NEO man alleges officers used excessive force

CLEVELAND (AP) — A federal lawsuit filed by a 62-year-old man alleges police in northeast Ohio slammed him into the ground even though he wasn’t being aggressive toward them.

Cleveland.com reports the lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges Parma officers threw Mark Bartkiewicz to the ground in May 2015 when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at his Parma home. The lawsuit says he tore his rotator cuff in the encounter.

Bartkiewicz says the city and officers violated his civil rights. He’s asking for an unnamed amount in damages.

Lt. Kevin Riley says the department can’t comment on the lawsuit. But he released a report indicating that Bartkiewicz was resisting when officers took him to the ground.