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Remember & never forget, Dermot Shea ( @NYPDShea), head of NYPD, praised his force for their "restraint" in their brutal suppression of peaceful protests & slammed criticism, despite all the video, all witness statements, a Human Rights Watch investigation. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/nyregion/nypd-george-floyd-protests.html
Colleagues-public defenders, civil rights attorney, experts of police misconduct-& I viewed hundreds of videos from early on in protests. We saw violent felonies. Civil rights violations. Patrol guide violations. We found that the NYPD is *unreformable.* https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/video-police-abuses-nypd-trampling-constitution-reveal-inefficacy-reform-ncna1235333
NYT collected 64 videos of extreme violence committed by the NYPD in the first 2 weeks of the protests. In this same period, NYC taxpayers paid NYPD officers *$115 million* in overtime. To assault, maim, choke, beat, & terrorize protestors. We need to talk. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/14/nyregion/nypd-george-floyd-protests.html
There was a billboard in Times Square. Directly across from the NYPD station. With this message: “Hey NYPD. It’s us. NYC residents. The ones who pay your salary. “We paid $300 million to settle your lawsuits. You paid nothing. We need to talk.” Watch:
Human Rights Watch ( @hrw) came out w/ a horrifying investigation back in Sept. The NYPD attack on hundreds of protestors in early June in the Bronx wasn't just criminal & unconstitutional. It was *planned*. NYPD used the curfew to trap, assault, & arrest. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/30/us-new-york-police-planned-assault-bronx-protesters
After @hrw released their report based on videos, mapping tech, interviews w/ hundreds who were trapped 10 minutes before curfew to justify attacking them for being out past curfew. Chief “I’m not going to apologize”—then this:
And here it is. @NYPDShea needs to resign: “I think the officers used an incredible amount of restraint in terms of allowing people to vent. I am proud of their performance in policing these protests, ending the riots, and upholding the rule of law.” https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/9952-dermot-shea-rocky-first-year-nypd-commissioner-de-blasio
