Complaint #201013997,
October 12, 2010

Summary

On October 12, 2010, at 7:52 p.m., [redacted] was walking home from Middle Plaza through the parking lot of 26 Ebbitts Street in Staten Island. He was not walking between or touching the cars. Three officers determined through investigation to be PO Joseph Metsopulos, PO Paul Rivera, and Sergeant Robert Barkovich drove up to [redacted] in a silver unmarked vehicle and said, "Get in the car." [redacted] did not see identification and thought they were kidnappers or rapists. He ran away and yelled, "Help!" The officers got out of the vehicle and chased him for a short distance. PO Rivera grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him on the ground. PO Rivera pinned him to the ground and kicked him, causing bruising to his arms, pain to his back, and a red mark to the hand. [redacted] apologized when the officers identified themselves. PO Metsopulos picked [redacted] up by the front of the shirt and put him up against a vehicle. The officers spun him around and kicked his legs apart. An officer placed handcuffs on [redacted] panicked and rocked his upper body back and forth, which he always does when he is nervous. In his telephone statement and first interview, [redacted] stated that the officers banged his forehead against the vehicle. In his second interview, he stated that he was only put up against a vehicle. [redacted] said to the officers, "Get the 'cuffs off me. What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything wrong." PO Metsopulos said, "Shut the fuck up." [redacted] told the officers that his mother was calling and he needed to go home and take his medication. In his second interview, [redacted] added that one officer held [redacted] against a car while PO Metsopulos patted his pants pockets, reached into both his right and left pants pockets, and removed his cell phone from his left pants pocket. Sergeant Barkovich stood to the side and was laughing. The officers wanted to look in his phone but [redacted] did not give them permission. The officers also had him take off his jacket. The officers put his jacket on the... Read report for details.