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NYPD Officer With Long Misconduct Record Charged With Evidence Tampering
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 31, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 31, 2020
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A Queens police officer with a history of misconduct complaints was charged with alleged evidence tampering and official misconduct on Thursday.
Kevin Martin, a 43-year-old officer in Flushing, was arrested by fellow cops on Thursday afternoon and handed a desk appearance ticket for the alleged offenses. He was suspended without pay following an investigation by the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau and the Queens District Attorney.
Neither the police nor prosecutor would offer further details about his alleged misconduct, including whether the evidence tampering resulted in a wrongful arrest.
Over his 13 year career, Martin has been the subject of 14 separate investigations by the Civilian Complaint Review Board, according to data made public this week by ProPublica. Records show the oversight board has substantiated 18 of the 45 distinct allegations brought against him.
In one April 2012 incident, he was found to have used physical force during a stop of a 21-year-old Black man. The CCRB recommended charges, finding him guilty of several counts of abuse of authority. He was ultimately docked 15 vacation days.
Martin has also been named in at least six lawsuits, costing city taxpayers more than $1 million in settlements.
"We commend the Internal Affairs Bureau, in partnership with the Queens District Attorney's Office, for a thorough investigation," a police spokesperson said in a statement. "The internal investigation is ongoing and the officer’s current duty status is suspended without pay. We have no further comment."
The NYPD did not respond to repeated inquiries about why they were not releasing the circumstances of Martin's alleged crime. The department routinely shares details in desk appearance cases — including the individual's home address, which the NYPD did not provide in their email about Martin's arrest.
"This is the equivalent of a 'professional courtesy' discount," said Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University who specializes in police accountability and criminal law. "Except it's one thing for accountants or plumbers to give each other a discount, quite another when an officer of the law has been charged with violating the law. Other arrestees don't get that courtesy."
Efforts to reach Martin were unsuccessful. He is scheduled to be arraigned in October.
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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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