After the NYPD broke Thabo Sefolosha’s leg in April, during an Atlanta Hawks playoff run no less, it was obvious that assaulting such a high-profile black man would not just get swept under the rug like so many other similar instances. And it now appears the worst fears of the NYPD and City of New York are coming true:
“The Atlanta Hawks swingman will likely move forward with a substantial lawsuit against the NYPD after being found not guilty of the three charges the force pinned on him in the wake of his arrest outside of a New York City club last April.”
Not only was he found not guilty earlier this month, but the jury only took 90 minutes to rule against the NYPD in this case. This all adds up to very bad news for the NYPD. The lawsuit is said to be $50 million, not a small sum, even for the City of New York. His attorney’s opening remarks charged the officers with profiling a “black man in a hoodie” when they assaulted Sefolosha and pushed him to the ground, causing the injuries. Sefolosha looks to be in game shape for the upcoming season, but he offered this terse statement foreshadowing his intentions-
“On advice of counsel, I hope you can appreciate that I cannot discuss the facts of the case. Those questions will be answered by my attorney in a court of law. I will simply say that I am in great pain, have experienced a significant injury and that the injury was caused by the police.”
Filing a lawsuit and winning a lawsuit are very different things, and only time will tell if Sefolosha will be successful. Either way, this case is shining yet another blinding spotlight on the racist practices of the NYPD and other police departments in big cities. If a multi-millionaire athlete can’t get justice, what hope does an average person have?
