Killers Score Cash—Victims’ Families BLINDSIDED

Hand holding a stack of hundred dollar bills

New York City just handed out hefty cash settlements to the very men convicted of murdering two NYPD officers, leaving the officers’ families outraged and demanding to know how killers get rewarded while their loved ones are in the ground.

At a Glance

Convicted cop killers received financial settlements from New York City after filing civil rights lawsuits about their incarceration.
The families of the slain NYPD officers were blindsided—getting no warning—sparking outrage and calls for reform.
Public and police union backlash is pressuring lawmakers to stop payouts to those convicted of killing law enforcement.
The city’s legal department claims the settlements are about cost and risk, not justice or public safety.

Families Outraged as City Pays Killers of NYPD Officers

The mother and widow of two fallen NYPD officers learned—through the media, not from city officials—that the men who murdered their loved ones would be collecting large settlements from the city’s coffers. The convicted killers, already serving their sentences, filed civil lawsuits alleging mistreatment behind bars, and rather than risk a drawn-out court battle, the city quietly settled. The families say they never received notice, let alone a chance to object, before the payouts were approved. Now, they’re demanding answers about a system that seems to reward criminals while victims’ families are left picking up the pieces.

Police unions and victims’ advocates are echoing the families’ outrage, slamming the city for what they see as a twisted incentive structure. They argue that the settlements dishonor the memory of fallen officers and erode public trust in the justice system. As one union leader put it, “When the city writes checks to cop killers, it sends a message that law and order don’t matter, and that’s a slap in the face to every family mourning a hero.”

Legal Loophole or Outright Insanity? How We Got Here

The U.S. legal system permits prisoners—including those convicted of the most heinous crimes—to sue for violations of their constitutional rights while incarcerated. If the city faces possible liability for abuse, denial of medical care, or other misconduct, it can choose to settle rather than risk a much larger jury award. In 2024 alone, New York City paid out more than $205 million in settlements related to police and correctional misconduct, with no requirement to notify victims’ families in advance. These settlements are sometimes justified when wrongful convictions are overturned, but in this case, the recipients remain convicted murderers.

For the families of the slain officers, the difference is obvious and appalling. “These men took our loved ones from us forever,” said the widow of one officer, “and now they’re being rewarded by the same city that our husbands gave their lives to protect.” Police unions are calling for urgent reforms to ensure that no convicted murderer of law enforcement is ever again handed a taxpayer-funded settlement.

Political Pressure Mounts on City and State

Within days of the settlements becoming public, lawmakers and city officials found themselves under fire from all sides. The backlash has been swift and intense, with calls for new laws that would block or redirect settlements to the families of victims instead of the perpetrators. City lawyers defend the payouts as necessary to avoid greater financial loss but admit the optics are terrible and the impact on morale is significant.

Debate is raging in the state legislature about how to prevent this from happening again. Some propose automatic restitution for victims’ families; others want a blanket ban on settlements for those convicted of killing police. Meanwhile, the families themselves say they feel betrayed by a system that seems to care more about the rights of the convicted than the suffering of the innocent. The NYPD, for its part, is urging city leaders to remember who really keeps New York safe—and to stop rewarding those who destroy lives and families.

Broader Consequences: Trust, Justice, and the Next Fight

The controversy has far-reaching implications for public trust, law enforcement morale, and the future of civil rights litigation. Victims’ advocates warn that if the system continues to prioritize the grievances of convicted killers over the suffering of families, faith in the justice system will erode even further. Legal experts point out that constitutional protections apply to all, but acknowledge that the moral outrage in cases like this is impossible to ignore. Some suggest settlements could be redirected to restitution funds or victims’ families, but civil liberties groups caution against undermining basic rights, even for the worst offenders.

Other cities are watching closely, aware that New York’s actions may set a precedent. With police misconduct settlements already under scrutiny, the case could prompt a nationwide rethinking of how and when public money is paid out—and to whom. For now, the families of the fallen officers are left with more questions than answers, and a city struggling to balance legal risk against common sense and basic decency.