High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Michael Jerome Stewart (1958, Brooklyn, New York – September 28, 1983) was a black graffiti artist who received recognition after his death following an arrest by New York City Transit Police for spray-painting graffiti on a subway station wall. 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. The saga was a widely publicized episode in New York City`s history of police brutality cases.