Settlement Near Over Police Custody Death Of Bay Shore Man: Report

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — The family of a Bay Shore man who died in police custody has reached a tentative settlement with Suffolk County resolving a dispute following a federal jury's criticism and $35 million wrongful-death award, Newsday reported.

Lawyers for the family of Kenny Lazo won a lawsuit against Suffolk County and its police department in 2009 for failing to seek medical treatment for the 24-year-old after he was beaten by police following a 2008 traffic stop.

After a three-week trial in Central Islip, the family was awarded $13.5 million in compensatory damages and $21.5 million in punitive damages. "Upon review of the evidence, we, the jury, feel strongly that the policies and practices of the Suffolk County Police Dept. should be better enforced to protect and serve the community," the jury said in a statement read at the verdict in 2023. "The failure to properly train, retrain and/or discipline officers directly led to this unfortunate situation. Our hope is that actionable change comes from this verdict."

The county appealed, and both sides have filed documents about whether the evidence justified the verdict.

Recently lawyers for Lazo's family wrote to the court about the tentative settlement, saying the County Legislature's Ways and Means Committee is expected to vote on it April 4, according to Newsday.

Patch has reached out to Lazo family attorney Frederick Brewington for comment.

On April 12, 2008, Lazo was arrested by police following a traffic stop near Southern State Parkway in Bay Shore. He had been under surveillance because of suspected drug dealing, police said.

Attorneys for the county claimed that Lazo, who was 5-foot-6 and weighed 250 pounds, suffered a heart attack after he resisted police attempts to subdue him.

The family claimed that the officers, against whom the county had dozens of police misconduct complaints on file, beat Lazo with heavy flashlights and their fists.

According to the Suffolk County medical examiner, he died from cardiac arrest "following exertion associated with prolonged physical altercation from multiple blunt impacts," Newsday reported.

Read the entire article on newsday.com.