An FBI agent needs de-escalation training

A few years ago I was talking with a police lieutenant and I gave him my opinion on federal agencies.. “The FBI is like any large police agency. Two to five percent of their personnel walk on water, they swim on land. They are that good. Two to five percent, what the hell did mom think when they let him out of the basement. And the remaining ninety some percent are varying degrees of strengths and weaknesses, trying to do the job as well as they can.” 

Well, this is not the feds at their best.

FBI Agent On Stakeout Allegedly Assaults NYPD Traffic Agent Over Parking Ticket

Queens, NY – A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent allegedly brawled with a New York Police Department (NYPD) traffic enforcement agent last week after the traffic agent issued him a summons for parking illegally.

The incident occurred near 46th Street and Greenpoint Avenue in Sunnyside at approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 19, 33-year-old NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent Dipankar Dipu told the New York Daily News.

Law enforcement and traffic enforcement agents’ union sources said Dipu spotted a black 2015 Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows parked illegally as he was making his rounds, according to the new outlet.

“The Jeep was about 30% in the bus stop area and about 70% in a meter zone,” Dipu told the New York Daily News. “There was another car completely in the bus stop and I went to that car and the told the motorist to move, which he did.”

The traffic enforcement agent said he then approached the Jeep, having no idea there was an FBI agent inside who was in the middle of a stakeout.

“I was trying to look through the window to see if there was anybody in the car, but I couldn’t see anything,” Dipu recalled.

He noticed the Jeep did not have a meter receipt, so he generated a citation, the New York Daily News reported.

Dipu said he was placing the ticket on the windshield of the vehicle when he heard someone moving around inside.

The occupant then slapped an FBI placard up on the dashboard, the New York Daily News reported.

OK. If you are a “stakeout,” perhaps you should not advertise that fact by putting an agency placard on the dashboard. I thought one of the requirements for a stakeout was to be not seen.

Dipu said he had no idea the vehicle was involved in an FBI stakeout, and said he wouldn’t have generated the citation if he realized what was going on…

…According to law enforcement sources, FBI Agent Kenneth Diu came barreling out of the Jeep and confronted Dipu, demanding he cancel the citation.

“He was very arrogant,” Dipu told the New York Daily News. “He became angry with me, yelling at me to ‘Void the ticket! Void the ticket! You have to void the ticket!’”

When he explained he didn’t have the power or technology to do so, Agent Diu allegedly told him he was placing him under arrest.

“He tried to snatch my machine from my hand, but I resisted him,” Dipu told the New York Daily News. “But the second time he snatched it from my hand forcefully and I could not protect it. He took it, went into the car and locked the door.”

OK, assuming this is accurate, the only person who has committed a crime is the FBI agent. Threatening a false arrest, and theft, even in New York City, are criminal acts.

…“He just pushed me forcefully on the bonnet of his car and put both of my hands behind my back forcefully,” Dipu told the news outlet.

Agent Diu had one handcuff on Dipu when police and the traffic enforcement agent’s supervisor arrived at the scene, he said…

…Agent Diu was required to pay the parking ticket, but was not immediately charged in connection with the alleged assault, the New York Daily News.

The NYPD said on Saturday that an investigation into the confrontation remained ongoing, according to the news outlet…

This should be investigated, and if the agent did act like this, he needs to be held to account. Also, a traffic ticket can be voided with some simple action afterwards. Or by, dare I say, coordinating with the locals before the stakeout. More than once I’ve gotten a message over my car computer to stay away for a address, as there were some police actions happening. 

Again, maybe the agent is a good man and just screwed up o that day. And he deserves his chance to explai himself. But this shows that some simple attention to detail (Don’t park in a no parking zone) or prior coordination can prevent this from happening.