ADaily Newsinvestigation of a Brooklyn narcotics officer and his team has spotlighted a troubling pattern of behavior that has cost the city more than $1.5 million in settlements even while the officer in question was promoted.
NYPD lieutenant Daniel Sbarra and members of his team have been hit with nearly 60 lawsuits, nine of which are still pending. At least fifteen of the cases involve Sbarra specifically, with charges ranging from racial profiling and slurs to the unprovoked brutal beating of a man whose 11-year-old son was watching.
The city Law Department issued a statement pointing to the intense nature of Sbarra’s job.
“Being named in a lawsuit or settlement is not an accurate barometer for evaluating an officer’s conduct,” it said. “For example, an officer who works in high-impact roles, such as narcotics or emergency services, is more likely to be sued in his or her line of duty than an officer in a less confrontational role.”
