Complaint #201710093,
December 5, 2017

Officer: Brandenburg, Jeremy
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Mezzatesta, Richard
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Strip-searched
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Mezzatesta, Richard
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Strip-searched
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Charges)
Officer: Mezzatesta, Richard
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Force: Gun Pointed
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Force: Gun Pointed
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Force: Gun Pointed
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Brandenburg, Jeremy
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Force: Gun Pointed
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Brandenburg, Jeremy
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Force: Gun Pointed
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Frisk
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline B)
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Search (of person)
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Search (of person)
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Frisk
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Mezzatesta, Richard
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Unknown Officer
Complainant: Asian Male, 21-24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Property damaged
CCRB Conclusion: Officer(s) Unidentified
Officer: Unknown Officer
Complainant: Asian Male, 25-29
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Officer(s) Unidentified
Officer: Lalchan, Stephen
Complainant: Asian Male, 24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Search (of person)
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Obrien, Michael
Complainant: Asian Male, 27
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Frisk
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Conclusion
Brandenburg, Jeremy Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Mezzatesta, Richard Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Strip-searched Substantiated (Charges)
Mezzatesta, Richard Asian Male, 27 Abuse of Authority: Strip-searched Substantiated (Charges)
Mezzatesta, Richard Asian Male, 27 Force: Gun Pointed Unfounded
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 27 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 24 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 24 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 27 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 24 Force: Gun Pointed Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 27 Force: Gun Pointed Unsubstantiated
Brandenburg, Jeremy Asian Male, 27 Force: Gun Pointed Unfounded
Brandenburg, Jeremy Asian Male, 24 Force: Gun Pointed Unfounded
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 27 Abuse of Authority: Frisk Substantiated (Command Discipline B)
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name Unsubstantiated
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 27 Force: Physical force Unsubstantiated
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 27 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Exonerated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 27 Abuse of Authority: Refusal to provide name Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 27 Abuse of Authority: Search (of person) Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Search (of person) Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Frisk Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 24 Force: Physical force Unsubstantiated
Mezzatesta, Richard Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Unknown Officer Asian Male, 21-24 Abuse of Authority: Property damaged Officer(s) Unidentified
Unknown Officer Asian Male, 25-29 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Officer(s) Unidentified
Lalchan, Stephen Asian Male, 24 Abuse of Authority: Search (of person) Unsubstantiated
Obrien, Michael Asian Male, 27 Abuse of Authority: Frisk 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.
'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.


Penalties

Mezzatesta, Richard
Closed: Retained, with discipline, July 11, 2019
APU Closed: Retained, with discipline
Command Discipline A

Lalchan, Stephen
Command Discipline - A

Summary

At approximately 6:15 p.m. on December 5, 2017, [redacted] were in their vehicle parked on 189th Street and 73rd Avenue in Queens. Det. Michael Obrien, and Det. Stephen Lalchan of Queens South Gang Squad approached their vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Sgt. Richard Mezzatesta and Det. Jeremy Brandenburg, also of Queens South Gang Squad, also arrived on scene. Det. Brandenburg was investigating the brothers in an ongoing narcotics case, and [redacted] alleged that Sgt. Mezzatesta and Det. Brandenburg approached the vehicle with their guns pointed at him, while [redacted] alleged that Det. Brandenburg and Det. Obrien approached the vehicle with their guns pointed at both him and [redacted] (Allegation A: Force, [redacted] Allegation B: Force, [redacted] Allegation C: Force, [redacted] Allegation D: Force, [redacted] Allegation E: Force, [redacted]). Det. Lalchan allegedly pulled [redacted] out of the vehicle, and Det. Obrien allegedly used force to remove [redacted] from the vehicle (Allegation F: Force, [redacted] Allegation G: Force, [redacted]). Det. Lalchan frisked [redacted] (Allegation H: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Obrien allegedly frisked and searched [redacted] (Allegation I: Abuse of Authority, [redacted] Allegation J: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Lalchan allegedly searched [redacted] (Allegation K: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Obrien allegedly frisked and searched [redacted] (Allegation L: Abuse of Authority, [redacted] Allegation M: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Lalchan allegedly spoke discourteously to [redacted] (Allegation N: Discourtesy, [redacted]). Det. Obrien allegedly spoke discourteously to [redacted] (Allegation O: Discourtesy, [redacted] Allegation P: Discourtesy, [redacted]). Det. Lalchan searched the vehicle and recovered marijuana (Allegation Q: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Brandenburg and Sgt. Mezzatesta also allegedly searched the vehicle (Allegation R: Abuse of Authority, [redacted] Allegation S: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). [redacted] were... Read report for details.


Details

Incident: December 5, 2017
Received: December 6, 2017
Closed: March 12, 2019

Reason for contact: PD suspected C/V of violation/crime - auto
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD 107th Precinct Queens
Outcome: Arrest - other violation/crime