Death of Michael Stewart
| Death of Michael Stewart | |
|---|---|
| Location | First Avenue station, New York City Subway |
| Date | September 15, 1983 2:50 a.m. |
| Target | Michael Stewart |
Attack type | Alleged police brutality |
| Weapons | John Kostick Anthony Piscola Henry Boerner Henry Hassler James Barry Susan Techky |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Victims | Michael Stewart |
| Perpetrators | New York City Transit Police officers |
| Motive | Alleged excessive force during arrest. Disputed accounts exist regarding Stewart's behavior. |
| Inquiry | Grand jury investigations internal police investigations |
| Coroner | Dr. Elliot M. Gross (disputed findings) |
| Verdict | Not guilty |
| Convictions | None |
| Charges | Criminally negligent homicide, assault, perjury |
| Litigation | Civil lawsuit settled for $1.7 million |
| Judge | Justice George F. Roberts |
Case sparked debate about police brutality and racial bias. | |
Michael Jerome Stewart (May 9, 1958 – September 28, 1983) was an African-American man who received recognition after his death following an arrest by New York City Transit Police for writing graffiti in soft-tip marker or using an aerosol can on a New York City Subway wall at the First Avenue station. His treatment while in police custody and the ensuing trials of the arresting officers (all of whom were acquitted) sparked debate concerning police brutality and the responsibilities of arresting officials in handling suspects. This was a widely publicized episode in New York City's history of police brutality cases.
Word of the arrest came out on September 15, 1983, as the Committee Against Racially Motivated Police Violence was holding a news conference to publicize a United States Congress hearing into complaints of police abuse. Stewart had been arrested earlier that day. He died at age 25, on September 28, after 13 days in a coma. The cause of death was listed as cardiac arrest.