Why We're Not Supposed to Know the Names of Cops who Kill Civilians, But Sometimes Do

Almost two weeks have passed since four NYPD officers shot Saheed Vassell in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, but the names of the cops have still not emerged. Sometimes it happens that way, which is in keeping with police department practice, and sometimes it doesn't. The difference would appear to be arbitrary.

Five times since September, New York cops have fatally fired on a man perceived as a threat. The public learned the officers' names in three of those cases from press reports citing "sources." But in two other cases, the identities of the shooters remain a mystery. Here's the list, as compiled from news clippings:

• Miguel Richards (killed Sept, 2017) — Officers Mark Fleming and Redmond Murphy
• Cornel Lockhart (killed Nov 13, 2017) — Officers Shawn Lauftus and Nicole Kraus
• Mario Sinabria (killed Dec 5, 2017) — Officer Ruben Leon and partner
• Michael Hansford (killed Jan 29, 2018) — Officer(s) unknown
• Saheed Vassell (killed April 4, 2018) — Officers unknown

NYPD spokesman John Grimpel said in an email that, "The NYPD has a long-standing practice not to disclose the names of officers involved in shootings for the safety of those involved" — in other words, to prevent retaliation against them. Another official said that, on occasion, a police cruiser will be assigned to stand guard outside the house of an officer who has received a credible threat.

But family members of shooting victims complain that if information is going to come out about their dead loved one — in the case of Vassell, that he was homeless and mentally ill — then the names of officers who shot him should be known as well. Indeed, Vassell's family members took to the steps of City Hall last week to not only call for the  names of the officers involved, but also any disciplinary charges they have faced.

Now, with Buzzfeed's publication of a searchable database of information on NYPD employees accused of misconduct, families of shooting victims could plug in the names of the officers and potentially learn something substantial about their record.

Despite the department's non-disclosure policy, officers' names do leak out, according to a police official (who spoke on condition of anonymity). "It's a big department, people talk," the official said.

Not long after the Vassell shooting, Mayor Bill de Blasio implied that the officers could not be named while the state attorney general was conducting an investigation. But a spokesperson for the Attorney General clarified that, when it comes to releasing names, "We are not the gatekeeper. We have no role whatsoever."

They mayor later adjusted the statement when speaking on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show on April 13. "The attorney general will determine if any charges are brought in terms of the judicial system," de Blasio said. "Obviously, any time that happens, the specific names of the officers are brought forward."

Except that's not quite right. Once the attorney general takes on a fatal police-involved shooting, as current AG Eric Schneiderman has in this case, he is obligated to produce a report explaining whether criminal charges are merited. In those reports, which in the past have taken seven to 12 months to complete, it is standard practice to divulge the names of the officers.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly characterized when the attorney general releases the identities of police officers involved in a fatal shooting. The text and accompanying audio was updated at 4 p.m. , April 18, 2018.