A police union in Connecticut has demanded a “modest apology” from the state’s only Muslim lawmaker over the way they handled the attack on her.
State Rep. Maryam Khan was punched in the face and choked in front of her young daughters in June as she left an Eid al-Adha prayer service by a man who told her he wanted to have sex with one of them.
Three weeks later, she said at an emotional news conference that key details from the police report had been missed and was shocked at the way the attack was downplayed.
Now the Hartford police union said an independent investigation has now exonerated the officers involved, claiming her comments will have deterred other women of color from seeking help.
“A modest apology to the responding officers would be a positive step toward restoring the damaged trust,” the union said in a statement.
Connecticut State Representative Maryam Khan denounced the police response after she was attacked in front of her daughters as she left an Eid al-Adha prayer service by a man who told her he wanted to have sex with one of them
Hartford Police Union James Rutkowski said his officers had been exonerated and demanded an apology from Khan, claiming she may have deterred other victims from seeking help
Khan’s attacker Andre Desmond, 30, is awaiting a mental competency evaluation to see if he is fit to stand trial on charges of second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault, second-degree breach of the peace and interfering with police.
“Her claim that black and brown women are not safe in Hartford due to police incompetence may have deterred people from seeking police help over the past seven months, potentially leaving their calls for justice unanswered.”
Khan was outside Hartford’s XL Center when she was approached by 30-year-old Andre Desmond.
“He made comments stating that he intended to have sexual relations with someone, one of us, and he looked at each of us, including my 15-year-old daughter and my 10-year-old daughter,” she recalled.
Desmond chased them back to the center, grabbed her face and shirt, and demanded a kiss.
“He got angry and punched me in the face on my right cheek,” she said.
‘He held me in a chokehold. He had his hand in the shape of a gun.”
‘My body went numb and I thought I was going to die.
“He slammed my body into the ground and threw me. I didn’t feel anything, but I shot up and ran for my life.”
Police recorded ‘minor injuries’ and offered no medical attention, despite suffering a concussion, neck pain and numbness in her shoulder.
‘I remember feeling like I had to convince them I was hurt. ‘My neck hurts, my neck is stiff. And I feel it, something is wrong. Can someone please check me?’
“All I’ve been thinking about these last few days is what’s happening to women in the city of Hartford who call the police when they’re attacked,” she told reporters.
“When they experience what I experienced, when they experience sexual violence, when they are physically attacked
“Because if this is what’s happening to me and this is the best we can do, as a state representative representing the city of Hartford, I can’t agree to that.”
But the police union hit back today, insisting that responding officers acted in an “excellent, police and professional manner,” following reports from the Hartford Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and the Hartford Civilian Police Review Board.
“A modest apology to the responding officers would be a positive step toward restoring the trust that has eroded,” the report claimed.
“Additionally, considering the potential impact of her statements on the community and considering a more collaborative approach will contribute to the overall well-being of Hartford.” ‘
Desmond is awaiting a mental competency evaluation to see if he is fit to stand trial on charges of second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault, second-degree breach of the peace and interfering with police.
Meanwhile, Good Samaritan Jason Spencer, who came to Khan’s aid, appeared in court last week to deny assault allegations against Desmond during the incident.
“If I have served in a war zone and fought in the defense of others, now I am home. “If I see someone needs help, I have to intervene and I think all citizens should do that,” the 43-year-old veteran told the court.
Hartford’s XL Center was hosting 4,000 visitors for the annual Eid al-Adha prayer service when Khan and her daughters were attacked
The review agreed that the recording of the attack and the report released by police to the media were flawed.
“While a more thorough review of the evidence resolved a number of Ms. Khan’s complaints, it also revealed certain lapses in police activities,” the report concluded.
“The reports do not fully reflect the statements made to officers by victims and witnesses, which is a major error.
“In an incident like this, where victims have been injured and there is a suspect who may face justice, it is important that police accurately collect statements from all witnesses and correctly identify those witnesses in their reports.”