$20M suit in bad nab and shoot

A BROOKLYN man who was shot in the wrist by cops and later cleared by a grand jury of menacing charges said he was falsely arrested and intends to file a $20 million lawsuit against the city, the Daily News has learned.

“I feel like I’m lucky to be alive the way they were shooting at me,” Zaequan Footman, 23, said Tuesday.

Police claimed that Footman (photo inset) pulled a handgun from his waistband at the Farragut Houses as plainclothes officers were arresting another man on April 19.

Assistant Chief Jeffrey Maddrey even told reporters that Footman had exchanged fire with a sergeant and three NYPD officers.

Footman insists he was unarmed — and not even the Brooklyn district attorney’s office believed he had fired at anyone, charging him only with menacing.

The notice of claim, which will be filed Wednesday with the city controller’s office, alleges cops were negligent and reckless when they shot Footman.

Footman’s lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, said cops fired at least 19 shots at his client as he ran from the men because he did not know they were cops.

“To be wrongly arrested, wrongly accused, and wrongly shot is unacceptable,” Rubenstein said. “Zaequan Footman is not, and was not, a gunman. He is a victim.”

The grand jurors apparently did not believe the cops’ account of the incident and voted not to indict Footman on April 25.

He was released from Rikers Island after five days.

Last Thursday, heavily armed NYPD cops broke down the door of Footman’s mother’s apartment and trashed the place while Footman and members of his family sat handcuffed in the living room.

“My fear is (the police) are going to keep bothering him, and I’m scared they’re going to come back,” said Footman’s mother, Evelyn Del, 56. “I think they're angry because they made a mistake.”

An NYPD spokesman said cops had a warrant and were searching for an illegal firearm. No gun was found.