FORT LAUDERDALE – A man alleges he was injured by a police officer when he was removed from a police vehicle.
Stennette Simpson filed a complaint on March 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Lee Coel alleging false arrest/false imprisonment and excessive force.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on April 3, 2013, he was arrested for obstructing or resisting without violence by Coel, who is a member of the Miramar Police Department. He alleges there was no probable cause to arrest him. The suit states that Coel found a small amount of cannabis in the plaintiff's pocket.
The suit states that during a lengthy period of time before arriving at the police station, the plaintiff fell asleep in the defendant's police vehicle, and that the defendant violently pulled the handcuffed plaintiff out of the backseat of vehicle by the ankles and injured the plaintiff.
The plaintiff holds Coel responsible because the defendant allegedly subjected plaintiff to deprivation of rights and privileges under the Constitution against the excessive use of force, and acted with malice, ill will, spite, intent to injure, wickedness and desire to oppress plaintiff.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendant, compensatory damages of more than $15,000, exemplary damages, costs of suit, attorney's fees, and other relief as the court may deem just. He is represented by Eric Rudenberg of Rudenberg & Glasser PA in Fort Lauderdale.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Case number 17-cv-60608