Vile AI-doctored photographs — together with one depicting a cop in a KKK hood and one other displaying a person with a rifle standing over a gorilla — have been amongst photographs allegedly handed round a specialised NYPD unit’s chat group, The Publish has realized.
The chat group utilized by the Main Case Squad was titled “Main case – workforce constructing,” with the offensive photographs displaying up in 2025 and 2026, in line with a Manhattan Supreme Courtroom discrimination lawsuit.
Veteran NYPD Det. Luis Pichardo, who was a part of the Manhattan North Narcotics Bureau, sued town and division bosses after allegedly being handed over for a spot on the brand new squad.
Pichardo, who’s Hispanic, later realized of the racist imagery — and mentioned it exhibits he was at a drawback from the beginning.
“These photographs reveal deliberate, open, celebratory racism shared among the many officers who populated the very unit from which [Pichardo]was excluded,” in line with the go well with. “That this imagery was circulated casually amongst NYPD detectives in 2025 reveals a office the place anti-black and anti-minority sentiment was not merely current however normalized.”
The NYPD mentioned its Inner Affairs Bureau was investigating the posts.
“The NYPD has zero tolerance for hate and discrimination of any type,” a spokesperson mentioned in an announcement. “These allegations are deeply disturbing and are underneath inside investigation.”
One of many snaps included a photograph displaying an officer on the Harlem unit sitting in a desk chair, carrying a white Ku Klux Klan-style hood superimposed over the cop’s head, Pichardo mentioned in court docket papers.
The opposite, posted in February, confirmed a black colleague’s face superimposed onto a gun-wielding man who lifts the pinnacle of an ape that seems to be his prisoner. The picture contains the tackle 100 Centre Road, which is the Manhattan Prison Courthouse, the place cops take prisoners.
Some within the chat group responded with “laughing emojis and affirmative commentary,” Pichardo mentioned within the authorized submitting.
When one of many photographs was posted on X Friday, a member of the chat group requested, “Why can’t there be 1-hour disappearing message?” he alleged within the lawsuit.
Pichardo, 41, was allegedly handed over for a place within the Main Case Squad regardless of having 1,000 arrests underneath his belt and 19 years on the job, he claimed.
His superiors mentioned the detective was “too outdated” and claimed they “spoke numerous English within the unit,” in line with the go well with filed by lawyer John Scola.
Pichardo, who got here from the Dominican Republic when he was 12 and grew up within the Bronx, joined the NYPD in 2005 and labored in a number of specialised NYPD items, together with anti-crime, incessantly testifying in court docket circumstances in English, he mentioned in court docket papers.
He determined to use to the brand new squad, beforehand referred to as the Gang Unit, in 2025 together with his companion, who can also be Hispanic, and was interviewed by a panel of 5 white males, he mentioned.
However the pair have been advised the unit might solely take one among them and Pichardo stepped apart for his youthful companion.
“If the Main Case Unit was crammed based mostly on advantage, then [Pichardo] would have been chosen,” in line with the go well with.
“No person on the NYPD is aware of the Trinitarios like I do,” Pichardo advised The Publish, referring to a gang energetic within the metropolis.
4 white detectives allegedly with no expertise in narcotics made the workforce, together with Richard Shea, the son of former NYPD commissioner Dermott Shea, Pichardo claimed within the authorized submitting.
Pichardo’s discrimination complaints to his bosses weren’t reported to the NYPD’s Workplace of Equal Employment Alternative till he advised a Hispanic boss, in line with the lawsuit.
One of many bosses named in court docket papers, Inspector Christopher Vacarro, “was visibly offended” after studying of the grievance and allegedly “was seen throwing and breaking issues in his workplace,” in line with the court docket papers.
Members of the Narcotics Bureau stopped speaking to Pichardo and his extra time was reduce — forcing him to retire in July 2025 to keep away from a discount in his pension, he alleged within the authorized fiing.
The chat included quite a few offensive posts.
“In December 2025, a Nazi Swastika was posted within the Main Case squad group chat,” in line with the lawsuit, which didn’t embrace a photograph of that submit. “Members of the group chat laughed.”
One more member posted a YouTube video Jan. 6 titled “I uncovered New Jersey’s Jewish Invasion.”
The submit prompted a chat member to reply, “And we’re fearful about Karens and snowballs.”
When cops are “circulating Klan hood photographs” and “mocking minorities” it “taints each arrest,” Scola mentioned.
“Pichardo’s profession was destroyed due to his race, however his bravery provides others an opportunity to talk up,” the lawyer mentioned.
Pichardo, who’s looking for unspecified damages, filed the go well with in hopes that sooner or later officers could be judged by their work, he mentioned.
“It’s not going to be based mostly in your colour,” he mentioned. “It’s going to be based mostly in your expertise. That’s why I’m doing this.”
