Named in 7 known lawsuits, $189,750 total settlements.
Cruz, Kevin vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 020562/2016E,
Supreme Court - Bronx, February 19, 2016, ended October 11, 2018
$4,750 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On November 4, 2014, Plaintiff was on his way to buy a jean jacket with
his friend when an acquaintance of his saw them and offered them a ride. Plaintiff got into the backseat of his acquaintance's car, when before even pulling out of the parking space, they were stopped by NYPD police officers Kevin Cruz, Michele Butera, Carlos Zapata, and other unnamed officers. The defendant officers claimed that the driver had marijuana. Officers did not recover anything illegal. Plaintiff did not have any drugs on his person and did not have any knowledge about drugs in the vehicle nor did he see any drugs being recovered, but he was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Plaintiff was incarcerated ...
Troncoso, Justin vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 023972/2015E,
Supreme Court - Bronx, July 21, 2015, ended February 16, 2016
$90,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On or about October 18, 2014, Plaintiff was lawfully present in the vicinity of 1455 Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx. Defendant Police Officers, including Steven Counihan (Shield No. 14087), Carlos Zapata (Shield No. 27730) and Michael Mack (Shield No. 25681), stopped, searched, and detained Plaintiff without any legal justification. Plaintiff also experienced an intentional battery from Defendants. Plaintiff was subjected to a strip search by Defendant Police Officers, arrested and handcuffed, and transported to a police station. Plaintiff was subsequently charged and maliciously prosecuted for crimes he did not commit. The criminal action against Plaintiff was later ended in his favor.
James, John vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 15CV00607,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, March 12, 2015, ended September 8, 2015
$15,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On November 7, 2013, Plaintiff, who is African American, was across the street from his step-mother's residence in the Bronx sitting in the driver's seat of a car belonging to Plaintiff's acquaintance, when four plainclothes John Does NYPD officers approached the car. The NYPD records of the incident are incomplete and offer conflicting information as to the officers' identities, but Plaintiff believed the four officers were the following (or possibly some of these officers plus other unknown John Doe officers): (1) Police Officer or Sergeant "FNU" [First Name Unknown] Smith, (2) Police Officer Edward Ehrenkranz (listed as Plaintiff's arresting officer on the NYPD's voided arrest report), (3) Police Officer Ca...
Lhabaik, Kazeem vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 020574/2015,
Supreme Court - Bronx, February 3, 2015, ended May 10, 2016
$25,000 Settlement
Dickerson, Tiphani vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 300365/2015,
Supreme Court - Bronx, January 26, 2015, ended September 20, 2017
$20,000 Settlement
King, Brittany vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 304570/2012,
Supreme Court - Bronx, August 28, 2012, ended March 26, 2013
$15,000 Settlement
Belgrave, Timothy vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 300429/2012,
Supreme Court - Bronx, January 17, 2012, ended November 7, 2018
$20,000 Settlement