Justice prevails in Excessive Force case

Kings County, New York.  Our client was enjoying the J”Ouvert Festival with family and friends in Brooklyn, when the group was approached by police.  All the male members of the group were searched without probable cause and subjected to verbal abuse.  Finding nothing illegal, the police left, only to be followed by another set of officers who began to do the same thing.  One teenager in the group was manhandled by the officers for having a “weapon”, which turned out to be a cell phone.  When lookers on became restless and started chastising the police for their behavior, the officers called for backup.  Our client decided to leave the scene but was accosted by a group of officers. When he objected, several officers beat him to the ground with fists and clubs.  A startled bystander called out for the police to stop and took a grainy night time photo.  While our client  was on the ground, an officer kicked him in the eye socket, fracturing his orbital which eventually required surgery.  The officers, to cover up their own actions, then arrested our Client, claiming he had punched one of the officers and tried to steal his gun.  Our client was charged with Assault and Attempted Robbery. MSG defended the criminal case against our client, and presented witnesses to the Grand Jury.  All charges against our client were dismissed.  A subsequent civil lawsuit was filed for false arrest and excessive force. Over the course of litigation, the police continually tried to “blame the victim” and discredit our client as the instigator in the attack.   It was our client’s word standing against that of the police.  MSG took numerous depositions and located the eye witness in the street who had taken the photo of the beating.  MSG also discovered that a local surveillance camera had captured the incident on film, but that the police had taken custody of the tape and subsequently “lost” it.  As the facts continued to mount, the City began to change its position.  On the eve of trial, the City of NY agreed to settle the case for $1,400,000.  Justice was finally served.