Staten Island Man Claims In $25M Lawsuit Cops Beat Him, Used Anti-Gay Slur
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A gay man from Staten Island is suing the NYPD for $25 million, claiming officers beat him up for no reason in June while shouting a homophobic slur.
Louis Falcone said Tuesday he got into a shouting match with his brother, but it was over by the time four cops showed up at his door.
He said they first threatened to kill his dog.
"And I was like, 'Whoa, what's going on?'" Falcone told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.
Then cellphone video shows the officers pulling him out the door.
"Picked me up and threw me, body slammed me to the grass," he said.
Falcone said they used an anti-gay slur. When one cop saw his bloody face, Falcone claims he heard: "Don't get it on you. The f----- probably has AIDS."
That is not audible in the video shot from the across the street, Silverman reported.
According to police sources, the officers responded after Falcone's mother called 911 saying her sons were fighting inside her house. Police determined that Falcone's brother punched him in the face and then fled the scene, sources said.
At some point, Falcone spit in an officer's face, sources said.
"That's a complete lie," his lawyer, Eric Subin, said. "After this, Mr. Falcone was charged with nothing."
The city said it will review the allegations once it is served with the civil rights lawsuit.