According to Newsday, a Civilian Complaint Review Board report found that in July 2018, then-NYPD Officer Joseph T. Gonong put a 14-year-old girl in a chokehold for about 30 seconds while responding to a playground dispute in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The board substantiated the chokehold and restricted breathing allegation but cleared him of a separate excessive force claim. Gonong admitted grabbing the girl's wrist but denied a chokehold, and his partner told investigators he saw no physical contact. Gonong resigned in September 2021 while under investigation, triggering decertification. Newsday reports he later served in the state police and was sworn in as a Hempstead Village officer in March 2024, after resigning before a state law made such bans permanent. Gonong did not respond to calls seeking comment, and the village did not respond to emailed questions.
Why it matters
The CCRB substantiated a chokehold allegation against Gonong, yet he remains in law enforcement because he resigned before a 2021 state law made decertification permanent. The case illustrates how officers with disciplinary histories can move between departments.
Sustained finding: An oversight body or internal affairs found the allegation supported. This is an administrative finding, not a criminal conviction. Researched with AI assistance from the sources listed here and reviewed under our methodology.