Daniel Pantaleo, the New York City police officer who administered a fatal choke hold to Eric Garner last summer, is being sued for a different incident involving a man named Leonardo Aguirre, the New York Daily News reports.
In his suit, Aguire claims that Pantaleo caused a car accident last June in Staten Island that left Aguirre with severe injuries. Aguirre said that Pantaleo was trailing behind him very closely and was speeding, which caused both of their cars to get into an accident. According to Aguirre’s suit, the accident left Aguirre with “severe and permanent” injuries on his neck, back, shoulder and knees.
The June accident happened just weeks after Pantaleo was filmed bringing Garner down with a controversial choke hold. The tactic ignited a nationwide outcry against the excessive force that some in law enforcement are accused of using on African-American men.
According to the Daily News, a police source gave a description of the car accident that differed from Aguire’s account. The source said that Pantaleo was driving a marked patrol car while responding to an emergency call, and it was Pantaleo’s car that was struck by another vehicle.
Pantaleo is no stranger to lawsuits. According to the Daily News, at least four other New Yorkers have filed a lawsuit against the officer in previous years. Two New Yorkers won a $30,000 settlement after claiming that Pantaleo strip-searched them and slapped their testicles during a public stop.
Read more at the New York Daily News.