HALFMOON — A man who accuses a state trooper of severely beating him as he held his 3-month-old infant is suing State Police and Saratoga County Sheriff’s deputies for inflicting “physical pain, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of dignity, reputational harm and other injuries.”Shaheem L. Morris filed his lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York on Jan. 9, alleging Trooper Matthew Zell “repeatedly punched” him in the face in his home as Trooper James Meehan and Trooper Kevin Reppenhagen allegedly restrained him. In the court filing, Morris’ attorney, Clarisa Gentile, also alleges that five county sheriff’s deputies watched the beating as blood splattered all over the baby. The document also states that Morris’ then 10-year-old daughter was present during the alleged assault that was captured on police body camera footage.
The incident occurred at around 11:50 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2025, after Morris and his girlfriend got into a dispute. The court filing states that when Morris tried to leave to go to work for DoorDash, his girlfriend hid his car keys and would not allow him to leave. As the dispute ensued, she called police.
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