While police officers are supposed to serve and protect, this is not always the case. Some police officers can abuse their power and cause harm. This is the case in instances of excessive force, false arrest, and police brutality. These issues occur everywhere, even close to home. If you live in or near Greenwich, Connecticut, learn more about police brutality and false arrest issues near you.
What are Police Brutality and False Arrest?
Police brutality happens when an officer uses excessive force on another individual. Excessive force occurs is when too much force is used in a given situation. Police officers and other government officials are allowed to use force, but they need to determine and use the proper force for a given situation. This is what they are trained for, and if they fail to do this, they could be guilty of police brutality.
False arrest occurs when there is not a legal basis for an arrest. False arrest and police brutality violate a person’s constitutional and civil rights in the United States.
Police Brutality and False Arrest in Greenwich, Connecticut
In recent years, Greenwich has faced situations of police brutality and false arrest. Learn more about some recent issues here:
- In 2017, a police brutality lawsuit against a Greenwich police officer was set to go to trial. According to the link in the previous sentence, the 70-year-old victim alleges that he was assaulted by the officer during a 2013 traffic stop. The man was arrested but all charges were dismissed later by a judge. Court papers say the man suffered shoulder and neck injuries and a detached retina from the incident.
- A female plaintiff sued the Greenwich police department for excessive force, false arrest, and extreme emotional distress. Weitz v. Greenwich Police Dep’t., No. CV040200464S, 2005 Conn. Super. LEXIS 70, at *1 (Jan 10, 2005). This source claims that the plaintiff alleges that the officers used excessive force and caused her to fall down a flight of stairs. She sustained injuries in this incident. The Connecticut State Superior Court of Norwalk granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint because the court did not have jurisdiction over the Greenwich police department and that was the only defendant that the plaintiff had named.
- A pro se (without an attorney) plaintiff brought a 1983 civil rights claim against the town of Greenwich and individual Greenwich officers for excessive force and false arrest. Harvey v. Town of Greenwich, No. 3:17-cv-1417, 2019 U.S. Dist LEXIS 54903, at *1 (D. Conn. Mar. 31 2019). This source says that all claims were dismissed by the Connecticut Federal District Court because the plaintiff could not provide enough evidence of excessive force and officers had probable cause to make an arrest.
Getting Help
If you think that you are the victim of police brutality or false arrest, we can help. Contact our office for more information.