In October of 2023, longtime mayoral confidant and ambiguously empowered City employee Timothy Pearson told police that security guards at a migrant shelter had assaulted him as he attempted to conduct an inspection. That was Pearson's version of events, at least, and the one broadcast by the Post and the Daily News, relying on police sources. But that account was quickly called into question thanks to some less credulous reporting: Multiple witnesses said that what actually happened was that Pearson had refused to show ID, tried to force his way into the shelter, grabbed a guard by the neck and threw her to the ground, and then summoned police and had the guards arrested.
Asked why a member of his inner circle was allegedly assaulting security guards and lying to police, Adams fell back on his favorite stalling tactic when dealing with inconvenient and embarrassing information: Let the process take its course. Pearson is "a valued asset, a 9/11 survivor, an important entity in the New York City Police Department, a good public servant," he told reporters a couple months after the incident. "Tim is one of my knights of the round table. I've seen him over 40 years now navigate challenging times. And the reviewers will make a determination."
That process is now concluded and the reviewers have made a determination. Today, the Department of Investigation issued a report on its investigation of the incident. The upshot: "Pearson acted unprofessionally when he sought to enter a City-run migrant shelter without showing identification, initiated aggressive physical contact with two security personnel to enter and to remain inside the shelter, abused his authority when he threatened shelter staffs' jobs after they demanded identification pursuant to City policy, and provided false statements to NYPD officers about the conduct of shelter staff in connection with the above-referenced incident."
Subscribe to read the full story
Become a paid subscriber to Hell Gate to access all of our posts.
Subscribe