A Brooklyn resident has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of New York, the NYPD, and several individual officers, alleging that he was subjected to excessive force and false arrest during a protest in Bay Ridge, in violation of his constitutional rights.
According to the complaint filed by plaintiff Ahmed Abdelbaki, he was participating in a demonstration on May 18, 2024, when he was allegedly pulled by the sleeve and assaulted by multiple NYPD officers. He claims that the officers punched him and pressed their knees into his back, causing physical and psychological injuries.
The lawsuit alleges that the force used against Abdelbaki was unwarranted and part of broader practices by the City of New York to control protests. He asserts that the actions violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly, as well as his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment protections against excessive force and unlawful detention.
Abdelbaki also brings claims of assault and battery, false arrest, false imprisonment, and negligence resulting in emotional distress. The complaint references similar allegations involving NYPD conduct during other protests.
He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, a declaratory judgment that his rights were violated, injunctive relief to prevent similar actions in the future, and attorney’s fees and costs.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Aymen A. Aboushi of The Aboushi Law Firm PLLC. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York under case number 1:25-cv-02385.