As Law Enforcement Professionals, we are asking for the support of former Buffalo Police Officer Cariol Horne. Officer Horne was unjustly fired because she dared to intervene in stopping her co-worker, Officer Kwiatkowski, from assaulting a cuffed suspect and violating a suspect’s rights.
David Mack, like Eric Gardner, was dying of strangulation, the helpless 59-year-old man was handcuffed and the man that was killing him was a Buffalo Police Officer Gregory Kwiatowski.
There were, once again, nearly a dozen police officers on the scene. Horne – a tiny black woman who was roughly half Kwiatkowski’s size — was the only one who assumed the role of peace officer by intervening to prevent the murder of an innocent man. The use of lethal force would have been justified, but Horne – once again acting as a peace officer – used proportionate force, even though in doing so she exposed herself to risk.
“I thought whatever happened in the house [Kwiatkowski] was still upset about so when he didn’t stop choking him, I just grabbed his arm from around Neal’s neck,” Horne recalled in a recent television interview. “He comes up and punches me in the face and I had to have my bridge replaced.”
Mack, who survived the assault, was hit with the predictable assortment of cover charges, which were just as predictably dismissed. Cariol Horne was charged with “obstruction” for supposedly “jumping on Officer Kwiatkowski’s back and/or striking him.” Read Full Story Here
The city of Buffalo, the Buffalo Police Department, allowed Kwiatkowski to continue on the force as a supervisor despite his several infractions but turned on Officer Horne, who did her job by stopping a criminal act.
December 1, 2016, Officer Kwiatkowski pled guilty to federal charges, but he was allowed by the city of Buffalo to keep his pension.
Retired Buffalo cop admits to excessive force in 2009 arrest of teensTo correct this injustice, it only takes a stroke of the pen from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli to reinstate Officer Horne’s pension and repair this injustice.
To correct this injustice, it only takes a stroke of the pen from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli to reinstate Officer Horne’s pension and repair this injustice. As Black Law Enforcement Professionals, we all know Officer Horne’s situation all too well. Black Officers who expose the corrupt and racist system of policing are all too often left alone from elected officials, organizations, and even the unions we pay our dues. When you do the right thing for the badge and the community, you are usually left on your own.
Officer Cariol Horne did what we ask every good cop to do; stop a criminal act. Officer Horne did, the victim, Neal Mack, lives.
Please sign the petition; Let’s do the right thing for an Officer that did her job!
