Attorneys for Black Lives Matter on Wednesday asked that a Manhattan judge force the NYPD to hand over surveillance records related to protests in the wake of the 2014 death of Eric Garner, accusing cops of targeting officers’ critics.
“The NYPD was engaging in a political response of surveilling their critics in the democratic sphere,” attorney David Thompson argued in Manhattan Supreme Court.
“If we countenance political surveillance of the NYPD of political participants that they don’t like, that’s a very, very dangerous move,” Thompson said.
The NYPD has refused to make public videos and communications about undercover officers posted at Grand Central Terminal from November 2014 to January 2015 to monitor the protests.
Police lawyer Lesley Mbaye said the NYPD is exempt under the state’s Freedom of Information Law from producing records that could endanger undercover officers or reveal operational tactics.
Judge Manuel Mendez said he would issue a written ruling in the coming weeks.