Tzyi Richt, 22, is a first-year law student at Cardozo School of Law. Richt has filed a lawsuit after being arrested for confronting two NYPD officers in December, according to the New York Post.
Richt witnessed an NYPD police cruiser beep at a car sitting in a bus stop, telling it to move. The cruiser then parked in that area and the two officers exited. They then went and got lunch at a Brooklyn food truck.
The incident took place at a bus zone at Kings Highway and East 16th Street, according to the lawsuit. The driver of the vehicle was at a Chase ATM machine, returned to his vehicle, and moved the car so he would not get a ticket.
When Richt watched the police cruiser park in the same spot and then see officers Graham Braithwaite and Jason Pinero exit the vehicle to get food, he decided to confront them about the double standard.
“Plaintiff asked the officers whether they thought what they had done was right,” the suit states. “Kicking a civilian’s car out of a bus stop so that they could park there just to get food.”
Richt said that he asked the officers the question respectfully and did not yell or scream. Braithwaite attempted to get Richt to leave, but he wanted an answer.
“Plaintiff responded by asking whether he wasn’t allowed to ask a question of a police officer,” the suit states.
Braithwaite decided to see Richt’s ID. Richt declined, asking the officers if they had the right to make the request. At this point, Richt was handcuffed by Braithwaite and put into the back of the police cruiser. He was taken to the 61st Precinct. Pinero told Braithwaite to release Richt, but Braithwaite declined.
The lawsuit says that Braithwaite asked Richt multiple times “who the f–k do you think you are?” during the ride to the station. The complaint also states that Richt was told “it’s none of your f—–g business,” when he asked more legal questions at the station.
Richt was then put in a cell for an hour and a half and then charged with disorderly conduct. The officer never showed for a hearing, so the citations were dropped. Richt is worried that the arrest will end his legal career before it has even begun.
The lawsuit says that Richt “has reason to fear that the arrest may interfere with his ability to secure admission to the Bar when he graduates law school and to obtain employment as an attorney.”