Named in 2 known lawsuits.
Ortiz, Jose vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 158487/2017,
Supreme Court - New York, October 17, 2017, ended March 7, 2022
Zero Disposition
Johnson, Eddie, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 15CV08937,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, February 24, 2016, ended March 30, 2017
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: On May 1, 2015, plaintiffs Eddie Johnson, Christian Walker, Amadu Sowe, and Jordan Peña handed out samples of their music on 46th and 7th in Manhattan. They asked for voluntary dollar donations to support their music, as well. After a group of women took a CD and donated $10, police approached Sowe and asked him for identification; he complied, and was put in handcuffs for panhandling. The rest of the plaintiffs were each then pushed or thrown against a way, handcuffed, and brought to the Midtown South police precinct for panhandling. They remained there for 12 hours before being transported to central booking the next day. At that point, they learned they were being charged with robbery in the third degree, ev...