Conclusion Meanings:
'Exonerated': or 'Within NYPD Guidelines' - the alleged conduct occurred but did not violate the NYPD's own rules, which often give officers significant discretion.
'Unsubstantiated': or 'Unable to Determine' - CCRB has fully investigated but could not affirmatively conclude both that the conduct occurred and that it broke the rules.
Further details on conclusion definitions.
Depas, Emmanuel vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 14CV03167,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, May 21, 2014, ended January 1, 2015
$12,500 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On July 15, 2011, Plaintiff was operating his motor vehicle lawfully with no criminality afoot. Then, Detective Duane Atkinson, Sergeant Joseph Muller, PO Anthony Andino, and Sergeant Michael Billotto pulled Plaintiff over, falsely claiming that Plaintiff’s brake lights were inoperable. The officers asked for permission to search the vehicle. When Plaintiff said that they could not without a warrant, the officers asserted that they smelled marijuana, which Plaintiff denied. The officers then searched the vehicle for twenty minutes, during which they repeatedly went to and into their unmarked police vehicles. Afterwards, the officers asserted that they had discovered marijuana. Plaintiff told them there was no m...