A Massachusetts personal injury settlement has been reached in the federal lawsuit between Westport Police Officer Francis Napert III and Berkley resident Carl Conforti over the alleged use of excessive police force. Under the terms of the agreement, Officer Napert will pay Conforti $50,350.
Per court records, on January 30, 2010, Napert, who was off-duty at the time, apprehended Conforti, a 46-year-old paraplegic in a wheelchair, who was going through a Westport neighborhood to gather fallen tree branches so he could heat his sister’s home. Napert, who was wearing civilian clothes and following him in a pickup truck, identified himself to Conforti as a cop and told him that he was watching him because he was making his way slowly through the neighborhood and peering into people’s residences.
Conforti asked Napert for police identification and that is when the latter allegedly started yelling at him, forced him to the ground, broke his glasses, and arrested him. Witnesses say that Conforti, who had wires in his chest after undergoing tracheal resection surgery, called for help. The criminal charges of disorderly conduct, larceny of wood, and resisting arrest that had been filed against Conforti were later dropped.
The Westport police say that the decision to settle was one done for practical reasons and not because they believe that Napert did anything wrong.
Boston Police Brutality
The use of unnecessary and excessive physical, verbal, or emotional force by a cop when dealing with members of the public is an abuse of authority and power, which can be grounds for a Boston personal injury lawsuit alleging Massachusetts police brutality. Excessive use of police force is also a violation of the victim’s civil rights.
Unfortunately, it can be virtually impossible to get a police officer or his department to admit that police brutality occurred. Often, unless the incident of excessive use of police force is a blatant one, charges likely won’t be filed against the cop. This doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot hold the police officer liable in civil court and obtain Boston injury damages for the harm that you or your loved one suffered.
Westport officer settles civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive force, South Coast Today, August 9, 2011
Related Web Resource:
Westport Police Department
More Blog Posts:
Massachusetts Personal Injury: Two Women Sue Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office Over Dog Attack by K-9, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, May 27, 2011
Wrongful Death: Parents of Easton, Massachusetts Man Fatally Shot by NY Police Officer File Lawsuit, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 23, 2011
Boston Personal Injury Lawsuit Accuses Police Motorcyclist of Assault and Battery in ’07 Marathon Pedestrian Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 15, 2011
An experience Boston injury lawyer can help you explore your legal options.