Five years after the events following the George Floyd protests, former NYPD Lt. Richard Mack was informed that Shaborn Banks, a protester involved in an assault that caused Mack’s injuries and led to his early retirement, would not serve jail time. According to NBC New York, Banks was sentenced to community service after being convicted of third-degree assault.
In July 2020, during a protest against police violence on the Brooklyn Bridge, Mack sustained an eye injury that required surgery for a fractured orbital bone. The injury led to his retirement, ending a 26-year career with the NYPD, during which he served in the Strategic Response Group, a unit that responds to emergencies, including large protests.
Prosecutors, advocating for a stricter sentence, highlighted the seriousness of Mack’s injuries and their effects on his life and career. Judge April Newbauer ultimately sentenced Banks to 50 hours of community service to be completed with a public safety officer. As NBC New York reported, Newbauer explained, “The verdict reflected that the defendant was a participant, but it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he caused the serious injury.”
Mack expressed his disagreement with the sentence, stating that misdemeanor assault charges should not apply to a police officer and that the severity of his injuries warranted a felony charge. In a New York Post article, he added that he believed he had endured significant harm and sought justice.
Defense attorney Ronald Kuby stated that Banks was not the instigator in the confrontation and suggested that the police narrative was misleading. The New York Post stated that Kuby considered the sentence appropriate based on the facts of the case.
Two other individuals involved in the same incident received longer sentences: Chanice Reyes was sentenced to six months in jail, and Quran Campbell received a two-year prison term for their roles in the assaults. These cases illustrate the varying legal outcomes in incidents connected to civil unrest and the challenges courts face in determining appropriate sentences.
