Shawn M. Macdowell

Lawsuits

Baerga, Justin E. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 21CV05762, U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, September 29, 2021
Complaint
Description: In this class action complaint, plaintiffs Justin Baerga, Steven Greene, Giovanna Sanchez-Esquivel, and Sarah Arvio, challenge the systemic failure of New York City to provide safe, appropriate, and immediate responses to New Yorkers experiencing mental health crises. As detailed further below, each of the plaintiffs has an actual or perceived mental disability and was unlawfully seized and forced into unconstitutional confinement during interactions with police. - On August 25, 2019, plaintiff Justin Baerga was home with his mother experiencing a mental health crisis when his mother called 911 requesting an ambulance. Armed NYPD officers arrived instead, forcibly entered Baerga's home, strapped him to a gur...