Hello,

I am heartbroken. And I am angry.

Over the last few days, New Yorkers across our city have come together to march for justice for George Floyd and protest the police brutality that has corroded our city and our nation for too long.

These protesters have the right to peacefully express their anger and outrage without being met by further police brutality in response.

I have seen officers kneeling along with protesters and de-escalating tense situations. But I have also seen far too many clear examples of misconduct and dangerous, violent escalation by the NYPD.

The instances caught on video include police vehicles ramming a group of people, an officer forcefully shoving a woman to the ground, and an officer removing the mask of a man with his hands in the air to pepper spray him.

Yesterday, Council Member Ritchie Torres, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations, and I sent a letter to the Department of Investigations requesting a full and independent investigation of NYPD’s mishandling of this weekend’s protests.

We will continue to exercise our authority to demand answers and accountability for the people of New York, and expect to announce more constructive measures and legislative solutions in the coming days.

— Corey

Corey Johnson
NYC Council Speaker

Below is the full letter sent to the Department of Investigations:

Dear Commissioner Garnett:

Pursuant to section 803 of the New York City Charter, as Speaker of the New York City Council and Chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Oversight and Investigations, respectively, we are hereby directing the Department of Investigation (DOI) to immediately undertake an investigation into the mishandling of protests that emerged in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the general policies and practices of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) relating to mass demonstrations.

Witnesses and reporters describe, and in several cases videos show, alarming instances of misconduct by the NYPD during these protests. These instances include the use of pepper spray against two State elected officials (Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Diana Richardson), two NYPD vehicles ramming a group of people, a police officer forcefully shoving a woman to the ground, and a police officer removing the mask of a man with his hands in the air to pepper spray him.

Any investigation by the City should be conducted independently, not in coordination with or under the supervision of the Corporation Counsel or any other office or agency directly controlled by the Mayor. The public must have confidence in our response. That will not happen unless we ensure that there is no possibility of political interference. This can be done by requiring that the investigation is led by the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD), which was established by the Council for the express purpose of independently investigating, reviewing, studying, auditing, and making recommendations relating to the operations, policies, programs, and practices of the NYPD.

DOI’s investigation should in no way interfere with the investigation currently being conducted by the New York State Attorney General. The Department should cooperate fully with the Attorney General and provide whatever assistance her office may request. In addition, any finding by DOI related to criminal conduct should be referred to the appropriate prosecuting attorney.

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