Plaintiff:
Dreshon Patton
Incident date:
06/30/2013
Location:
315 E. 47th St.
Allegations:
Patton was at a grocery store to purchase items for his ill grandmother when he saw two friends in front of the store and stopped to talk to them. While they were talking, Officer Heard approached the group and told everyone to move. Patton told the officer that he would move, but that he needed to go into the store to purchase some items. Heard insisted that Patton leave the premises, and in response, drew his nightstick. Patton asked the officer why he had drawn his nightstick when they were all complying with his command. Heard told Patton to move now, proceeded to put his nightstick away, grabbed Patton and pushed him into the vestibule of the store. Inside the vestibule, Heard grabbed Patton's neck with both hands and began to choke him. The officer slapped Patton, punched him in the stomach, and then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and smashed his head twice into the vestibule's metal door. Heard reiterated that Patton needed to leave. Patton walked out of the store after being told that he would not be arrested, and called for an ambulance. While at the hospital, a police sergeant met with Patton and opened an internal investigationafter hearing what had happened. Patton gave a recorded statement to the Independent Police Review Authority, and photographs of his injuries were taken.