Complaint #202003544,
May 12, 2020

Summary

On May 12, 2020, at approximately 6:30 p.m., [redacted] and two friends, [redacted] and [redacted] were double-parked in front of [redacted] in Brooklyn, when Police Officer Rochael Vasquez and Police Officer Ashley Griffith, of the 77th Precinct, stopped his vehicle in a marked NYPD van (Allegation A, B, and C: Abuse of Authority-Stop, [redacted]). PO Vasquez requested [redacted]'s license and registration, which he provided, and the officers returned to their vehicle. A few minutes later, the officers returned to [redacted]'s vehicle, wherein PO Vasquez ordered [redacted] and [redacted] to exit the vehicle, frisked them for weapons (Allegations D and E: Abuse of Authority-Frisk, [redacted]), and allegedly searched them (Allegations F and G: Abuse of Authority-Search, [redacted]). PO Vasquez approached [redacted] in the driver seat and ordered him to exit as Lieutenant Ronald Cheng and Police Officer Darryl Chen, of the 77th Precinct, arrived on scene. After [redacted] repeatedly refused to exit his vehicle, PO Vasquez, Lieutenant. Cheng, and PO Chen grabbed him by the arms and shoulders, pulled him out of the vehicle, and allegedly threw him to the ground (Allegations H, I, and J: Force-Physical force, [redacted]). On the ground, [redacted] alleged that, while Lieutenant Cheng and PO Chen handcuffed him, PO Vasquez pressed his forehead against the ground, causing him to sustain a bruise to his forehead (Allegation K: Force-Physical force, [redacted]). Read report for details.