Huntington police again accused of civil rights violations

The following story was submitted using CopBlock.org’s “Submit a Post” tab by Lawrence J. Smith.

Seems Huntington police are keeping up with the standard “whatever it takes” mentality police often have these days. The story below is the account of a man who said he was viciously beat and had video deleted. According to the West Virginia Record:

HUNTINGTON – Another Huntington resident is accusing the City of civil rights violations after a police officer allegedly used excessive force in arresting him.

The City and Huntington Police Officer Christopher Merritt are named as co-defendants in a three-count civil rights suit filed by William Daniel Hedrick Jr. in U.S. District Court. In his complaint filed Jan. 10, Hedrick, 42, alleges after arresting him on several misdemeanor charges two years ago, Merritt began beating him without provocation.

Hedrick’s suit is the fourth suit filed within the last eight months alleging civil rights violations against HPD. Those include one filed by a resident who alleges police attempted to delete footage he shot of them conducting a search of a vehicle following a traffic stop.

According to the suit, Merritt arrested Hedrick “for several misdemeanors” on Jan. 11, 2011. The location of the arrest and nature of the charges are not specified.

After he ordered him to the ground, Hedrick says Merritt began “forcibly manipulating” his arms for the purpose to “intentionally cause him pain.” Hedrick says at no time did he resist arrest.

In the course of the arrest, Merritt alleges Hedrick began a “vicious, unprovoked attack.” This included Hedrick beating Merritt with a baton which resulted in “severe bruising and injuries from his ankles to his buttocks… [and] to his ribs,” the lawsuit says.

Read entire story here.