My brother sent me this, he is a student there:
Alleged police brutality prompts lawsuit
Kelly Saxton
Staff Writer
August 11, 2005
When Gus Elliott was a student at NT in 2003, he was a criminal justice major with plans of becoming a police officer. But because of an incident on Aug. 16, 2003, he has now filed a civil lawsuit against three NT police officers.
The lawsuit claims the officers slammed Elliott's head, face-first, onto the trunk of his car and signed a false affidavit stating that Elliott assaulted them.
Attorney Richard Gladden filed the lawsuit against officers Greg Prickett, Mark Linnell and William Hitt on July 29 at the 158 district court. Gladden said the jury would probably find damages up to or more than $50,000 and hopes punitive damages will be issued to deter similar actions in the future.
"They didn't just assault a citizen," Gladden said. "They lied about it."
Story image 2
NT police wrestle with Elliott before pounding his face onto the trunk of his car.
Prickett said, according to video evidence and his sworn affidavit, that he pulled Elliott over at 1100 Maple St. because he "failed to stop at a designated stop point" before a flashing red light.
Elliott said he pulled out a little far to see around a metal box on the corner of Highland Street to establish it was safe to turn but was still very confused as to why he was pulled over.
"I really just think he came after me because I was the only car out at that hour, and he was bored," Elliott said.
Prickett asked Elliott to step out of the car, and in the officer's sworn affidavit, he stated that Elliott exited the car and "fell against the door." Police video showed that statement was fabricated.
Elliott told Prickett that he had not been drinking that night. Elliott was given a field sobriety test and submitted to a hand-held breathalyzer. Prickett asked him again if he had been drinking, and Elliot stuck to his previous statement. Then Linnell and Hitt arrived, and Prickett asked Elliot to put his hands behind his back.
Elliott recalls saying, "Oh man," and freezing up.
"I just couldn't believe they were arresting me," Elliott said. "There was just no reason for it."
In the police video, the three policemen surrounded Elliott and slammed him face-first onto the trunk of his car. There was a loud crack, and Elliot uttered a muffled groan of, "Oh god, my teeth, awww, oh god, my teeth!"
A third of Elliott's tooth chipped off, and there was a cut on his chin deep enough to require five stitches. The medical expenses totaled $6,680.55.
Elliot was handcuffed, put on the ground and told by Prickett that he had ended up on the hood of the car because he had head-butted Linnell. According to the video, that head-butt did not take place, but Prickett's sworn affidavit said, "Elliot began to fight, head-butting Officer Linnell."
"I didn't head-butt him," Elliot said. "I hadn't done anything wrong."
Elliott was then taken to jail where he was refused entrance until he was first taken to the hospital.
"The police officers hadn't offered me any medical help or anything at all," Elliott said.
The three officers are still employed by the university. Prickett, now employed at the NT Dallas campus, said he would love to talk about it, but had been advised against it by Renaldo Stowers, an associate general council at NT.
NT Deputy Police Chief Ed Reynolds also declined to comment, saying it was against university policy to discuss matters of pending litigation.
"There's no indication that the university chief of police has done anything to discipline them." Elliott's attorney, Gladden, said.
The district attorney did not prosecute the NT policemen for the criminal charges of aggregated assault of a citizen or signing a false affidavit, Gladden said.
"I found that a little discouraging," Elliott said.
Elliot did not receive a DWI, and his aggravated assault charge was dropped to resisting arrest. The assault charge was dropped on when Lisa Decker, a prosecutor for the state, signed a motion to dismiss, which stated: "After reviewing the videotape, it has been determined that this case should not be prosecuted."
Elliot, now 21, is no longer a student at NT. He relocated to Texas State University at San Marcos to put the incident behind him, and he no longer wants to be a police officer.
http://www.ntdaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/08/11/42fb680c905fd
Alleged police brutality prompts lawsuit
Kelly Saxton
Staff Writer
August 11, 2005
When Gus Elliott was a student at NT in 2003, he was a criminal justice major with plans of becoming a police officer. But because of an incident on Aug. 16, 2003, he has now filed a civil lawsuit against three NT police officers.
The lawsuit claims the officers slammed Elliott's head, face-first, onto the trunk of his car and signed a false affidavit stating that Elliott assaulted them.
Attorney Richard Gladden filed the lawsuit against officers Greg Prickett, Mark Linnell and William Hitt on July 29 at the 158 district court. Gladden said the jury would probably find damages up to or more than $50,000 and hopes punitive damages will be issued to deter similar actions in the future.
"They didn't just assault a citizen," Gladden said. "They lied about it."
Story image 2
NT police wrestle with Elliott before pounding his face onto the trunk of his car.
Prickett said, according to video evidence and his sworn affidavit, that he pulled Elliott over at 1100 Maple St. because he "failed to stop at a designated stop point" before a flashing red light.
Elliott said he pulled out a little far to see around a metal box on the corner of Highland Street to establish it was safe to turn but was still very confused as to why he was pulled over.
"I really just think he came after me because I was the only car out at that hour, and he was bored," Elliott said.
Prickett asked Elliott to step out of the car, and in the officer's sworn affidavit, he stated that Elliott exited the car and "fell against the door." Police video showed that statement was fabricated.
Elliott told Prickett that he had not been drinking that night. Elliott was given a field sobriety test and submitted to a hand-held breathalyzer. Prickett asked him again if he had been drinking, and Elliot stuck to his previous statement. Then Linnell and Hitt arrived, and Prickett asked Elliot to put his hands behind his back.
Elliott recalls saying, "Oh man," and freezing up.
"I just couldn't believe they were arresting me," Elliott said. "There was just no reason for it."
In the police video, the three policemen surrounded Elliott and slammed him face-first onto the trunk of his car. There was a loud crack, and Elliot uttered a muffled groan of, "Oh god, my teeth, awww, oh god, my teeth!"
A third of Elliott's tooth chipped off, and there was a cut on his chin deep enough to require five stitches. The medical expenses totaled $6,680.55.
Elliot was handcuffed, put on the ground and told by Prickett that he had ended up on the hood of the car because he had head-butted Linnell. According to the video, that head-butt did not take place, but Prickett's sworn affidavit said, "Elliot began to fight, head-butting Officer Linnell."
"I didn't head-butt him," Elliot said. "I hadn't done anything wrong."
Elliott was then taken to jail where he was refused entrance until he was first taken to the hospital.
"The police officers hadn't offered me any medical help or anything at all," Elliott said.
The three officers are still employed by the university. Prickett, now employed at the NT Dallas campus, said he would love to talk about it, but had been advised against it by Renaldo Stowers, an associate general council at NT.
NT Deputy Police Chief Ed Reynolds also declined to comment, saying it was against university policy to discuss matters of pending litigation.
"There's no indication that the university chief of police has done anything to discipline them." Elliott's attorney, Gladden, said.
The district attorney did not prosecute the NT policemen for the criminal charges of aggregated assault of a citizen or signing a false affidavit, Gladden said.
"I found that a little discouraging," Elliott said.
Elliot did not receive a DWI, and his aggravated assault charge was dropped to resisting arrest. The assault charge was dropped on when Lisa Decker, a prosecutor for the state, signed a motion to dismiss, which stated: "After reviewing the videotape, it has been determined that this case should not be prosecuted."
Elliot, now 21, is no longer a student at NT. He relocated to Texas State University at San Marcos to put the incident behind him, and he no longer wants to be a police officer.
http://www.ntdaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/08/11/42fb680c905fd
I don't think I have heard of a school where they had a good reputation with the students. Not necessarily a bad thing.
