An NYPD officer, who allegedly broke the teeth of a Staten Island man during a car stop on Dec. 26, 2013, is being sued for using excessive force.
Hassam Khan, who was driving his friend’s Mercedes Benz, claims that the police rushed to the car with guns drawn and ordered him out of the vehicle, according to opposingviews.com. Khan says the officer grabbed him and slammed him face first onto the car. Khan’s two front teeth broke and left a noticeable dent on the car.
Khan filed a lawsuit on Monday at the Brooklyn Federal Court. The suit claims that officer Mark Scarlatelli demanded to know where the drugs were and that he insisted Khan was intoxicated after slamming him into the car, according to the Daily News.
“My client was subjected to brutal force for no reason,” Khan’s lawyer Harvey Greenberg told the Daily News.
After being forced face first into the car, the officers searched the car for illegal contraband.
“I think they thought they were going to be heroes and tore his car apart, but when they didn’t find anything they didn’t know what to do with him,” Greenburg told the Daily News.
According to Greenberg, Khan was charged with reckless driving, resisting arrest and obstructing government administration. Khan previously pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct under the direction of another lawyer who was close to the family.
This month, the Civilian Compliant Review Board confirmed Khan’s allegation of excessive force against Scarlatelli, improper search of the car by detective Steven Marshall, and officer John Ryan for failing to notify the Internal Affairs Bureau about the injuries, Greenberg told the Daily News.
The suit will be reviewed when it is served to the city, according to a spokeswoman for the Law Department.
