The New York State Attorney General sued the New York Police Department on Thursday for what she said were widespread abuses in the way police coped with protests that broke out last summer after George Floyd’s assassination in Minneapolis .
Attorney General Letitia James wants a federal monitor to oversee the department’s policing tactics in future protests, and a court order to declare that the policies and practices the department used during protests last year were illegal.
An investigation by the attorney general’s office found that police officers beat the protesters with batons and bicycles, used a dangerous containment strategy called kettling and arrested legal observers and doctors.
The Police Department, the city’s Legal Department and a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio did not immediately return emails requesting comments on the lawsuit.
At a news conference on Thursday, James said the tactics demonstrated a pattern of illegal and harmful practices that the mayor and the Police Department were unable to avoid through discipline, policies and training.
“There was ample capacity and opportunity for the city and the NYPD leadership to make important changes in the way officers interact with peaceful protesters, but repeatedly this has not happened,” said James. “They did not train, did not inspect, did not stop the police who were involved in this misconduct. Nor did they discipline them. Instead, they failed the people of New York City. “