By Kevin Deutsch
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New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit seeking a federal monitor to oversee the NYPD—the first time the empire state’s AG has ever sued the city’s police force.
The lawsuit, according to James, is the result of lawless NYPD practices and widespread abuse of Black Lives Matter protesters following George Floyd’s killing by police last year.
According to James, the suit accuses “the NYPD, the City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, and NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan with failing to address this longstanding pattern of abuse by not properly training, supervising, and disciplining officers to prevent misconduct, despite knowledge and public admission that it violated the rights of New Yorkers.”
James said the police department’s officers “unlawfully arrested legal observers, medics, and other workers performing essential services without probable cause and in direct violation of executive orders from Mayor de Blasio.”
The NYPD is already under partial federal oversight for its once widespread — and illegal — stop and frisk practices. But the scope of the oversight sought by James’ suit would be much broader.