Joshua Polo FerrieraJoshua Polo Ferriera has sued the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for counts which include assault, battery and violation of civil rights, among others, for $3 million.
Deputy Jeremy Wright and John Doe Defendants 1-12 are named specifically in the suit.
Ferriera, who is 23 but was 22 during the events mentioned in the lawsuit, was arrested on charges of domestic assault, vandalism, aggravated assault and resisting arrest on Aug. 9, 2014, according to Hamilton County arrest records.
Upon arriving at the Hamilton County Jail, Ferriera was removed from the car with excessive force, the suit alleges. In the jail, Ferriera, who was handcuffed, was slammed into the counter by Wright and other unidentified officers, the suit said.
The suit said Ferriera "cried out in pain pleading with Defendant Jeremy Wright and other John Doe Defendants, that he was in extreme pain as to the way he was being held and forcibly restrained against the counter."
However, officers did not stop, the suit said. Then just before being put in his cell, Wright, wearing black gloves, punched Ferriera in the face, causing his head to snap back, the suit said.
Seconds later, the suit said, Ferriera was thrown into the cell face first with his hands still handcuffed. Wright and other defendants then jumped on Ferriera, causing him to violently hit the concrete floor of the jail cell, the suit said, and he began to bleed from his face and mouth.
The suit also accuses the officers "assisted one another in hiding the facts of the claim stated herein."
At several times in the suit, it says officers subjected Ferriera to "cruel and unusual punishment, assault, battery, humiliation and torture."
The suit concludes by saying Ferriera should be awarded $1.5 million for compensatory damages and $1.5 million for punitive damages. The suit was filed by Clancy Covert and Lee Ortwein on behalf of Ferriera.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said it has no updates on the case. The case is in the hands of its attorney, a spokesman for the department said.
Contact staff writer Evan Hoopfer at ehoopfer@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/EvanHoopfer or 423-757-6731.