Alleged Subway Sodomy Victim Suing City for Big Bucks

Whether or not a jury finds NYPD officer Richard Kern guilty of sodomizing tattoo artist Michael Mineo with a baton after he resisted arrest in the Prospect Park subway station in October, the incident could cost tax payers as much as $200 million. Aside from the criminal case being prosecuted against Kern and two other officers, Mineo is pursuing compensation for his injuries in civil court, where his lawyers have filed a notice of claim seeking $200 million in damages from the city, the NYPD, and the officers involved. In an exclusive, NY1 reports that officials are currently evaluating the legal papers... and wondering how they're going to come up with that kind of money.

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By John Del Signore in News on December 19, 2008 4:25 PM

Comments [rss]

whitecastlerock

Between batons, walkie talkies, and lawsuits I lost track of something. What was he being arrested for again?

r1b2

Shame on these officers for giving him the opportunity to hurt the City financially. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Of course he'll win. The amount will be very much reduced, but clearly money the City can't afford, and frankly that he doesn't deserve. Yes, he suffered and deserves damages, but this shouldn't be a windfall, a payday.

angry_pickle

So he goes from a dead end tattoo job to a millionaire because a cop did something wrong to him?

Don't worry. In about 1 year, he will be back in the poor house. People think they have $8 million dollars, they can spend $2000/day. Guess what, at that rate you would have already spent $6 million in a year. And that's before paying taxes. And of course, his thug friends and other parasitic associates will take the rest of the money.

QM

He gets to sue the city because the city is who hired, trained, and equipped the thugs that butt raped him with a baton. If the city didn't have such low standards for police officers, maybe this sort of thing wouldn't happen so often.

Like I said before, the more money the city has to pay because of idiot cops, the less likely it is to hire some of these people in the first place.

7train

I don't get this suing bullshit that goes rampant in this country. How suing the city will take back what happened? How can he sue the city, in the first place, when it was an act performed by an individual who will be tried?

So he goes from a dead end tattoo job to a millionaire because a cop did something wrong to him? Why do ALL OF US have to foot this bill???

Is he looking for justice or money?

This is a circus, and of course, we (taxpayers, middle class, citizens) are the clowns, as usual.

QM

I for one am glad he's suing and hope he gets as much of that 200 million as possible. The more money the city has to spend on these kind of settlements, the more pressure there will be on the police to not behave like thugs.

Also, just because he's suing for 200 million doesn't mean he actually expects that much. Aim high and settle low is standard negotiating procedure.

NannyState

^ They all watched Crocodile Hunter.

chuzzlewit

this isn't the first (or the last of course) time this sort of thing has happened, and each time i am left slackjawed with the same question - what in the hell is going on in the minds of a group of people that want to hold someone down and stick something up their ass? that is beyond bizzarre

Gothamist_Cynic

#23 maybe the cop was acting out his angry self-hating homoerotic fantasies.

rcltrh

It was a metal baton, not a walkie talkie? The initial report said radio antenna because thats what Mineo thought he saw NYPD's finest using, but turns out it was a metal baton.

jimbobklyn

why the fuck would a cop think that a walkie talkie up the but is the right thing to do?!

RToe

NYPD walkie tawkies are hot items in the xxx novelty shops

The Edge

This guy is such a huge douche.

Fuck him.

Mr Mel

He is now, a marionette, the strings being manipulated by the lawyers. That's the way these things work. Once they smell blood, the victim is shunted aside for his own good. His pain, their gain.

The $200 million will become less than $10 million and the plaintiffs will be happy.

inoyourider

Oh my god its so awful!!!

But if you give me money it'll make it all better

NannyState

He should have to bend over to pick his money up.

Buck Owens

I get fucked in the ass everyday, now I want reparations!

mocanlagunas

From now on I'm provoking cops left and right!

compensation for his injuries = $200 million?!? BS!!!!!!

SP

Easy to say you'd gladly be anally violated in exchange for big bucks in a blog comment.

ugh

gee isn't that a surprise.

rcltrh

So I guess our east river tolls will be going to pay for the abuses of New York's finest. Isn't it time to get rid of Kelley and all his thugs? Seriously. I am so sick of headlines every damn day where the NYPD is involved in some sort of macho assault and battery on people then trying to cover it up because of corruption.

FrankMartin

Aim high settle lower.

suepart

they should stick his award money up his ass too

Kyle T

@edEx [7]

I'll take 1/16 of that any day!

Jen Chung

In the Louima case, he sued for $155 million and ended up settling for just under $9 million.

drewo

How much is spent each year paying out folks who have successfully sued the city? I suspect it is a frighteningly large part of the city or state budget.