Civil rights activists meet with NYPD commissioner, call for more accountability
The arrest of Timothy Brown last Tuesday was captured on video, prompting officials to investigate.
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Civil rights activists called for more transparency and accountability from the NYPD on Monday, following a meeting with top brass – including Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The Rev. Kevin McCall, a community activist, said the hour-long meeting focused on excessive force.
“There are too many times and times again of - we’ve been down the road before - of police just getting away with using excessive force,” said McCall.
The group of activists gathered outside of NYPD headquarters after their face-to-face session with Tisch.
The meeting came about one week after video of a violent arrest showed two officers punching and kicking Timothy Brown inside of a liquor store in Boerum Hill.
“We told [Tisch] that we want to go to the city council to introduce legislation, but she has committed to doing it within her own policy,” said McCall.
“I understand the community interest in it because it is an upsetting video,” said Tisch during a news conference last week.
An NYPD spokesperson told News 12 on Monday that the incident was already under a 90-day review, which is focusing on policy, compliance, equipment and training.
NYPD officials also confirmed that they already took steps before the scheduled meeting, which included disbanding the entire narcotics module associated with the incident.
A spokesperson said both officers and a sergeant are on modified duty, and the department transferred six additional detectives in the module, a lieutenant and captain overseeing Brooklyn North Narcotics.
“We need them to be suspended,” said McCall. “We need them to be arrested! That’s what real justice looks like.”
Activists said they have a list of other demands, including condolences to the family of Eric Duprey, who was killed in the Bronx when former sergeant Erik Duran threw a cooler at him.
Duran was convicted and just released on bail.
“The city of New York, including Mayor [Zohran] Mamdani, who has ignored the Duprey family; the city of New York and the NYPD owe [the Duprey] family an apology,” said Hawk Newsome, with Black Lives Matter Greater New York [BLMGNY].
Newsome added that BLMGNY was supposed to have their own meeting with Tisch on Monday - which would’ve been their first-ever sit-down with the NYPD commissioner - but it was cancelled at the last minute.
An NYPD spokesperson told News 12 that Tisch only had one meeting scheduled.
