New York City found liable in man’s beating by police at gay house party
Judge's ruling could pave the way for a large financial judgement in Jabbar Campbell's civil lawsuit
A Brooklyn judge has found New York City liable for the police beating of a man at a gay house party, which could potentially allow him to obtain a large judgment in his civil suit against the city.
State Supreme Court Judge Reginald Boddie handed down an order finding the city liable for false arrest, battery, and malicious prosecution. As a result, the jury in the civil lawsuit will only consider how much money 36-year-old Jabbar Campbell is entitled to receive, reports the New York Daily News.
Boddie said one of the reasons for his ruling was the city was lax about filing motions in a timely fashion, waiting until Aug. 8 to file papers that were supposed to be submitted on June 2.
“The city defendants have demonstrated a repeated history of noncompliance with court orders,” he wrote.
Campbell claims to have suffered severe neck injuries after police beat him into unconsciousness when they raided his house in Crown Heights, where he was hosting 80 friends as part of a gay house party in January 2013.
His injuries required over a dozen surgeries, and he still remains in pain to this day. Campbell also accused cops of mocking him with anti-gay slurs while they searched his house.
The charges police had filed against Campbell, including resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, were dismissed by the criminal court.
Campbell’s lawsuit received a boost when it was discovered that the cops who responded to the scene for a noise complaint contradicted their initial account of what happened.
Originally, police had said Campbell was arrested for shoving a sergeant and resisting arrest, and that they used necessary force to subdue him. Police later claimed they had been told a man was being held captive inside the house. Video footage from a security camera showed one of the police officers turning the camera away from the building’s entrance before police entered the house.
Campbell called the judge’s decision “good news,” but said there was still a long way to go before trust could be restored between the community and police.
“There was always that doubt in my mind that justice wouldn’t come to me, due to the color of my skin and due to the justice system and how it deals with black people,” Campbell said.
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