Description
On March 16, 2006, Somerville officer Freitas, who was off-duty and had been drinking, confronted Gerard Contaldi (15) and his friends about kicking a recycling bin near Freitas’s sports car. Freitas called Gerard an idiot and slapped him. One of Gerard’s friends pushed Freitas, then the boys ran away. Officers stopped Gerard, threw him to the ground, and cuffed him. An officer pressed Gerard’s face in the gravel. Freitas hit Gerard in the eye with a flashlight. The case settled after taking depositions of the involved police officers, and receiving wildly different accounts of what happened. Freitas was terminated from his position for untruthfulness in his deposition in this case and conduct unbecoming a police officer.
Firm Name
State
Docket Number / Citation
Court
Claim(s) / Cause(s) of Action
Year Filed
Year Resolved
Stage of litigation that case resolved
Total Dollar Amount
80,000
Number of Plaintiffs
1
Class Action
No
PLRA Applied
No
Plaintiff Sought Injunctive Relief
No
Wrongful Conviction
No
Excessive Force
No
Fatal Excessive Force
No