A police officer in suburban Boston who was pursuing a white suspect pinned a 20-year-old Black man to the bottom and positioned a knee on the person’s neck regardless of having no proof he was concerned in any crime, in keeping with a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on Wednesday.
Donovan Johnson was minutes from house after leaving work in February 2021 when the white officer ran up, drew his gun and threw Johnson to the snow-covered floor face first, the lawsuit filed in opposition to the city of Arlington, Massachusetts, and three officers alleges.
The swimsuit says the officer pinned Johnson to the bottom by inserting a knee on his neck. The criticism says Johnson yelled “I can’t breathe!” however the officer “continued to pin Mr Johnson to the bottom along with his knee” whereas the white suspect “was left unattended”.
The lawsuit filed in Boston federal court docket alleges police violated Johnson’s constitutional rights once they stopped him, searched him, handcuffed him and positioned him at the back of a cruiser earlier than releasing him with no costs.
Johnson mentioned the incident took such an emotional toll that he struggled to handle his life to the purpose he virtually misplaced his job as a grants administrator for a hospital.
“I used to be wrongfully arrested and wrongfully searched simply due to the truth that he thought I used to be the individual that he was chasing down,” Johnson mentioned.
The Arlington police chief, Julie Flaherty, mentioned police couldn't remark as neither police nor the city had but been served the lawsuit.
Johnson’s legal professionals say an inside investigation discovered officers violated insurance policies and procedures. One legal professional, Mirian Albert of Legal professionals for Civil Rights, mentioned they hoped the case would eradicate racial profiling within the division.
“All individuals ought to really feel protected in their very own communities,” she mentioned. “Mr Johnson’s rights have been violated inside view of his house and that is precisely the kind of police misconduct that fuels distrust between communities of colour and legislation enforcement.”
Police have been have been referred to as to an Arlington resort a few man who employees believed was concerned within the theft of televisions, the lawsuit says. The white man was “identified to police” for “prior felony acts” and officer Steven Conroy confirmed a photograph of the person to the entrance desk clerk, who mentioned it gave the impression to be the identical individual.
Police went to a room however the man escaped they usually started to chase him, in keeping with the lawsuit. Johnson noticed the person jog previous earlier than Conroy approached and yelled at each males to “get the [expletive] on the ground”.
The white suspect acquired on his knees however Johnson stayed standing, the lawsuit says. Johnson says Conroy drew his gun, threw him to the bottom and pinned him with a knee on his neck.
One other officer who arrived in a cruiser acknowledged the white man and put him in handcuffs and the suspect instructed the officer he didn’t know Johnson. A 3rd officer “instantly jumped on” Johnson to assist Conroy maintain him down.
Legal professionals say the officers had no purpose to imagine Johnson was concerned in any crime: police had a photograph of the white suspect they have been on the lookout for, Johnson and the opposite man instructed officers they didn’t know one another and “nothing within the investigation indicated that there was multiple male suspect concerned”.
The criticism says Johnson was launched after resort employees instructed officers they'd by no means seen him earlier than. Police left him to seek out his personal method house.
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