Overview
- Police say the Oct. 16 incident occurred as five prisoners were being taken to the Westchester County Jail, and one detainee suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the lower leg.
- The suspended members are Sgt. Joseph Diaz and Officers Cody Housen, Christian Pacheco, Omar Bryce and Sonjea Collins, all placed on 30-day unpaid leave pending the inquiry.
- After the van returned to headquarters, officers recovered a loaded .22-caliber revolver from Louis Soto, 32, who was then charged with first-degree attempted assault, weapons offenses and drug possession.
- Soto had been arrested the previous day on forcible touching and related sex-abuse charges, and police say a follow-up search found crack cocaine in his possession.
- The department has made handheld wand scanning mandatory for new prisoner processing and for movements into and out of the cell block, and it notes that a claim the gun was smuggled in Soto’s buttocks is attributed to sources and not confirmed.