WARREN (WWJ) – A lawsuit has been filed against four Warren police officers, claiming they “savagely beat” a 16-year-old while arresting him back in May 2021.
Marko Law, PLLC, has filed the lawsuit on the behalf of 16-year-old Dillan Jennings and his family. The lawsuit alleges four officers brutalized and punched Jennings on May 18, 2021.
Police were called to 27332 Van Dyke Avenue that day on reports of two people cutting off a catalytic converter from a GMC Savana.
When officers showed up, Jennings attempted to run and officer D. Gifford grabbed him from the back and slammed him to the ground, the lawsuit alleges.
Jennings then “submitted to Gifford’s demand and placed his hands behind his back,” and didn’t pose and threat to the officers, according to the lawsuit.
“Gifford and the other officers then punched Jennings in the face and head numerous times. The beating was so savage that Mr. Jennings lost consciousness,” the lawsuit says. When Jennings regained consciousness he was in handcuffs and was being dragged into a police car by two officers, according to the lawsuit.
Another person, identified in the lawsuit as Dante Isaac, was also arrested and taken to the police station in a separate squad car.
The lawsuit claims when Jennings arrived at the police station, Isaac noticed he was bloodied and asked “God, what happened to you.”
Attorneys claim the arresting officer laughed and said “he ran into a wall.”
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Jennings suffered multiple injuries, according to the lawsuit, including a four-inch laceration on his left wrist that required stitches, a 1.5-inch laceration above his eye and bruising to the right side of his face.
“The Warren Police Officers brutally tackled and hit a 16 year-old child over a catalytic converter! The officers had no reason to brutalize and traumatize a boy like this.” said civil rights attorney Jon Marko, per a press release. “Even if the child attempted to run, the response from the Warren Police Officers was completely over the top.”
While the lawsuit doesn’t give the first names of the officers involved, they are identified as officers P. Padron, R. Addis and T. Ahmed.
The lawsuit does not say how many times he was punched, and did not disclose the outcome of the stolen catalytic converter case. It was not clear whether Isaac was injured in the incident.
The lawsuit says Jennings is “entitled to declaratory relief, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.”
Warren police have not yet responded to the allegations made in the lawsuit.
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