In a dramatic legal filing, a New York resident has accused several members of the NYPD and the City of New York of violating his civil rights in a case that underscores ongoing concerns about police conduct. Christopher Brown filed the complaint on November 26, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York and four NYPD officers: Sergeant Nicki Canady, Lieutenant Gabriel Cuevas, Detective Reginald Smith, and Lieutenant Forrest Hirsch.
The case centers around an incident on June 6, 2020, when Brown was arrested for possession of a firearm—a charge he vehemently denies. According to Brown's attorney from The Law Office of Christopher H. Fitzgerald, this arrest was made without probable cause. The complaint alleges that after his arrest, Brown was assaulted by officers Canady and Cuevas while being transported to the precinct. "Plaintiff never possessed a firearm on June 6, 2020," states the complaint. It further claims that false testimonies were given by the officers at various judicial proceedings over two years until Brown was acquitted by a jury on November 29, 2022.
Brown is seeking compensatory and punitive damages under multiple claims including false arrest, excessive force, malicious prosecution, failure to intervene by fellow officers during his assault and arrest, fabrication of evidence leading to his indictment and trial, and civil rights conspiracy. He asserts that these actions violated his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights under U.S.C §1983.
The plaintiff argues that systemic issues within the NYPD contributed to his ordeal. Specifically highlighted is an alleged de facto policy by Lieutenant Hirsch instructing officers not to wear body cameras during their patrols amid Black Lives Matter protests on June 6th—an order purportedly aimed at avoiding accountability for potential misconduct. Additionally noted is a broader culture within certain NYPD units prioritizing gun arrests even at constitutional costs—a practice allegedly incentivized through departmental rewards.
Christopher Brown’s lawsuit seeks justice not only through financial compensation but also demands changes in police practices to prevent future violations of civil liberties. His legal team calls for jury consideration on all claims presented in their detailed filing which spans seventeen pages outlining numerous grievances against individual officers as well as institutional failings they attribute directly to city policies or lack thereof.
Representing Brown is attorney Christopher H. Fitzgerald who filed this comprehensive suit against both municipal entities and specific law enforcement personnel involved in what they describe as egregious abuses resulting from deeply flawed policing strategies within New York City's ranks—strategies which have previously been criticized publicly following similar high-profile cases nationwide involving questionable police tactics during civilian interactions.
Source: 125cv06603_Brown_v_City_of_New_York_Complaint_Eastern_District_New_York.pdf