Update (November 19, 2018): The New York Times has released the bodycam footage of the police encounter that ended in Lasou Kuyateh's arrest. The 20-year-old's defense lawyers claim the footage is proof New York City police officers planted marijuana in Kuyateh's car.
While the NYPD claims its officers did nothing wrong, Kuyateh was cleared of wrongdoing in the courtroom.
The bodycam video shows officers searching the Staten Island native's car. Viewers can hear the officials growing frustrated that they cannot find anything illegal in the video. Suddenly, the camera turns off. It snaps back on just in time for marijuana to be discovered.
Officer Kyle Erickson blamed the missing footage on “technical difficulty,” claiming the camera accidentally deactivated while he was searching in the car. Footage from officer Elmer Pastran's body camera shows him searching the same area moments before Erickson's discovery and finding nothing.
Kuyateh has maintained his innocence, even turning down a plea deal. After charges against him were dropped, NYPD spokesperson Phillip Walzak said, “After a thorough investigation, the allegations were determined to be unfounded.”
The department has yet to explain where the drugs on camera originated.
Original: Lasou Kuyateh won a court case against the New York Police Department in October and now claims the police are harassing him in retaliation.
According to the New York Daily News, the 20-year-old filmed a February 28 incident in which police claimed smoke was coming from his BMW after pulling him over in Park Hill. The search took about six minutes and escalated once Kuyateh spotted one of the officers holding a green baggie in his hand as he searched the backseat of the car.
“Yo, he put something in my car! You put something in my car!” the Staten Island native yelled in the video.
Kuyateh was charged with fifth degree possession of marijuana but didn't take an offered plea deal. Prosecutors moved to dismiss the case on October 16 after Kuyateh's legal team questioned police bodycam footage showing the officer suddenly grab the baggie and uttering, “We can take him in now, right? We got something.”
“After a thorough investigation, the allegations were determined to be unfounded. There is no evidence that the officers conducted anything but a lawful stop, performed a consensual search and had probable cause to arrest the defendant,” NYPD spokesperson Phil Walzak said. “The NYPD takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and conducts thorough investigations whenever complaints are made.”
The Staten Islander pushed back against that narrative, pointing to his courtroom win.
“Everything that day was legit. Nothing was dirty,” said Kuyateh.
Since beating his case, Kuyateh says he's been pulled over six or seven times. He's filed several complaints with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, but police officials say investigators were not able to verify his claims.
“I just live in fear, traumatized, every day I’m paranoid," Kuyateh said. He also noted he needs to seek therapy because of the experience.
According to the Staten Island Advance, Kuyateh was charged with attempted murder in connection with a gang-related beating in 2015 and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in 2017. Kuyateh has denied he was involved in the gang.
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