Patterson Cops Stopped Black Man b/c ‘He Widened His Eyes and Touched His Bag When He Saw Them.’ Cops Brutally Assaulted Him While he was Cuffed Causing Brain, Testicle Injury. Suit Moves Forward

From [HERE] On Monday, a federal judge ruled that parts of a lawsuit alleging that Paterson police officers beat a Black man and ignored his medical needs during a 2022 arrest can proceed.

U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper ruled that Benjamin Jackson’s claims against the officers—John Rikowich, Corey Davis, Muhammed Dombayci, and Salameh—can move forward in court.

Benjamin Jackson, 53, of Saddle Brook, claims he was stopped without probable cause on Nov. 6, 2022, while walking in Paterson, thrown to the ground and beaten after officers falsely accused him of suspicious behavior. Jackson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in November 2024, accusing more than a dozen Paterson police officers of excessive force, sexual assault, and denial of medical care. Jackson contends his arrest and subsequent treatment were racially motivated.

According to the complaint, Jackson was stopped by undercover plainclothes officers between 8 and 9 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2022, at Broadway and East 18th Street. The officers were all equipped with body-worn cameras that were activated during the incident.

The lawsuit states one of the police officers saw Jackson widening his eyes, appearing startled and slowing his pace after spotting the officers’ unmarked police vehicle. Another officer saw Jackson touch his fanny pack and mistakenly believed there might be a firearm inside.

The “officers wrongfully used these pre-textual and alleged behaviors as a justification to stop (Jackson),” the suit says.

The suit says the officers insisted on searching Jackson, who told them that New Jersey is “not a stop and frisk state,” and asked for a police supervisor to come to the scene.

In all, Jackson asked for a supervisor 15 times as officers placed him in handcuffs with one officer telling him, “All you was doing was making problems.”

The body camera footage shows Jackson complying with police commands before being thrown to the ground and placed in handcuffs, according to the suit.

Officers “brutally kicked him, punched him in the face, chest and stomach, and slammed his face and head into the ground,” aggravated the brain surgery wound, the suit alleges.

At one point, an officer allegedly grabbed Jackson’s genitals while his hands were cuffed behind his back. “That’s for free bro, don’t even worry about it,” the officer allegedly said, in a statement the lawsuit says was captured on body-worn cameras.

Other officers are accused of standing by and laughing during the incident, the complaint alleges.

Despite Jackson’s warnings about his condition and pleas for medical attention, the officers continued their alleged assault, leaving him with severe injuries, including a testicular condition requiring surgery, the suit alleges.

A separate claim accusing the city of failing to properly train and supervise its officers was also allowed to proceed.

However, many of Jackson’s other claims were dismissed, including those for false imprisonment, discrimination, emotional distress, and negligence.

Semper said some lacked detail, others didn’t meet legal standards, and one—alleging sexual assault—was duplicative of another claim already moving forward.

Although Jackson named more than a dozen officers in the lawsuit, the judge dismissed claims against several, including those alleged to have witnessed the incident or failed to intervene.

The judge also dismissed all claims against the Paterson Police Department because, under the law, the department isn’t considered a separate legal entity from the city itself.

That means the department can’t be sued directly; any legal claims must be made against the City of Paterson, which oversees and is legally responsible for the department.