{"active":false,"first_name":"James","last_name":"Schuessler","race":"White","gender":"Male","rank":"DT3","command":{"command":"QNS CT","assignment_date":"2020-09-16","id":"176"},"shield_no":4963,"ended_date":"2021-10-30","taxid":"947477","complaint_ids":[201610164,201607734,201508008,201310468,201402163,200914660],"command_history":[{"command":"073 PCT","id":"73pct"},{"command":"NARCBBN","id":"92"}],"appt_date":"2008-07-08","middle_initial":"M","shield_no_history":[28718],"lawsuits":[{"name":"Mckoy, Natasha vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2020-02-26","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"","docket":"502675/2020","court":"Supreme Court - Kings","officer_name":"Schuessler, James","summary":"On August 24, 2017 plaintiff was lawfully on her way home from work, walking through the courtyard located outside of her apartment building located at 89 Christopher Ave, Brooklyn, NY when she was approached by defendants who unlawfully detained and falsely arrested plaintiff because she was unable to tell them where they could locate an individual Kleinfeldt, whom officers incorrectly believed plaintiff knew. Officers drove plaintiff around her housing complex for 45 minutes trying to make it look like plaintiff was an informant for the police and was pointing out suspects for the officers to target in the future, because they were trying to pressure plaintiff to tell them where Kleinfeldt was located. Eventually officers realized plaintiff was not going to lead them to Kleinfeldt, and they transported plaintiff to the 73rd Precinct where plaintiff was unlawfully fingerprinted, photographed and detained in a holding cell for many hours. Plaintiff was transported to Brooklyn Central Booking. Officers fabricated allegations and evidence against plaintiff by alleging they recovered drugs from her possession. Officers did not inform the DA they arrested plaintiff in the courtyard outside of her building and did not recover any illegal substances from her possession, custody or control. Officers maliciously prosecuted plaintiff and denied plaintiff the right to due process and a fair trial. On August 25, 2017, plaintiff was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court, charged with several drug related felony and misdemeanor crimes and released on her own recognizance. On May 16, 2018, the felony charge was dismissed and sealed in its entirety after the DA affirmatively moved to dismiss the charge. The remaining charges were two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree. Plaintiff endured a one year and 3 month long criminal prosecution during which she was required to appear in Brooklyn Criminal Court on 12 occasions to address the false charges. On November 5, 2018, the remaining misdemeanor charges were dismissed and sealed in their entirety.","documents":[{"url":"https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=1LTONFVfhYxbieLzKEZBqw==","type":"complaint"}]},{"name":"Mckoy, Natasha vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2019-12-16","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"","docket":"523421/2019","court":"Supreme Court - Kings","officer_name":"Schuessler, James","summary":"On April 10, 2018, at 6:00 am, Plaintiff Natasha Mckoy was lawfully sleeping inside of her apartment. Plaintiff's 18-year-old son was awake and getting dressed to start his day, and Plaintiff's girlfriend was awake and getting ready for work when Plaintiff was awoken from her sleep by the individually named defendants (POLICE OFFICER CHRISTOPHER FUREGNO, Tax No. 934891, POLICE OFFICER GEORGE ALLEN, Tax No. 944517, DETECTIVE JOSEPH FERNANDEZ, Shield No. 1815, SERGEANT AFZAL ALI, Tax No. 936116, DETECTIVE TATMENG VONG, Tax No. 951405, and DETECTIVE JAMES SCHUESSLER, Shield No. 28718, and POLICE OFFICERS JOHN DOES #1-10 (names and number of whom are unknown at present). Defendants unlawfully entered the apartment screaming profanities and pointing their guns at the heads of everyone in the apartment, including Plaintiff. Defendants obtained a search warrant to search Plaintiff’s apartment because they were trying to locate and arrest an individual named William Kleinfeldt and they incorrectly believed he lived in Plaintiff’s apartment. \n\nMost of the officers that raided the apartment were male and Plaintiff was forced to sit in her underwear in front of the male officers for approximately ten minutes, and was then strip searched by the officers, which was extremely embarrassing and emotionally traumatic for Plaintiff. At no time relevant herein did Plaintiff commit a crime or violate the law in any manner, and defendants did not possess any objective facts that suggested to them that Plaintiff committed a crime or violated the law in any manner. Nevertheless, after Plaintiff got dressed, defendants handcuffed and falsely arrested Plaintiff. Defendants placed Plaintiff in an NYPD police vehicle and transported her against her will to the 73rd Precinct where she was unlawfully detained in a filthy holding cell for approximately 5 hours. Plaintiff was then issued a criminal court summons, falsely charging her with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana (PL 221.05). Plaintiff appeared in Kings County Criminal Court to address the false allegations against her on June 27, 2018, and then had to return to court again on July 25, 2018, at which time the Court dismissed and sealed the charge brought against her in its entirety and the criminal case terminated in her favor.","documents":[{"url":"https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=2tK_PLUS_xqNlZdUkLCjRzPTwrg==","type":"complaint"}]},{"officer_name":"Schuessler, James","disposition":"Settlement","start_date":"2018-11-19","disposition_date":"2019-06-24","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","docket":"18CV06458","name":"Monk, Warren vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":12501,"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/8172352/monk-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Reynolds, Lisa vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2016-06-07","disposition_date":"2017-07-21","payout_amount":3500,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"16CV02631","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","officer_name":"Schuessler, James","summary":"Defendant Officers physically forced their way into a bar/club, handcuffed and searched Plaintiff, took her to a precinct, and gave her a DAT for ß 220.03, which the DA declined to prosecute.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.385821/gov.uscourts.nyed.385821.20.0.pdf","type":"complaint"},{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5764739-Reynold-2017-PolichronJ"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4325515/reynolds-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Castro, Genaro Antonio, et al. vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2015-11-18","disposition_date":"2017-04-17","payout_amount":25000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"15CV06121","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","officer_name":"Schuessler, James","summary":"Plaintiffs parked their car and Plaintiff 1 went into a store when defendant officers approached Plaintiffs, arrested them , took them to the 73rd Precinct, and charged Plaintiff 1 with 10-118(b) destruction or removal of property in buildings and charged Plaintiff 2 with 265.01 and 16-118(7)(b)(9)(1) unauthorized removal of recyclable materials. All charges were dismissed.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.376994/gov.uscourts.nyed.376994.1.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13343306/castro-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Taylor, Donald vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-11-06","disposition_date":"2014-04-24","payout_amount":6000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"13CV04064","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","officer_name":"Schuessler, James","summary":"On April 11, 2010, while Plaintiff was at the Marcus Garvey Village housing complex, outside of his residence, speaking to his neighbors. Officers Lasaponara and Brennan seized plaintiff claiming he had engaged in criminal activity. \nPlaintiff had brought a brown bag and was showing his neighbors a cologne. Defendants accused plaintiff of illegally selling the cologne. Defendants searched through plaintiff's bag and found an alcoholic beverage he purchased earlier. Defendants frisked plaintiff and issued him a Desk Appearance Ticket, claiming that he had illegally possessed an open container. The matter was docketed in Kings County Criminal Court. Plaintiff was arraigned on June 11, 2010. Plaintiff appeared in court several times. On December 2, 2011, the Kings County DA dismissed the claims in their entirety.\nOn Friday, July 1, 2011, plaintiff finished working for the day and was in the process of packing up merchandise he sold at his place of business on Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn. Officer Schuessler and his unidentified partner approached plaintiff and accused him of violating New York Penal Law. The officers requested plaintiff's vendors ID, at which point he produced his license. The officers searched through plaintiff's merchandise, after arresting and placing plaintiff in a police vehicle. The search yielded nothing illegal. When plaintiff arrived at the precinct, officers told him he would be charged with a felony. Plaintiff was given a DAT. On November 22, 2011, the Kings County DA executed a DNP, declining to prosecute, noting it was a problem case, lacking no evidence other than Schuessler's claims.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.344977/gov.uscourts.nyed.344977.10.0.pdf","type":"complaint"},{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4919883-Taylor-v-City-of-New-York-et-al"},{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4919882-Taylor-v-City-of-New-York-et-al"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13049840/taylor-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"officer_name":"Schuessler, James","disposition":"Zero Disposition","start_date":"2012-05-09","disposition_date":"2018-02-05","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","docket":"12CV02674","name":"Mitchell, Melinda, et Al vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":0,"documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4919544-Mitchell-et-al-v-The-City-of-New-York-et-al"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5463306/mitchell-v-the-city-of-new-york/"}],"discipline":[{"disposition_date":"2021-03-09","case_no":"2021-23101","penalty":"Dismissal probation (12 months), forfeiture of time/leave balances, suspended w/o pay (30 days), vacation days (30 days), vested-interest retirement","charges":[{"desc":"Failed an integrity test.","disposition":"Guilty"},{"desc":"Made or caused to be made false or inaccurate entries in Department records.","disposition":"Guilty"},{"desc":"Failed to make required entries in Department logs.","disposition":"Guilty"}]}],"documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21028665-schuessler-a090555462c9eccc4db188f6493228138ff25f38","type":"brady-giglio","complaints":[{"complaint_id":201109538,"available":true}]}],"id":"RNLX","url":"https://www.50-a.org/officer/RNLX"}