An off-duty captain with the New York City Department of Correction was arrested Monday night in East Flatbush and hit with an assault charge, according to police. The bust happened within the boundaries of the 67th Precinct and involves a supervisor who has already surfaced in litigation connected to a Rikers Island inmate death. Authorities identified the suspect as 46-year-old Angelo Erland Lessey.
According to the Brooklyn Eagle, officers took Lessey into custody inside the 67th Precinct at about 8:23 p.m. on Monday. The outlet reports he was off duty at the time and is employed as a captain with the Department of Correction.
Named in a wrongful-death suit
A February report in the New York Law Journal lists Lessey among corrections employees named in a wrongful-death action after Esias Johnson died of methadone toxicity at the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island. The coverage notes the estate recovered a $2.4 million settlement, underscoring earlier civil exposure for staff tied to the incident.
Court dockets show other suits
Federal court records posted online identify Lessey as a defendant in separate civil cases, including a lawsuit titled Trotman v. Warden, which was filed in late 2025, according to Justia. The filings outline claims about jail conditions and name the City of New York and the Department of Correction alongside individual corrections staff.
What comes next
The assault charge is expected to move through Brooklyn criminal court and could trigger a separate personnel review by the Department of Correction. The 67th Precinct, which serves East Flatbush, operates out of its station house listed on NYC.gov, and the earlier civil cases center on Rikers Island facilities such as the Anna M. Kross Center, detailed by NYC.gov. We will update this story as new court documents or official statements become available.
