Pubdate: Sun, 01 Feb 2015 Source: Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) Copyright: 2015 The Plain Dealer Contact: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/letter-to-editor/ Website: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/342 Note: priority given to local letter writers Author: Ryllie Danylko Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids) Forcing Change POLICE ACCUSED OF BEATING SUSPECT OVER SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eight Cleveland police officers barged into a home without a search warrant, assaulted several men and walked away with a small amount of marijuana, according to a lawsuit. Pierre Fitzpatrick alleged in the lawsuit that officers kicked open the door to his home in January 2010, as he and family members including two 1-year-old children were watching a televised basketball game. The officers ordered the four men in the house to get on the ground and placed them in handcuffs. They punched the men in the faces and stomped on their backs and ribs, according to the lawsuit. They asked Fitzpatrick and his guests why the house smelled like marijuana. Fitzpatrick admitted they had been smoking a joint while watching the game, according to the suit. The three women in the house were taken into another room and threatened, according to the lawsuit. One officer told Fitzpatrick's pregnant wife to "shut the f--k up or we will slap off your glasses," according to the complaint. Police seized a marijuana plant, a small bag of the drug, $144 in cash, some drug paraphernalia, Fitzpatrick's legally owned gun, his brother's gun, ammunition and a phone. The men were taken to jail, and all but one were released three days later. Sheldon Arnold, Fitzpatrick's brother, was held on drug trafficking charges, court records show. A search warrant was issued shortly after the men were taken into custody, according to the suit. The warrant stated police had probable cause to believe there were illegal drugs in the home. Fitzpatrick was treated for chest bruises at Lakewood Hospital. He was never charged with any crimes. Fitzpatrick and his wife, Tamika, sued the officers and the city, claiming "the City of Cleveland is responsible for instructing its law enforcement officers not to engage in mindless brutality." They also accused the officers of ignoring proper procedure during the wrongful arrest. The city settled the case for $7,000. [sidebar] About This Series Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer reviewed the details of nearly 70 lawsuits against Cleveland officers that resulted in taxpayer payouts over the past decade. The lawsuits alleged that officers used excessive force, made wrongful arrests or needlessly escalated violence during encounters with citizens. Though the city admitted no wrongdoing in settling many of the lawsuits, taken as a whole, the patterns that emerge from the cases match closely with the patterns of police behavior that were described in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation. The city has declined the opportunity to discuss the individual cases in more detail. In response to questions, the city released a statement contending that it seriously considers all allegations of excessive force by officers. This, according to the city, has resulted in a steady drop in the annual number of incidents. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom