Our client recently reached a favorable settlement for a completely unnecessary and vicious assault by police officers. JT was violently assaulted by police officers while riding the subway when he argued with them after they told him to exit. As reported by thecity.com, PO Adonis Long punched plaintiff twice in the head before throwing him onto the platform. He and his partner, PO Saha, then falsely claimed that the plaintiff had assaulted Long. The charges were eventually dismissed. Long is now himself facing departmental charges for using excessive force, including pepper spray and a choke hold, and for making a false statement to the CCRB.
We were able to secure JT a settlement for $135,000, and while we are happy that he can now begin to move past this event, it is troubling that this sort of conduct is continuing unabated. Perhaps the worst of Long’s misconduct is his lying. That is to say, the long history of police lying–long known as “testilying”–is still a too common event. Such fundamental dishonesty does a grave disservice to those officers who do not see the truth as an inconvenience to work around and infects the NYPD’s relationship with the communities it is supposed to serve and protect. There must be a greater commitment by the NYPD to punish those officers who lie casually and comfortably.