{"active":false,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"Kwiecinski","race":"White","gender":"Male","rank":"POM","command":{"command":"SRG 4","assignment_date":"2015-11-10","id":"SRG4"},"shield_no":12413,"ended_date":"2021-07-02","taxid":"928605","complaint_ids":[202102403],"appt_date":"2001-07-02","lawsuits":[{"name":"Martinez, Anthony vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2015-01-30","disposition_date":"2016-01-12","payout_amount":34000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"14CV08686","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"Kwiecinski, Matthew","summary":"On November 15, 2011, at approximately 4:20 am, plaintiff Anthony Martinez was in the vicinity of Zucotti Park to record with his video camera the eviction of Occupy Wall Street protesters by the NYPD.  While filming the aggressive and violent behavior of the NYPD towards the protesters, Inspector John O'Connell instructed Mr. Martinez - who is 5'2 and 125 pounds - to go to the sidewalk, which would have prevented Mr. Martinez from filming the interaction between the NYPD and the protesters. When Mr. Martinez asked Inspector O'Connell why he was pushing around the pedestrians in the vicinity, Inspector O'Connell grabbed Mr. Martinez, causing his camera to shut off, and began assaulting Mr. Martinez.  As Mr. Martinez attempted to walk away, Inspector O'Connell seized him from behind and began to beat him. In addition to Inspector O'Connell, several members of the NYPD jumped on Mr. Martinez and threw him to the ground into a pile of garbage, pressing their knees into his back, punching him in the face numerous times, and striking him in the head and body with batons.  Inspector O'Connell and the other officers handcuffed plaintiff with plastic 'flexcuffs' so tightly that Mr. Martinez's hands turned purple.  Mr. Martinez requested medical attention for his injuries, but his requests were ignored for some time before he was taken to the hospital.  \n\nMr. Martinez was charged with Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct, on the basis of Officer Matthew Kwiecinski's, and Inspector O'Connell's, false allegations that (a) Mr. Martinez was preventing pedestrians from using the sidewalk, (b) Mr. Martinez was ordered five times to disperse and refused to comply, and (c) that when Inspector O'Connell attempted to place Mr. Martinez under arrest, Mr. Martinez flailed his arms and legs and refused to place his hands behind his back.  All of these allegations were false.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.434466/gov.uscourts.nysd.434466.10.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13245694/martinez-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Anestis, James J. vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-12-26","disposition_date":"2014-09-30","payout_amount":35000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"13CV07125","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","officer_name":"Kwiecinski, Matthew","summary":"On December 19, 2010, at approximately 2:20 AM, Plaintiff was riding his motor vehicle when Officer Matthew Kwiecinski allegedly observed Plaintiff's vehicle make a left turn without signaling and pulled Plaintiff over. Plaintiff was stopped and detained against his will. Officer Kwiecinski requested Plaintiff's driver's license and registration, which Plaintiff complied with, and then ordered him out of the vehicle for a field breath test. Plaintiff peacefully declined to submit to the test. He was not intoxicated nor displayed intoxication. Officer Kwiecinski then placed him under arrest and charged him with driving while intoxicated and with refusal to take a breath test. Plaintiff was taken to the precinct, where Officer Kwiecinski completed an arrest report where he indicated that Plaintiff's physical condition was \"apparently normal\" and that \"drugs used: none.\" He also made a video recording of Plaintiff at the precinct. Plaintiff was jailed/detained at the precinct for approximately eighteen hours before being released on his own recognizance. As a result of the arrest, Plaintiff's vehicle was seized and impounded from December 19, 2010, to August 2011. \n\nPlaintiff was charged in Queens Criminal Court with the crime of driving while intoxicated, refusal to take a breath test, and failure to signal when turning. On July 26, 2011, a hearing was held before a criminal court judge. At the hearing, Officer Kwiecinski testified that other than observing Plaintiff's failure to signal his left turn, he did not observe anything about Plaintiff's driving that was unreasonable or improper. He also testified that he did not observe signs of intoxication or lack of coordination. The videotape recording was viewed as evidence; during questioning, Officer Kwiecinski admitted that Plaintiff did not show physical signs of intoxication. He also testified that he intentionally lied on the arrest report, admitting that the Department trained him and other officers to lie on arrest reports by falsely indicating that an arrestee's physical condition was not intoxicated. The purpose was to prevent taking arrestees to the hospital, where they could obtain an independent medical evaluation that would demonstrate that they were not intoxicated. On September 14, 2011, the judge found that Officer Kwiecinski had no probable cause to stop or arrest Plaintiff. On January 26, 2012, the criminal charges of driving while intoxicated and violation of turning without signaling were dismissed. Plaintiff incurred extensive expenses due to the deprivation of his motor vehicle.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.350330/gov.uscourts.nyed.350330.1.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4323059/anestis-v-city-of-new-york/"}],"image":"https://www.50-a.org/images/officer/HGYF-matthew-kwiecinski.jpg","id":"HGYF","url":"https://www.50-a.org/officer/HGYF"}