Orlando Police Apologize to Woman for Broken Teeth
The Orlando Police Department has officially apologized to a woman whose teeth were broken after she was thrown to the ground by an officer who was trying to break up a fight in front of a downtown Orlando bar last year. The department suspended the officer for 40 hours without pay and admitted that he had used excessive force when he pushed the woman down and made no attempt to help her break the fall.
Orlando police officials said this incident has lead to policy changes within the department. Now, police supervisors will be required to review any video evidence that may be available to determine if there are any inconsistencies between what is seen on the video and what is written in an officer’s official report. The deputy chief insists that the officer in question did not lie about this particular incident, but that some inconsistencies about the order of events were revealed.
The officer claimed that the woman was pushing, hitting, and screaming at him while he was trying to break up the fight. The woman claims that she was trying to walk away from the officer when she was pushed down. She was arrested on three charges, including battery on a police officer. The state of Florida has since dropped all of the charges.
The officer will not be fired and the woman has filed a civil suit.
Do I Have a Case?
Cases like these — especially when they involve law enforcement — can be extremely thorny. If you have been injured due to the negligence of another person, you do have the right to seek compensation, regardless of who that other person is. Getting advice from the experienced Orlando personal injury attorneys at Farah & Farah is a good move when you are not sure what your next move should be. Call us today at (800) 533-3555 — the call is free and completely confidential.
Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/os-broken-teeth-orlando-police-review-20120315,0,4058581.story; http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/officer-who-threw-woman-down-gets-40-hour-suspensi/nLTR2/
