The killing of George Floyd by a police officer prompted hundreds of protests in the New York City area and throughout the country. The Black Lives Matter movement has inspired people to protest police brutality and subsequent killings of people of color by police. Unfortunately, there are still instances of police misconduct occurring. One protester has sued the NYPD, alleging excessive force.
What happened during the incident?
The incident occurred on June 3, 2020, on 50th St. and 3rd Ave. A group of New Yorkers was protesting the killings of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of the police. One young man was participating in the protest on his bicycle and was suddenly struck by a police baton.
The man stated that he was in the process of recording the police with his smartphone. When he was hit, his phone fell to the ground, and the officer kicked it away from him. Although the protester was able to retrieve it and record an 11-second video, he was reportedly attacked by two more police officers in violation of his civil rights.
Arrested and then released
The man says that after he was the victim of police misconduct, he was placed under arrest and spent the night in jail. The charges against him were dropped a few months after the incident.
The man stated that his bike was taken and never returned to him and that he suffered injuries to various areas of his body. The lawsuit he filed accuses the NYPD of excessive force and a violation of protesters’ free speech rights. The man also said the incident shows that the police department doesn’t properly train police officers how to conduct themselves during protests and other demonstrations.
The lawsuit further states that the police violated the protesters’ constitutional rights, beat them with their batons, and used pepper spray during a peaceful protest. It also says that many protesters were arrested without any legal justification and weren’t given any warnings in advance.
Police officers cannot get away with misconduct or brutality. If you suffered these indignities, your civil rights were violated, and you may want to fight back using the legal system.