Grimy Times Exposé
A former Buffalo Police Lieutenant has pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge in connection with an incident involving four teenagers.
Gregory Kwiatkowski, 52, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.
The conviction stems from a series of incidents that occurred on May 30-31, 2009, while Kwiatkowski was working the overnight shift as a Lieutenant with the City of Buffalo Police Department.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Catherine Baumgarten and Aaron J. Mango, who are handling the case, Kwiatkowski used unlawful and unreasonable force on each of the four occupants, forcibly pushing their heads and upper torsos into the vehicle they were being detained in.
The incident occurred after Kwiatkowski arrived at the scene of a vehicle stop by the Cheektowaga Police Department, where the four teenagers, all between 16 and 18 years old, were being held.
Kwiatkowski’s use of force was deemed excessive and unreasonable, depriving the suspects of their Constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable seizure and to due process of law.
Co-defendants Raymond Krug and Joseph Wendel, two BPD Officers, are accused of shooting one of the individuals with a BB gun while they were seated in the police car, handcuffed next to another of the arrested individuals.
The investigation into the incident was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Buffalo Police Department.
Sentencing will be scheduled before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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