New York state’s attorney general is suing the New York Police Department, alleging that it used excessive force and made unlawful arrests during the protests last summer.
Attorney General Letitia James filed the suit on Thursday in New York’s Southern District, and it names Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, and Chief of Department Terence Monahan as defendants.
In the suit, James argued that police officers “repeatedly and without justification used batons, fist strikes, pepper spray and other physical force against New York Residents at the Protests” following the death of George Floyd. She also claimed that such tactics are “not new,” but rather, they are “the latest manifestation of the NYPD’s unconstitutional policing practices,” which she claims dates back “at least the last two decades.”
“There is no question that the NYPD engaged in a pattern of excessive, brutal, and unlawful 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 harm and leading to great distrust in law enforcement. 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 attorney general is not looking for a monetary settlement. Instead, she is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief that would allow her to address policing issues.
“The New York City Police Department welcomes reform and has embraced the recent suggestions by both the city’s Department of Investigation and the city’s Law Department,” a Deputy Commissioner Public Information spokesperson told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “As the mayor has said, adding another layer does not speed up the process of continued reform, which we have embraced and led the way on.”
Floyd, a black man, allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill, and when the police attempted to apprehend him, they pinned him to the ground. Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, long after he became unresponsive. Floyd, 46, then died, and his death sparked nationwide protests and conversations about police brutality toward minorities and the claim of systemic racism. The four officers who were on the scene have been charged in connection with his death.
