Media Contact:
Eliel Cruz
press@justicecommittee.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In response to The Intercept’s report: “NYPD Cops Sued For Misconduct Cost City Millions in Settlements––Then Get Promotions”, Samy Feliz, the brother of Allan Feliz, who was killed by the NYPD in 2019, released the following statement:
“To put it simply, the NYPD rewards police misconduct and abuse. I"m not shocked to see this NYPD pattern of promoting and covering for officers who've harmed New Yorkers with lawsuit payouts. This is exactly what happened with Lt. Jonathan Rivera, who was a sergeant at the time he killed my brother, Allan Feliz, with a close-range shot to the chest after he and Officers Edward Barrett and Michelle Almanzar illegally detained Allan during a car stop four years ago. Lt. Rivera has a miles-long history of misconduct, with 34 allegations, and has cost the city at least $115,000 in lawsuit settlements so far. If Rivera had been fired for any of these misconduct complaints, my brother would be alive today. Instead of firing Lt. Rivera, the NYPD has rewarded him with $60,000 in pay increases and promoted him from sergeant to lieutenant, while my family has spent four years mourning the loss of our son, brother, and father and fighting to make sure Lt. Rivera is fired from the NYPD. It’s too late for Allan, but as long as Lt. Rivera is an officer, New Yorkers are not safe.
Not only does the NYPD sweep misconduct under the rug with payouts, but they consistently delay and obstruct discipline processes for officers like Lt. Rivera. The NYPD kept their internal investigation open for over two years, stalling the CCRB investigation past the 18-month discipline deadline, and are now threatening to take the discipline process away from the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). The CCRB substantiated fireable discipline charges in May. It’s time to break down the NYPD’s blue wall of protection for abusive officers. The mayor and NYPD commissioner need to fire Lt. Rivera and all of these officers and stop protecting and rewarding them on the taxpayers’ dime.”
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