ECBAWM filed a civil rights lawsuit today in federal court on behalf of Luis Solivan, a young Bronx man brutally beaten by two NYPD Officers on November 14, 2011. Mr. Solivan was returning home from the store when the officers chased him into his apartment and attacked him. During the beating, he was pepper-sprayed, struck with a walkie-talkie, and eventually handcuffed. Even after they had secured the handcuffs, the officers continued to kick and beat Mr. Solivan, at one point banging his head against a wall so hard it left a hole. Mr. Solivan, 19 at the time, was arrested without a warrant and had committed no crime.

Part of the beating was caught on video by a neighbor. The video shows Mr. Solivan being pinned down by one officer while another strikes him in the face. Mr. Solivan’s mother and five- and eight-year-old brothers witnessed the beating, which took place in their living room. After reviewing the video, a grand jury refused to indict Mr. Solivan.

Mr. Solivan is represented by Earl Ward, Ilann M. Maazel, and Adam Pulver of ECBAWM.

“Video of Police Encounter May Play Lead Role in Lawsuit,” New York Times