(NEW YORK) — Two detectives threatened an 18-year-old woman with arrest over a bottle of prescription pills, handcuffed her, drove her around in their police van and then raped her, authorities said Monday in announcing charges against the two.
The detectives, Eddie Martins and Richard Hall, were arraigned Monday on a 50-count indictment that included rape and kidnapping counts, said acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. He said DNA recovered from the woman matched both defendants.
Martins’ attorney, Mark Bederow, vowed to “vigorously” challenge the case. “We don’t believe that the story that the young woman was forcibly raped is supported by any credible evidence whatsoever,” Bederow said.
The woman said the detectives assaulted her on Sept. 15 while they were on duty.
Martins “told the young woman he and his partner are ‘freaks’ and asked her what she wanted to do to get out of the arrest,” Gonzalez said. Martins forced the handcuffed 18-year-old to perform a sex act on him as Hall drove, and then Martins raped her, the prosecutor said.
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The detectives then stopped the van and switched places with Martins taking the wheel and Hall getting into the back seat of the van, Gonzalez said. Hall then forced the teen to perform a sex act, the prosecutor said.
The victim told her friends what happened and, later that evening, was taken to a hospital, where a sexual assault evidence collection kit was prepared. The prosecutor also said surveillance video shows the victim getting out of the police van.
Hall’s attorney did not immediately return a call for comment.
Michael Palladino, president of the detectives’ union, Detectives’ Endowment Association, said Martins and Hall “like everyone else … have a presumption of innocence.”