Gregory Price Jr. was minding his own business and hadn’t broken any law, but that didn’t stop Detroit police officers from attacking him and tasing him while he had his hands up.
Gregory was walking through the lobby of the Greektown Casino parking garage when he encountered Detroit police officers.
The officers claimed that Gregory and his companions had been causing trouble and were not following police directions. Prosecutors claimed Gregory had a verbal exchange with officers but did not make any aggressive physical gesture.
According to Gregory, Sgt. Raytheon Martin struck him in the back of the head, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly punched him. Gregory thought the confrontation had ended. He was lying on the ground in pain and trying to surrender with his hands raised. Then, another police officer, Sgt. Lacell Rue, shocked him with a taser.
Casino surveillance video captured the entire encounter.
After it was over, he was arrested on an unfounded allegation of assaulting a police officer and taken to a nearby hospital. Medical records documented facial injuries, bruises across his body and weakness on his right side where he had been tased.
The injuries also affected Gregory’s work. He initially missed a week from his warehouse job. When he returned, severe back pain forced him to leave work again, resulting in lost wages.
Michigan Legal Center helped Gregory sue the officers for civil rights violations. They also faced state criminal offenses. Martin faced charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, misconduct in office and assault and battery. Rue was charged with misconduct in office and assault and battery.
Martin pleaded no contest to aggravated assault and willful neglect of duty. He received one year of probation, anger management treatment and a one-year restriction from street duty.
Michigan Legal Center filed Gregory’s federal civil rights lawsuit on February 10, 2020, in a U.S. District Court. The lawsuit brought claims against the City of Detroit, Martin and Rue.
This money helped Gregory pay for his medical bills, cover a medical lien and his future medical needs related to these injuries and successfully ended a stressful litigation.
Past results are not a guarantee. Each case depends on its facts and law.