Complaint #202100288,
January 12, 2021

Summary

On January 12, 2021, at approximately 8:30 p.m., at the intersection of the Flatbush Avenue Extension and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, PO Artem Prusayev, of the 84th Precinct (PO Prusayev has since been assigned to the 10th Precinct), drew his firearm in front of a crowd of approximately 40 people marching from the Barclay's Center toward the Manhattan Bridge to protest the killing of Andre Hill (Allegation A: Abuse of Authority – Gun Drawn, [redacted]). After a few seconds, PO Prusayev holstered his firearm and took out his pepper spray, which he pointed at the crowd (Allegation B: Abuse of Authority – Threat of Force, [redacted]). As soon as PO Prusayev removed his pepper spray, PO Justine Sallusto, also of the 84th Precinct, removed hers and pointed it toward the ground (Allegation C: Abuse of Authority – Threat of Force, [redacted]). PO Prusayev and PO Sallusto then both swung their collapsible batons open and held them in front of the crowd (subsumed under Allegations B and C). Additional officers, including PO Joshua Destasio and PO Craig Schoelermann, also of the 84th Precinct, arrived at the location. PO Destasio and PO Schoelermann swung open their collapsible batons and held them in front of the crowd (Allegations D and E: Abuse of Authority – Threat of Force, [redacted]).
PO Prusayev and PO Sallusto went back to their marked van, and, when [redacted] was filming PO Prusayev from outside, PO Prusayev opened the door quickly as if to hit her (Allegation F: Abuse of Authority – Threat of Force, [redacted]).
During the incident, PO Prusayev was wearing two unapproved patches on the vest of his uniform. One was a patch reading "Does not play well with others" and the other was of a plague doctor wearing an NYPD helmet reading "Police 2020 Riots" (Allegation G: Discourtesy – Action, [redacted]). Read report for details.