The NYPD Files
Search Thousands of Civilian Complaints Against New York City Police Officers
This database was last updated in July 2020 and is no longer being updated. Data on this page may be out of date. For more recent information, visit the city's database of civilian complaints against the NYPD.
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Abuse of Authority: Threat Of Arrest
This page contains all allegations assigned to this category by the CCRB. Multiple similar allegations can appear for the same officer because a complaint received from a civilian can include multiple allegations.
Officers With Complaints
1,043
Complaints
1,266
Allegations
1,409
What the CCRB’s Conclusions Mean
Substantiated: The alleged conduct occurred and it violated the rules. (Here is a breakdown of the types of discipline the CCRB can recommend. The NYPD can choose to ignore those recommendations. It has discretion over what, if any, discipline is imposed.)Exonerated: The alleged conduct occurred but did not violate the NYPD’s rules, which often give officers significant discretion over use of force.
Unsubstantiated: The CCRB has fully investigated but could not affirmatively conclude both that the conduct occurred and that it broke the rules.
Officer | Rank at Time of Complaint | Officer Details | Complainant Details | CCRB Conclusion | Year Received |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Larry Meyers | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2018 |
Aleksandr Pasynkov | Sergeant | White male | Not available male, 16 years old | Exonerated | 2018 |
David Shimshi | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1994 |
Bruce Ceparano | Captain | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2017 |
Richard Currao | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1993 |
William Sciara | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Instructions) | 1996 |
Jose Peinan | Detective | Hispanic male | Not available | Exonerated | 2013 |
Jose Santory | Sergeant | Hispanic male | Not available | Exonerated | 2019 |
Gary Messina | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1997 |
William Diab | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2018 |
James Biondo | Police Officer | White male | Not available male, 25 years old | Exonerated | 2018 |
Anthony Contessa | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1998 |
Joseph Hayes | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1998 |
Joseph Albertini | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2002 |
Patrick Hennessy | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Command Discipline) | 1997 |
Jose Cintron | Detective | Hispanic male | Not available male, 47 years old | Unsubstantiated | 2017 |
James Mccarthy | Sergeant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1997 |
Artur Espenberg | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Not available male, 14 years old | Unsubstantiated | 2018 |
Anthony Murray | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Charges) | 1998 |
William Mcbride | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Charges) | 1993 |
Jorge Flores | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Not available | Substantiated (Command Discipline A) | 2019 |
Maximo Gomez | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2017 |
Gregory Butler | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1993 |
Gary Messina | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1997 |
Joseph Grogan | Sergeant | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1997 |
Ramu Hiller | Police Officer | Asian male | Not available | Substantiated (Charges) | 2002 |
Richard Warner | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1997 |
Lawrence Hotaling | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1992 |
Charles Rubenstrunk | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2004 |
David Grieco | Sergeant | White male | Not available male, 18 years old | Exonerated | 2017 |
Anna Serrano | Police Officer | Hispanic female | Not available | Exonerated | 2000 |
Jhonny Milfort | Police Officer | Black male | Not available male, 46 years old | Exonerated | 2017 |
James Fogarty | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1993 |
Thomas Wright | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2004 |
Charles Scholl | Sergeant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1986 |
Fabio Nunez | Detective | Hispanic male | Not available male | Unsubstantiated | 2018 |
Kevin Tierney | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2007 |
Joseph Padula | Police Officer | White male | Not available male, 35 years old | Exonerated | 2005 |
Malachi Mckenith | Police Officer | Black male | Not available male | Substantiated (Formalized Training) | 2017 |
Michael Catusco | Lieutenant | White male | Not available male, 48 years old | Exonerated | 2006 |
Keith Chatterton | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2004 |
Roberson Tunis | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2010 |
Aubrey Henry | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Exonerated | 1995 |
Matthew Lamendola | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1997 |
Matthew Lamendola | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1996 |
Douglas Lansing | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1998 |
William Dunn | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1998 |
Lowez Walker | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Exonerated | 2005 |
James Dennedy | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1998 |
Gary Messina | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1995 |
Gary Messina | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1997 |
Gary Messina | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1997 |
Steve Lafortune | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Exonerated | 2003 |
Christophe Lagrasta | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1995 |
Brendan Murphy | Police Officer | White male | Not available female, 28 years old | Unsubstantiated | 2019 |
Vitaliy Zelikov | Sergeant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2011 |
Thomas Cerbone | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (No Recommendations) | 1996 |
Lowez Walker | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Exonerated | 2005 |
Johnny Orellana | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1998 |
Ryan Habermehl | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2005 |
David Cheesewright | Sergeant | Asian male | Not available , 60 years old | Unsubstantiated | 2017 |
Jonathan Lovera | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2008 |
Salvatore Lopiccolo | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2008 |
Jose Camacho | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Not available | Exonerated | 2010 |
Dana Harge | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Exonerated | 2006 |
Steven Green | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1998 |
Kervelin Ramirez | Police Officer | Hispanic female | Not available female, 34 years old | Exonerated | 2003 |
Sasha Rosen | Sergeant | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2009 |
Michael Fahmy | Detective | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2010 |
Anthony Quagliariello | Detective | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Charges) | 1996 |
Jeffrey Maddrey | Police Officer | Black male | Not available | Substantiated (No Recommendations) | 1995 |
Michael Howery | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Command Discipline) | 1996 |
David Sammarco | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2008 |
Joseph Mineo | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1998 |
Elias Nikas | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2002 |
Brian Mcginn | Lieutenant | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2003 |
Dany Fana | Sergeant | Hispanic male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 2017 |
Shawn Gallagher | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 1998 |
Kevin Maloney | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1996 |
Pete Massa | Sergeant | White male | Not available female | Unsubstantiated | 2014 |
Thomas Morton | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Exonerated | 2019 |
Joseph Tallarine | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Charges) | 1993 |
William Seligson | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Substantiated (Charges) | 1998 |
Ronald Perez | Sergeant | Hispanic male | Not available male, 21 years old | Substantiated (Charges) | 2010 |
Peter Ievolo | Police Officer | White male | Not available | Unsubstantiated | 1989 |
Jason Barish | Police Officer | White male | American Indian male, 23 years old | Exonerated | 2019 |
Donald Kipp | Sergeant | White male | American Indian male, 32 years old | Unsubstantiated | 2015 |
Matthew Wright | Police Officer | White male | Asian male, 41 years old | Exonerated | 2008 |
James Titus | Police Officer | White male | Asian male, 19 years old | Unsubstantiated | 2014 |
Juby Thomas | Police Officer | Asian male | Asian male, 65 years old | Exonerated | 2015 |
Edson Brutus | Police Officer | Black male | Asian female, 25 years old | Exonerated | 2017 |
Yael Magori | Police Officer | White female | Asian male, 31 years old | Exonerated | 2007 |
Timothy Finn | Police Officer | Asian male | Asian male, 24 years old | Substantiated (Command Discipline A) | 2016 |
Derin Devuono | Police Officer | White male | Asian male, 51 years old | Exonerated | 2004 |
Anthony Contessa | Police Officer | White male | Asian male, 23 years old | Exonerated | 2017 |
Frank Laquidara | Sergeant | White male | Asian male, 44 years old | Exonerated | 2015 |
Anthony Jones | Police Officer | Black male | Asian male, 35 years old | Exonerated | 2019 |
Darrell Dass | Police Officer | Asian male | Asian male, 52 years old | Exonerated | 2009 |
Patrick Cherry | Detective | White male | Asian male, 47 years old | Substantiated (Charges) | 2015 |
Avidan Santiago | Police Officer | Hispanic male | Asian female, 34 years old | Exonerated | 2012 |
About This Data
For decades, disciplinary records of police officers in New York have been shielded from public view. After the state recently repealed the law that had kept the records secret, ProPublica requested and received a database from New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, which investigates allegations of misconduct against NYPD officers. The database lists the name of each officer, the race of the complainant and the officer, a category describing the alleged misconduct, and whether the CCRB concluded the officers’ conduct violated NYPD rules. Police unions have opposed New York City’s plan to make public data about disciplinary investigations. This database names about 4,000 of the NYPD’s 36,000 active-duty officers. Every officer in the database has had at least one substantiated allegation. We excluded any allegations that CCRB investigators concluded did not occur and were deemed unfounded. We also removed a small number of officers (62) against whom the CCRB had substantiated allegations, but whose substantiated allegations had not gone fully through the NYPD’s administrative prosecution process. The CCRB was not able to reach conclusions in many cases, in part because the investigators must rely on the NYPD to hand over crucial evidence, such as footage from body-worn cameras. Often, the department is not forthcoming despite a legal duty to cooperate in CCRB investigations. The CCRB gets thousands of complaints per year but substantiates a tiny fraction of them. Allegations of criminal conduct by officers are typically investigated not by the CCRB but by state or federal prosecutors in conjunction with the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau or the FBI. The NYPD’s own findings in cases in this database are not included here.
Read more about what we’ve included in the database and why, and see our answers to questions we have received about this data. If you have information about any of these officers or cases, please fill out our form.
All of the records in this data are from closed cases. But if you see an error, contact the CCRB. If the agency updates its records and lets us know, we'll do so as well.
The data used in this database is downloadable from ProPublica’s Data Store.
Source
This data was obtained through a records request made to the CCRB. It includes fully investigated allegations only for officers who were members of the department as of late June 2020 and against whom the CCRB has substantiated at least one allegation.