A federal jury recently awarded to a client of Frederick K. Brewington $95,000 in damages for civil right violations after suffering mental and physical abuse at the hands of two Suffolk County deputies.
In 2008, his client, Perrim Anderson of Hempstead, was pulled over on the Long Island Expressway and taken into custody for violating an order of protection against his girlfriend. The next day, Mr. Anderson was transported to Suffolk County District Court for arraignment and underwent a search, in which he was asked to remove his socks and shoes. He was brought to a cell where he was verbally abused by a deputy accompanying him. After a hostile interrogation, the deputy and another officer grabbed Mr. Anderson by the arm and took him to another cell on the other side of the hall, away from the other detainees.
While being detained, Mr. Anderson was yelled at and punched in the face, head and body. He was also picked up, thrown to the ground and kicked in the lower back. He was later brought to another cell and handcuffed. After a long time, he was brought to the courtroom and released without bail.
Photographs taken of Mr. Anderson showed severe injuries on his face and nose. He also underwent treatment for back and knee pain over a two-year period and arthroscopic surgery for his right knee which was injured when he was thrown down to the ground.
Mr. Anderson sought $2.7 million in damages. During the first trial, he was awarded $65,000 but a federal judge threw it out on a technicality when the judge ruled one deputy engaged in physical abuse but not the other. On November 14, 2013 — after a six-day trial and one day of deliberations — the jury awarded Mr. Anderson $20,000 in compensation and $75,000 in punitive damages.
“We are extremely pleased with the jury’s verdict,” Mr. Brewington said. “The award was larger than what was given in the first trial. My client was not only denied his civil rights by law enforcement, but suffered extreme brutality while he was incarcerated. We hope that those responsible for Mr. Anderson’s beating and all other officers will take notice on this verdict and remind themselves they are not above the law.”