Michael Ayala says he and his teenaged brother suffered several injuries in an alleged beating last month inside the Southwest Side liquor store where they both work after officers mistook them for robbers.
Security camera video posted on YouTube appears to show more than a dozen officers wrestling the brothers to the ground.
"Today we decided to file a lawsuit on behalf of these two young men who are now facing unwarranted, fabricated criminal charges and want to bring to the attention of the city some of the things that happen on the street that a lot of people don't get to see," said Gregory Kulis, attorney.
The Independent Police Review Authority has started its own investigation.
