NYPD Needs More Training On Basic Civil Rights

I was surprised to see that the mother in this story was someone I had met: Chaumtoli Huq, who as General Counsel for Public Advocate Tish James worked with us on the LICH litigation after the mayoral transition.  If the allegations here are true, whatever happened to Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect?

A mother and former top government lawyer waiting for her husband and kids to use the bathroom at a Times Square restaurant was arrested for blocking the sidewalk, in what she calls an attempt by the NYPD to target her for being Muslim, according to a pending lawsuit.

Chaumtoli Huq, 42, a human rights lawyer and former general counsel for Public Advocate Letitia James, said she had just left a pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square on July 19 with her husband and two young children when they stopped to use the bathroom at Ruby Tuesday at 41st Street and Seventh Avenue.

I personally know a lot of police officers who are consummate professionals.  But as we've seen repeatedly in NYC and elsewhere, especially with various types of 1st Amendment activities (see, e.g., Occupy, 2004 GOP Convention, 2003 Iraq War protest) there are also some who like to throw their weight around.  And that is not acceptable.