{"active":false,"first_name":"James","last_name":"South","race":"Hispanic","gender":"Male","rank":"DT2","command":{"command":"GVSD Z2","id":"44"},"shield_no":6130,"ended_date":"2018-08-01","taxid":"905097","complaint_ids":[201402096,201309851,201307517,201301945,201201093,201110152,201008520,201007450,201004661,200912889,200514181,200501466,200307133,200301723,200301188,200105758,9404566],"command_history":[{"command":"ND CH I"},{"command":"NARCBMN","id":"250"}],"appt_date":"1993-08-30","lawsuits":[{"name":"Richardson, Robert vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2016-03-21","disposition_date":"2020-10-15","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"Administrative Closing","docket":"162151/2015","court":"Supreme Court - New York","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On November 29, 2012, at approximately 6:00 p.m., ROBERT RICHARDSON (“plaintiff”) was lawfully standing in the vicinity of Hamilton Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue, waiting for his girlfriend to come out of her apartment when police officers unlawfully approached, stopped, seized, and searched plaintiff, without reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or any legal justification. Nevertheless, the defendant's police officers unlawfully handcuffed the plaintiff and arrested him without legal justification or probable cause. The police officer believe the plaintiff possessed any illegal drugs, weapons, or contraband underneath his clothing.\n\nThe defendant police officers forcibly transported the plaintiff, against his will, to the 30th precinct stationhouse, where the plaintiff was subjected to an unlawful strip search by the defendant police officers without reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe the plaintiff had any illegal contraband hidden underneath his clothing. The plaintiff was forced to remove all his clothes and shake each piece of clothing out. The plaintiff was then forced to endure the indignity of turning around so that the back faced the police officers, bent over, and spread his buttocks to prove there was no illegal contraband in his person. The plaintiff was then ordered to face the defendant's police officers and was forced to lift his genitals. At no time did the defendant police officers recover any drugs, contraband, or other illegal paraphernalia from the plaintiff or his custody, possession, or control.\n\nAfter he was unlawfully strip-searched, the defendant police officers transported the plaintiff to the 25th Precinct stationhouse, where he was introduced to an individual named Michael Brown, who had been arrested for drug possession. Michael Brown told the defendant's police officers that he did not know the plaintiff and had never met him. Still, without any factual basis, the officers accused the plaintiff of selling drugs to Michael Brown, an individual that plaintiff had never seen or met in his life.\n\nThe police officers falsely informed the New York County District Attorney’s Office that the plaintiff had committed a crime despite knowing they lacked a legal and factual basis to link the plaintiff to a crime. The defendant officers had no basis to stop the plaintiff or to allege that the plaintiff committed a crime. \n\nOn November 30, 2012, at approximately 1:00 a.m., the defendant police officers transported the plaintiff from the 25th Precinct to Manhattan Central Booking, where he was unlawfully detained in filthy and crowded holding cells for many hours, with individuals accused of committing serious violent crimes. \n\nOn December 1, 2012 at approximately 11:00 a.m., plaintiff was arraigned in New York County Criminal Court, and the defendant officers falsely charged plaintiff with commiting several crimes the defendant officers lacked probable cause to allege he committed. At the arraignment, the plaintiff was remanded into the custody of the New York City Department of Correction and sent to Riker’s Island. Thereafter, the plaintiff was unlawfully detained on Riker’s Island for approximately 13 months and was forced to appear in Court on numerous occasions. On December 11, 2013, all charges against the plaintiff were terminated in his favor and were dismissed.\n\nThe plaintiff was the victim of a policy, practice, or custom within the New York City Police Department, wherein New York City Police Officers illegally strip search individuals without a specific, articulable factual basis supporting a reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe the individual secreted contraband, evidence, or has a weapon inside a body cavity.\n\nThe individual defendants were acting under the color of state law in the course and scope of their duties and functions as officers of the New York City Police Department,","documents":[{"url":"https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=MbLqUf9lmKT6WesGsMciVA==","type":"complaint"}]},{"name":"Blanco, Wilfredo, et al. vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2015-11-04","disposition_date":"2016-11-16","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"Zero Disposition","docket":"15CV08509","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"Defendant officers executed a search warrant on Plaintiffs' home and arrested them, subjecting them to excessively tight handcuffs and unnecessarily pointing guns at plaintiffs. Plaintiffs were charged with 220.16; 220.06; and 220.30 and acquitted after a jury trial.","documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4921533-Blanco-et-al-v-City-Of-New-York-et-al","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4356039/blanco-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Jeffries, Curtis vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2014-12-05","disposition_date":"2015-04-30","payout_amount":40000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"14CV08194","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On January 28, 2013, Plaintiff was leaving his family's home in Manhattan when Defendant Officers Michael Calloway, Nicole Tirado, James South, Keith Cummings and Guillermo Gil in plainclothes stopped him stating that they were looking for a man with a gun and that he matched his description. Defendant Officer John Doe, without a warrant, probable cause or reasonable suspicion then illegally searched the Plaintiff and subsequently arrested the plaintiff for a sale of drugs knowing that Plaintiff had not taken part in any sort of drug sale. No contraband or weapons were found on the Plaintiff. At the precinct, Defendant Officer John Doe stripped searched the Plaintiff, including by inspecting the Plaintiff's genitals. Plaintiff was then falsely charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree and with criminal facilitation in the 4th degree. Defendant Officer Michael Calloway made a false statement to the Criminal Court, stating that undercover agents had related to him that Plaintiff was involved in a drug deal that took place in the lobby of his family's residence. As a result of these actions, the Plaintiff was held at the precinct for approximately 5 to 6 hours and subsequently held in custody at \"the Tombs\" for 3 days because he was unable to post bail.","documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4920354-Jeffries-v-City-of-New-york-et-al"},{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.433675/gov.uscourts.nysd.433675.22.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13144843/jeffries-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Calderon, Miguelina vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2014-02-21","disposition_date":"2016-09-22","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"Order/Judgment (Verdict)","docket":"14CV01082","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On August 27, 2013, the Plaintiff was falsely arrested from inside her apartment on a mistaken identity warrant. She was detained against her will and the apartment searched. Eventually she was released from custody.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.423713/gov.uscourts.nysd.423713.40.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4353326/calderon-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Hunter, Parrish vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-10-08","disposition_date":"2014-04-17","payout_amount":20652,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"13CV06637","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On or about May 18, 2012, PO James South falsely claimed to have observed Plaintiff's participation in a hand-to-hand drug transaction. At no time on May 18, 2012 was Plaintiff in possession of any narcotics or engaged in any narcotics transaction. PO South along with PO Madeline Melendez, Keith Cummings, Chris Calloway, Freddy Dominguez, and 10 additional unknown officers falsely arrested Plaintiff without probable cause. PO Melendez signed the criminal complaint containing PO South's claim of observing Plaintiff in a drug transaction, despite knowing or having reason to know PO South's claims were false. Plaintiff spent approximately 7 days in custody as a result his arrest. At trial, Plaintiff was found not guilty of all crimes of which he was accused.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.417689.1.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4352721/hunter-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Manrique, Robinson, et al. vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-09-24","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"","docket":"158611/2013","court":"Supreme Court - New York","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On or about June 22, 2012 at approximately 6:35 AM, Plaintiffs were asleep in their apartment when Detective James South and two other unknown officers forcefully entered, guns drawn and pointed at Plaintiffs. Det. South produced a warrant, which named the Plaintiff's neighbor that lived four floors above. The warrant falsely stated, however, that Det. South had purchased narcotics from Plaintiff's apartment on a prior occasion. It was later learned that Det. South purchased narcotics from the neighbor that lives four floors above and Det. South was fully aware he had no basis for entering Plaintiffs' residence. Despite that, Det. South searched Plaintiffs' apartment, damaging furniture and property.\n\nPlaintiffs' mother and brother arrived at the apartment and were placed under arrest along with Plaintiffs. They were incarcerated for approximately 30 hours and charged with various crimes relating to drug possession. All charges were eventually dismissed. As a result, Plaintiffs suffered anguish, pain and suffering.","documents":[{"url":"https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=Ezt0uWIzunT5FYTiysrrBQ==","type":"complaint"}]},{"name":"Bennett, Tyrone vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-08-21","disposition_date":"2014-03-14","payout_amount":20000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"13CV05833","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On April 29th, 2013, Plaintiff was working at a clothing store. While on break, Plaintiff went to the corner deli to purchase a sandwich. During this time two undercover officers approached Plaintiff, placed him in handcuffs and searched him. Plaintiff was eventually un-cuffed and released, and while walking back towards work he took a photograph of the officers that searched him. While working Defendant PO James South entered Plaintiff's place of employment, grabbed Plaintiff and put him in handcuffs. Plaintiff was then searched again, with no contraband being found again. Plaintiff was told he was arrested because he does not mind his business. Plaintiff was taken to the precint and placed in a cell where he was strip-searched by PO South. Officers then falsely informed employees of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that plaintiff obstructed governmental administration.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.416551/gov.uscourts.nysd.416551.1.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13055015/bennett-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Martinez, Luis, et al. vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-02-05","disposition_date":"2013-07-15","payout_amount":40000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"300571/2013","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","officer_name":"South, James C.","summary":"On the morning of February 10, 2016, Luis Martinez was leaving his home at 407 West 205th Street. POs Nunez, Lichtbraun, South, and Judge stopped Mr. Martinez, assaulted him, and arrested him. The officers destroyed and damaged his furniture and stole money, three necklaces, a diamond bracelet, and six rings from from Prisca Martinez.","documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4928350-Martinez-et-al-v-City-of-New-York-et-al","type":"complaint"}]},{"officer_name":"South, James C.","disposition":"Zero Disposition","start_date":"2011-04-01","disposition_date":"2014-03-28","court":"Supreme Court - New York","docket":"103726/2011","name":"Perez, Maria, et Al vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":0},{"name":"Levon Smith v. Police Officer Jorge Tobon, Shield #29637","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","disposition":"Order/Judgment (Verdict)","documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4928062-Levon-Smith-v-Police-Officer-Jorge-Tobon-Shield"}],"docket":"04CV03286","officer_name":"James C. South"}],"id":"S5ZF","url":"https://www.50-a.org/officer/S5ZF"}