What to Know
- The NYPD is ready for possible citywide protests once former Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial wraps up in Minneapolis, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said.
- "We are all watching and speaking on a daily basis with officials in Minneapolis as that trial proceeds. We expect the possibility of some protests here, certainly a lot of that has to do with the outcome," Shea said. "We’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes with everyone from grassroots organizations, elected officials, clergy and making sure that whatever happens we do it peacefully and we do it without violence here. I am confident that is what’s going to happen."
- "We are going to use the approach that has been working, which is put a heavy emphasis on our community affairs officers and being respectful of protests. I think we’ve learned some very important lessons about the right way to do it and that’s what we’ll be looking to do," the mayor said.
The NYPD is ready for possible citywide protests once former Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial wraps up in Minneapolis, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday.
In an interview with NY1 Wednesday morning, Shea touched upon what the NYPD is doing to prepare for Chauvin's eventual verdict. Chauvin, a 45-year-old white man, is on trial on charges of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd’s death after his arrest on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 at a neighborhood market.
"We are all watching and speaking on a daily basis with officials in Minneapolis as that trial proceeds. We expect the possibility of some protests here, certainly a lot of that has to do with the outcome," Shea said. "We’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes with everyone from grassroots organizations, elected officials, clergy and making sure that whatever happens we do it peacefully and we do it without violence here. I am confident that is what’s going to happen."
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During his daily coronavirus press conference, de Blasio also echoed similar sentiments.
"We are in constant, literally daily, conversations [with the NYPD]. Obviously so much of what will happen is based on what the verdict is and how it’s expressed, but we are preparing. We will be ready for a variety of protests," he said.
Additionally, de Blasio said that the department has learned "very important" lessons in how it handled protests in the past.
"We are going to use the approach that has been working, which is put a heavy emphasis on our community affairs officers and being respectful of protests. I think we’ve learned some very important lessons about the right way to do it and that’s what we’ll be looking to do," the mayor said.
The NYPD's handling of last year's prompted a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Tish James following what she called a pattern of excessive, brutal and unlawful force against peaceful protesters.
James sued the NYPD in January, seeking to install a federal monitor to oversee the department following allegedly widespread civil rights abuses last summer.
James' action reignited the debate over how the department handled the George Floyd protests that rocked the city last year. Late last year, the city's Department of Investigation released a bombshell report on deficiencies in the police response that called for wholesale oversight and procedural change.
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In the complaint, James outlined the NYPD’s illegal and harmful conduct against New Yorkers during the recent racial justice protests and for years prior, "which has led to significant injuries and violated individuals’ basic right to peacefully protest," according to James' office.
The lawsuit specifically charges the NYPD, the City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, and former NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan with failing to address the "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," according to James'.
