'No justice, no peace': Baldwin marchers call for a stop to police brutality

The father of two Roosevelt teens, who he says were beaten and detained by Nassau County police, called for dropping assault charges against his sons and asked that police be held accountable.

David and Mondy Tillery marched with about 50 people Saturday in Baldwin, protesting what they said was police brutality. Protesters marched from the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station to Nassau's First Precinct police station, chanting, “Stop police brutality” and “No justice, no peace.”

Nassau police escorted marchers south on Grand Avenue and officers stood by as some marchers spoke in front of the First Precinct station on Merrick Road.

“This is an everybody march,” David Tillery said. “We want to send a message that everyone should band together, no matter their race or color. Just give us respect. Stop thinking every child is a gang member and coming into the community to treat our children in ways we’d be jailed immediately.” 

Police arrested three teens Jan. 21 on charges of assaulting a 32-year-old man in their Roosevelt neighborhood. The victim was punched repeatedly, police said.

The Tillerys and their attorney said police stopped the three teens, ranging in age from 14 to 15, as they were riding their bicycles. David Tillery said his two sons and their friend were pulled off their bikes and slammed into a tree branch and a police cruiser. One boy was bleeding from the ear and suffered bruised ribs and a sprained ankle, he said.

The Tillery brothers were not allowed to call their parents while they were in police custody for three hours, before their mother used GPS tracking to locate them at the First Precinct, Tillery said.

The Tillerys filed a notice of a claim last week against the Nassau County Police Department. Their attorney, Fred Brewington, said the boys did not commit the assault.

Nassau police declined to comment Saturday, but Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said last week that officers acted appropriately. Police described the teens as in good health while in police custody.

"An investigation was conducted and three juveniles were arrested for this crime," he said in a statement last week. "One of the juvenile subjects, age 15, was also charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. The investigation has revealed that police officers acted within the scope of the law and exercised restraint and professionalism at the time of arrest.”

The teens are due back in Westbury Family Court Feb. 11, where another rally is planned.

Protesters on Saturday also cited other cases of what they called police brutality and run-ins with police, claiming officers used excessive force or intimidation with a gun.

Activists called for more accountability and review of police officers, such as identifying the officers involved in last month's arrest and making their disciplinary record public.

“To all the good police officers that serve this community, this march is not aimed at you,” said the Rev. Arthur Mackey Jr. of Mount Sinai Baptist Church in Roosevelt. “This is a march against police brutality.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.