ALBANY — Two of the three men involved in a March confrontation with Albany police have filed federal lawsuits against the officers involved, alleging false arrest and excessive force as well as failure to intervene and supervisory liability.

The men, Armando Sanchez and Mario Gorostiza, seek unspecified monetary damages.

Sanchez and Gorostiza were initially charged with multiple offenses, including resisting arrest, after police were called to break up a loud house party on March 16 on First Street. The call turned violent; body camera footage released by the department showed officers kicking in a door and repeatedly striking Sanchez, Gorostiza and another man, Lee Childs.

The Albany County district attorney’s office dropped the charges against the men two weeks later after one of the officers involved, Luke Deer, was charged with felony assault and official misconduct and suspended from the department.

The criminal case against Deer was sent to an Albany County grand jury.

Here's Gorostiza's complaint:

Gorostiza Complaint by cseiler8597 on Scribd

And Sanchez's action:

Sanchez Complaint[1] by cseiler8597 on Scribd

Two other Albany cops, Matthew Seeber and an unidentified officer, were suspended as well. The lawsuit names a number of officers, including Sgt. Jimm B. Lewis, who allegedly was the supervisor at the time.

“Considering the public outcry that arose out of the shooting of unarmed teen Ellazar Williams in August 2018, I hoped that the police would reexamine how they act while working in the city," said a statement from attorney James Knox, who represents the plaintiffs. "However, the beatings of Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Gorostiza demonstrate that, even while wearing body cameras, some officers remain unafraid to act without conscience toward certain segments of the community."

Williams, 19, was shot by Albany Detective James Olsen and left paralyzed at the end of a foot chase last summer. A grand jury failed to charge the officer with wrongdoing in that case; Olsen subsequently retired.

The police department declined to comment on the lawsuits.

The lawsuits lay out what the men’s attorneys describe as unprovoked attacks by the officers, including Deer, who is named in both actions.

Sanchez’s suit alleges that he was following officers’ instructions to leave the First Street house when Deer, who was standing around 50 feet away, turned and ran at Sanchez before knocking him to the ground and beating him with his fist and baton.

The lawsuit says Sanchez suffered injuries including a concussion and nerve damage as well as shoulder and wrist injuries.

Gorostiza’s suit alleges that he was more than 100 feet away from the house police were called to when officers singled him out, walked over and began to beat him before arresting him. At the time, police said that Gorostiza was shouting at them, encouraging people to fight with officers.

Both men allege that police filed charges against them to cover up the beatings.

The release of the video footage on April 2 led to a number of community meetings between residents and Police Chief Eric Hawkins, who started with the force last fall. The department said last month that it is re-evaluating its training curriculum.

Meanwhile, the department is conducting its own investigation into the confrontation, including looking at whether a supervisor had instructed the officers to handle the situation aggressively.

That probe is also examining whether some of the officers may have falsified police records to justify their use of physical force and to explain an officer's decision to kick in the door of the residence without a warrant.