WARREN Man sues, saying cops used excessive force

No hearing date has been set.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A city man has filed a federal lawsuit alleging city police used excessive force and violated his constitutional rights when they arrested him.
Alphonse Hogan of Burton Street filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Youngstown. No hearing date has been set.
The lawsuit names several city police officers, Police Chief John Mandopoulos and the city as defendants.
City officials could not be reached to comment.
The suit says Hogan was riding his bike near Burton and Milton Street on May 29 when he noticed he was being followed by police.
Hogan states a police car bumped his bike and caused him to lose his balance.
The suit says the police officers bumped Hogan's bike a second time and that is when he laid the bike down and began to run toward his fianc & eacute;e's residence.
"The officers pursued him aggressively, even driving through a neighbor's yard to reach the residence," the suit states.
Followed into home
Hogan ran into the home and hid in the basement. Police followed him into the home, found him, and beat him, the suit states.
Police stated they were pursuing Hogan because he had a warrant for a driving-under-suspension charge.
"The police seemed to treat Mr. Hogan not as a minor traffic violator, a person with a traffic warrant, but someone who had committed a major offense," the suit says.
The officers used "illegal and unlawful" means to gain entry into the home and excessive force in detaining Hogan, the suit adds.
Hogan has sought medical treatment for the injuries he says he suffered during the arrest.
He claims the police chief has allowed his officers to use excessive force while making arrests on a routine basis without threat of discipline or supervisory sanctions.
sinkovich@vindy.com