Excessive Force?
A story is circulating on the Internet about an event that occurred in 2011 that didn’t get much publicity. We highlight it on this site in order to help get the word out, as the family lawyer requested at the time.
MIAMI, FL – Gilberto Powell, also known as ‘Liko’, had just informed his family that he was walking home when he suddenly found himself the victim of violence. Officers wanted to conduct a pat down on Powell for a suspicious bulge in his pants, but Powell was frightened and ran.
The police officer slapped him across the face with an open hand, and knocked him to the ground. Then when they finally searched him, it was revealed that the bulge was his colostomy bag, and that Powell had Downs Syndrome.
The 22-year-old suffered severe bruises and a scar from the incident. “He had him by his boxers, so they took his pants off,” said Liko’s father, Gilberto Hernandez. “I felt helpless, because he was calling my name.”
The officer who beat the man, Fernando Villa was famous for passing out drunk behind the wheel of his squad car in boxer shorts with only his drunk foot stopping the vehicle from rolling out into a busy intersection.
He was also accused of headbutting and choking a woman while saying, “F*** you, b*tch. I feel like killing you,” though that complaint was never substantiated.
36 comments
If that was my son, the criminals who perpetrated this crime would be punished to the fullest extent of my wrath.
People wonder why their kids are scared of cops too,
wonder how they are trying to cover this up. He is lucky they did not shoot him, Another bunch of asses calling themselves cops and of course in fla. They need some good cop/politician houseclean there.
Tearfully another sad story of police brutality…this time to a very innocent young man.
Recommend all cops have to take mandatory class in anatomy & physiology. So they can tell the difference between a S–t bag and a gun. I have a colostomy aka a S–t bag, and perhaps we need a Sign to wear or to pin on that Cop, something like “I don’t know the difference between an arse and a bag!”
The cops should know what a shitbag is. Know what I mean?
This cop needs to be arrested for assault and battery and never to be allowed to wear a badge again. Despicable!
I agree but likely just get week or two of administrative leave and slap on wrist its sad and makes me trust police every where even less
The officer needs a cranial colostomy.
Pigs are thugs, nothing more. mercenaries payed to enforce the law. They bleed also.
I am not a doctor either but people with downs syndrome have a very specific look and we all pretty much can spot that. The cops comment is just flippant obstinacy. He should at least be suspended and have it be mandatory that he learns whether or not someone has downs or is in a wheel chair or on crutches etc not to mention, I thought these guys were trained to recognized the impression of a knife or a gun.
Terrible.
Surely the lack of publicity is in part due to some financial arrangement with the victim and father?
Blame the victim…I like it!
Think about it though,how else could they damage control the situation so well? Victims co- operation.Pretty sound possibility
He should have taken out his colostomy bag and squirted it’s contents all over that asshole Cop…
Oh I am sure when the cop pulling it off his body it got all over. It is VERY easy to get the contents on you it you do not know what you are doing. TKing-RN
Truly sad, I’m not a cop but sure they are trained to make no assumptions. If this is a regular occurence the officer should be prosecuted but if its isolated innocent we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
I know if they did that to my child lets just say Law suit is in order on this case
A lawsuit doesn’t do any good. It’s the taxpayers that pay it, the cops don’t lose anything. I recommend vigilante justice.
Is he in jail or did they do nothing to him?? That makes me MAD! There was another incident at a movie theater where the cops laid on the downs man and he was suffocated!!! He was also 22 I think!
The cops need to be prosecuted to the full extend of the law for abusing their authority under color of law.
This story brought me to tears. When that officer wrestles with his own conscience, I can only hope he will return and offer this young man and his family a sincere and tearful apology.
To wrestle with one’s conscience, one must HAVE a conscience
Since when does having a bulge in your pants constitute a crime anyway? Are police now allowed to beat up anyone who has a bulge in their clothing? What would be the probable cause? Down’s Syndrome people are wonderful, nice people who definitely don’t deserve to be beat down by the people we pay to protect them.
Every time a cop is killed in amerikka, I smile that his cop family will not have their psychopathic Daddy bringing home the bacon , anymore. Aim for the face, they aren’t prepared for that.
F*** the PO-LEECE…
And these mustached thugs wonder why people shoot back at them.
I went into walmart today to pick up some chicken sausage (there was a special in the flyer) and I couldn’t find any. I hunted down a stocker and aggressively demanded that he show me where they are. He said he couldn’t find any and believed they were out. I showed him in the flyer that they were on special today and asked him what kind of game he was playing.
He said what he would pull out of his butt wouldn’t be chicken sausage, but he’d be happy to get me as many as I wanted. I asked him if he was being a smart-ass. He asked me what I thought. I pushed him to the ground and started pommeling him while screaming “show me the chicken!” over and over again, and then I pulled out my taser and hit him with 50,000 volts.
I was then arrested, because I’m not a cop and it turns out that I’m not allowed to treat people like that just because I don’t like what they’ve said to me.
Apology or not, settlement or not, this “officer” has demonstrated itself to be a danger to the public it is supposed to protect. If the “Department” chooses not to fire this thing, any blood is on their hands as well. Send this dirtbag far, far away–and not with a badge.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miami-Beach-Police-Dept/206815873812
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miami-Beach-Police-Dept/206815873812
You can leave a message on the Miami Beach Police Department.
BY MAIL:Miami Police Department
400 NW 2nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33128
Post Office Box 016777, Miami, Florida 33101
BY PHONE:(305) 603-6640
PROVIDE
ANONYMOUS
TIPS:Contact Crime Stoppers by phone
305-471-TIPS (8477)
They have no authority to stop and search you. Why are we letting these pieces of shit continue the Police state mentality. When our cities hire chiefs and officials, they should be held accountable fro their personnels actions. I am, as a nurse. If I authorize a CNA or another nurse to take action that isn’t policy, I could lose my license–thus living. It should be that they make it clear what and where the lines are drawn. This is ridiculous!
Sounds like the guy needs to spend sometime in jail before this I hope they sue because sounds like the guy needed to be off the street before this happened if I read this correctly
At least in this country, you have a right to carry a gun to defend yourself against the police. Or I was told.
so what and where is the follow up? the story is from 2011, i assume there is more known by now? We highlight it on this site in order to help get the word out, as the family lawyer requested at the time.