Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYPD's top uniformed cop out after more claims of sex abuse, commissioner shuffles leadership
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Dec 21, 2024
Modified Dec 21, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Dec 21, 2024
Modified Dec 21, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey abruptly resigned on Friday night, police officials confirmed, prior to a bombshell report alleging he repeatedly sexually abused a subordinate officer in exchange for overtime pay.
Maddrey was the highest ranking uniformed police officer in the department. His accuser Lt. Quathisha Epps told the New York Post that he had asked her to perform various sexual acts at NYPD headquarters.
“He wanted to have anal sex, vaginal sex, oral sex,” Epps told the Post. “He was always asking me to kiss his penis.”
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said on Saturday that it had launched an investigation.
“These are extremely serious and disturbing claims that allegedly occurred at NYPD headquarters in Manhattan,” said Doug Cohen, a spokesperson for Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.
Maddrey’s exit follows a shakeup of the department under Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who took over the NYPD about a month ago. She has made several staffing and policy changes, including ordering 500 officers who had been “improperly transferred” to return to their posts. On Thursday, she announced that she had replaced Tarik Sheppard, who handled communications for the department. Sheppard had clashed with reporters and the former interim Commissioner Tom Donlon.
In a statement, the mayor's press secretary Kayla Mamelak said City Hall was "deeply disturbed" by the allegations against Maddrey, and added that "the NYPD is investigating this matter."
"Mayor Adams is working in close coordination with Police Commissioner Tisch as the NYPD conducts a separate departmentwide review to ensure no high-ranking officers are using their power inappropriately," Mamelak said. "We will refrain from commenting further to avoid jeopardizing either investigation.”
In a statement, the NYPD confirmed that Tisch had accepted Maddrey’s resignation on Friday night and would “thoroughly investigate” the matter.
On Saturday, Epps’ attorney Eric Sanders filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the first step before filing a federal lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Epps said that after she began refusing Maddrey’s advances in October, he retaliated by “orchestrating an intentionally manipulated” overtime report that claimed she earned more than $200,000 in overtime pay.
After stories about her alleged overtime abuse came out, Maddrey offered to speak to the commissioner on her behalf but first demanded that she kiss his penis, according to the complaint. She said she “complied under coercion.”
Immediately afterwards, she submitted her paperwork to retire, according to the complaint, and was subject to an investigation by the department into her overtime.
The NYPD also announced that John Chell, the chief of patrol, would serve as the interim chief of department, and Phil Rivera, the chief of transportation, would take over as interim chief of patrol.
“The interim Chiefs of Department and Patrol will continue to lead the efforts to reduce crime and disorder and build public trust,” Tisch said in a statement.
The press release did not mention Maddrey and he could not be reached for comment.
Maddrey has previously been accused of sexual misconduct. In 2016, he was sued by Tabatha Foster, a former police officer, who said he demanded sex in his office. Both the federal and state cases were ultimately dismissed.
NYPD Capt. Gabrielle Walls on Wednesday added Maddrey as a defendant in an ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit. Her complaint filed in Manhattan Supreme Court alleged that Maddrey repeatedly tried to kiss her without her consent and also tried to visit her at the precinct where she worked.
The complaint also alleges that Maddrey told Walls he was “going to mould her” and offered to help her career.
Maddrey also got into trouble for intervening in the arrest of a retired police officer who had chased three boys while armed. An independent oversight board found that he had abused his authority, but former Commissioner Edward Caban dismissed the charges in August.
Caban was forced to resign earlier this year after it was revealed that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District and the Internal Revenue Service were investigating his alleged involvement in a shakedown scheme with his twin brother.
Former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, also an ex-cop, was forced to resign amid a separate federal investigation.
Walls’ lawsuit is one of several lawsuits filed by female police officers that portray a culture of sexual harassment in the NYPD that high-ranking police officials have repeatedly ignored. Timothy Pearson, another former cop and close confidant of Mayor Eric Adams, was accused of sexually harassing multiple women at the NYPD. He likewise was forced to resign amid a separate federal investigation.
Adams, a former NYPD captain, is being sued by a former transit police colleague who has accused him of sexual assault in 1993. The lawsuit was filed last year under the Adult Survivors Act.
The mayor has denied any wrongdoing.
This is a developing story and has been updated with more information.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the date of a prior sexual abuse suit filed against Maddrey.
Tagged
public safety
nypd
Mayor Eric Adams
sex abuse allegations
Politics
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
Stargazers will have a great view of Saturn and two meteor showers in October.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.
By
Liam Quigley
News
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.
By
Liam Quigley
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
By
Ryan Kost
DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .