Brooklyn man suing city, NYPD officers for ‘wrongful arrest’ that led to cuts, injuries

News 12 reached out to the NYPD for a response and they have declined to comment at this time.

News 12 Staff

Jun 29, 2021, 2:18 AM

Updated 1,260 days ago

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A Brooklyn man says a case of mistaken identity landed him in a holding cell, with a wrongful charge and bruises all over his face. Now, he’s suing the city and the officers that took him into custody. 
Naveed Azam says officers mistook him for a shooting suspect when they pulled him over on Hamilton Avenue in September. 
“I really didn’t know what was going on at that moment,” said Azam. He says the arrest left him with cuts and some injuries. 
He said he had just picked up his brother and a friend when he heard sirens but had no idea that those sirens were for him. 
"I didn’t cut a red light or make an illegal turn or anything,” said Azam. He says he got nervous and sped up, which caused more officers to tail him. 
"I wanted to get to a safe spot so I could stop the car,” said Azam. He says he had his hands up when officers approached him and opened his car door and proceeded to push him to the ground. 
He says he woke up from the arrest in a holding cell. He says he was charged with a DUI, which was later dismissed. 
He’s suing for wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution and excessive force. 
News 12 reached out to the NYPD for a response and they have declined to comment at this time.