The Civilian Complaint Review Board found that two New York City police officers abused authority in the arrest of Hawks player Thabo Sefolosha in April.
The board, an independent government agency, reported in a letter to Sefolosha’s attorney Alex Spiro that there was substantiated evidence that JohnPaul Giacona and Richard Caster abused authority. The board also found that Giacona spoke discourteously and threatened the use of force to Sefolosha. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The board exonerated officers Daniel Dongvort, Michael O’Sullivan, Jordan Rossi, Caster, Giacona and an unidentified officer of using physical force against Sefolosha.
An investigation by the New York Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs is on-going.
The board reports its finding to the New York City Police Commissioner, who holds the authority for discipline.
Sefolosha and then-teammate Pero Antic were arrested outside a Manhattan night club in April. During the arrest, Sefolosha suffered a broken right fibula and ankle ligament damage. He underwent season-ending surgery and missed the Hawks’ playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference finals.
Sefolosha was acquitted of three misdemeanor charges of obstructing government administration, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Oct. 9. Similar charges against Antic were dropped.
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