New York cop accuses Black man of felony narcotics possession. Then the world sees what his body camera recorded

A body camera recording is at the center of a civil rights lawsuit filed by Ivin Harper, a 46-year-old fitness trainer and aspiring actor who says a former New Rochelle police lieutenant planted drugs near his vehicle.

The incident happened on May 29, 2024, outside the Bracey Apartments in New Rochelle, New York. According to Atlanta Black Star, Harper said in his complaint that he walked away after seeing former Lieutenant Sean Kane because he feared being harassed. He also claimed Kane had harassed him before and threatened to plant drugs on him.

The footage reportedly shows Kane holding a baggie of white powder inside his patrol car before approaching Harper’s SUV. The camera’s audio was muted, but its buffering feature had saved the video. Kane later turned on the audio, drove to the SUV and reached beneath a front tire, pulling out a baggie that appeared to match the one seen earlier. He then radioed in, saying, “It’s going to be one for felony drugs.”

Harper spent 44 days in jail

Harper was arraigned on July 10, 2024, on felony drug possession charges that could have carried up to 10 years in prison. The charges were dismissed on August 23 after the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the footage. Harper had spent 44 days facing the allegations.

Kane, meanwhile, was not indicted. In December 2024, a Westchester County grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against him, returning a “no true bill.” The decision meant the criminal case against Kane did not proceed, but Harper’s allegations remained part of a separate civil dispute.

Records obtained through Freedom of Information Law requests reportedly show that Kane told internal investigators he had not seen Harper discard the drugs and that Davis had supplied them.

In March 2026, Kane was demoted from lieutenant to police officer. He resigned weeks later and reportedly kept his pension. He then got a job as a deputy sheriff with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Civil rights advocates criticized the appointment, arguing that officers accused of misconduct can leave one department and find work at another without fully answering for their actions.

The officer was not convicted of any crime

Harper filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on July 13, 2026, naming Kane, Davis, officers Maria Vasquez and Timothy Adrian, and the City of New Rochelle. He accuses Vasquez and Adrian of filing false reports to support Kane’s account. The lawsuit also claims the city tolerated a culture that allowed police misconduct to go unchecked.

The defendants have an opportunity to challenge those allegations in court. Harper’s criminal charges were dismissed, but Kane was not convicted of any crime in connection with the incident. The civil lawsuit will now determine whether the defendants can be held legally responsible for what Harper says happened.