Complaint #201702651,
April 5, 2017

Summary

On April 5, 2017, at approximately 10:40 a.m. [redacted] crawled under a turnstile at the Nevins Street 2-3-4-5 train subway station and was approached by Police Officers Kathi Arias and Ryan Berls of Transit Bureau District 30 (TD30). In the course of apprehending [redacted] after she did not identify herself when asked and began to walk away, PO Arias and PO Berls took [redacted] to the ground and she landed face-first and hit her lip (Allegations A and B). PO Arias pushed the left side of [redacted]'s face into the ground with her hand (Allegation C). PO Berls pressed his knee into [redacted]'s back and restricted her breathing (Allegation D). [redacted] screamed, drawing the attention of a small crowd. Police Officers Carmine Taverna and Robert Carbone, also of TD30 arrived and assisted PO Berls to handcuff [redacted] and bring her to her feet. PO Berls carried [redacted] up the stairs, out of the station, and placed her in the police car parked outside. As PO Berls put [redacted]'s seatbelt on, he pressed his forearm into her throat, restricting her breathing (also Allegation D). PO Berls drove to the stationhouse, PO Arias sat in the passenger seat, and PO Taverna sat beside [redacted] in the backseat. PO Berls swerved the car, causing [redacted] to hit her head on the window (Allegation E). When they arrived at the precinct stationhouse, PO Berls placed his forearm against [redacted]'s throat, restricting her breathing, as he unbuckled her seatbelt (also Allegation D).
[redacted] was placed in a holding cell for approximately two hours before her mother, [redacted] arrived. [redacted] was placed in an ambulance and admitted to the emergency room at [redacted] at [redacted] treated for wrist pain, and released back into police custody at [redacted] PO Arias was treated at [redacted] which she sustained from falling on the platform when trying to apprehend [redacted] Read report for details.