Teen’s lawyers take aim at cop in Tessa probe
A detective who interrogated a 13-year-old murder suspect connected to the death of Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors has a checkered history on the NYPD that includes once beating a female inmate so badly she required hospitalization, the boy’s lawyers claimed Tuesday.
Hannah Kaplan of the Legal Aid Society grilled Detective Wilfredo Acevedo at a hearing in Manhattan Family Court about a number of substantiated complaints against him dating to 2008. “[On Sept. 24, 2014], isn’t it true that you approached a woman inside a cell at the 32nd Precinct and attacked her. Do you recall that?” Kaplan asked, citing internal NYPD disciplinary findings.
“That is incorrect, I’ve never attacked anyone,” he replied.
Kaplan then asked if he remembered how the woman ended up in Bellevue Hospital with swelling to her arms and wrists, which he declined to answer.
Defense attorneys claim Acevedo misled the Harlem boy and his uncle about their rights to have an attorney present when he conducted the initial interrogation Dec. 12. Majors was fatally stabbed Dec. 11 during a mugging in Morningside Park.
Acevedo testified Tuesday that during a one-day training session on interrogating suspects, he was taught how to “lie” and to “deceive” his subject.
“You are taught to suggest to a suspect that confessing is in their best interest?” Kaplan asked. “That is correct,” he said. “You did not tell [the uncle] that if [he] requested an attorney — that even if [his nephew] was refusing to answer questions, you would stop questioning?” Kaplan asked.
“No, I did not,” Acevedo said. Acevedo has been sued a number of times for false arrests, withholding exculpatory evidence and fabricating accusations, court papers show.
"Detective Acevedo made 237 arrests including 93 felony arrests removing dangerous criminals from our streets. He has been recognized with 24 department medals. He has never been found to have made a single false statement or falsely arrested anyone by either the Department, the [Civilian Complaint Review Board], any Civil Court or District Attorney,” an NYPD spokesperson said.