Who is Lt Eric Dym? NYPD’s most notorious cop with 56 misconduct claims DEFENDS his record
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: An NYPD officer, who has received the most complaints, has defended the aggressive policing methods that resulted in 56 substantiated allegations of misconduct against him. In his final statement before leaving the force in October, Lieutenant Eric Dym argued that cops like him are "the ones you want to come to your door if, God forbid, you should ever need the police."
The ex-Marine worked for 18 years in the NYPD and was the subject of several complaints and disciplinary actions, reported Daily Mail. He has been accused of using physical force seven times, brandishing a gun four times, and abusing his position of authority numerous times. However, Dym, 42, has argued that his kind of policing is essential for maintaining the safety of the public. Regarding his contentious techniques, Dym said in the podcast episode of New York's 'Finest: Retired & Unfiltered', “My guys and girls that were on the street, the ones that you're substantiating complaints against, including myself — we're the ones that you want to come to your door if, God forbid, you should ever need the police. The Taser is not always an effective tool. No one likes to see the baton. Punches are ugly. They don't want to see chokes. So I ask the public…'tell us, what do you want to see?' We're only told what they don't want to see. But what do you want to see? We're talking about lives on the line, safety, for myself, and the cops. And they forget that we're human. And we all have that fear factor.”
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Additionally, Dym has been mentioned in at least eleven lawsuits that have cost the city more than $1.5 million. The Civilian Complaint Review Board which supervises the NYPD looked into the substantiated allegations made against him. Justice activists have argued that Dym's tough policing is illegal and damages communities. Jose Lasalle won about $900,000 in a wrongful arrest lawsuit against Dym and a number of other police officers for an event that occurred in 2017.
Lasalle who helped form the Copwatch Patrol Unit told New York's The City that Dym's attempts at self-justification were "full of crap." “We're seeking out those in possession of illegal firearms and those who did shootings. So in many cases, they're going to fight because they don't want to go to prison for a long period of time. They have to give up maybe family, kids, or a job — so they don't want to go in. And it's human nature at that point: It's fight or flight. And unfortunately, when we form a tactical plan, and we do a good job of isolating that perpetrator, their only option is to fight. And our only option is to keep each other safe,” Lasalle said.
In the podcast, Dym asserted that just before his retirement, he “observed numerous opportunities to conduct a stop where I'm confident I would obtain an illegal firearm, but I shied away from it because the amount of charges were mounting up.” Due to the accusations made against him, the CCRB requested Dym's dismissal. He will avoid punishment for the 29 accusations by retiring.
In a prior interview with The City, his attorney James Moschella stated: “He could not perform the type of policing that he believed was necessary, so he chose on his own volition to retire from the police department. And that is exactly what the CCRB wanted.”