Complaint #201509617,
August 15, 2015

Officer: Unknown Officer
Complainant: Black Male, 30-34
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Officer(s) Unidentified
Officer: Caesar, Colin
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Caesar, Colin
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Caesar, Colin
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Force: Chokehold
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Caesar, Colin
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name/shield number
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Chen, Alex
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name/shield number
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Chen, Alex
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Caesar, Colin
Complainant: Black Male, 34
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Stop
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline A)
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Conclusion
Unknown Officer Black Male, 30-34 Force: Physical force Officer(s) Unidentified
Caesar, Colin Black Male, 34 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Caesar, Colin Black Male, 34 Force: Physical force Unfounded
Caesar, Colin Black Male, 34 Force: Chokehold Unsubstantiated
Caesar, Colin Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name/shield number Unsubstantiated
Chen, Alex Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name/shield number Unsubstantiated
Chen, Alex Black Male, 34 Force: Physical force Unfounded
Caesar, Colin Black Male, 34 Abuse of Authority: Stop Substantiated (Command Discipline A)

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.
'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 August 15, 2015, at approximately 12:20 a.m., [redacted] went to Two Sha's Nightclub located at 2576 Third Avenue in the Bronx with his friends [redacted] and [redacted] (last names unknown). Before going out, all five of them drank approximately two shots of Ciroc vodka, and [redacted] drove them to the nightclub. Upon arrival at the front of Two Sha's, unidentified police officers approached [redacted]'s car and stopped him for suspicion of driving under the influence. Because he did not want to have any potential interaction with the police, [redacted] began to walk north away from the club allegedly accompanied by [redacted] At Third Avenue and East 141st Street, a marked police vehicle pulled up alongside [redacted] and he was approached by Sgt. Colin Caesar, PO Alex Chen, and PO Ignacio Rodriguez of Patrol Borough Bronx. Sgt. Caesar stopped [redacted] for allegedly brandishing a firearm; [redacted] alleged that [redacted] was stopped as well. When [redacted] denied this claim, Sgt. Caesar allegedly said to [redacted] "You're a smartass" (Allegations A and B). Sgt. Caesar and PO Chen arrested [redacted] for menacing the officers after [redacted] allegedly said he would kill them.
As he was being escorted to a police vehicle by PO Chen and PO Rodriguez, [redacted] allegedly asked Sgt. Caesar and PO Chen for their names and shield numbers and both officers allegedly ignored his requests (Allegations C and D). As Sgt. Caesar and PO Chen struggled to place a resistant [redacted] in the police car, Sgt. Caesar allegedly wrapped his forearm around the front of [redacted]'s neck for approximately sixty seconds in order to pull him into the police car (Allegation E). According to [redacted] this action did not restrict his breathing. Once [redacted] was transported to the 40th Precinct stationhouse, Sgt. Caesar allegedly flung [redacted] forward onto the floor inside of the holding cells area while still handcuffed, and PO Chen and numerous unidentified uniformed officers allegedly punched and kicked him on his... Read report for details.


Details

Incident: August 15, 2015
Received: November 10, 2015
Closed: March 11, 2016

Reason for contact: PD suspected C/V of violation/crime - street
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD 40th Precinct Bronx
Outcome: Arrest - disorderly conduct

Witness Officers: Ignacio Rodriguez