By Law Office of Fredrick K. Brewington
Photos: YouTube\Wikimedia Commons
Long Island, New York–On September 12, 2024, at 10:30 a.m., Mr. Tyrone Phifer, a Black man, disclosed his Federal lawsuit against Nassau County Police, several Police Officers, and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who allegedly abused him just days before Christmas in 2021.
Along with his attorneys, from the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington, a disturbing video of Mr. Phifer’s arrest was shown at a press conference. A call for accountability was issued against the officers who abused him, falsely charged him, and who manufactured a false narrative to cover up their abuse and discriminatory practices.
Mr. Phifer’s 43 page 177 paragraph federal lawsuit names: the County Of Nassau, Nassau County Police Department, Sergeant Daniel Imondi, Officer Patrick McGrath, Officer Quinn R. Knauer and Officer Fodbeck.
The lawsuit is prompted by the allegation that on December 22, 2021, at or about 10:00 a.m., as Mr. Phifer was emerging from an appointment, at his foot doctor, officers engaged in blocking and limiting his freedom to move, in an apparent case of misidentification.
Despite Mr. Phifer making it clear they had the wrong person, the officers then pulled Mr. Phifer’s umbrella out of his hand and placed him in a restraining hold preventing him from the use of his hands, feet and body.
The officers then continued to assault Mr. Phifer, forcing his hands behind his back, tackling him to the ground, kneeling on him, pulling him up by his arms, and continually using force to subdue a man they had wrongfully stopped in the first place. Phifer was further seized and placed in handcuffs and spoken to like he was an animal.
The officers proceeded to treat him with disrespect and disregard by attempting to manufacture a narrative that Mr. Phifer was mentally ill, which caused him immediate embarrassment and humiliation.
Thereafter, the officers continued their violation of Mr. Phifer as they maliciously prosecuted him on charges of Obstructing Governmental Administration. They used these criminal charges as a shield to coverup their wrongful actions as they realized that they were unlawful.
Mr. Phifer was then forced to defend himself in criminal court proceedings for over ten months and had to go through the criminal system, was subjected to a conditional release to probation, forced to make numerous appearances in front of a criminal District Court judge at a criminal court house.
All of these charges were finally dismissed and sealed on November 1, 2022.
The lawsuit complaint alleges that “Both before and after December 22, 2021 NASSAU COUNTY and Defendants RYDER and NASSAU COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT have systematically failed to identify the improper abuse, misuse, and violative acts by police officers and officials, while further failing to subject such officers and officials to discipline, closer supervision, and/or restraint.”
Mr. Phifer will forever be impacted and has sustained multiple injuries including, being deprived of his right to be free, being falsely charged and placed in fear of criminal sanctions, being racially profiled and emotionally scarred, and placed in fear and distress that continues to this day including, embarrassment, mental anguish and suffering, and other damages not yet fully ascertained.
Copies of the body camera video, the Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit and proof of filing,
were filed in the Federal District Court, Eastern District of New York on September 11, 2024.
Mr. Phifer, a grandfather of eight appeared with his attorneys and members of the community to support his challenge to the abuse and discrimination being perpetrated by Nassau County.
