A Black motorist who was beaten in the face and head by Suffolk County, New York, police officers during a traffic stop is suing the police department and officers involved for using excessive force. Dash camera video from Long Island resident Craig Manning’s Fiat 500 shows him pulling over on a multi-lane street in Medford on April 2 with the red and white lights of an unmarked police car flashing behind him. Told he’d made an illegal left turn, Manning appears frustrated and then refuses to provide his license and registration to the two officers who flank his car. Holding up a cellphone to record the encounter, he tells Officer Robert Rufrano through a closed window on the front passenger side that he first wants to speak to a supervisor. He then unlocks his car. Long Island, New York motorist Craig Manning (center) is suing Suffolk County Police Officer Robert Rufrano (left) and other officers involved in a traffic stop on April 2, 2026, during which he was punched in face and head several times. (Photo: Office of Attorney Frederick Brewington via 1010 WIN). Rufrano opens the car door, reaches in, slaps the cellphone out of Manning’s hand and cuffs his right wrist, and insists that he exit the vehicle. Manning refuses. Traffic Stop Escalates The video shows Rufrano pulling Manning, who is 6 feet 6, over the center console towards the passenger side, while his partner, Officer Samantha Skippon, is trying to pull him out through the driver’s side door, NewsDay observed. Both officers yell at him to stop resisting, and then Rufrano punches Manning in the face and head with a closed fist at least six times, knocking his sunglasses off. Manning raises his arms in a defensive posture. ‘Took a Piece of My Arm!’: A Sheriff Posted an Edited Video of a K-9 Tearing Into a Black Man Expecting Praise — Then the Backlash Got Out of Control Reality TV Couple Built Trust on National TV — Then Used It to Steal $30M From Black Families and a Judge Just Buried Them for 40 Years “Are you having fun? Punch me again!” Manning says to Rufrano, looking stunned and angry. After some more tussling, Rufrano punches him in the face again. More officers arrive, and then Rufrano, Skippon, and others push and drag Manning out of the car through the driver’s side. Driver’s Attorney Claims ‘Unreasonable’ and Excessive Force Manning’s attorney, Frederick Brewington, says other officers also punched Manning, who suffered a concussion, two black eyes, a cut on his forehead, and other injuries. “The evidence in this case shows this is a police officer who not only escalated the situation but was completely out of control,” Brewington said. “We have asked in three separate appearances in open court that he be arrested.” Manning was charged with resisting arrest and traffic violations after the alleged assault, Newsday reported. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on April 22. Suffolk District Court Judge John. B. Zollo issued an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal motion during a hearing on Monday, meaning the charges will be dismissed if Manning avoids further legal issues until June 22. Brewington and Manning appeared at a press conference in Hempstead on Tuesday, where they shared the dashcam video with the media and discussed Manning’s pending civil lawsuit, which alleges the Suffolk County Police Department and the officers involved in the traffic stop used an excessive level of force in violation of his civil rights. “This was unreasonable, unnecessary use of force,” said Brewington, who added that he believes Manning was targeted by police because he is African-American. He said Manning had installed the dashboard camera in his Fiat because he feared “driving while Black” and being treated with aggression by police. The video shows Manning driving in the center lane of North Ocean Avenue in Farmingville, then activating his left blinker and waiting for cars in the left turn lane to pass, and then making a left turn onto Horseblock Road before he is pulled over. Brewington told reporters the turn was executed legally. “He should never have been charged with any criminal charges. The arrest was wrong from the beginning,” Brewington said. Police Investigation of Officer In an April 13 letter he sent to Inspector Paul Mamay of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Sixth Precinct, Brewington asked for an internal affairs investigation of Rufrano, who “was aggressive with Mr. Manning from the beginning of the stop,” the letter said. The letter also said that Manning’s request for a supervisor during the stop “is an action Mr. Manning’s brother, community liaison for the Suffolk Police Department, had instructed Mr. Manning to do if an officer made him feel unsafe.” In an April 2 police report, Rufrano said Manning was “flailing” his arms to avoid being handcuffed and that he struck him in the head with a closed fist in order to handcuff him. The report does not disclose how many times he punched Manning in the head and face. Police Union Backs the Officers’ Actions Suffolk Police have declined to comment on the lawsuit to reporters, citing its policy on pending litigation. But the department said previously the case had been referred to its internal affairs unit for review. On Wednesday, Lou Civello, president of the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association, the union representing active-duty officers, posted this on Facebook: “Traffic stops remain one of the most dangerous and potentially deadly situations our officers face every single day. In this case, Mr. Manning was stopped for a traffic infraction but decided he was above the law. He refused to roll down his window, provide his license, ignored repeated lawful commands, and then violently resisted when officers attempted to place him under arrest. Mr. Manning created this situation entirely. He escalated the force necessary to effect his arrest by actively resisting and fighting against the officers. As happens so often, facts and important context are conveniently omitted when frivolous litigation is filed.”  In response to his post, which included excerpts from the video, Cheryl Prunty-Castiglione, identified as a 911 dispatcher with Suffolk County Police Department, wrote, “Annnnnnd I guess we’ll only see the dash cam parts he wants people to see. It was all avoidable had he just done what was asked.” Government defendants in federal civil lawsuits generally have 60 days after being served with a complaint to file a response. ‘Are You Having Fun? Punch Me Again!’: New York Cops Beat Down Black Man During Traffic Stop, But They Didn’t Know His Dashcam Was Recording ...read more read less