On April 14th, Timothy Brown was left feeling humiliated and traumatized after he was violently mistaken for an identity arrest. He filed a notice of claim seeking $100 million from New York City, alleging that the police used excessive force and violated his constitutional rights.
Brown said he was beaten by two plainclothes NYPD detectives inside a liquor store in Boerum Hill and said that it was his first public account of the encounter. It occurred around 4 pm when Brown entered a liquor store to buy a bottle of wine.
The two detectives, were assigned to Brooklyn North Narcotics and were in a undercover operation targeting crack cocaine sales and believed that Brown matched the description of the suspect’s accomplice.
A video shows the detectives grabbing brown and repeatedly punching him, forcing him into shelves stocked with glass bottles before he falls to the ground. Another point shows an office appearing to kick him as they attempt to restrain him. Brown was dragged across the floor, toward the front of the store. The floor appeared to be covered in broken glass.
A bystander, who was recording the video, can be heard questioning the officers’ actions as the arrest unfolded.
“I was hated, disrespected, embarrassed, and I was brutally beaten for no reason. What happened to me should never happen to anyone else.” Brown said. Brown is suing the city and the NYPD for $100 Million.
Police later said Brown was not involved in the drug sale and was no in possession of drugs. He was initially charged with resisting arrest, but prosecutors have since dropped the charge.
Brown and his legal team said they are also seeking broader institutional changes, including financial penalties tied to police pensions for misconduct. City officials have acknowledged the incident and said the detectives involved were removed from their assignments.
The NYPD said the matter is still under internal review by its Internal Affairs Bureau, and there is currently a 90-day review of Narcotics, on everything from equipment and compliance to policy and training.
