NYC Civilian Review Board States Police Had No Right To Arrest Thabo Sefolosha

Last April, Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha was taken into custody by the New York City Police department outside the 1 Oak Night Club. When he was forced to the ground, the small forward fractured his tibia, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. While he can’t get that time back, Sefolosha has been working to clear his name after the incident. In October, he was found not guilty of all the charges relating to his arrest and, on Monday, New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board found that there was no reason for him to be arrested.

“A three-member panel found that one officer, JohnPaul Giacona, had been discourteous and had abused his authority when he used profanity and threatened to fight Mr. Sefolosha, after asking him several times to move farther away from the nightclub,” reported the New York Times. “The panel also ruled that Officer Giacona and a second officer, Richard Caster, had abused their authority when they arrested Mr. Sefolosha a few minutes later, a finding that means the officers lacked a valid reason to take him into custody.”

Based on the board’s findings, officer Giancona can be docked up to 15 vacation days. The board also recommended that the department sends the second officer involved, Richard Caster, for retraining on proper procedure.

The board also found that the two officers did not use excessive force and were not responsible for breaking the player’s leg. Sefolosha, however, has filed papers in order to sue the city.

Photo: ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 27: Reggie Jackson #1 of the Detroit Pistons defends against Thabo Sefolosha #25 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on October 27, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Article by Joe Kozlowski