DETROIT
A woman who claims a police lieutenant offered her cash and store gift cards to keep quiet about her allegation that several officers broke into her home and assaulted her and her children has filed a $15 million lawsuit.
Attorneys for Tasha Flowers filed a the suit Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court. The alleged incident occurred Jan. 3.
Flowers claims in the lawsuit that several Detroit police officers from the department's Western District were responding to a neighbor's complaint that she was selling drugs in her home on Shrewsbury when they rushed into Flowers' home without her permission and without a search warrant.
"They showed up at my door and pointed a gun at me," Flowers said. "Then the officers pushed past me into my house and started asking me about drugs and guns.
"My 13-year-old daughter asked them, 'What are you doing? You can't come into our house without a warrant.'"
Flowers said her 17-year-old son's friend also questioned officers about their actions. "They pushed my daughter, and threw me to the ground and twisted my arm," she said. "Then the lieutenant grabbed my 14-year-old son in a chokehold until he was unconscious."
Flowers said the group of about 10 officers began assaulting her other six children, ages 8 to 17. The children suffered cuts, scrapes and bruises, she said.
"The cops were all standing around afterward, bragging about how they beat up the whole family," Flowers said.
Then, the next day, Flowers said the lieutenant in charge of the officers paid a second visit to her home.
"He said he felt bad about what he'd done, and asked if there was anything he could do to make up for it," Flowers said. "Then he offered me two gift cards: One from Walmart and Target; and $100 -- like I'm supposed to take this money and keep quiet. He also told me to call the domestic shelter and tell him I got my bruises because my boyfriend had beat me up."
Flowers said she turned the money and gift cards over to Detroit Police Internal affairs investigators.
Cmdr. Brian Stair of the Internal Affairs Section acknowledged that investigators are looking into the allegations. He said all the pertinent witnesses have been interviewed, and that police officials are waiting for other materials, such as squad car video, to come back before making a decision on whether to discipline the officers involved.
"This is domestic terrorism, plain and simple," said Ron Scott, director of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality.
Added Flowers' attorney, Karri Mitchell: "The police ran roughshod over these people. There is absolutely no justification for what they did."
More Information: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-policeraid-lawsui,0,1309811.story
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