Prince Harry demanded that New York police arrest the paparazzi he accused of chasing his car through Manhattan, new documents appear to reveal.
The Duke of Sussex accused the New York Police Department of a “cover-up” and threatened to file an official complaint, according to letters and emails obtained by a Daily Mail freedom of information request.
In May 2023, the Duke and Duchess claimed they were subjected to a “relentless pursuit” by paparazzi through the streets of Manhattan, although this was subsequently downplayed by authorities.
An unnamed member of TorchStone, the Duke’s security company, wrote to John B Hart, the NYPD’s intelligence chief, later that year complaining that no charges had been brought.
‘Intentionally misled’
Harry felt “intentionally misled and is suspicious of a cover-up”, the letter stated.
It demanded that the police should make arrests by the following day or explain why they had not done so.
The Duke “would like the arrests of the paparazzi to happen or have an official letter stating why they have not been arrested or a letter from the DA’s [district attorney’s] office on why they haven’t accepted charges,” it reads.
The letter added that Harry planned to file a “formal complaint about the handling of the situation” and had contacted the office of Gavin Newsom, the California governor, to “assist in finding the right point of contact” in the DA’s office for “further discussions”.
So far, no arrests have been made over the incident.
‘Near catastrophic car chase’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed they were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” in May last year as they left an awards ceremony.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” they said.
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”
However, three law enforcement officials told NBC News at the time that they would not have described the incident as a chase.
Eric Adams, the New York mayor, said he “would find it hard to believe there was a two-hour high-speed chase” through the city’s dense traffic.
A letter from September 2023 from the NYPD to the Metropolitan Police in London, obtained by the Mail, states that “the behaviour in question was reckless” but they did not have enough evidence to make an arrest.
When the Duke and Duchess visited the city from their home in California they would “assign additional police resources” to protect them, it added.
‘Sufficient evidence’
On December 6, Hart sent a second letter to London police, which was copied to TorchStone with the subject line “as discussed”.
It claimed there was now “sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment”, although this did not happen.
It was sent during a three-day hearing at the High Court, where the Duke was trying to compel the British government to provide him with full royal security protection while he visited the UK.
Harry’s lawyer produced the letter on the final day of the hearing, according to the final ruling by presiding judge Sir Peter Lane.
Sir Peter said the letter was an “important point” in considering the danger posed to the Duke and his family by paparazzi but ultimately ruled that the Government did not have to provide the same security he enjoyed as a working royal.
The NYPD and the Duke of Sussex have been approached for comment.