Brooklyn, NY — A federal judge has denied a motion for summary judgment brought by NYPD officers seeking to dismiss an unlawful detention claim related to the 2022 death of Jacob Emmanuel Almonte, a man who was forcibly taken to the hospital during a disputed encounter with police and later died following an unrelated incident involving law enforcement.
In a memorandum and order issued by Judge Ann M. Donnelly, the court found that factual disputes surrounding the officers’ justification for detaining Almonte under New York’s mental health intervention law, § 9.41 of the Mental Hygiene Law, preclude summary judgment.
Key Facts
On March 13, 2022, NYPD Officers Kareem Husaini and Manish Sharma responded to a 911 call about a man asleep in a parked car in Queens. The individual was Jacob Almonte, whom they found sleeping in the driver’s seat. EMS also responded.
The officers claim Almonte exhibited signs of a mental health crisis—disorganized speech, confusion, and erratic behavior. However, Almonte’s mother, Melba Sanabria, who brought the lawsuit as administrator of his estate, disputes this and points to Officer Sharma’s own Aided Report, which stated that Almonte never tried to hurt himself, threaten others, or act dangerously.
Body camera footage shows Almonte cooperating initially, then attempting to walk into a nearby smoke shop. At that point, officers physically restrained him. The footage, along with Sharma’s report and deposition, raised questions about whether Almonte truly posed a danger to himself or others—an essential legal standard for involuntary transport to a hospital under state law.
Court’s Reasoning
Judge Donnelly held that the evidence in the record—particularly conflicting accounts and video footage—was sufficient to allow a jury to decide whether the officers acted lawfully:
“The record, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, creates a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether Mr. Almonte posed a danger to himself or others, and therefore, whether his detention was lawful under § 9.41.”
The Court emphasized the inconsistencies between the officers’ justifications and their own documentation, noting that a jury could reasonably conclude that the seizure was not supported by probable cause.
Broader Context
This ruling does not address the claim of excessive force or the circumstances of Almonte’s death—only whether the officers’ initial detention violated his Fourth Amendment rights. The excessive force and wrongful death claims remain pending.
The ruling allows Melba Sanabria’s claim of unlawful seizure to move forward to trial, potentially setting up further scrutiny of how NYPD officers handle mental health incidents and their compliance with state law standards for involuntary hospitalizations.
