Named in 2 known lawsuits, $20,000 total settlements.
Moody, Clinton vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 721691/2019,
Supreme Court - Queens, January 7, 2020
Complaint
Description: On October 14, 2017, Plaintiff was arrested by several NYPD officers, including Police Officer Carmelo Stracuzzi, Detective Michael Pitkewicz, Sergeant Dawn Adames, and Detective Christopher Arena, near 103-25 Astoria Boulevard in Queens, New York. The arrest stemmed from an alleged robbery that occurred earlier that day at a bodega nearby, although there was no evidence linking Plaintiff to the crime. The officers ignored exculpatory evidence, including statements from victims indicating that Plaintiff was not the perpetrator, and fabricated false allegations. Plaintiff was arraigned on armed robbery charges and prosecuted. Plaintiff was incarcerated for about seven months before being released, and all charge...
Short, Derrick vs P.O. Arena, Christopher, et al.
Case # 153165/2018,
Supreme Court - New York, May 21, 2018, ended March 2, 2020
$20,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On April 11, 2015, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Plaintiff Derrick Short was unlawfully stopped, frisked, detained, and falsely imprisoned with excessive force by the defendants, Police Officer Christopher Arena and Sergeant Treubig. The plaintiff was lawfully in the area of 123rd Street and Lexington Avenue in New York, NY when the defendants approached him. The plaintiff had not committed any crime or behaved in a manner that would give rise to reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. The defendants arrested the plaintiff, placed handcuffs in an excessively tight manner on his wrists, and transported him to the 25th Precinct. While in the defendants' custody, the plaintiff was handcuffed, photographed, and st...