Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Long Island Man And Son Allege "Torture" By Cop
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Dec 18, 2013
Modified Dec 20, 2013
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
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Dec 18, 2013
Modified Dec 20, 2013
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
A 71-year-old Long Island man and his son have filed a lawsuit against a Nassau County police detective, alleging he "tortured" them and "chained" them to an iron bar for hours.
[UPDATE BELOW]The NY Post reports that Cary Ratner and son Seth were arrested in January of this year, for allegedly stalking Seth's ex-mother-in-law. Ratner alleges that at the time of his arrest, he and Seth were taken to the county's Third Precinct station house, handcuffed to a iron bar with their hands above their heads and left there for over than 10 hours; according to the suit, both Ratners were denied food, water and legal counsel, and were not read their Miranda Rights. "I was chained with my arms up in the air for hours on end,” Ratner told the Post. “I hoped that I would die there, so that someone would look into this torture."
The suit names former detective Brett Nordman, who has since retired. Ratner had also sued Seth's ex-mother-in-law, Linda Robinson, for harassment in May 2012; that suit is still pending, and Robinson's lawyer told the Post the new lawsuit, which seeks over $24 million in damages, is "baseless."
Ratner, the president of East Hills Instruments, previously uncovered a multi-million dollar scandal involving the Roslyn Board of Education in 2006, according to the Post.
Update: Mitchell Shapiro, Linda Robinson's attorney, tells us that Ratner's case against his client is not pending, as reported in the Post, but "was dismissed on motion due to the complete lack of evidence produced by Ratner to back up his claims." In addition, Shapiro notes that Ratner "has a long list of frivolous litigation and tries to use the courts as a hammer to get his way."
Tagged
cary ratner
lawsuit
nassau county
seth ratner
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
US judge in NY indefinitely blocks ICE from making arrests at immigration courthouses
The judge said a Trump rule change lifting restrictions on such arrests violated administrative procedure law.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 5:47 p.m. ET
Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messages
A judge had ordered officials to turn over correspondence with the Rent Guidelines Board. Randy Mastro has now asked the court to make them sit for interviews.
By
David Brand
News
Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messages
A judge had ordered officials to turn over correspondence with the Rent Guidelines Board. Randy Mastro has now asked the court to make them sit for interviews.
By
David Brand
Push to strengthen NY sexual assault laws gathers steam after Cornell rape allegations
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Jon Campbell
NYC mulls building temporary highway in sky over Brooklyn Bridge to fix BQE
By
Liam Quigley
and
Carol Chen
The most expensive congressional race in NJ history? This could be the one.
By
Mike Hayes
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 .