A father is suing the NYPD for wrongful arrest in New York City after he was “manhandled” and detained while carrying his three-year old son at the 2015 Christmas Tree Lighting in Rockefeller Center. It appears officers at the ceremony may have overreacted and used excessive force when Luther Louis-Jeune unknowingly approached an off-limits area. The situation quickly escalated and Mr. Louis-Jeune was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Those charges were subsequently dropped. Mr. Louis-Jeune has filed a false arrest lawsuit in New York City court seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
Mr. Louis-Jeune’s statement is that he was simply trying to make his way out of the crowd at the ceremony when an NYPD officer began screaming at him and shoving him. While he was trying to explain the situation a second officer arrived and a scuffle ensued. Mr. Louis-Jeune was pushed to the ground, had his arms twisted behind him, and was handcuffed. Meanwhile his 3-year old son was pinned underneath “the jumble of bodies” until he was eventually rescued by an eyewitness to the fracas.
If Mr. Louis-Jeune’s account is truthful, instead of simply explaining the area was off-limits and calmly redirecting Mr. Louis-Jeune and his son away, a stressed police officer rapidly accelerated from verbal confrontation to the use of physical force.
If the court finds that the officers named in the lawsuit did indeed act with excessive force and detained Mr. Louis-Jeune without proper cause, he will be awarded monetary damages. Indeed, if the case appears strong enough, the City of New York may even settle before it goes to trial, as they have in similar situations before.
If you have been detained without proper cause, contact a New York City wrongful arrest attorney immediately. You could be entitled to financial compensation for your hardship. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 888-391-8546 today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.