Saratoga Springs Police Chief: City will cooperate with AG investigation of handling of BLM activists

SARATOGA SPRINGS — City Police Chief Shane Crooks said Tuesday the department will cooperate with a state probe of its handling of Black Lives Matter activists.

In a statement, Crooks said the city had received correspondence from the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office concerning allegations of possible violations of state and federal law as it relates to recent protests that occurred in the city.

The attorney general’s office commenced the investigation, Crooks said, to assess whether the protesters were targeted with excessive force and retaliatory arrests.

“The City takes these allegations seriously and we will endeavor to work with the OAG to address these allegations and demonstrate the appropriateness of the actions taken by the members of the police department in response to the recent protests,” Crooks said.

The city will work with its outside attorney to address the attorney general’s concerns.

More than a dozen protesters were arrested on warrants following a July protest during which they blocked traffic. The charges were levied about six weeks after the event, raising concerns the police action was retaliatory.

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