Beasley
A St. Clair County man says he was falsely arrested, beaten up and maced by two East St. Louis police officers.
Kenneth Brown filed a lawsuit Nov. 8 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Captain Vincent Anderson, Sergeant Andre Williams Sr. and Dwight Williams. The city of East St. Louis is also named as a defendant.
According to the complaint, Brown was leaving Club Capacity in East St. Louis in August and was waiting for a ride home in the back seat of a friend's car. Brown says, Capt. Anderson, Sgt. Williams and Dwight Williams pulled him from the car, handcuffed him and threw him to the ground. Brown claims he did not resist and, without provocation, was sprayed twice with mace while he was handcuffed. He says he was also hit in the head by Dwight Williams.
Brown accuses the officers and Williams of violating his Eighth and Fourth amendment rights by allegedly using excessive force and making a false arrest. He also accuses the city of East St. Louis of negligence for failing to properly train its police officers and for allowing non-police personnel to act like an officer.
Brown is asking for more than $350,000 in damages plus court costs.
Attorney Jarrod P. Beasley of Kuehn Law Firm in Belleville is representing Brown.
St. Clair County Circuit Court Case No. 11-L-629