Local Woman Sues, Says Pittsburgh Police Violated Her Civil Rights
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local woman claims Pittsburgh police are harassing her and violating her civil rights and now she's filing a lawsuit.
Adrienne Young believes that her civil rights were violated by Pittsburgh police for two-and-a-half years.
It all started with a minor traffic accident on Friendship Avenue in May of 2008.
"Through this whole ordeal, I still can't figure out why I was targeted," Young said.
Young says she objected when a female police officer instructed a male officer at the scene to pat her down.
When Young continued to complain, the officer charged her with felony aggravated assault. She was sent to jail.
"I would not be released from jail unless I had an ankle bracelet for something I never done," she said.
Now 55, she says she was electronically monitored for five-and-a-half months. She thinks her real troubles began when she continued complaining higher up the chain.
"That the police were upset because I went to OMI and I went to Chief Harper," she said.
A magistrate dropped the charges. Police reinstated them. She was arrested and jailed four times in 10 months. The last time she was placed in a high-security pod for 27 days and police came pounding on her door.
"For the third time, Pittsburgh police converged upon my home at 3 a.m., running through my home, terrorizing my granddaughter and myself," Young said.
Her granddaughter was 13 at the time.
"I started crying – I didn't know what was going on," Tajaya Thompson said. "The police came up with their flashlights in my face."
Young is suing the city, the court, the police chief and a number of officers.
Chief Harper won't comment on the case while it's in litigation.
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