A Brooklyn man, who claims police blew a stop sign and hit his car, only to later falsely accuse of him of drunken driving, said Tuesday he wants the officers investigated and disciplined.
Oliver Wiggins, 31, was driving on Glenwood Road in Flatbush on April 19 when he said a marked police SUV ran a stop sign at 43rd Street and t-boned him. Wiggins, whose father is a retired officer from Jamaica, said police came up to him and apologized before calling paramedics. His attorney, Scott Rynecki, said he willingly agreed to take a breathalyzer test, which came back negative.
But after he was placed in the ambulance, he said another officer slapped cuffs on him and he was arrested for drunken driving.
“I was shocked because I’ve never been arrested before and the fact that I was about to be arrested — I was just nervous, shocked, in physical pain at the same time,” Wiggins said. “I think it was basically a cover-up of the fact that they caused a car accident. I think it was a clear cover-up.”
Rynecki said he filed a Notice of Claim against the NYPD and the city a few weeks ago for Wiggins’ wrongful arrest, wrongful imprisonment and causing the accident that injured him.
“Due to pending litigation we will refrain from commenting on this incident,” a representative from the NYPD said in an email.
Wiggins, a merchandiser at Home Depot who was on his way to visit his girlfriend at the time, said his back and arm were injured. He was still wearing an arm brace Tuesday.
Rynecki, said Wiggins sustained multiple ligament injuries to his wrist, which may require surgery.
He said the police filled out a report and said there were no traffic control devices in the intersection.
“The police officers chose to arrest Mr. Wiggins and charge him with two counts of driving under the influence,” Rynecki said. “It is our position that the police officers attempted to do that simply to hide the fact and cover up the fact that they operated their vehicle in a reckless manner and went through that stop sign, causing this accident.
Rynecki said the officers then wrote that Wiggins had red and bloodshot eyes and that he was unsteady on his feet, but added that Wiggins never walked in front of them.
Rynecki said the arresting officer then said Wiggins had a “scent or a smell of alcohol on his breath and appeared intoxicated.” But he added the NYPD’s drunken driving technician specialist who disputed that claim.
“I was just very disappointed in the police because I always trust the police and have confidence in them,” Wiggins said. “Whenever I see another police car or [am] around cops I feel like I’m about to be arrested again. I get very nervous.”
Rynecki said Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson dropped the charges against Wiggins last week after his blood test came back negative for any alcohol or drugs.
