Elon Williams, a 20-year-old high school graduate, was working as a car mechanic in the Bronx. On the night of the attack by the police, Elon was testing his car out in a vacant shopping center parking lot in the Bronx. When he saw several police cars heading right for him at high speed, Williams had the presence of mind to drive to the TGI Friday’s at the end of the lot where he knew there was a surveillance camera. He stopped his car right in front of the camera and what happened then is horrifying. Police got out of the cars with their guns drawn. Williams got out of his car with his hands up. The officers threw him to the ground and proceeded to punch and kick him in the body and the head while he lay on the ground.
Williams was then arrested and taken to the precinct where he was booked and released. He told his parents how he was a victim of police brutality and they noticed that he appeared bruised and badly shaken up. They took him to the ER where he was treated and released. He had sustained back injuries including a herniated disc in his lumbar spine.
Following the assault, Williams began experiencing difficulty with memory and his ability to think clearly. Eventually he lost his job as a car mechanic because of his inability to function in his job. He was diagnosed by a neurologist with post-concussion syndrome from a traumatic brain injury and also with psychological injuries including PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
The City of New York offered 150K to settle the case and Ronemus & Vilensky refused the offer as too low. The police involved denied that they punched or kicked Mr. Williams. They claimed to have used reasonable force and said that Mr. Williams was resisting arrest. After viewing the video, the jury understood that the police were lying and awarded the victim $2.3 million dollars.
