WARREN Man's lawsuit targets city, cops

The suit claims the officers' backgrounds weren't adequately checked.
WARREN -- A Union Street man is suing the city, its police department and officers, alleging he was assaulted by the officers and falsely imprisoned.
Joseph L. Braccini filed the lawsuit Monday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court seeking unspecified damages. It names the city, the police department, William Boldin, who is a former police sergeant, and two unidentified police officers.
Braccini, who filed the suit on his own behalf, contends that on Dec. 22, 2002, he was assaulted, falsely imprisoned and suffered emotional distress inflicted upon him by the officers.
When hiring the officers, the city and the police department knew or should have known the the officers were predisposed to such actions, the suit contends.
Greg Hicks, city law director, said the city hadn't been served with the complaint so he declined to comment.
What report says
According to a police report of the incident, Braccini's father called police because of unwanted people in his house who wouldn't leave. The officers ordered the three people to leave when Braccini became uncooperative with officers, using vulgarity and yelling, according to the report.
Braccini didn't settle down and pushed Boldin in the chest and was then arrested for disorderly conduct and handcuffed but resisted by twisting and turning away from Boldin, the report said. He had to be forcefully removed from the house and placed in the cruiser.
At the station, he refused to walk into the building and had to be forcefully placed into the holding cell, the report said. He pulled away from officers and fell headfirst into the holding cell wall but refused medical treatment.
The lawsuit says the city and police department "failed to adequately investigate the backgrounds" of the officers and "breached duty of care in hiring and selecting police officers according to reasonable standards" and hired the officers "with malicious purpose, in bad faith, or in a wanton or reckless manner."
Boldin declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Investigation
Police began an internal investigation of the arrest earlier this month, after learning that a lawsuit might be filed, said Lt. Joe Marhulik.
Marhulik said he took statements from the officers involved. Relatives of Braccini have not responded to the lieutenant's efforts to contact them, he said.