Posted on 04/11/2009 7:39:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Being dragged from a car by Calgary police brought back memories for a Chechen refugee of the civil war in which he lost both legs, a lawsuit says.
The $350,000 claim, filed by Calgary resident Suleyman Salamov, alleges cops even broke one of his artificial legs before letting him go without even a charge.
Salamov's lawsuit says he was a passenger in a car on Feb. 26, 2008, when it was pulled over and the driver arrested.
Police stopped the vehicle being driven by Elcha Khazayev, smashed the driver's side window and removed him from the car, the claim says.
After being handcuffed, Khazayev yelled to the four arresting officers that Salamov had "nothing to do with this" and spoke very little English, it says.
"Ignoring Khazayev's advice, the individual defendants ... rushed the passenger side of the vehicle, broke the passenger window and opened the passenger door.
"At that time, the plaintiff was still sitting in the passenger seat, with his seatbelt fastened, and his hands raised in a submissive manner," the lawsuit states.
Salamov was then punched in the head and face, pulled from the vehicle, slammed to the ground and kicked in the back and legs, it says.
"During the assault, the plaintiff attempted, in somewhat broken English, to advise the individual defendants that he was wearing prosthetic devices, which protests were ignored."
The claim says Salamov, who was granted refugee status in Canada in 2006, lost both his legs below the knees during civil war in his homeland.
The force of the attack broke one of his prosthetic legs, hurt his left knee and kneecap, caused several cuts, bruises and scrapes and left him traumatized, the man's lawsuit says.
Statements of defence from the police disputing the unproven allegations have not yet been filed.
Maybe these guys are telling the truth...but I have a hard time trusting Muslim Chechens.
There must be more to the story. Not even the worst cops would behave like that unless they did something to really make them angry.
“I have a hard time trusting Muslim Chechens”
Yes, this is a tough one, since I have an equally hard time trusting anything the police claim.
Hank
Well, then it’s a tie. Let them fight it out. I would place my money on the Chechens if they get to choose the territory and weapons.
The first time I glanced at the title of this thread I thought it was about a legless chicken suing a cow. What a bizarre mental image.
I have been on FR too long. I thought the headline said LEGLESS CHICKEN...
“I would place my money on the Chechens if they get to choose the territory and weapons.”
I would too, but I was not looking for a fight, but justice. There’s a difference.
Hank
Ditto!
Yea, it's not like they shot a Boy Scout in the face while he was complying with their instructions, or shot a handcuffed man in the back, or killed a college kid by firing through a door, or burned a building down with a bunch of kids in it or anything.
Cops would never behave like that....
He doesnt have a leg to stand on. Man, that was too easy
Looks to me like the Cowtown cops have learned well from their brethren to the north.
Edmonton cops were notorious for having folks in their custody “accidentally fall on a staircase” and knock their teeth out.
There are literally hundreds of fellows out there who had this happen in the 1980’s.
Calgary has just “raised the bar” now.
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