SAN FRANCISCO – A Pinole man is suing a city of Pinole police officer over allegations of unreasonable detention and unreasonable use of force.
Eric Alexis filed a complaint Feb. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Eugene Lew, citing violations of the Fourth Amendment.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on March 2, 2015, he was stopped by the defendant and was ordered by him to lie on the ground with his hands behind his back. When the plaintiff asked why he was being stopped, Lew allegedly told him that he fit a description of a suspect who was involved with a home invasion. The suit states that the plaintiff complied with every request of the defendant, and when he was satisfied that the plaintiff was not involved, he returned to his patrol car, while shouting profanities at plaintiff, and the car struck the plaintiff on the left knee as he drove away, causing severe injury.
The plaintiff holds Eugene Lew responsible because he allegedly had no reason to suspect the plaintiff based on the description he gave.
The plaintiff seeks the following: punitive damages of $500,000, legal fees and any other relief the court deems just and proper. He is represented by Steven R. Yourke of Law Office of Steven Yourke in San Francisco.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Case number 3:16-cv-00905