Imagine you’re driving through New York City and you see the flash of red and blue lights in your rearview mirror. An New York Police Department officer is pulling you over for accidentally running through a stop sign. You know exactly what you did wrong, and you’re regretting that “Hollywood stop” maneuver you pulled.
The officer walks up to your window and asks why you didn’t come to a full stop. You don’t have a good excuse, so you admit to the mistake and apologize. However, the officer isn’t done.
The next thing you know, you’re outside your vehicle going through a sobriety test and blowing into a breathalyzer device. You haven’t drunk a drop, so you’re not worried about the test, but the officer starts to get confrontational, and you get into an argument. He’s convinced you’ve been drinking.
You put your hands up, in an innocent gesture, while you try to convince the officer that you haven’t been drinking. The officer takes your gesture as a “sign of aggression.” He tackles you to the ground, breaking your arms and bruising you up very badly as you tumble against the cement.
Did the officer use excessive force? At Sivin & Miller, we regularly see cases like this. If you feel that an officer roughed you up for no good reason during your arrest — and you suffered injuries as a result — there’s a chance you have a viable police brutality claim that you can pursue in civil court. Our attorneys are available to listen to your story and advise you of your legal rights.