Black Lives Matter Activist Sues NYPD, Claims Cops Stalked His Instagram Before Attempted Raid
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Black Lives Matter activist Derrick Ingram filed a lawsuit against the NYPD on Wednesday after a 5-hour police stand-off at his home last summer.
According to Ingram, police arrived at his door at 7 am on August 7th, 2020 with a K-9 unit claiming they had a warrant for his arrest.
Ingram did not know of any warrants and refused to come outside.
Members of NYPD’s Strategic Response Group arrived on the scene, setting up their operation in an empty apartment across from Ingram’s.
Police continued to bang on his door, threatening to break the door down and arrest him.
Scared for his life, Ingram began streaming live on Instagram. At one point during the video, Ingram said he noticed a red dot beaming into his living room coming from police snipers on a rooftop across the street. Ingram pleaded to his audience, “Please don’t let them kill me!”
this shit is insane pic.twitter.com/nq4EN6fBH1
— talia jane (@mxtaliajane) August 7, 2020
But according to the lawsuit, there was never a warrant out for Ingram’s arrest and the misdemeanor charge of shouting into a police officer’s ear with a bullhorn was the only alleged charge.
But that didn’t stop police from using an arsenal of military-grade equipment to terrorize Ingram in his own home.
Also police notes indicate that officer Officer Desirae Lafurno, who was the alleged officer Ingram shouted at with the bullhorn, initially found photos of Ingram on instagram after her boyfriend searched the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.
This led officers to opening an investigation into Ingram by tracking his social media presence.
The lawsuit also claims police fabricated a report that falsely accused Ingram of committing assault while attending a Black Lives Matter protest during the summer of 2020.
“When this happens to people, sometimes they’re not alive to tell their story,” said Ingram in an interview with Gothamist. “The has to be a level of accountability and justice.”
The NYPD declined to answer any questions about the raid, and no officers have been disciplined for the attempted raid, but Ingram’s pain still lingers.
The 28-year old suffers from post-traumatic stress, and still has nightmares from the incident. He also said it’s hard for him to be in the same space as police officers because of paranoia and frequent flashbacks.
Click here to see the entire lawsuit.
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