Williams v. City of New York

In Williams v. City of New York, 2 NY3d 352 (2004) two police officers were shot and killed when a prison inmate gained access to a service gun in a police locker while the inmate was detained in a locker room that doubled as a detention area. The Court of Appeals held that Labor Law 27-a was not applicable as it "does not cover the special risks faced by police officers because of the nature of police work." Williams, 2 NY3d at 368. The Court noted that it is highly unlikely that in enacting Labor Law 27-a, the legislature intended it to pertain to judgments that "must be made by police supervisors in minimizing the dangers that police officers inevitably face, while at the same time protecting the public." Id. These decisions are "uniquely sensitive, difficult, and important" and "fall within the purview of police supervisors and department policy." Id.