Sources: NYPD reps call Sefolosha for deposition
Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha will travel to New York on Thursday to deliver a deposition to lawyers representing the New York Police Department and the officers named as defendants in his civil claim against the city, sources close to the case said.
Upon completion of Sefolosha’s sworn statement, negotiations between Sefolosha and the city of New York over a possible monetary settlement can begin. Should the two sides be unable to reach a settlement, Sefolosha’s attorneys could file the official complaint, which would enumerate the specific civil charges against the department and the arresting officers, according to sources. The case would then proceed to federal court.
On Oct. 9, a jury acquitted Sefolsoha of misdemeanor charges of obstructing government administration, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in an incident that occurred outside a Manhattan nightclub on April 8.
In the criminal trial, the prosecution asserted that Sefolosha ignored orders from police to leave the area around a crime scene. The prosecution also said Sefolosha charged one of the arresting officers.
Sefolosha testified that he obeyed the orders. Sefolosha conceded that he called an aggressive officer at the scene “a midget” but testified that several officers grabbed and pulled him to the ground as he stopped to hand money to a panhandler.
Before the criminal trial, the district attorney offered to dismiss the charges against Sefolosha after six months in exchange for one hour of community service. Sefolosha rejected the plea deal, opting to go to court. Throughout the legal process, both the criminal phase and now the civil one, Sefolosha has maintained an interest in bringing awareness to the issue of police misconduct and its social implications.
Sources close to Sefolosha have confirmed that a portion of the proceeds generated from any settlement will go to Gideon’s Promise, an Atlanta-based legal advocacy organization that mentors public defenders and trains them how to better operate within the criminal justice system. In 2014, the MacArthur Foundation awarded founder Jonathan Rapping with a fellowship, popularly known as a “genius grant.”
Entering Wednesday, Sefolosha was averaging 3.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, two assists, with a PER of 15.47 in 19 minutes per game for Atlanta.
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