Prince Harry asked the New York Police Department to arrest paparazzi who he says chased his car through Manhattan in May 2023. Documents show he accused the NYPD of a “cover-up” and threatened to file a complaint.
Harry and Meghan Markle said they faced a “near-catastrophic car chase” by paparazzi after leaving an awards event. They claimed the chase lasted over two hours and caused near-accidents with other cars, pedestrians, and police officers.
However, officials and New York Mayor Eric Adams questioned the details, saying a long high-speed chase was unlikely in the city’s heavy traffic.
After the incident, Harry’s security team, TorchStone, wrote to the NYPD, criticizing the lack of action. They demanded:
- The paparazzi be arrested or an explanation for why charges weren’t filed.
- A statement from the district attorney explaining the decision.
Harry also considered filing a formal complaint and contacted California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for help connecting with New York officials.
In September 2023, the NYPD told the UK’s Metropolitan Police that the paparazzi’s actions were “reckless” but said there wasn’t enough proof for arrests.
In December 2023, the NYPD said there was now enough evidence to arrest two people for reckless endangerment. However, no arrests have been made.
Harry’s legal team brought up the NYPD’s findings during a UK court hearing about his request for royal security while visiting the UK. The court acknowledged the risks but ruled against restoring his full security.
No one has been arrested over the car chase, and neither the NYPD nor Prince Harry has commented on the new details.
