Police Taser Passenger During Traffic Stop
On September 25th, police officers stopped Lisa Mahone for a seat belt violation while driving to a local hospital with her boyfriend Jamal Jones and their two children, a 14-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter.
Lisa Mahone obliged with the police officer’s request for her driver’s license and proof of insurance. However, police officers then requested identification from her boyfriend Jamal Jones who was sitting in the passenger seat. Jones informed police officers that he did not have an identification card and that he recently received a ticket. Jones reached into his book bag in order to show police officers the ticket. At this point, the police officers drew their guns.
While Mahone called 911 to report the incident and her fear over the situation, her 14-year-old son began recording the incident on a cellular device. To this point, Jones requested to speak with the police officer’s supervisor and the police officers rejected the request. Shortly after and unexpectedly, the police officers shattered the passenger side window and used a Taser on Jones. The police officers then removed Jones from the vehicle and arrested him.
Mahone and Jones have filed a lawsuit against the Hammond Police Department. They claim that the police officers abused their authority and did not have probable cause to employ excessive force against Jones.
The police department stands by its actions claiming that the police officers had the intention to ticket Jones for a seatbelt violation and are entitled to request both identification from passengers and that the passengers step out of a stopped vehicle without a reasonable suspicion requirement.
The lawsuit is pending. However, one officer involved in this incident has been named in two previous lawsuits involving excessive force.
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