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http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/05/13/13941326.html
Man claims cop beat him 'to a bloody pulp'
By CHRIS DOUCETTE, Toronto Sun
Last Updated: May 13, 2010 11:00pm
MISSISSAUGA — At first glance, Michael da Rocha looks like he has been beaten with a baseball bat in a violent mugging.
The mentally ill 32-year-old, who claimed he had never been in trouble with the law before last weekend, alleged he was “beaten to a bloody pulp” by a plainclothes police officer while out for a stroll through downtown Toronto.
Even several days later, the frightened man’s eyes are swollen almost shut and ringed with purple — the right one is caked with dried blood. Stitches poke out from his bulging, reddened left ear and his normally thin face is puffed out nearly beyond recognition.
He’s terrified to leave his family’s Mississauga home. And he still has no idea what he did wrong.
“I hate this officer for what he has done to me,” da Rocha tells The Sun, as he sits in his basement apartment. “He should be thrown behind bars before he does this to somebody else.”
Wincing, he shares what he recalls of his ordeal, a tale that differs from the Toronto Police version.
Da Rocha takes medication to control schizophrenia. But he was overdue for his shot by about a week when he was out for a walk in the wee hours Sunday — something he does often.
Da Rocha claims he was ambling along a laneway near Spadina Ave. and College St. when he spotted the headlights of a car — it was an unmarked cruiser turning toward him.
When the man in the vehicle called out to him, da Rocha grew fearful. The main symptom of his illness is paranoia.
“I thought this guy wanted to kill me, so I started to run,” he says. “But when he yelled, ‘Freeze!’ I realized it might be a police officer, so I stopped.”
Da Rocha, 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds, alleges he asked to see the officer’s badge as he was ordered to get on his knees.
“He never said he was a police officer,” da Rocha alleges. “So I was still trying to figure out in my head if he was a cop or if he was just some guy who was going to kill me.”
Da Rocha admits he struggled and claims the officer suddenly let loose a flurry of punches and elbows to the back and side of his head causing his face to be smashed into the ground.
Police spokesman Mark Pugash acknowledged the altercation in “a secluded laneway.”
But he said the officer’s contention is that da Rocha was “behaving suspiciously” and “he wanted to investigate him,” Pugash said.
He maintains the officer identified himself, but da Rocha “immediately ran from the police and tried to escape.”
“The officer chased him and there was a physical encounter,” Pugash said.
“We believe this person had stopped taking his medication. And one of the signs of not taking his medication is that he becomes more violent and shows a certain amount of paranoia,” Pugash said, explaining what officers allegedly were told by family members.
After the run-in with the officer, da Rocha was taken into custody and charged with prowl by night, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
He was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment, then transferred to a 14 Division jail cell.
Da Rocha’s parents say they were distraught to learn their son had been arrested on Mother’s Day. But they were “absolutely devastated” when they saw his mangled face in court the next day and posted $500 bail to take him home from the Old City Hall.
“My son has never hurt anyone,” Evelina da Rocha said, fighting back tears and shaking with anger. “This animal should pay for this!”
She and her husband have launched a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which investigates complaints against police.
Pugash, who has viewed some of the photos of da Rocha taken by his family, pointed out the officer also suffered “scratches and scrapes” while trying to arrest the man.
“His injuries weren’t serious,” Pugash said. “Neither were this man’s, in the opinion of doctors.”
chris.doucette@sunmedia.ca
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http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/05/13/13941326.html
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That's brutal stuff [redacted], I feel ya. This is the type of thing we have to expose to stop before it becomes normal around here. If I was a decent cop, I probably wouldn't like guys like this on the force, or even my softball team, so hopefully we can appeal to them to help stop it.
I just reported on an 18 year old at Jane and Finch beaten to death by cops. I get a little nervous talking about cops in my own city, but sometimes it has to be done for everyone. We've also been warned would happen for years, or the re-militarization of ex-military, etc.
Family blames police in Toronto teen's death
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/42567
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/05/08/tor-manon-investigation.html.
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One thing that struck me is how this story can be used to push more psychiatric drugs, or give the police and others an excuse to get away with beating anybody if they stop taking them as prescribed and even if they weren't acting wrong. That's the angle I see anyway.
CAMH's new 27-acre concentration camp at Queen and Ossington has posters saying they want "mental" illness to be treated the same as "physical" illness, or their quackademic diagnosis to be treated the same as a doctor saying you have a broken leg and need (x).
CAMH Modern Concentration Camp - Urban Psychological Warfare Tactics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iEv_xD6fmI
... This phase of the redevelopment project will dramatically
transform the 27-acre site at 1001 Queen Street West ...
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2010/06/c0837.html
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FYI, I was just thinking of a few ideas or options yesterday, these ones seemed to stick today, so I thought I'd share them briefly to see if anyone is interested in trying any. We all move at our own speeds, but I want to make sure if anyone is "here" they can take action.
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1. We can record short video PSA's inviting people to either join TTS or to look into these issues on their own. We can explain who we are and what we've done as a group, which is powerful in our culture. That may help convince people. Calling Mr. Conspira-Spielberg? ;-)
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2. Before the college students leave we can visit campuses and offer to share info. I've seen lots of WeAreChange affiliates do it and even get school permission to. We're just sensible Canadians sharing some information that we want to, just like others do, so it's possible.
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3. Many high school students have more questions about the world than most others do, at least as I remember it, we used to have interns at CKLN who gave me the details. Since some are angry, we could share reasons why they should direct their anger at the NWO.
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Anyway, just some thoughts, as long at TTS is around, Toronto has options for a rainy day. We're in good shape and I get feedback to confirm this. Many people now guess we may be right, they just want to see if there's something to do about it so it's worth worrying about.
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No worries... a year of successful TTSaturdays and tons of people informed works fine! :-)
Cheers,
BK
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Toronto Truth Seekers (TTS)
http://www.torontotruthseekers.com/
Press For Truth
http://www.pressfortruth.ca
Conspiracy Culture Store (Queen & Roncesvalles)
http://www.conspiracyculture.com/
Toronto Street News
http://www.torontostreetnews.com/
SiLSa! Productions
http://www.youtube.com/supportlocalscene
The Freedom Link
http://www.thefreedomlink.org/
If you only listen to one thing this week...
http://www.cuttingthroughthematrix.net/radio/Rude_Awakening_Black_Krishna_CKLN_FM.html
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CAMH Modern Concentration Camp - Urban Psychological Warfare Tactics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iEv_xD6fmI
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