From: nattyreb@ix.netcom.com
Date: Fri, 07 May 1999 18:44:42
Subject: !*Support JUSTICE FOR MAX ANTOINE

FORWARDED MESSAGE
=====================

From: maxine2@prodigy.net (by way of Michael Novick )

 ---- On Apr 30 EGbur59905@aol.com wrote: 
  Your intervention is needed to  prevent the possible incarcettion of an
 innocent man who suffers 24  hours a day as the result of a  beating by  
 racist police officers .
 
 FACT SHEET
 
 JUSTICE FOR MAX ANTOINE!
 
 Max Antoine and his family, victims of police brutality, urgently seek
public  support to help them obtain justice for violation of their civil
rights 
 including violation of the 1st, 4t, 5th, 13th, 14th, 18th amendments of the 
 US Constitution and the Common law of NJ.
 
 In the three years since the police beat Max Antoine leaving him totally 
 disabled he has been haunted by the knowledge that the assaulting police 
 officers are free to continue their brutal racist practices.
 Max Antoine and his family have made attempts to get a federal hearing of 
 their case. On Sept 4, 1997 the Committee for Immediate Action wrote to the 
 U.S. Attorney's office requesting the U.S. Justice Dept to conduct an 
 investigation.
 Max has suicidal tendencies but support from his loving family and 
 inspiration from the new civil rights movement has sustained him. He 
 participated in the Brooklyn, Newark.  and the April 2 Washington DC's
Anti- Police Brutality Protest  where his wife addressed the protesters.
 
 The incident that left 30 yr. Max Antoine, an Afro-American of Haitian 
 descent, paraplegic, deaf in one ear and blind in eye occurred on June 2, 
 1996 at his sister's Birthday party in her Irvington township apartment.
 
 Three NJ police officers requested that the music be lowered. Although the 
 music was shut off completely, the three Irvington police officers returned 
 15 minutes later. They forcibly entered the apartment without a search 
 warrant or probable cause. About 2am Police officers Phillip Rucker, Keith 
 Stouch, and Alfredo Aleman pushed the door open, yelling profanity such as 
 "get the fuck out, the party's over " at the 23 people attending the party 
 and started shoving them around while searching the apartment with a 
 flashlight. 
 
 Upon overhearing Max tell his sister to take down their badge numbers and 
 file a complaint, the police officers pushed Max 's wife Marie Darlene and 
 his sister Marie E. Antoine, then six months pregnant and grabbed Max
Antoine  by the neck, handcuffed him, stomped on his head and beat him 
repeatedly with  a nightstick then dragged him into the hallway. When his 
sister Marie asked  Officer Rucker  "what are you doing with my brother," 
he said, " I will teach  him American law." The police officers dragged Max 
down a flight of stairs, shoved his head into the storm door breaking the
glass.
They kicked him head first into the squad car, sprayed a chemical which 
destroyed his left eye and  took him to the police precinct. They locked
him in 
to a holding cell where  he was bleeding profusely, refusing him treatment
and a
 phone call. A police officer told him to die like a man when he called
for help. 
 
 In the meanwhile the guests were blocked from leaving the apartment
building.  Max Antoine was imprisoned for two days until the police
allowed his family 
 to pick him up and to bring him to St Barnabas Hospital. EMTAC Paramedic 
 ambulance refused to provide him with medical treatment or transport.
 As a result of police brutality Max Antoine was devastated emotionally, 
 physically and mentally. He is confined to a wheel chair and a home
hospital  bed. He lost use of bowel, bladder, sexual function and partial
loss of 
 hearing and vision. He required at least 17 surgeries including lumbo,
spinal  and chest implants and is in constant pain. In addition he
sustained brain 
 trauma and cognitive impairment. 
 
 Until this brutal incident in 1996, Antoine was productive and alert.
Since  moving from Haiti at the age of 17, he married had a daughter and
ran a
Multi  Service business: accounting, notary public, messenger, service, and
livery.  He earned a Paralegal certification, and enrolled in a
Correspondence
school  for law.  His daughter and wife are trying to cope with their
feeling that their life 
 was destroyed and are left in a 24 hour crisis situation trying to deal
with  Max's suicidal tendencies.  His daughter witnessed the police
beating in 
 terror when she was two. She is nearly five and still  undergoing  therapy.
 LEGAL STATUS
 On June 7, 1999,at the Essex County Court House, Max Antoine's attorney,
Jean  Larosiliere, Esq. will be defending him against framed up charges of 
 resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.
 
 Civil  Rights Attorney, Richard Thomas filed a civil suit in U.S District
on  June 2, 1998 against the police department on charges of civil rights 
 violations, false arrest, illegal imprisonment and. intellectual infliction 
 of emotional distress. EMTAC Paramedic ambulance was charged with refusal
to  provide services. Atty. Richard Thomas believes a court date will be 
 scheduled in December 1999.  
 
 Marie Darlene Antoine said the 23 people at the party who observed the 
 beatings and the two prison inmates who witnessed the police torture of Max 
 at the police station are ready to testify in Max-'s behalf.  
 A grand jury hearing was held June 1997 but the witnesses were denied the 
 right to testify.
 
 On March 25, 1999, Marie Darlene, Marie E. and Jean Blaise filed another 
 request for a trial date to try the 3 police officers on charges of assault 
 because the original complaint filed in 1996 was ignored.
 
 Max and Marie Darlene Antoine reside with their daughter in Jersey City,
NJ.  Contact: Spokesperson, Edith Gbur, Telephone: (732) 255-8044
 
 JUSTICE FOR ANTOINE COMMITTEE
 59 Berkshire CT,
  Toms River, NJ 08753
 
 Send email to: Egbur59905@aol.com
 eFax (847) 557-2048