Harrison v. The City of New York
- Ronnie Abrams
- 1:25-cv-01983
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
In Harrison v. City of New York, Judge Abrams ordered officials to identify five Doe officers and requested service waivers in Harrison’s civil-rights case.
Pierre Harrison, the five unidentified correctional officers, the City of New York, Captain Kadessha Mullgrav, Captain Tony Montague, and the New York City Law Department.
What happened
Harrison v. The City of New York concerns Pierre Harrison’s allegations that correctional officers used excessive force and ignored serious medical needs at Rikers Island on February 23, 2024. He says the injuries left him blind in one eye and that the City is responsible through its hiring and training practices.
The court ordered the New York City Law Department to identify the five John Doe officers and provide their service addresses within 60 days. Harrison must then file an amended complaint naming them within 30 days of receiving that information. The court also requested that the City, Captain Kadessha Mullgrav, and Captain Tony Montague waive service of the summons.
Judge Ronnie Abrams’s order set procedures for identifying defendants and arranging service; it did not decide whether Harrison’s claims are valid.
The detailed version
- Harrison v. The City of New York · No. 1:25-cv-01983
- Ronnie Abrams
- Apr. 3, 2025
Background
Pierre Harrison, who resides in Queens County and is appearing without a lawyer, brought claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and state law. He alleges that on February 23, 2024, at the West Facility Intake Area on Rikers Island, the defendants used excessive force against him and were deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs. He alleges that these actions caused injuries that left him blind in one eye. He also alleges that the City of New York is responsible for his injuries because of its hiring and training practices. Harrison paid the filing fees.
Identifying the John Doe Defendants
The complaint names five individual officers as John Doe defendants. The court found that Harrison provided enough information for the New York City Department of Correction to identify the officers who interacted with him at the specified location and time. Under the cited precedent, a person proceeding without a lawyer may receive the court’s assistance in identifying a defendant.
The court ordered the New York City Law Department, described as the Department of Correction’s attorney and agent, to determine each John Doe officer’s identity and the address where that officer may be served. The Law Department must provide that information to Harrison and the court within 60 days of the order. Within 30 days after receiving the information, Harrison must file an amended complaint naming the Doe defendant or defendants. The amended complaint will replace, rather than supplement, the original complaint. The court stated that it will screen the amended complaint after it is filed and, if necessary, issue an order seeking waivers of service.
Service on Named Defendants
The court directed the Clerk of Court to notify the New York City Department of Correction and the New York City Law Department electronically. It requested that the City of New York, Captain Kadessha Mullgrav, and Captain Tony Montague waive service of the summons. The clerk was also directed to mail Harrison an information package and an amended-complaint form, and to mail the order and complaint to the New York City Law Department.
Disposition
Judge Ronnie Abrams entered an order concerning defendant identification and service. The opinion does not state a ruling on the merits of Harrison’s excessive-force, medical-needs, municipal-responsibility, or state-law claims.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.