Named in 11 known lawsuits, $1,756,000 total settlements.
Lemos, Kevin an Infant By Mng Amezquita, Sandra vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 529003/2021,
Supreme Court - Kings, November 17, 2021
Complaint
Description: On or about September 20, 2014 at approximately 2:15 a.m. Plaintiff, who was pregnant and late into her second trimester, was assaulted and battered by PO Degan while she was standing next to her son whom other POs were attempting to arrest. PO Degan threw Plaintiff to the pavement so that she landed on her abdomen. PO Degan then positioned herself on her back and smashed a baton or nightstick on her body. PO Roome assisted PO Degan in pinning Plaintiff to the ground. Plaintiff was then arrested without probable cause for disorderly conduct and was held in custody for approximately 3.75 hours. Thereafter Plaintiff, who had a healthy pregnancy prior, began to have complications and delivered her baby approximate...
Lemos, Kevin an Infant By Mng Amezquita, Sandra vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 506513/2018,
Supreme Court - Kings, April 5, 2018
Complaint
Description: On September 20, 2014, Plaintiff Amezquita was assaulted by her husband, and others outside a restaurant in Brooklyn while visibly pregnant. She was thrown into the street by members of the NYPD, stepped on, tasered, and battered by the officers after they attempted to arrest her son. Officer Degan threw her to the ground, pinned her down with the assistance of Office Roome, and was hit with a baton. She was arrested without probable cause and held in police custody. This incident resulted in complications to her pregnancy and forced her to deliver the baby, Plaintiff Kevin, 4 weeks early. There are concerns regarding the physical and mental development of Plaintiff Kevin as a result of the force used against h...
Fortune, Ian vs Espinal, Edwin, et al.
Case # 503911/2017,
Supreme Court - Kings, July 13, 2017, ended February 3, 2020
$75,000 Settlement
Complaint,
Summons/Complaint
Description: On February 27, 2014, Plaintiff was arrested, imprisoned, and searched without legal cause or justification. He was arrested in connection with a burglary that had occurred months prior and was already familiar with the precinct, as he had previously been unlawfully arrested by its officers. On August 4, 2013, Plaintiff was arrested by Defendant Officers Edwin Espinal, Erick Flores, and Elvis Merizalde for a crime he did not commit and was later acquitted for. In response to this incident, Plaintiff made complaints to the Internal Affairs Bureau of the NYPD and the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
A few months later, a burglary occurred at a laundromat, and Officer Espinal was assigned to investigate the crim...
Amezquita, Sandra, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 518098/2016,
Supreme Court - Kings, October 17, 2016, ended August 4, 2020
$1,448,500 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On or about September 20, 2014, Defendant Police Officers Pedro Vallecillo, Elvis Merizalde, Joseph Degan, Eric Roome, Gary Bonavita, Richard Rodrigues, and Defendant Sergeants Richard Rodrigues, Delossantos, Frank Rodriguez, and Lieutenants Stephen threw Plaintiff 1, who was pregnant and late in her second trimester and in the vicinity of her son who was being arrested, abdomen-down onto the pavement. Defendant Officer Degan then positioned himself on Plaintiff 1's back and smashed her body with a baton. The Defendants did so without probable cause. Charges against Plaintiff 1 were dismissed on December 2, 2014.
At the same incident as Plaintiff 1's, Defendant assaulted and battered Plaintiff 1's husband, Pl...
Lemos, Jhohan vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 509910/2015,
Supreme Court - Kings, August 27, 2015, ended August 14, 2019
$100,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On September 20, 2014, was dining at a restaurant when he was arrested without probable cause and unlawfully beaten by defendant police officers.
Del Rosario, Enrique vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 15CV02139,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, April 21, 2015, ended May 31, 2016
$40,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: Defendant Officers severely assaulted Plaintiff for holding a video camera, stole the video camera, and charged him with 120.05, Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, ß 155.30 Attempted Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, 120.00 Attempted Assault in the Third Degree, ß 155.25 Attempted Petit Larceny, and ß 240.20 Disorderly Conduct, which resulted in an ACD
Amezquita, Sandra, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 15CV00303,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, January 22, 2015, ended October 15, 2016
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: While her son was being arrested, Plaintiff 1, who was visibly pregnant, was thrown to the ground, assaulted, and arrested. She was given a summons for dis con which was later dismissed. Plaintiff 2 was shoved to the ground by Officer Degen and needed to be hospitalized. Plaintiff 3 and 4, the other Plaintiff's husbands, were both assaulted by police officers, arrested, and charged with OGA, harassment, and assault in the 2nd and 3rd degree. Charges later dismissed.
Santiago, Guillermo vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 14CV06586,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, November 10, 2014, ended June 18, 2015
$85,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: Plaintiff walked away down the street after seeing all 3 officers. Officers chased him and retaliated using unreasonable force. The officers, acting in concert, punched the nonresisting and compliant plaintiff in the face knocking out his top two front teeth and causing a maxillary fracture. Plaintiff fell to the ground after being punched in the face. While plaintiff was on the ground, the officers, acting in concert, punched and kicked plaintiff several times on his head and body and twisted his arms. Officer's brought Plaintiff to 72nd Precinct, where they searched him and found Marijuana. Charged with Possession of Marijuana, , False personation, and Resisting Arrest.
Alvarez, Jose vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 13CV06242,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, November 15, 2013, ended July 11, 2014
$7,500 Settlement
Complaint
Description: Defendants aggressively approached Mr. Alvarez at a barbecue in a park and said, in sum, ìwe want to see everyone's fucking id's. When Mr. Alvarez asked why he and the others had to produce their identification, a defendant officer, without probable cause or reasonable suspicion to believe he had committed any crime or offense, tightly handcuffed Mr. Alvarez. Defendants maced Mr. Alvarez repeatedly at close range. While Mr. Alvarez was handcuffed defendants assaulted him, including by striking him about his head and arms with closed fists.
Lopez et al v. The City of New York et al
Case # 11CV02607,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY
Settlement
Second Amended Complaint,
Stipulation
Description: Officers were giving Plaintiff a parking ticket. When plaintiff saw Merizalde had just completed writing Lopez's summons for double parking, Lopez mimed clapping his hands and sarcastically thanked the defendant. Merizalde responded by grabbing Lopez by the arms and forcibly spinning him around and handcuffing him. When the 60 year-old Ms. Perez inquired as to why her son was being arrested, Merizalde told her to step back and roughly shoved her backwards. Lopez was then placed in the defendants' police car and driven away. The car then returned to the scene with other officers and arrested other Plaintiffs. Plaintiff charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Merizalde made many false allegations. H...
Almanzar v. City of New York et al
Case # 027615/2011,
Supreme Court - Kings
Summons/Complaint
