After suffering injuries during a confrontation with police outside a Manhattan nightclub in April, Thabo Sefolosha is planning to sue the NYPD and New York City for up to $50 million.
Following an incident that happened all the way back in April, Atlanta Hawks guard Thabo Sefolosha is still reportedly planning to sue the New York Police Department and New York City after he received injuries (including a broken leg) in a confrontation with police. The situation occurred outside a Manhattan nightclub, and even with his injuries, Sefolosha was charged with obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. However, in early October, he was found not guilty on all charges.
Now, as has been reported by Rebecca Rosenberg and Julia Marsh of the New York Post, Sefolosha intends to sue New York City and eight members of the NYPD for the injuries he suffered for as much as $50 million:
"The NBA player [Sefolosha] who beat criminal charges of resisting arrest in a melee outside a Manhattan nightclub plans to sue the city and eight cops for up to $50 million over what he claims are “permanent” injuries, even though he’s back on the court — and dunking.Thabo Sefolosha of the Atlanta Hawks says in a legal notice that the broken leg he suffered when cops pushed him to the ground outside celebrity hot spot 1Oak last April caused him to “become substantially disabled.”"
The injuries were described as “permanent” by Sefolosha, although he’s still been back in action on the court. Over the Hawks’ last two preseason games, he’s played at least 13 minutes each night.
However, his defense lawyer, Alex Spiro, has commented on the matter (as was reported by Rosenberg and Marsh):
"Sefolosha’s defense lawyer, Alex Spiro, said the player’s exceptional performance on the court doesn’t mean he wasn’t permanently injured.“Unfortunately, he may not be dunking as much as he was before this happened,” the attorney said."
We’ll see how he continues to play as the regular season approaches, but if he continues to look healthy after throwing down a ferocious dunk against the Miami Heat, it looks like Sefolosha may get a solid start to the season and an extra $50 million as well.
Despite the initial injuries and troubles in court, things look ok for Thabo now.