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Thursday, April 18, 2024 | Back issues
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NYPD Covered Up Stabbing, Victim Claims

BROOKLYN (CN) - A DMV employee tried to kill a woman serving him with legal papers and stabbed her husband in the back as he protected her, then the NYPD covered up the attempted murder, the husband claims in court.

Joseph Perrotta sued New York City, its City Police Department, Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Deputy Chief Jack Trabits, Det. Cynthia Young and the DMV inspector, Emerson L. Forde, in federal court.

Perrotta says in the complaint that Forde tried to murder his wife, Agnieszka Perrotta, a licensed process server whom he accompanied to Forde's house to deliver an order. Perrotta claims Forde stabbed him in the back as he tried to protect his wife from being murdered.

"Eyewitness reports indicate that Forde's attack was premeditated," the complaint states. "He waited for the process server on the front porch of his home, encouraging her to come forward by remaining silent and still. As she approached and, license in hand, identified herself, Forde ran quickly into his home and immediately out again, weapon in hand, chasing Ms. Perrotta, who stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs barely 120 pounds. Plaintiff Joseph Perrotta was stabbed while protecting his wife.

"The federal civil rights complaint that was served upon Emerson Forde, Docket No. 10-CV-889, indicates he is an associate in an ongoing criminal organization that is engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity including theft of Untied States mail, extortion and now attempted murder. The record evidence suggests Forde did not act independently and received a standing kill order to murder the process server and her husband to stop them from disseminating the complaints in 10-CV-889 and protect the criminal organization and its members from detection and apprehension.

"On June 26, 2010, NYPD Detective Cynthia Young from the 75th Police Precinct was assigned to investigate Emerson Forde and arrest him. She did neither. Since that time, Young did not interview any of the victims or eyewitnesses, intentionally delayed the purported investigation, falsified an arrest report (K10665893-L, dated July 9, 2010), and later voided it. "Despite the sworn undisputed testimony of three eyewitnesses, Forde remains armed (gun permit), dangerous and at large." (Parentheses in complaint.)

Perrotta claims that the arrest report already cited, and the report of the complaint against Forde, "contain numerous false entries and material omissions, which, when taken together, were deliberately falsified and designed to help the assailant avoid capture and prosecution. Several examples follow:

"a) The complaint report falsely states the assailant is white when Forde is dark black.

"b) The arrest report falsely claims that the assailant does not have an accent despite his having an unmistakable Barbados accent.

"c) The arrest report and complaint report omit a description of the weapon - a

Knife - even though the victims, eyewitnesses, Fire Department, EMS, and others informed numerous police officers including Sergeant Mamys and Detective Young that the assailant stabbed the victim in the back with a knife.

"d) The complaint report cites 'no life threatening injury' even though the responding police officers, sergeants, and detectives were told the victim was stabbed in the back with a knife and saw him taken by ambulance to Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island.

"e) The complaint report and arrest report falsely state the time of the incident to be 9:15 p.m., after dark, when the assault actually took place at approximately 8 p.m., which was still full daylight;

"f) The arrest report omits the names of the victims and eyewitnesses even though this information was given to Sergeant Mamys and Detective Young including their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other contact information.

g) The arrest report falsely asserts that 'The undersigned (Detective Young) was unable to reach the complainant after making several attempts to make contact. At this time, alleged perp is being released from custody.' In fact, Young telephoned the process server once, left a voice-mail message, and immediately released the assailant.

"h) The arrest report omits the assailant's employment as a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Inspector even though this information was given to Sergeant Mamys and Detective Young including his name, home address, job description, and the name, address, and telephone number of his employer."

Perrotta claims that on Aug. 30, 2010, he received a letter from the NYPD, prepared by Young, indicating that the case had been closed even though Forde is "armed, dangerous and at large."

"Detective Young staged Emerson Forde's arrest, falsified his arrest report, later voided it, and released him long before the victims discovered what happened," Perrotta says in the complaint.

He claims that a police captain "admitted" in a recorded phone conversation that officers fabricated at least three other police reports to cover up Young's falsified arrest report.

Perrotta's attorney wrote "comprehensive missives" to NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Chief Phil T. Pulaski and many other policymakers "informing them of the NYPD's ongoing cover up," according to the complaint. "They did not reply.

Perrotta seeks at least $40 million in damages for due process violations, conspiracy and fabrication of false evidence.

He is represented by Robert J. Fileccia, of Staten Island.

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