A veteran New York City police detective recently filed a lawsuit against the city's Civilian Complaint Review Board, alleging defamation and slander. new york post report.
Detective Salvatore Rizzo filed a lawsuit against the board last week, alleging that the board falsely accused him of showing racial bias in a 2020 case involving a black juvenile.
On September 27, 2020, Rizzo and other officers noticed two people sleeping in a car in a driveway in a residential area. When one of the passengers, a 17-year-old, woke up and suddenly tried to reach for something between the seat and the door, Rizzo pulled out a gun, according to the CCRB complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, Rizzo told the boy to show him his hands after the boy “suddenly and unexpectedly” moved his hands “toward the floor of the vehicle.” Rizzo claimed he holstered the weapon “a few seconds” after the boy showed his hand. Two people who were asleep in the car were issued citations for possession of a small amount of marijuana.
In April 2022, the CCRB initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Rizzo for using unreasonable force “without police necessity.” Rizzo opted to go to trial instead of accepting a plea deal that would have cost her 20 days of paid vacation. He was ultimately acquitted of any wrongdoing.
However, Rizzo said CCRB Chairman Alba Rice and Prosecutor Nishat Tabassum continued to defame and slander him.
Tabassum wrote in a July letter to NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban posted online.[L]Let me be clear: [the teen] It was white, [Rizzo] I wouldn't have pointed the gun at you. [the teen’s] chest. “
“The only way his actions could be justified is if he believed that black skin is inherently dangerous,” Tabassum added.
Paul DiGiacomo, president of the NYPD Detective Endowment Association, told the Post: “He lied, he defamed his name, and he should pay.”
“It's time for CCRB lawyers and staff who lied to pay the price,” he continued. “CCRB officials knew the facts of the case and knew the detective acted reasonably and lawfully based on his training and NYPD regulations, but this decision ruined his career and dehumanized the detective. This was done consciously to maliciously accuse him of being a speciesist.”
DiGiacomo added: “Please stop the CCRB and its employees from making meaningless accusations that will lead to career damage, retirement, and delayed promotions.” “End the corrupt CCRB’s ability to destroy careers and denigrate the decent, hard-working men and women who take pride in carrying the golden shield of NYPD detectives.”
Mr. Rizzo's attorney, James Moschella, said his client is concerned that the CCRB's actions will prevent Mr. Rizzo from working effectively as a field intelligence officer. new york daily news Reported in December.
“He feels very strongly about this,” Moschella said. “We feel this has taken a toll on his enthusiasm for his job and is hampering his ability to do his job.”
The lawsuit marks the first time a police officer cleared of wrongdoing has taken legal action against the review board.
“This is not CCRB overreach, but an example of the NYPD failing to hold its officers accountable for their misconduct,” CCRB Executive Director Jonathan Darsch told the Post in a statement Tuesday.
“Over-policing in black neighborhoods means people are treated differently based on their zip code,” Darsch continued. “The two boys were sleeping in a car parked in the driveway outside their home when six police officers approached them for a so-called welfare check, and within seconds the officers had their guns drawn.”
“This lawsuit is an attempt to undermine one of the only tools civilians have to fight police abuse,” he said. “The CCRB is considering all options to respond under Sections 70a and 76a of the New York Civil Rights Law.”
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