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Angel Alvarez Sues NYPD Over Police Gunfire At Harlem Block Party

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A man who was shot many times by New York City police officers last year during a fight over a gun at a block party has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the police department.

Angel Alvarez suffered 27 bullet wounds during the chaos in Harlem, which began when he got into a fistfight with a neighborhood rival, and escalated when the other man pulled out a pistol.

As the two men struggled for the gun, police unleashed volleys of bullets that hit Alvarez, killed the person he was fighting with and wounded two officers and three innocent bystanders.

Alvarez was jailed for 200 days before a grand jury refused to indict him. It also declined to indict the officers.

A police review of the shooting is ongoing.

Does it sound like the officers were justified in their use of force in this case? Sound off in our comments section below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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