A city councilman who was detained by police at the West Indian Day Parade says he's glad the NYPD has disciplined officers involved in the incident. But he's concerned that lower-profile New Yorkers may not be getting the same treatment.
Councilman Jumaane Williams appeared Thursday with Kirsten John Foy, who's an aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. The New York Civil Liberties Union director also was there.
Williams and Foy were both handcuffed during the incident. They said at the time that they were targeted because of their race.
"If I did not look the way I look ... we are sure things would have been handled differently," the 35-year-old councilman, who wears his hair in long dreadlocks, said at a news conference Sept. 6 on the steps of City Hall. "These things happen on a regular basis. If it happens to myself, an elected official ... please imagine what is happening to our young, black and Latino males every single day."
Capt. Charles Girvan of the 68th Precinct and the other officers involved in the cuffing were issued command disciplines which, according to the Daily News, means a mark on their records and a possible loss of vacation time for their roles in the incident.
The police Internal Affairs Bureau says complaints about the incident were partially substantiated. Williams says he believes investigators require on-camera proof to discipline officers, and that means most people have no recourse.
The police department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
