NYPD Officer Pointed Loaded Gun At Coworker, Lawsuit Alleges

NEW YORK, NY— A Manhattan lawsuit alleges an NYPD officer pointed a loaded department-issued handgun at a civilian coworker inside 1 Police Plaza after months of sexual and racial harassment.

The complaint, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, names Officer Quilbvio Espinal, a 10-year NYPD veteran assigned to the Information Technology Bureau, and alleges the March 26 incident led to his arrest on misdemeanor menacing charges handled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under Alvin Bragg.

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According to the suit, Espinal drew his service weapon inside a shared workspace after a disagreement with Megan Kwan, a 25-year-old civilian employee and former NYPD intern who worked on the help desk.

Kwan had made a suggestion about a website he was building, which the filing says prompted the confrontation.

The lawsuit alleges Espinal pulled out his gun after a supervisor left the room, aimed it at Kwan, then briefly pointed it upward before lowering it again toward her.

Kwan told Espinal, “What are you going to do, shoot the ceiling?” according to the complaint. She said he then pointed the weapon back at her.

The filing states Espinal later placed the loaded firearm in an unsecured desk drawer in a civilian work area, where it remained unattended for about an hour.

“When he pointed that gun at my face, time stopped,” Kwan said in a statement included in the filing. “I have never been so certain that my life was about to end.”

The suit also alleges Espinal subjected Kwan to about 18 months of sexualized and racist remarks, often referencing her Asian identity and sending explicit messages and videos.

Kwan, who has bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, said the conduct continued despite repeated requests that it stop.

The complaint further alleges that Lt. Jayson Valentin, a supervisor in the same unit, participated in or enabled the behavior, including sending explicit images and making sexual comments, and later pressured Kwan about cooperating with prosecutors.

Kwan’s attorney said the case reflects a broader failure to address misconduct inside the department.

“A police officer pointed a loaded firearm at a civilian co-worker and remains on the force,” attorney John Scola said.

Espinal has been suspended with pay, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

He previously faced an initial suspension without pay following his arrest. Valentin has not been disciplined, according to the filing.

Kwan is seeking damages and a jury trial, alleging sexual harassment, racial discrimination, disability-based harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation.