A man has filed a lawsuit against the Village of Rockville Centre and four unidentified police officers, accusing them of using excessive force that left him with permanent facial scars and disfigurement.
According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Patrick T. Esposito alleges that on June 9, 2024, he was out with friends when he became a victim of unwarranted aggression at Kasey’s Kitchen and Cocktails in Rockville Centre. Esposito claims that an altercation broke out near his group, and despite not being involved in the initial fracas, Esposito claims he was caught up in the chaos as bouncers attempted to disperse the crowd. As he descended a dimly lit staircase following directions to leave, Esposito felt someone shove him from behind. Reacting instinctively to what he perceived as an attack from another patron, he struck back only to discover later that his assailant was a bouncer.
The situation escalated when two individuals, later revealed to be police officers, forcefully apprehended Esposito without identifying themselves or issuing any commands. He describes how they twisted his arms behind his back and slammed his face into a brick wall before dragging him down to the ground, where they continued their assault by kicking and punching him while handcuffed. "I could not even speak because I had difficulty catching my breath," Esposito recounts in his statement.
Esposito accuses the defendants of violating his Fourth Amendment rights under U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988 by unlawfully seizing him and employing excessive force without justification. Additionally, he asserts state law claims for false imprisonment and assault under New York State laws. The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for physical injuries, including permanent facial scarring that has adversely affected his modeling career prospects and shoulder pain exacerbated by this incident. He also demands punitive damages for emotional distress.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Mirel Fisch of The Law Office of Mirel Fisch. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID: 25-cv-2268.