Lawsuit accuses Chicago police of wrongly arresting and beating man

A man who was allegedly beaten by Chicago police officers has filed a federal lawsuit for excessive force, assault, battery, wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Ohesha Brinkley was approached by officers Juan Santiago and Zeyad Matlock while he was waiting at a bus stop and told him to place his hands on the wall. The lawsuit alleges that Brinkley initially ran away from the officers because he had a small amount of marijuana in his possession, but quickly surrendered to officers on his knees with his hands up.

He alleges in the lawsuit that after surrendering, he was shot in the back with a stun gun and then sprayed in the face with mace.

Brinkley was later charged with marijuana possession and the unlawful use of a weapon, and was eventually found not guilty after a jury trial. But after spending more than 8 months in the Cook County jail awaiting trial, he was evicted from his apartment and lost his job.

Brinkley is suing Santiago, Matlock and the City of Chicago for court costs, attorney fees and an unspecified amount of money. The lawsuit claims he suffered severe mental distress, insomnia, anxiety and depression.