Family files lawsuit against neighbor they say 'dehumanized' them with a hose, German shepherd
FOREST HILLS, Queens (WABC) -- A family in Queens is taking legal action against their neighbor after a dispute over a party left them feeling "dehumanized."
Claude Duroseau says his family was concerned after their well-planned birthday celebration among friends was interrupted by a neighbor with a garden hose who wanted the party to be over.
Derek Sells, the family's lawyer, tells Eyewitness News that the actions by the neighbor "dehumanized" his clients. "He sprayed them as if they were farm animals."
In the lawsuit, filed by the family, a 'Jane Doe' also walked into their Forest Hills home with a menacing German shepherd, trying to intimidate them.
"We were afraid," said Duroseau. "That to me is a sign of aggression; coming to someone's house with a dog."
The neighbor, Marcus Rosebrock, tells a much different story.
Through his lawyer, Rosebrock suggests he's the victim of a noisy party that went on for hours - even after the plaintiffs were asked to keep it down.
But the plaintiffs say it was actually the opposite.
They say the more they tried to reason with Rosebrock, the more water he sprayed.
Katya Dossous was left drenched after the encounter.
"I know he saw me, we made eye contact," she said. "I tried to speak to him. And every time I tried to speak to him, he sprayed me harder and harder."
Police were called, but there were no charges.
The lawsuit compares Rosebrock's actions to the violations of the Civil Rights era and seeks unspecified damages.
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