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New York attorney general sues New York City leaders over NYPD tactics used at protests

(The Center Square) – New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday filed a lawsuit against New York City leaders in federal court over the tactics the city’s police force used against protesters starting last spring.

The 69-page complaint states that from May 28 to Dec. 11, 2020, New York City Police officers “repeatedly and without justification used batons, fist strikes, pepper spray, and other physical force against New York Residents at the protests.”

The protesters marched and demonstrated in parts of New York City to decry the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. Floyd and Taylor, both Black, were killed by police in their communities.

Demonstrators, many of whom the lawsuit said were not charged, suffered various injuries, including cuts, concussions and broken bones. Those arrested by NYPD included people serving as medics and legal observers, who were detained without probable cause. In addition, the NYPD’s tactics used in countering the demonstrations included kettling, a practice the lawsuit said interferes with “constitutionally-protected” speech and led to numerous arrests.

Last spring, after the demonstrations started and video footage showed police tactics, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered James to review the NYPD’s actions.

James said those police practices, which she described as excessive, have been in force for years. Since the end of May, her office has fielded more than 1,300 complaints.

“Over the past few months, the NYPD has repeatedly and blatantly violated the rights of New Yorkers, inflicting significant physical and psychological harm and leading to great distrust in law enforcement,” she said. “With today’s lawsuit, this longstanding pattern of brutal and illegal force ends. No one is above the law – not even the individuals charged with enforcing it.”

The lawsuit lists New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea and NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan as defendants.

The suit seeks an order claiming the NYPD’s actions as unlawful, an elimination of those practices and a requirement for the department to implement new policies and training protocols. It also seeks monitoring to ensure compliance.

Reuters reported that de Blasio said in a statement he supported reforms but did not agree with the lawsuit.

In a statement, the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York said it provided substantial testimony to James’ inquiry, including comments from officers injured in the protests. The union is one of five representing NYPD officers.

PBA President Patrick Lynch pinned the blame on city leaders.

“They sent cops out to police unprecedented protests and violent riots with no plan, no strategy and no support,” he said in a statement. “They should be forced to answer for the resulting chaos, instead of pointing fingers at cops on the streets and ignoring the criminals who attacked us with bricks and firebombs.”

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