Complaint #201902971,
March 29, 2019

Officer: Charles, Richard
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Stop
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Unknown Officer
Complainant: White Male, 21-24
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Search (of person)
CCRB Conclusion: Officer(s) Unidentified
Officer: Charles, Richard
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Charles, Richard
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Johnston, Michael
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Question
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Johnston, Michael
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Stop
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Johnston, Michael
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Johnston, Michael
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Force: Physical force
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
Officer: Edwards, Joel
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Thomas, Curt
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Costello, Wayne
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Officer: Charles, Richard
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Officer: Edwards, Joel
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Officer: Johnston, Michael
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Officer: Thomas, Curt
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Officer: Costello, Wayne
Complainant: White Male, 21
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Officer Complainant Allegation CCRB Conclusion
Charles, Richard White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Stop Unsubstantiated
Unknown Officer White Male, 21-24 Abuse of Authority: Search (of person) Officer(s) Unidentified
Charles, Richard White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Charles, Richard White Male, 21 Force: Physical force Exonerated
Johnston, Michael White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Question Unsubstantiated
Johnston, Michael White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Stop Unsubstantiated
Johnston, Michael White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Johnston, Michael White Male, 21 Force: Physical force Exonerated
Edwards, Joel White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Thomas, Curt White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Costello, Wayne White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Vehicle search Unsubstantiated
Charles, Richard White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Edwards, Joel White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Johnston, Michael White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Thomas, Curt White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)
Costello, Wayne White Male, 21 Abuse of Authority: Failure to provide RTKA card Substantiated (Command Lvl Instructions)

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.
'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

Thomas, Curt
Instructions

Edwards, Joel
Instructions

Charles, Richard
Instructions

Johnston, Michael
Instructions

Costello, Wayne
Instructions

Summary

On March 29, 2019, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Sergeant Joel Edwards, Det. Michael Johnston, Detective Richard Charles, Detective Wayne Costello, Det. Kaisser Surriga, Det. Thomas, and several other detectives from Narcotics Borough Queens North conducted buy-and-bust operations at the McDonald's parking lot located at [redacted] in Queens. Det. Johnston and Det. Charles stopped [redacted] while he was sitting in his parked vehicle within the parking lot (Allegations A and B: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Johnston and Det. Charles pulled [redacted] out of the vehicle and brought him down to the ground (Allegations C and D: Force, [redacted]). An unidentified officer searched [redacted] (Allegation E: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Johnston, Det. Charles, Sgt. Edwards, Det. Wayne Costello, and Det. Curt Thomas searched [redacted]'s vehicle (Allegations F – J: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Johnston questioned [redacted] (Allegation K: Abuse of Authority, [redacted]). Det. Johnston, Det. Charles, Sgt. Edwards, Det. Costello, and Det. Thomas did not provide their business cards to [redacted] (Allegations L, M, N, O and P: Abuse of authority, [redacted]). [redacted] was not arrested or summonsed as a result of this incident.
The investigation obtained surveillance footage from the McDonald's parking lot, which is location in and can be viewed from Investigative Action #22. Read report for details.


Details

Incident: March 29, 2019
Received: April 5, 2019
Closed: May 27, 2020

Reason for contact: PD suspected C/V of violation/crime - auto
Location: Street/highway
In NYPD 104th Precinct Queens
Outcome: No arrest made or summons issued

Witness Officers: Kaisser Surriga
Video evidence collected