Paul Napoli and Hunter Shkolnik of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, Co-Counsel with Attorney Ben Crump, Announce Lawsuit Against Hollywood Police Department

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Michael Ortiz, while lying face down on the ground naked and in handcuffs, was brutally shot in the back and paralyzed by a Hollywood, Florida police officer on July 3, 2021.

Paul Napoli and Hunter Shkolnik of Napoli Shkolnik, Co-Counsel with Attorney Ben Crump, have announced a Public Records lawsuit against the Hollywood Police Department for the release of a video in the shooting of Mr. Ortiz. Ortiz was handcuffed, naked, and on the ground when he was shot in the back and paralyzed by police. As a result of the shooting, he cannot walk, is confined to a wheelchair, has several surgeries scheduled, and requires round the clock care.

The suit contends that the Hollywood PD refuses to produce surveillance footage from the apartment, as well as recordings of 911 calls and police reports, body camera footage, witness statements, police radio dispatches, and excessive force complaints relating to the shooting, pursuant to Florida Public Record law.

“He was having a crisis; he needed a helping hand. He didn’t need a bullet in his spine,” Crump said during a February 7 press conference announcing the lawsuit.

Shkolnik said Ortiz’s family deserves answers now. “You shouldn’t require lawyers to go to court to let the community know why someone gets shot in the back, while they’re laying handcuffed, naked,” Shkolnik said. “We shouldn’t have to be sitting here filing lawsuits just to get the pictures that answer the questions of why Michael was shot in the back, laying on the ground, handcuffed?”

About Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC

Napoli Shkolnik is a national law firm that represents victims across the country in complex litigation, arbitration, and mediation related to a number of practice areas, including environmental racism and civil rights litigation.

The firm recently secured landmark verdicts in the Flint Water Crisis litigation; the New York jury opioid trial, in which many ‘Big Pharma’ companies were found liable in the state’s deadly opioid crisis; and the national opioid trial taking place in Ohio where national pharmacy chains were confirmed to have fueled the opioid epidemic by flooding communities with painkillers.

About Ben Crump

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump founded Ben Crump Law PLLC with the abiding belief that justice equals respect. Because of this dedication to justice, the families of Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Martin Lee Anderson, and Breonna Taylor all turned to Mr. Crump to turn the spotlight of justice on these cases.

Mr. Crump and his firm’s attorneys are all devoted to advocating for the voiceless of our society whenever or whatever kind of harm may have befallen them. From personal injury, labor and employment matters, class actions, and other lawsuits, Crump attorneys are dedicated to holding the powerful accountable for their actions.