On January 27, a group of migrants were filmed fighting a pair of police officers and were subsequently arrested and served felony charges. On Thursday, Hochul said she thought the offenders should be deported.
The incident
On Saturday evening, the two officers were attempting to break up and disperse a group of people on Manhattan’s 42nd Street when things got violent. Upon trying to arrest one of the individuals, the officers were “repeatedly kicked and punched … in the head and body” by the group.
Hit and run
The group ran off, leaving the officers with minor injuries. New York City’s chief of patrol called the accused “cowards.”
Acting tough
“Get them all and send them back,” Hochul said. “You don’t touch our police officers. You don’t touch anybody.”
Considering the punishment
“I think that’s actually something that should be looked at,” Hochul said, “if someone commits a crime against a police officer in the state of New York and they’re not here legally. Definitely worth looking into.”
Record so far
As of Thursday, seven people have been arrested in connection with the assault on the officers. A police spokesman claimed they were all migrants, but NBC News could not verify that.
Not everyone
According to the chief of patrol, a total of eight people were involved in the incident. Five of the seven arrested have been released on their own recognizance.
Multiple charges
All five were charged with multiple felony charges that can lead to several years in prison and make them eligible for deportation.
Unhappy camper
“I’m not satisfied with that at all,” Hochul said regarding the decision to release the suspects. She acknowledged that new bail laws were leading to decreases in crime, but complained that this “situation is abhorrent to me.”
Changing the law
“We don’t hold people to a high accountability when they assault law enforcement,” Mayor Eric Adams claimed in January. He has repeatedly criticized recent criminal justice reforms that have removed bail in some instances.
Policies working
However, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union explained that “crime is down in New York City” as a result of bail reform. “We’re dealing with a mayor who, whatever the data says, presses for more cops.”
Decrease in crime
In 2023, overall crime in the city fell by 0.3%. Homicides, shootings, burglaries, sexual assaults, and grand larcenies all decreased, while felony assaults and car thefts increased. Arrests also increased by 20%.
Wider context
In the first six months of 2023, crime in New York state — excluding the city — had fallen by 6% when compared to the first half of 2022. In the city, murders, rapes, and burglaries had dropped by 10%.
Further reform
In 2018, New York became the first state to ensure that every immigrant facing deportation would have access to a lawyer. “This funding will help thousands of immigrant families receive due process and the chance to stay together,” the director of Vera’s Center on Immigration and Justice said.
Other violence
In 2022, New York City paid $121 million in settlements and payouts for police misconduct cases. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union database, between 2000 and 2021 there were 180,700 unique police misconduct complaints involving 59,244 separate incidents — with the vast majority of complaints never resulting in accountability for the officers involved.
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