Do you ever worry about police brutality in East Hartford, Connecticut? While you might see examples of police brutality in the news, could it really impact your community? The truth is that it can. Police brutality happens all across the United States, and there have been recent excessive force situations in East Hartford, Connecticut. You can learn more about police brutality and how it might affect your community here.
What is Police Brutality?
Before going any further, you should understand what police brutality is. Police officers are allowed to use force in certain situations. This means that not all violent acts by the police constitute police brutality.
But sometimes the force used is too much for a given situations. This can lead to excessive force, which is a form of police brutality.
If you think that you are the victim of police brutality or excessive force, you have a few options to stand up for yourself and seek justice. First, you could consider filing a complaint with the United States Department of Justice. Second, you could file a civil rights complaint. If you are worried about police brutality in your area, learn more about recent complaints here.
Police Brutality in East Hartford, Connecticut
Below, learn more about a few recent police brutality issues in East Hartford:
- In 2019, the Town Council of East Hartford unanimously approved a 2.25-million-dollar settlement of a 2014 lawsuit for a Manchester man’s death caused by a police officer’s taser. The article linked above mentions that the federal lawsuit accused East Hartford police officers of beating the Manchester man and using a taser on him while he was in lock up which resulted in his death in April 2014. The estate itself will receive two million dollars of the settlement and the deceased’s brother, who witnessed his death, will receive 250,000 dollars of the settlement. The State Chief medical examiner ruled the man’s death a homicide and the cause of death was ruled to be a heart attack caused by the shock of the taser.
- In April 2014, there was a $35,000 settlement for a police brutality lawsuit against an East Hartford police officer. The incident took place in 2011. It is alleged the police took down the suspect with excessive force and then refused him medical attention.
- In 2016, there was an excessive force lawsuit filed against a police officer. A jury found an East Hartford police officer did not use excessive force when he arrested a 12-year-old boy in 2012. The lawsuit was filed by his mother for 20 million dollars against the town and police department.
Getting Help
If you think that you were the victim of police brutality in East Hartford, our office can help. We handle these kinds of cases throughout the state of Connecticut and can help you determine the right course of action.