- Police Brutality Watch

Panel says 'unreasonable force' was used during driver's arrest
A federal civil jury decided Friday that an Orlando police officer used "unreasonable force" when he arrested and fired a Taser on a young man following a June 2003 traffic stop on Mercy Drive. The eight jurors awarded the man $100,000 in punitive damages and $972.15 in medical and court costs stemming from his arrest. The case is thought to be the first Taser-related civil suit to go to trial against an Orlando police officer and the city. The verdict, which followed 15 hours of deliberations Thursday and Friday, found that Officer Jonathan Cute violated Dontray Chaney's civil rights by subjecting him to "excessive or unreasonable force" during his arrest. "It's good. I'm pleased that they saw it my way," Chaney said after learning of the verdict. "They [the police] can't just go and abuse their power and authority any way that they please." Chaney, 22, was stopped June 5, 2003, because Cute said the license tag on the red 1996 Pontiac Grand Am he was driving was "obscured" by a plastic cover. When Chaney questioned why he was being stopped and did not turn over his drivers license and other information, Cute decided to arrest him. Witnesses said Cute pulled Chaney out of the car, struggled with him and took him to the ground before firing his Taser stun gun at the man twice. Cute, his sergeant and other witnesses said the arrest drew an angry crowd. Cute, 34, and a five-year veteran, is known as an aggressive officer with many arrests and strong evaluations from his supervisors. Chaney's aunt, who pushed for the case to go to federal court, said the verdict should be sending a strong message to the Police Department to be more responsible with Tasers. [more]