Press Releases

For immediate release: April 20, 2018

Mother of Eric Garner, Gwen Carr, Responds to Reports on DOJ Disagreement

In response to a report in the New York Times that top Justice Department officials are disagreeing on whether to charge NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo for killing Eric Garner by chokehold, the mother of Garner, Gwen Carr, released the following statement.

For immediate release: April 20, 2018

Statements by Parents of Saheed Vassell & Brooklyn Movement Center on Day of His Funeral

The parents of Saheed Vassell, Lorna and Eric Vassell, released the following statement on the day of the funeral and burial of their son, Saheed.

For immediate release: April 12, 2018

One Week after Killing of Saheed Vassell, His Family, Other Families of New Yorkers Killed by NYPD & Community Members Demand Transparency from de Blasio/NYPD

Group demanded de Blasio administration end NYPD’s propaganda campaign to justify killing and fake transparency, called for real transparency through release of information

Community members also called for mayor and NYPD to stop misleading public by giving false reasons on why they won’t release information on officers

A week after the killing of Saheed Vassell by NYPD officers in Brooklyn, Vassell’s family was joined by the family members of other New Yorkers killed by NYPD officers and community members to demand real transparency from Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD. They condemned the efforts by the de Blasio administration and NYPD over the past week to engage in a campaign to justify the killing by criminalizing Vassell and focusing public attention on him, rather than provide transparency about the actions of the officers who shot and killed him.

For immediate release: April 5, 2018

Brooklyn Movement Center Responds to NYPD Killing Saheed Vassell

In response to the NYPD killing of Saheed Vassell in broad daylight on Wednesday, Brooklyn Movement Center, a member of Communities United for Police Reform, released the following statement from Deputy Director Anthonine Pierre:

"Our condolences are with the family and loved ones of Saheed Vassell, who was killed by NYPD on the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. Saheed Vassell should not have been killed and it’s completely unacceptable that families in New York City and across the nation continue to be harmed by police violence – this being at least the fourth such killing in the past 9 months in New York City (Dwayne Jeune, Miguel Richards and Mario Sanabria). The New York Attorney General's office's investigation should be swift, thorough, and transparent. 
For immediate release: March 27, 2018

Newly Released NYPD Files from Killing of Ramarley Graham Ordered Released by Judge Reveal Fabricated Account That Sought to Justify Killing

Documents show officers lied in immediate aftermath during investigation, yet department apparently never held anyone accountable for lies that even NYPD brass repeated publicly

Records are first in trove of files that judge ordered city to release following lawsuit against NYPD for refusing to comply with FOIL request by Graham’s family, supporting organizations

For immediate release: March 8, 2018

Advocates, Electeds, Legal Groups & New Yorkers Directly Harmed Demand de Blasio & O’Neill Take Action to Fix Broken NYPD Disciplinary System


Following investigation revealing hundreds of NYPD officers guilty of serious misconduct being spared meaningful discipline, police reform campaign calls for firings and concrete reforms to help fix failed police accountability that allows abusive officers to continue in department, undermining trust and safety.

For immediate release: February 15, 2018

New York Police Reform Campaign Responds to Not Guilty Verdict in Case of Deborah Danner’s Killing by NYPD Officer

In response to a not guilty verdict against the officer who shot and killed Deborah Danner, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokespeople Monifa Bandele (Vice President & Chief Partnership and Equity Officer at MomsRising.org) and Rama Issa-Ibrahim (Executive Director of Arab American Association of New York).

For immediate release: February 8, 2018

Police Reform Campaign Responds to City Council Hearing on NYPD Policing of Protests

In response to a City Council hearing on the NYPD’s policing of protests, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from Director Joo-Hyun Kang.

For immediate release: January 30, 2018

Police Reform Campaign Responds to NYPD Body Camera Announcement

In response to Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD announcing a sped-up expansion of the use of body-worn cameras to all officers, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Mark Winston Griffith, executive director of Brooklyn Movement Center.

For immediate release: January 18, 2018

Eric Garner’s Mother & Other Advocates Demand Mayor de Blasio Stop NYPD from Blocking CCRB Prosecution of Pantaleo

Group calls for de Blasio administration to end 3+ years of delays to accountability and fire multiple officers involved in killing

 

Advocates dispute administration’s claim that it cannot act until Justice Department decision, labeling it political decision contradicted by recent cases around nation and history in NYC

The mother of Eric Garner, Gwen Carr, and civil rights and police reform advocates called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to end the over three years of obstruction and delays to accountability for the multiple NYPD officers involved in killing Garner and the associated misconduct. Specifically, the group revealed that the NYPD is blocking the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) from prosecuting Officer Daniel Pantaleo and urged the mayor to end this impediment.

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