Police ‘held me hostage’
A BROOKLYN grandmother says NYPD cops held her hostage inside her own apartment for 10 hours during an investigation of her children.
Police did not allow Rolinda Walls to leave her home in the Van Dyke Houses for so long that one of her sons — who lives in Pittsburgh — drove overnight to find that the scary siege was ongoing, she said.
“When I had to go to the bathroom, I had to ask to go to the bathroom. I had to ask permission to even go to my own kitchen to make coffee. I was held hostage in my own home by people who are supposed to protect and serve me. They came in and took over,” Walls said.
The ordeal in Brownsville began shortly before midnight on Oct. 21 when cops knocked on Walls’ apartment door, seeking her 27-year-old daughter.
“I told them she wasn’t there. They asked to come in, I said sure — because I have nothing to hide,” said Walls (photo right), 54.
Cops began searching the apartment while Walls’ 10-yearold granddaughter slept. Walls’ 14-year-old daughter was also at home.
Police found a credit card duplicator and marijuana joints in a room where Walls’ 24-year-old son sleeps, she said.
“They told me if my son didn’t come home, they would arrest me. I tried to call my son but he wouldn’t answer,” Walls said.
An NYPD spokesman confirmed police are investigating the incident. “The matter is under internal review,” the spokesman said.
When police threatened to arrest her, Walls, who works as a security guard, said she called another one of her sons, Johnny Ballinger, for help. Ballinger began driving to Brooklyn from Pittsburgh.
“They came in under false pretenses CASH THEM out.
NYPD officers assisting Jersey City cops in a search that led to Brooklyn found themselves in a drug den with nearly $1 million in cash and 100 pounds of marijuana.
The finest were helping the New Jersey police track down a man wanted on arson and terroristic threat charges, authorities said. The joint forces went, with a search warrant, to the Crown Heights apartment on Montgomery St. near Schenectady Ave. at about 10 p.m. Friday.
They arrested Humphrey Olivio, 36, Yazmin Olivio, 30, and Jose Pichardo, 24, on charges including criminal possession of marijuana and criminal sale of marijuana. looking for my daughter, then all of the sudden I'm being held in my apartment all these hours and I don’t even know why. This was all illegal,” Walls said. The cops made themselves at home. They told Walls neither she nor her teen daughter would be allowed to sleep in their rooms. The grandmother said she didn’t sleep the whole night. Walls’ granddaughter woke up when the sun rose. Cops forbade the child from reentering her bedroom. As police swapped shifts, Ballinger arrived from Pittsburgh. The new shift of police officers allowed Walls and Ballinger to go get food for the family. That’s when a detective handed Walls a summons for the marijuana in the apartment — following an investigation that lasted nearly half a day. Police never questioned Walls’ 27-year-old daughter or her 24-year-old son.
Last week, Walls confronted Mayor de Blasio during a town hall about the incident, which she calls a home invasion.
Walls also contacted the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. She’s planning to file a lawsuit and file a complaint with the NYPD’s Internal Affairs unit.
“I’ve been so sad. All week I’ve tried to keep a happy face on, but it’s been hard,” Walls said.