nypd abuse
‘Monell’ claim against NYPD’s mass arrest policies upheld
Nearly four years ago, R.J. Osterhoudt was unlawfully arrested in Williamsburg during a spontaneous street celebration of Barack Obama’s election as president. Rankin & Taylor represented Osterhoudt in criminal court, resulting in dismissal of the charges after 11 court appearances. Now, in his civil rights lawsuit, a Brooklyn federal judge has ruled (link to […]
Village Voice: “The NYPD’s Poor Judgement With the Mentally Ill”, Family of Shereese Francis Represented by Rankin & Taylor
Nick Pinto of the Village Voice writes in “The NYPD’s Poor Judgement With the Mentally Ill“: On the evening of March 15, Shauna Francis called 311 looking for some information. She wanted to call an ambulance for her 30-year-old sister, Shereese, but wasn’t impressed by the quality of care at Queens General, the nearest hospital. Shauna wanted to know if she could ask […]
Rankin & Taylor Files Suit on Behalf of Three Occupy Wall Street Protesters Pepper Sprayed by NYPD
Nick Pinto of the Village Voice writes in “More Pepper-Sprayed Protesters Sue NYPD“: Three Occupy Wall Street protesters announced today that they are suing the New York Police Department in federal court over officers’ use of pepper spray on marchers last September 24. Two of the plaintiffs, Damien Crisp and Julie Lawler, were sprayed by […]
Rankin & Taylor Client is Assaulted By NYPD, Incident Caught on Video by Activist
From The New York Times, “In Subway, Activist Records Stop-and-Frisk He Says Proves Its Dark Side” (July 26, 2012): The video shows a police officer striding toward a young man standing on a platform at the 45th Street subway station in Brooklyn. A few seconds later, the officer pats him down. Shortly afterward, the young […]
Rankin & Taylor Client Robert Bell Sues for Right to Salute Police Officers with His Middle Finger
Rankin & Taylor client Robert Bell does not like the police, and now he has a federal lawsuit to vindicate his right to say so. When Bell saw three NYPD officers walk past him last August, he saluted them with his middle finger. A fourth officer saw Bell’s gesture and placed him under arrest. Bell was taken to […]