Top cop in B’klyn shift
Riled nabe with no-mask bust
The commander of the city’s largest police precinct is set to be transferred after community activists campaigned against him because of his alleged divisiveness, the Daily News has learned.
Inspector John Mastronardi, commanding officer of the 75th Precinct in East New York, Brooklyn, will be moved to a less high-profile post within the Chief of Detectives’ office this month, sources said.
The 21-year veteran drew criticism for his handling of a caught-on-video fight between his cops and civilians over mask rules last April. He was accused of slamming a detainee’s head into a sidewalk during the scrap.
“We don’t need racist and overly aggressive leadership in Brooklyn or in NYPD precincts,” said the Rev. Kevin McCall, founder of the Crisis Action Network. “He doesn’t have a relationship with the community, and we’re glad to see him go.”
Sgt. Edward Riley, a police spokesman, did not directly address Mastronardi’s transfer. “With the recent changes coming to the chief of department’s and chief of detective’s offices we anticipate several executive announcements in the near future,” he said in a statement.
Mastronardi, 44, was the subject of a Change.org petition for his removal that has collected 255 signatures as of Monday. “Early in the pandemic he has been seen on video using excessive force,” the petition said. “He has not provided the leadership of police accountability in the 75th Precinct.”
The petition noted the 75th Precinct had the city’s highest number of civilian complaints filed against it — though the precinct is also the city’s largest geographically and by number of officers assigned.
Mastronardi was previously upbraided by his then-boss Assistant Chief Jeffrey Maddrey for not wearing a mask while his cops brawled with civilians over social-distancing rules.
In that incident, captured on cell phone video, cops had been called to break up an evening gathering of eight people on Sutter Ave. and Hemlock St. April 28. Neighborhood resident Adegoke Atunbi alleged Mastronardi slammed him to the ground.
“I just made sure and clearly communicated to him that he has to wear his mask and lead by example,” Maddrey said at the time. He also ordered Mastronardi to “make sure his officers are wearing masks, too, for their own safety first and foremost, and for the community.”
During the incident, residents ask the commander and other cops why they weren’t wearing masks, and Mastronardi shoos them away with his hands, the video shows.
Jeremiah Arroyo, 31, was arrested for attempting to fight the officers, police said. The cops then turned to Atunbi, knocking his phone from his hands and throwing him against a wall before handcuffing him.
East New York community activist Chris Banks backed Mastronardi’s transfer. “He didn’t have a mask or a uniform on and he tackled one of the guys. Normally, commanders are supposed to deescalate situations,” said Banks of East New York Concerned Citizens.
“You can tell by watching the video this is something they lost control of, and it could have been avoided.”
The next day, Mastronardi was in a mask to receive pizza donated at the precinct by the Australian Federal Police.
On May 30, outside the 88th Precinct in Clinton Hill, Mastronardi was injured and lost teeth in a scrap with people protesting the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The protesters set two police vehicles on fire.
“If you speak to residents here, there’s a big distrust with the police,” Banks said. “All lines of communication are broken when you have an inspector engaging in physical confrontations. There has to be a level of professionalism that has to be maintained.”
Mastronardi did not return a phone call seeking comment.
“Transfers are routine,” said Chris Monahan, president of the Captains Endowment Association. “Inspector John Mastronardi has an outstanding service record. The campaign against him was organized by a small percentage of the community he protects. In fact, he lost several teeth while struggling with violent protesters outside the 88th Precinct.”