Complaint #201810785,
December 29, 2018

Officer: Smith, Thomas
Complainant: White Male, 41
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Threat of summons
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Smith, Thomas
Complainant: White Male, 41
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Smith, Thomas
Complainant: White Male, 41
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Photography/Videography
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Smith, Thomas
Complainant: White Male, 57
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Smith, Thomas
Complainant: White Male, 57
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Threat to damage/seize property
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Conclusion
Smith, Thomas White Male, 41 Abuse of Authority: Threat of summons Exonerated
Smith, Thomas White Male, 41 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Smith, Thomas White Male, 41 Abuse of Authority: Photography/Videography Exonerated
Smith, Thomas White Male, 57 Discourtesy: Word Unsubstantiated
Smith, Thomas White Male, 57 Abuse of Authority: Threat to damage/seize property Exonerated

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.
'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 December 29, 2018, at approximately 2:30 p.m., [redacted] and [redacted] were street vending on the north side of West 49th Street between Rockefeller Plaza and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. [redacted] and [redacted] are art vendors and their tables were set up approximately 20 to 30 feet apart. Captain Thomas Smith, of the Midtown North Precinct, allegedly told [redacted] to "pack his shit up" (Allegation A: Discourtesy – Discourteous language, [redacted]). Captain Smith then walked over to [redacted] and allegedly told him that if he did not close his stand, his property would be seized (Allegation B: Abuse of Authority – Threat to seize property, [redacted]). Several minutes later, [redacted] was finishing a transaction while closing his table and Captain Smith allegedly threatened to issue [redacted] multiple summonses (Allegation C: Abuse of Authority – Threat of summons, [redacted]). At approximately 3:20 p.m., [redacted] was still at the location waiting for a hand truck to move his belongings. [redacted]'s belongings were packed, but he had not left either. Captain Smith instructed PO Christian Desandis and PO Eduardo Molina, of the 13th Precinct, to issue [redacted] and [redacted] summonses. As Captain Smith was walking away from [redacted] Captain Smith allegedly said, "shit" (Allegation D: Discourtesy – Discourteous language, [redacted]). Captain Smith took six photos of [redacted] on his Department issued smartphone during the incident (Allegation E: Abuse of Authority – Photography, [redacted]), and [redacted] left after receiving their summonses. [redacted] and [redacted] were both issued summonses for failure to move under exigent circumstances (BR 01 and BR 02). Read report for details.


Details

Incident: December 29, 2018
Closed: August 20, 2019

Reason for contact: Parade/special event
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD Midtown North Precinct Manhattan
Outcome: Summons - other violation/crime

Witness Officers: Christian Desandis, Eduardo Molina
Body-Worn Camera evidence collected
Video evidence collected