Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
$7 Million Lawsuit Filed By Bronx Man Who Survived Police Fusillade
By
John Del Signore
Published Aug 9, 2011
Modified Aug 9, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Aug 9, 2011
Modified Aug 9, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Antoine Brown was an innocent bystander who got caught in a barrage of bullets fired by NYPD officers at two men fighting with a gun at a Harlem block party last year. One man was killed, while another, Angel Alvarez, survived with a whopping 27 gunshot wounds, most caused by the police. Alvarez filed his own $20 million lawsuit against the city last week, and now Brown is following suit with a $7 million claim against the city. According to the court filing obtained by the Daily News, the shootout left Brown, 22, with such severe psychological damage that he can barely leave his apartment.
"Because he is virtually confined to his apartment in the Bronx, (Brown) has had to give up on his dream of becoming a New York City school teacher," the lawsuit claims. Brown was not charged with any crime, and he appears to have been shot by accident; something that tends to happen when cops unload 46 bullets at a block party. Seven others were injured, but a grand jury declined to indict the four officers, who alleged that Alvarez fatally shot Luis Soto, 22, and then opened fire on police.
The same jury declined to indict Alvarez, believing his story that Soto pulled a gun on him during a fight. Alvarez claims he tried to wrestle the gun away, but the gun fired three times into him. In March, the Times reported that "according to Mr. Alvarez, bullets began flying from behind him. Initially, he said, he had assumed that friends of Mr. Soto were shooting at him, though he later learned that it was the police. Mr. Alvarez also said a police officer kicked him in the head and told him, 'You’re going to die.' " He added, 'It was like being hit with a machine gun... I have 27 holes in my body.' "
Another bystander sued the city last year, but the lawsuit hasn't been settled yet.
Tagged
angel alvarez
antoine brown
block parties
harlem
shoot-out
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC early voting dips compared to 2025, but spikes in majority-Black districts
Mayor Mamdani's robust support for Gov. Hochul couldn’t quite match the level of early voting in 2025.
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Joe Hong
Published Nov 2, 2026 at 6:06 p.m. ET
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
Police say the man threatened people inside a deli before exchanging gunfire with officers. He is expected to survive.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
Police say the man threatened people inside a deli before exchanging gunfire with officers. He is expected to survive.
By
Giulia Heyward
Washington Square Park snowball thrower gets community service for pelting NYPD
By
Walter Wuthmann
Stabbing of Brooklyn runner believed to be ‘random attack,’ NYPD says
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYPD wants info from schools after 15-year-old Bronx boy shot and killed
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .