Long Island man sues Nassau County and police department over wrongful arrest

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- A Long Island man has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Nassau County, the Police Department, and several officers.

Tyrone Phifer, 63, of Hempstead, says he was humiliated and afraid during his December 2021 Obstruction of Governmental Administration arrest. It started when he left a doctor's appointment in Baldwin, and the officers stopped to question him while looking for a domestic violence suspect.

Phifer's attorney, Fred Brewington, released the Nassau Police Body camera video of the incident to the media during a news conference Thursday. "What's important for you to know is that within 44 seconds of this video, they knew he was not the person they were looking for," Brewington said. "It was an attack. One distracted him, the other took his belongings, while the other put him in an armed bar and then eventually brought him to the ground because of his uneven footing, and then you'll hear one punch."

Phifer, who is a grandfather of eight and served with the National Guard, spent 10 and 1/2 months fighting the misdemeanor charge before it was dropped. Phifer said "It's just, unnecessary." As for the video, he added "every time I watch it, it hurts, it just hurts."

Brewington said the lawsuit also makes the claims that "there is a pattern and practice of arresting African Americans at a much higher rate than white individuals in Nassau county."

The Nassau Police Department did not respond to a request for comment. Still, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued a statement that said, “I was unaware of the alleged incident that took place while my predecessor was County Executive. My administration and police officers make determinations based on facts and evidence without any regard for race, religion, ethnicity, or lifestyle.”