43
Woman sues village and fired police chief, alleging excessive force
YOUNGSTOWN
A Craig Beach woman, who alleges a former police chief of that village used excessive force against her in a traffic stop, and her husband have sued the former village police chief and a village councilwoman.
Ann and Willy Poling of Davis Road sued former village Police Chief Joseph E. Borosky, village Council-woman Wanda Sabol, the village itself and 10 unknown John and Jane Doe defendants.
Attys. David J. Betras and Brian P. Kopp filed the lawsuit on behalf of the couple Monday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, where it is assigned to Judge R. Scott Krichbaum. The civil suit, which demands a jury trial, seeks more than $25,000 in damages.
The complaint alleges Borosky violated Ann Poling’s constitutional rights by using excessive force in an April 28, 2011, traffic stop, that Borosky and Sabol conspired to destroy evidence of Borosky’s improper actions during that event, and that the village recklessly failed to properly train and supervise its police.
Saying they hadn’t seen the lawsuit, Sabol and village solicitor Gary VanBrocklin declined to comment. Borosky could not be reached to comment.
Sabol and Borosky have pleaded innocent to a criminal perjury charge, which alleges they lied under oath in an August 2012 disciplinary hearing, when they said a dash cam video of the traffic stop contained sound, when it did not. The video of the stop shows Borosky pulling a woman from her car and handcuffing her on Grandview Road.
In the disciplinary hearing, Borosky claimed the dialogue on the recording would have vindicated him in connection with a complaint concerning the traffic stop, VanBrocklin said during an Austintown court hearing.
At that February 2013 court hearing, Borosky, who was fired by a 4-2 vote of village council, and Sabol were bound over to the county grand jury, which indicted them on the perjury charge.
That criminal case is assigned to Judge James C. Evans.