BY SAL GRECO
A newly filed lawsuit by retired NYPD Detective Second Grade David R. Terrell raises explosive allegations about the inner workings of the New York City Police Department under Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
READ THE COMPLAINT 👇🏻
Terrell’s complaint alleges that he became the target of an NYPD disciplinary investigation not because of proven misconduct, but because of his perceived association with me, Sal Greco, and The Sal Greco Show. According to the lawsuit, NYPD officials allegedly used Internal Affairs resources to pursue what Terrell characterizes as a retaliatory and pretextual investigation centered around a reported sexual assault inside One Police Plaza.
The lawsuit alleges that NYPD leadership treated the reported sexual assault not primarily as a serious incident requiring investigation, but as a vehicle to pursue individuals believed to be connected to The Sal Greco Show, a media platform that regularly reports on NYPD corruption, retaliation, disciplinary abuse, public-integrity failures, and misconduct by high-ranking officials.
Among the most significant allegations, Terrell claims defendants retaliated against him because of his perceived affiliation with Salvatore J. Greco and The Sal Greco Show, his alleged inquiry into the reported sexual assault, and his opposition to what he describes as unlawful workplace practices, retaliation, concealment, and public-integrity failures.
The complaint further alleges that NYPD investigators pursued discipline without competent proof, failed to identify the specific confidential information allegedly disseminated, and never interviewed Salvatore Greco, whom the lawsuit describes as the alleged recipient of the information and a central witness.
Perhaps most notably, the lawsuit alleges that Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated, in substance, that she “hated” attorney Eric Sanders, Salvatore Greco, and The Sal Greco Show during discussions with a Detectives Endowment Association representative.
The lawsuit alleges that this hostility reflected retaliatory animus toward critics of NYPD leadership and public reporting concerning misconduct inside the department. These are allegations made by Terrell and have not been proven in court.
The complaint devotes an entire section to The Sal Greco Show, describing it as a platform that reports on NYPD management, police corruption, retaliation, disciplinary abuse, union failures, and public-integrity issues. The lawsuit alleges that NYPD officials were aware of the show’s reporting and viewed individuals associated with it as threats to department leadership, department image, union leadership, and the interests of certain high-ranking officials.
Terrell further alleges that he was targeted because defendants associated him with The Sal Greco Show and interpreted his actions through what the lawsuit describes as a retaliatory lens. According to the complaint, defendants were motivated by hostility toward public reporting and criticism rather than neutral enforcement of departmental rules.
The broader context makes these allegations difficult to ignore. Commissioner Jessica Tisch was brought into the NYPD promising accountability, transparency, and reform. Yet controversy after controversy continues to emerge under her watch. From allegations of selective discipline, to questions surrounding Internal Affairs investigations, to lawsuits naming senior officials, critics argue that the department remains plagued by many of the same institutional problems that existed before her arrival.
David Terrell is not an unknown figure. Throughout his career he repeatedly fought back against NYPD actions through the courts and administrative processes. Now, with this latest lawsuit, he is alleging that the department once again used its disciplinary machinery against an officer based on association, perceived loyalty, and protected activity rather than proven misconduct.
The City of New York, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and the other defendants named in the complaint deny liability, and the allegations remain unproven. The litigation has only just begun. But if even a fraction of the allegations contained in Terrell’s complaint are substantiated through discovery, the case could raise serious questions about how the NYPD investigates critics, whistleblowers, and those perceived to be associated with media outlets that report on departmental misconduct.