Michael G. Zweifler

Lawsuits

Named in 13 known lawsuits, $689,500 total settlements.

Goodman, Leonard vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 508863/2025, Supreme Court - Kings, July 10, 2025

Crispin, Shamel, et al. vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 511345/2023, Supreme Court - Kings, June 8, 2023, ended December 20, 2024
$31,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On February 20, 2021, the two Plaintiffs were at home when POs Mcguirewright, Dillon, Zweifler, Minardi, Priore, and unknown POs 1-10 entered their home. The POs had obtained a search warrant by providing false and incomplete information to the authorizing judge. The POs did not have any probable cause or reasonable suspicion to arrest Plaintiffs, nor did they tell Plaintiffs what they were being arrested for. The two Plaintiffs were unlawfully detained for 48 and 6 hours, respectively. Over the course of these events, the POs applied excessively tight handcuffs to Plaintiffs' wrists and otherwise caused emotional and physical injuries to Plaintiffs. All charges against Plaintiffs were dismissed.

Clemente, Jayshawn, et Al vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 23CV02702, U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, June 1, 2023, ended November 16, 2023
$14,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On January 3, 2020, at approximately 9:30 p.m., near 390 Lexington Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, plaintiffs Jayshawn Clemente and Deonte Holley (cousins) were driving in Jayshawn's car, along with other with other friends and family members. When Jayshawn stopped the car to drop off one of its occupants, the defendant officers came up to the vehicle, then proceeded to forcibly remove plaintiffs from the vehicle, handcuffed them tightly, and subjected them to illegal searches of their persons and the vehicle. No contraband or evidence of a crime was found. Nevertheless, plaintiffs were taken to the NYPD-79th Precinct, processed for arrest, and further illegally searched, with no contraband found. The officer...

Syllas, Romy, et Al vs Police Officer Zweifler, Michael, Shield No. 14406, et al.
Case # 513029/2021, Supreme Court - Kings, December 8, 2022, ended March 6, 2024
$33,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On March 14, 2020, Plaintiff Stephan Fontin was sitting in the backseat of a car near Throop Avenue and Willoughby Avenue in Brooklyn, when Defendant police officers performed a car stop without probable cause. Plaintiff Romy Syllas, who happened to be walking by, began recording the police interaction from a safe distance. Despite complying with officers' commands to back up, Defendant officers grabbed Plaintiff Syllas, threw him to the ground, and unlawfully handcuffed him. When Plaintiff Fontin exited the vehicle to record the arrest, he too was grabbed, thrown to the ground, and arrested. Both Plaintiffs were searched and found to have no contraband. They were transported to the NYPD 79th Precinct and then...

Keller, Keyon vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 525484/2021, Supreme Court - Kings, October 19, 2021
Complaint
Description: On December 31, 2019, in the vicinity of the intersection of Fulton Street and Kingston Ave, Brooklyn, New York, Plaintiff was wrongfully pursued, pulled over, detained, searched, and arrested by Defendant Officer. Plaintiff did not commit any crime or violation of the law nor was there an indication of such. Plaintiff was lawfully driving when Defendant Officers approached in marked vehicles. Plaintiff continued driving and turned onto Fulton Ave while Defendants continued to follow him in marked vehicles. Defendants, then illegally pulled over and stopped Plaintiff in an unmarked car within the vicinity of the intersection at Stuyvesant and Bainbridge. Plaintiff was stopped at the intersection when Defendan...

Hoover, Eddie vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 21CV02484, U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, May 20, 2021, ended April 5, 2023
$125,000 Settlement
Complaint

Josie, Mike vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 21CV02486, U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, May 20, 2021, ended April 24, 2024
$95,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On June 26, 2019 at approximately 6:00 a.m., Defendants unlawfully arrested Plaintiff for larceny which Plaintiff did not commit. Defendants entered Plaintiff's home without a warrant or justification. Defendants rushed towards plaintiff with their guns pointed at him and yelled at, grabbed, pushed, shoved, and pulled Plaintiff. Defendants tightly handcuffed Plaintiff to the point that he experienced numbness and pain but Defendants ignored Plaintiff's requests to loosen the handcuffs. Defendants illegally searched Plaintiff and brought him to the 88th Precinct. Defendants interrogated plaintiff for a long time and then brought him to Central Booking. Defendants provided false representations to the Kings Count...

Pinder, Ramar vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 505670/2020, Supreme Court - Kings, October 20, 2020, ended September 2, 2021
$30,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On December 6, 2018, Plaintiff was with some friends on the side of the street waiting for an Uber they had ordered. Officers approached Plaintiff and his friends without cause and illegally searched and questioned them. The officers claimed they stopped Plaintiff because the Uber he had ordered was double parked. Instead of addressing the Uber driver, the officers arrested Plaintiff and his friends. Officers alleged that one of Plaintiff's friends had a weapon on their person and arrested Plaintiff and his friends. All were transferred to the precinct and detained. Plaintiff was released from custody about 24 hours later and was not charged.

Washington, Jerry vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 505671/2020, Supreme Court - Kings, October 20, 2020, ended October 7, 2021
$22,500 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On December 6, 2018, Plaintiff and his friends were lawfully on the street waiting for an Uber they had ordered. Officers approached Plaintiff and his friends and stopped and questioned them without cause. The officers claimed that Plaintiff was stopped because the Uber they had ordered was illegally parked. Instead of questioning the Uber driver, officers seized Plaintiff and his friends and searched their persons. The officers falsely claimed that they found a weapon on one of Plaintiff's friends, arrested them all, and transported them to the precinct. Plaintiff was detained for approximately 24 hours before he was released without being charged.

Quince, Garland vs Doran, Kevon J., et al.
Case # 503669/2020, Supreme Court - Kings, July 16, 2020, ended February 5, 2025
$42,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On July 4, 2019, at approximately 10:30 PM, plaintiff was in the vicinity of 523 Putnam, in the borough of Brooklyn, when police officer Kevin J. Doran, police officer Michael Sweifler, and unidentified police officers (John and Jane Doe 1-10) unlawfully approached the plaintiff. The police officers then proceeded to forcibly grab plaintiff and tackled him to the ground. The police officers then unlawfully pushed, kicked, and dragged plaintiff, causing him to suffer physical injuries to face, head, mouth, lip, arms, nose, body, and knees. Plaintiff required medical attention for these injuries, so the police officers brought him to the hospital. Plaintiff was then transferred to the 79th Precinct, where plain...

L., K. By P/n/g Lee, Kennith vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 511564/2020, Supreme Court - Kings, July 6, 2020, ended July 28, 2023
$2,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On July 30, 2019 at approximately 9:00 p.m. Minor K.L. was present in the area of 567 Putnam Avenue, leaning on the seat of his bicycle, when he was approached by POs Anthony Bomparola, Mohamed Elhanafi, John Zanca, Michael Sweifler, and John Does 1-10, who ran up to him, tackled him, and threw him to the ground, injuring K.L.'s right arm and shoulder. POs then began repeatedly punching K.L. in the nose, face, head, and body, causing physical injury and contusions. POs then handcuffed and dragged K.L. to a NYPD van because K.L. was unable to walk due to the injuries inflicted on him. At no point did K.L. resist. K.L. was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture of the right nasal bone, bilat...

Baldwin, Tyshawn, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 18CV07366, U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, January 10, 2019, ended March 31, 2023
$225,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On June 23, 2018, Plaintiffs Baldwin and Murray were lawfully on the street in Brooklyn with Robert Thompson's six-year-old son. The Plaintiffs were approached by unnamed NYPD Defendant officers and placed in handcuffs. After a thorough search, the Defendants uncovered no contraband. Despite this, the Plaintiffs were arrested and taken to the local precinct. The Plaintiffs were charged with, amongst other offences, loitering, attempted tampering with evidence and the promotion of gambling. The Plaintiffs were held for approximately 24 hours before being released. The charges against the Plaintiffs were ultimately dismissed.

Newland, Tashaun vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 519506/2018, Supreme Court - Kings, October 4, 2018, ended June 22, 2020
$70,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On May 8, 2018 in the vicinity of 322 Tompkins Ave in Brooklyn, Defendant Officers, including Officers Zorilla, Zweiffler, and Ramos, approached Plaintiff and forcibly detained and arrested him without probable cause or a warrant. Plaintiff was assaulted by one or more Defendant Officers, who struck him with closed fists in the face multiple times while Plaintiff was handcuffed and unable to defend himself. Plaintiff was transported to the 79th Precinct, despite visible physical injuries and requests for medical attention. After several hours and many requests for medical attention, Plaintiff was transported to the hospital.