A former NYPD cop now running for congressional office was once sued for allegedly handcuffing an infant in an alleged “stop and frisk” in the child’s East Harlem apartment, according to a complaint filed in 2017.
Republican candidate Alison Esposito is currently trying to unseat Rep. Pat Ryan in New York’s Hudson Valley congressional district, but in her previous life before politics, she spent 25 years on the force, working her way up to commanding officer in the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn.
According to the complaint, Esposito and another officer were accused of illegally entering an apartment on 101st Street in 2016. Esposito and her colleague allegedly proceeded to “assault, frisk, handcuff, detain, arrest and imprison the infant Plaintiff, Rebecca Cuevas,” the complaint read.
The baby’s mother, Chantel Vazquez, claimed her daughter was harmed during the arrest and sought damages for “severe physical injuries, emotional and psychological distress, anguish, anxiety, and legal expenses,” and more. The case was ultimately settled out of court, with New York City paying the infant’s mother $25,000.
A spokesperson for Esposito’s congressional campaign denied the allegations, claiming that “frivolous” lawsuits come with the territory of being a police officer.
“When criminals legally and lawfully are brought to justice, they often seek to scapegoat law enforcement via the courts, and the city of New York is frequently forced to settle frivolous and baseless lawsuits in order to avoid costly litigation,” Ben Weiner told local news outlet City & State.
“Alison did not detain or stop, question and frisk an infant. She proudly served the NYPD for over two decades,” Weiner added.
Esposito also denied the allegations through her attorney, claiming “plaintiffs’ culpable conduct caused or contributed, in whole or in part, to their injuries or damages,” according to court documents.
By the time of the incident, NYPD’s controversial practice of “stop and frisk” had already been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2013.
The policy violated the 4th and 14th Amendments, subjecting millions of innocent New Yorkers — the vast majority Black and Latino — to unlawful searches through racial profiling. The practice emerged under Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s watch and peaked in 2011 with 685,000 stops in the city, according to research by the Brennan Center for Justice. The program became a central issue during the 2013 mayoral race and was officially phased out by the new mayor, Bill de Blasio, in 2014.
Despite this, abuses of “stop and frisk” have continued. A monitor appointed to ensure the practice had ended found in 2023 that NYPD’s anti-crime unit was still stopping and frisking illegally far too often, reported The New York Times.
The city recently made strides against illegal “stop and frisk” in February 2024, when a new law was passed — the How Many Stops Act — requiring more transparency from police regarding their interactions with the public. Despite reported police pushback, the new law took effect in July.
In addition to the Rebecca Cuevas lawsuit, Esposito was named in a lawsuit involving three Black women who claim they were wrongfully arrested on suspicions of shoplifting at a Manhattan H&M. The city settled that case for $95,000 in 2005. The Republican House candidate also received eight complaints during her NYPD tenure, though none have been substantiated.
She was also reprimanded and docked 20 vacation days for leaving her police ID, shield, and off-duty firearm in her car — all of which were stolen and never recovered, along with credit cards and other items, according to Politico.
In the lead-up to announcing her candidacy last October, the longtime New York City resident changed her voter registration to an address in the 18th Congressional District, a pivotal swing district.
“I have taken on criminals in the streets of New York, and now it is time to take on the Washington political machine,” she proclaimed in a campaign statement. “I’m not a career politician — I am and always will be a cop.”
