From [HERE] and [HERE] Six people brought a lawsuit on Thursday against the city of Ferguson , Missouri, and several officials for the use of unnecessary and unwarranted force [complaint, PDF] by St. Louis County Police and Ferguson Police against demonstrators protesting the shooting death of Michael Brown. The complaint describes the experiences of five protesters who were arrested during or immediately following demonstrations, some of whom suffered extensive injuries as a result of the use of excessive force by their arresting officers. Specific charges in the complaint include false arrest, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision, assault and battery, deprivation of civil rights, and failure to train, supervise, and discipline. The plaintiffs have asked for $40 million in actual damages, with punitive damages as determined to be appropriate by a jury.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says law enforcement met the broad public outcry over the Aug. 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown with "militaristic displays of force and weaponry," and engaged U.S. citizens "as if they were war combatants."

The lawsuit, filed by D.C.-based Black Lawyers For Justice (BLFJ), seeks a total of $40 million on behalf of six plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old boy who was with his mother in a fast-food restaurant when they were arrested. Each of the plaintiffs was caught up in interactions with police over a period from Aug. 11 to 13, the suit alleges.