Complaint #201501757,
March 6, 2015

Summary

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on March 6, 2015, a Narcotics Borough Queens North field team that included Sgt. Ramiro Ruiz, Det. Michael McGovern, PO Joongsuk Hwang, [redacted] were conducting a buy and bust operation in the 100th Precinct in Far Rockaway, Queens. At 6:15 p.m., [redacted] was arrested as a result of the operation, and at 7:40 p.m., the field team entered [redacted] (Allegation A), though they had not yet obtained any search warrant. Upon entering with their guns drawn, the officers first encountered [redacted] on the first floor. Both individuals were immediately handcuffed, though [redacted] alleged that even after his handcuffs were secured, PO Hwang held a gun to his head for as long as two minutes (Allegation B). When [redacted] reportedly told him to get the gun out of his face, PO Hwang allegedly refused to immediately do so and instead stated multiple times, "Shut the fuck up" (Allegation C). A third civilian who was upstairs at the time of the entry, [redacted] was also handcuffed and brought downstairs with the others. [redacted] repeatedly asked the officers, including Det. McGovern, to show them a search warrant, though the officers told them only that they would show one when they received it (Allegation D). It was further alleged that amidst this questioning, PO Hwang told them to "Shut the fuck up" (subsumed within Allegation C). Shortly thereafter, it was alleged that multiple officers search the house, recovering a quantity of heroin (Allegation E). All three civilians were subsequently arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance. At 10:10 p.m. [redacted] was signed by the Honorable [redacted] authorizing a search of [redacted] in Queens. Read report for details.