Complaint #201610150,
December 8, 2016

Officer: Gulotta, Joseph
Complainant: Black Male, 32
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Gulotta, Joseph
Complainant: Black Male, 32
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Hopkins, John
Complainant: Black Male, 32
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline A)
Officer: Hopkins, John
Complainant: Black Male, 32
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Gulotta, Joseph
Complainant: Black Male, 32
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Threat of arrest
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Conclusion
Gulotta, Joseph Black Male, 32 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Gulotta, Joseph Black Male, 32 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop Exonerated
Hopkins, John Black Male, 32 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Substantiated (Command Discipline A)
Hopkins, John Black Male, 32 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle stop Exonerated
Gulotta, Joseph Black Male, 32 Abuse of Authority: Threat of arrest Unsubstantiated

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.
'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.


Penalty

Hopkins, John
No Disciplinary Action-DUP
No penalty

Summary

On December 8, 2016, at approximately 3:00 p.m., [redacted] was allegedly pulled over by an unmarked police car on the corner of Utica Avenue and Winthrop Street in Brooklyn (Allegation A and Allegation B). Two plainclothes officers approached his car. The first officer, identified as Lieutenant John Hopkins from the 67th Precinct, approached [redacted] Is driver's side window and asked for his license and registration. The second officer, identified as Inspector Joseph Gulotta of the 67th Precinct, approached [redacted] Is passenger side window. While [redacted] was searching for his license, registration, and insurance, Lieutenant Hopkins instructed [redacted] to exit his car. Lieutenant Hopkins then led [redacted] to the back of his car and told him to face away from his car. At one point, while at the back of his car, [redacted] turned around and allegedly saw an officer, whom he could not identify, searching his car (Allegation C).
An additional marked and unmarked police car arrived at the scene. While [redacted] was standing at the back of his car, he was speaking to a third plainclothes officer, identified as PO Flagumy Valcourt of the 67th Precinct. When answering PO Valcourt's questions, Inspector Gulotta allegedly stated to [redacted] "Shut the fuck up. If you don't the fuck up, I'm going to have to put you in handcuffs" (Allegation D and Allegation E). Inspector Gulotta allegedly told [redacted] to "shut the fuck up" a total of three times during the course of the interaction. [redacted] alleged that multiple identification cards that were inside his duffle bag on the back seat of his car, and an unopened alcohol bottle that was on the floor, either by the back passenger seats or in the trunk of his car, were removed by an officer.
[redacted] was summonsed for [redacted] He was not placed under arrest as a result of this incident. Read report for details.


Details

Incident: December 8, 2016
Received: December 9, 2016
Closed: May 3, 2017

Reason for contact: Moving violation
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD 71st Precinct Brooklyn
Outcome: Summons - other violation/crime

Witness Officers: Christopher Andrade, Ugur Bek, Zeshan Naeem, Flagumy Valcourt