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 what happened
and they noticed that he appeared bruised and badly shaken up. They took him to
the ER where he was treated and released. Their wors fears were confirmed. Elon
had become yet another victim of NYPD police brutality . 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.
