Thomas Demint says he'll sue Suffolk for civil rights violations related to videotaping arrest

A Center Moriches man wrongly arrested by Suffolk police last year for videotaping the detention of two friends plans to sue Suffolk County, its police department and the district attorney, alleging his civil rights were violated.

Thomas Demint, 21, said police officers had no cause to arrest him, and District Attorney Thomas Spota's prosecution of him for a year and half before dropping the charges was "malicious."

"It's been a long 16 months," said Demint, a student at Suffolk County Community College. "My legal aid lawyer wanted me to take a plea, but I stuck to my guns because I am innocent."

Demint said he'll ask for $2 million in damages.

Friday, the day Spota's office announced it was dropping two charges against Demint -- obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest -- Demint filed a notice of claim, which the law requires when an individual sues the government.

The notice said Demint's ordeal began on the morning of May 21 when several officers responded to a call that a man was attempting to commit suicide.

When the officers arrived at the house on Drew Lane in Center Moriches, they became embroiled in a struggle with a woman who had called the police, and her two sons.

Demint witnessed the confrontation, and recorded the encounter on his cellphone, he and his attorney, Kenneth Mollins of Hauppauge, said Monday.

In the cellphone recording, an officer is heard telling Demint to back off. In an interview Monday, Demint said he stood about 20 feet away from the scene at all times.

An officer later told Demint to stop recording, Demint said Monday, adding that he obeyed and put his iPhone in his pants pocket.

According to the claim, officers asked Demint to give them his phone and he refused. The officers then "knocked him to the ground, took the phone and attempted to delete the video but were unsuccessful," according to the claim.

In the police report, Officer Peter Jurgensen said Demint interfered with police business by "shouting obscenities" at the officers and the paramedics.

Demint's video showed that it was the woman's sons who shouted obscenities at the officers. Jurgensen also said Demint disobeyed several orders not to enter the scene, which Mollins said was not true.

Monday, Spota, whose office investigated the events leading up to Demint's arrest, would not say why the charges were dropped or why it took 16 months to reach that conclusion.

The Suffolk police department did not say whether Officer Jurgensen has been disciplined or whether he will be disciplined.