FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT
Eliel Cruz
NEW YORK, New York – On the third anniversary of the death of Allan Feliz at the hands of the NYPD, Feliz’s brother Samy Feliz and organizers from the Justice Committee met with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to hear an update on the CCRB’s investigation of Sgt. Jonathan Rivera and Officers Edward Barrett and Michelle Almanzar for Mr. Feliz’s murder. The CCRB informed Samy Feliz it would take at least 6 more months before they complete their investigation and determine potential misconduct charges for the officers responsible for Allan Feliz’s death. The CCRB began its investigation in November 2020 when Allan Feliz’s brother, Samy Feliz, submitted a complaint. The investigation still has not been completed nearly two years later, in large part because the NYPD delayed the process by refusing to provide key documents to the CCRB for almost a year and a half.
“Outrageously, we have seen the NYPD use this kind of tactic to shield abusive officers from accountability and delay CCRB investigations time and time again,” said Danny Kim, Organizer with the Justice Committee. A recent report released by the State Comptroller’s Office confirms that delaying CCRB investigations is a common practice of the NYPD.
On Oct. 17, 2019, Mr. Feliz, a Washington Heights resident, was pulled over at the intersection of Bainbridge Ave. and East 211 St. in the Bronx by Sgt. Rivera and Officers Barrett and Almanzar. They alleged he was not wearing a seatbelt, but body-worn camera footage from the incidents shows them acknowledging that he was. Rather than allow Mr. Feliz to continue on his way, officers escalated the situation by unjustly keeping him detained, then tasering and beating him repeatedly. After tasering and beating Allan, who was unarmed, Sgt. Rivera shot him in the chest at close range, pulled his limp body out of the car into the road, and left him cuffed, bleeding out, and with his genitals exposed.
“On top of murdering my brother and disrespecting his body, Sgt. Jonathan Rivera, and Officers Edward Barrett and Michaelle Almanzar have long histories of misconduct allegations against them and are also the subjects of multiple civil suits,” said Samy Feliz, brother of Allan Feliz. “These officers are clearly threats to our communities and unfit and incapable of upholding the law. Yet, the City has only rewarded them with pay increases and promotions. My brother’s life mattered. In the interest of public safety, I am calling on Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Sewell to stop any further delays and immediately fire Sgt. Rivera and Officers Barrett and Almanzar.”
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ABOUT THE JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Since the 1980s, the Justice Committee (JC) has been dedicated to building a movement against police violence and systemic racism in New York City. The heart of our work is organizing and uplifting the leadership of families who have lost loved ones to the police and survivors of police violence. We empower our community to deter police violence, hold law enforcement accountable, and build people-led community safety through grassroots organizing campaigns, community empowerment, political education, our CopWatch program, and by developing safety mechanisms and projects that decrease reliance on police. By building solidarity with other anti-racist, immigrant and people of color-led organizations, the Justice Committee seeks to contribute to a broad-based movement for racial, social, and economic justice.