LORAIN, Ohio (AP) - A man suing a northeast Ohio police department alleges his rights were violated by an officer who slammed his head into a cruiser’s windshield with enough force to crack the glass.
The federal lawsuit filed last month says 32-year-old Pele (PAY’-lay) Smith, of Lorain, received hospital treatment afterward. A dash cam video from the September 2014 arrest shows a Lorain officer identified in the lawsuit as Zachary Ferenec pushing the handcuffed Smith toward the cruiser.
Lorain police Capt. Roger Watkins says Smith swallowed suspected drugs and struggled with officers during the arrest. He says the slamming of Smith’s head into the windshield was unintentional.
Smith was indicted on charges of tampering with evidence, obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He pleaded guilty and received probation.
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