Report: Hawks' Sefolosha intends to sue NYPD officers, city for $50M

Atlanta Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha, whose season ended last spring when he suffered a broken leg during a Manhattan arrest, intends to sue eight New York Police Department officers and the city for $50 million, according to the New York Post.

Sefolosha broke his right fibula and suffered ligament damage April 8 while being arrested in the wake of a confrontation outside Chelsea nightclub 1Oak. Hawks teammate Pero Antic was also detained in the incident, which followed the separate stabbing of Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland.

After rejecting a plea bargain, Sefolosha was found not guilty of the three misdemeanor charges levied by the police at the time - obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

The injury ended the Swiss-born defensive specialist's season less than two weeks before Atlanta began the playoffs. After a summer of rehabilitation, he is back in uniform for the Hawks this preseason.

Sefolosha told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the acquittal that he hasn't decided on civil action. As a procedural formality, he filed a claim months ago in the event that he would later decide to engage in a civil lawsuit.

"I didn't decide anything," he said. "This was something that was necessary to reserve the right. We filed it four to five months ago. It's nothing new. My legal team advised me at the time to file those papers because there was only certain time to do so. I still haven't made a decision."

The 31-year-old also referenced a wider narrative of a trend of violent police actions toward visible minorities.

"If my story can put some light on something bigger it's great and I hope it brings some change," he said.

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts is on record saying the union will support Sefolosha if he pursues litigation.

"I was outraged when (the incident) happened," Roberts said last week. "We were all outraged when that happened. We needed to obviously defer to Thabo."