Bx. Gi's Arrest Ordeal

[thedrifter]

BX. GI'S ARREST ORDEAL

By PHILIP MESSING

November 6, 2006 -- A patriotic Army private, fresh out of boot camp and walking proudly through his Bronx neighborhood in fatigues, was hauled to a police station, handcuffed and interrogated by an overzealous police sergeant - for impersonating a soldier, The Post has learned.

NYPD Sgt. James Herring detained serviceman Andrew Martin Jr., 19, for nearly two hours - and the incident last month is now being probed by the Civilian Complaint Review Board, a board spokesman said.

"I've never been stopped by a cop before. I have never been in a precinct in my life. It was horrible," Martin said.

Herring has had four other civilian complaints over his six-year NYPD career, but none was ever substantiated, said CCRB spokesman Andrew Case.

Still, Martin's relatives said they were troubled by the cop's actions.

"There are Marines dying every day in Iraq, and he signs up for the infantry only to be harassed to show his ID!" said his uncle, David Martin. "We want him [Herring] reprimanded."

Martin's father, Andrew Martin Sr., said, "He should be apologizing to my son."

Martin Jr. was strolling in his Williamsbridge neighborhood on Oct. 24, on leave after finishing basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. He had donned his combat fatigues after deciding to visit his alma mater, Evander Childs HS, where he hoped to persuade others to enlist, he said.

At about 2 p.m., Herring, 34, stopped Martin on Gun Hill Road and demanded to see his military ID, Martin recalled.

"[Herring] told me, 'They don't issue these IDs anymore.'

"I told him to call my recruiter, but he wouldn't."

Herring drove him to the 47th Precinct stationhouse, Martin said.

"He just took out his handcuffs and put my hands behind my back, and he put me in the car, and when we were driving, he said, 'You look suspicious.' ".

He wasn't released, he said, until a female Army sergeant showed up with a copy of his orders and vouched for his identity.

Martin said the cop had not apologized.

A police spokesman said only that Martin was released once his status as a soldier was confirmed.

Ellie

[hrscowboy]

what a bunch of BS if i had been that Sgts chief of Police his arse would be on adminstrative leave without pay and lookin at charges of False arrest.

[marinegreen]

Boy ! I bet that cop really thought he made a major arrest, friggen rouge bastard anyway !! Guaranteed he had a cell phone,he coulda made a phone call to the guys recruiter.

[lucien2]

If a veterran cop can't tell the difference between a boot and an imposter then he belongs behind a desk or working in the jail.

[OLE SARG]

Kinda makes a STRIKE against the NYPD. The sergeant was an idiot and if that's an indication of the mentality of their corps of Sergeants, that Police Dept is in DEEP ****!!!!!!! I'm wondering with this action, how in the hell is he a sergeant in the first place!!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,

[bigdog43701]

oh well that's the nypd for you.

[drumcorpssnare]

Sounds like this cop has an IQ of 2! So, if he saw a man in robes with a towel around his head, and a bomb strapped to his chest.......would he let him go, because he looked like a 'real terrorist'!!! No need to confirm that, right ?
We need to send this idiot to Iraq, and let the insurgents detain him, and check HIS credentials!!!

SEMPER FI and God Bless Our Troops !
drumcorpssnare

[liveasstravo]

Sounds like NYPD Sergeant James Herring must be a Republican because he is an *******!

[outlaw3179]

Or he must be Democrat cuz hes a dumbfu*k.....Wow...do we really wanna go there?

[Future-USMC-LT]

Sounds like NYPD Sergeant James Herring must be a Republican because he is an *******!

Huh?

[greensideout]

I'm going againest the flow a little on this one but---

What was the private doing in uniform or not in uniform without a copy of his orders and his ID?

Why did his uncle confuse this by talking about Marines when he is is Army?

What was the private thinking when he told the officer to call his recruiter? That would be similar to being stopped by an officer and being ask for a driver's license. Would you tell the officer to call your wife?

I have to support Sgt Herring on this one.

I hope at least that the private has learned from this and also says to his uncle, "Hey, I'm in the Army, not the Marines".

[roninchilli]

Too many inconsitincies in the story. Of this was a story from a newspaper, we all know how they screw things up. So how many of us get upset when we see some guy in cammies walking down the street, and they have never been in the service? Im sure there is more to this story than is being told. Arent we supposed to carry military ID when asked to produce it. People complain when no one investigates misrepresentation of service memebers, service members claiming they have certain ribbons, or claiming they are special ops. But when someone investigates this they are wrong.

[sgt tony]

Just a short question the private said they don't have IDs when did this happen? Tell me this is not true. I always carried a copy of my orders with me and my ID.
Semper Fi

[Future-USMC-LT]

At about 2 p.m., Herring, 34, stopped Martin on Gun Hill Road and demanded to see his military ID, Martin recalled.

"[Herring] told me, 'They don't issue these IDs anymore.'

Sounds like he had his ID.

[Camper51]

Sounds to me like an a$$hole cop. The young man had his ID card, the cop just didn't want to accept it.

Why should he have to carry his orders with him, we aren't commie Russia, or China are we????????? I thought this was a free country and we could more or less walk the streets freely.

I don't think he was smart wearing his fatigues, but hey he was Army and I guess they allow that, unlike the Corps whic does not allow utilities to be worn on liberty. He would have been better off in his soldier suit to show off his pride instead of trying to act like a punk wannabe in cammie fatigues, but then who ever said the Army had any smarts.

I think he wasn't too smart, walking around in fatigues, but the cop was even more stupid for not believing his ID card. The cop should be disciplined and the soldier boy should now have leaned a lesson...