The boyfriend of a woman beaten by an NYPD detective appears in court on drug and weapons charges… after police charge her with obstruction and tell him, “This happens when you interfere with the arrest.”
- Elvin James, 22, was the man Tamani Crum was trying to protect when a police officer beat her up on Tuesday.
- James was arrested for weapons and weapons possession, as well as resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.
- Crum was charged with obstruction but was released Wednesday night.
- She was filmed throwing her fists at Detective Kendo Kinsey while trying to arrest James in Harlem.
- In retaliation, Kinsey knocked her down with a single punch, and a video of the incident went viral.
- Police unions and the mayor are backing him, saying the teenager should never have interfered.
- His family and critics of the police say it is another example of police brutality and that he should sue.
Commercial
The boyfriend of a woman who was beaten by a New York police officer in a viral video Tuesday appeared in court quietly overnight charged with drug and weapons offenses.
Elvin James, 22, is the man Tamani Crum was trying to protect when he stood in front of NYPD officers in Harlem on Tuesday.
He threw his fists at Detective Kendo Kinsey, hitting him in the head and shoulders, and in retaliation, Kinsey punched him in the face.
The shocking interaction was filmed by a bystander and went viral on social media yesterday as another apparent example of police brutality.
But police unions and New York City Mayor Eric Adams are backing the detective.
They say the video proves how brazen the criminals have become, and that the young woman should never have tried to interfere.
She was charged with obstruction and was released last night after her court appearance. She will return to court on October 11. Her boyfriend remains behind bars on $300,000 cash bond.
scroll down for video
Elvin James is shown in court Thursday night charged with weapons and drug offenses. His girlfriend Tamani Crum, 19, has been charged with obstruction
James is the man Tamani Crum was trying to protect when he began slapping NYPD detective Kendo Kinsey in this viral video on Tuesday.
The Detective Staffing Association, one of the largest police unions in the country, supported the detective.
In a statement last night, Union President Paul DiGiacomo said, “Criminals in New York have grown accustomed to no consequences for their dangerous and illegal actions, but when you attack a New York City detective for interfering with the arrest of a man armed with a weapon are no repercussions.
“We urge politicians to open their eyes and see the public safety disaster they have created.”
Kinsey was trying to arrest James on suspicion of attempted murder at the time.
The circumstances of that case remain unclear, but James is believed to have been among a group of men involved in a shooting on August 12.
Crum’s family has mourned police brutality and abuse. They say they plan to sue the city, and Reverend Al Sharpton is helping them on their crusade.
Yesterday, he said Kinsey had ‘brazenly beaten’ the woman.
DiGiacomo, responding Thursday, said: “As for Al Sharpton’s wacky comments, he should be concerned about the thousands of real victims of crime in this city and not the limelight and lining his pocket.”
Tamani Crum appears in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday night after the video went viral.
Crum in court Wednesday night. She has now been released from custody after being charged with obstruction.
Tamani Crum hugs her mother after being released yesterday. She was charged with obstruction and will return to court in October.
In an interview Wednesday night, Tamani’s mother told NBC she “should never have been treated” the way she was by the officer. The 19-year-old is pictured above.
Sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith, a spokeswoman for the National Police Association and a former police officer who spent 30 years in law enforcement outside Chicago, told DailyMail.com any outrage should be directed at Crum and not the officer.
‘Tamani Crum, a 19-year-old adult, made the decision to put herself in a very dangerous situation when NYPD detectives and officers attempted to arrest a wanted murder suspect who was armed with a loaded firearm. It is clear from the video that she was interfering with a lawful arrest.
‘Det. Kinsey at first tried to deflect her and push her out of the way, but she persisted and grabbed his arm, leaving her with no choice but to intensify her use of force.
Politicians in New York constantly talk about “reducing gun crime,” but in cases like this they only exacerbate it.
‘We hope the Detective Staffing Association will go ahead with the civil suit they are considering; Law enforcement officers in New York and elsewhere are becoming victims of continual and unnecessary assaults in many cities, often with no consequences for the criminals.
‘The outrage in this case should be directed at Tamani Crum for trying to stop the arrest of a dangerous armed criminal, at Al Sharpton for threatening a lawsuit, and at the decision to charge Det. Kinsey with a crime for simply protecting the community from him and doing his job. Enough is enough.’
Professor Keith Taylor, who previously served on the NYPD overseeing Internal Affairs, told CBS that the video showed Kinsey’s actions were “terrible but legal.”
“She is actively participating, which in this case is assaulting the officer. He responds the same way. We need to let the researchers do their job and see all the additional information.’
