A Staten Island man has received $1.75 million after he says police officers beat him and called him an anti-gay slur outside his house.
According to the Daily News, Louis Falcone accused four cops of excessive force on June 19, 2015. Falcone, who was a 31-year-old caterer at the time, was fighting with his brother outside of his Midland Beach home. His mother then called the police, who arrived at the scene and became violent with him.
Falcone says that the cops repeatedly punched and stomped him while calling him a f****t. Because of the altercation, he suffered a fractured nose and several injuries to his spine. The latter injuries required surgery.
The below video, taken from a house across the street, shows Falcone’s fight with police. Though, the audio didn’t pick up the dialogue between Falcone and police.
After the incident, Falcone was not charged. But, he decided to sue.
As its defense, the city described Falcone as the aggressor. The city said that he resisted arrest and spat blood, a result of his brotherly fight, into one of the officer’s mouths. The city also argued that Falcone exaggerated his back injuries, as he has undergone surgery for back issues before. And finally, the city Falcone’s story concerning the anti-gay slurs weren’t confirmed during the investigation and trial process.
Despite all of this, lawsuit eventually led to a recent Brooklyn Federal Court jury ruling in Falcone’s favor. Adam Roth, Falcone’s attorney, then applauded his client, who testified in court, for convincing the jury.
“Mr. Falcone was very credible and the video showed what happened,” Roth said. “I think the officers’ stories were not totally credible.”
The NYPD has not commented on whether the four officers in question are being disciplined. In addition, they are considering pressing the issue further due to “inconsistences in the jury’s verdict.”
“We are reviewing the city’s legal options because of inconsistencies in the jury’s verdict,” said Nicholas Paolucci, spokesman for the Law Department.
