Showing posts with label NYPD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYPD. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

NYPD Chief Rodney Harrison to be Nominated as Suffolk County Police Commissioner

The man who served as the NYPD’s first black chief of detectives and who recently announced his retirement from the department may not be on the sidelines for long, as he will be nominated for a top police position on Long Island, NBC New York has learned.

Rodney Harrison will be nominated to become the next commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department, according to two officials. The nomination will be announced by County Executive Steve Bellone at a Tuesday press conference, Deputy County Executive Jason Elan told NBC New York. A senior NYPD official also confirmed to News 4 that Harrison had been selected.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced in November that Harrison would be stepping down as the force's highest-ranking uniformed officer on Dec. 30. Harrison was a member of the department for 30 years.

[SOURCE NBC NEWS]

Sunday, August 15, 2021

R.I.P to NYPD Det. Shantay Neal-Baker Who Died From COVID-19

NYPD Det. Shantay Neal-Baker died Saturday morning from Covid-19 after serving New York City for 20 years.

In an internal memo to the department Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Neal-Baker started as a communications technician, then later became an officer in the 73rd and 90th precincts.

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Rodney Harrison selected to be next NYPD Chief

NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan announced his retirement Thursday to take on a public safety advisory role as the city looks to recover from the COVID crisis. Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison was selected to take over the Chief of Department position.

"[Harrison] makes that uniform proud...and he is going to make this city proud," Monahan said. "Rodney, you couldn't be a better person for this job. With Rodney taking the helm and Commissioner [Dermot] Shea at the helm the NYPD couldn't be in any better hands."

Harrison is a Queens native and the first Black man to serve as the NYPD's Chief of Detectives.

Harrison said that he wants to continue focusing on community policing, "which is absolutely what this city needs."

"For the men and women of this police department, I want to make sure I make this very clear, I'm going to support you, I want to make sure we get through what was a very difficult time in 2020, but I can reassure everyone here that is listening that I have your back and we will get through this together," Harrison said.

"For the residents of New York City, I'm here to protect you. I'm here to serve you," Harrison went on to say. "I'm going to be knocking on your door, I'm going to be coming to your churches, I'm going to be coming to your community meetings. You may get tired of seeing me, but in order for me to be successful, in order to make this city safe, we have to work together. I'm looking forward to the challenge."

[SOURCE: NBC NEW YORK]

Sunday, February 21, 2021

New evidence in Malcolm X assassination points to possible conspiracy

Fifty-six years after the death of Malcolm X, lawyers revealed what they called new evidence of a conspiracy, perpetrated by the NYPD and the FBI to assassinate the Civil Rights activist in Harlem.

Ray Wood was an undercover police officer at the time - his family and their attorney now claim Wood wrote a letter on his deathbed confessing the NYPD and the FBI conspired to kill the Civil Rights activist.

Watch more on thi story below:

Thursday, December 05, 2019

Rodney Harrison: First African American NYPD Chief of Detectives

The New York City Police Department announced the appointment of Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison. The appointment makes Harrison the first black person to hold the role since the force's founding almost 200 years ago.

Chief Rodney Harrison currently serves as Chief of Patrol, playing a central role in the creation and roll-out of Neighborhood Policing to every precinct across the City. He will now serve as Chief of Detectives, overseeing the prevention, detection and investigation of crime, bringing a decade of experience supervising investigations and crime fighting prowess to build the strongest possible cases against perpetrators of criminal activity.

"Serving as Chief of Patrol has been a tremendous privilege. Through Neighborhood Policing, we have transformed how the NYPD works with community members, grounded in building strong relationships of mutual respect, toward our shared mission of safety," Harrison said.

Chief Rodney Harrison currently serves as Chief of the Patrol Services Bureau where he has overseen the bureau's Neighborhood Policing implementation. Chief Harrison began his career with the NYPD as a police cadet in June 1991. A year later, he became a police officer and patrolled the 114th Precinct in Astoria, Queens. In 1994, he was assigned to the Narcotics division and then promoted to Detective in 1995. Harrison later worked in various commands in Patrol Borough Brooklyn South and Patrol Borough Brooklyn North—including the 71 Detective Squad, 73 Detective Squad and 73 Precinct—and Patrol Borough Bronx. He served as executive officer of 47 Precinct. He has also served as commanding officer of the 28 and 32 Precincts. He was promoted to Deputy Chief while serving in the Internal Affairs Bureau and then held assignments in Patrol Borough Staten Island and Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. He then became the Chief of Detectives of Brooklyn North overseeing all investigations, before being appointed Chief of Patrol.

Friday, August 02, 2019

NYPD judge recommends officer in Eric Garner case should be fired

A New York Police Department judge has recommended the firing of Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who faced disciplinary charges over the 2014 death of Eric Garner, according to officials with direct knowledge of the decision.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado handed over her decision on Friday to Officer Pantaleo’s lawyers and to New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, whose attorneys prosecuted the disciplinary case against the officer. Officials from the Civilian Complaint Review Board and Mr. Pantaleo’s lawyers will have up to two weeks to provide comments on the judge’s recommendation to fire Mr. Pantaleo.

The recommendation and comments will then be taken up by NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, who is expected to terminate Mr. Pantaleo, according to the officials with direct knowledge of the matter. Commissioner O’Neill’s decision is expected later this month.

Gwen Carr, Mr. Garner’s mother, said she had been fighting for justice for her son for five years and the decision was “long overdue.”

“Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD have put up roadblocks and delays every step of the way,” she said. “It brings me some relief to learn that Judge Maldonado has recommended that Pantaleo be fired.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, praised the NYPD for completing the hearing, although he didn’t directly address the contents of Ms. Maldonado’s recommendation, which is being withheld from public disclosure.

“Today, we finally saw a step towards justice and accountability. We saw a process that was actually fair and impartial,” Mr. de Blasio said in a news conference at City Hall. “If you believe there is a fair and impartial process—and I do—letting it reach its conclusion beyond reproach is necessary,” he added.

[SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL]

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Eric Garner's family responds to Justice Department decision to not charge cop who killed Garner

Eric Garner's daughter and mother react to the not so surprising news that the William Barr led Justice Department will not be bringing federal charges against a New York Police Department officer accused of fatally choking her dad in 2014.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

New York Police Officers Rally in Support of Colin Kaepernick

Controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick received some unexpected support Saturday in Brooklyn.

A local lawmaker was joined by 100 law enforcement officers, who took a stand in solidarity with Kaepernick.

"We support Kap! We support Kap!" the officers chanted, their fists raised in the air.

"All of the people behind me risk their lives, so to speak, to protect folks, and they are standing with Kaepernick because they understand how important it is to push back on the structure," City Councilman Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn said, with the officers standing behind him.

Kaepernick has been criticized for putting politics on the NFL playing field by sitting and kneeling during the national anthem before his games with the San Francisco 49ers last year. He was protesting police brutality.

No team has signed the now-free agent. Several players say teams are colluding to keep Kaepernick out of the NFL.

Read more: Law enforcement rally in Brooklyn for Colin Kaepernick

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

DEATH OF APPEALS COURT JUDGE SUSPICIOUS, POLICE SAY

Police are calling the death of Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam suspicious because there is no clear indication of suicide or criminality.

"We're looking it at as a suspicious death at this point. We haven't found any clear indications of criminality, but at this point we can't say for sure. We're hoping if anyone could shed any light into the hours before her disappearance, it would help us establish what happened," said Stephen Davis, NYPD Spokesman.

The Medical Examiner is still planning to perform an autopsy on Abdus-Salaam, after the body of the 65-year-old Court of Appeals judge washed up on the shore of the Hudson River.

Police say Abdus-Salaam was last seen around 7 p.m. Monday, then spoke last Tuesday morning with her assistant by phone. Detectives are now looking for any possible surveillance video in her Harlem neighborhood, for any clues to how and why she ended up in the Hudson.

[SOURCE: abc7ny.com]

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Feds revive probe of Eric Garner chokehold death

The feds have revived the grand jury probe into the NYPD chokehold death of Eric Garner — and a police witness who was questioned in front of the panel believes an indictment is looming, sources told The New York Post on Thursday.

A high-ranking NYPD official and a sergeant testified behind closed doors in the Brooklyn federal courthouse on Wednesday after being slapped with subpoenas, sources said.

Revelation of their appearances before the grand jury marks the first sign that the US Justice Department hasn’t abandoned the racially charged case since the inauguration of President Trump and the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Read more: Feds revive probe of Eric Garner chokehold death

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Civilian review board finds excessive force in James Blake takedown

The Civilian Complaint Review Board has substantiated the charge of excessive force against Officer James Frascatore, who took James Blake to the ground last month, and recommended departmental charges that could lead to his suspension or dismissal.

Police Commissioner William Bratton will make the final determination, following an internal departmental trial.

James Blake released the following statement:

"I want to express my appreciation to the Civilian Complaint Review Board for their quick and thorough review of the incident during which I was attacked on September 9, 2015. I learned today that the CCRB has substantiated the Complaint, filed on my behalf by my attorney Kevin Marino, against James Frascatore (for excessive force), and Daniel Herzog (for abuse of authority). It is my understanding that these officers now face an administrative trial for their roles in the respective offenses. I have complete respect for the principle of due process and appreciate the efforts of the CCRB to advance this investigation."

[SOURCE]

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

James Blake, former tennis star, slammed to ground and handcuffed by NYPD cops

Former tennis great James Blake was slammed to the ground, handcuffed and detained by five plainclothes city cops Wednesday outside his midtown hotel before heading out to the U.S. Open, Blake told the Daily News.

UPDATE: James Blake speaks to local TV station:

The officers, who were all white, mistook Blake for a suspect in an identity theft ring operating around the midtown hotel.

The incident occurred around noon in front of the Grand Hyatt on East 42 St., as Blake, a 35-year-old African-American who attended Harvard before going on tour, was waiting for a car to take him to Flushing Meadows, where he was making corporate appearances for Time-Warner Cable.

"It was definitely scary and definitely crazy," said Blake, who was once ranked No. 4 in the world and was among the most popular U.S. players of his generation. He suffered a cut to his left elbow and bruises to his left leg.

Blake said several other officers rushed up to join the first officer, eventually five cops in all surrounding him. He said he was told he had been identified by two people as someone who had been involved in an identity-theft ring operating in the area for the last week.

After being handcuffed for about 15 minutes, Blake said the last of the five officers realized they had the wrong person and apologized. The first officer who tackled and cuffed him never said anything.

Read more: James Blake, former tennis star, slammed to ground and handcuffed NYPD cops

Friday, March 13, 2015

NYPD edits Wikapedia pages dealing with NY police killings of black men.

Revisions to Wikipedia entries about black men killed by New York City police officials came from computers in the department's headquarters, a new report reveals.

Users at 1 Police Plaza edited articles on Eric Garner, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, and other police controversies in what appears to be an attempt to downplay police accountability in each incident, according to Capital New York.

Capital traced the edits using Internet Protocol addresses, or IP addresses, linked to 1 Police Plaza, the NYPD's headquarters.

Some of the changes made in the case of the Eric Garner page were:

● “Garner raised both his arms in the air” was changed to “Garner flailed his arms about as he spoke.”

● “[P]ush Garner's face into the sidewalk” was changed to “push Garner's head down into the sidewalk.”

● “Use of the chokehold has been prohibited” was changed to “Use of the chokehold is legal, but has been prohibited.”

● The sentence, “Garner, who was considerably larger than any of the officers, continued to struggle with them,” was added to the description of the incident.

● Instances of the word “chokehold” were replaced twice, once to “chokehold or headlock,” and once to “respiratory distress.”

Read more: Wikipedia Edits To Pages On New York Police Killings Traced To NYPD Headquarters: Report

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Should NY police protest stop until after slain officers funerals?

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has asked for the protest that have resulted from the non indictment of a police officer in the death of Eric Garner to cease temporarily until two slain police officers are buried.

"We are in a very difficult moment. Our focus has to be on these families," de Blasio said Monday at police headquarters. "I think it's a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things that we will talk about in all due time."

Protesters have not heeded his call and continue to protest. Do you think that they should stop the protest until after the officers are laid to rest? Do you think that it's necessary not to stop and to keep pushing while this is a hot button issue or risk losing momentum?

Sunday, December 21, 2014

African Americans don't need to be told to hate or mistrust the police.

I'm convinced that conservatives and cops think black people as a whole are incapable of thinking for ourselves. First we had to be told by Obama, Holder, and Sharpton to get mad when no no cop was indicted in the Garner or Brown cases. I mean of course we wouldn't have gotten mad. Why would we? I mean Garner could have been our brother, father, grandson, or nephew. No way we internalize that, we of course would have went on our merry little ways if not told to be angry.

But now I have just found out from conservative media and the police that I and several million other blacks have never had an issue with or mistrusted the police until Obama, Holder, and Sharpton told us we had an issue with them. I just found out that all those prior negative experiences (although I like most black men have no record and have never committed a crime) I have had with police didn't make me bitter or distrustful of them it was that "evil" triumvirate of Obama, Holder, and Sharpton that made me feel that way.

Former NY mayor Guiliani who has done more to hurt minority and police relations by always taking the cops side than any member of the "evil" triumvirate said on Fox News Sunday ( where else) that "We've had four months of propaganda, starting with the president, that everybody should hate the police, I don't care how you want to describe it -- that's what those protests are all about."

Guiliani would be right if only police abuse and brutality had not been prevalent in the minority community long before President Obama was in office and Holder was appointed Attorney General. Generations of black and brown people have grown up in the United States and have had to deal with negative interactions with the police. That's just a fact and all police and conservatives bitching and moaning about it won't change that fact.

Guiliani and his ilk have made a false equivalency between protesting the death of Eric Garner and wanting better treatment from the police with being anti-cop. I'm sorry that comparison is simply bullshit. To believe that the comparison you would have to believe that the only way to do police work in minority communities is to violate people's civil and human rights.

If cops want the protest to stop then they should stop whining about being called out for their behavior and make changes to that behavior. What will help heal the rift is police acknowledging they have been occupying communities of color and not policing them. What will bring change is treating minority communities the same way you treat others. What will is actually reaching out and getting to know the community you police and finding out who is trouble and who is a young man on his way from school.

Until that happens the mistrust and in some cases hate will linger. No one will have to tell anyone what to think because we know firsthand.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

Al Sharpton statement on shooting deaths of two NYPD officers.

Al Sharpton made the following statement on behalf of the family of Eric Garner after the tragic deaths of two NYPD officers at the hands of a lone gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley. The Garner family clearly condemns the loss of life of the two officers, Rafael Ramos, and Wenjian Liu.

“I have spoken to the Garner family and we are outraged by the early reports of the police killed in Brooklyn today, Any use of the names of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, in connection with any violence or killing of police, is reprehensible and against the pursuit of justice in both cases,” Sharpton said.

“We have stressed at every rally and march that anyone engaged in any violence is an enemy to the pursuit of justice for Eric Garner and Michael Brown,” he continued. “We have been criticized at National Action Network for not allowing rhetoric or chanting of violence and would abruptly denounce it at all of our gatherings. The Garner family and I have always stressed that we do not believe that all police are bad, in fact we have stressed that most police are not bad.”

Saturday, December 06, 2014

NYPD officer who shot Akai Gurley texted union rep as victim lay dying

In the six and a half minutes after Peter Liang discharged a single bullet that struck Gurley, 28, he and his partner couldn't be reached, sources told the Daily News. And instead of calling for help for the dying man, Liang was texting his union representative. What's more, the sources said, the pair of officers weren't supposed to be patrolling the stairways of the Pink Houses that night.

Read more: Rookie NYPD officer who shot Akai Gurley in Brooklyn stairwell was texting union rep as victim lay dying

Body cameras protect both civilians and the police.

First let me say that I have a deep respect for most of the people that police our neighborhoods and understand that they perform a necessary and at times dangerous job. It's a job I want no part of as I'm sure that cops see people at their worst and have to deal with some overwhelming situations. To those good cops who protect us, THANK YOU.

In light of the tragic deaths of both Eric Gardner and Michael Brown at the hands of the police many have suggested that police officers wear body cameras, and several departments such as Newark NJ and New York City are instituting pilot programs.

For some reason some cops and or their unions seem to be against the idea and think it will drastically affect how cops do their jobs. They say cops will be so worried about what they can and can not do that many will simply stop policing or be too busy over thinking a situation to do their jobs. They believe cops would do this to avoid being caught in any wrongdoing on camera.

My response to that is if you are doing things the right way, what are you afraid of? If you are following police procedures and treating all citizens with respect why would having to wear a camera bother you at all.

Police should keep in mind that body cameras also help THEM. There are many instances where the cameras showed that the police were in the right, and video has exonerated them. I see no reason why GOOD cops would have a problem wearing a body camera.

I also realize that a body camera doesn't solve everything. Those cops determined to do wrong will simply shut the camera off and depend on the fact that far too many District Attorneys and grand juries give them the benefit of the doubt. There must be punishment for those who don't have the cameras on when interacting with the public for this to work.

I think body cameras are a good idea and as long as cops are acting as officers and not overseers they will have nothing to worry about when wearing one.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

President Obama Comments On Eric Garner Decision

President Barack Obama on Wednesday addressed a grand jury's decision not to indict a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died after being placed in a chokehold. Watch his comments below:


Black NY congressman speak out on Eric Garner grand jury decision

Black congressman Rep Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Charles Rangel spoke out on the unsurprising decision by a grand jury not to indict the cop that killed Eric Garner. Hear their comments below: