PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - A woman visiting the Pittsburgh area last month has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Churchill Borough and its Police Officer Stephen Shaulis.
Rebecca Suits of Brunswick, Georgia was arrested by Officer Shaulis September 23 and was labeled suspicious by a 911 caller, she says she was just out for a walk that day on Black Forest Drive.
Suits, who was in town taking care of her godmother, says she was stopped by Officer Shaulis and was asked produce identification because there were reports of someone squatting in the neighborhood.
Suits refused and walked back to her godmother’s house in Wilkinsburg when she was arrested.
Suits, who is African American, says she suffered bruising during the arrest and has filed a lawsuit alleging unlawful detention, excessive force and more.
The lawsuit filed by Suits claims Shaulis told her if she would have just “respected the Badge” she would’ve been fine.
Shaulis, a former resource officer for Woodland Hills School District, cost the district $500,000 after five former students filed suit against the district in 2017.
The students claimed Shaulis physically attacked them of different occasions.
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