Richard Castellano

Badge #25087, Hispanic Male
Police Officer at Patrol Borough Bronx Community Response Team since February 2024, active
Also served at 46th Precinct, 44th Precinct
Service started January 2015, made $118,000 last year, Tax #957429

Substantiated Allegations:
Force: Physical force
Discourtesy: Word

Lawsuit settlements:
$8,000   Pierce, George vs City of New York, et al., 2019 SDNY SDNY 19CV02405
$20,000   Santiago, Aaron vs City of New York, et al., 2018 BCSC BCSC 034034/2018E
$10,000   Mitchell, Albert vs City of New York, et al., 2016 BCSC BCSC 302460/2016
View Details

Complaints

7 Complaints
12 Allegations
2 Substantiated
1 Substantiated (Command Discipline A)
1 Substantiated (Command Discipline B)
7 Closed - Pending Litigation
1 Exonerated
1 Unfounded
1 Unsubstantiated

Complaint #202402315, January 2024
Allegation: Force: Nightstick as club (incl asp & baton)
Complainant: Black Male, 21-24
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Property damaged
Complainant: Black Male, 25-29
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
Allegation: Force: Chokehold
Complainant: Black Male, 21-24
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
additional details

Complaint #202107073, November 2021
Allegation: Force: Physical force
Complainant: Black Male, 25-29
CCRB Conclusion: Unfounded
additional details

Complaint #202105664, September 2021
Allegation: Force: Physical force
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 30-34
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline B)
Allegation: Discourtesy: Word
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 30-34
CCRB Conclusion: Substantiated (Command Discipline A)
APU Case Status: Pending
Penalty: APU - Decision Pending
additional details

Complaint #202100277, January 2021
Allegation: Force: Physical force
Complainant: Black Male, 25-29
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Threat of force (verbal or physical)
Complainant: Black Male, 25-29
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
additional details

Complaint #202004156, June 2020
Allegation: Abuse of Authority: Threat of arrest
Complainant: Black Male, 50-54
CCRB Conclusion: Exonerated
additional details

Complaint #201806270, July 2018
Allegation: Force: Physical force
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 19
CCRB Conclusion: Unsubstantiated
Documents: Complaint Closing Report
additional details

Complaint #201806511, July 2018
Allegation: Force: Physical force
Complainant: Hispanic Female, 40
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
Allegation: Force: Physical force
Complainant: Hispanic Male, 20
CCRB Conclusion: Closed - Pending Litigation
additional details

Complaint #202402315, January 2024
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Force: Nightstick as club (incl asp & baton) Black Male, 21-24 Closed - Pending Litigation
Abuse of Authority: Property damaged Black Male, 25-29 Closed - Pending Litigation
Force: Chokehold Black Male, 21-24 Closed - Pending Litigation
additional details
Complaint #202107073, November 2021
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Force: Physical force Black Male, 25-29 Unfounded
additional details
Complaint #202105664, September 2021
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Force: Physical force Hispanic Male, 30-34 Substantiated (Command Discipline B)
Discourtesy: Word Hispanic Male, 30-34 Substantiated (Command Discipline A)
APU Case Status: Pending
Penalty: APU - Decision Pending
additional details
Complaint #202100277, January 2021
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Force: Physical force Black Male, 25-29 Closed - Pending Litigation
Abuse of Authority: Threat of force (verbal or physical) Black Male, 25-29 Closed - Pending Litigation
additional details
Complaint #202004156, June 2020
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Abuse of Authority: Threat of arrest Black Male, 50-54 Exonerated
additional details
Complaint #201806270, July 2018
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Force: Physical force Hispanic Male, 19 Unsubstantiated
Documents: Complaint Closing Report
additional details
Complaint #201806511, July 2018
Allegation Complainant CCRB Conclusion
Force: Physical force Hispanic Female, 40 Closed - Pending Litigation
Force: Physical force Hispanic Male, 20 Closed - Pending Litigation
additional details

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.
'Substantiated': The alleged conduct occurred and it violated the rules. The NYPD has discretion over what, if any, discipline is imposed.
'Unfounded': Evidence suggests that the event or alleged conduct did not occur.
'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.


Lawsuits

Named in 4 known lawsuits, $38,000 total settlements.

Gumaneh, Mahmadu vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 806471/2023E, Supreme Court - Bronx, April 25, 2023

Pierce, George vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 19CV02405, U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, April 1, 2019, ended March 15, 2020
$8,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On August 11, 2018, around 11:30 pm, Officers Francis, Boyer, Ramunno, Castellano, Felipe, and Perez approached Mr. Pierce in front of his residence and began harassing him and three individuals he was speaking to. One of the officers asked Mr. Pierce to see his identification and, while his wife went inside to get his identification, the officer ran Mr. Pierce's name and falsely claimed there was a warrant out for his arrest. The officers arrested Mr. Pierce, handcuffed him, and transported him to the precinct. The officers charged him with acting disorderly, and Mr. Pierce had to show up in court as a result. When he arrived in court, all of the charges were dismissed.

Santiago, Aaron vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 034034/2018E, Supreme Court - Bronx, December 14, 2018, ended August 10, 2020
$20,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On July 14, 2018, at approximately 12:00 a.m., in the vicinity of Nelson Avenue and West 166th Street, County of Bronx, State of New York, NYPD Officers Michael Menses (Shield No. 11225), Richard Castellano (Shield No. 25087) and John Doe, absent an arrest warrant, probable cause, reasonable cause or any legal justification, approached Plaintiff Aaron Santiago for no reason, and based on fraud, perjury and misrepresentations, stopped, searched, grabbed, assaulted, battered, and detained him in an aggressive and excessive manner. Plaintiff alleges that this stop was a part of New York City's "Stop and Frisk" policy and that it was racially motivated. Plaintiff was subjected to a strip search while in the cust...

Mitchell, Albert vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 302460/2016, Supreme Court - Bronx, September 9, 2016, ended October 15, 2019
$10,000 Settlement