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Narcotics Investigator Fired Shots In Williamsburg Bar After Punching Bartender In The Face, Police Say [UPDATED]
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 28, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 28, 2020
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The man who allegedly fired his gun inside a Williamsburg bar during a drunken stupor on Friday morning is an investigator with the city prosecutor's office focused on drug crimes.
Stephen Abreu, 31, was arrested inside Horses & Divorces after punching a bartender in the face, then firing two shots as he was confronted by a bouncer, police said.
A West Village resident, Abreu is currently employed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, a body tasked with investigating felony drug crimes for the city's five district attorneys. He is also listed as a trustee on the board of the NYC Detective Investigators Association.
A spokesperson for the narcotics prosecutor, Kati Cornell, confirmed to Gothamist on Friday night that Abreu has been suspended pending an investigation. He has worked for the office for nearly four years.
The off-duty officer allegedly stumbled into the Bedford Avenue bar at 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning and began knocking glasses over. After punching the bartender in the side of the head during a "verbal dispute," police said, he was tackled to the ground by a nearby security guard.
"He wrestled with the security guard down to the ground and pulled out a gun," said owner Sal Fristensky, who viewed surveillance footage of the altercation. "The security guard grabbed his hand and pinned him, so he fired two shots at the wall that didn’t hit anyone."
The security guard, Austin Barber, managed to restrain the gunman until police arrived. Abreu was charged with reckless endangerment. His occupation was listed in arrest documents as "other police," according to an NYPD spokesperson.
Voicemails left with a number listed for Abreu were not returned. A spokesperson for the Special Narcotics Prosecutor did not provide more information about the suspension, including whether he's still receiving a salary.
The Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor is responsible for bringing charges against hundreds of defendants each year. Unlike other DA offices, the agency is led by an unelected official, Bridget Brennan*,* who has refused to turn over an in-house database of untrustworthy cops. One Manhattan DA candidate, Janos Martin, recently called for the office to be abolished altogether.
According to a police report, Barber suffered a minor laceration on his hand, which got caught in the gun's "ejection port" during the skirmish. (Barber declined to be interviewed for this story.)
"As far as I'm concerned, the guy’s an absolute hero," Fristensky told Gothamist. "He completely kept his cool, even as he was wrestled a gun out of this guy's hands and holding him down."
"This could've been a considerably worse situation," he added.
Tagged
horses and divorces
stephen abreu
williamsburg
bedford ave
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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