New York Police Shooting
& Abuse Lawyers

Santana Law Firm, an award winning New York civil rights law firm, represents victims of NY police misconduct, ranging from bad shootings to excessive force, and their families. Our Bronx and Manhattan based civil rights lawyers will file a state or federal police brutality lawsuit to protect your rights, maximize your financial compensation, and spotlight bad cops.

You have rights under the U.S. Constitution, even if you are arrested or convicted of a crime. When law enforcement or corrections officers abuse their power, use excessive force, and engage in misconduct, it is a violation of your civil rights, and you can take legal action in response.

As former NYC prosecutors, we know the good, the bad, and the ugly of New York’s criminal justice system. Too often, we’ve seen the damage that a corrupt, poorly trained, or reckless cop can cause and that’s what fuels our mission to advocate for victims of police brutality and misconduct.

With Santana Law Firm on your side, you’ll have a team of experienced civil rights lawyers, investigators, and experts working tirelessly for you. With decades of experience behind us, our team of lawyers routinely secures significant settlements and substantial verdicts for victims of police misconduct and for families of victims lost to wrongful shootings.

Contact Santana Law Firm Today

Free, Confidential Case Evaluation

What are Civil Rights Violations?

Every person in the United States is entitled to legal protections under federal and state law. These protections are granted through the Constitution, several laws and constitutional amendments.

Common New York Law Enforcement
Civil Rights Violations

  • Excessive Force
    or Physical Violence
    Excessive Force*Which Can Result in Injury
    or Wrongful Death
  • Police
    Shootings
    Police Shootings
  • Sexual Assault
    & Harrassment
    Sexual Assault & Harrassment
  • Racial
    Profiling
    Racial Profiling
  • Unreasonable
    Search
    Unreasonable SearchOf Your Home,
    Vehicle, or Body
  • Wrongful
    Arrest
    Wrongful ArrestWithout Probable Cause
  • False
    Imprisonment
    False ImprisonmentIncluding Unauthorized
    Physical Restraint
  • In Custody
    Abuse
    In Custody AbuseOr medical negligence

If you or your loved one’s civil rights were violated by police, you may be able to take legal action. The sooner you reach out to a skilled New York civil rights lawyer, the sooner you can hold the bad actors accountable and begin to find closure after police-caused trauma.

Have You Been Wronged
by Law Enforcement?

Contact our office today for a consultation

Police Shootings Harm
Thousands Each Year

When police arrive on the scene of a 911 call, tensions can quickly rise. Officers are supposed to calm the situation and use less lethal methods, such as bean bag guns or Tasers, before reaching for their firearms.

But too many poorly trained, reactive, and rookie cops use their weapons hastily with deadly results. In the most devastating cases, police shoot innocent people who are wrongly assumed to be carrying a weapon or behaving erratically.

Thousands of people are killed in police shootings each year. Even those who survive may face lifelong issues, including loss of limbs, paralysis, brain and spinal cord injuries, comas, disfigurement, anxiety, PTSD, and loss of income.

Police are entitled to use force that is reasonable for the circumstances, but using more force than necessary is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. If you or a loved one has been involved in a police shooting, you are not alone, and your rights matter.

Santana Law Firm

can help you hold bad cops accountable and recover compensation for
your pain, suffering, medical bills, and perhaps considerably more.

Police Misconduct is a
Violation of Your Rights

Although Shootings Are One Common Forms Of Police Misconduct, There Are Numerous Ways Police Can Violate Your Rights.

In other cases of brutality or excessive force,
law enforcement may:

1use choke holds or obstruct breathing
2arrest or incarcerate people, or turn a blind eye to beatings
3use tear gas, rubber bullets, and anti-protest devices without good cause
4sexually assault people in police custody
5use physical torture to induce a confession

Police misconduct isn't always violent.

In other cases, officers may violate legal requirements and procedures that are put in place to protect civilians. This may include:

If you believe you or a loved one has been a victim of police misconduct, you do not have to suffer in silence. Contact an experienced civil rights lawyer at Santana Law Firm today to determine if you have a legal claim.

When Can You Sue for Civil
Rights Violations?

If you or a loved one has been killed, injured, or suffered other serious consequences because of the actions of a police officer, you may be able to take legal action. The best way to determine if you have a viable legal case is to speak with an experienced civil rights lawyer.

Our firm offers free, confidential case evaluations to help you determine the best course of action and understand what you may recover through a lawsuit.

In civil rights lawsuits, you have a limited amount of time to file a claim. When suing any NYC municipality, a claimant must first file a Notice of Claim within 90 days from the date of injury. The claimant then has an additional One Year (from the 90th day) to file a summons and complaint against the city and all defendants. This is essentially the state statute of limitations. It is imperative that you speak to a lawyer as soon as possible to preserve your right to sue.

Once the statute of limitations has expired, you cannot file a lawsuit.

Although legal remedies can never make up for loss of life or the trauma of police brutality, you may be entitled to compensation for:

  • Pain & Suffering
    Pain &
    Suffering
  • Emotional Distress
    Emotional Distress
  • Medical Bills
    Medical
    Bills
  • Mental Health Treatment
    Mental Health Treatment
  • Lost Income
    Lost Income
    & Reduced Earning Capacity
  • Disability
    Disability
  • Disfigurement
    Disfigurement
  • Wrongful Death
    Wrongful
    Death

By taking legal action, you may also force police departments to improve their policies and remove abusive cops from the force.

If you are involved in a criminal case related to an incident of police misconduct, identifying a civil rights violation may help reduce your charges, your sentence, or even get your case dropped entirely.

Our criminal defense lawyers are well-versed in civil rights violations and will automatically review your case to determine if there are any violations that could influence your case.

What Does a Civil Rights
Lawyer Do?

Police departments usually do everything they can to conceal or minimize civil rights violations. The City of New York spends millions of dollars each year on settlements to prevent victims from proceeding to trial and presenting evidence against the NYPD.

The last thing police departments want is bad press from a civil rights lawsuit, and they often attempt to silence and intimidate victims who come forward.

This is why you need an aggressive, experienced lawyer on your side in police brutality and police misconduct cases. With more than two decades of experience handling civil rights cases, our team of lawyers will stand up to powerful police forces and ensure you receive the compensation you are entitled to.

Led by a former Brooklyn prosecutor turned advocate for police
brutality victims and criminal defendants, Jaime Santana.

The Santana Law Firm Team Will:

  • 1Thoroughly investigate the violation of your
    civil rights and gather evidence to support your claim.
  • 2Identify
    witnesses
    to testify
    on your
    behalf.
  • 3Research the offending officer
    to see if they
    have a history
    of misconduct.
  • 4Contact our network of experts who can explain how and
    why your rights
    were violated.
  • 5Protect you
    and help you
    maximize the compensation
    you deserve.
  • 6Stop bad
    policing to
    protect
    senseless
    tragedies
    for others.

Contact our office at any time to discuss your case confidentially. We can begin working immediately to investigate your case, develop your claim, and advocate for you.