Five years after the world watched the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, New Yorkers are reflecting on the aftermath which ignited some of the largest protests in recent history and prompted numerous complaints against the NYPD for excessive force.
Among those incidents was a specific encounter involving NYPD Detective Jason Ragoo, who, under the emergency curfew in place at the time, forcibly took a female protester to the ground in Lower Manhattan.
Footage of Ragoo jabbing his baton into the ribs of a woman huddled in a fetal position offers a chilling reminder of the aggressive tactics employed by police during the protests.
This incident is one of many that formed a pattern illustrating how police responses during the protests have been largely unchecked, with minimal consequences for the officers involved.
The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), which monitors police conduct, reported receiving over a thousand excessive force complaints during the unrest.
Of these, 66 cases were identified as involving improper or excessive force, but the outcomes were markedly disappointing, suggesting a trend of leniency towards law enforcement.
Following the investigation, Ragoo was slapped with ‘instructions’ on proper police procedures—a form of disciplinary action that was considered inadequate by many advocates and community members.
Only five officers faced more severe repercussions, with most receiving little to no discipline whatsoever, raising ongoing concerns about accountability within the NYPD.
The failure to impose strict discipline for excessive force cases is emblematic of a broader culture of impunity within the police department, as noted by Dr. Mohammad Khalid, interim chair of the CCRB.
In the wake of these protests, the city faced not only public outcry but also hefty financial consequences due to civil lawsuits, which racked up millions in settlements.
The relationship between citizens and police was further strained, as indicated by the findings of organizations like Human Rights Watch, which accused the NYPD of violating international human rights during mass arrests of protesters.
This highlighted a critical need for reform within the NYPD, especially concerning how officers are trained and disciplined when engaged with communities in civil unrest situations.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly acknowledged the mistakes made by the NYPD in handling the protests, admitting systemic issues existed within the department.
Despite these acknowledgments, experts assert that the effects of lenient consequences for officers can erode public trust in law enforcement even further.
In the specific case involving Detective Ragoo, the CCRB’s pursuit of accountability ended abruptly when then-Commissioner Dermot Shea blocked the case from moving to trial, asserting that the Internal Affairs Bureau had already addressed it.
The context of Ragoo’s action, as noted in reports, presented a chaotic atmosphere during which officers attempted to manage crowds amidst widespread anger towards law enforcement.
Nevertheless, the lack of corroborative evidence regarding Ragoo’s justification for force underscores the ongoing disparity between community perception and police procedure.
Critics, including former officer Jillian Snider, stress that while police faced unprecedented hostility during the protests, the instances of force used often went unchallenged due to the prevailing interpretations of the situations by the NYPD.
Overall, the dissection of disciplinary actions against officers involved in the protests points to systemic flaws that continue to impact community relations and policing practices in New York City.
The reluctance of the NYPD to fully endorse the CCRB’s recommendations only exacerbates the issue of accountability, leading to public sentiment that officers are rarely held accountable for misconduct.
As discussions around police reform continue, the settlements resulting from the protests have propelled the city towards enacting new policies regarding the policing of demonstrations.
Adjustments to strategies like the introduction of a tiered response to protests aim to prevent the type of chaotic confrontations seen in the past.
With the new initiatives dictated by a court settlement, policies are being updated to incorporate factors like protest-related misconduct, which should theoretically enhance penalties for officers who misuse force in these volatile situations.
Yet as community advocates voice concerns about punitive measures, they remain wary about the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms, given previous failures in disciplinary actions.
As 2023 comes to a close, many continue to watch the NYPD closely, anticipating whether the promised reforms will transpire in practice and effectively address long-standing issues of police accountability.
In summary, the ramifications of the protests continue to resonate, with public demands for change juxtaposed against a police department hesitant to enforce strict disciplinary measures against its ranks, leaving many in New York City questioning the future of policing in their communities.
image source from：https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/06/03/nypd-excessive-force-discipline-george-floyd-protests/
