
Abner Louima (b. ?1964 in Thomassin, Haïti)
is a Haïtian immigrant who was brutalized by New York City
police officers when he was arrested after a brawl outside a Brooklyn
nightclub in 1997.
The arresting officers beat Louima in the
squad car and later sexually abused him in a bathroom at the Brooklyn
70th Precinct station house at approximately 4:30 a.m., August
9. Officer Justin Volpe first kicked Louima in the groin, then,
while Louima's hands were cuffed behind his back, sodomized him
with a plunger handle, causing severe internal damage to his intestines
and bladder that required several operations to repair. Louima's
teeth were also badly damaged in the attack, and he claimed that
the police officers involved in the attack called him a "nigger."

Volpe next moved through the precinct,
holding the bloody, feces-stained instrument in his hand and bragged
that he had "broke a man down." Given the size of the
precinct in question, it would be unlikely for the officers on
duty not to have heard the assault or witnessed Volpe's pride
in his actions.
Volpe initially pled not guilty to a charge
of assault, and his case went to trial. After many witnesses testified
against him, Volpe suddenly changed his plea to one of guilt and
confessed to sodomizing Louima. Despite the fact that Loiuma had
several broken teeth, Volpe denied that he ever struck Louima
in the mouth with the stick and claimed that he only put it very
close to Louima's mouth. Volpe also admitted that he had threatened
Louima's life. Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Another
officer was convicted for pinning Louima down during the assault,
and four others were convicted of lying to authorities.

Besides Volpe, the other four officers
were Thomas Bruder, Charles Schwarz, Michael Bellomo and Thomas
Wiese.
The incident provoked outrage among
the Haitian and other minority communities in New York City as
well as nationally.
Louima's subsequent civil suit against
the city resulted in a settlement of $8.75 million, the largest
police brutality settlement in New York City history.
Fox News pundit Sean Hannity was one of
Louima's biggest critics during the trial, charging that he had
fabricated the rape — calling him "lying Louima"
— and using interviews with people alleging Louima had past
sexual relationships with men to bolster the claim that he had
sustained his injuries during a "gay sex act."
Louima now lives in Florida.
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