Black Man Alleges he was Beaten and Denied Medical Treatment by Kent County Sheriffs after Drunk Stop
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 01:34AM 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - An Allen Park man, represented by Geoffrey Fieger, is suing the Kent County Sheriff's Department and a specific deputy for allegedly beating the man after he was arrested for drunken driving.
A lawsuit filed in federal court lays out the claim that Jesse Bowlson, 33 at the time, was arrested early May 30, 2010 on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated at I-96 and Alden Nash Road.
He was taken to the Kent County jail where, the lawsuit contends, he was "pepper sprayed, kicked, choked, and beaten" by jail guards. Bowlson was taken to Spectrum Health downtown and diagnosed with a "collapsed lung, four broken ribs, and multiple abrasions and contusions."
Bowlson posted bond and was released from jail June 1, 2010. He pleaded guilty in October of that year and was sentenced to 15 days of jail and two years of probation.
The suit specifically names Deputy Matthew Batchelder, and alleges the department "used unreasonable and excessive force," that deputies conspired to keep Bowlson from getting medical care, and "knowingly falsely and publicly state that the (sheriff deputies) were in a dangerous situation and/or were justified in beating Jesse Bowlson."
The department also is accused in the lawsuit of "employing a police code of silence" in its conspiracy effort.
"I do know that this young kid didn't deserve this," attorney Paul Broschay of Fieger's office told 24 Hour News 8. He said he "wouldn't be surprised in the near future if we do amend this complaint" to sue individual officers.
Broschay said Bowlson was "in custody, in the jail" when he was beaten. "When that happens, it's very questionable."
Bowlson's family contacted the Fieger law offices "after he was hurt."
Broschay told 24 Hour News 8 that Bowlson was in the critical care unit for at least eight days, and remained hospitalized until June 19, 2010. The total hospital bill, the attorney said, was $86,651.
The sheriff's department would not release video of the incident to the lawyers. "They claimed that because of security, we had to view those at the jail." Broschay said their office has never before "encountered a situation where a penal institution has refused to hand over images, claiming security."
Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess said the department is not aware of the lawsuit, and referred questions to the county's corporate attorney, who also said he had not been served a copy of the suit.
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