Brooklyn elected officials call for immediate firing of Officer D’Andraia and disciplinary action against his commanding officer Edelman of the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville

NEW YORK, NY – Following a weekend of protests in NYC and around the country, United States Representatives Yvette D. Clarke and Hakeem Jeffries, New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie, New York State Assembly Member Latrice Walker and New York City Councilors Alicka Ampry-Samuel and Laurie Cumbo called for the immediate firing of NYPD Officer Vincent J. D’Andraia after he violently assaulted Dounya Zayer who was peacefully protesting the murder of George Floyd in Brooklyn on Friday. D’Andraia is known to use unnecessary violence while working his Brownsville beat. The elected officials also called for disciplinary action of his commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Craig Edelman who witnessed the violence but took no action to intervene. 

While at a press conference this morning at One Police Plaza Clarke, Jeffries, Myrie, Walker, Ampry-Samuel and Cumbo addressed the epidemic of police brutality including the violent Friday night NYPD assault on Dounya Zayer that caused her to have seizures and a concussion after hitting her head. Zayer, a petite female, was in Brooklyn protesting the murder of George Floyd on Friday night when she was violently shoved to the ground by a NYPD officer while his commanding officer stood by taking no action against this violence nor to help the young woman; the incident was captured on video by a reporter. Zayer was treated for seizures and a concussion at the hospital.  

NYPD officers from around the city were positioned at this weekend’s protests, including the protest where Zayer was peacefully protesting. Both officers are from the 73rd precinct, which covers the Brownsville, Brooklyn neighborhood. Officer D’Andraia has a reputation of using unnecessarily violence while on the job. 

Clarke said: “Our country is in crisis as we see Black lives being stolen by officers who put themselves above the law. We must make drastic changes today for the sake of our country’s future and remove all the bad apples in law enforcement before their actions escalate to a loss of life, like with what happened to Brother George Floyd. I call for the immediate firing of Officer Vincent J. D’Andraia for his cruel and unnecessary violence toward Dounya Zayer who was peacefully protesting in Brooklyn on Friday and I also call for disciplinary action against his commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Craig Edelman, who witnessed the attack but didn’t intervene to stop the violence or to help Dounya Zayer. We have no time to waste  ”  

Jeffries said: “There are good men and women in the New York Police Department and there are brutal ones. We should embrace those police officers with the heart to respectfully serve and reject all others. Violent members of law enforcement must be held accountable to the full extent of the law. That is the only way to bring about meaningful change. Deputy Inspector Craig Edelman should be purged from the Brownsville community. Officer Vincent D’Andraia is a ticking time bomb who must be fired immediately. It’s time for a zero tolerance policy with respect to police violence. That policy must begin today.”

This weekend at another protest, NYPD used police vehicles as weapons to charge a crowd of peaceful protestors. 

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• Watch a recording of the press conference here
• View photos from the press conference here.