Patricia Feerick

Who is Patricia Feerick?

Patricia Ann Feerick-Kossmann is a former NYPD Lieutenant. She was sentenced, along with three subordinates, to serve jail time after having been found guilty of abusing their power by conducting an illegal search for a stolen police radio from members of an alleged East Harlem drug gang.

The prosecution charged that the four officers had illegally searched a Harlem apartment in search of a stolen police radio. The case against them was made by Ben Stokes, a leader of the The Purple Caps drug gang, so named for the color of the vials of crack they sold to young people in their Harlem neighborhood. The gang was allegedly responsible for the murders of at least 7 people. Stokes had been caught with 591 vials of crack cocaine, which the District Attorney's office reportedly overlooked in exchange for Stokes's testimony. He would continue to sell crack cocaine; a videotape would later be obtained showing Stokes selling crack to a woman pushing a baby in a stroller. Jurors in the trial did not see that videotape, and the "Feerick Four" were convicted of several misdemeanors.