YONKERS, N.Y.  A former Yonkers man has been awarded several thousand dollars after his claims of police brutality and false arrest.

A federal jury awarded $5,500 to Patrick Agyapong on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in White Plains in connection with a 2009 incident in which Agyapong said he was thoroughly beaten by a group of Yonkers police officers while at the Cross County Shopping Center.

While the jury did not award Agyapong any money for the alleged beat down, he was awarded damages for what jurors determined to be a false arrest.

The lawsuit, which named five Yonkers police officers as well as the City of Yonkers, originally asked for $4 million in damages. But Agyapongs attorney, Alan Levine, said he asked the jury for substantially less, $250,000, during the trial.

Even though he received a fraction of the requested amount, Levine said his client was pleased with the ruling.

It was vindication for him, that he was falsely arrested, even though the amount was not as high as he or I had hoped for, Levine said after the ruling.

City officials, Yonkers police and their attorney were not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

In the lawsuit, however, Agyapong said the August 2009 incident began in a parking garage at the Cross County Shopping Center where he was waiting to pick up his girlfriend, an employee at Sears. Agyapong claimed he was approached by Yonkers police officer David Bohan in the parking lot and asked for identification.

When he reached into his pocket to pull out his ID, Agyapong said Bohan and other officers threw him to the ground and began pummeling him, kicking and hitting him with great severity.

Bohan testified in court Tuesday, saying he hit Agyapong twice in the face but only after he was bitten - allegations Agyapong denied, Levine said.

Agyapong, who now lives in Niagra Falls, was later taken to city jail and booked on charges of third-degree assault, second-degree harassment and resisting arrest.

He was acquitted of all three charges in April 2010.

Less than a year later, Agyapong filed a suit against five Yonkers police officers and the City of Yonkers, demanding $4 million in damages.

The federal trial began Monday in front of Judge Vincent Briccett, with testimony ending Wednesday morning. The jury delivered the verdict after deliberating roughly four hours.

Levine said Wednesday his client was satisfied with the outcome of the case and ready to put the ordeal behind him.

He is a very enterprising person and he is going back to Niagara Falls where he lives to continue working and establishing a business he is getting started there, Levine said.

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