https://nypost.com/2021/12/22/ex-cop-says-nypd-boss-repeatedly-raped-her-at-yankee-stadium/
Ex-cop says NYPD boss raped her ‘nearly every game day’ at Yankee Stadium: suit
By Ben Kesslen December 22, 2021 1:39pm Updated
A retired NYPD cop assigned to the cushy Yankee Stadium detail says her captain raped her “nearly every game day” for a year at the ballpark, according to a new lawsuit.
Gillian Roberts says that Capt. Jeffrey Brienza, her boss at the 44th Precinct, even changed her schedule to make sure he would have more time with her, her suit filed in Bronx Supreme Court said.
When she denied his advances or tried to avoid him, Brienza turned hostile, leveraging his power as her boss to give her undesirable posts and showing open hostility, according to the complaint.
The situation turned so grave, the former cop says, she “felt that she was no longer there to perform the duties of a police officer, but to provide unconsented sex to the Captain.”
Brienza is now stationed at the 25th Precinct, according to the suit and online databases.
Roberts worked as an officer in Long Island City and Queens for more than 20 years before she transferred to the Yankee Stadium detail in March 2020. At her new and more desirable assignment, Brienza “almost immediately” began to show her preferential treatment and was “overly attentive,” the suit says.
Roberts, a black woman, was uncomfortable with the dynamic and felt “trapped” but felt she had no recourse, according to court papers.
“Brienza purposefully and with premeditation manipulated Ms. Roberts for the purpose of getting her to believe that he was there for her, and tactfully worked on gaining her trust,” her lawyers say.
Brienza allegedly isolated her from other officers, took full control of her schedule and made Roberts his personal driver, which she claims was both unusual and unprecedented.
The first alleged assault took place at the end of a shift in June 2020, when Brienza went into the women’s restroom while Roberts was using it, and forced her to have unprotected oral and vaginal sex, Roberts alleges. After she yelled “No!,” Brienza allegedly yelled “Yes!,” placing his hands around her neck and ejaculating inside of her, the filing says.
After the first assault, Brienza “became even more possessive,” she alleges, and continued to rape her “nearly every game day” and “most non-game days when they were on duty at the same time when he would arrange for them to be alone.” If she spoke out, Brienza threatened to ruin her career.
The complaint also claims that Brienza commanded Roberts to stop at specific locations when driving home, where he would meet her, get in her vehicle and orally rape her.
Roberts also says the other officers on the elite detail turned on her, calling her the “Captain’s girl,” which made her feel like she couldn’t count on other cops to defend her if a dangerous situation arose.
In September 2021, Roberts reached out to the Internal Affairs Bureau about the alleged abuse, which launched an investigation. She then took an early retirement from the force on Nov. 30, 2021, even though she would have liked to stay on the job longer.
“Before she worked at the Stadium Detail putting on her uniform was the best moment of Plaintiff’s day, as she was proud that as an officer she was able to help a lot of people,” the complaint says, emphasizing that the alleged serial rapes caused her severe mental distress, harmed her physically and destroyed her career.
A spokesperson for the city’s Law Department said it will review the complaint when it’s served.
“The incident is under internal review,” said police spokesman Sgt. Edward Riley.
Lawyers for Roberts did not return a request for comment and The Post was unable to reach Brienza by phone Wednesday.
Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy