Mount Sinai dad sues Suffolk Police for $100M over son’s death

Suffolk County police failed to properly search for a Mount Sinai man after he ran into nearby woods last October, violating his civil rights, his father alleges in a lawsuit filed this week, Newsday reports.

Casey Mendelsohn, 23, was found dead Oct. 22 by a deer hunter in a Town of Brookhaven sump, roughly a week after his father, Barry Mendelsohn, reported him missing, according to the complaint.

Newsday reported Friday that the lawsuit claims police did not actively investigate the disappearance and instead implied the young man had gone elsewhere to use drugs.

In a handwritten filing submitted in Suffolk County Supreme Court this week, Mendelsohn alleges the lack of a search was rooted in discriminatory bias tied to his son’s mental illness, which he says police were aware of at the time.

The lawsuit states that the police officers’ failure to act was motivated by prejudice against the deceased.

Representing himself, Mendelsohn is seeking $100 million in damages. He notes Suffolk authorities have not disclosed his son’s cause of death.

The lawsuit alleges violations of New York State civil rights laws, as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Suffolk County Police declined to comment to Newsday on the allegations, citing the pending legal action.

For Newsday’s full report, click here.

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