Grand jury indicts Freeport man amid cover-up claims

A grand jury indicted a man on criminal charges Tuesday about a month after Freeport police shot him six times. Franz Byer's attorney, Greg Calliste, said he has not been informed about the specific

News 12 Staff

Aug 21, 2007, 10:41 PM

Updated 6,451 days ago

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A grand jury indicted a man on criminal charges Tuesday about a month after Freeport police shot him six times.
Franz Byer's attorney, Greg Calliste, said he has not been informed about the specific charges against his client. Calliste said the names of the officers involved have been withheld from him, and he believes police are covering up the truth about the Leonard Avenue incident.
"Since the shooting has occurred we've been asking the district attorney's office to conduct even a minimal investigation into the actions of the police officers in this case because we believe that the police are now engaged in a cover-up," Calliste said.
Police claim Byer aimed a gun at the officers in question before they opened fire, hitting him five times in the back. Witnesses have contradicted that, saying Byer was actually holding a whiskey bottle.
Byer's next court appearance is in three weeks, although he is still recovering from his injuries at Nassau University Medical Center. He is being held on $500,000 bail.
The district attorney's office had no comment on allegations it is neglecting its responsibilities.
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