Galveston Police Abuse Lawsuit

According to a December 23, 2008 article in a Galveston County newspaper, a Galveston attorney filed a federal court lawsuit in which it is alleged that Galveston policemen assaulted a 12-year-old girl who was mistaken for a prostitute.  See, Paschenko, Chris, “Lawsuit: Cops Beat 12-Year-Old Girl,” The Daily News, 12/23/08.  The lawsuit reportedly accuses Galveston police officers of failing to identify themselves when they approached the girl at her home after her mother dispatched her outside to flip the breaker back on when electricity failed.  Id.  As stated in the article, police were sent to the area to look for three white prostitutes soliciting a white man and a black man selling drugs when one officer saw a black female and ordered her detained.  Id.  After that, four officers got out of a blue van and ran toward the 12-year-old girl, who is black, because they suspected she was a prostitute since, as the officers contend, she was wearing tight shorts.  Id.  As described in the article, the lawsuit contends that one officer covered the screaming girl’s mouth and handcuffed her while other officers grabbed her and held one of her arms.  Id.  It is, according to the article, unclear how much time elapsed before the girl’s parents took her to the University of Texas Medical Branch for treatment of injuries which allegedly include head injuries - caused by an officer’s flashlight - multiple contusions, loss of vision and hearing and a bloody nose.  Id.  Galveston Police Chief Charles Wiley declined to comment specifically about the case, citing a law that keeps information about juvenile crimes out of the public view.  Id. 

See, http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=344e970058ff3262&-session=TheDaily…

Whether excessive use of force or abuse and brutality by police occurs in Galveston or elsewhere, victims of alleged unconstitutional police misconduct may consider making a formal complaint to internal affairs and consult an attorney to determine if a police abuse lawsuit may ultimately be appropriate under the particular facts and circumstances of the potential claim.