A female police officer was suspended from the force after cussing out a female sergeant who gave her a "chest bump" in Brownsville's 73rd Precinct — where crime is reportedly down, except near the stationhouse. Officer Naquawna Bethea has been placed on modified assignment since the Nov. 16 altercation, which reportedly began when the veteran of nearly six years arrived for duty at 8:09 am instead of 8 am, when her workday was supposed to begin, according to the Post.
Sgt. Michelle Williams, a desk officer and 16-year veteran, demanded that Bethea fill out a "leave of absence" report, which she did. But the pair disagreed about whether Bethea should report that she was 9 minutes late, because she arrived at the stationhouse at 8:09 am, or 14 minutes late, because she got to Williams' desk at 8:14 am.
Williams — who reportedly had been harassing Bethea for months — then took steps to file a complaint against Bethea and the dispute turned into a shouting match. After some nasty words were exchanged, Williams ordered Bethea to step back by pointing with her left arm, but Bethea reportedly pushed the sergeant's arm away. That's when Williams is accused of giving Bethea a "chest bump." Before the fight could get more physical, Sgt. Bertha Torres reportedly picked up Bethea by the waist while another female officer grabbed Williams by the hands. The 73rd Precinct stationhouse was last in the news when a female suspect arrested on marijuana charges hung herself using a "crude noose" she made from her pants.
