A lawsuit has been filed alleging malicious prosecution against the New York City Police Department and several of its officers. On January 2, 2025, Tiffany Norwood and Joseph Hill filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York, the NYPD, and individual officers.
According to the complaint, on August 11, 2020, Joseph Hill witnessed a SWAT team at his fiancée Tiffany Norwood's parents' residence in Queens. Unbeknownst to them, a search warrant had been executed by police officers William Schroder, Thomas Reo, and Joshua Sailor. The officers allegedly seized items including firearms and drugs found in a bedroom not occupied by Norwood or Hill for months.
Despite their absence from the scene during the search, both plaintiffs were later charged with serious felonies: Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree.
The lawsuit details how these charges affected their lives. Hill was arrested on August 20, 2020, held for more than 12 hours before being released on $30,000 bail. His job offer from NYCHA was rescinded because of the charges.
Norwood surrendered herself on September 10, 2020; she was arrested and released on $10,000 bond but lost her job as a medical assistant immediately after. The plaintiffs argue that they endured more than two years of malicious prosecution, including false claims about DNA evidence and failed court appearances, until their cases were dismissed in December 2022.
Norwood and Hill assert that this ordeal caused significant emotional distress and health issues. Norwood suffered a stroke amid this turmoil and experienced complications conceiving due to stress.
The couple accuses the defendants of negligence in training officers and fabricating evidence against them. They claim violations under federal statutes like 42 U.S.C. §1983 for deprivation of constitutional rights through unlawful actions by law enforcement.
In seeking justice from the court system, the plaintiffs demand compensatory damages exceeding $5 million per count, alongside punitive damages totaling $20 million against individual defendants involved. They also request injunctive relief to prevent future violations of a similar nature, as well as coverage for legal costs incurred during the proceedings.
Representing Norwood and Hill is attorney Frederick K. Brewington of the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington, located in Hempstead, New York. The case is identified by Case No. 1:24-cv-00030.