"This was a deliberate indifference to the rights of citizens," said Gary Mastronardi, who with Robert Berke filed the lawsuit Friday against the city, Mayor Bill Finch, Police Chief Joseph Gaudett and members of the city's Office of Internal Affairs. "They didn't protect the citizens, they protected these cops. Gaudett is going to have some explaining to do."
The lawsuit alleges that since 2010, Sgt. Ronald Mercado and officers Robert Lawlor and Elson Morales were given a free hand by their superiors to beat up and abuse citizens. The suit lists nine specific incidents.
"We believe there are many more," Mastronardi said.
"The department has in place specific policies and procedures against the improper use of force," said Police Department spokesman Bill Kaempffer. "Allegations regarding unreasonable force are taken seriously and investigated by the Office of Internal Affairs under a procedure approved by the federal court. The department intends to defend its actions in investigating citizens' complaints against the allegations in this lawsuit."
But Mastronardi countered that the OIA's investigative process intimidates citizens from proceeding with their complaints against officers.
He said prospective complainants are told they could be prosecuted if they lie in their statements. He claimed detectives don't actively investigate claims, but instead send registered letters to the complainants asking them to come in and give statements.
"The system is set up so that the citizen is never believed unless a video is made public," he said.
Of the eight incidents identified in the lawsuit, two of the alleged victims never filed a complaint with OIA, and three did not respond to certified letters to provide signed, sworn statements so their cases were closed. One later withdrew his complaint.
Among the nine incidents of alleged brutality by the officers include the May 20, 2011, kicking and stomping by the officers of a man lying on the ground in Beardsley Park that was captured on video by a passerby that was posted a year later on YouTube, and the May 5, 2012, struggle between the officers and a man stopped for driving with tinted windows, also captured on video.
On May 20, 2011, Orlando Lopez-Soto was arrested in Beardsley Park following a chase by Morales and Lawlor.
A video taken by a citizen in the park shows that after twice being shot with stun guns by the officers, Lopez-Soto was repeatedly kicked in the head, face and body by Lawlor, Morales and officer Clive Higgins. The video was made public earlier this year and received national attention.
Lopez-Soto has a separate lawsuit pending against the officers in federal court.
In another videotaped incident, on May 5, 2012, Michael Stinson was driving in the P.T. Barnum housing complex when he was stopped by Mercado, Lawlor and Morales for driving with tinted windows.
A video taken by a citizen shows Mercado shoving Stinson on the ground and choking him while Lawlor and Morales repeatedly kick Stinson. Lawlor then shot pepper spray into Stinson's mouth.
Feliciano, Bracey, Santiago, Bravo, Lopez-Soto and Stinson have prior criminal records. Lopez-Soto pleaded guilty to gun and drug charges from the incident and is serving a 5-year prison term. Stinson later pleaded guilty to assault and drug charges in an unrelated incident and is serving a 5-year term.
"Ironically, Mr. Stinson and his lawyers assert a failure of the internal affairs process when it is in fact undisputed that Mr. Stinson himself failed to cooperate with their investigation of his claim," said Associate City Attorney Betsy Edwards.
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More Information
About the lawsuitThe lawsuit against several Bridgeport officials and the city includes the following allegations:
On Dec. 3, 2010, William Feliciano was arrested on Gilmore Street after a brief chase. Two officers repeatedly kicked Feliciano in the face, head and body causing multiple fractures requiring two surgeries and medical bills of $125,000.
On Dec. 30, 2011, Efraim Perez was arrested. After handcuffing Perez, an officer watched as two others rammed Perez's head into a wall, rubbed his face into ice and snow on the street and beat Perez while accusing him of being a gang member.
On Jan. 3, 2011 Aaron Bracey was leaning against a parked car on Reservoir Avenue waiting for a ride to work when the suit states he was approached by officers, who grabbed him and pinned his chest to the hood of the car. He was handcuffed and put into their police car and after a while let go with a ticket for loitering, according to the suit.
On April 19, 2011, Angel Santiago was being arrested by an officer who repeatedly kicked him in the head, face and mouth.
On May 23, 2011, Ramon Sierra was walking to a store on Boston Avenue when he was stopped by police. The suits alleges that officers grabbed Sierra, who is paralyzed on his left side, threw him on the ground, then drove his head into the side of the police cruiser. He was hospitalized for his injuries.
On May 20, 2011, Orlando Lopez-Soto was arrested in Beardsley Park following a chase by police. A video taken by a citizen in the park shows that after being shot twice with a stun gun by the officers, Lopez-Soto was repeatedly kicked in the head, face and body.
On Aug. 16, 2011, Courtney Swabey was arrested after he criticized officers for using excessive force against a female friend. They then threw him on the ground and kicked him repeatedly in the head and body, causing him to be hospitalized, the suit states.
On Nov. 3, 2011, William Bravo was arrested after a foot chase for possession of marijuana. Bravo was struck repeatedly in the head with an officer's gun, then was kicked in the head, face and body.
On May 5, 2012, Michael Stinson was stopped by police for driving with tinted windows. A video taken by a citizen shows an officer shoving Stinson on the ground and choking him while two others repeatedly kick Stinson. An officer then shot pepper spray into Stinson's mouth