The Officer Harassed a Black Man for Washing His Car, Unaware the Man Was His Police Sergeant and His Career Was About to End

“We got a call about someone who didn’t look like they belonged here. I need to see some ID.” “I live here. I’m literally washing my car in my own driveway.” “Just cooperate and we’ll be done here.”

“You really going to do this?” “Sir, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” “I’m Sergeant Darnell Whitmore. I’m sure you recognize my name. Now, I need your badge number because you’re in big trouble.”

The silence that followed lasted exactly 4 seconds. But in those 4 seconds, Officer Trevor Castellano’s entire world collapsed. The man he had just told to cooperate, the person he had profiled as someone who didn’t look like they belonged, was not just a citizen. He was a 15-year veteran of the police department. He was a decorated sergeant, and as of 3 weeks ago, he was Castellano’s direct supervisor in the East Division Patrol Unit.

This wasn’t going to be a routine call that Castellano could write up and forget about. This was going to be a career-ending encounter that would be studied in police academies for years to come. And Castellano’s own body camera was recording every single word. Trevor Castellano had been with the police department for 4 years. He was 28 years old, married, and considered himself a good cop.

He had grown up in a mostly white suburban area about 30 miles from the city where he now worked. His father had been a police officer, and Castellano had always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He had gone through the police academy, graduated in the middle of his class, and been assigned to the East Division. His record showed 14 commendations for good police work. He had made several solid arrests, helped with community events, and his supervisors had always rated him as competent.

But there was something else in Castellano’s file that hadn’t been addressed. Over his 4 years, he had received nine complaints from citizens alleging racial profiling or inappropriate conduct. All nine complaints had come from black or Latino residents. All nine had been investigated and marked as unfounded or unsubstantiated. The complaints had been investigated by his previous supervisor, Lieutenant Vernon Kowalski, who was known for protecting his officers and dismissing most civilian complaints as people trying to get out of legitimate police work.