Brownsville residents, community leaders, and politicians continued to express outrage yesterday in the wake of the death of Zuranna Horton, who was killed while trying to shield children from a spray of gunfire outside a school Friday afternoon. There was a candlelight vigil and march Sunday night, and yesterday Rev. Al Sharpton met with Horton's family, praising her ultimate sacrifice and noting that two of her siblings had previously died from gun violence. State Senator Eric Adams, whom you may recall from his "Stop the Sag" campaign, also weighed in. more ›

In the wake of the death of Sarah Coit, three New York State legislators are again pushing forward with a bill that would create a Domestic Violence Offender Database. Though the idea of creating a domestic abuse registry similar to the one already extant for child abusers has been around for a while, the death of 23-year-old Coit allegedly at the hands of Raul Barrera (who had multiple previous instances of abuse on the record), is being used by State Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson (D-Bronx), and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) to help move the law forward. A similar bill didn't cut it in the Ledge last year. more ›

When he's not stopping the sag or accusing the Times of racism for wanting to "throw the bums out" of Albany, Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) has guns in his crosshairs. At the end of January he was tossing your kid's bedroom and finding bullets ("Where there's smoke, there's possibly fire," warned Adams in a video, holding a bullet "discovered" behind a picture frame). In his latest attention-grabber, the senator collaborated with the Daily News to get hidden-camera footage of his shopping spree at Capital District gun shops. more ›

Remember earlier this year when pressure from union leaders caused State Senate Democrats to return $15k that Walmart had donated? Here we go again. The News looked into the big box retailer's donations in Albany and found that in the past two years it has given $63,500 to state politicians and committees as well as an additional $74,500 to congressional candidates and their PACs. That is a nice jump up from the $43,355 they gave in the previous two-year period. Coincidentally, did you know that the store was trying to invade New York City again? more ›

Back in September, 23-year-old Jasmine Herron was fatally struck by a bus after getting doored on Atlantic Avenue. The driver in question claimed she had nothing to do with the accident, and quickly excused herself to head to a baby shower. Now Herron's mother, Wendy Clouse, and Senator Eric Adams (of "Stop the Sag" fame) are teaming up to introduce the "Jasmine Herron Law," which would require drivers-ed classes to include lessons on how to deal with bikers, skateboarders, and other users of "alternative transportation." more ›

An NYPD officer and Marine veteran has teamed up with Senator Eric Adams in a fight to get him off desk duty and back on the streets. Officer James Brower, who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a cop since 2004, but has been on desk duty since 2005 after he told a supervisor that he was experiencing combat flashbacks. He was declared fit for full duty in 2008 by the Medical Board of the Police Pension Fund. "I feel betrayed," Brower told the Daily News. more ›

Yesterday, two of Sen. Eric Adams's proposed six "Stop the Sag" billboards went up in Brooklyn, urging youths to stop looking like fools with their pants on the ground. Depicting the behinds of two saggy men, the billboards display the message, "We are better than this! Stop the Sag!" Adams told the New York Times about one moment of inspiration for the campaign. “I was on a subway train, and there was this young man. His behind was showing, literally. He had underwear, but even the underwear was sagging. All the passengers were looking at each other in disgust, but nobody was saying anything.” Who else has been on that train? more ›

Brooklyn politician Eric Adams is hoping to fight the crack epidemic by urging Crown Heights youth to pull their pants up. To that end he’s spending $20,000 in campaign cash to erect six giant bill boards issuing the commandment “Stop the Sag!” There’s an accompanying Youtube video (below) in which Adams announces “If we raise our pants we raise our image,” and “We are better than this.” Supposedly the trend has its origins in prison culture, where inmates’ pants sag, because they aren’t permitted to wear belts. more ›

Following allegations that a top aide to Governor Paterson bullied an ex-girlfriend into dropping domestic abuse charges with the help of state troopers, two politicians want to keep law enforcement officials from straying again. Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Eric Adams have proposed the creation of an investigative commission for "systemic misconduct, abuse of power and inappropriate political intervention" with state police. According to Adams, the problem isn't the officers but politicians who abuse their influence. "Many of our state police officers are merely trying to do their jobs. And we want to create an atmosphere where they can do their job free from intimidation, free from any political maneuvering," he said. more ›

This is the State Senate's idea of "meeting" today: The Senate Democrats met in the Senate chamber, gaveled in, said the Pledge of Allegiance, have a moment of silence and gaveled out. Then the Senate Republicans entered, gaveled in, said the Pledge, had a moment of silence and gaveled out. Capitol Confidential writes, "So there has been progress today. No camping out on the rostrum, no dueling sessions." The Daily Politics says the Republicans were faster by 42 seconds, but that's because Senator Craig Johnson (D-Long Island) asked for a moment of silence to remember the death of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson. more ›

A woman's accusation of being drugged and sexually assaulted at a Brooklyn nightclub has led local state senator Eric Adams to call for immediate screening for date rape drugs at hospitals when a woman is brought in an incoherent state. The alleged victim, who appeared at a press conference with Adams dressed to shield her identity, said that she was invited by the owner of the Khrome Bar & Lounge on Atlantic and Washington Aves. to come by along with a friend of hers. The woman remembers going to the bar and having a few drinks and then waking up in a hospital. more ›

As David Tarloff is held in the murder of therapist Kathryn Faughey, the Manhattan DA's office is planning on showing how the crime was premeditated. Tarloff was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder (when he slashed another doctor, Kent Shinbach), and first-degree assault. more ›

A New York State senator is proposing a law that makes criminals legally responsible for the inadvertent harm to helpful bystanders who might come to the aid of a person under attack. The proposal comes in the wake of the death of Flonarza Byas, who may have been killed by Maurice Parks while he was defending himself during a robbery. more ›

Imecca Burton, her mother, and civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel held a press conference in front of Police Headquarters yesterday to decry the handcuffing of 10-year-old Imecca, who was handcuffed by police in front of PS 25 where she attends elementary school. Police officers witnessed a fight on her school bus and in the ensuing events Imecca was handcuffed. Witnesses said that Imecca was swearing, kicking, and screaming, which is why the cops cuffed her. They were removed once she composed herself. The 10-year-old said she was afraid that she was going to jail and would never get out. "I never thought I'd see my brothers and sisters again," the New York Post reports. The Post labels Imecca Burton as "disabled" when describing her handcuffing and later elaborates that she has attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. Norman Siegel plans to sue the city on her behalf. more ›

As the police try to reconstruct the events of Thursday night's mugging attack, a little more information is offered about some of those involved. Subway conductor Maurice Parks was walking home when he was attacked by a group of muggers in Harlem, at West 139th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue late Thursday night. When stabbed, Parks took out his own knife to defend himself. By the end, the police arrested a wounded attacker and another teen attacker, and found that a man who died in the clash was actually a bystander. more ›

Two hit and run drivers were arrested late this week; one through the actions of a horrified but brave bystander and the other through a successful effort by the Brooklyn Accident Investigation squad. Cops arrived at Sergey Satyr's Mill Basin home Thursday to arrest the 20-year-old for the hit-and-run death of 71-year-old Grace Smith of Sheepshead Bay. The Brooklyn Accident Investigation squad used debris from Satyr's Nissan and a partial license plate number to track the suspect down. Satyr allegedly ran down Smith December 21st on Ocean Parkway near Avenue X. more ›

The family of Carol Simon is grieving after she was killed while walking on Eastern Parkway near Bedford around 5:30PM on Saturday. Simon, a 35-year-old nurse's assistant, had been on her way to take her son to swimming lessons when an argument between two men became violent and one pulled out a gun. more ›

First responders gathered in front of the NYC Medical Examiner's office to protest how the ME has classified deaths seemingly related to Ground Zero illnesses. State Senator Eric Adams said he would introduce legislation making sure first responders who worked at Ground Zero will "get the same line-of-duty benefits" as September 11 victims. Recently, the ME's office has not named two rescuers, who worked at the World Trade Center site after September 11 and later... more ›

A New York state legislator stood at the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge yesterday and blamed confusing signage and roadways for the death of Sam Hindy, who was killed last week. Hindy was killed when he struck a barrier and plunged to the lower roadway of the Manhattan Bridge and struck by a car. The 27-year-old was riding from Manhattan to Brooklyn with a friend, Benjamin Price last Friday evening when they found themselves on... more ›

The police arrested the man who fired the shot that hit a 16-year-old boy who looked outside his window earlier this week. Tavin Alves, a quiet ninth grader who was shot in the head and found slumped against a wall by his 5-year-old brother, was taken off a respirator by his family on Thursday; yesterday, they held a Stop Gun Violence rally. more ›

Lawmakers are looking to toughen laws around tinted windows on automobiles. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum pointed out that police officer Russel Timoshenko was fatally shot when he approached a stolen SUV with tinted windows. And current State Senator Eric Adams (a retired police captain and a founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care) summed it up, "The criminal element does not use tinted windows to protect themselves from dangerous UV rays. They use them to protect their illegal activity." more ›

Congratulations to everyone graduating this month! As NYU's commencement was today, with speaker jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, we decided to list the many NYC commencement speakers, with help from The Chronicle of Higher Education (if we've missed any or gotten it wrong, let us know in comments): more ›

Police officers from both the regular and auxiliary force attended a second funeral in two days for a slain auxiliary police officer killed during a Greenwich Village rampage. Nineteen-year-old Eugene Marshalik was remembered at a funeral in Brooklyn by friends, family members, fellow cops, and city officials. more ›

A series of robberies at the 7th Avenue F train subway station in Park Slope has allegedly prompted the NYPD Transit captain to order officers to "stop all black male teens" there, according to the NY Post. Cops are apparently supposed to stop and question teens, while filling out "250 forms." This, of course, has set off a frenzy from different unions and organizations. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Assication's Patrick Lynch said, "Ordering police officers to stop every black male teenager is against the department's racial-profiling prohibition and creates more trouble for the officers than it will solve," while 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care head Eric Adams said, "We're going to go to the Seventh Avenue station and do observations," given the NYPD's past abuse using 250 forms. more ›

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Police captain Eric Adams, who had been reprimanded by the police department for speaking out against last fall's terror alert and implying that Mayor Bloomberg used the alert to draw attention from a mayoral debate he was not participating in, was found not guilty of two charges the NYPD brought against him in a trial. Adams, who is retiring to enter politics, had said the NYPD waited three days before telling the public about a terror threat; he would have been stripped of his pension otherwise. However, he was found guilty of appearing on TV, representing the NYPD without permission. Overall, Adams will be able to retire with his full pension, giving up 15 vacation days for speaking without permission. But his lawyer, Norman Siegel, says Adams will appeal the decision, saying, "If government employees - including police officers - are afraid to speak out and they don't speak out, then we, the citizens, we, the public, lose in the long run. Because the government employees know better than anyone else what's actually happening inside their government agencies." more ›

Gothamist is following the trial of Police Captain Eric Adams. The NYPD claims that Adams gave false information to the public during an appearance on CBS 2 about the subway terror alert last fall, while Adams' lawyer, Norman Siegel (of the ACLU), says that Adams' remarks fall under free speech. Adams had implied that the terror alert was used to overshadow the fact that Mayor Bloomberg wasn't attending a mayoral debate in Harlem (basically that the city waited three days to announce the news and deploy extra police officers), which could possibly be a cause for NYPD retaliation. But the NYPD is saying that Adams' statements during the broadcast were factually incorrect, and the mix of details from other commanders in the Manhattan South precinct is fascinating for the kind of staffing moves the NYPD makes during a terror alert. Adams is also the head of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, and his lawyers also seem to be saying that his role as the head of that organization gives him an opportunity to speak for 100 BLEWC, not necessarily being a "representative of the police department." more ›

- With City Council Speaker's firing of 60 council staffers, the comments thread at The Politicker got very interesting more ›