An NYPD officer was arrested Thursday after allegedly pulling his service weapon on a fellow cop inside the department's own headquarters at One Police Plaza, according to police sources.
The officer, identified by sources as 35-year-old Quilbvio Espinal, is a 10-year veteran assigned to the department's Information Security Office. He was taken into custody without incident inside 1 Police Plaza and issued a desk appearance ticket. Police say he is facing a menacing charge.
According to the New York Daily News, the alleged confrontation unfolded Thursday, with criminal paperwork filed on March 26. The outlet reports that Espinal is expected to answer the menacing charge in Manhattan Criminal Court and that the NYPD referred the case to its Internal Affairs Bureau. An NYPD spokesman told the paper the arrest at 1 Police Plaza was made without incident.
Internal Affairs opens investigation
The NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau handles serious allegations of officer misconduct, including cases that play out inside police facilities. IAB can run an administrative investigation at the same time prosecutors pursue a criminal case.
Because those internal reviews can involve personnel records, surveillance footage and confidential interviews, details often stay under wraps while investigators and prosecutors sort through evidence. The City has outlined how IAB, the Civilian Complaint Review Board and other oversight offices interact when officer conduct is under review.
What comes next
An arrest inside NYPD headquarters typically triggers both a criminal case and an internal administrative review that can affect an officer's duties while the investigation is underway.
The New York Daily News reports that Espinal was issued a desk appearance ticket and is due in Manhattan Criminal Court on the menacing charge. City oversight documents note that Internal Affairs findings can lead to a range of outcomes, from retraining to suspension or referral to prosecutors. Those overlapping processes are detailed in guidance from the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD.
As of publication, additional court records and official statements had not yet been made public. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
