruit- be able to control the scene without needing tial informant who may have been seeking to less raids to justify invasions that the Buffalo to resort to deadly force. Police killed this avoid prosecution on other charges. Police execute on 100’s of innocent people’s dog for a Christmas bounty. This was a cow- The warrant and other documents add doubt homes every year, the vast majority which ardly act.” as to why officers raided Aljoe’s quiet do not yield any contraband – other than The dog was shot twice as police involved in Riverside household just before dawn. residue. the case said the dog was flailing around in A search warrant reveals that a confidential Furthermore, details as to where Sarge was, pain after the first shot. informant went with Buffalo Police Officers where his owners were upon entry, and why Albert said, “This begs the question why a before Buffalo City Court Judge Thomas Sarge was shot is contradicted by officers second shot was needed.” Amodeo and claimed he bought marijuana at the scene. Tonawanda Lieutenant Scott, Officers indicated that after the dog was and heroin on two separate dates from a who shot the dog claimed the dog was laying killed they called for animal control, as man at Aljoe’s Ullman Street residence in on the couch in the living room when Sarge opposed to having the unit present upon the proud member of SALES Calendar EDITORIAL Moose Jr. Publisher's Assistant Greg Ipolito : 716-380-5303 [email protected] Publisher GENERAL MANAGER Karen Fleig Dr. Chitra Selvaraj: 716 534-0771 Art /Artviews Jamie Moses Dr. Chitra Selvaraj CONTRIBUTORS [email protected] Editor-In-Chief Tony Farina, Javier Bustillos, CIRCULATION Web/Production Frank Parlato DEPUTY MANAGER & Jan Jezioro, James Hufnagel, Sharon Kaiser [email protected] Theater Editor GENERAL COUNSEL Frank Dux, Roger Stone, Tony Classifieds Anthony Chase Darryl McPherson Farina, Austin Harig, Mike Editorial [email protected] Calendar Editor Hudson, James Ostrowski, Nate [email protected] P.O. Box 695, buffalo, ny 14205 | artvoice.com | 716.881.6604 | classified ads 716.881.6124 advertising: [email protected] 716 534-0771 • [email protected] 716-380-5303 Copyright © by Artvoice Reporter, 2016. Artvoice is published in association with the Niagara Falls Reporter, South Buff alo News and Front Page 2 March 2– March 8, 2017 | artvoice.com NEWS Retired Army Sergeant Gary Aljoe lost his dog Sarge during a ‘wrong house’ raid last December. Police raided his house looking for drugs sold by a man they could not describe. execution of the warrant to assist in con- room the baggie with the ‘residue’ was trolling the dog while he was alive. found). Albert will argue that the warrant Buffalo Police standard policy is to call ani- lacking even the race or any thing else about mal control only after a dog is shot and killed the target lacks relevant probable cause. in order to pick up the corpses, as opposed to trying to help at the scene while the animal The angst is not over for the Aljoes however. is still living. No police officer has ever been charged with While the first and last name, as well as animal cruelty for any of the hundreds of race, ethnicity, age and any distinguishing shooting deaths of dogs on fruitless wrong features of the target of the warrant was house drug raids no matter how compelling unknown to police, and that no drugs were the evidence is to support the fact that the found at the raid which not only killed a dog kills were unnecessary. but caused immense property damages and trauma to the Aljoe family (picture your own However, men like Garrett Aljoe are always home being raided at 6:00 am one morning charged for every last shred of residue or on the false word of a snitch) one thing is plant stem that police could possibly find in clear to Aljoe and his attorney: That dog was the families’ residences. DOA as soon as the twenty officers raided Aljoe returns to Court on Wednesday, March his residence. 2 before Judge Fiorella where Albert is Armed with a ram as well as other weapons attempting to have charges against him dis- which would have been able to incapacitate missed. Upon the Aljoes’ being examined by the dog, police chose to shoot him on sight. the City Attorney’s Office pursuant to the now filed Notices of Claim, it is Albert’s The next step in Aljoe’s legal process is for intent to file a Federal lawsuit against the Albert to have the minor possession charges relevant parties. dismissed against Garrett Aljoe (in whose artvoice.com | March 2– March 8, 2017 3 NEWS COVER Officer accused of breaking nurse’s ankle had prior complaints, Atty Albert Cuomo’s State Park “Lodge” criticizes Police for Stonewalling a Mockery of Olmsted plan he received scrutiny from Internal Affairs relat- ing to his “time at work”. Albert filed a motion to compel disclosure of Vara’s Internal Affair Records. That motion is pending before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. in the Western District of the United States Federal Court. An Investigative Post story of February 15, reported that officers avoided discipline for 58 out of 62 charges against them for excessive force by civilians during a three-year period leading up to this year. Townsend is also suing Buffalo Police Chief Buffalo lawyer Matt Albert has emerged as the local champion of the underdog – both human and canine as he tackles tough Daniel Derenda who, as policy maker, is cases of police brutality and wrong house raids that kill dogs accused of covering up for the misconduct during the raids. of officers by not investigating complaints of wrongdoing. On February 2, 2017, Artvoice reported that Albert issued a subpoena for Derenda to speak Buffalo Police Officer Mark Vara was accused about these matters for Friday, March 3, 2017; in U.S Federal Court to have grabbed a Buffalo Behold the Niagara Lodge (on right). Described as having “breathtaking views of the Falls and State Park” however, Assistant Corporation Counsel David can only mean that the new hotel is slated for Goat Island, not DeVeaux, Whirlpool or Devil’s Hole State woman from inside her home and threw her on Lee indicated he seeks to quash the subpoena. the concrete sidewalk after handcuffing her. Parks. “Efforts by the city’s law office to aid city The woman, Christine Townsend, 43, of Buffalo, officials to avoid questions of accountability is originally called police for help because roam- wrong” said Albert. “The city spends taxpayers’ ing pit bulls were trying to get into her home. money trying to hide the truth, delay lawsuits, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s controversial pro- president Christopher J. Schoepflin have told Vara is accused of pulling Townsend, a reg- and avoid having politicians and police officers posed “lodge” on Goat Island in the Niagara the public recently. istered nurse and animal rescuer, from inside answer questions. It is one thing to defend the Falls State Park has been scaled up in size, Schoepflin said, “The lodge the governor her Riverside home and pushing her down her case on the merits. However, the city routinely according to design sketches posted by USA envisions would have 75 to 100 rooms – ‘a porch stairs. She fractured her ankle. seeks to avoid having police officers answer Niagara this week. very boutique property.'" Vara, in his deposition in the lawsuit, admitted questions relating to alleged misconduct, which frankly, is fascist and cowardly, and not a USA Niagara is a subsidiary of Empire State The news of a 100-room lodge on Goat he had three complaints against him during his Development, the state development agen- nine years as a tenured police officer that did transparent or even legal way to operate city Island caused an outcry of opposition decry- get the attention of Internal Affairs.