On October 9, 2015, Thabo Sefolosha was acquitted of all charges arising out of his arrest outside of a Manhattan nightclub last April. It took a jury 45 minutes to determine that Sefolosha was not guilty of obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. During the arrest, police had manhandled the Atlanta Hawks swingman so violently that he broke his leg. Police claimed that both he and Pero Antić were interfering with their ability to manage a crime scene after former Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed outside 1 OAK. Video would later show police wrestling Sefolasha to the ground and whipping out a baton in the process as onlookers protested and said Sefolosha an Antić "didn't do anything." Sefolosha previously filed a notice of claim to preserve his right to a civil suit, and today he filed a complaint against the five arresting officers and New York City.Among the allegations in Sefolosha's suit are charges of false arrest, excessive force, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. The notice of claim he filed last year caps his potential recovery at $50 million for his damages, including punitive damages.
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Sefolosha missed the remainder of the 2014-2015 season and Atlanta's playoff run as a result of the injuries he suffered. Those are easily identified damages both to his physical body and, it will surely be argued, to his future earnings. He'll have x-rays and doctor's reports, TMZ's video, and an acquittal to point to as evidence of his claims. Antić, whose charges were dropped, also filed a suit against the officers and the city.[ESPN]Sefolosha ultimately decided to proceed with a suit that alleges his reputation and image have been damaged by the incident, and that his value as a professional basketball player has been adversely affected. The suit also alleges that the incident was "a racial matter," making specific reference to Sefolosha's African descent and the hoodie he was wearing on the night of the arrest.