Massachusetts Police Brutality Stories

Federal courts have awarded damages somewhat more frequently.  Federal courts, however, usually require that a civil rights violation be present.

I am a tax paying citizen of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I was recently mistreated by a state police officer. I was driving on route 190 on my way to Gardner, MA. I had my 65 year old grandmother in the car with me.

While driving, my grandma started having trouble breathing. (She had swallowed a piece of hard candy) At the time I did not know what was wrong. Route 190 is a long deserted road, there is nothing but trees for miles. I panicked and started to speed. I wanted to get help. 

I looked in my rear view mirror, and saw a police car with it's lights on, so I pulled over and I jumped out of the car to get his attention. I thought wonderful, help for my grandma... I thought wrong!

Before I could say a word, the state cop had jumped from his car and now had me at GUN POINT!!! He told me to get to the ground, I tried to tell him about my grandma choking in my car, but he would not listen. Then out of no where another police officer (I could not tell from where) ran toward me, punched me in the face and knocked me to the ground. 

I was on my back looking up at my two ATTACKERS, and then I got sprayed with pepper mace. I could not breathe, and my whole face burned. To make matters worse, some of the spray hit my grandmother!!! The police put me in hand cuffs, and called an ambulance for my grandma. She was rushed to the hospital and nearly died from the experience. 

The police took me back to their head quarters. After hearing my story, and seeing for themselves they STILL ARESTED ME !!!! The sargent at head quarters laughed at my story. I asked how my grandma was doing and I heard one of the police say "she probably croaked." You can imagine how upset this made me. I told them they were very rude people, they got mad and said they were going to increase my bail. They said if I had kept my mouth shut I would have to pay $25.00, but because i was a big mouth I would have to pay $125.00. I did not have the money, so i spent the entire night in jail. They did not let me sleep, and I think they sprayed my blanket with that pepper stuff. 
In court they said I was charged with being a disorderly person?!, resisting arrest?! and assault on a police officer???!!! I had no record, but looking like I did after that terrible night, they probably thought I was a junkie. I am still fighting this arrest today, but I do not think I will win. The cards seem stacked against me.

I am so glad to see this information on the Internet. This is what the Internet should be used for. My story begins two months ago. I was arrested by the west Boylston police department after an illegal search of my belongings and of my body. Because of this search, the police officer found one joint in my jacket pocket. This was not my joint, I had loaned my jacket to a female friend of mine on a cold night. I did not know at the time that she smoked pot. 

I tried to explain this to the police officer, but he did not want to hear it. He was very intense, and seemed to be very short tempered. He said I was resisting the arrest because I said I was innocent. I told him I was not resisting his arrest, but the pot was not mine. He pulled out a small can and held it up to my face. He said he was going to spray me if I did not submit. (I was not fighting him at all!!!) Then before I could say o.k., the officer sprayed me in the face. I do not know what it was, but it burned my face, my eyes, and I could not breathe. He then pushed me to the ground and sat on my head. I was gasping for air and I thought I was going to die. He left me on the ground for at least ten minutes. Then he picked me up using the handcuffs, almost pulling my arms out of the sockets. He threw me head first into his car and called me a sh-- head. 
My ordeal was not over, at his police station I told him I needed a doctor, but he laughed at me. I told him he was violating my civil rights. He said I had no rights in his town. I got mad, and may be I should not have said this but I called him a p-ssy. The cop snapped, he grabbed me while I was handcuffed and punched me in the gut, over and over. 
At court the judge did not let me tell my story. Police like this should not be working.

I was having a party in my dorm room at UMass-Amherst when someone tried to push their way through the closing door.  I pushed the door to prevent this person from getting in.  Sure enough it was a police officer.  He claimed A&B EVEN THOUGH I NEVER TOUCHED HIM!  I just was shutting the door on him, and he never even ID'd himself (the door was obscuring my view of him). 

My arm was in a sling at the time, as I had just hurt my ligaments in the capsule.  I had been fitted for the sling 2 days before this incident.  the cop ignored my sling and tried to cuff both arms behind my back.  When I complained and yelled in pain, I was charged with resisting arrest.  My shoulder popped out severely.  I hd surgery on it and have lost 50% of my range of motion in that shoulder.