A Brooklyn man has filed a lawsuit against the City of New York and several NYPD officers, alleging excessive force, defamation, and civil rights violations.
The lawsuit filed by plaintiff Giovonnie Mayo names officers Leva Gevargiz and Joseph Burckhard as the defendants. According to the lawsuit, Mayo, a black man, was struck by an unmarked police vehicle driven by NYPD officers after attempting to flee what he believed was an unjustified stop by four officers. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Mayo with his hands in the air before being hit by the car. The incident resulted in permanent brain damage and other serious injuries requiring emergency surgery.
The complaint also alleges that NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell held a press conference accusing Mayo of criminal activity, despite body camera footage and witness accounts reportedly contradicting those claims. Mayo’s legal team asserts that these public statements were defamatory and contributed to reputational harm.
The lawsuit further claims that Mayo was shackled to his hospital bed for more than 44 days without arraignment while under continuous police supervision. The filing characterizes this as a punitive measure rather than a necessary precaution.
Mayo seeks monetary damages for physical injuries and defamation, as well as injunctive relief intended to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The plaintiff is represented by attorneys from Liakas Law, P.C. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case No. 1:25-cv-03303.