Case Background
Steven Dominguez filed this civil rights lawsuit on March 16, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. His Second Amended Complaint named the City of New York and five NYPD members. They were Officers Joseph Battista and Dylan Lynch, Patrick Lynch, and Detectives Evan Nielsen and Patrick Graney. Judge Dale E. Ho took over the case in October 2023, and it reached a jury in April 2026.
Cause
According to the Second Amended Complaint, Dominguez attended a New Year's Eve celebration in Brooklyn on December 31, 2019. Shortly after midnight, a scuffle broke out. As Dominguez tried to leave, a man he did not know slashed his face with a knife. A registered nurse at the party treated his wound until police and paramedics arrived.
The Plaintiff alleged that his girlfriend and a friend pointed out the attacker to police. He claimed officers let the man drive away and instead questioned Dominguez as he lay bleeding. He further alleged that officers cleared everyone from the venue, including the nurse. Once alone with him, the officers allegedly beat and kicked him until he lost consciousness. They then placed him in a restraint bag and carried him to an ambulance, the complaint stated.
The complaint also alleged that no officer's body-worn camera recorded the encounter. In their answers, the Defendants admitted that three officers' camera batteries had died before they arrived. Those officers were Battista, Dylan Lynch, and Patrick Lynch.
Dominguez woke up handcuffed to a hospital bed, according to the complaint. He then faced a felony charge for allegedly assaulting Officer Dylan Lynch. On September 27, 2021, the Kings County Criminal Court dismissed all charges. The Defendants admitted the dismissal in their answers.
Injury
The Plaintiff alleged that the officers' beating caused injuries far more severe than the knife wound. He said he needed emergency surgery for a frontal sinus fracture and now has metal mesh in his skull. He also reported facial lacerations, constant headaches, memory loss, dizzy spells, and depressive episodes. In addition, he described a weak right leg that requires a cane, an easily dislocated left shoulder, and back pain.
Damages
Dominguez said his injuries left him unable to work as a sheet metal laborer. That job required heavy lifting and climbing ladders. He sought compensatory damages and punitive damages against the individual officers in amounts for a jury to decide. He also requested a declaratory judgment, attorney's fees, and costs.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Steven Dominguez
Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Brian Lewis Bromberg | Joshua Tarrant-Windt | Evan Craig Brustein | Mark Ashton Marino | Scott A. Korenbaum
Defendant(s): City of New York | Joseph Battista | Dylan Lynch | Patrick Lynch | Evan Nielsen | Patrick Graney
Counsel for Defendant(s): Brian Christopher Francolla | Zachary Kalmbach | John Edmund Schemitsch | Alan Howard Scheiner [Terminated: 03/25/2026] | Susan P. Scharfstein [Terminated: 02/25/2022]
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
Claims
The Second Amended Complaint raised federal claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for excessive force, false arrest, and malicious prosecution. It also alleged denial of the right to a fair trial and failure to intervene. Under New York law, the Plaintiff asserted malicious prosecution and assault and battery claims. The false arrest claim also relied on the New York State Constitution.
A separate municipal liability claim targeted the City's body-worn camera practices. The Plaintiff alleged the City had no policy requiring officers to replace dead cameras during a shift. In February 2025, the Court granted the City's motion for partial summary judgment on that claim.
Defense
The Defendants denied the core allegations. They admitted that Dominguez was already injured when officers arrived. However, they stated that he assaulted officers, including biting Officer Dylan Lynch, before officers restrained him. Their affirmative defenses included probable cause, qualified immunity, provocation, and failure to mitigate damages. The City also argued that punitive damages could not be assessed against it.
At trial, the Defendants denied using any force that caused injury, according to the jury charge. They argued that probable cause existed for offenses including second-degree assault and obstructing governmental administration.
Jury Verdict
Trial began on April 21, 2026, and the jury returned its verdict on April 30, 2026.
On excessive force, the jury found that Dylan Lynch and Battista violated the Plaintiff's rights. It cleared Patrick Lynch, Nielsen, and Graney on that claim. Jurors reached the same result on state assault and battery. They held the City liable along with both officers. They also found that another City police officer committed assault or battery. The jury awarded $8 million in compensatory damages. It added $300,000 in punitive damages each against Dylan Lynch and Battista.
The jury found Dylan Lynch, Battista, and Patrick Lynch liable for false arrest under federal and state law. It awarded $450,000 in total compensatory damages. It also assessed $150,000 in punitive damages against each officer.
Jurors also held the same three officers liable for malicious prosecution under federal and state law. They awarded $1.5 million in total compensatory damages. They also assessed $250,000 in punitive damages against each officer. On the fair trial claim, the jury found all three officers liable. It awarded $100,000 in total compensatory damages. It also assessed $100,000 in punitive damages against each officer.
Finally, the jury found the three officers liable for failure to intervene and cleared Nielsen and Graney. It awarded $1.5 million in total compensatory damages. It also assessed $200,000 in punitive damages against each liable officer.
Altogether, the verdict included $11.55 million in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages. Dylan Lynch and Battista each faced $1 million in punitive damages, while Patrick Lynch faced $700,000. The Court's May 5, 2026, order directed judgment against the City on three claims. They were excessive force, assault and battery, and malicious prosecution. The Clerk entered judgment for $14,250,000 on May 12, 2026.
Post-trial Motions
On June 5, 2026, the Plaintiff moved to amend or correct the Clerk's Judgment. A week later, the City, Battista, Dylan Lynch, and Patrick Lynch moved for a new trial. They also sought judgment as a matter of law. Briefing closed with the Defendants' reply on August 3, 2026. The motions remained pending as of the latest available docket. The Court also deferred any attorney’s fee motion pending its decision on those motions.
Court Documents:
Documents are available for purchase upon request at [email protected]
