Timothy Brown vs. NYPD and City of New York Lawsuit, $100 Million Wrongful Arrest and Excessive Force Claim, Full Case Breakdown

This article covers a recently filed notice of claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit. A formal civil complaint has not yet been filed in court. This page will be updated as the case develops.

Timothy Brown vs. The City of New York and the New York Police Department is a civil rights claim in which Timothy Brown, a Brooklyn home health aide, alleged that two plainclothes NYPD detectives beat him and wrongfully arrested him inside a Boerum Hill liquor store on April 14, 2026, after mistaking him for a drug suspect. Brown’s attorney, Derek Sells of the Cochran Firm, filed a notice of claim with the city comptroller’s office — a legal precursor required before a lawsuit can be filed against New York City — seeking $100,000,000 in damages. The formal civil lawsuit has not yet been filed in court.

Field	Detail
Plaintiff	Timothy Brown
Defendants	City of New York; NYPD; Det. Volkan Maden; Det. Michael Algerio; supervising officers (named in claim)
Case Type	Civil Rights / Excessive Force / Wrongful Arrest
Filing Type	Notice of Claim (precursor to lawsuit) — formal civil complaint not yet filed
Filed With	New York City Comptroller’s Office
Date of Incident	April 14, 2026
Date Notice Filed	April 28, 2026
Legal Claims	Excessive force, wrongful arrest, failure to activate body cameras, pattern of misconduct
Damages Sought	$100,000,000 (compensatory and punitive)
Current Status	Notice of claim filed; formal lawsuit pending; detectives on modified duty
Brooklyn DA	All charges against Brown dismissed
Attorneys of Record	Derek Sells, The Cochran Firm (for plaintiff)
Last Updated	April 29, 2026

Case Timeline

Date	Event
April 14, 2026	Brown arrested inside Boerum Hill liquor store by Det. Maden and Det. Algerio
April 15, 2026	Bystander video goes viral; NYPD Commissioner Tisch calls footage “deeply disturbing”
April 15, 2026	Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemns the officers’ conduct publicly
April 15, 2026	Both detectives and a sergeant stripped of guns and badges; placed on modified duty
Shortly after	Brooklyn DA dismisses all charges against Brown
Shortly after	NYPD disbands the Brooklyn North Narcotics unit responsible for the arrest
April 28, 2026	Brown and attorney Derek Sells file $100 million notice of claim with city comptroller
April 28, 2026	Brown speaks publicly at press conference; appears with cane and arm sling
Ongoing	NYPD conducting 90-day review of entire narcotics section

Timothy Brown vs. NYPD and City of New York — The Full Case Breakdown

Timothy Brown is a Brooklyn home health aide and security guard. According to the notice of claim, he was buying wine at a liquor store after work when he was suddenly approached by two plainclothes detectives who seized him and attacked him as other customers looked on in shock.

The notice of claim — which is a required formal notice to New York City before a civil lawsuit can be filed — alleges that the detectives did not identify themselves “adequately” when confronting Brown and used “gratuitous and excessive force.” According to the filing, Brown was beaten for eight minutes, “slammed into a glass display wall and shelving stocked with glass bottles, causing numerous bottles to shatter,” and thrown and dragged across the floor “through broken glass.”

Brown suffered “contusions, lacerations, a black eye, head and facial trauma and injuries to his leg,” according to the notice. He appeared at an April 28 press conference leaning on a cane, his left arm in a sling. This case shares key civil rights elements with other excessive force notices of claim covered by AllAboutLawyer.com, including the Micah Washington $20 million federal civil rights lawsuit, where a plaintiff alleged unconstitutional force and wrongful arrest by law enforcement officers.

Timothy Brown and Det. Volkan Maden and Det. Michael Algerio — Who Are the Parties?

Timothy Brown was working as a home health aide in Brooklyn when the April 14 incident occurred. He said he was just buying a bottle of wine after work. He has not worked since the incident, according to his attorneys.

Det. Volkan Maden and Det. Michael Algerio are NYPD detectives assigned to the Brooklyn North Narcotics Unit. Both detectives have prior disciplinary histories on file with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the independent agency that reviews misconduct allegations against NYPD officers. Det. Maden had 12 complaints dating to 2016, of which five were substantiated, including abuse of authority. Det. Algerio had eight complaints dating to 2013, with one substantiated complaint, also for abuse of authority.

The notice of claim also contends the officers did not use their body-worn cameras and did not identify themselves upon entering the liquor store. The City of New York, as employer, is named as a defendant alongside the individual detectives and their supervisors. For context on how NYPD-related notices of claim have played out in prior cases, AllAboutLawyer.com’s breakdown of the Warren Sapp wrongful arrest civil rights claim covers the legal standards courts apply when reviewing excessive force allegations against law enforcement.

What the Notice of Claim Alleges

According to the notice of claim as filed and reported by ABC News, CBS New York, and PIX11:

• Two NYPD detectives from the Brooklyn North Narcotics Unit entered a Boerum Hill liquor store on April 14, 2026, and approached Brown without adequately identifying themselves as police officers.
• The detectives tackled Brown, slammed him into a glass display wall, and dragged him across the floor through broken glass over an approximately eight-minute period.
• Brown was arrested on the mistaken belief that he was connected to a drug suspect. Police officials later confirmed he was the wrong person.
• Neither detective activated their body-worn camera during the encounter, according to the filing.
• The notice of claim targets not just the detectives, but also supervisors, and argues Brown’s arrest was part of a broader pattern of alleged misconduct.
• The filing points to another individual, Ronald Maxwell, who was taken into custody the same day and was not charged.
• Brown suffered permanent scarring, facial injuries, and is having trouble walking. He has not returned to work since the incident.
• The $100,000,000 demand includes both compensatory damages for Brown’s physical and emotional injuries and punitive damages intended to penalize the officers and deter future misconduct.

Institutional Response and What Happens Next

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the officers’ actions immediately after the video went viral, and Tisch disbanded the team responsible for the drug sweep. NYPD officials also said they plan to conduct a 90-day review of the department’s narcotics section, focusing on enforcement and establishing better guidelines for when detectives need to activate their body-worn cameras.

The two detectives involved, along with a sergeant, have been placed on desk duty and stripped of guns and badges. The Brooklyn DA’s Office dismissed all charges against Brown following the incident. The NYPD declined to comment on Brown’s allegations, citing the pending litigation.

After a notice of claim is filed with the New York City Comptroller’s Office, the city has 30 days to demand a hearing and up to one year and 90 days to settle before a formal civil lawsuit must be filed in court. If the city does not settle, Brown’s attorneys will file a civil complaint — most likely in New York State Supreme Court or federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the federal civil rights statute — and the case will enter formal litigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who filed this claim and why?

 Timothy Brown, a Brooklyn home health aide, filed a $100,000,000 notice of claim with the New York City Comptroller’s Office on April 28, 2026. According to the filing, two NYPD detectives beat and wrongfully arrested him inside a Boerum Hill liquor store on April 14, 2026, after mistaking him for a drug suspect. All criminal charges against Brown were dismissed by the Brooklyn DA’s Office.

What court is handling this case? 

No formal civil lawsuit has been filed yet. The notice of claim was submitted to the New York City Comptroller’s Office, which is the required first step before suing any New York City agency. If the city does not settle, a civil lawsuit would most likely be filed in New York State Supreme Court or in federal court under the federal civil rights statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Has the case been resolved? 

No. As of April 29, 2026, only the notice of claim has been filed. The city has not responded publicly to the claim. The two detectives remain on modified duty pending an internal NYPD investigation.

How much is Timothy Brown seeking?

 Brown’s notice of claim seeks $100,000,000. According to his attorney, Derek Sells, the amount includes both compensatory damages for Brown’s physical injuries and permanent disability, and punitive damages intended to hold the officers and the NYPD accountable.

Can I read the notice of claim? 

Notices of claim filed with the New York City Comptroller’s Office are public records. The filing has been reported on by ABC News, CBS New York, PIX11, and Gothamist, all of which cite the document directly. The Comptroller’s Office can be contacted for a copy of the filed notice.

What happened to the detectives involved?

 Det. Volkan Maden and Det. Michael Algerio were placed on modified duty and stripped of their guns and badges. A sergeant was also placed on modified duty. The Brooklyn North Narcotics Unit they belonged to was disbanded. Both detectives are under internal NYPD investigation.

What is a notice of claim and how is it different from a lawsuit?

 A notice of claim is a formal legal document that a person must file with a government agency before they can sue that agency in New York. It puts the city on notice of the intended lawsuit and gives the city time to investigate and potentially settle. Filing a notice of claim is required by New York law — you cannot sue the City of New York or the NYPD without completing this step first. If no settlement is reached, Brown’s attorneys must file a formal civil complaint within one year and 90 days of the incident.

Sources & References

• ABC News — Man beaten in wrongful arrest by cops in liquor store files claim against NYPD (April 28, 2026)
• CBS New York — Brooklyn man injured during violent wrongful arrest plans to sue NYPD for $100 million (April 28, 2026)

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against verified public sources and news reporting on April 29, 2026. Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information about this pending legal matter is based on a notice of claim filed with the New York City Comptroller’s Office and verified news reporting. Allegations described in this article have not been proven in court. For advice regarding a particular legal situation, consult a qualified attorney.