Lawsuit claims finger-related harassment

• Tweet

NEW YORK, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A New York man is suing police for $2.1 million, alleging false arrest stemming from an incident when he flashed his middle finger at a detective.

The lawsuit filed by Aneury Peralta, 22, against the New York Police Department said he flashed his middle finger to another motorist during an October 2011 traffic incident and soon discovered the other man was a plainclothes police detective, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

Peralta said the detective reached into his car, shoved him and grabbed the keys from his ignition before flashing an ID card to reveal he was a police officer.

The detective issued Peralta a ticket for disorderly conduct, which was dismissed in December.

However, Peralta's lawsuit said three police officers and a sergeant arrived at his family's bodega three weeks later and told him there was a warrant for his arrest. He was busted on a charge of resisting arrest when he attempted to call his brother, the lawsuit says.

The resisting arrest charge was dropped by prosecutors.

The civil rights lawsuit is seeking $2.1 million.

The New York Police Department declined to comment on the suit.