12/01/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, US // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan
Columbus, OH—A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010, in connection with a police tasing incident that caused a Columbus man to suffer permanent brain damage. The lawsuit claims a Perry Township police officer used “deadly excessive force” during an Aug. 8 pursuit, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch.
Laurie Peabody, who is being represented by a Cincinnati civil rights attorney, filed the lawsuit on behalf of her son, 23-year-old Matthew T. Hook.
According to reports, Perry Twp. Police Officer Shawn Bean allegedly witnessed Hook drive a stolen SUV away from a Dublin home, subsequently prompting the chase. It was not clear if Hook burglarized the home prior to the pursuit.
At some point, Hook got out of the vehicle and tried to jump over an 8-foot fence, located behind Dick’s Sporting Goods at 6111 Sawmill Road.
Hook’s attempts at eluding the police officer proved unsuccessful when the deputy hit him with the Taser twice. Given that his muscles became paralyzed as a result of the electrical shock, he fell off the fence and landed on his head.
The suit claims the tasing episode caused Hook to suffer “serious and permanent brain damage,” leaving him “incompetent, severely disabled and hospitalized.”
Nonetheless, Perry Township Police Department conducted a full probe into the incident and eventually cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. “I support the officer in the decision he made,” Police Chief Robert Oppenheimer told reporters earlier this year.
The civil rights case is underway.
Legal New Reporter: Sandra Quinlan– Legal News for Ohio Civil Rights Lawyers.
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