ECBAWM  has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Brian Kendall, whose 1989 conviction for the murder of Raphael Reyes was vacated in 2025 following an investigation by the Kings County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit.

The lawsuit seeks damages from the City of New York and former New York City Police Department detectives involved in the investigation and prosecution. It alleges that Kendall was wrongfully arrested and convicted as a result of constitutional violations, including the fabrication of evidence and suppression of evidence supporting his innocence.

According to the complaint, Kendall was 17 years old when he was arrested for the February 1988 shooting death of Reyes inside a neighborhood game room in Brooklyn. Multiple eyewitnesses and responding police officers allegedly provided information indicating that the shooter did not match Kendall’s appearance and that Kendall was among those who pursued the gunman immediately after the shooting.

The lawsuit alleges that investigators nevertheless focused on Kendall, relying on unreliable witness statements and suggestive identification procedures while failing to disclose evidence that supported his innocence or pointed to an alternate suspect.

After approximately 16 months in pretrial detention, Kendall pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 1989. The complaint alleges that he accepted the plea after prosecutors failed to disclose exculpatory evidence that would have significantly undermined the case against him.

Kendall ultimately spent more than 16 years in prison. After his release, he was deported to Guyana, where he remained separated from his family for more than two decades.

Following a comprehensive reinvestigation by the Kings County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, prosecutors concluded that Kendall’s conviction should be vacated. On July 1, 2025, the Kings County Supreme Court vacated the conviction and dismissed the indictment.

“For almost forty years, I lived with the consequences of a conviction for a crime I did not commit. I lost my freedom, I lost precious time with my family, and I was forced to rebuild my life thousands of miles away from the people I love. Nothing can give me those years back, but I hope this lawsuit brings accountability for what happened to me and helps prevent anyone else from enduring the same injustice,” said Brian Kendall.

“Brian Kendall lost decades of his life because law enforcement built a case against him instead of following the evidence,” said Julia P. Kuan, Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. “As a result, he spent more than sixteen years in prison, was deported from the country he had called home since childhood, and was separated from his family for decades. Nothing can restore the years Brian lost, but this lawsuit is about ensuring that those responsible answer for the profound injustice they caused.”

Filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the complaint asserts federal civil rights and New York state law claims, including fabrication of evidence, malicious prosecution, denial of due process, and suppression of exculpatory evidence.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees as authorized by law, and other relief the Court deems just and proper.

In addition to Julia P. Kuan, ECBAWM attorneys Vasudha Talla and Hafsa S. Mansoor represent Mr. Kendall.

Read coverage of the filing below:

The City Reporter: Brooklyn Man Exonerated After 25 Years Says NYPD Framed Him for Murder