(JTA) — The three New York City police officers who staged a fake traffic stop as part of a Jewish couple’s wedding proposal will not face disciplinary action after an internal investigation.
The New York Police Department said over the weekend that it was reviewing the incident, which took place on July 27. The department reportedly was not aware of the prank until it was reported by several news outlets.
The officers stopped Yehuda Coriat, 22, and his girlfriend, Sorah Oppen, 20, in the borough of Queens. They accused Coriat of carrying drugs and weapons in the car and questioned Oppen about her boyfriend before ordering her to get out of the car and open the trunk, according to the newspaper.
When Oppen opened the trunk balloons flew out, and Coriat dropped on one knee and proposed.
The ruse was arranged by a friend named Yoel Tyrnauer, who the bride-to-be identified as a member of the volunteer neighborhood patrol Shomrim, which is currently under investigation for bribery involving gun permits. Tyrnauer told the New York Post he just walked into the precinct and made the request, insisting that: “This whole thing has nothing to do with Shomrim.”
The JPUpdates website, citing unnamed NYPD officials, reported Monday that the commanding officer of the 101st Precinct, Deputy Inspector Justin Lenz, internally investigated the incident and decided that the officers would not face disciplinary action.
The officers are members of the Neighborhood Coordination Officers, or NCO, program which helps police connect with the community. The inspector decided the officers were acting within that function, according to the report.
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