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Eugene O'Donnell: The charges were brought now because there is an 18-month statute of limitations. The cops have due-process rights.Once the federal probe is resolved and the internal case against Adonis can proceed, what happens then?
If Sergeant Adonis contests the charges, she is entitled to a full-scale hearing (that the cops think is bogus). But if she contests, her innocence tends to work disfavorably against her. Should the sergeant opt for, or be forced to, a trial, which is sort of a major court martial in the police world, the proceedings are public and you can attend.
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In terms of discipline, the sergeant is one of those rarely charged with inaction—almost always the cops are cited for acting, not avoiding [action]. It raises the question of whether she is singled out because she happens to be a black woman. Or is it just the department, by default, once again excoriating one of its own for institutional failures, without specifying what a sergeant should do in this situation? Similarly, when someone says they are not going to acquiesce to being arrested, what is the NYPD playbook? What specific steps should Pantaleo and others take.Hanging over this is the acknowledgement by the department, which initially seemed commendable, that street cops don't have any real training and direction about how to make adversarial arrests. This reality is similar for supervisors. NYPD ran everybody through how-to-make-arrests training after Garner, because the department has avoided this topic [and] the need for physicality for years.Is this a sign of progress for the NYPD?
For cops, this represents the agency they work for at its worst. Who ordered the cops to go after Garner? Why was loose cigarette enforcement—a revenue crime [usually associated with "broken windows" policing]—the concern of street cops? Why do the Mayor and the Commissioner continue to stand over the decision to deploy cops to make this absurd arrest? This is a political failure.
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She can be disciplined, but that must ordinarily be consistent with what has happened to similarly situated people. She could lose her job, but it's highly unlikely. Or she could lose vacation days, which is a more likely outcome. I think she is a tenured sergeant so she can't lose her rank. But she could be blacklisted and sent to terrible assignments without due process.The Department's internal disciplinary system is viewed as a Kangaroo Court. This will further disincentivize cops and their bosses from acting, which is good if you live in a building with a vigilante doorman or robust private security, but bad if you don't. To outsiders, the cops are running amuck. For those inside, it's just another reminder to get off the street, or retire at first light.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.Follow John Surico on Twitter.