Cops brutalize ex-boyfriend and destroy woman's home after she calls police during mental health crisis: lawsuit

Police in Arizona used Tasers on a mentally ill man and destroyed a woman's home after she called for help during a mental health crisis, according to a new lawsuit.

Adela Gibson called Mesa police in September 2020 after her ex-boyfriend, who has schizophrenia, suffered a mental break and refused to leave her mobile home, and the department sent its SWAT team -- which used bean-bag rounds, stun guns and a police dog on the unarmed man as they violently took him into custody, reported the Phoenix New Times.

"Adela requested that police take him to a hospital, due to some mental issues," wrote Jacob Shumway, the first officer to respond. "I explained that we might be able to do that, but our primary concern right now was any criminal violations."

Gibson had called police for a similar crisis the year before and officers took her ex-boyfriend Richard Moore to a hospital for treatment, but she has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city following the violent and destructive incident last year.

Officers immediately noted that Moore was behaving erratically, claiming that he was the "living Christ" and making other delusional statements, and he told officers about his diagnosis and explained he was not taking his medication.

Gibson told officers that Moore had not hurt her and was not dangerous, although he could become loud and belligerent, and she said he was unarmed and police noted they never saw any weapons during the incident.

But officers commanded Moore through a bullhorn to leave, and one officer shot him with a "less-lethal" bean-bag round as he complied and approached the doorway.

That officer claimed Moore's right arm was concealed behind his back, as if holding a weapon, but the lawsuit claims his hands were up when he was shot.

Moore crawled back into the trailer at that point, but the SWAT team started firing tear gas canisters and stun grenades into the house -- shattering every glass window in the trailer.

Gibson heard the explosions from a nearby Walmart parking lot, where she had been waiting.

Officers found Moore hiding under laundry in Gibson's bedroom and sent a K-9 police dog to attack him, and an officer used a Taser stun gun as the man tried to remove the dog's bite from his leg.

Police took Moore into custody at that point and took him to a hospital for treatment for multiple injuries, and charges against him were initially dropped, but his attorneys say those were filed again after Moore and Gibson took legal action against the city.

Moore pleaded guilty last month to criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

The lawsuit accuses police of using excessive force and negligence, and complains that the city failed to repair Gibson's trailer after officers broke out all the windows and ransacked the kitchen cabinets and bookshelves.