Lawyer charges cops 'addicted to Tasers'Police reject claims in $9.5M lawsuit By TOM GODFREY, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 8th October 2008, 11:51am
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A developmentally disabled man who says he was Tasered several times by Toronto police 2 years ago has launched a multi-million dollars lawsuit. Play Video Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair is "addicted to Tasers" and a mentally challenged man could have died after allegedly being shot multiple times with the high-voltage device, lawyer Clayton Ruby claims.
"That addiction has to stop," Ruby said yesterday in defence of George Lochner, who he alleged was shot with a Taser five times by police. "Tasers are great for police officers who don't want to get dirty."
Ruby yesterday filed a $9.5-million lawsuit against Toronto police and its board on behalf of Lochner, 43, who has alleged Emergency Task Force members used the weapon on him in August 2006 as he laid in bed at his Verwood Ave. home.
"Tasering a person five times is inhumane and wrong," Ruby said. "This man was unarmed in his bed, in his home with his mother downstairs."
END TASER USE
He called for an end of the use of Tasers by police, who, he said, believe "they are quick and efficient to use." Ruby alleged the officers had an "invalid" warrant to enter Lochner's home, which he shared with his mom, Lina, 77, father Mario and brother Silvano. George, who is autistic and speaks with an impediment, alleged he was handcuffed and punched by officers.
"They held me by the hand and punched me in the eye," he said yesterday. "I was handcuffed and given a black eye."
"Why would anyone want to hit George," his sobbing mom Lina asked. "I am so upset about this."
Another brother, Paul, is seeking more than $3 million after he, too, was allegedly attacked and assaulted by officers while visiting the Lochner home. Lina is also seeking $100,000 in damages. Toronto Police spokesman Mark Pugash said the service "categorically rejects" the allegations made by Ruby. Officers were looking for the man's brother, Silvano, 50, for threatening a neighbour with a sledgehammer, according to police. Instead they were confronted by George while searching the house, said Pugash.
"We're going to argue this in the courts, where these things should be argued," Pugash said. "We are saying we categorically reject Mr. Ruby's account of what he said went on."
He said the issue is whether police behaved properly while arresting Lochner.
"It's our view that they did, they used reasonable force given what they were confronted with," Pugash said.
Court documents filed by the service and the police board states Silvano has "over the years become increasingly violent and aggressive towards police and others," Pugash said. Received on Wed Oct 8 13:12:09 2008