Assault of Abner Louima

Abner Louima (born November 24, 1966) is a Haitian American man who, in 1997, was physically attacked, brutalized, and raped by officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) after he was arrested outside a Brooklyn nightclub. His injuries were so severe that he required three major surgeries.

Officers responsible for the attack were charged and convicted in federal court; Justin Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in prison with no possibility of parole, albeit he was released from his sentence early in 2023. In 2001, Louima received a US$8.75 million settlement (equivalent to about $16 million in 2024) in his civil suit against the city for police brutality, the largest civil settlement at that time for such abuse. He has set up the Abner Louima Foundation to establish a hospital and community centers in Haiti, Florida, and New York for Haitian residents, immigrants, and others in need.