Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Prosecutor tells jury three officers broke Young's leg Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 15:11:15 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD Prosecutor tells jury three officers broke Young's leg \BY Catherine Toups \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES The son of former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young is a spoiled brat who lied to avoid embarrassing his powerful father, an attorney for a police officer charged with assaulting the college student told a jury yesterday. "When he gets in a jam and embarrasses his daddy, he lies his way out of it and here were are," said the attorney, Kenneth Robinson, in opening arguments at the trial of three Metropolitan Police officers in D.C. Superior Court. A federal prosecutor, however, said the three officers "abused and beat" Andrew "Bo" Young III without provocation while trying to control an unruly crowd near Howard University on Sept. 8, 1991. Mr. Young suffered a broken leg in the scuffle and was arrested. The charges were later dropped. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oliver W. McDaniel said the officers - all of whom had less than two years on the police force - stopped Mr. Young's car near Second and U streets NW, yanked him from the driver's seat and beat him with their fists, nightsticks and feet, breaking his leg. Then, after leaving him handcuffed on the ground, they "huddled" together and decided to "shuttle him over to a squad car." "He's limping and trying to find out exactly what it is he's done to cause this," Mr. McDaniel said. The officers, Randal B. Parker, 27, Gregory W. Wise, 25, and Albert L. Henley Jr., 23, are charged with misdemeanor simple assault, a crime punishable by up to a year in jail. They are on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the trial. The case generated wide publicity here and in Atlanta, where Mr. Young - a former U.N. ambassador - served as mayor. D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly ordered an immediate investigation in a case that would otherwise probably have languished for months, if not years, because of a backlog of citizen complaints. Mr. McDaniel told jurors that, while "the victim is the namesake of Andrew Young, someone who is very well known. . . . that person could have been anyone. We're not here because the victim is Andrew Young." Defense attorneys disagreed. "Heads had to roll . . . and someone didn't care whose head it was," said Michele Roberts, attorney for Mr. Henley. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM