‘Unlawful and Invasive Search’: Five Male NYPD Cops Brutally Arrested Black Woman Then Allegedly Conducted Full-Body Search, Touching Her Intimate Areas
All Keyanna Moody wanted to do was purchase cotton candy from Coney Island for her 5-year-old daughter.
But that maternal decision landed the 32-year-old Black woman in jail after she was beaten and arrested by a group of NYPD officers who accused her of illegally operating an e-bike without a license plate.
One cop, Lt. Daniel Lacalamita, even called her a “Black b-tch” while arresting her, according to a notice of claim her attorney filed against the city last month, which is the precursor to a lawsuit.
The cops then threw her face-first into the back of the patrol car with her hands cuffed behind her back, which is a violation of departmental policy, according to the notice of claim, because it can lead to positional asphyxia — a condition where an individual’s position prevents adequate breathing.
The abuse continued at the 60th Precinct as she was standing in front of the desk officers with her hands cuffed behind her back when Lacalamita came up from behind her and kicked her legs, causing her to fall to the floor, her attorneys state.
Lacalamita then stood over and told her to “get the f-ck up” as the other officers stood and watched and failed to intervene, the notice of claim states.
“After this subsequent assault, the Claimant was subjected to an unlawful and invasive search,” according to the notice of claim filed by attorney Eric Sanders.
“Despite the presence of a female officer, male officers conducted a full-body search, making inappropriate physical contact with her breasts, vaginal area, buttocks, thighs, and other parts of her body. Her pockets were emptied, yet no female officer intervened in the search process.”
She was charged with improper display of number plates, obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct but a judge dismissed the charges under an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, which means they can be refiled if she gets arrested again within six months.
It’s been more than eight months, and she was not arrested again, so the charges have been officially dismissed and sealed.
“Since this traumatizing and unconstitutional arrest, the claimant has suffered excruciating back pain that radiates down her legs, numbness in her right foot (specifically her big toe), and tingling sensations in her arms, hands, and fingers,” the notice of claim states.
“Additionally, her right shoulder, which had previously undergone rotator cuff surgery in 2017, was re-injured due to the violent manner in which she was body-slammed and restrained.”
The notice of claim accuses the New York City police officers of violating her Fourth Amendment rights, false arrest and unlawful detention, excessive force and police brutality, racial profiling and selective enforcement, as well as failing to intervene as she was getting abused.
Listed as defendants are Lt. Daniel Lacalamita, Sgt. Stanislav Zubyk, Officer Michael R. Moran, Officer Alvin M. Nieves, and Officer Jared W. Cordero.
All five defendants have histories of abuse, misconduct, and racial profiling as outlined in the notice of claim, which also states that Black people represent 30 percent of traffic stops by NYPD while only making up 23 percent of the population.
Meanwhile, white people make up 18 percent of traffic stops even though they make up 36 percent of the city’s population.
Atlanta Black Star has reported on a multitude of these NYPD racial profiling incidents, including falsely arresting a Black veteran for legally owning a gun, falsely accusing a Black teen on social media of being involved in a mass shooting and falsely accusing a Black woman of stealing $600 of merchandise from Lululemon, leading to her promptly returning the merchandise she had just purchased.
The Arrest
The incident took place on the evening of June 11, 2024, after Moody and her husband rode their e-bikes from their Brooklyn home to Canarsie Pier, where they met up with two motorcyclists.
Moody was riding the Z6 Fly E-Bike while her husband was riding a Venom Fly E-Bike. The group decided to ride their bikes to Coney Island, which is just over 7 miles away. Moody and her husband rode their e-bikes on a bike path leading to Coney Island, while the two motorcyclists took the highway.
Once at Coney Island, Moody purchased the cotton candy for her daughter who was not with them at the time. And the motorcyclists purchased hot dogs from Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.
The four adults then stood around their vehicles conversing before Moody and her husband decided to return home with the cotton candy for their daughter.
But as she was preparing to leave, a group of NYPD cops accosted her, grabbing the keys from the starter of her e-bike, demanding her license and registration. But the notice of claim states that she was not required to possess these documents under state law, which was why she did not have those documents in her possession.
Lt. Lacalamita ordered her arrest, which was when the other officers tackled her and tried to taser her.
“Without justification or warning, Police Officer Michael R. Moran (Shield No.: 20363) and Police Officer Jared W. Cordero (Shield No.: 6948) violently tackled the Claimant to the ground,” the notice of claim states.
“Officer Nieves attempted to deploy his taser multiple times against the Claimant; however, after numerous failed attempts, he physically joined the officers in restraining her. As the Claimant lay prone on the pavement, Officer Nieves forcefully pressed his knee and hands onto her back while Officer Moran stepped on her lower back and legs, treating her as if she were a stepping mat.”
“Lieutenant Lacalamita began berating the Claimant with slurs, calling her a ‘black b-tch’ before making a physical attempt to slap and kick her. Lacalamita then grabbed the Claimant’s head and neck, violently pulling her downward towards a patrol car. Once near the police vehicle, the Claimant was thrown face-first into the backseat, which is inconsistent with department policy.”
The notice of claim states the policy has existed since 1995 to follow guidelines implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce in-custody deaths.
“As highlighted in a 1995 U.S. Department of Justice bulletin, the NYPD’s guidelines advise that ‘[a]s soon as the subject is handcuffed, get him off his stomach. Turn him on his side or place him in a seated position.’ This protocol aligns with broader law enforcement practices aimed at preventing in-custody deaths due to positional asphyxia.”
Then, once she was in the back of the car, Lacalamita ordered the cops to “put that b-tch in a cage,” which was when they transferred her to another patrol car equipped with a partition between the front and back seats used to transport prisoners.
While she was being searched and abused, Moody repeatedly asked the officers what charges were being brought against her, but the cops ignored her question, her notice states. They also ignored her requests for medical assistance despite obvious injuries.
“The claimant had visible injuries, including bleeding knees, ripped clothing, and dirt stains covering her body,” the notice of claim states. “Yet, she was denied medical attention and escorted directly to a holding cell, which is inconsistent with department policy.”
She was eventually transferred to a hospital five hours later and then returned to her jail cell within two hours, where she remained for another six and a half hours before she was transported to the Brooklyn Central Booking.
She was released 12 hours after her arrest when a judge dismissed the charges against her under an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, warning her not to get arrested again for another six months. The notice of claim was filed eight months after her arrest, after she successfully completed the six-month probation period.
But she continues to suffer emotionally and physically from the arrest.
“Beyond the physical harm, she continues to endure emotional distress, humiliation, and psychological trauma stemming from the egregious violation of her civil rights and the racial abuse she suffered at the hands of the NYPD,” the notice of claim states.
Moody’s arrest was partially recorded on video by a witness, a clip that can be watched below.