Complaint #201407041,
July 5, 2014

Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Force: Pepper spray
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Property damaged
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Threat of force (verbal or physical)
CCRB Investigator Recommendation: Substantiated
CCRB Board Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Unknown Officer
Complainant: Black Male, 18-20
Allegation: Offensive Language: Ethnicity
CCRB Conclusion: Officer(s) Unidentified
Recategorized as: Offensive Language: Other
Officer: Fitzgerald, Thomas
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Cabrera, Patrick
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Whooley, Michael
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Whooley, Michael
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Worthington, Brian
Complainant: Black Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Frisk
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Worthington, Brian
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Worthington, Brian
Complainant: Black Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Search (of person)
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Whooley, Michael
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Search (of person)
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Whooley, Michael
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Frisk
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Whooley, Michael
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Fitzgerald, Thomas
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Worthington, Brian
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Retaliatory arrest
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Fitzgerald, Thomas
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Officer: Chierico, Paul
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Board Conclusion
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Force: Pepper spray Unsubstantiated
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Force: Physical force Substantiated (Charges)
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Property damaged Substantiated (Charges)
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Threat of force (verbal or physical) Unsubstantiated
CCRB Investigator Recommendation: Substantiated
Unknown Officer Black Male, 18-20 Offensive Language: Ethnicity Officer(s) Unidentified
Recategorized as Offensive Language: Other on December 9, 2024
Fitzgerald, Thomas Hispanic Male, 20 Force: Physical force Substantiated (Charges)
Cabrera, Patrick Hispanic Male, 20 Force: Physical force Substantiated (Charges)
Whooley, Michael Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Whooley, Michael Hispanic Male, 20 Force: Physical force Substantiated (Charges)
Worthington, Brian Black Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Frisk Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Worthington, Brian Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Worthington, Brian Black Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Search (of person) Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Whooley, Michael Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Search (of person) Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Whooley, Michael Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Frisk Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Whooley, Michael Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Fitzgerald, Thomas Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Worthington, Brian Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Retaliatory arrest Substantiated (Charges)
Fitzgerald, Thomas Hispanic Male, 20 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Substantiated (Command Discipline)
Chierico, Paul Hispanic Male, 20 Force: Physical force Unsubstantiated

Conclusion Meanings:

'Officer(s) Unidentified': Unable to identify the officers who committed the alleged misconduct
'Substantiated': The misconduct occurred and it violated the rules. The NYPD has discretion over what, if any, discipline is imposed.
'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.


Penalties

Worthington, Brian
Command Discipline - A

Chierico, Paul
Closed: Guilty after trial-PC Approved, January 26, 2017
APU Guilty
Forfeit vacation 20 days

Whooley, Michael
Closed: Not guilty after trial-PC Approved, January 26, 2017
APU Not guilty

Fitzgerald, Thomas
Closed: Not guilty after trial-PC Approved, January 26, 2017
APU Not guilty

Cabrera, Patrick
Closed: Not guilty after trial-PC Approved, January 26, 2017
APU Not guilty

Summary

On July 5, 2014, at approximately 12:15 a.m., [redacted] drove his father's minivan to 128th Avenue and 235th Street in Queens with [redacted] to pick up [redacted] and [redacted] from a party. Officers from the 105th Precinct stopped them, arrested [redacted] for two counts of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of marijuana, and issued a summons to [redacted] for possession of a weapon (IAB log encl. 11-12; CCRB complaint encl. 13-16; arrest report encl. 125-127; summons encl. 124). [redacted] and PO Paul Chierico sustained injuries and went to the hospital.
PO Brian Worthington, PO Thomas Fitzgerald, and PO Michael Whooley stopped the car in which [redacted] were occupants and [redacted] (Allegations A-C). PO Whooley frisked [redacted] and [redacted] and searched [redacted] (Allegations D and E). PO Worthington allegedly frisked and searched [redacted] (Allegations F and G). PO Whooley, PO Fitzgerald, and PO Worthington allegedly searched the car (Allegations H-J).
While PO Whooley was writing a summons for a knife found on [redacted], PO Paul Chierico and PO Patrick Cabrera arrived. PO Chierico allegedly grabbed [redacted]'s cell phone, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it (Allegation K). He pulled [redacted] out of the car, tore his shirt, punched him, and twisted his thumb (Allegation L). PO Whooley, PO Cabrera, and PO Fitzgerald also allegedly kicked and punched [redacted] (Allegations M-O). PO Chierico allegedly spoke rudely to [redacted] (Allegation P). PO Chierico arrested [redacted] (Allegation Q). When [redacted] was seated in the police car, PO Chierico allegedly punched him and used pepper spray against him (Allegation R and S). An officer allegedly made offensive remarks (Allegation T). While PO Chierico walked [redacted] from the car to the stationhouse, he allegedly threatened [redacted] with the use of force (Allegation U). [redacted] Read report for details.


Details

Incident: July 5, 2014
Received: July 14, 2014
Closed: April 10, 2015
Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Reason for contact: PD suspected C/V of violation/crime - auto
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD 105th Precinct Queens
Outcome: Arrest - resisting arrest

Witness Officers: Paul Dubrosky
Video evidence collected