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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