An elderly man, 84, who was arrested for crossing the street saw the charges dropped after he made a $5 million drive
An elderly man who was left bloodied and “humiliated” after being arrested for jaywalking hit back with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit at New York’s Finest.
In January 2014, Kang Wong needed four clamps in his head after NYPD officers threw him to the ground during an arrest, allegedly causing him to pass out.
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The 84-year-old crossed West 96th Street and Broadway at green lights, but admitted he didn’t remember if the light changed before he reached the other side.
After crossing the street, an officer asked him for his ID, and Wong became increasingly frightened and confused.
He told that New York Daily News at the time: “I was very confused and very scared. I had no idea why I had been stopped.
“I used Cantonese and said give me back my ID. The policeman refused.
“Other officers came and I got even more scared.”
Wong then claimed he was pushed to the ground and knocked unconscious.
When he regained consciousness, he said he was bleeding from the head and was handcuffed.
Crime scene footage shows the elderly man’s bloodied face.
After his arrest, he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Witnesses said several officers quickly surrounded the man after he tried to walk away as they did not seem to understand their orders.
They added that officers roughly pushed him against the side of a building before throwing him to the ground and handcuffing him.
The witness Ian King said that New York Post at the time: “The guy didn’t seem to speak English. The police officer escorted him to Citibank.”
“[The officer] put him against the wall and tried to write him a ticket. The man didn’t seem to understand and started walking away.
“The cop tried to pull him back and that’s when he started fighting with the cop.
“As soon as he pushed the cop, it was like cops came running from everywhere.”
Wong was charged with jaywalking, resisting arrest, obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct.
However, the case was dropped in April 2014, prompting Wong to file a $5 million lawsuit against the city in August, claiming he sustained permanent injuries from head injuries inflicted by officers.
“I have committed no crime… You shame me. I felt very humiliated,” he told the NY Daily News.
His son Wei Wong told the NY Daily News, “His memory has deteriorated since the incident.
“He’s still traumatized. As he crosses the street, he is afraid that the police will come up behind him and arrest him.
“Because of what happened, he won’t cross even if the crosswalk signal is flashing. He’s actually terrified.”
The parties agreed to a $125,000 settlement in October 2014.