The city of Ithaca and its police department face a multi-million dollar lawsuit after a civil complaint was filed in Tompkins County Court.
It stems from an incident in August of last year, where two black teens claim they were briefly held at gunpoint by an Ithaca police officer who was not in uniform at the time.
City officials say the off-duty officer was helping with an active arson investigation.
That incident sparked an internal investigation, which found no wrongdoing on the part of the officer, but did lead to a series of sweeping reforms put into place by Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick.
The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages for each of the teens.
Attorneys claim that both suffered mental anguish after the incident, and developed a distrust of police.
Myrick called the lawsuit in a statement "understandable frustration," but also called it "entirely meritless."
The mayor says the city met with the families after the incident to address their concerns.