Personal Injury Law

$261,000 Prince George?s County Police Brutality Verdict Awarded to Woman

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq.

A Maryland jury has awarded a Greenbelt woman a $261,000 Prince George?s County police brutality verdict. Kimberly Jones says sheriff?s deputies forced their way into her residence, assaulted her, and maced her.

The alleged Prince George?s County, Maryland personal injury incident occurred on September 15, 2006. Jones, 35, woke up to the sound of knocking. She put on a robe and slightly opened the door. Two Prince George's County sheriff deputies, Gerald Henderson and Billy Falby, allegedly forced their way in without a warrant.

Not only did the two men allegedly assault her, but they are accused of making her change into dirty clothes at the arrest scene without making sure a female deputy was there to help her. A neighbor, who would later testify in court, called 911 to report seeing the two deputies assault Jones.

Jones was charged with assaulting a cop. She was let go from her job because of the arrest and since then, hasn?t been able to obtain work involving children. The criminal charge against her was eventually dropped.

According to Reason.com, the cops had entered the wrong house. The officers accused of the alleged Maryland police brutality have said they were just following instructions.

The jury agreed that the two men did follow Prince George's County Sheriff's Department protocol. However, they found that the procedures were unconstitutional.

This is not the first incident involving alleged police misconduct by Prince George's County cops. According to the Washington Post, from 2000 ? 2006 some 800,000 people have received approximately $16.3 million in police brutality compensation from the county.

Excessive use of force by police is a crime. Injury victims may be entitled to Maryland police brutality recovery. If you were beaten, verbally abused, sexually assaulted, arrested without just cause, or feel that police violated your civil rights in another way, you should speak with a Maryland injury lawyer.

Greenbelt woman wins $261,000 lawsuit against Maryland, Gazette.net, October 1, 2009

Failing His Way to Higher Office, Reason Magazine, October 12, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Prince George's County Maryland, Office of the Sheriff's

Survey: ER doctors suspect excessive police force, USA Today, January 7, 2009

Top 5 Police Brutality Videos, The Huffington Post, July 30, 2009

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on October 24, 2009 (boomark / email).