AG Tish’s suit zings NYPD, DeB
The NYPD’s top brass failed to stop its “inadequately trained officers” from repeatedly violating the civil rights of demonstrators during the George Floyd protests, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday by state Attorney General Letitia James (right) that also takes aim at Mayor de Blasio.
The Manhattan federal suit seeks systemic reforms in the NYPD and a monitor to be put in place in an effort “to end the pervasive use of excessive force and false arrests . . . in suppressing overwhelmingly peaceful protests.”
It names Police Commissioner Dermot Shea and the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed cop, Terence Monahan, for their roles in overseeing the response, while a report by the city Department of Investigation stopped short of naming any officials at fault. Throughout the months of protests “the mayor and police leadership . . . were aware of persistent NYPD actions to violently suppress the protests,” the suit charges.
De Blasio had regularly dismissed questions about firsthand observations and videos that showed police tactics.
De Blasio said in a statement: “I met with Attorney General James yesterday, and we have a common goal: Continue to drive major police reforms.”
An NYPD spokesperson likewise said the department “welcomes reform.” Lia Eustachewich, Nolan Hicks, Craig McCarthy
On Thursday, state Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the NYPD for supposedly excessive force and false arrests during the Black Lives Matter protests/riots this summer.
The suit alleges that the NYPD and its top brass have failed to address a “longstanding pattern” of abuse by not properly training, supervising and disciplining officers to prevent misconduct.
“There is no question that the NYPD engaged in a pattern of excessive, brutal and unlawful force . . . in suppressing overwhelmingly peaceful protests,” James claims. “Overwhelmingly.” James apparently has an early bedtime, because as darkness fell, these protests became overwhelmingly unpeaceful very quickly. Activists ignored curfews, yelled, spat and pushed cops.
Then windows were smashed, stores looted, and New York City became a boarded-up wasteland. Especially in the wake of the Capitol riot, it’s the liberal narrative that everything over the summer was “overwhelmingly” peaceful, conveniently ignoring the attacks on federal buildings, the squatting in streets, looting and deaths.
City Corporation Counsel James Johnson has issued a far 53-page report on the protests. But unlike James, this review acknowledged both the impact of the pandemic and the presence of provocateurs embedded among the protesters.
It also noted that language and chants used at the protests — such as “How do you spell racist? N-Y-P-D” — “may have affected both NYPD officer behavior and the behavior of those attending the protests.” Imagine that, cops have feelings, too. Among the 10 recommendations in the Johnson report is a call for more police officer training in crowd psychology, de-escalation and First Amendment issues, as well as greater community engagement in planning and training.
That’s a far better prescription than James’, which is to install yet another monitor (the fifth or so, by our count) over the NYPD to oversee its tactics at future protests.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea has already vowed to implement changes in how cops handle protests.
James’ suit, in short, is pure grandstanding — not part of the solution, but part of the problem.