An NYPD officer is waiting to find out if he will be punished or fired for fatally shooting a Washington Heights man during a 2019 traffic stop.
The Civilian Complaint Review Board, the city’s police watchdog agency, presented a case this week to a police administrative judge accusing Lt. Jonathan Rivera of unnecessarily shooting Allan Feliz, 31, in the chest during an October 2019 stop in the Bronx. The agency found last year that Rivera violated patrol guidelines and put himself and Feliz in danger.
Rivera’s lawyers have argued that he shot Feliz in order to protect his fellow officers.
In the coming weeks, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado is expected to issue a report of recommendations to the police commissioner, who will then decide Rivera’s fate. New York’s Attorney General Letitia James already decided not to bring criminal charges against Rivera, saying there was not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Rivera used deadly force without justification. Police departmental trials have a lower standard of proof. Penalties typically include fines and lost vacation days, but the Civilian Complaint Review Board is seeking termination in Rivera’s case.