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Close ally to Mayor Adams abused authority and started scuffle at migrant center, report finds
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 20, 2025
Modified Feb 20, 2025
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Louis C. Hochman/Gothamist
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 20, 2025
Modified Feb 20, 2025
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A longtime ally and former top aide to Mayor Eric Adams tried to force his way into a migrant shelter in 2023 — cursing and shoving staffers who were following city policy by requesting ID — then made false statements about the incident, resulting in the arrests of two security workers, a city investigation found.
The Department of Investigation report released on Thursday found that Timothy Pearson “acted unprofessionally” when he tried to enter the Touro College shelter without showing an ID in October 2023. The report said he also told responding officers to radio a request for backup units, letting them think he was still with the NYPD. And Pearson abused his authority when he threatened the jobs of staff at the shelter during the altercation, the report concluded.
Pearson, a former NYPD inspector, stepped down from his position as Adams’ public safety adviser last fall amid the DOI's inquiry, a federal corruption investigation into Adams and a series of other scandals.
His attorney did not return a request for comment Thursday afternoon, and the DOI's report said Pearson didn’t reply to “several invitations to speak with DOI about the incident, both directly by mail and email.”
A spokesperson for the mayor's office noted Thursday Pearson is no longer a member of the administration, and said it's reviewing the report. Previously, Adams has repeatedly stood by Pearson — whose friendship with the mayor dates back to their days in the police department. Pearson joined the Adams administration in May 2022 and was tasked with managing security in the city’s rapidly expanding migrant shelter operation. He's been the subject of multiple lawsuits related to sexual harassment allegations during his time at the NYPD.
The report, which is largely based on interviews with witnesses and body camera footage, found that during the October 2023 altercation, Pearson first refused to identify himself to a male security guard at the entrance of the Touro College facility, telling him to “get the f--k out of [his] way,” and pushing him. It says when a female guard then approached Pearson, also asking for his ID, the Adams aide threatened her job and told her: “You don’t know who the f--k I am?” He also pushed her, causing her to fall backward, according to the report.
“The resulting melee was chaotic and resulted in injuries to bystanders in the lobby of the Touro facility, as well as outside,” the DOI wrote in its report.
Pearson then went on to tell nearby police officers to call a “10-85,” a radio code that officers use to request backup units, the report said. He and his driver went on to tell responding NYPD officers that the guards had assaulted him, which the DOI said it found to be false.
“It should go without saying that senior city officials, like all city employees, must follow city rules, conduct themselves professionally, and treat others with courtesy and respect,” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber said. “His conduct, as evidenced by witness statements and body worn camera footage that [the DOI] reviewed, fell far below our most basic expectations for public servants.”
The security officers involved in the incident filed a lawsuit against the city and Pearson.
This story has been updated with more information.
Tagged
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public safety
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Catalina Gonella
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