New York Attorney General sues NYPD for ‘brutal’ handling of George Floyd protesters

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James also wants to install an external monitor to oversee the department’s police tactics.

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, follows a months-long investigation into the actions of the NYPD during the May-December protests against Floyd’s murder while in custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota , May 25.

The investigation found that the police allegedly used “indiscriminate, unwarranted and repeated use of batons, pepper spray, bicycles and a crowd control tactic known as ‘kettling’ against peaceful protesters.” indicates the press release.

“There is no doubt that the NYPD has engaged in a pattern of excessive, brutal and illegal force against peaceful protesters,” James said.

“Over the past few months, the NYPD has repeatedly and blatantly violated the rights of New Yorkers, inflicting significant physical and psychological damage and leading to great mistrust of law enforcement.”

Lawsuit names NYPD, New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea and NYPD Department Head Terence Monahan as failing to remedy “long-standing pattern of abuse” failing to properly train, supervise and discipline officers to prevent and remedy the misconduct, the statement said.

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CNN has reached out to NYPD, de Blasio and the city for comment on the costume.

The complaint includes dozens of examples of what the attorney general said was gross use of excessive force and other misconduct by officers. James said since May his office has received more than 1,300 complaints, held a three-day public hearing and taken more than 300 written statements.

James said police hit protesters with blunt instruments at least 50 times, illegally sprayed pepper spray at least 30 times, and pushed or hit protesters at least 75 times.

The Attorney General described the case of a Brooklyn protester named Luke Hanna, who was hit in the back of the head with a baton in June. James said Hanna, who needed ten staples to close a gash in the head, had not been arrested or charged.

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In addition, according to the complaint, police officers arrested or detained hundreds of protesters, legal observers and doctors without legal justification. The attorney general said 12 legal observers were arrested for violating the curfew during a June protest in the Bronx, although legal observers and medics were exempted from the curfew order.

The lawsuit accused the NYPD of kettling, or of rounding up protesters so they can’t disperse – and then carrying out mass arrests.

James’ office investigated complaints of incidents between May 28, 2020 and December 11, 2020, and found that officers made mass arrests without probable cause and “frequently targeted and retaliated against First Amendment activities. “, according to the press release.

Last month, a report from the city’s investigation department said the NYPD did not anticipate the large number of protesters or the violence during the protests. This failure, combined with insufficient staff and a lack of training, led to poor judgment and excessive force.

Mayor de Blasio said last month that he fully supports the report’s findings and recommendations and that the responsibility “begins with me and the commissioner”.

“We had to understand what worked well, what went wrong, what needs to be different, what needs to be better,” he said. “I certainly take full responsibility for the issues raised in the report and the changes we need to make.”

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