Manhattan Police Brutality and Police Misconduct Lawyer

Many different types of police behavior could qualify as misconduct or brutality. In some cases, police officers violate suspects’ civil rights without causing physical harm, while in other cases, police officers use more force than necessary or arrest the wrong person. Instances of police brutality may include the following:

Excessive Force

Police officers may use reasonable force to subdue a suspect if the suspect or people nearby pose a threat to the officer or the suspect. However, many officers fail to use proportional force, instead escalating the incident using batons, tasers, or firearms on unarmed suspects or misapplying submission techniques to restrict airways or blood flow.

Racial Profiling

Many police officers have preconceived biases toward certain groups of people, and statistics show more active policing in minority neighborhoods. According to the ACLU of New York, people of color are three times more likely to suffer an injury during an arrest than white suspects, and black suspects are six times more likely. Additionally, for minors who reported injuries, 93% were children of color.

Violation of Miranda Rights

Police must read you your Miranda Rights (right to remain silent, right to an attorney, one will be provided, etc.) if they intend to interrogate you, not necessarily at the time of arrest. Most officers will Mirandize you when they make the arrest, but if you were never read your rights or police never had a translator translate your rights before interrogation, they violated Miranda Law.

Taser Misuse

Multiple shocks from a Taser can lead to heart failure, brain damage, nerve damage, and death. Police officers may overuse a taser as it is considered a “non-lethal” suppression measure or because of a lack of training in using a Taser properly.

Shooting Injury or Death of a Suspect

Sometimes, officers reach for their firearms early in a conflict, wounding or killing a suspect before verifying their identity or making an arrest. Many officers lack appropriate de-escalation training or fail to use the training they received when responding to calls.

While many officers will claim they feared for their lives, many shooting incidents involve unarmed suspects or suspects who have not drawn a firearm. If you lost a loved one to a police shooting, a Manhattan police brutality lawyer with our firm can help you pursue a wrongful death claim against the NYPD.

Unlawful Search and Seizure

Police must have reasonable cause to search for evidence during an arrest, and taking an object from a person with no bearing on the arrest qualifies as an unlawful seizure.

Sexual Assault

Some officers abuse their power to sexually assault suspects during arrest or detainment and intimidate assault victims to stay quiet about the assault. Officers who abuse their power should face criminal charges for sexual assault, rape, and corruption, in addition to civil injury lawsuits from their victims.

False Arrest

A police officer must have probable cause to place a person under arrest or detain them. Wrongful imprisonment can affect a person’s career, future job prospects, and physical or mental well-being. If you were falsely accused or arrested without cause, even without physical injury, you are still a victim of police brutality with legal recourse.

Prisoner Abuse by Corrections Officers

Prisoners have a right to humane treatment by correctional officers while serving their sentence. If you suffered abuse at the hands of correctional officers as a prisoner, you have the right to pursue damages against the officer and facility.