A man left paralyzed after he was shot by police in New York City in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns will receive a settlement of $12 million from the city.
At 7 AM on Thursday, June 4, 2020, Peyman Bohadoran’s life changed forever on Third Ave. after he was shot outside of a bodega near East 10th St. Although he miraculously survived the shooting, he lost the use of his legs and has been wheelchair-bound since.
The situation unfolded while the former Wall Street trader was going through a mental breakdown. Bohadoran reportedly carried a knife on his belt that day while he was walking his dog and arrived at a local bodega where two police officers confronted him. While inside the store, Bahadoran placed the knife on the counter during their confrontation. After he was tasered, the confrontation continued outside the bodega and Bahadoran was no longer armed when 9th Precinct Officers Bryan Rozanski and Jillian Suarez shot him.
A year after the East Village shooting, Bahadoran sued the city in a Manhattan Federal court. Although video footage showed Bahadoran lung at one of the officers before the shooting and it was ruled to be “within guidelines” by the NYPD, it’s the taxpayers who end up footing the gigantic medical bills for Bahadoran to maintain his quality of life after becoming disabled from the encounter.
Earl Ward, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Bahadoran in June 2021, said the settlement signifies a recognition of “the gravity of what happened” from the Law Department but that the NYPD remains in denial. Ward said life for his client was “hard” and that he suffered “every day as a result” of the shooting.
In November 2023, Judge Jesse Furman of the Manhattan Federal Court denied a motion by the city to have the case dismissed, ruling that the fact that Bahadoran was unarmed when the shooting took place was “undisputed” and corroborated by multiple witnesses, including both of the officers who opened fire. Two other officers present were Michael Murphy and Lt. Luis Machado, who can be seen holstering his gun while the other two fired, indicating he did not see Bahadoran as a threat.
Law Department spokesperson Nicolas Paolucci said the settlement brought a “resolution to all parties.”
