Officer Regina Tasca Crossed The Thin Blue Line

[TheMorningStar]

Tasca's dashboard camera captured her as she attempted to stop two officers from beating an emotionally disturbed young man. Just days after the incident, she was told she was being suspended with pay. A year later, her trial is about to begin as the Bogota PD seeks to fire her.

In Bogota, officers control whether or not their dashboard camera rolls. Fortunately, when Officer Tasca responded to a call in April 2011, she clicked her unit "on." The black-and-white tape captures it all--a mother, Tara, screaming for police to stop punching her son on their front lawn. She had called to have her emotionally disturbed son Kyle taken to the hospital. Bogota police responded while waiting for the ambulance. Tasca was the sole officer on the road that day, so she called for back-up according to protocol. Ridgefield Park police then sent two officers. Tasca had just completed her state-mandated training for working with emotionally disturbed citizens.

Tasca described what we see on the videotape: "The Ridgefield Park officer automatically charges and takes him down to the ground. I was quite shocked. As he's doing that, another Ridgefield Park officer flies to the scene in his car, jumps out and starts punching him in the head."

On the tape you can hear Tara, the mother, and Kyle, her son, screaming, "Why are you punching him?" and "Stop punching me!"

The two Ridgefield Park Sergeants are never heard refuting the claims that they punched the 22 year-old man as he was waiting for an ambulance.

Even worse, Kyle was never charged, nor arrested, for any offense. Tasca says it's because he never threatened, did not have a weapon, and indeed never resisted and was not violent. Eventually Tasca was able to pry the punching Ridgefield Park officer off Kyle, as seen in a picture taken by the Kyle's mother, who also later commended Tasca in a phone call.

The call came in to Tasca's answering machine and was kept on a recording: "Thank you Regina. I appreciate you standing up for him, for protecting him while the officer attacked him. I can't figure out what i would have done without you at the scene."

Catherine Elston is the attorney helping Tasca prepare for a week-long departmental trial. Elston is also a former police officer.

"This was excessive force used against an emotionally disturbed person," she said. "This was an unlawful tackle, this was a punching an emotionally disturbed person whose arms were pinned under his chest with his face pushed into the ground."

What happened next is so baffling to so many.

Tasca's voice began to waiver as she recounted the meeting with her superior officer:

"The next thing I know he asks me to turn over my weapon and be sent for a fitness for duty exam," she said.

Bogota PD, after hearing Tasca's story, believes she is psychologically incompetent to be a police officer, and she is being sent for testing. The Ridgefield Park Police officers seen tackling and punching an emotionally disturbed man waiting for an ambulance are never questioned. never interviewed by an Internal Affairs Investigator, and are still working the streets today.

Bogota Police chose to suspend Tasca, an 11-year veteran with numerous commendations. There are photographs from the hospital documenting the bruises on the 22-year-old's head, back, arms and wrists.

http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-office...,2795580.story

[Obsolete]

What the hell? There has got to be another side to this story.

[biteme]

Sounds reasonable to me, the blue bully club always protect their own, she stood up for the victim, went against the rules of the brotherhood
WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER!!
Cops, can't stand the assholes, can't live without them

[VAS1326]

Wow that is messed up. And with entire incident on tape it should be cut and dry. Not to mention the mother of the victim has photo evidence as well. This trully looks like a police cover up to me. This woman is being punished for doing the right thing and that is wrong.

Though as Obsolete mentioned there has to be another side of the story but since the two officers involved were never interviewed I doubt we will know what that side of the story is. Either way punching somone who is face down on the groud with their arms pinned under them seems a bit obsessive to me.

[Obsolete]

Bogota PD, after hearing Tasca's story, believes she is psychologically incompetent to be a police officer, and she is being sent for testing. The Ridgefield Park Police officers seen tackling and punching an emotionally disturbed man waiting for an ambulance are never questioned. never interviewed by an Internal Affairs Investigator, and are still working the streets today.

Even if this event really did leave her too psychologically incompetent to do her job, that doesn't explain why the officers involved in the beating haven't been investigated.

[VAS1326]

Even if this event really did leave her too psychologically incompetent to do her job, that doesn't explain why the officers involved in the beating haven't been investigated.

I agree with you there. Even though I think this is bogus and they are using it to get her out of there because she went against the grain. I guess they figure if they tie her up in her own legal shit she won't have time to question why the other officer's involved were not investigated. Make her look like the crazy one instead of doing their job and investigating.

[Tundratot]

I'm baffled. A) Why do police respond to a person waiting for an ambulance, unless he was flipping out and dangerous? B) Why attack said person, again, unless he was flipping out and dangerous? C) Why did the departments not investigation all responding officers? D) Why was an ambulance called -- unless he was flipping out and dangerous?

The report makes it sound like the son was standing there passively, waiting for an ambulance. If he was passive, there's no need for an ambulance. Just take him to the hospital. If his mom didn't drive, have a car, he'd be fine in a cab, instead. And it's tons cheaper than an ambulance.

Believe it or not, I'm on Tasca's side of this based on the information provided. It seems like she went up against the old boys club and is losing. However, none of the story as reported, makes any sense to me. I can maybe see having police around to manage the scene, as they often do in cases of fires, traffic accidents, or major incidents where ambulances are responding and the crowd needs to be controlled, but I don't see why they'd respond to any old ambulance call. If he were pacing around waiving his arms, it would make a little more sense, but not enough to excuse the officers just jumping on him and beating him once they had him down.

[biteme]

I'm baffled. A) Why do police respond to a person waiting for an ambulance, unless he was flipping out and dangerous? B) Why attack said person, again, unless he was flipping out and dangerous? C) Why did the departments not investigation all responding officers? D) Why was an ambulance called -- unless he was flipping out and dangerous?

The report makes it sound like the son was standing there passively, waiting for an ambulance. If he was passive, there's no need for an ambulance. Just take him to the hospital. If his mom didn't drive, have a car, he'd be fine in a cab, instead. And it's tons cheaper than an ambulance.

Believe it or not, I'm on Tasca's side of this based on the information provided. It seems like she went up against the old boys club and is losing. However, none of the story as reported, makes any sense to me. I can maybe see having police around to manage the scene, as they often do in cases of fires, traffic accidents, or major incidents where ambulances are responding and the crowd needs to be controlled, but I don't see why they'd respond to any old ambulance call. If he were pacing around waiving his arms, it would make a little more sense, but not enough to excuse the officers just jumping on him and beating him once they had him down.

An ambulance is a free ride to some a taxi they pay for.
I'd be interested in when she put in the back up call, before she got there or after

[Obsolete]

I'm baffled. A) Why do police respond to a person waiting for an ambulance, unless he was flipping out and dangerous?

In many states, a call to 911 means an automatic dispatch of police, fire, and EMT, regardless of what the call is for.

[Tundratot]

In many states, a call to 911 means an automatic dispatch of police, fire, and EMT, regardless of what the call is for.

Too much time on their hands. Really.

[VXIII]

I think she is the type of Officer that should be doing the job, she is not going to let other officers cross that line and beat a mentally disabled person, that really pisses me off how they treat the mentally disabled, the officers will beat the shit out of them, laugh at them, humiliate them and this is what is considered "psychologically fit" to be a police officer? An officer who takes his anger or frustration out on the mentally disabled is no different than the child beaters we see posted here, bottom line is they cannot contol their impulses and I for one do not want police that cant control their impulses.

She needs a raise and a promotion, she was following what she was taught in her state mandated training, so is this training just another mechanism that LE will use to back up their beatings of non violent people? (Oh, that officer took the state mandated course, he reacted properly) Guess she wasnt paying attention during the part where they said make sure your cameras are off and that you are supposed to beat the living hell out them while yelling "Stop resisting" at the top of your lungs.

In some ways this is really frightening, because this gives the message that anyone that is even tempered is "not fit" to be in LE... Vicious and Violent only need apply.

[VXIII]

From the information Ive seen it sounds like she was doing her job the way it should be done.

The first lesbian cop in a New Jersey town says that efforts to fire her are personal, not business.

Officer Regina Tasca faces a departmental hearing this week in Bogota, N.J., where authorities claim she displayed “bizarre and outlandish” duty during two on-the-job incidents last year.

But Tasca’s attorney says the 13 charges against her client are part of a pattern of prejudice against her across 11 years on the job, the Bergen Record reported.

Both of the incidents cited by the officer’s police supervisors were captured on videotape:

— An attack on a fellow cop by a drunken woman where Tasca allegedly failed to assist him.

— A fight involving a suspect and two Ridgefield Park police officers sent to provide back-up for Tasco, who pulled one of the cops off the emotionally disturbed man.

“This was excessive force,” Tasca’s lawyer, Catherine Elston, told WPIX-11 News. “This was an unlawful tackle, this was punching an emotionally disturbed person whose arms were pinned under his chest.”

Borough attorney Raymond Wiss said Tosca’s failure to assist the officer attacked by the drunk at Holy Name Medical Center was “a clear dereliction of duty.”

Tosca was suspended without pay from the department last May after she was deemed unfit for duty following a psychological exam.

Elston, a former police officer, said the department was unfairly targeting Tosca.

“They’re not just terminating her,” the lawyer told WPIX. “They’re destroying her personality.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...sEnabled=false

Video and Interview at Link : http://www.wpix.com/videogallery/694...w-Cops-Actions

[Obsolete]

Too much time on their hands. Really.

Not necessarily, in some cases it saves lives. Say someone is choking and the only other person around is a child who doesn't know CPR, the child calls 911 and an ambulance is dispached from 15 minutes away, meanwhile there is a police officer right around the corner who can be there in 3 minutes, those few minutes are crucial.

My friend Darcy was traveling from our hometown to her new house in Bend Oregon. Her truck ended up going off of a cliff when she took a corner too fast. Her father was driving in front of her with her infant daughter Devon with him. He looked in his rearview mirror right when her truck left the road. He pulled over, called 911, and ran down the embankment to try save her. He managed to get her out of the truck and halfway up the embankment when her truck exploded. The arteries in her leg were severed and she would have bled out before the ambulance got there if it hadn't been for the State Trooper who got there first.

Her story was featured on Rescue 911 ( I would love to get a copy of the episode if anyone knows how to search for shit like that)

[malq]

From the information Ive seen it sounds like she was doing her job the way it should be done.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...sEnabled=false

Video and Interview at Link : http://www.wpix.com/videogallery/694...w-Cops-Actions

I knew she was lesbian just by looking at her pic. I hate to stereotype but she has bulldyke written all over her.
Chances are she had been pushing her luck for a while and everyone was sick of her. Maybe she has been mentally unstable for a while. I can see this igniting into a gay icon story without all the facts being properly displayed. It certainly appears she did the right thing pulling this officer off of him but I would have to see a better video.

[AngelFire]

Chances are she had been pushing her luck for a while and everyone was sick of her. Maybe she has been mentally unstable for a while. I can see this igniting into a gay icon story without all the facts being properly displayed. It certainly appears she did the right thing pulling this officer off of him but I would have to see a better video.

I am not so sure malq. It said in the story that she has numerous commendations. I think there is far more to this story...

Bogota Police chose to suspend Tasca, an 11-year veteran with numerous commendations. There are photographs from the hospital documenting the bruises on the 22-year-old's head, back, arms and wrists.

[Valasca]

I resent that, @malq. People often assume I am a bulldyke.
I confess, sometimes I look like one, whatever that means.

[malq]

I am not so sure malq. It said in the story that she has numerous commendations. I think there is far more to this story...

I agree with you all there is more to come out on this one.

[Obsolete]

I resent that, @malq. People often assume I am a bulldyke.
I confess, sometimes I look like one, whatever that means.

Why do you resent that? What's wrong with being a bulldyke?

[AngelFire]

What's wrong with being a bulldyke?

Absolutely nothing, unless she wants to make me her bitch.

[VXIII]

Its hard to tell because the information given is condtradicting itself even in the same article. Maybe instead of too much time, it's too much testoserone and when someone shows pity (likely in response to the mother crying for them to stop beating her son) and doesnt want to go along with beating someone to a bloody pulp they are considered "not fit"

The borough is seeking to fire Police Officer Regina Tasca for “bizarre and outlandish” behavior she exhibited in two incidents last year, and for no other reason, an attorney for the borough said Tuesday.

Raymond Wiss, who represented the borough in a disciplinary hearing, said Tasca’s termination is warranted based on two incidents in April 2011 — one at Holy Name Medical Center, in which she is accused of failing to assist a fellow officer who was attacked by a drunken woman, and another in which she allegedly tried to restrain one of two Ridgefield Park officers who responded to a call for assistance for an emotionally disturbed person at the home of a borough councilwoman.
Wiss called Tasca’s failure to assist Officer Jerome Fowler in the Holy Name incident a “clear dereliction of duty.”

Tasca faces 13 charges, including failure to perform the duties of her rank, incapacity either through mental or physical or gross ignorance of laws, conduct unbecoming of an officer and failing to assist other members of the department.

She was suspended without pay last May, after a department-ordered psychological exam found her unfit for duty.

Wiss, the borough’s attorney, focused Tuesday on the April 3 incident at Holy Name.

Fowler testified that he and Tasca, who were the only Bogota officers on the road at the time, took the unusual step of leaving town to take the woman to the hospital because she was extremely drunk.

In video footage of the incident, which was played at the hearing, the woman can be seen walking into the emergency room with Fowler, Tasca, hospital security guards and emergency medical technicians following her.

A few seconds later, the woman bolts back to the sliding door and attempts to leave, and Fowler runs after her. Fowler testified that Tasca did not follow him or try to help him. The woman hit Fowler in the face as he tried to subdue her.

Elston asked Fowler whether he knew Tasca was gay. He said he hadn’t known until Monday night, when WPIX aired a segment about the case. Elston asked him about a 2010 Christmas card, which he addressed to “Mr. Regina Tasca.” Fowler said it was a mistake. “There was nothing malicious or anything like that,” he said.

Under questioning from Elston, Fowler said he had been the subject of an internal affairs investigation for revealing to a former police officer that Tasca had been ordered to undergo an earlier psychological exam in December 2010.

Fowler said he was given two written reprimands as punishment, and that he believed Tasca did not act to help him at Holy Name in retaliation for revealing that she had been ordered to take the test, which found her to be fit for duty.

“I could not come up with another reason why she did not get involved at the hospital,” he said.

Capt. James Sepp, the internal affairs investigating officer who recommended the charges against Tasca, testified that Tasca told him she did not intervene because the situation was under control.

Sepp is expected to continue his testimony next Tuesday, when the two Ridgefield Park officers are expected to testify.

http://www.northjersey.com/bogota/Bo....html?page=all

[biteme]

Should've known better than to shoot off before hearing both sides
She's could turn turn out to be a nightmare

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The picture taken by the mother:



I would have to see the dash-cam video (if that is one on the original link, my system won't play it - just a big blank box). Were they trying to subdue an emotionally disturbed young man or use him as a punching bag?

Injury photos:

[biteme]

First off if an officer arrives and sees an other officer struggling with someone, it's his duty to jump in and help subdue
You're going to have bruises in a struggle, so that's no big deal
What I'm curious about it seems she was there first, does nothing, officer arrives and according to her tackles this guy, she does nothing second guy arrives and jumps in, eventually she gets involved, what took her so long
Almost sounds like the hospital scene she refused to get involved and help the other officer
this from the bits and pieces of video

[AngelFire]

I want to see video too. If you read one story, you kind of side with her. Then there is the other article that raises questions on what did she really do to merit the charges. I think the video is far more telling.

[Obsolete]

First off if an officer arrives and sees an other officer struggling with someone, it's his duty to jump in and help subdue
You're going to have bruises in a struggle, so that's no big deal
What I'm curious about it seems she was there first, does nothing, officer arrives and according to her tackles this guy, she does nothing second guy arrives and jumps in, eventually she gets involved, what took her so long
Almost sounds like the hospital scene she refused to get involved and help the other officer
this from the bits and pieces of video

She was there first, but the kid was calm so why should she need to do anything? As far as why she didn't so anything between the time the first officer tackled him and the second, well it sounds like it happened too quickly.
Not to mention the first officer just tackled the kid, he wasn't punching him, the second officer started hitting him, so that's when she intervened.

Tasca described what we see on the videotape: "The Ridgefield Park officer automatically charges and takes him down to the ground. I was quite shocked. As he's doing that, another Ridgefield Park officer flies to the scene in his car, jumps out and starts punching him in the head."

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I'm assuming this is a YouTube copy of the video I can't see on the WPIX site:




I see the takedown. The second officer is walking towards them when it occurs and then rushes over to assist. It doesn't show what led up to the takedown. It's hard to see what is going on. It doesn't show the punching (that I could tell).

As a mother, I would be more likely be in there trying to stop them, or hollering at them and my kid to calm down, rather than snapping pictures. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just seems like an odd reaction to me.

[biteme]

She was there first, but the kid was calm so why should she need to do anything? As far as why she didn't so anything between the time the first officer tackled him and the second, well it sounds like it happened too quickly.
Not to mention the first officer just tackled the kid, he wasn't punching him, the second officer started hitting him, so that's when she intervened.

Seems you're just repeating her version of events
but what is the reality?

[Obsolete]

Seems you're just repeating her version of events
but what is the reality?

Isn't that what the video shows as well?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Isn't that what the video shows as well?

It's hard to tell. Only 10 seconds of the video are shown.

I find it just as telling that she failed the psych exam and that she never addresses the previous incident. The other incident alone would probably get her fired in many departments.

Tasca faces 13 charges, including failure to perform the duties of her rank, incapacity either through mental or physical or gross ignorance of laws, conduct unbecoming of an officer and failing to assist other members of the department.

I can't tell by the one sided versions we're being given by both sides. Her version is that they were all standing around and the officer tackled the guy for no reason. The PD version is that it was justified. The hearing will, in theory, sort it out.

[biteme]

Isn't that what the video shows as well?

not really, besides we've seen how videos can be made negative or positive by only showing parts favorable to you
@dakota explained it better than I can