ACLU v. City of Eugene

Excessive Force: Civil Liberty

Case: American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Inc. v. City of Eugene, 2011 WL 10894596 (Or. Cir.).

Synopsis: Eugene police officers arrested Plaintiff. To subdue him, the arresting officers used a Taser stun gun. Following the arrest, the officers were accused of misconduct and the Police Department conducted an internal investigation to determine whether disciplinary action against the officers accused of misconduct was merited. The Police Chief determined that the force used in Plaintiff’s arrest was within policy. The City’s Civilian Review Board, an organization charged with increasing transparency of, and public confidence in, the police complaint process, then conducted an investigation into the matter. After reviewing the information from the arrest and the internal affairs investigation, the Civilian Review Board determined that the force used in Plaintiff’s arrest was within policy. Due to these findings, Judge Rasmussen denied Plaintiff’s Summary Judgment.

Link to Opinion