A family was paid $1 million by the Township of Westfield after a December 2009 incident.
Kimberly Sorrentino and her husband, Lawrence Rolnick, returned to their Boulevard home after a holiday party in New York City.
According to the federal court lawsuit, on Dec. 22, 2009, Sorrentino and Rolnick's adult daughter had a holiday party in New York, and arranged for a bus to bring a group of people back to Westfield.
The bus arrived at their township home at about 1:30 a.m.
Shortly after, police were notified that a group of juveniles who may have been drinking were being dropped off in front of a home on the 500 block, the lawsuit states.
Three responding officers immediately began dispersing the people when Sorrentino and Rolnick's son, Austin Rolnick, came out of the home to talk with the police, according to the suit.
An argument ensued, officers instructed Austin Rolnick to come out to the sidewalk, the suit states.
Sorrentino came out of the house, told her son to go inside and followed him in. However, township police forced their way into the house, knocking down and injured Sorrentino. She suffered a torn ACL in her knee that required two surgeries.
Austin Rolnick was arrested and charged with disorderly persons offenses for the confrontation outside, and two counts each of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest for the incident inside the house.
According to police report, after attempting to break up a 30-person fight among "a group of intoxicated juveniles" Austin Rolnick was arrested. Rolnick was also charged that day with possession of fake ID and possession of marijuana under 50 grams.
He was later released on $10,000 bail.
Lawrence Rolnick was charged the next morning, when went to get his son release, with disorderly person offenses and failure to disperse after he came outside and began screaming at the police.
All the charges were later dropped, after officers admitted they entered the house without a warrant.
Just one month, before case went to trial, the township agreed to pay $1.15 million to settle lawsuits filed by the couple, and their son.
Sorrentino and Lawrence Rolnick will receive $1 million from the township, and Austin Rolnick will receive $100,000.