NYPD Car Hits Pedestrian, Cops Attack Man Who Distracted Them: Suit

NEW YORK CITY — A swarm of NYPD cops tackled a man on a city street, saying it was his fault they'd just hit a pedestrian with their vehicle, a new excessive force lawsuit contends.

Elijah Rosario claims cops jumped him after they slammed into a person and a car on West 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue on Jan. 27, 2021, according to a civil complaint filed this week against five NYPD officers and the city.

“They were upset," said Rosario's attorney Masai Lord. "It seems they took that anger on him.”

A city Law Department spokesperson told Patch they had not yet seen the case but will review it.

The complaint contends the officers jumped out their vehicle and unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse upon Rosario, whom they blamed for distracting them on the road.

“You F---ing Kid, you made me hit a f---ing car," one cop said, according to the complaint. "We’re going to f--- you up.”

Officers slapped handcuffs on Rosario — who was wanted in connection with a petit larceny case — then slammed his face into the pavement and kneeled on his neck, knees, lower back and arm, the lawsuit contends.

Rosario began to vomit and almost choked, the lawsuit contends.

“While he was on the ground, Defendants said to him, ‘Why the f--- you make us do this. You made us do this," the complaint states. "This f---ing hurts, right. You stupid motherf---er."

A crowd recorded the encounter and, when they saw Rosario start to vomit, pleaded with cops put him on his side, according to the lawsuit.

According to the suit, the crowd also echoed words spoken by Eric Garner and George Floyd: “He can’t breathe."

Lord said Rosario was a victim of “overzealous” NYPD officers angered by the fact that they struck a pedestrian in their haste to arrest him.

Said the attorney, “These things are distressingly normal.”