NYPD used excessive force during protests -report

The New York Police Department used 'excessive enforcement' during the wave of protests across the city this summer against police brutality and racism, according to a report published Friday by New York City's Department of Investigation.

Jillian Kitchener has more.

The New York Police Department used excessive force during the wave of protests across the city this summer against police brutality and racism, according to a report published on Friday by New York City’s Department of Investigation.

A 111-page report said the NYPD's response was excessive in part because most police officers involved had not received "relevant training" in policing protests.

On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio... who for months has defended the NYPD's conduct - said he agreed with the report’s findings: “I agree with its analysis, and I agree with its recommendations because it makes very clear we’ve got to do something different.

And we’ve got to do something better.” The demonstrations this summer - sparked in part by the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville - were part of a nationwide and international movement against racism.

“We know there is racism sewn into the fabric of New York City and we have to tear it out.

We know it.” De Blasio asked for the investigation in May as social media became crowded with cellphone videos showing police officers dousing protesters, elected officials and journalists with chemical irritants, shoving and hitting them while they struggled on the ground and, in one instance, driving police vehicles into them.

“The report says very clearly - look, some individual police officers did something wrong and that is unacceptable there has to be discipline… And we have to come to grips with that, we have to train our police force differently.” In addition to more training, the report recommended that the city create a single independent police oversight agency.