A jury awarded $35 million to the family of a Bay Shore man who died while he was at Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct
On April 12, 2008, Kenny Lazo was wrongfully pulled over by Suffolk police on the entrance ramp from the Robert Moses Causeway to the Southern State Parkway. After Mr. Lazo was asked to step out of the car, police strip-searched him and beat him repeatedly with more than 36 blunt force trauma strikes to his head with Mag flashlights. He was not taken to the hospital, but instead, he was brought to Third Precinct headquarters, where he was not given any medical treatment and was allowed to die on the filthy floor of the Third Precinct in his underwear. He was brought to Southside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On August 10, after a three-week trial, a jury ruled in favor of Mr. Lazo’s family. It is considered to be one of the largest jury trial awards in Suffolk County history.
“After 15 years of waiting, justice has been served,” said Frederick K. Brewington, the attorney for Mr. Lazo’s family. “It was absolutely appalling how the Suffolk County police physically abused and humiliated Mr. Lazo, then tried to cover it up. No family should have to go through what Mr. Lazo’s family had to.”