12 JUNE 25, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Quick accountability key to police reform
In the wake of a viral video showing
a cop in Queens choking an individual
on the Rockaway Boardwalk
on Sunday, June 21, the NYPD did not
waste a second making its response to
the incident clear.
Within hours of the video being
circulated, the NYPD quickly
identifi ed and suspended the offi cer
without pay. They also released video
from the offi cer’s body cam of the
incident that same day — something
unheard of since the department began
using them as a means of offi cer
accountability.
In two statements, including one
from Police Commissioner Dermot
Shea, the NYPD made clear that it was
taking the incident seriously, would
investigate it thoroughly, and hold
accountable the offi cer if wrongdoing
was determined. Certainly, it appeared
from the video that the offi cer
not only broke protocol, but also the
law: cops in New York state are now
prohibited from putting individuals
in a chokehold while attempting to
subdue them.
“While a full investigation is still
underway, there is no question in
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Mayor Bill de Blasio (r.) praised Commissioner Dermot Shea and the NYPD for taking swift action against the
police offi cer who allegedly used a chokehold to subdue an unarmed Black man in Queens on Sunday.
Photo by Mark Hallum
my mind that this immediate action
is necessary,” Commissioner Shea
said of the incident. “We are committed
to transparency as this process
continues.”
The incident happened at a time of
great unrest in the city and country,
with much anger directed at the NYPD
for past incidents of police brutality.
It led to repeated calls for a host of
reforms, from outlawing chokeholds
to partially “defunding” the NYPD
and allocating resources to youth and
education programs.
The Rockaway choking on June
21 could have prompted a new wave
of outrage across the city had the
NYPD not stepped in quickly to take
preemptive, internal measures to hold
the offi cer involved accountable. Shea
and the department deserve credit
for how it handled this incident, both
internally and publicly.
Some might suggest anyway that
the NYPD might have jumped the gun
in suspending the offi cer pending the
ongoing investigation. But departmental
action must not be confl ated with a
court of law, where a suspect is considered
innocent until proven guilty.
The video footage provided the
ample proof the NYPD needed to take
action. With the way the video circulated,
it would have been inexcusable
to have waited days or even weeks before
deciding to suspend the offi cer.
Shea has said the NYPD takes the
calls for reform seriously. Similar
swift action in response to future
police brutality allegations is just one
way police can rebuild trust with New
Yorkers.
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