Following Rare NYPD Trial Commissioner Recommendation, Advocates Call on Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams to Take Action
MEDIA CONTACT
Eliel Cruz
New York, NY — Today, the mother, siblings, son, and partner of Allan Feliz were joined by community groups and Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, Councilmember Cameran De La Rosa, and Councilmember Alexa Aviles to demand NYPD Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams follow the recommendation of the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials and fire Lt. Jonathan Rivera for the killing of Allan Feliz in 2019.
“Lt. Rivera broke NYPD protocols and the law when he tased, beat, and shot my unarmed brother in the chest at point blank range,” said Samy Feliz, brother of Allan Feliz. “My family and I have known this for over half a decade and after reviewing the evidence from Rivera’s discipline trial, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Maldonado agrees.”
Following a disciplinary trial in Nov. 2024, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado has found Lt. Jonathan Rivera guilty of excessive force and assault in the first degree and is recommending he be fired for the 2019 killing of Allan Feliz. An NYPD Trial Commissioner ruling that recommends dismissal for a police killing is rare and underscores the egregious nature of Mr. Feliz’s death.
“This is the second time such a recommendation has been made in a CCRB case, and the rarity and severity of this outcome cannot be understated,” said Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa. “Allan Feliz was murdered on the streets of our city unjustly, leaving behind a family in pain for over half a decade. Firing Lieutenant Rivera without further delay is the only right step forward.”
The decision now falls to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and will be her first major police accountability decision as Mayor Adam’s fourth police commissioner.
“This case is a test for Commissioner Tisch,” said David Galarza, a spokesperson for the Justice Committee. “Will she put the safety of New Yorkers and the interest of justice above politics and protecting a corrupt and abusive police force? Or will she stay on the path of all of Eric Adams’ other puppet commissioners?”
“Our Black and Latino families are the ones who disproportionately suffer when their loved ones are killed by police, and these families almost always suffer the added pain of seeing the officer responsible for the killing walk away without any consequences,” said Lourdes Rosado, President and General Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “Deputy Commissioner Maldonado’s recommendation to fire Lt. Jonathan Rivera for the death of Allan Feliz gives Commissioner Tisch a rare opportunity to follow through on her promise to strengthen accountability in the department and respond to New Yorkers who have been harmed by police, and who live in constant fear that police will harm and kill them without consequence.”
Previous Commissioners have delayed final rulings for months, leaving families without closure. The Feliz family and supporters are demanding Commissioner Tisch fire Lt. Rivera with no further delay, without access to his pension or a “good guy” letter that would allow him to keep his gun.
“After years of unacceptable delays, the NYPD Deputy Commissioner has finally ruled that Lt. Rivera is guilty,” said Councilmember Alexa Aviles. “The Feliz family has been left to suffer with both the loss of their beloved Allan and the lack of closure from the failures of our justice system. I urge the Mayor and Commissioner Tisch to urgently uphold the recommendation that Lt. Rivera be fired from his position immediately. The horrific violence demonstrated to Allan Feliz must be met with accountability, and we must take steps to ensure that our public safety system drastically changes.”
“The reality is that nothing can bring back Allan Feliz or reverse the pain his family has felt in the past decade,” said Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. “Yet, they continued to fight for some semblance of justice and accountability for Alan’s killing believing that the right thing would be done. I call on the Police Commissioner to follow Deputy Commissioner Maldonado’s recommendation to fire Lt. Rivera and help bring the Feliz family closer to the closure they deserve.”
“Commissioner Tisch: You need to do the right thing,” said Julie Aquino, mother of Allan Feliz’s son, who was 6-months old at the time he was killed. “Send a message to other officers that you will not tolerate the brutal, unjust murder of New Yorkers. Fire Jonathan Rivera immediately, so that I can tell my son that he’s out of our community and is no longer a police officer who carries a gun.”
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Background: On October 17, 2019, NYPD Lt. Jonathan Rivera (who was a sergeant at the time) and Officers Edward Barrett and Michelle Almanzar pulled Allan Feliz over on the corner of E 211 St and Bainbridge Ave for allegedly not wearing a seatbelt. Bodyworn camera (bwc) footage shows officers acknowledging that Mr. Feliz was wearing his seatbelt, but rather than allowing him to drive away, the officers escalated by illegally detaining him and attacking him. Lt. Rivera climbed into the passenger side of the car, tasered, beat and threatened to shoot Mr. Feliz, and then shot him point blank in the chest. After Mr. Feliz was shot, Officer Barrett yanked Mr. Feliz’s limp body from the car, exposing his genitals. None of the officers immediately covered Mr. Feliz or provided medical aid. Instead, they left Mr. Feliz to bleed out, cuffed, and exposed. Moments after shooting Mr. Feliz, Lt. Rivera exclaimed, “I was fighting. My hand was getting tired.”
After years of delays and obstruction, in May 2023, the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) substantiated fireable charges against Lt. Rivera for the killing of Allan Feliz. The NYPD delayed the process further by failing to deliver the charges to Lt. Rivera so that a discipline trial could be scheduled for over a year. Finally, after multiple rallies and press conferences, the NYPD delivered the charges in June 2024 and a discipline trial was held in Nov. 2024. In February, Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado determined Lt. Rivera to be guilty of excessive force and assault in the first degree and is recommending he be fired. The Feliz family is calling for the NYPD commissioner and the mayor to make a swift decision that accepts Maldonado’s recommendation to fire Lt. Rivera.
About the Justice Committee:
Since the 1980s, the Justice Committee (JC) has been dedicated to building a movement against police violence and systemic racism in New York City. The heart of our work is organizing and uplifting the leadership of families who have lost loved ones to the police and survivors of police violence. We empower our community to deter police violence, hold law enforcement accountable, and build people-led community safety through grassroots organizing campaigns, community empowerment, political education, our CopWatch program, and by developing safety mechanisms and projects that decrease reliance on police. By building solidarity with other anti-racist, immigrant and people of color-led organizations, the Justice Committee seeks to contribute to a broad-based movement for racial, social, and economic justice.
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