Complaint #200704990,
March 13, 2007

Officer: Louis, Clifford
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Question and/or stop
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Vega, Carlos
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Question and/or stop
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Vega, Carlos
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Vega, Carlos
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Refusal to obtain medical treatment
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Vega, Carlos
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Property damaged
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Vega, Carlos
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Louis, Clifford
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Vega, Carlos
Complainant: Black Male, 48
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Alleged Victim Unavailable
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Conclusion
Louis, Clifford Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Question and/or stop Exonerated
Vega, Carlos Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Question and/or stop Exonerated
Vega, Carlos Black Male, 34 Force: Physical force Unfounded
Vega, Carlos Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Refusal to obtain medical treatment Unfounded
Vega, Carlos Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Property damaged Unfounded
Vega, Carlos Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Louis, Clifford Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Vega, Carlos Black Male, 48 Force: Physical force Alleged Victim Unavailable

Conclusion Meanings:

'Exonerated': or 'Within NYPD Guidelines' - The conduct occurred but did not violate the NYPD's own rules, which often give officers significant discretion.
'Unfounded': Evidence suggests that the event or alleged conduct did not occur.
'Unsubstantiated': or 'Unable to Determine' - The alleged conduct was investigated but could not determine both that the conduct occurred and that it broke the rules.

Further details on conclusions.


Summary

On March 13, 2007 at approximately 6:04 PM, [redacted] exited an unidentified bodega located on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, between Sandford Street and Bedford Avenue. [redacted] started walking down Myrtle Avenue towards the Sandford Street intersection with his "juice or whatever" that he had purchased from the store when an unknown male approached and asked [redacted] for a cigarette - [redacted] stated that he knew this individual from the neighborhood but didn't know his name - [redacted] later identified this individual as [redacted] This individual was subsequently identified as [redacted] Five seconds after [redacted] had exited the bodega, he was about to give [redacted] a cigarette when a Hispanic male officer and a black male officer, identified respectively as PO Carlos Vega and PO Clifford Louis of the 79th Precinct, stopped their marked patrol car, jumped out and approached [redacted] (allegations A and B).
PO Vega immediately grabbed both of [redacted] arms (allegation C) – the officers did not ask [redacted] for identification. At first, [redacted] said that he was handcuffed and that PO Vega then threw him against his own vehicle (allegation C), a silver Ford Taurus with a North Carolina license plate and dark tinted windows. [redacted] later clarified that PO Vega first threw him against the vehicle so that his chest and stomach made contact with the driver side – and PO Louis then handcuffed [redacted] [redacted] sustained a bruise to his left elbow [redacted] stated that the bruise had gone down by time of his interview). [redacted] vehicle also sustained damage - the rain guard on the driver's window came loose (allegation D). At this time, [redacted] inquired about the situation and the officers told [redacted] to mind his own business.
While [redacted] was handcuffed, PO Vega pushed him to the ground in the street by the trunk of [redacted] vehicle (allegation C). [redacted] sustained several bruises from making contact with the ground - when asked where he sustained bruises in his... Read report for details.


Details

Incident: March 13, 2007
Received: April 10, 2007
Closed: November 28, 2007

Reason for contact: PD suspected C/V of violation/crime - street
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD 79th Precinct Brooklyn
Outcome: Arrest - disorderly conduct

Witness Officers: Christophe Richards, Michael Squibb