In a recent legal case, a jury has decided to award a substantial settlement of $35 million to a New York man’s family who was beaten to death by police brutality.
The jury has awarded the New York man’s family (Photo: Atlanta Injury Lawyer Blog)
New York Man’s Family Against the Police
According to Toronto Star, a New York man, Kenny Lazo, was only 24 when he was beaten to death by the police. He allegedly committed traffic violations, hitting an officer’s head with his elbow and reaching for the officer’s gun.
However, the attorney of the New York man’s family accused the police officers of faking a reason to pull over Lazo and using their authority to overpower and humiliate the victim. Lazo, suffering from the 36 injuries he got during the altercation, was taken to a police precinct instead of the hospital and later found unresponsive. He was then taken to the police hospital, where he died.
An autopsy report has determined that Lazo died from the prolonged physical altercation with multiple blunt impacts and cardiac arrest.
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New York Man’s Family Awarded By Federal Jury
According to U.S. News, the New York man’s family has been awarded $35M for damages by a federal jury. This decision is an important reminder of the need for law enforcement officials to abide by ethical and humane practices when carrying out their duties and be held accountable when they fail to do so.
The New York man’s family received $13.5 million in compensatory damages and $21.5 million in punitive damages from the federal jurors.
The attorney of the New York man’s family, Frederick K. Brewington, stated that justice had been served after over a decade of fighting against the Suffolk County Police Department. Brewington added to his statement that it was appalling how the police tried to cover up their brutality and that no other family should have to go through what the New York man’s family had gone through.
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