'Reckless & Militaristic': Advocates Demand NYPD Campus Protest Probe

NEW YORK CITY — Brutality against pro-Palestinian protesters. Silence over a cop's "accidental" shooting during a high-profile Columbia University raid. Unethical and dangerous use of social media to speculate about students' links to terrorism.

A scathing letter from The Legal Aid Society sent Monday demanded an Office of Inspector General investigation into what it called the NYPD's "reckless and militaristic" response last week to protests on New York City college campuses.

"The NYPD's aggressive and militaristic response to student protests that led to rampant violations of protesters’ constitutional and statutory rights deserves immediate scrutiny and accountability," said Tina Luongo, chief attorney of Legal Aid's criminal defense practice, in a statement.

"From the NYPD illegally detaining protesters; holding students in custody for over 24-hours, despite New York's 24-hour arrest to arraignment standard; the discharge of a firearm in a building with unarmed students; and troubling use of social media to attack anyone - elected officials, journalists, advocates and others - who question the Department's methods; the OIG-NYPD must immediately launch a probe into these widespread abuses of authority."

A City Hall spokesperson declined to comment on the letter, as it's under Department of Investigation review. But the spokesperson did respond to Legal Aid's characterization of the NYPD raids as "militaristic."

"As the anti-Israel protests on campuses began to escalate, it became abundantly clear that individuals unaffiliated with the schools had entered campuses and, in some cases, were even training students in unlawful protest tactics including barricading buildings and destruction of property," the spokeperson said. "The NYPD's response to this escalation of violent conduct was measured, professional, and appropriate."

Patch's requests for comment from NYPD and city law department officials went unanswered, as of publication.

The letter serves as a succinct summation of many New Yorkers' criticisms of crackdowns on Columbia University's and City College of New York's campuses last week.

NYPD officials and Mayor Eric Adams had touted cops' "professionalism" in their response to the pro-Palestinian protesters, but critics quickly retorted with evidence of violence.

The Legal Aid letter lists a litany of reports, from students and journalists alike, that NYPD officers brutalized protesters.

And while the letter deemed those accusations "troubling," it reserved the harsh criticism for NYPD officials deliberately withhold the fact that a sergeant "accidentally" shot his gun inside Columbia's Hamilton Hall, an academic building occupied by a small group of protesters.

"We request that your office investigate and review the NYPD’s actions in response to last week’s protests, which include the following alleged conduct: sending armed Emergency Service Unit officers to remove unarmed protestors, permitting at least one officer to unholster his firearm with the safety off and aiming it at a building with protestors, pushing and slamming protestors to the ground, throwing a protestor downstairs, and indiscriminately using pepper spray on protestors and non-protestors alike," the letter states. "We also request that your office investigate and review the NYPD’s decision to withhold information from the public related to the discharge of a firearm in Hamilton Hall.

"The NYPD’s response to these protests endangered the public, and its subsequent decision to withhold information about its actions should be reviewed by your office, as the independent oversight agency for the NYPD."

NYPD cops also illegally detained many protesters for more than 24 hours, the letter contends.

The letter closes with harsh criticism of speculations by NYPD brass on social media about students' links to terrorism.

Such claims — which included NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry using a history book on terrorism found in the raids to ponder that somebody was "radicalizing our students" — served to unprofessionally and unethically discredit protesters.

"They put students in danger of harm from vigilantes inspired by the NYPD’s fearmongering, and they chill future protests from students who fear being smeared and treated like terrorists by the NYPD," the letter states.

Read the full letter here.