A man is suing Nassau County police for monetary damages over allegations of police brutality.
The lawsuit alleges that Tawheed Brennan was choked by detectives during an arrest that violated his civil rights.
Bodycam video shows the arrest made in April 2022 at a Baldwin supermarket after Brennan left his backpack at a grocery store.
An attorney for Brennan, Ken Mollins, says someone noticed the backpack and called police. When Brennan went back to the store, Mollins says his client was rushed by police officers and tackled to the ground.
The attorney says a punch from a detective was the start of the brutality. He says there are more images from the video that also show Brennan being choked and having his hair pulled while being handcuffed.
"The other police officers were all around and at one point, they started pulling the detective away because it was getting to be insanity," Mollins says
Brennan, 23, says at one point, he didn't think he would survive the arrest.
"I didn't know if I was going to die or not - I was surrounded by multiple police officers," Brennan says. "They were letting one of them assault me in front of them."
Brennan says he has been arrested before, but in previous scenarios, he was read his rights and treated humanely.
He is now hoping for a cleanup of the police department.
"Not everybody, but the ones who are doing it, they're making it look bad for the rest of them," Brennan says.
All charges against Brennan have since been dropped.
Det. Let. Richard LeBrun told News 12, "We are unable to comment due to pending litigation."