Three security guards are suing former advisor Tim Pearson and the city, claiming he attacked them at a migrant shelter in New York City. Pearson allegedly assaulted the guards when asked for identification, leading to a physical altercation. The guards faced false arrest and imprisonment before charges were dropped. Pearson, who worked closely with Mayor Eric Adams, faced multiple lawsuits for sexual harassment and corruption. Despite resigning, he is under federal investigation. The guards are seeking damages for the distress caused by the incident. Pearson’s legal fees are covered by the city in civil cases, and he has a private attorney for the federal inquiry.
The city of New York and Mayor Eric Adams’ former advisor Tim Pearson are facing a lawsuit from three shelter security guards who allege that Pearson physically attacked them last fall when they asked for his identification at a midtown migrant shelter entrance. The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court, claims that Pearson grabbed one guard by the neck and threw her to the ground while shoving two others during the altercation. The guards, Leesha Bell, Terrance Rosenthal, and Angelica Weldon, have suffered severe emotional distress as a result of the incident.
Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department, declined to comment on the lawsuit, while Pearson’s personal lawyer, Hugh Mo, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The chaotic incident was initially reported by The New York Post and the New York Daily News, with police sources suggesting that the guards had overstepped their authority. However, eyewitness testimony from shelter workers contradicts this narrative, stating that Pearson was the aggressor when he failed to provide identification.
Bell and Rosenthal were arrested and held at a precinct for hours following the incident, where Pearson reportedly attempted to intimidate them and threatened their jobs. The Manhattan District Attorney ultimately dropped the criminal charges against the guards. The three guards are now seeking monetary damages for verbal and physical abuse, false arrest, and false imprisonment from Pearson, the NYPD, and other city officials.
Pearson, a close advisor to Mayor Adams, recently resigned amid a series of high-profile resignations following federal investigators seizing phones and raiding homes of top Adams officials. Adams himself has been indicted on federal corruption charges, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to urge him to remove problematic individuals from his inner circle like Pearson. Prior to this latest lawsuit, Pearson was already facing four lawsuits from police officers who worked under him, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.
The lawsuits also reveal Pearson’s alleged involvement in seeking kickbacks from city contracts related to migrant shelters, earning him the nickname “Crumbs” among staffers. The city is covering Pearson’s legal fees for the civil cases, while he has hired a private attorney for the federal inquiry, which may focus on city contracting. Pearson’s phones, documents, and cash were seized from his Long Island home as part of the federal investigation.
Source: TheCity.NYC
