Witness to Mesa Police Shooting of Black Man Claims Officer said Racial Slur during Confrontation

A Mesa officer made a racial slur before tackling a domestic-violence suspect in a skirmish that ended with the shooting death of the man, according to a witness to the March 31 incident.Mesa police Sgt. Chuck Trapani, a department spokesman, said no officers involved in the incident and no other witnesses reported hearing a slur. On Tuesday, police released a partial report of the investigation into the early morning shooting of James Deon Lennox, 35, at the Rosewood Villas Apartments. The 101-page report includes no statements from the four officers involved because they are either not complete or not requested for the probe, police said, and it provides only a few witness accounts. Police were called to the apartments to investigate a domestic dispute, and an officer approached Lennox in the courtyard. In the report, neighbor Matthew Arnold told police he was about eight feet from the incident. He told detectives in a taped interview that Lennox threatened physical violence to Officer Joseph Meacham, the first officer on scene, if he touched him. When two plainclothes officers arrived, Meacham asked one to fire a stun gun because he had been threatened. Sgt. Deanna Cantrell fired pepper spray. Arnold said Lennox wanted to sit down when Meacham said, "(racial slur), you're going down" and tackled him, the report states. The three other officers tried to break up the fight and Officer David Kohler was hit in the head by Lennox, Arnold told police. Lennox broke free and threw a plastic chair, striking Kohler, and then Lennox put his hands up in the air, Arnold said. Kohler then fired two shots at Lennox, according to Arnold. [MORE]

St. Paul will pay $15,000 to Settle Case - Foul Police Officer Attacked 11 Year Old Black Boy

The city of St. Paul has agreed to pay $15,000 to settle a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of a boy who alleged a police officer knocked him unconscious during a lunchroom scuffle at Ramsey Junior High School. It is the second settlement in less than a year involving the former officer, Tou Mo Cha, 37, and a juvenile. In September, the city agreed to pay $27,000 to Travonte Davis, who claimed Tou Mo Cha roughed him up during questioning. Davis was 11 at the time. Last year, Tou Mo Cha admitted lending a relative his police-issued handgun, which was later used in a high-profile drive-by shooting. He was sentenced to five days in a Ramsey County workhouse and is no longer a member of the police force. The most recently settled suit involved Prince Butler Jr., who was 12 at the time of the 2002 scuffle. Attorney Richard Hechter said Butler came to the defense of his sister, who was involved in a fight with other girls. Tou Mo Cha, then a school resource officer, intervened and knocked Butler unconscious, giving him a concussion, Hechter said. "In our position, we think it's a fair and reasonable settlement," Hechter said. "It's hard putting a teenager through a full-blown jury trial and cross-examination." Because Butler is a ward of the state, the Minnesota Department of Human Services brought the suit. Hechter said the money would be put in a trust until Butler is an adult. The incident was witnessed by dozens of students, many of whom said they saw Tou Mo Cha kick Butler in the head. A couple of weeks after the fight, police and school administrators held a heated meeting with about 60 parents and students. Tou Mo Cha was taken out of the school and put on patrol duty shortly after. The suit was filed more than a year after the fight. But a month before it was filed, Tou Mo Cha picked up Davis to question him in connection with a crime. During questioning, Davis alleged, Tou Mo Cha repeatedly threw him against a wall and punched him in the face. In both cases, the police department's Internal Affairs Unit investigated the claims and exonerated Tou Mo Cha. [MORE]

NAACP claims Black Man Accused of Shooting Assumption Parish Deputy is Innocent

The NAACP said Monday a man charged in connection with the shooting death of an Assumption Parish deputy is innocent. Byron Meads is accused of wrestling for a deputy's gun and causing the weapon to fire and kill Sgt. Jeremy Newchurch. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People officials said Meads never had control of the gun and that they believe a fellow deputy accidentally shot and killed Newchurch. The NAACP has sent a letter to the FBI asking for an independent investigation into the case. Leaders claim Meads was also severely beaten by sheriff's deputies. "I can assure you that the NAACP will do everything in our power to see that Byron Meads is freed from jail," said Jerome Boykin of the NAACP. Members of a narcotics task force were trying to arrest Meads at the time of the incident because they believed he was dealing drugs. State Police investigated the shooting, but Byron Meads' attorney said investigators only have one side of the story. [MORE] and [MORE]

Distorted Video Released: Cobb County Police Attack Black Man

In video capture by a Cobb County officer’s dash cam, attorney, Phillip Holloway says you can barely see an officer punching his client, 23-year-old Kalu Ugah.“And then they drag him to the side and continue to beat him,” says Holloway.Holloway says you can’t see the entire beating because the tape he was given by Cobb authorities was of such poor quality.“Their copy is much more…it’s much higher quality than what they provided to me,” Holloway says.“They was stomping on my head. It was a lot of kicking and a lot of beating,” says Ugah. Ugah says in addition to the severe beating, officers also yelled racial slurs at him. He’s filed an internal affairs complaint and a federal civil rights violation lawsuit.When asked if he felt the tape helped his case, Holloway responded, “I think it does.”Holloway says the higher quality tape of the incident will prove that officers, for no reason, beat Ugah, who was charged with DUI and other traffic offenses.“He was not charged with anything related to resisting arrest. And he was not charged with obstructing an officer in any way,” says Holloway.Ugah was on his way home when officers stopped him. He says he was not intoxicated.Ugah pulled into his apartment complex, but says he couldn’t get out because the card key island was in the way. He says that’s when officers arrived and started beating him.“In my opinion, there’s a federal crime committed during this stop,” Holloway says. And Holloway plans to meet with U.S. Attorneys to pursue criminal charges.  [MORE]

Accounts Differ Between Sacramento Police &Coroner in Shooting Death of Black Man

The NAACP along with community and religious leaders demanded an investigation Wednesday into the fatal shooting of a man by Elk Grove police.The civil rights organization wants police officials to explain descrepancies in how the shooting was reported by officers. Lamarr Alexander, 26, was shot April 11 after leading officers on a chase, officials said."We want our sheriff and police department to be held accountable for their actions," said Isaiah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam. "Together, we call for a full investigation of the Lamaar Alexander shooting death." The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, which has provided police services in Elk Grove, reported that Alexander was shot in the upper chest during a fight with an officer. But the county coroner said Alexander was shot in the back. NAACP officials questioned how Alexander was endangering officers and what led him to be shot in the back. Alexander's mother, Mary McIntyre, vowed not to give up until she gets an explanation.With regard to the descrepancy, sheriff's department officials have said they made a good-faith effort to tell what happened as soon as possible. They also said Alexander was carrying a gun at the time, but the weapon was never drawn. [MORE] and [MORE]

Federal Judge rejects Richmond Police Officer's appeal to Throw Out Wrongful Death Suit - Unarmed Black Man Gunned Down by Scared Cop

The federal appeals court in Richmond yesterday rejected an appeal by city Detective David D. Melvin over a judge's refusal to dismiss a wrongful-death lawsuit against the officer. Rosa C. Johnson, the widow of an unarmed suspect Melvin shot, filed suit in May 2004 against Melvin, the city and several police officials. She is represented by lawyers Steven Benjamin and Betty Layne DesPortes. U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne denied pretrial motions by Melvin and the city for judgment in their favor in the case and scheduled trial to start last July. Last June, Melvin's lawyer, David P. Baugh, appealed Payne's ruling that the case should be tried to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Baugh could delay trial of the case further if he applies for a rehearing in the 4th Circuit. Baugh said he had not seen the dismissal order and could not comment. Melvin and other police officers went to the South Richmond home of Verlon M. Johnson Sr. the evening of May 17, 2002, to arrest him for robbery. An officer who went inside the house, where Johnson was upstairs brushing his teeth, ordered the shirtless man out the front door with hands up. Outside, Melvin and other officers had their weapons in hand. Witnesses differ, but Melvin said he saw Johnson put his right hand into the pocket of his baggy jeans then, when ordered, begin to withdraw his hand in a way that Melvin thought he was pulling a gun. Melvin fired a single shot into Johnson's chest. Johnson fell onto the porch and died. In a separate criminal case in Richmond Circuit Court, Melvin was tried and acquitted by a jury in February 2004 of second-degree murder. The Johnson lawsuit alleges that the Richmond Police Department's training and policies led to the use of excessive force in the death of Verlon Johnson. [MORE]

Questions surface in shooting of Black Man by Mesa cop: Police Felt Endangered by $4 Plastic Chair

“Uncle” Deon, known for his Kool-Aid Man smile, put his hands behind his back that morning and told officers: “Go ahead and cuff me. I’m going to jail.”  He was not smiling. The Mesa officers told 35-year-old James Deon Lennox to get on his knees. But, for whatever reason, he refused. Lennox’s neighbors watched from outside their doorways as the massive man and officers responding to a domestic argument call squared off in the apartment complex courtyard. To those neighbors, Lennox was a friend, a man they saw daily. To the officers, a stranger. That rift would widen in the coming moments and hours.  Before darkness turned to daylight on March 31, Lennox would receive a bullet in his head and another in his chest, both from an officer’s gun, as Lennox picked up a plastic lawn chair and turned toward the officers. That itself shocked neighbors enough. But it was the police explanation of the shooting, given later that day, that sent neighbors into a frenzy. The explanation was grim and sparse on details: Lennox beat an officer over the head “repeatedly” with a “hard, plastic chair.” When he reached for another plastic chair and came after officer David Kohler again, Kohler felt his life was in danger. So he squeezed his gun’s trigger twice.  Neighbors used some words that can’t be printed here to later describe how they felt about that explanation. But the message was clear: They wanted a chance to tell their version of how Lennox, or “JD” as they knew him, was sent to his grave. Witness Gary Hecht said, “you don’t shoot somebody over a $4 chair,” Hecht said during a recent interview. “Them same chairs are the ones that usually you sit on and then break the leg off of or you fall backward on or whatever. . . . They were junk. Just cheap chairs.” As the investigation has progressed, the department has acknowledged some uncertainty about whether Lennox hit Kohler “repeatedly” with a white plastic chair before he picked up the green one. The Hechts and Arnold have said Kohler was hit once when Lennox whirled the first plastic chair behind him. [MORE]

Funeral Held For Unarmed Black Man Gunned Down by Orange County Deputy

The investigation continues into what led an off-duty officer to shoot and kill a man last week. An Orange County sheriff's deputy said he shot the victim during a robbery attempt, WESH 2 News reported.Steven Johnson's funeral was held at the Shiloh Baptist Church in downtown Orlando Tuesday.The shooting happened as Deputy Greg McQuitter was leaving the Windchase Apartments in Sanford around 2 a.m.McQuitter claimed Johnson, 40, tried to rob him. McQuitter said he pulled out his service revolver and shot Johnson three times. Johnson died at the scene. An investigation later revealed Johnson was unarmed. McQuitter was placed on administrative leave and has hired his own lawyer while the matter is investigated. At first he did not give any statements to investigators, but this past weekend, he voluntarily gave a statement and repeated his belief that Johnson was trying to rob him. [MORE] and [MORE]

Government Refuses to Release Mass. State Trooper Shooting Inquest Report for Preston Johnson

Boston attorney Stephen Hrones filed a motion Tuesday requesting the public release of an inquest report on the shooting death of Fitchburg resident Preston Johnson. The motion asks for a superior court judge to lift a standing impoundment on the report by Judge Robert V. Greco, if the document does not recommend criminal prosecution of anyone in connection with Johnson's death. District Attorney John Conte called for the inquest to determine whether someone can be criminally charged for the Nov. 3 fatal shooting of Johnson, 30, by a state trooper following an early-morning police chase through Fitchburg streets. Hrones argues that Conte should state whether he will prosecute anyone, and if he is not, Greco's report should be released in full.Conte has access to the inquest's findings, but has not yet publicly decided whether to seek charges against anyone. Hrones gave a copy of the motion, signed on behalf of Johnson's mother, Dorothy Johnson, to the Sentinel & Enterprise. "The family's concern is that the District Attorney will for an undue period of time claim no decision has been made as to whether they will prosecute, thus denying the victim's family access to the facts relating to the death of their son, brother, husband and father," the motion reads. State Trooper Donald C. Gray shot Johnson once to protect himself and Fitchburg Officer Douglas Darton, Gray's attorney, according to Gray's attorney, Joseph P. Kittredge. Johnson died the next day at a Worcester hospital. Greco's report is the result of five days of testimony at a closed-door inquest. The document was immediately impounded when it arrived at the Worcester Superior Court in late March, and access to it is limited. Conte has declined several requests from the Sentinel & Enterprise for comment on the inquest report over the past several weeks. Hrones said the family won't consider filing a civil suit in connection with Johnson's death until the inquest report is released.[MORE]

Video Shows Black Teen Beaten by Jackson Police

A Jackson family is speaking out Friday night about how Michael Black was arrested Wednesday afternoon. The Jackson teen and two other minors were being pursued by the J.P.D. SWAT team for a string of car burglaries. When a standoff began, Black ran from officers when they approached the house but was later caught. The charges have now changed since he was arrested Wednesday afternoon, but his family is more concerned about how he was arrested, all caught on tape. Michael's brother, David, says, "Look how he was treated.  They just taking turns punching him: your turn, punch, your turn, punch, your turn, punch.  That wasn't called for." His mother, Lisa, fought back tears outside the courtroom saying, "They beat him with flashlights and kicked him all in the head and shoulder.  His face is swollen. They wasn't right.  They did not protect and serve." Even the teen’s grandmother was shocked when she arrived. While her grandson was in handcuffs, she says one officer went too far. "Then he flipped him over, with the handcuffs still on, and beat on him. He hit him in the face. Then he was choking him, and his mouth was bleeding,” said Grace Traylor.[MORE] and[MORE]

• Attorney Claims Michael Black Is Innocent [MORE]
  

Grand jury decides against charging security guard in teen's death

A Newport News Special Grand Jury recommended no charges be placed in the shooting of a teenager by a security guard. Raymond Cary, 16, was in a car with several other teenagers on the night of December 10, 2005. The guard at the Mariner's Landing apartments pulled them over for playing loud music. The two struggled and police say the guard shot Cary in the neck. Police investigated and didn't place charges. Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn sent the case for review by the Grand Jury because, after reviewing the police report and witness statements, he still couldn't decide what happened. Two members of Cary's family testified before the panel in March. Cary's mother said she received a letter dated May 3 informing her of the decision. [MORE]

Jury acquits East Palo Alto Police Accused of Beating Black Man who Offered Drugs

Two East Palo Alto police officers accused of beating up a resident for offering to sell them crack cocaine were acquitted of all charges Tuesday. Officer Eddie Rivers wiped back tears when the jury's decision was read after a little more than four hours of deliberation. "We're very relieved and very happy with the verdict,'' said Rivers, 39.
Prosecutors said Rivers and Taflinger, who were off duty the night of Aug. 21, 2004, were drunk and became enraged when Brooks offered to sell them crack as they sat in a friend's sport-utility vehicle outside an East Palo Alto 7-Eleven. Afterward, both he and officer Johnny Taflinger exchanged hugs and high-fives with a handful of uniformed and plain-clothes police officers who showed up to support them. The pair faced felony charges of assault and misdemeanor charges of battery, which could have sent them to prison for four years. But the state's case was weakened by its main witnesses: Calvin Brooks, the alleged victim and an admitted drug user, and David Carson, a fellow East Palo Alto police officer who helped build the case against the two but had credibility issues of his own. Brooks testified that the officers chased him down and kicked him so severely that he had to go to the emergency room. But Saam said jurors did not believe Brooks had injuries consistent with the attack as he described it, and he later filed a civil suit against the officers and the city which defense attorneys said proved he was in it for the money.Brooks was not in court for the verdict. Another man involved in the alleged attack, 20-year-old police Explorer Scout Eddi Tapia Torres, still faces criminal prosecution. [MORE] and [MORE] and [MORE]

New Black Panther Party Calls for Justice in Houston Police Killing of Black Man

 
About 20 people gathered outside the Harris County Courthouse on Tuesday to protest local police brutality and the shooting deaths of various people, including one reserve officer, in recent years by law enforcement officers
Organizers said the protest comes on the second anniversary of 25-year-old Hiji Eugene Harrison's shooting death by a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop. Grand jurors declined to indict Deputy William Dale Wilkinson, who said Harrison tried to take his gun. Imam Akbar, national minister of justice for the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense, said several have been victims of police brutality in Houston, but "we believe the citizens can overcome the system." Some members of the group also attended the Houston City Council meeting to present a resolution that asked that excessive force by police officers be criminally indictable and punitive. [MORE]

After Police Killing of Somali Man Franklin County Deputies Meet with Community Leaders

Leaders of the local Somali community and law enforcement officials have devised ways to work together and improve relations that were strained after a fatal police shooting. They announced their plans Wednesday after six meetings that followed the death of Nasir Abdi on Dec. 28. Abdi, 23, was shot as four Franklin County sheriff's deputies tried to take him back to a mental hospital. The sheriff's office said Abdi threatened the deputies with a knife. Somali leaders said witnesses never saw the knife, and about 600 Somalis protested at City Hall a week later. A grand jury did not issue an indictment in the shooting. Police officials have agreed to establish an advisory committee to act as a link to Somalis, participate in cultural diversity classes and provide education for Somalis about local laws and enforcement. The Somalis will provide a list of leaders who can assist police in an emergency and help police create a training video for their community. Officials said police procedures differ in the United States and Somalia, where stopped motorists get out of their cars and walk over to an officer's car, a move police here might consider threatening. To overcome the language barrier, Franklin County deputies will receive cards asking questions in Somali such as a person's name and address, Chief Deputy Gil Jones said. [MORE]

Jury decides Rialto Police Officer Used Excessive Force in Killing Black Man

A Rialto police officer used excessive deadly force when he shot and killed Demetrius Swift, 22, during a confrontation in 2003, a federal jury has decided. The eight-member jury ruled against Officer James Mills and awarded $226,000 to Swift’s family Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Riverside, attorneys said. ‘‘For a jury to have the wisdom and courage to say that this deadly force was excessive, I think supports that members of our community think there should be some limits on the amount of force that police officers can use against an individual,’’ said attorney Dale K. Galipo, who represented Swift’s mother and son.  Officers were called to a domestic dispute at a home in the 1400 block of West Van Koevering Street on Feb. 22, 2003, according to Rialto Police Department. Officers learned that Swift, a parolee, had shown up at his son’s grandmother’s house, kicked in the door and demanded to see his son. When the grandmother told Swift he couldn’t see the baby without a court order, he reportedly punched her in the mouth. The grandmother screamed, and neighbors called police. Swift ran off, but a few moments later Mills and Officer Christopher Guerrero found him in the 500 block of North Linden Avenue. At some point, Swift reportedly flashed a knife with a 5-inch blade and threatened the officers. He also picked up a dirt clod and threw it at the officers, but it did not hit them. The officers ordered Swift to get down on the ground, but instead, police say, he charged the officers with the knife. Mills fired his service weapon three times, striking Swift in the head and chest. Three witnesses testified during the trial. During discussions with the jurors after court proceedings, jurors offered two reasons for their finding, said Galipo, who is based in Woodland Hills. First, jurors told the attorneys they thought the officers’ testimony was inconsistent, and second, physical evidence, specifically the shell casings, showed the shooting happened at a greater distance than what was described by officers, Galipo said. [MORE]

• Officer to face no charge in Fontana man's death [MORE]
  

Group: Amateur Video Shows San Jose Police Brutality During Cinco De Mayo Celebration

There is controversy in San Jose over how police handled crowds celebrating Cinco de Mayo. A home videotape shows struggles between officers and the public on Friday night. There's debate whether police were out of line. On Cinco de Mayo, celebrations in San Jose got festive -- and at times out of control. Police arrested 56 people Friday night on charges ranging from public drunkenness to assault, but it's what happened on the corner of Story and King roads that has a community riled up. Antonio Diaz, Black Berets for Justice: "We believe that we were targeted as an organization." Antonio Diaz says he and police watch groups from Berkely and San Jose were monitoring Cinco de Mayo festivities on the city's east side.  Antonio Diaz, Black Berets for Justice: "We already met with four of the officers earlier in the night. They had approved of the event and it wasn't an illegal assembly." But as the crowd grew, police say so did the fear that it was becoming a dangerous situation. Officers first tried dispersing the crowd by announcing their request over loudspeakers, as did a party organizer. Some people did leave -- but not all. When officers moved in, they scuffled physically with a group. In the video, you can see one officer strike with a baton. Another pushes aside a woman who is videotaping with a camera. In the end, officers arrested six people on charges of not dispersing and resisting arrest. The police watch groups are claiming brutality. Antonio Diaz and the police watch groups disagree with the police actions and are asking for an investigation. They say they have other videos to prove this isn't the first time San Jose police have terrorized their community, and they're asking for the public's help. [MORE]

Probe delayed as witnesses sought in Stratford Police Beating of 15 Year Old Black Girl

The inquiry into police brutality complaints against Officer David Gugliotti has been delayed as investigators seek statements from additional witnesses. Police last Wednesday wrote Charles Kurmay — the lawyer representing Town Councilman Alvin O'Neal, D-2 — seeking the names of witnesses they believe Kurmay knows. Kurmay would not say whether he knows any witnesses with relevant information. O'Neal filed the initial complaint against Gugliotti in late March after intervening when the officer was arresting 15-year-old Titasheen Mitchell. Witnesses say that Gugliotti punched the girl, who was resisting arrest and had allegedly struck the officer. O'Neal says he was arrested and punched when he intervened and asked Gugliotti why he hit Mitchell. The girl's mother, Marcia Mitchell-Davis, last week filed complaints against Gugliotti and every officer at the scene of her daughter's arrest. She accuses the other officers of not stopping the melee. The incident occurred outside Mitchell-Davis' restaurant — Mitchell's Caribbean Delights. [MORE] and [MORE]

Newark Activists demand that Earl Faison case be Reopened - Black Man Beaten to Death in "Stairwell of Torture"

The Newark-based People’s Organization for Progress (POP) hand delivered a letter to New Jersey State Attorney General Zelima V. Farber on April 11, regarding re-opening the murder case of Earl Faison. It has been seven years since the aspiring rapper died at age 27 at the hands of five Orange, New Jersey police officers, who had arrested him as a suspect in the murder of a fellow police officer.  On April 7, 1999, police officer Joyce Ann Carnegie was murdered, and a manhunt for her killer began. Several people were arrested, including Faison, a parolee who was known by the Orange Police Department. The real killer of Officer Carnegie subsequently confessed and is serving a life sentence. However, the state of New Jersey never brought charges against the five officers for the killing of Faison. They were finally sent to jail by a federal court, which ruled in 2004 that they had violated his civil rights. Four of the officers were sentenced to four years, and the fifth received nine years. The U.S. Attorney said that Faison died in a “stairwell of torture” because he was brutalized out of the sight of those who were present in the Orange police station where they were holding him. Police officials stated in 1999 that Faison died of an asthma attack. While he remained handcuffed, Faison was beaten and pepper sprayed in his mouth and nose. The POP letter to the attorney general stated that the case should be reopened because “Faison lost more than his civil rights, he lost his life and someone must be held accountable for his death.” It also stated in the letter that if “the murder case of Emmett Till can be reopened after 50 years…then the case of Earl Faison can be reopened after seven years.” Lawrence Hamm, POP’s chairman, said “it is clear to us that the killing of Earl Faison is part of the long shameful history of racially motivated police brutality in New Jersey."  [MORE]

Black Couple Allege Exessive Force in Suit Against Jacksonville Police

A Jacksonville man whom police used a stun gun on during a high school homecoming night brawl filed a lawsuit against the officers who arrested him, their former supervisor and the city of Jacksonville. The lawsuit claims that officers attacked him and arrested his wife without reason. Larry and Leslie Hinton name four Jacksonville police officers, the former police chief and a Cherokee County deputy sheriff in the suit filed Wednesday. It also claims the city is liable for employing the officers and allowing an unlawful arrest. Hinton alleges that officers beat him with a police weapon, used Mace and a Taser on him, knocked two teeth out and cracked a third tooth during his arrest. The night of Oct. 22, 2004, crowds of people in the parking lot of the Tomato Bowl were fighting and "out of control," Acting Chief Lt. John Page said earlier. A jury acquitted Hinton for charges of resisting arrest and interfering with the duties of a public servant at a Jan. 25 trial. A judge dismissed Mrs. Hinton's charge of disorderly conduct April 21. The suit is the second claim of excessive force filed against the department linked to the incident. Leisha Mosely claimed officers maced her, pulled her hair, shoved her over and kneed her back in a lawsuit she filed in February. Ms. Mosely's lawsuit blamed the fights on racial issues. It said a black boy sat next to a white girl during the football game and the girl's older brothers started an argument. The boys moved to the parking lot and involved relatives and friends of the boy. The suit says Hinton "had no idea what he was walking into" when trying to leave the game and saw officers handcuffing his wife. When he asked officers what was happening, he was "immediately attacked," the suit says. Former Jacksonville patrol officer Larry Pugh maced and beat Hinton, according to the lawsuit. Cherokee County deputy sheriff Gina Battley also attacked him and Jacksonville police officer Jason Price tasered him, the suit says. The suit also names three former Jacksonville police employees: Police Chief Mark Johnson, Officer Raymond Bouman and Sgt. Jeff Johnson. The Hintons ask for a jury trial in the lawsuit. They ask the jury to fine the defendants to compensate for attorney fees and medical bills and ask for punitive damages to deter the officers from repeating the alleged offenses.[MORE]

Black Man Fought Charlottesville Police in Self Defense: But Cook Found Guilty of resisting arrest

A Charlottesville jury on Thursday convicted a man of resisting arrest but, citing a lack of evidence, could not come to a consensus on whether Kerry Von Reese Cook assaulted two police officers in an August 2004 struggle that ended with Cook being shot. It is unclear whether Cook will be tried again on the remaining assault and battery charges. Two special prosecutors from Chesterfield left Charlottesville Circuit Court without comment, saying that they could not talk about a pending case. The jury deadlocked on the assault charges, but recommended that Cook serve nine months of a possible 12-month jail sentence for resisting arrest. Cook, who wears a colostomy bag as a result of his injuries, has been in custody since the incident. Circuit Judge Edward L. Hogshire ordered that he serve the sentence on top of the 21 months he already has served. Members of the six-man, six-woman jury left the courthouse looking tired, and those who talked to members of the press said a lack of evidence caused the impasse. Charlottes-ville police Officers William Sclafani and Jeremy Carper were dispatched to an apartment at the low-income Friendship Court housing complex on Aug. 22, 2004, on a domestic disturbance call. Sclafani testified that Cook came out of a closet and charged his partner, sparking a brief but intense fight. Sclafani said he shot Cook once in the abdomen after Cook nearly choked him. Cook testified that he didn’t know the men were officers and was fighting for his life. [MORE]and [MORE]

• Special grand jury notes concerns over racial aspects of Police Attack on Kerry V. Cook [MORE]