A judge ordered former Fall River police officer Bryan Custadio to pay $1.5 million to his ex-wife after finding him liable for multiple assaults, including one while he was on duty.
Judge Raffi Yessayan stated that he reviewed 21 photographs and found the testimony of Brenna Custadio “credible in its entirety.” He accepted the allegations in her complaint as true.
Bryan Custadio was held in default in July 2024 after he never appeared or answered the suit in his individual capacity, the judge wrote. The ruling stated that he remains in “parts unknown” and has not provided updated contact information since his release from prison. It is unclear whether the judgment can be collected.
Brenna Custadio sued in November 2023, alleging three incidents of assault and battery, including threats with an axe, hair-pulling, and strangulation. One alleged attack occurred on November 28th, 2021, when Bryan Custadio arrived at their North Main Street home in his patrol car and uniform, beat and choked her, and deleted home surveillance footage from his phone, according to the complaint. She also sued the city, the police department, and several officers, alleging they covered up the abuse and failed to follow procedures. This ruling focuses on the claims against Bryan Custadio individually.
In December 2023, Bryan Custadio pleaded guilty in three domestic violence cases and was sentenced to 14 months in prison, which he served at the Dukes County House of Correction. He was terminated by the Fall River Police Department in the summer of 2022, suspended by the POST Commission in December 2022, and decertified in August 2024.
Brenna Custadio’s complaint said she abandoned a coffee shop the couple planned to open because she was afraid to live and work in Fall River, and that she later left the city. The Law Office of Christopher Markey filed the suit in Bristol County Superior Court.
For more details on this case, click here.
