Post-filing, no dispositive motions decided

On August 28, 2011, West Bridgewater police officer Robert Piepiora was working a paid detail at a bar. William Ortiz was outside using his cell phone to call for a ride when the bar’s manager began aggressively telling Ortiz that he could not drive. Ortiz, who had already assured the manager that he was not driving, told the manager to leave him alone. Without warning, Piepiora grabbed Ortiz from behind and slammed him face first into the pavement. The impact knocked out two of Ortiz’s teeth and fractured his upper jaw bone. He required a bone graft to repair his jaw.

Erik Aguilar was a New Bedford man who died in the custody of the New Bedford police on July 22, 2010. The entire incident was recorded on surveillance video. A convenience store employee called the police seeking help for Mr. Aguilar. New Bedford police officer Paul Hodson arrived at the store, spoke with Mr. Aguilar, then tried to handcuff him. Officer Hodson then took Mr. Aguilar to the ground, sprayed him with pepper spray, handcuffed him with his hands behind his back, left him lying face down on the pavement, and applied pressure to his back. Mr.

Police were doing a warrant sweep in an area where many homeless people sleep. They woke up my client to check for warrants. Incident was caught on in car video, low quality. Officer claimed plaintiff spit at him. Officer punched plaintiff in the head, a glancing blow, no physical damages. Internal investigation found force excessive and officer received one day suspension.

In Lowell on 5/8/06, Mr. Bailey, a professor, received a call from his son, who was having difficulty with building security. Mr. Bailey rushed downstairs, not pausing to put on shoes. Officers were striking his son with batons. Mr. Bailey urged his son to calm down. Officers then roughed up Mr. Bailey, arrested him, and charged him with disorderly conduct, assault and battery on an officer, and resisting arrest. Mr. Bailey suffered nerve damage from the handcuffs. He was held overnight without medical care for his cut foot, even though he was diabetic and had high blood pressure.

This is a civil rights action against Cambridge police for causing medical personnel to conduct an illegal internal body cavity search and unnecessary procedures on Plaintiff. These police officers requested that medical personnel at Cambridge Health Alliance’s Cambridge Hospital Campus conduct a digital rectal search and x-ray search of Jean-Baptiste’s abdomen without his consent or a court order. The medical personnel complied. The officers forced Mr.

Ms. Reid, an inmate at MCI-Framingham, slipped and fell on a wet ramp while working in the prison kitchen, breaking her right ankle in two places. As a result of her injury, Ms. Reid contracted persistent MRSA infection. DOC employees failed to rectify the dangerous condition of the kitchen ramp, which they knew, or should have known, to be hazardous, and failed to warn of the danger. Ms. Reid continues to suffer from pain and emotional distress caused by these injuries and illnesses years after the incident.

Mr. Cosme was a prisoner worker in the Maintenance Department at MCI-Norfolk. He suffered fractures of both wrists and his right elbow when he fell from a roof while laying down tar paper. These injuries are permanent and severe. DOC employees negligently failed to provide plaintiff with any training or proper supervision. No safety equipment was provided to protect the plaintiff from the dangers of working on a rooftop. Settlement was reached after DOC finally agreed to allow Mr. Cosme to see an outside surgeon. The maximum recovery under the state statute is $100,000.

Lawrence officers beat Mr. Figueroa without justification. Officers booked Mr. Figueroa, then ordered that he strip naked and placed him naked in a small lockup cell with a clothed male prisoner. They wanted to teach Mr. Figueroa a lesson: Don’t disrespect police officers. The City of Lawrence had a policy or custom of placing arrestees naked in a cell with another prisoner when a police officer claimed the arrestee was having suicidal thoughts. This unreasonable and easily abused policy permitted officers to degrade and intimidate Mr. Figueroa by falsely claiming he was suicidal.

On 10/6/12, two Bellingham officers entered Ms. Graham’s home without a warrant. When Ms. Graham began to openly video record the encounter and protest the officers’ actions, Defendants arrested her, using unreasonable force. She was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and three misdemeanors. The criminal charges were dismissed. Ms. Graham’s cell phone video shows the officers arresting Ms. Graham and using unreasonable force. The case received local publicity. The case settled after an early mediation.

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.