The Esteban Carpio case - was he railroaded?

Source: Police Brutality Blog

Police brutality - Rhode Island Style

Trooper testifies he punched murder suspect Carpio

PROVIDENCE -- A white plastic mask obscuring his severely bruised face, Esteban Carpio, the man accused of fatally shooting a Providence detective inside police headquarters early Sunday, was arraigned yesterday on murder charges and ordered held without bail.

Carpio, 26, was charged in Providence District Court with killing Detective James L. Allen with the officer's gun around 12 a.m. Sunday as the veteran officer questioned him about the stabbing of an 84-year-old woman.

Assistant Attorney General Paul Daly said in court that Carpio grabbed Allen's pistol in a third-story interview room, shot him twice, blew out a window with another gunshot, and jumped 60 feet to a grassy mound. He was captured after what police described as a violent struggle several blocks away, about 45 minutes later.

Carpio's relatives gasped when court officers led in the shackled man, his eyes red, swollen slits.

''Oh, my God, look what they did to him," one of Carpio's relatives wailed, adding a vulgarity about the police officers.

Carpio's weeping mother, Yvonne Carpio, a teacher at Hennigan Elementary School in Jamaica Plain who lives in Roslindale, shouted, ''Steve, tell him not guilty," referring to Chief District Court Judge Albert E. DeRobbio. Esteban Carpio is called Steve by his family.

Court officers quickly grabbed several of the relatives by the arms, including Carpio's mother, and led them out of the courtroom as family members accused police of brutality. Carpio could be heard saying, ''I love you, Mom," but his words were muffled by the mask, which court officials said was a ''spit shield" intended to protect others from blood and other fluids.

The back wall of the crowded courtroom was lined with police officers, including several detectives who glared at Carpio, a tattoo of a dragon on his left wrist.

Outside the courtroom, Carpio's uncle, Edward Thimas, expressed sorrow over the slaying of Allen, a 27-year veteran of the department. But Thimas said he was disgusted by the physical condition of his nephew. ''He's obviously been beaten very badly," Thimas said. He added that the family had tried repeatedly in recent days to get psychiatric care for Carpio, to no avail. Court documents said Carpio was a barber.

During a midafternoon news conference at police headquarters, Providence Police Chief Dean M. Esserman said Carpio was injured jumping out the window and in the struggle with law enforcement, near the AS220 art space downtown. Two State Police troopers, an FBI agent, and a Providence officer were the first to apprehend Carpio, and more police responded.

''When I saw him, he was pretty cut up," said Esserman, who said he saw Carpio soon after his arrest. Esserman said he had no evidence that officers used excessive force, although he promised to review the matter after Allen's funeral, slated for Thursday. More HERE

Esteban Carpio, has been convicted of the murder of Providence Police Detective Sgt. James Allen on April 17, 2006 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Carpio was being questioned by the Providence Police for the stabbing of an 85 year old woman. One of the detectives left the third floor interview room, leaving him alone with Allen. Carpio then took Allen's gun away and proceeded to shoot Allen twice, killing him. He then shot out and jumped from the window, but was apprehended 45 minutes later. Carpio was thought to have been physically abused by police after his capture, due to the obvious signs of trauma to his face. An investigation into the matter concluded that Carpio was not abused and that the damages to his face were likely caused by his landing from his jump from the third story window. His trial began June 8th, 2006.

On June 27, 2006, a jury found Esteban Carpio guilty of the murder of Detective Sgt. James L. Allen and the stabbing of Madeline Gatta. The jury rejected Carpio's insanity defense, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.