Lawsuit alleges officers caused woman’s injury

A Newnam, Ga., woman has filed a lawsuit against the city of Sheffield Lake and Police Department for allegedly tearing her ACL after she was arrested on charges of domestic violence and resisting arrest in March 2019.

The suit was filed March 16 against the city, police Chief Tony Camp, Sgt. James Mariner, Patrolman Ronald Linkous and other unknown department officers.

On March 17, 2019, the suit says Joyce Hogan was in her Sheffield Lake house when Mariner and Linkous were dispatched there regarding to a domestic dispute.

The incident was recorded partially on video and fully on audio, with the transcript of the audio filed with the suit.

The other member of the household told police officers she threatened him with two knives before officers decided to arrest her, the lawsuit states.

Hogan allegedly was “verbally abusive to officers” after resisting arrest.

She was handcuffed and escorted out the front door, when she “let her body go limp and fell to the floor of her front porch,” according to the suit.

After moving Hogan out of sight from the video recorder, she was placed in the back of the cruiser when one of the officers kicked her leg, tearing her ACL and cartilage, the suit says.

In the transcript, Hogan repeated that her leg was broken, with Mariner responding, “They’re not broke,” and “You know you’re moving pretty good?” the suit says.

The officers then were heard on the recording ridiculing and insulting Hogan after arriving at the station, according to the suit.

After being processed, Hogan was taken by city police to an emergency room, where she was diagnosed with a sprained leg, then later a torn ACL and cartilage, which required her to undergo surgery, the suit says.

Hogan is seeking in excess of $25,000 compensation for the injury and damage, as well as punitive damages in excess of $100,000.

Sheffield Lake law director David Graves said he has no comment on the suit at this time.