Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-14
Brutality

here are the eight cases IN
which Mr.. Davidson alleged po-
lice brutality with what could
be cleaned quickly from police
and court records:
Claude HI. Anderson, 1116
Darlington avenue NE, was
the complainant whose case
was investigated by the FBI
as well as local police. His am
davit, made the day after the
incident about which he COM
planned. alleged that he had
stopped for a traffic light when
q policeman told him he was
in the crosswalk and to move
back. He said that when the
policeman motioned him to go
on, the light was red and he
asked the policeman If he
wanted him to proceed on the
red light.
Mr.. Anderson said the po-
hceman. Pvt. William w. Dam
kos. then opened the car door,
hit him in the face with his
fist, yanked him out of the car,
charged him with disorderly
conduct. then pulled out his
billy and tussled him to the
ground.
In Municipal Court, Judge
Andrew Howard dismissed
charges of assault on a police
ofiicer and disorderly conduct.
Later, in traffic court, Mr.. An
derson was found guilty Of OBJ
structing the sidewalk and fail
ing to change his address on
his permit.
Mr.. Anderson, according to
police records, is a former Dis
,trict policeman who, in Febru-
airy, 1865, was tried by the trial
board on charges of malinger-
ing or feigning illness or disa-
bility to evade the performance
Of duty. He was found guilty
and sentenced to be dismissed
from the force. In lieu of dis
missal, however. the Commits
sioners fined him $500. On Au-
gust /. 1856, he retired on ply
steal disability.
In the case in which he COM
planned. a police investigation
OF Pvt. Dankos' actions was or
dered. Thereafter, Chief Muir
ray sent the complaint to the
Complaint Review Board, made
up of civilians. The board heard
the case last Monday but has
not yet made its report. 1t can
either recommend that the
charges against Pvt. Dankos be
ignored or that he be sent to
the trial board.
Meanwhile. Mr.. Anderson
had also complained to the
Justice Department and an in
vestigation was ordered to de-
termine whether his civil
rights were violated. Assistant
United States Attorney Fred
erick Smithson, after review
ing the FBI investigation,
made this statement yester-
day:
my recommendation to the
Justice Department was that
Mr.. Anderson did not have his
civil rights violated; that he
was given a lawful command
In a reasonable manner, which
was repeated after he DELHI
erately refused to obey it; that
when he continued to refuse,
the policeman walked to the
side OF the car and told him
to do 1t, and Mr.. Anderson's
language was such as to con-
stitute immediate disorderly
conduct; that he refused to
obey the officers order to get
out of his car; that he con-
tinued using language which,
to say the least, was more than
merely abusive; that when he
was taken from the car. he
was seen to assault the police
man and was seen to resist
arrest. According to an impair
tial witness. whose statement
was corroborated by a Mary
land State policeman, the po-
liceman used no more force
than was necessary to restrain
him and to maintain an
arrest"
Miss Blanche Price, ll09 I
street NV. was another whose
complaint of being beaten was
formally investigated by the
Police Department. Mr.. David
son, in his partial documenta-
ton" included several letters
he had written earlier to Mr..
Mclaughlin and Chief Murray
complaining at the police pro-
cedures used in investigating
her brutality complaint. Mr..
Davidson also complained that
she had been harassed and in
Inundated.
Chief Murray said some time
ago that Deputy Chief George
Wallrodt and Capt. John Lay
ton Of the First Precinct had
investigated her complaint and
found no basis for sending the
case to the trial board.
The Price woman is the one
whose record includes more
than 100 arrests before the al
legged beating incident in Feb
ruary These arrests ranged
from charges Of being drunk.
disorderly conduct and solicit
ing prostitution to two robbery
charges which she was con-
victed.
Court records show that in
the February case when she al
leees she was beaten. she for
feited SIS for disorderly con-
duct. Since then she was con-
victed Of soliciting prostitution
and is free on appeal from a
e0-day sentence; she was sem
fenced to SIS or Is days on a
drunk charge and $35 or Is
days on a drunk charge and a
vagrancy charge has been con-
tinued TO July II for trial.
IL. III