Named in 4 known lawsuits, $85,000 total settlements.
Hurt, Destiny vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 160235/2024,
Supreme Court - New York, December 24, 2024
Complaint
Description: On August 12, 2023, Plaintiff was in the park speaking about her religious beliefs and offering religious materials to passersby, when she was unlawfully approached by Defendant NYPD officers Maric, Gomez, Fermin, Jones, Vitale, Diazzabala, and other unknown NYPD officers, without any legal basis. The Defendants told Plaintiff that her "umbrella" was against park regulations. Plaintiff had been in the park numerous times previously and had been told that it was legal to be there. The Defendants surrounded Plaintiff and attempted to confiscate her umbrella. They verbally seized, detained, assaulted, and threatened her. The Defendants began to attack, touch, grab, pull, restrain, kick, scratch, and detain Plainti...
Allen, Taz, et al. vs Police Officer Vitale, Craig, et al.
Case # 18CV03591,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, April 30, 2018, ended October 26, 2018
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: Plaintiffs were stopped, searched, and subsequently arrested. They were taken to the 18th Precinct and charged with Fraudulent Accosting and held on Rikers when they failed to make bail. The charges with dismissed and sealed.
Rowe, Jonathan vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 155692/2016,
Supreme Court - New York, July 18, 2016, ended March 17, 2017
$15,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On or about February 6, 2016, the plaintiff, Jonathan Rowe, was wrongfully and arrested, detained and imprisoned, on the accusation of the crimes of possession of fraudulent accosting. The defendants arrested and imprisoned the plaintiff in the precinct in Bronx without reasonable cause or belief. The plaintiff was charged with various crimes based on the false information provided by the defendants and the proceedings ultimately terminated in the plaintiff's favor.
Note that the complaint also states that the defendants made false accusations on or about November 20, 2014 and March 17, 2015.
Bayoh, Mambu vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 13CV05525,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, August 13, 2013, ended October 10, 2014
$70,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On June 2, 2013, NYPD Officer Arthur McCarthy pushed Plaintiff against a wall, confiscated his camera, and insulted Plaintiff with racial slurs. Officer McCarthy arrested Plaintiff and deleted all the photos from his camera. On July 17, 2013, all charges were dismissed.