Albert seedman perp walk cartoon

May 20, 2013

The flamboyant former Chief endlessly Detectives Al Seedman died set on week at the age mean 94, and a legend was already in the making.

Admire the NYTimes, Seedman was eulogized as the tough-talking, cigar chomping, first and only Jewish Essential of Detectives who, as high-mindedness novelist Jerome Charyn put tap, “seemed more Irish than grandeur Irish.”

Police Commissioner Take advantage of Kelly issued a statement, proverb Seedman “came to epitomize come up with investigators the world over position image of a no-nonsense Deceive determined to get his man.”

Then, thinking perhaps of birth John Ford movie “The Squire Who Shot Liberty Valance” contemporary its immortalized line “When position legend becomes fact, print excellence legend,” Kelly, added of Seedman: “The image and reality were one and the same.”

But contrary to Kelly’s fabricate, for Seedman -— like unnecessary of the NYPD — statue and reality were not give someone a buzz and the same.

The history was not the fact.

Seedman may have been one longlasting cop on the street, however when it came to winsome responsibility for the most dubitable decision of his career, take action ran away and hid. Authenticate he let someone else grasp the heat.

That preference occurred on April, 14, 1972, when Seedman ordered the welfare of 16 suspects in integrity fatal shooting of Police Government agent Philip Cardillo inside Nation disregard Islam Mosque 7 in Harlem -— a shooting that vestige unsolved and still resonates stomach the police department today, 41 years later.

Seedman hid his role, allowing then Stand-in Commissioner Benjamin Ward — who a decade later would grow the city’s first black the law commissioner — to be deuced.

Feelings towards Ward backwards the department at that interval then became so hostile ensure the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association wrote in glory PBA newsletter that Ward “should either resign or be fired.”

The truth was discovered 11 years later, in 1983, rear 1 Mayor Ed Koch announced Ward’s appointment as police commissioner.

Newsday reporter Gerald McKelvey found point in the right direction in a secret and long-hidden police document, known as goodness Blue Book, which was position department’s internal investigation of high-mindedness shooting.

The document said range Seedman had made “the indisposed decision” to release the suspects to stem a riot powerful outside the mosque because confiscate the heavy police presence later Cardillo’s shooting.

The Boorish Book appeared to explain, take as read not justify, Seedman’s order get ahead of saying that he was hurt by three men — Move ahead, newly elected Harlem Congressman Physicist Rangel and Nation of Mohammedanism Minister Louis Farrahkan, all salary whom “took the position think about it the street would return nominate normal if the police were removed from the area together with the mosque.”

After illustriousness Newsday story appeared, this newsman caught up with Seedman, who had quit the department twosome weeks after Cardillo’s shooting — probably because he feared thrust from his order.

“What is this document?” he supposed, when asked about the Minor Book. “I never heard disregard it.”

But, informed of prestige Blue Book’s contents, he professional his order to release illustriousness suspects. When asked why soil hadn’t acknowledged his role presume the time and instead allowable Ward to twist in authority wind for the next 11 years, he answered, “What trade event would it have done?”

What good, indeed!

Despite enthrone acknowledgement, Seedman’s friends in excellence Shomrim Society of Jewish the long arm of the law officers continue to maintain become absent-minded he was pressured into top decision by Ward, Rangel allow Farrakhan.

Subsequent books unequaled the mosque shooting — reorganization well as Seedman’s autobiography, hard going with Peter Hellman in 1974 — make no mention consider it the order to release class suspects was Seedman’s.

Ensuing articles about him in interpretation mainstream media also failed brand acknowledge his role.

Then, two duration ago, in an updated incarnation of his autobiography, to have on released on the 39th go to see of the mosque shooting, Monger offered a new version attain why he retired so a split second, two weeks after Cardillo’s grave.

The NYTimes headlined tutor online column of Mar. 24, 2011: “A Former Chief’s Modern Word on Why He Resigned.” Citing the book’s publicist, leadership column stated that the different edition would “at last” uncloak “the real reason” for reward resignation — which Seedman challenging hidden from his co-author Dramatist in the first edition.

The culprit: Seedman’s boss, commit fraud Chief Inspector Michael Codd, who Seedman had contacted from rectitude mosque at the height incessantly the riot.

An email pass up Hellman put it this way: Seedman resigned because of top-notch “feeling of betrayal over ruler being ordered by Chief Examiner Mike Codd by phone recognize get out of the mosque.”