FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Two South Florida lawyers are filing suit against two West Palm Beach officers accused of beating a man in 2019.
They're filing a state lawsuit and a federal suit claiming the officers used excessive force when interacting with then-62-year-old John Monroque.
Monroque, now 67, was sitting Tuesday between the attorneys who are defending him in two separate lawsuits.
Named in one of the lawsuits is Nicholas Lordi, a West Palm Beach police officer accused of beating Monroque in 2019.
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Another officer, Jamesloo Charles, is also mentioned in the suit for failing to intervene.
"The two police officers wrestle this man, who's 62 years old at the time, to the ground," Monroque's attorney Fan Li said. "Once he's on the ground, Lordi starts to punch John on the left side repeatedly on his face, on his head, but that's not it. After John gets knocked out, unconscious, Nicholas Lordi stands up, straddles John and starts throwing haymakers down at his face, at his head again repeatedly."
According to an arrest report, police responded to the Food Plus grocery store, located at 5501 Broadway, on Nov. 1, 2019, regarding a "trespassing incident." That same report said Monroque "did not allow himself to be handcuffed."
The moment was caught on camera and showed Lordi moving Monroque toward a car and then it showed Lordi punching Monroque several times.
The video then showed Lordi kneeling on Monroque's neck or face. It's a moment that Monroque said he's still hurting from.
"Terrible, very sick," Monroque said. "My nose is still broken. My eyes, my head is still traumatized. It's a nightmare."
A second lawsuit was filed separately in state court that goes after Adam Myers with the West Palm Beach police union and the union itself for alleged defamation.
"Adam Myers and the police union called John a violent felon," Li said.
Three years after the attack was caught on surveillance video, Monroque is still focused on getting justice for what happened.
"It's a nightmare for me, but I'm trying to cope with it. I have to," Monroque said. "I need the system to be right. The system is too crooked."
The attorneys representing Monroque said the next step in this legal battle is waiting for all the listed defendants, including the officers, the department and the union, to respond.
WPTV reached out to the defendants for comment.
Attorney Michael Salnick, Lordi's criminal defense attorney, sent the following statement to WPTV:
Although I was Mr. Lordi's criminal defense attorney, I am not involved in the civil case. It is unfortunate that a civil suit has been filed considering the facts of this matter. Nicholas Lordi at no time engaged in any criminal behavior and was cleared of criminal charges after a full and thorough investigation by the Office of the State Attorney. There were issues that witnesses for the "alleged victim" had been either withholding or editing video tapes, and it is unfortunate that they will now attempt to capitalize on a matter that never occurred. Someone is obviously looking at the City of West Palm Beach as a "deep pocket," and I hope the city fights this with the same sense of urgency that the criminal matter was reviewed.
Prosecutors last year declined to file an aggravated battery charge against Lordi after he was arrested.
