A Queens Supreme Court justice is suing the city claiming that an unidentified New York City police officer struck him in the throat in June 2012 after he and other bystanders watched the officer repeatedly ram his knee into Charles Menninger, who was already handcuffed and on the ground.
Supreme Court Justice Thomas Raffaele (See Profile) filed a $300,000 lawsuit, Raffaele v. City of New York, 13-cv-04607, in the Eastern District in August. His complaint calls the incident “an unprovoked and vicious attack” that denied him “his basic civil rights and allowed culpable individuals to escape accountability.” The suit alleges excessive force, conspiracy and a civil rights violation.
