NYPD Sued by NY Attorney General Over ‘Brutal and Unlawful’ Handling of Protests.
On Thursday, New York State Attorney General (AG) Letitia James sued the New York City Police Department (NYPD) over its handling of protests in the summer of 2020.
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Her lawsuit marks the first time a state AG has ever sued a police department.
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According to James, the NYPD used “brutal and unlawful” policies and practices against protesters in May and June.
An investigation by her office found that police brutally beat protesters with batons and rammed them with bicycles.
They also used a dangerous containment tactic known as kettling, and arrested legal observers and medics without proper cause.
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James called these practices a harmful pattern that mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD failed to correct.
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They did not train, they did not supervise, they did not stop officers who engaged in this misconduct … And they did not discipline them either.
Instead, they failed the people of the City of New York, Letitia James, via 'The New York Times'.
If James is successful, control of the NYPD will be stripped away from de Blasio and given to an independent panel.
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A court-appointed monitor would also be placed to oversee the department’s future policing tactics at protests
