Thursday, June 26, 2008

Police Brutality Lawsuit

EAST BREWTON, Ala.

An East Brewton couple has filed a police brutality lawsuit that claims harassment by an officer cause the woman to give birth prematurely.

The civil complaint filed in federal court in Mobile by Michael Palmer and Amber Ballard accuses Officer Jason Crawford, Police Chief B.C. Cooper and unnamed officers with 13 violations of state and federal law.

Neither Cooper nor Crawford, who has left the Police Department, could be reached for comment.

The suit, reported Wednesday by the Press-Register, claims Crawford repeatedly stopped and harassed Palmer at work and other locations in East Brewton. It states that Crawford grabbed Ballard's hand during a 2006 traffic stop and pushed her into the car, pressing against her stomach. The suit says that, later that month, Ballard gave birth about five weeks before her due date.

No comments: