Stockton Teen Launches Civil Rights Lawsuit For Alleged Police Beating
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Stockton police are facing a lawsuit for allegedly beating a teenager after they pulled him over.
Civil rights attorney John Burris and others met on the steps of Stockton City Hall Wednesday to announced the lawsuit. They mounted pictures of the aftermath on posters and the teen's parents say police would not let them see their son at the scene, the hospital, or the juvenile detention center.
"I would have never in my life would have known or thought that my son would have been pulled over, pulled out of a vehicle, and then brutally beaten, stomped on," the victim's father George Carter said.
Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones says he is "deeply concerned" over the incident and that the officers involved were placed on administrative leave. An internal investigation has been launched, Chief Jones said.
According to Stockton Police, officers tried to pull over the vehicle they say was driving erratically and speeding around 8:20 p.m. on Dec. 30. Instead of pulling over, police say the driver turned off the headlights and led officers on a three-minute pursuit.
During the pursuit, police say a Stockton police vehicle crashed into an uninvolved vehicle that was yielding to emergency lights and sirens.
Police say the suspect driver lost control while trying to turn and officers utilized the PIT maneuver and ended the chase.
The vehicle's side-impact airbags were deployed, police said, and four officers "used force" during the arrest of the driver. It's unclear what kind of force the officers used.
After getting cleared at an area hospital, police say the suspect was booked into Juvenile Hall for evading arrest and resisting arrest.
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