A New York resident has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of New York and several officers, alleging excessive force and civil rights violations. The complaint was filed by Bairta Shovgurova in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on September 26, 2024, naming the City of New York, Officer Alix Antoine, and two unidentified officers as defendants.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on November 24, 2023, when Ms. Shovgurova was walking her dog off-leash in Shore Road Park. She claims she was speaking on her phone in Russian when she noticed three officers approaching her—two female officers identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, and one male officer identified as Alix Antoine. Despite not hearing their initial commands due to her air pods, Ms. Shovgurova alleges that Officer Antoine accused her of lying about not speaking English and demanded identification.
The situation escalated when Officer Antoine allegedly attempted to grab Ms. Shovgurova's air pods from her ear. When she resisted this unwanted touch, he reportedly told her he needed to handcuff her due to lack of identification. The complaint details how Officer Antoine then forcefully twisted Ms. Shovgurova's arms behind her back without warning and pushed her facedown onto the ground before handcuffing her while she cried for help.
Ms. Shovgurova asserts that during this time, Officers Doe 1 and Doe 2 did nothing to intervene or stop Officer Antoine's actions. She remained handcuffed on the cold ground for approximately 30 minutes while the officers tried to catch her dog. Eventually, they allowed her to leash the dog but then re-handcuffed her before taking her to the precinct where she endured further physical restraints including leg shackles.
The plaintiff claims that all charges against her were dismissed on December 14, 2023. She also filed a Notice of Claim with the City of New York within ninety days following the incident but received no resolution or payment for damages within thirty days.
Ms. Shovgurova is seeking compensatory damages against all defendants jointly and severally for physical injuries including bruises and abrasions as well as emotional distress such as fear and humiliation caused by the incident. Additionally, she seeks punitive damages specifically against Officers Antoine, Doe 1, and Doe 2 for their alleged misconduct along with reasonable attorneys' fees under federal law.
Represented by Evan Brustein of Brustein Law PLLC based in New York City, Ms. Shovgurova is demanding a jury trial for this case. The case ID is Civil Action No.: 24-CV-6829.