A Manhattan judge has ordered the NYPD to release data on police shooting incidents that it had been fighting tooth and nail to keep private.
In a decision made public yesterday, state Supreme Court Justice Emily Jane Goodman ruled the cops must turn over two kinds of reports that are filed after every shooting incident involving a civilian to the New York Civil Liberties Union.
She ordered the NYPD to turn over data dating back to 1997, but said they can withhold information identifying police, victims and witnesses from the documents.
The NYCLU had been trying to get the two types of reports created after cops fire their weapons at civilians — one that’s done 24 hours after the shooting and the other 90 days later — since early 2009.
“Once again, the courts have rejected the NYPD’s pattern of withholding information from the public,” said NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman.
Lawyers for the NYPD had put forward a laundry list of reasons why they believed the reports should be completely withheld, including arguing that it would interfere with investigations, discourage witnesses from cooperating, and because their release could be an “unwarranted invasion of privacy” for those involved.
Goodman said the NYPD’s stance flew in the face of the Freedom of Information law, and she ordered the reports be released — but without the names of the officers, victims and witnesses involved. Jesse Levine of the city Law Department said his office was weighing an appeal. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly declined comment, saying he had not yet read the decision.
Additional reportingby Lorena Mongelli