One of the victims of the shooting that injured three and claimed a life at NYC's Irving Plaza on Wednesday (May 25) has filed a cease-and-desist against the NYPD, with claims that she has been treated like a criminal while in the care of medical staff at Bellevue Hospital. Maggie Heckstall, who has been identified as a friend of one of the show's performers [Maino], was celebrating her 26th birthday in the venue's green room when one of the assailants burst in firing shots. She would be hit in the leg and rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where doctors refrained from removing the bullet but implanted a rod to ensure its stability. But according to Heckstall and her legal representation, the police have not been as courteous of her condition as the doctors have.
“[Police] want to investigate and we get that, but don’t make her life miserable because she took a stray bullet. We understand the NYPD is doing their job, but she’s not under investigation,” Heckstall's lawyer, Emel McDowell told The New York Post. “She’s not in custody for the crime. She didn’t ask for police protection. She’s obviously a victim in this. They’re making her life worse by doing this.”
According to Heckstall police have stood guard at the door of her hospital room since her admission to the hospital. McDowell claims that her family has even been denied visitation, charging the NYPD with an infringement upon her 4th Amendment rights to be free from illegal search and seizure. Their handling of the victim has been "emotionally draining for Ms. Heckstall and also an impediment to her speedy and full recovery,” the C&D letter reads. Heckstall, who is reported to be a model and aspiring singer from Jersey City is also said to be pursuing legal action against responsible parties, in the wake of her hospitalization.
Source: nypost.com
