A federal lawsuit charges that New York City police officers handcuffed a man and two of his friends — who were not guilty of any crime — and then forced one of them to “perform a rap song” for his freedom.
Quinshon Shingles, 28, said in the lawsuit that in 2011 he was staying in a friend’s apartment in Brooklyn when police asked to enter the apartment, but left after the friend demanded to see a warrant, according to the New York Post. Later that day, plain-clothes officers convinced a building supervisor to let them into the apartment, at which point the alleged abuse took place.
Mr. Shingles and two others were handcuffed while officers searched the premises, the suit states. After finding nothing illegal, the officers told Mr. Shingles, an aspiring musician, that if his rhymes were “hot” that they would let him go. He did as he was told, and the handcuffs were removed.
Mr. Shingles and homeowner Donyale Kitchens are suing the police department for illegal search and false imprisonment for an undisclosed sum, the Post reports.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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