Complaint #200409370,
July 17, 2004

Summary

On July 17, 2004 at approximately 2am, [redacted] was with his friends [redacted] and [redacted] on the corner of [redacted] and [redacted] in Brooklyn. They were standing in front of an abandoned commercial building, hanging out. Across the street from the building was a convenience store on one corner, and [redacted] on another. [redacted] was drinking from one bottle of beer that he purchased from the convenience store. According to [redacted] it was his first beer. [redacted] stated that [redacted] and [redacted] did not have beers and had not been drinking. Because it was late, there was no one else on the street except for six people standing outside [redacted] According to [redacted] they were drinking as well.
A patrol car approached on [redacted] and parked in front of [redacted] (the CCRB identified PO Pentangelo as the driver and PO Granahan as the passenger). PO Pentangelo ordered [redacted] to approach the vehicle, and asked him, "What do you have behind you?" [redacted] showed him he had a beer in his hand, but asked PO Pentangelo to give him a break because it was his first beer. PO Pentangelo asked for [redacted] s identification. According to [redacted] PO Pentangelo also called out to [redacted] and [redacted] "How come you don't have a beer? I'd like to see you with a beer."
[redacted] and [redacted] waited on the sidewalk while PO Pentangelo wrote a summons for [redacted]. [redacted] called to the officers, "Why are you bothering [redacted] Just leave him alone." [redacted] did not use profanity. [redacted] asked PO Pentangelo why he did not stop the people outside [redacted], who were Caucasian. PO Pentangelo responded, "I don't see them. I see you." [redacted] stated he was upset because he believed PO Pentangelo stopped him because he was Hispanic. [redacted] did not say anything throughout the incident.
PO Pentangelo called [redacted] back to the patrol car and issued him two summonses; [redacted] took the tickets and told PO Pentangelo "Make sure you show up [to court] because I'm... Read report for details.