Earlier today, the Attorney General of the State of New York brought an action to “end the pervasive use of excessive force and false arrests” by the NYPD in “suppressing overwhelmingly peaceful protests” following the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. According to the complaint:
From May 28, 2020 to December 11, 2020, NYPD Officers of various ranks (“NYPD Officers”) repeatedly and without justification used batons, fist strikes, pepper spray, and other physical force against New York Residents at the Protests. Protesters—many of whom were never charged with any crime and were merely exercising their First Amendment rights—suffered concussions, broken bones, cuts, bruises, and other physical injuries.
The complaint further alleges that the NYPD has engaged in these practices for decades, and has failed to train its officers to prevent this type of misconduct.
The action seeks injunctive relief which would require the defendants to take all affirmative steps, including changing policies, conducting training, and undergoing monitoring, necessary to eliminate unlawful policing practices and prevent such conduct in the future. The case has not yet been assigned, but was marked as related to an earlier-filed case brought by numerous individuals challenging the same underlying conduct, which is currently before Chief Judge McMahon