Abner Louima, Ten Years Later

Published: July 30, 2007, 5:45 pm

The Post visited with Abner Louima, one of the city's most famous symbols of police brutality, ten years after the infamous incident at Brooklyn 70th Precinct. Louima had been arrested on August 9, 1997, after a scuffle outside a Brooklyn club. He claimed he was beaten by police officers on the way to the precinct, and later at the precinct, he was further beaten and sodomized with a toilet plunger while handcuffed. Louima had a perforated colon and damaged bladder, and the plunger was also shoved into his mouth, damaging his teeth. The police officers involved were tried and convicted. Three officers had their convictions overturned, but one, Charles Schwarz, eventually served 5 years for lying about his role. And Justin Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in jail. Louima had initially claimed the cops yelled, "It's Giuliani Time," during the attack, but then later retracted the statement. Critics of then Mayor Giuliani had seized on the phrase, only for Giuliani to ask for an

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