
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 8, 1990                   TAG: 9003082101
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: associated press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                 LENGTH: Short

2 AWARDED $76 MILLION IN POLICE BRUTALITY CASE

Two men who were shot at and beaten by police in a case of mistaken identity were awarded $76 million.

A jury deliberated for four hours Wednesday before finding that the city and five police officers had used excessive force, shown negligence and committed false arrest and malicious prosecution.

"It's hard not to feel vindicated with a verdict like that," said one of the plaintiffs, Gerard Papa, a lawyer and community activist. "Maybe finally there'll be a message sent and at long last the police will learn how to police themselves."

Papa, 36, was driving a friend home in 1986 when they were boxed in about 11:30 p.m. by two unmarked police cars. Police said Papa and James Rampersant Jr., 27, matched the description of a holdup team that had stolen $10 and a ring from a woman about six days earlier.

Lawyers for Papa, a Columbia University Law School graduate, and Rampersant, the son of a Baptist minister, said the two were dragged from the car, beaten and kicked by the officers.

by CNB