A Brooklyn resident has filed a lawsuit against the City of New York, alleging police misconduct and violations of constitutional rights.
The complaint filed by plaintiff Danel Hippolyte names the City and unidentified officers referred to as "John Doe" and "Jane Doe." The case stems from an incident on February 21, 2025, when Hippolyte claims he was unlawfully stopped by police while driving in Brooklyn. According to the complaint, two police vehicles blocked his car at an intersection without apparent cause. When Hippolyte began recording the encounter on his phone, one officer requested his driver’s license and registration while another questioned why he was recording, then forcibly removed him from the vehicle. Despite informing the officers of a recently healed wrist fracture, Hippolyte alleges they used excessive force, causing him severe pain and a refracture of the wrist.
Hippolyte was handcuffed and taken to the NYPD’s 67th Precinct, where he was detained for approximately an hour before being released with a desk appearance ticket charging him under NYS Penal Law § 240.20(7). When he appeared in court on March 12, 2025, he discovered that the charges had been revised to allege conduct that attracted a crowd—a claim he asserts is contradicted by video footage showing only him, his brother, and the officers present. The charges were dismissed following a brief hearing.
The lawsuit brings claims of false arrest, excessive force, malicious prosecution, negligent hiring and retention, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hippolyte also alleges violations of his civil rights under Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for deprivations of rights protected by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and under Article 1, Section 12 of the New York State Constitution.
Hippolyte seeks compensatory damages for injuries sustained during the incident, punitive damages against the individual officers, and reasonable attorney’s fees and legal costs.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Patrick Ike O’keke of O’keke & Associates P.C. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under case number 1:25-cv-03441.