March 6, 2025
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch
New York Police Department
1 Police PlazaNew York, NY 10038
Mayor Eric AdamsCity Hall
New York, NY 10007
cc: Jonathan Darche, Executive Director, Civilian Complaint Review Board
Re: Call for the Firing of Lt. Jonathan Rivera by March 31, 2025
Dear Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams,
As the 32 undersigned elected leaders of New York City and State, we write to urge the immediate termination of Lt. Jonathan Rivera from the NYPD for the 2019 killing of Allan Feliz, in line with the recommendation of NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado. Firing Lt. Rivera is the only just decision that can be made in this case, and it is a step in affirming your commitment to police accountability and public safety.
Commissioner Tisch, we appreciate your stated commitment to ensuring the integrity of the NYPD and recognize the steps you have taken to remove bad actors from the department. To fully actualize this commitment, you must fire Lt. Rivera. Doing so will send a strong and unequivocal message that, under your leadership, the NYPD is dedicated to disciplining officers who use excessive force. You have an opportunity to show that this department is truly turning a new page. We urge you to seize it.
Mayor Adams, during your campaign, you pledged to make police accountability a priority, but your administration has repeatedly failed to deliver on that promise. Failing to fire Lt. Rivera will only further reinforce concerns about corruption and a lack of accountability within the NYPD under your leadership.
The need to fire Lt. Rivera is crystal clear. Deputy Commissioner Maldonado found that Lt. Rivera violated NYPD policy and the law and then fabricated his rationale for shooting Allan Feliz at close range in an attempt to evade discipline. The killing of Allan Feliz was an unnecessary and egregious use of excessive force. For more than five years, the Feliz family has faced significant delays, obstruction after obstruction, only magnifying their suffering. No New York families should have to endure this.
We call on you to remove Lt. Rivera from the force without pension benefits or a “good guy” letter that would allow him to retain his firearm by March 31, the end of this month. As Deputy Commissioner Maldondo has correctly determined, based on the clear facts of this case, firing Lt. Rivera is the only justifiable course of action. This decision will also send a strong and necessary message that under your leadership, the NYPD will not tolerate the use of excessive force against New Yorkers.
Sincerely,
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