The head of the NYPD detectives’ union said that they plan to sue protestors who injure police officers.
“If you assault a New York City Detective and there are no consequences from the criminal justice system, we have to have other means to protect our detectives,” said Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives Endowment Association.
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In an interview with Fox News, DiGiacomo said, “It’s heart-wrenching because they are out there doing a job under very difficult circumstances.”
According to DiGiacomo, detectives are “trying to protect the innocent people protesting while the criminal element is within that group, assaulting, looting, and victimizing not only police officers and detectives but also the people of the city.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/71nhtCniY10lItS1qwhmlt
Fox News described the move as “turning the tables” on protesters. However, civil rights groups are quick to point out that police officers have legal immunity and can not be personally sued when they injure others. Police also get free legal representation in criminal cases.
“This is not a new tactic by the police,” said Ron Kuby, an NYC civil rights attorney. “This was tried back in the 1990s in New York City, at another time when there was a great deal of unrest and ultimately, it didn’t work.”
Over 350 New York City police officers have been injured in the two weeks of protests in the city following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Officers have been hospitalized with various of injuries, ranging from being hit with items, stabbings, and two shootings.
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A lawsuit has been filed against a 19-year-old looting suspect accused of stealing from a Manhattan pharmacy. The man allegedly injured a detective who claimed that the suspect resisted arrest.
DiGiacomo said that he hopes the idea of suing protesters will “send a message” that “if we can’t get you one way, we will get you another.”