New York Attorney General Letitia James is filing a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department (NYPD), including for the way officers handled the racial justice protests over the summer.
According to the lawsuit, James is bringing the action to “end the pervasive use of excessive force and false arrests by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) against New Yorkers in suppressing overwhelmingly peaceful protests.”
The lawsuit alleges officers “repeatedly and without justification used batons, fist strikes, pepper spray, and other physical force against New York Residents at the Protests.”
James is calling on the court to eliminate “unlawful” policing practices and “their effects.”
She explained during a press conference on Thursday, “In our lawsuit, we outline years of the NYPD’s illegal and harmful conduct against New Yorkers, most recently at protests that began this past May, which has led to significant injuries and violated individuals’ basic rights to peacefully protest.”
Watch her remarks below:
Letitia James on Thursday said that the lawsuit outlines “years of the NYPD’s illegal and harmful conduct against New Yorkers,” that “violated individuals’ basic rights to peacefully protest.” https://t.co/F0xXUj3V10 pic.twitter.com/uJ2AoZvYeR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 14, 2021
According to James, the lawsuit seeks “broad injunctive relief, including systemic reforms to the NYPD and a monitor to oversee the NYPD’s compliance with the law and policing practices in future protest.”
She continued, “We are also seeking an order from the court declaring that NYPD’s response to protesters were in fact unlawful.”
#BREAKING: I’m filing a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department to bring an end to its pattern of repeatedly and blatantly violating the rights of New Yorkers.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) January 14, 2021
No one is above the law — not even the individuals charged with enforcing it.
The NYPD and its senior leaders failed to address this longstanding pattern of abuse by not properly training, supervising, and disciplining officers to prevent misconduct, despite knowing and publicly admitting that it violated the rights of New Yorkers.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) January 14, 2021
With today’s lawsuit, this longstanding pattern of brutal and illegal force ends.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) January 14, 2021
New Yorkers deserve better.
According to a report by The Washington Post published in September, the non-profit organization Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project compiled a report on the number of protests over the summer compared to those that led to violence.
Between May 26 and Aug. 22, approximately 7,750 protests were held at 2,400 locations across the nation.
And, 220 out of the 7,750 protests turned violent and were classified as altercations consisting of “demonstrators clashing with police or counter-protesters or causing property damage.”
The researchers reported during approximately 10% of Black Lives Matter protests, law enforcement used items including batons, pepper spray, and/or rubber bullets.