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'Troubling' Review of NYPD Practices Finds More Chokehold Complaints

By Nicholas Rizzi | September 11, 2014 10:09am
 The CCRB held their monthly board meeting on Staten Island and, for the first time in 10 years, at night.
CCRB Staten Island Meeting
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ST. GEORGE — A study of chokehold complaints ordered by the NYPD's watchdog after the death of Eric Garner has yielded "troubling information," including the underreporting of incidents and a history of complaints against officers accused of the banned practice, an official said Wednesday.

The audit, set to be released in a few weeks, found NYPD records underreported the number of complaints made about chokeholds, which are prohibited by the department.

The findings were revealed at the Civilian Complaint Review Board's Wednesday night meeting on Staten Island, a half-mile away from where Garner was placed in an apparent chokehold during an arrest in July. Garner, a 43-year-old asthmatic, was pronounced dead at Richmond University Medical Center.

"The audit is yielding troubling information," CCRB director Richard Emery said about the five-year period covered by the audit.

"There's a lack of uniformity in the way that allegations were categorized. That is unacceptable and has to be changed."

Emery said the report found that the number of chokehold complaints filed should be more than than the 1,128 that actually were recorded, but many were miscategorized.

He also said the report found that officers who have chokehold allegations made against them usually have a history of CCRB complaints.

"We want to see whether this analysis is going to determine whether chokehold allegations are predictive of other allegations," Emery said during the meeting.

While previous substantiated chokehold complaints went mostly unpunished by the NYPD, Emery said he wants the authority to issue punishments to officers to remain with the department.

That statement angered some in the sparsely attended board meeting, who called the CCRB "toothless" and not respected in the community.

"This agency, even with a new chairman, there is not enough," said Jose Trujillo of East Harlem, during the meeting. "We still don't have faith in it."

Garner's death has been ruled a homicide by the city's medical examiner. It sparked waves of protests and demands for justice, and last month District Attorney Dan Donovan announced he would present the case to the grand jury.

Officer Daniel Pantaleo was stripped of his gun and badge after the death.

Shortly after Garner's death, the CCRB announced it would audit five years of chokehold complaints. Emery said that the more than 100-page report should help improve the way the organization handles future chokehold allegations.

"It's a report that is going to give this agency a lot of credibility," Emery said.

"I'll be surprised if people aren't very interested in it and it doesn't generate a lot of discussion."