Chief of Department Terence Monahan is telling police officers not to listen to advice from the PBA, saying they could be endangering their own lives.
A memo to officers this week from the union said to use “extreme caution” when making arrests. It also told officers to wait for backup and consult with a supervisor before acting on those arrests.
“A lot of advice has been given out to cops on how they should deal with someone who is resisting arrest and I’m going to tell you right now, that is pretty bad advice,” Monahan said.
The message from the PBA came after Police Commissioner James O’Neill fired Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner.
“Anyone who’s going to hesitate when they’re about to lock up a bad guy is endangering their own lives,” Monahan said.
In addition to firing Pantaleo, the NYPD also took 20 vacation days from Sergeant Kizzy Adonis, who was a supervisor on the scene when Garner died.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association said Adonis only accepted the deal from the NYPD because she didn’t trust the disciplinary process. The union has called for O’Neill to resign.
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