Hamilton On Police Shooting Death of Deborah Danner in the Bronx
Central Brooklyn State Sen. Jesse Hamilton yesterday called for both an investigation into the police shooting death of Deborah Danner earlier this week in the Bronx, and for increased intervention for people with mental health issues.
NYPD sergeant Hugh Barry shot and killed Danner, 66, after she allegedly came after him with a baseball bat. Barry, who was equipped with a taser, was responding to a call of an emotionally disturbed person and Danner reportedly suffered from schizophrenia.
“As a community, we have already lost when we get to the point of a police officer deciding between using a taser against someone who is mentally ill or using a gun against the same afflicted individual. Yes, we should demand the best training, decision making, and accountability from police – healing in police-community relations, instilling trust and building confidence require these elements,” said Hamilton.
“In addition, we must also demand a public health system that addresses the real challenge mental illness poses – whether through additional community health workers, through expanded crisis intervention teams, through first responder training on mental health, or through some other measures. Mental illness should not be a death sentence. We need to take the steps across government, including police, including public health professionals, and including people of good conscience across the state to protect all New Yorkers.”
Lander Reachs Out To Bengali Constituents
City Council Member Brad Lander (Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington) tomorrow, Oct. 21, will announce the start of new office hours for Bengali speakers in Kensington, which has a very large Bangladesh immigrant population.
Lander will also introduce his recent hire, Rubina Abdul, as his office’s new Bengali speaking liaison. Abdul will be available to help Kensington residents with government issues from 3-5 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday beginning Oct. 25-26 at the Saboor Waizun Medical Office, 486 McDonald Avenue.
Lander will join with city officials and Bangladesh civic, business and religious leaders to make the announcement at 2 p.m., tomorrow, Oct. 21, at the medical office.
Harris To Light Coney Parachute Jump Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Assemblymember Pamela Harris (Coney Island, Bay Ridge) announced that she will be hosting a pink lighting of the old Coney Island Parachute Jump ride next Tuesday in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The former amusement ride, also known as the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn, is a national landmark. As a breast cancer survivor, the lighting is especially meaningful to Harris.
“I’ll continue to support breast cancer patients and survivors, as well as raise awareness so fewer women have to go through what I experienced after my diagnosis. It was an extremely trying time for me and my family, and I am so grateful for the support I had,” Harris said. “Each year during October we honor all those who have fought breast cancer with grit, poise and determination. As we watch the Parachute Jump light up all in pink we will think of all those who have battled and all those who will battle this disease. We will fight on through research and support and remain forever hopeful for a cure.”
Earlier this year, Harris passed a new law expanding access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings by eliminating copays and extending hours at hospitals and clinics.
The event is slated for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25 on the Boardwalk and W. 19th Street. To RSVP to the event, please call 347-922-8686.
Persaud Hosts Workshop On Confronting Domestic Violence
State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (Canarsie, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach) today is hosting a free workshop on how domestic violence affects the family.
Domestic violence is any behavior involving physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or verbal abuse. It is any form of aggression intended to hurt, damage, or kill an intimate person.
The workshop is slated for 9 a.m. to 12 noon, today at the Breukelen Head Start, 715 East 105th Street in Canarsie.
Williams, Barron Introduces Credit Nondiscrimination Act
City Council Members Jumaane D. Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) and Inez Barron (East New York) last week introduced the Credit Nondiscrimination Act, which would outlaw the practice of creditors discriminating in the issuance of credit on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or any of the protected classes.
“This bill can help hundreds of thousands of people applying for mortgages, small business loans, and other types of credit,” said Williams. “Having in place a law that mandates how a person’s interest rate is calculated will protect groups of people in this City that face discrimination and unfair treatment at higher rates than other groups.”
The measure expands on federal and state legislation by amending the City’s Human Rights Law to prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s membership in a protected class in the issuance of credit. It also requires the NYC Commission on Human Rights to conduct outreach, and would require the Commission to perform a credit discrimination investigation for a period of one year.
Creditors would also have to disclose to applicants, regardless of their background, on how their interest rate is calculated. This builds on existing law that already requires a disclosure of why an acceptance or denial of credit is given.
The bill was inspired by a $24 million settlement that alleged Honda creditors charged higher interest rates to thousands of black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander customers than white car buyers.
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP Obtain $2.43 Million Verdict (Sponsored)
WRSH attorneys Robert Bellinson and Joseph Stoduto obtained a verdict in the amount of $2.43 million on behalf of a twenty-five year old nursing student from the Bronx.
The woman was driving her vehicle along a local roadway in the Bronx when a New York City Transit Authority bus struck her vehicle, causing a serious collision. As a result of the accident, the client suffered injuries to her lower back requiring surgery. During the course of the litigation, Joseph won a decision from the Court that the defendants were 100% responsible for the collision, despite the defendants contention that they did nothing wrong.
The defendants took the position that the client’s damages were minimal and they refused to make a settlement offer. Robert conducted a full and complete jury trial on the issue of damages, which was fiercely contested by the defendants and by the doctors which they had hired to examine our client and testify in Court against us.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury awarded the client the total sum of $2,43 million for her damages.
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