A civil rights lawsuit is putting allegations of police brutality in the spotlight on Long Island after dashcam footage captured a Suffolk County traffic stop that ended with a Black motorist being punched repeatedly in the face and head by an officer. The video, released publicly this week, has quickly become the centerpiece of a civil rights case brought by Craig Manning, who claims officers used excessive force during what began as a routine traffic stop in Medford. According to Newsday , the April 2 encounter started after officers accused Manning of making an illegal left turn. Video from a dashboard camera inside Manning’s Fiat 500 shows him pulling over and asking to speak with a supervisor while recording the interaction on his cellphone. Moments later, Officer Robert Rufrano opened the passenger-side door, knocked the phone from Manning’s hand, and attempted to pull him from the vehicle. As officers struggled to remove him, Rufrano can be seen striking Manning multiple times with a closed fist.…